Sultan of Aegypt who fained as though hee had beene flying from place to place vntill hee found the Christian armie Camping in a low place beside the riuer Nilus and then opening the sluâ—es of the water the most part of all the Christians were drowned and Damiata againe recouered The second armie was led by Fredericus the second into Asia at what time Ierusalem was recouered againe and all that Baldwine the fourth had of old in his possession was rendered to the Christians and a couenant of peace was bound vp for 10. yeeres to come as hath beene declared in the treatise of the life of Fredericke The third armie was raised vp by Theobald King of Nauarre Americus Count of Montfort Henry Count of Campanie Peter Count of Britan and Anselmus de Insula Theobald hauing the chiefe regiment of the armie which set foreward by the intisement of Gregorie the 9. before the time of the 10. yeeres peace concluded by Fredericke had taken an ende For the which cause it is not to be doubted but this voyage had the more vnprosperous successe for they had lost the third part of the armie before they came to Antiochia from thence they went to Ptolemais and from thence to Gaza The Barbarians perceiuing that this armie was set forth without the Emperours aduice because his Souldiers that were in Asia keeped the bond of peace and assisted not this armie of Theobald they laid there Ambushments in secret places wayting for advantage of the Christian armie and set vpon them when they were wearie returning from their spoiling with great prey but the Christians made strong resistance and put the aliens to flight The day next following the Barbarians renewed their forces and prevailed against the Christians Americus Count of Montfort and Henry Count of Campanie being slaine And Theobald king of Navarre with great difficultie escaped and returned home accompanied with a very few number of men who remained vndestroyed in that vnprosperous voiage The fourth armie was led by Richard Count of Cornwall whom the Pope had put in hope to be made Emperour but when hee came to Ierusalem and vnderstood by Rainoldus the Emperours deputie there of the peace which had beene concluded by a solemne couenant hee enterprised nothing against the Barbarians but subscribed the bond of peace concluded before by the Emperour Fredericke and left he should seeme to haue made all his trauels in vaine hee receiued some dropps of the Lords blood from the Patriarch of Ierusalem so blind was this seduced age that a vaine shew of counterset reliques was counted a worthie price to recompence the ieopardous trauels of Princes leading great armies from one end of the world to another After the death of Rainald the Templaries without all regard of the peace bound vp denounce warre to the Saracens and compelled the Christians in Asiato put themselues in armes But the Soldan of Aegypt sent for support of the Babylonians who sent vnto him a companie of sauadge men called Grossouij who pitched their campe at Gaza and tooke it and destroied all the Templaries that dwelt therein The like did they to the inhabitants of Askelon also the people that came to support the Templaries were vtterly cut off and finallie they set vpon Ierusalem which was easily conquered and all the inhabitants thereof were put to the sword without regard of sexe or age and the towne it selfe was subuerted neither was any building spared though neuer so ample pleasant also they subverted the Sepulchre of the Lord. The first voiage was vndertaken by Lewis King of Fraunce sonne to the Queene Blanch who being diseased and almost at the point of death vowed to God that in case hee recouered health hee would be crossed or marked with the crosse to visit the Lords Sepulchre and there solemnly to render thankes which vow also hee endeuored to performe and in the yeere of our Lord 1248. after he had receiued the Popes blessing at Lyons set forward with a mightie armie hauing in companie with him the Earle Atrabacensis his brother the Duke of Burgundy the Duke of Brabant the Countesse of Flanders with her two sonnes the Earle of Britanie with his sonne the Earle of Barrensis the Earle of Swesson the Earle of S. Paul the Earle of Druise the Earle Retel with many other noble Persons In the beginning of this enterprise they seemed to prosper well for they tooke the Towne of Damiata at their first arriuall into Aegypt which was the chiefe seat and hold of the Saracens in all Aegypt At the losse whereof the Soldan of Aegypt with the Saracens in those parts were so astonished that they offered the Christians the possession of Ierusalem and the holy Land which the Christians so much contended for prouiding they would render vnto them againe the Towne of Damiata But the Earle of Artoys the kings brother puft vp with insolent pride would in no waies suffer the offers of the Saracens to be accepted but required also Alexandria the chiefe Metropolitan towne of Aegypt to be deliuered vnto them But soone after the Soldan of Aegypt beset them so stronglie both by Sea and Land that they were glad to craue againe the peace which was offered and could not obtaine it In the ende they were purposed to leaue a Garrison to keepe Damiata and to march out in battell themselues The Earle of Artoys through his insolent pride thinking all was his owne whensoeuer he gat any small aduantage of the enemie brought himselfe and all the armie to confusion for he passed ouer a shallow foord of Nilus which a certaine Saracen lately converted to Christ had made knowne and hauing in company with him the Master of the Temple and William Longspath with his companie of English souldiers and diuers others euen the third part of the armie set vpon the Saracens when they were not aware and did them great harme This victorie obtained he would needs goe forward deuiding himselfe from the maine Hoast and besieged the Castle and Village of Mansor But the Saracens finding him separated from the rest of the army compassed him about and destroyed him and all his company in so much that scarce one man escaped aliue except two Templars one Hospitular and one poore Souldier to bring newes thereof to the King After this the Souldan suddenly appeared with multitude of innumerable thousands against the King himselfe In this miserable conflict the King with his two brethren and a few that claue vnto him were taken captiues all the residue were put to the sword or else stood to the mercy of the Saracens whether to bee slaine or remaine in wofull captivity The Souldan after the captivity of the King fraudulently suborned an army of Saracens to the number of the French army with the armes and ensignes of them that were slaine and sent them toward Damiata where the Duke of Burgundie with the French Queene and Odo the Popes Legat and other Bishops and
THE HISTORIE OF THE CHVRCH SINCE THE DAYES OF Our Saviour IESVS CHRIST vntill this present Age. Devided into foure Bookes 1. The first containeth the whole proceedings and practises of the Emperours both of the West and East for or against the Church as also the wonderfull loue of God towards it by whom it was so preserved that neither by Tyranny it could be subdued nor by policie circumvented 2. The second containeth a breefe Catalogue of the beginnings and proceedings of all the Bishops Popes Patriarchs Doctors Pastors and other learned men in Europe Asia and Affrica with or against the Church together with their deaths 3. The third containeth a short summe of all the Heretiques which haue beene in the Church the time when and the place where they lived as also the persons by whom they were subdued 4. The fourth containeth a short compend of all the Councels Generall Nationall and Provinciall together with their severall Canons which haue beene established either with or against the Church Devided into 16. Centuries By all which is clearely shevved and proved the Antiquitie Visibilitie and Perpetuitie of our Church euer since Christs dayes vntill this present Age. Collected out of sundry Authors both ancient and moderne by the famous and worthy Preacher of Gods vvord Master PATRICK SYMSON late Minister at Striueling in Scotland LONDON Printed by I.D. for Iohn Bellamie and are to be sold at his Shop at the three Golden Lions in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange and for William Sheffard at the entering in of Popes-head Alley out of Lumbard streete 1624. TO THE RIGHT GRATIOVS PRINCE LODOWICK Duke of Richmond and Lenox Baron of Settrington Darnley Teâ—banten and Methuen Lord great Chamberlane and Admirall of Scotland Lord Steward of the Kings household Knight of the most noble order of the Garter and one of his Maiesties most honorable privie Councell ALthough it may seeme both to your Grace and others great presumption in me a stranger to trouble your Grace either with the view of these vnpolished lines or this ensuing Historie yet I hope the latter shal be a sufficient excuse for the former For having received it from your Noble Sister the Countesse of Marre at her Ladiships commaundement and especiall direction I revised it put it to the Presse hastened the Printing and now also craue your Graces Patronage thereto not so much respecting the greatnesse of your authoritie as the goodnes of your nature and disposition whereof much might be sayd but that I hold it needlesse to shew the Sunne with a candle Thus humbly commending it to your Graces favourable acceptation and heartily committing you to the Almighties gracious protection I humbly take my leaue resting Your Graces humble servant A. Symson TO THE RIGHT NOBLE VERTVOVS and elect Ladie Marie Countesse of Marre P.S. wisheth grace mercie and eternall felicitie THE estate of the Church of Christ NOBLE LADIE whereof wee reioyce to be accounted feeling members hath beene subject vnto manifold afflictions even from the beginning of the world not like vnto the estate of Moab setled vpon her dregs and not poured out from vessell to vessell yet the more afflicted the more beloved of God whose face watred with teares is faire and whose mourning voyce is pleasant in the sight of God and as doing of good willingly hath a great recompence of reward from God even so patient suffering of evill for righteousnesse sake as it is highly commended in Scripture so it shall be richly rewarded in heaven yea the very heathnick Philosopher Plato to whom the glory of the sufferings for Christ was vnknowne affirmeth that men who suffer scourging binding tormenting boring out of eyes and finally strangling of their breath for righteousnesse sake are exceeding happy are as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth thrice happy although the superlatiue degree of suffering which can be found amongst the heathnicks could never equall the glorie of the sufferings of Christians They who were initiated in the mysteries of Mittera which word in the Persian language signifieth the Sunne could not bee admitted to that honour before they had beene tried by suffering fourscore divers sorts of punishments such as long abstinence from meate and drinke solitarie living in the wildernes a long time tryall of suffering the fervent heate of fire and the coldnes of water and many other torments vntill the number of fourescore had beene completed These voluntarie sufferings like as in the beginning they wanted the warrant of Gods calling so likewise in the end they wanted the hope of Gods reward but the mouth of God himselfe pronounceth Christians to be blessed who die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them The manifold persecutions of the Church may be devided into three rankes some were fierce and bloodie some were craftie the third was and is both craftie and cruell The ten heathnicke Emperours Nero Domitian Traian c. were so prodigall of the blood of the Lords Saints that they poured it out like water vpon the ground The Arrian Emperors were subdolous and craftie but the persecution of Antichrist which is the third goeth beyond the rest both in crueltie and craft yea the experience which we haue had in our owne dayes of the cruelty of Antichrists supposts and their craftie convey of their malicious enterprises intended against our Soveraigne Lord His Royall race and Noble Counsellers doth cleerely proue that the malice and craft of Antichrist goeth as farre beyond the craft and malice of all Emperours as the flood of Noah exceedeth the inundation of Nilus In the first second and third Centuries the faith and patience of Christians was tried by the yoake of ten bloody persecutions For first the Apostles who had heard with their eares the words of the great shepheard of our soules and seene with their eyes God manifested in the flesh were chosen to be faithfull to the world of the doings sufferings and doctrine of Iesus Christ and next to the Apostles their Disciples and true successours sealed vp with rivers of blood that faith which they receiued from the Apostles The fire wherewith they were burnt the water wherein they were drowned the ayre wherein their bodies were hanged the mountaines and wildernesses through which they wandered the darke prisons wherein they were enclosed as people vnworthy of libertie yea all the elements the very light of heauen from whence by most vnrighteous violence they the righteous heires thereof were excluded all these I say were witnesses of their glorious sufferings In the fourth fift and sixt Centuries the knowledge of the Church was tryed by Heretiques who by the mistie clowds of error endeavoured to blindfold the eyes of men and to leade them captiue from the simplicity of the truth of God at which time also the power of the light of God was manifested in discipating the darknesse of errours as the Sun-rising doth the darknesse
foretold by the Prophet Zacharie Then sayd I I will not feed you that that dieth let it die and that that perisheth let it perish and let the remnant every one eate the flesh of his neighbour Like as the intollerable cruelty of Flerus had irritat the Nation of the Iewes even so on the other side the vnsupportable obstinacy of the Iewes had incensed the wrath of the Romanes against them They were now become so head-strong that they reiected the sacrifice that was wont to be offered for Caesar. The calamity of the Iewes who dwelt in Alexandria and in Damascus was but the beginning of sorrowes fifty thousand Iewes were slaine in Alexandria ten thousand in Damascus Besides this many signes and wonders both in heauen and earth did proclaime their future desolation and destruction A Comet was seene in heauen hanging ouer the towne of Ierusalem for the space of a yeare and having the similitude of a sword in the Temple at the mid time of the night a cleare light was seene shining round about the Altar in brightnes not vnlike vnto the light of the day and the great brasen port of the Temple opened of it owne accord about the sixt houre of the night chariots of fire were seene compassing townes and a voyce was heard in the Sanctuary warning to flit and to transport with many other fearfull signes and wonders But a people senslesse whose eyes were dimme whose eares were dull of hearing whose heart was fatte and locked vp by Satan in infidelity they could take no warning of the wrath to come because the Lord was minded to destroy them Flavius Vespatian and his sonne Titus Vespatian leading an army of threescore thousand armed men from Ptolemaida besieged the townes of Galilee and Trachonitis so many as would not willingly bee subiect to the Romanes the townes of Gadara Tiberias Iotopata Tarithea Gamala all these were brought vnder the reverence of Vespatian and Iosephus who had beene lurking in a caue after the towne of Iotopata was conquered was taken aliue and kept in bands by the Romans hee foretold that Vespatian should be Emperour and saluted him Caesar and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while Nero was yet aliue When this prophecie came to passe indeed and hee was chosen to bee Emperour hee sent for Iosephus and commanded that he should be loosed from bands but Titus his sonne thought more expedient that his bands should bee cut off from him rather then loosed to the end he might be counted a worthy man who never deserved captivity nor bands Flavius Vespatian returned to Rome and left behinde him his sonne Titus to subdue the Iewes and to besiege the towne of Ierusalem but the Christians who dwelt at Ierusalem were warned by God to depart out of the towne of Ierusalem so they left it and dwelt beyond Iordan in a towne of Decapolis called Pela Separation of the corne from the chaffe goeth before the vnquenchable fire wherewith the chaffe shall bee burnt Titus beganne to besiege Ierusalem in the first yeare of the reigne of his father at the time when the people were gathered to celebrate the feast of the Passeouer The terror of the sword of the Romanes without the feare of mercilesse brigands within the bowels of the towne prevailing the shewer of the dead wanting the honour of buriall infecting the aire and devouring the living with contagious sicknesse the violent plague of famine breaking assunder the bands of nature and constraining women to eate the birth of their owne bellies All these calamities seased vpon them at once in the iust iudgement of God They despised the Father of eternity and the Prince of peace and sayd to Pilate Wee haue no King but Caesar. Now they finde that the mercies of Caesar were cruell and his sonne Titus who was commended in all mens mouthes as meeke mercifull liberall and eloquent and was called Amor delitiae humani generis that is The loue and most dainty thing of all mankinde yet God made him a terrible scourge to the Nation of the Iewes who forsooke the Lord Iesus and preferred Caesar vnto him In Scripture wee reade of many great viols of the wrath of God powred downe vpon vnrighteous men but these are greatest that resemble by most liuely representation the great condemnation of the wicked at the last day such as the flood of Noe the ouerthrow of Sodome and destruction of Ierusalem The flood of Noe was vniuersall and sudden so shall be the condemnation of vngodly men at the last day The overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha was a destruction vnsupportable and the more meet to bee an example of the vengeance of eternall fire The destruction of Ierusalem and the forerunning tokens thereof are so mixed with the tokens preceeding the condemnation of the great day that it may bee clearely perceiued that God hath appointed the one to be a type and figure of the other So oft as we call to remembrance the flood of Noe the overthrow of Sodom and the destruction of Ierusalem let vs feare stand in awe to fall into the condemnation of vngodly men because all the terrors of these iudgements concurre and are massed together in the iudgement of the last day What are the deepe wells of water what are the shoures of fire and brimstone what is famine pest and sword both intestine and forraine in comparison of that worme that never dieth and that fire that shall never be quenched and the blacknesse of darknes with weeping and gnashing of teeth c It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God Concerning the number of them that were slaine in Galilee Trachonitis Samaria and Iudea chiefly in the Metropolitane towne Ierusalem over and besides those that were sold to be slaues and those that were deuoured by wild beasts in the triumph of Flavius and Titus at Rome reade Iosephus de bello Iud. lib. 6. cap. 45. Titus AFter Flavius raigned Titus Vespatian his sonne two yeares two months twenty dayes The Nation of the Iewes being now subdued there was great peace in all parts of the Romane dominions both by sea and land and the Temple of Ianus in Rome was closed and locked vp againe Domitian FFlavius Domitian was associate to his brother Titus in government during his life time and after his death was his successor Hee raigned 15. yeares Hee was proud like Nero and persecuted innocent Christians as hee did so prone and bent is our corrupt nature to sinne and to follow evill examples Now againe the Church of Christ militant vpon the earth must learne obedience by suffering and must giue a proofe before the world that the Covenant of God is written in the tables of her heart and so deeply ingraved by the finger of God that no tribulation anguish persecution famine nakednesse nor death itselfe can separate her from the loue of Christ. The members of the
of the booke of martyres Onely I find somethings in this seuenth persecution which the principall purpose wherefore I haue collected this compend will not permit me to passe ouer with silence Namely these first let no ma n thinke that the veritie is weake and hath neede to be strengthened by a lie as Nicephorus is accustomed to doe The seuen martyres of Ephesus whose names were Maximianus Malchus Martinianus Dionysius Ioannes Serapion and Constantinus were lurking in a caue the entrie whereof Decius commanded to be closed with great heapes of stones to the end that the forenamed Christians might be killed with famine which came to passe indeede Yet famine could not separate these holy Martyres from Christ. But Nicephorus the father of many other fables also saith that they fell on sleepe which they continued till the time of Theodosius that is from the 250. vntill the 379. yeere of our Lord and then they did awake out of their sleepe saith Nicephorus But he who will giue hastie credite to Nicephorus fables writing of the 7. martyres who lurked in a caue of mount Caelius and to Euagrius description of Barsanuphius an Egyptian monke who enclosed himselfe in a cottage beside Gaza for the space of 50. yeares and vsed no kinde of bodily refreshment to sustaine his earthly tabernacle he may be easily led to all kinde of errour The second thing worthy to be marked is that many persecuted preachers had wiues and children as the historie recordeth Cheremon Bishop of a citie in Egypt called Nilus fled to the mountaines of Arabia accompanied with his wife and returned not againe to Egypt neither was he seene of those who sought him in the wildernesse Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria who miraculously escaped the crueltie of persecuters maketh expresse mention of his children Deo mihi vt migrarem praecipiente viámque mirabiliter aperiente ego liberi multi fratres egressisumus that is after that God had commanded me to remooue and had miraculously opened a passage vnto me I and my children and brethren went forth If antiquitie be regarded Bishops who doe marrie are not Nicolatian Heretiques but rather such as forbid to marrie teach a doctrine of deuils Thirdly it is to be marked that in time of this vehement persecution many fainted and fell backe from the open profession of Christian faith Others to prouide timous remedie against such defections gaue out a rigorous sentence against such as had fallen of infirmitie that they should not be receiued againe into the fellowship of the church In this opinion was Nouatus and his complices And by their example we should learne to beware of such men as vnder pretence of zeale perturbe the vnitie of the Church and inuent remedies to cure the maladies of the diseased Church which are worse then the sicknes it selfe as the Novatians did Weakenes at some time is to be pitied but deuilish rigour pitying no man who falleth of infirmitie is a lesson that hath no allowance in the booke of God This cruell tyrant after he had raigned two yeeres made warre against the Scythians some call them the Gothes by whom hee was vanquished in battell and fearing to be ouertaken and to come vnder the tyrannie of barbarous people he cast himselfe into a deepe pit where he ended his life and his body could not be found The great desolations that were made in the world about this time by the plague of pestilence the Ethnickes imputed the cause of them to the Christians But Cyprian whose pen the Lord guided better declared that the cause of all these calamities was the worshipping of Idols the contempt of Gods true seruice and the persecuting of innocent Christians Gallus and Volusian AFter Decius Gallus and Volusian his sonne raigned two yeeres Hee walked in the footsteps of Decius Hee was slaine by Emilian who presumed to raigne but he was so hastily made out of the way that Eusebius and many other Historians misknow his name in the Catalogue oâ— Emperours Valerianus and Gallienus VAlerianus and Gallienus his sonne raigned 15. yeeres viz. Gallienus with his father in coniunct authoritie 7. yeeres after his fathers captivity and death hee raigned alone eight yeeres In the first three or foure yeeres of the Empire of Valerian hee was favourable and friendly to Christians and great numbers of them were found in the Emperours Court But afterward hee was seduced by an Egyptian Sorcerer who hated Christians because that by them he was hindred from practicing his magicall charms So the eight persecution began vnder Valerian In this persecution suffered three Bishops of Rome Lucius Stephanus and Sixtus and a Deacon Laurence who was layd vpon an hot broyling iron and patiently endured the torment of fire This is that Deacon who called the poore the treasure of the Church for then is the Church rich when it is rich in good workes and feedeth clotheth and visiteth Christ in his hungry naked and diseased members Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria was banished to Cephro a place in the wildernesse of Libya Priscus Malâ—bus and Alexander were devoured by beasts in Caesarea Palestina Cyprian Bishop of Carthage was beheaded Marinus a Roman Captaine in Caesarea was envied for the dignity and honour he was advanced vnto and hee was accused to bee a Christian and consequently to bee vncapable of great preferments and dignities he was encouraged by Theotecnus Bishop of Caesarea patiently to suffer death for the cause of Christ by taking him into a secret chamber and laying before him a drawne sword and the booke of the Gospell and bidding him take his choice of one of these two which he liked best Marinus liked better the booke of the Gospell then of the sword and was martyred for the faith contained in that sacred booke of holy Scripture Astyrius a noble Senatour caryed the body of this holy Martyr Marinus vpon his own shoulders and buried it hounourably In the end the Lord delivered this persecuting Tyrant into the hand of Sapor King of Persia who not onely detained him in strait captivity but also abused him most filthily and made his bodie a footstoole and trampled vpon his necke at such times as he was about to mount on horsebacke This fearfull captivity of Valerian had vnto it a notable testimony of the wrath of God against persecuters For like as hee trampled vnder his feet the Church of Christ so in like manner the Lord gaue his necke and backe to be trampled vpon by the feet of his enemies This example of Gods heavie indignation somewhat terrified Galâ—ienus his sonne and he gaue out an edict for the safe returning of such as were banished to their own dwelling places and for staying the rage of persecution Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria having liberty granted by the Emperors edict to returne from banishment came back againe to Alexandria wherein hee found such terrible desolation by famine
excruciated vnto the death And these torments they suffered with joy and gladnesse and singing of Psalmes vntill the last breath In Phrygia a towne was set on fire by the Emperours commandement the name whereof Eusebius passeth ouer with silence and the whole inhabitants being Christians men women and children were burned with fire Tirannion Bishop of Tyrus Zenobius Presoyter of Sidon Siluanu's Bishop of Gaza and Pamphilus a worthy Presbyter in Caesarea whose life and death Eusebius hath described in a seuerall treatise all these I say were crowned with martyrdome Maximinus Emperour of the West whose persecution Eusebius describeth not at such length as tho persecution of Dioclesian in the East hee was like vnto a wilde Boare trampling vnder his feete the vine-yarde of God He slew Maximinus a noble Captaine with a legion of Christian and Thebane souldiers because they would not consent to offer sacrifice vnto idoles This was done beside the riuer of Rhonne The martyres of France Italy and Germanie specially at Colen and Triers where the blood of Christians was shed in such abundance that it ranne like small brookes and it coloured great and mightie riuers the multitude I say of these holy martyrs and the diuersitie of torments dayly excogitated against them what memorie is able to comprehend or what tongue is able sufficiently to expresse In the ende when these two Emperours were drunken with the blood of the Saints of God and saw that the numbers of Christians daily increased they beganne to relent their furie and madnesse a little beeing at last content that the punishment of Christians should be the thrusting out of their right eyes and the maiming of their left legges with condemning them to the mines of Mettalles The mercies of the wicked are cruell saith Salomon Before two yeeres were fully compleate after the beginning of this tenth persecution these two furious persecuters for what cause God knoweth gaue ouer their imperiall function and remained not Emperours any more but as priuate persons Dioclesian after hee had denuded himselfe of the imperiall dignitie liued almost 9. yeeres Maximian within foure yeeres after was slaine by the commandement of Constantine The imperiall dominion then remained with Constantius Chlorus and Galerius Maximinus these two diuided the whole monarchie betweene them Constantius contented himselfe with France Spaine and Brittaine Galerius Maximinus had the rest Constantius tooke Constantinus his sonne to bee Caesar vnder him and Galerius Maximinus chused his two sonnes Maximinus and Sonerus to be Caesars vnder him The Romane souldiers also set vp Maxentius the son of Maximianus Herculeus to be their Emperour against whom Galerius sent his sonne Seuerus who being slaine he chused Licinius in his stoad Of these fiue who raigned at one time the like whereof came not to passe at any time before two Emperours and three Caesars three of them viz. Galerius and Maximinus his sonne and Licinius prosecuted the persecution begun by Dioclesian neere the space of 7. or 8. yeares which was to the yeere of our Lord 318. The other two Constantius and his sonne Constantine were fauourable to Christians Constantius and Galerius Maximinus COnstantius Chlorus raigned as Emperour 13. yeeres Others say 16. some say 11. yeeres He ended his life in peace at Yorke Hee was not onely friendly to Christians but also hee counted them the onely faithfull subjects to Emperours And such as he perceiued that for loue of honour gaine or any worldly commoditie would make shipwracke of a good conscience and sacrifice to idoles albeit they had allowance by his owne fained commandement giuen out for exploration of the religion of his Captaines and souldiers rather then seriouslly and from his heart allowing the worshipping of idoles these I say who made no conscience to worship idoles for conquessing fauour at the Emperours hands he disauthorized them remoued them from offices and counted them men who were false to God and would neuer be true to him Maximinus elder and yonger in the East part of the world were cruell persecuters Because ecclesiasticall writers doe not clearely distinguish the crueltie of the father from the crueltie of the sonne I shall comprise all vnder the name of Galerius Maximinus the father of the other Maximinus He was not vnlike vnto Pharaoh for when the correcting hand of God was vpon him then he relented his furie but when the plague ceased he returned againe to his wonted malice First God smote him with a wonderful vncouth disease so that his flesh began to putrifie and innumerable multitude of vermine swarmed out of his inward parts then hee commanded that the persecution should cease and that Christians should pray for him and hee published edicts of peace in their fauours throughout all his dominions But scarce continued hee in this good resolution 6. months when as he sent out contrarie edicts and caused them to be engraued in brasse which thing was not done at any time before and to be set vp in euery Citie whereupon ensued a grieuous persecution of Siluanus Bishop of Emisa Lucianus Bishop of Antiochia who suffered martyrdome at Nicomedia after he had giuen in his apologie to the Emperour and Peter Bishop of Alexandria The martyrdome of king Antheas and 37. thousand moe martyrs with him I passe by as a thing vncertaine because Eusebius could not haue ouerpassed with silence such a rare and wonderfull crueltie committed in his owne time if it had beene of veritie done as some alledge Other thirtie thousand are said to haue beene martyred in sundrie places and this is very probable because the martyrs who suffered in this tenth persecution were innumerable Quirinus Bishop of Scescania a towne of vpper Pannonia was throwne into the flood hauing an hand-mill hanged about his necke and so was drowned I leaue a recitall of the names of all the rest of the martyrs of whom I reade to haue suffered martyrdome at this time like as I haue done in all the preceding persecutions Now to speake somewhat of the cruell edict of this Emperour ingraued in brasse and hanged vp in all principall cities specially in Tyrus In it he gloried that peace wealth prosperitie and plentie of all good things were in his time and he attributed the glory of all this aboundance to the deuote worshipping of the heathen gods At this time saith Eusebius was that fulfilled which the Lord Iesus fortold that the tribulation of those dayes should be so great that except those dayes had beene shortened no flesh could haue beene saued but for the Electes sake those dayes should be shortened yea and if it were possible the very Elect should be deceiued But the Lord pitying the infirmitie of his Saints and to stop the blasphemous mouthes of heathen people turned suddenly all their joy into mourning and lamentation with famine pestilence warfare and vncouth diseases whereby the eyes of men and women were blinded by which the Lord tamed
not only allowing worshipping of images but also forbidding to pay tribute to the Emperour Leo. The Emperour on the other part irritated with the proud attempts of Gregorius the second vsed indirect meanes to cut him off but the enterprises of his deputies Marinus Paulus Eutychius and their followers succeeded vnprosperously Moreouer the Bishop of Rome sought support from the Lombardis who had beene at all times preceding enemies to the chaire of Rome yet in Leo his dayes they were bounde with the bishop of Rome in a couenant of friendship for none other cause but this onely to shake off the yoke of the Emperours obedience And when the bishop of Rome saw that the Emperour had great businesse in warres against the Saracens hee thought it a fit occasion to draw the dominion of Italie vnto his owne subjection and therefore with aduise of the Clergie hee both excommunicated the Emperour as a destroyer of the Images of the Saints and disauthorised him of his Emperiall soueraignty in Italy So earely began the increasing Grando of Antichrist to send forth the thunder-bolts of cursings against the anoynted of the Lord. In this Emperours dayes the Saracens passed over the Straits invaded the kingdom of Spaine slew Rodericus King of the Gothes and his sonne and put an end to the kingdome of the Gothes in Spaine after they had raigned 346. yeeres and being incited by Eudo Duke of Aquitania they marched towards France but through the valour of Carolus Martellus a man of noble birth in France they were so encountred that three hundred thousand and threescore and ten thousand Saracens were slaine and the countrey of France was made free of the feare of the Saracens Constantinus Copronymus AFter Leo his sonne Constantinus Copronymus raigned 35. yeeres Chytreus reckoneth onely 23. yeeres because hee hated the worshipping of Images which errour had taken deepe roote in this age The writers of the History of this time haue dipped their pens in gall and wormwood to blaspheme the honourable name of Constantinus but whatsoever Paulus Diaconus or Zonoras haue written to his disgrace his name will bee in honourable account and regard in the Church of Christ. The Senate and the people of Constantinople addicted to the worshipping of Images hated the Emperour and were glad of the false rumoured tidings of his death when he went to fight against the Arabians and they chose Artabasdus to be Emperour in his stead But Constantine returned to Constantinople besieged the towne and recovered his owne kingdome againe Hee gathered a generall Councell at Constantinople anno 755. wherein the worshipping of Images was damned as shall be declared God willing in its owne place In this Emperours dayes were warres betwixt the King of Lombardis and the Bishops of Rome but the Roman Bishops begged the helpe of Carolus Martellus against Luitprand and the helpe of Pipinus against Aistulphus and the helpe of Carolus Magnus against Desiderius all Kings of Lombardis and by continuall imploring the helpe of the Nobles and Kings of France the Lombards were vtterly subdued the chaire of Rome was enriched the revenue of the Emperour of the East was impaired and a ground was layd for the advancement of the Kings of France to the Imperiall dignity In this Emperours dayes the Turkes or Scythians invaded the Armenians and molested the Saracens and some countries of Asia minor in the end they accorded with the Saracens But this agreement could not bee perfected without condition That the Turkes in Persia should vndergoe the name of Saracens hoping thereby that they would easily embrace the Mahometan religion wherin their expectation was not frustrate In the yeere of our Lord 579. and in the 18. yeere of the raigne of Constantine a wonderfull thing fell out amongst wise men of Persia called Magi and Maurophori Pâ—â—sâ— they perswaded both themselues and others also That if a man would sell all that hee had and throw himselfe headlong from the walles of the Citie his soule should by and by be transported to heaven So prone and bent is the corrupt nature of man to leane vpon vaine hopes to beleeue promises which God hath not made Leo the sonne of Copronymus LEo the sonne of Constantinus Copronymus raigned fiue yeeres Hee followed the footsteps of his father in zeale against worshipping of Images and punished the Groomes of his owne chamber such as Iames Papias Stratâ—ius and Theophanes for worshipping of Images The superstitious writers of the History of this time such as Zonaras and Paâ—lus Diaconus reckon the aforesayd persons in the Catalogue of holy Confessors But Christ will neuer count them to be his Martyrs who fight obstinately against the truth even vnto the death neither will hee count them to be his Confessors who suffer iustly inflicted punishment for the contempt of the lawes of Magistrates being agreeable to the law of God Irene and Constantinus her sonne AFter the death of Leo raigned Irene his wife with her sonne Constantine ten yeeres Afterwards Constantine deposed his mother from her authority and raigned alone seven yeeres And Irene on the other part taking this indignity done vnto her grievously shee spoyled her sonne both of his eyes and of his Empire cast him into prison where he dyed for heart griefe and shee raigned againe 4. yeeres after her sonnes imprisonment So all the yeeres of the raigne of Irene and her son coniunctly severally first and last were 21â— yeeres This Empresse was superstitious crafty and infortunate Shee was a superstious defender of the worshipping of Images A malicious and venomous hater of the name of Constantinus Copronymus whose dead body shee commanded to be brought out of his graue to be burnt with fire resolved into ashes and to be cast into the Sea albeit Constantine was her owne father in law The mercies of the wicked are cruell Her craft appeared in bringing her forces to Constantinople in the sixt yeere of her raigne vnder pretence of fighting against the Arabians and in disarming of them whom shee knew to haue beene adversaries to the worshipping of Images and sending them in ships to the places from whence they came For before the dayes of Constantinus Copronymus the towne of Constantinople by famine and pestilence and being besieged three yeeres by the Saracens was miserably dispeopled so that thirty thousand of the people of Constantinople died But Copronymus for the repayring of that losse sent for strangers and replenished the towne with new Inhabitants These strangers she sent backe againe to the places from whence they came especially because in popular commotion they had set themselues in armes and menaced the Fathers convened in Constantinople by Irene and her sonne for allowance of adoration of Images Shee was infortunate because the Empire of the East was so extenuated in her time that it was rather like vnto a shadow then vnto an Empire So that in the subsequent History I will forget after a manner the Emperours
and Constantine had caused their father Romanus to bee shauen and thrust into an Isle called Prote And Constantine after the issue of 26. yeeres wherein Romanus and his sonnes raigned he laied hands on Stephanus and caused him to bee shauen and sent vnto the isle Mytelene and his brother to the Isle of Samothracia Thus the Lord who will not suffer iniquitie to escape vnpunished rendered to the sonnes of Romanus a iust recompence of their vnkindlie dealing with their father Otto Primus OTto the first after the death of his father Henrie was chosen Emperour and raigned 36. yeeres Hee was molested with many forraine and domestique warres but hee prospered in all his enterprises yea and Lyndolphus his owne sonne conspired against him for the marriage of Adelphed the relict of Lotharie sonne to Hugo who contended against Berengarius for the kingdome of Italie This Adelphed the Emperour Otto not onely relieued from her distressed estate but also married her The mother of Lindolphus was daughter to Edmont King of England after whose death it displeased him that his father should marrie Adelphed But when hee made warre against his father he was ouercome and besieged at Ratisbon and in the end was reconciled to his father The tyrannie of Berengarius the second enforced the Romans to implore the assistance of the Emperour Otto who led an armie to Rome at diuerse times The first time hee gathered a Councell at Rome and deposed Ioan. 13. whom others call Ioan. 12. and placed Leo 8. in his steed Likewise hee subdued Berengarius and his sonne Albertus did flie to Constantinople and so the Emperour recouered againe his owne dignitie to be king of Italie and that no man should bee chosen Pope without consent of the Emperour Againe the inconstancie of the Romans in reiecting Leo 8. and receiuing againe Ioan. 13. or 12. compelled the Emperour to returne to Rome and to punish the authors of that sedition to the death After hee had declared his sonne to be Emperour he died and was buried in the Church of Magdeburg which he had builded in his owne time In the East after Romanus the son of Constantine had raigned 3. yeeres Necâ—phorus raigned 6. yeeres a man more magnanimous in warfare then wise in government He was murthered by the Counsell of his owne wife Theophania and Zimisces raigned in his steed Otto Secundus OTto the second after his fathers death raigned ten yeeres he was a vertuous Prince but not like vnto his father Henrie Duke of Bavare contended against him for the title of the Empire but Otto prevailed Likewise Lotharie the King of France invaded the countrie of Loraine onely belonging to the Emperour But Otto gathered a strong armie recouered the Countrey of Loraine and pursued Lotharie to Paris burning and destroying all the Countrey whether hee went The third great conflict was against the Eretians assisted with the Saracons for the Countries of Apulia and Calabria These countries did appertaine of old to the Emperour of the East But Basilius with his brother Constantine willing to recouer these Countries againe did fight against the Emperour Otto and discomfited his armie and the Emperour himselfe hardly escaped in a fisher boate faining himselfe to bee but a simple Souldier and payed his ransome Afterward hee conuerted all his wrath against the Italians who had trayterouslie forsaken him and were the chiefe cause of the discomfiture of this armie hee died at Rome and was buried in the Church of S. Peter Basilius Emperour of the East raigned 50. yeeres and recouered the Isle of Candie from the Saracens and the Countryes of Apulia and Calabria from Otto as is said after whom his Brother Constantine raigned 3. yeeres Otto Tertius OTto the third was young in yeeres when his father died For hee exceeded not eleuen yeeres old notwithstanding he was chosen Emperour and raigned 19. yeeres Hee was wise aboue his yeeres and was called Mirabile mundi that is the admirable thing of the world The Italians continuallie breaking soueraigntie advanced one Crescentius to bee Emperour The Emperour Otto for suppressing such seditious attempts pearced into Italie with an armie at three diuers times and pardoned Crescentius twise But when hee made no ende of his seditious attempts the third time hee hanged him Likewise Iaon 18. whom the Seditious Romanes had advanced reiecting Gregorie the fift who was made Pope with the Emperours consent his eyes were plucked out and hee was throwne headlong from the Capitol By the prudent aduise of Otto Gregorie the fift appointed Seuen electors of the Emperour to wit the Bishops of Mentz Collen and Treer with Count Palatine the Duke of Saxonie and the Marquis of Brandenburgh and in case of contrary opinions the King of Bohemia Which custome doth continue even to our dayes One thing was lacking in the felicity of this noble Emperour that his wife Mary of Arragon was a notable and barren harlot and the widow of Cresentius and had almost bewitched his noble heart Shee being alwayes disappointed of her expectation sent vnto the Emperour a paire of impoysoned gloues which procured his death and hee was buried in Aken CENTVRIE XI Henry the second AFter Otto the third Henry the second Duke of Bavaria by the Princes Electors was declared Emperour hee raigned two and twenty yeeres Platina assigneth vnto him onely eighteene Hee was a wise valiant and godly Emperour He subdued all his rebells He received the Imperiall crown from Benedict the eight Hee expelled the Saracens out of Italy In this Emperours time Sueno King of Denmarke invaded England and subdued it to his obedience A savage Prince in whom if power had not lacked to performe his designes his cogitations were highly bended to extirpate all profession of Christian religion in England Likewise about this time Calipha of Egypt one of the Saracen Princes destroyed some of the temples of Ierusalem and poluted the rest but in speciall he overthrew the Temple builded about the Lords Sepulchre His mother was a Christian woman when that was obiected to him in way of exprobation as if hee had favoured Christians for his mothers sake hee bended all his might against the Christians destroyed and poluted their Temples and massacred in most cruell manner all them who were in spirituall offices This was the first ground of the terrible warfare which afterward ensued vulgarly called Bellum sacrum Conrad the second AFter Henry the second succeeded Conrad the second and was elected Emperour three yeares after the death of Henry In this inter-raigne many cities of Italy desirous of libertie made desertion from the subiection of the Emperour But Conrad was a wise and valiant warriour and reduced the cities of Italy in short time to subiection He was the first Emperour who made a law that the perturbers of the common peace in Germany should be punished vnto the death Hee received the Imperiall crowne from Pope Iohn 21. and raigned 15. yeeres In whose dayes
and there incontinent killed Vlrick the Earle wounding him and cutting him in peeces The king hearing thereof although hee was not a litle discontented thereat in his mind yet seeing there was none other remedie hee dissembled his griefe for a time But afterward in his Progresse when hee came to Buda accompanied with the two sonnes of Huniades hee caused them both to be taken and cast into prison and Ladislaus forthwith was beheaded Mathias was carried Captiue to Austria to suffer the like punishment if the Lord had not prevented Ladislaus the king by suddē death who departed this life about the verie time appointed for the celebration of his marriage in Prague with Magdalen daughter to the King of Fraunce Thus the young king who hated the race of Huniades and more hated the light of the Gospell that shined in Bohemia and was of purpose as is supposed at his marriage to root out the sect of the Hussits as hee called it was timously in the mercie of God cut off himselfe to the great benefit of the true Church of God In this Emperours time suite was made by the Germanes to the Emperour that hee would prouide remedie against the actions of the insatiat Popes and that hee would not suffer his subiects in Germanie to bee exhausted and empourished by them The Emperour being moued and ouercome by their perswasion promised that hee would prouide no lesse for them then the king of Fraunce had done for the Frenchmen But the subtle perswasions of Aeneas Syluius did so bewitch the Emperour that he contemning the equall iust and necessarie requests of his subiects chosed the said Aeneas to be his Ambassadour to Calixtus newly chosen Pope to sweare vnto him in his name and to promise the absolut obedience of all Germanie Thus the Germans were derided and frustrate by Fredericke and the Emperour on the other part fearing least the Germanes after his death should transport the Empire to another familie caused his son Maximilian 7. yeeres before his death to be chosen and also crowned king of Romans and did associate him to the ministration of the Empire In this Emperours time likewise flourished a valiant man sonne of Iohn Castriotus Prince of Epirus and Albania called George who was giuen in hostage to the Turke with other two brethren But this George excelling all the rest of his equalls in strength of body vigour of minde and actiuitie in warfare was named by the Turkes Scanderbeius which soundeth as much as Alexander Magnus Hee was sent out by the Turkes to fight against Caramannus of Cilicia the Turkes enemie in which expedition hee behaued himselfe so manfully that hee wanne great renowne with the Turke insomuch that hee trusting to the Turkes fauour when hee heard of the death of his father durst aske of the Turke the grant of his fathers dominion to be giuen vnto him The which request although Amurathes did not deny vnto him yet notwithstanding hee perceiuing that the matter was dallied out with faire words by subtle meanes and policie slipt out of the Turkes Court and came to Epirus his owne inheritance where first by counterfeite letters hee recouered Croia The other cities of their owne voluntarie minde yeelded to him and hee so manfullie behaued himselfe that against all the force both of Amurathes and Mahomet he maintained his owne repulsed their violence and put to flight their armies many yeeres together In this Emperours time Mahomet the second tooke the Isle of Euboia and destroyed the towne of Calcis afterward hee commanded the Cittie of Athens to be razed and vtterly subverted and from thence returning his armie to Thracia with a mightie multitude compassed the towne of Constantinople both by sea and land in the yeere of our Lord. 1453. and in the 54. day of the sayd siege it was taken and sacked and the Emperour Constantinus slaine such terrible crueltie did they vse as the like is not often read of in any historie There was no corners in Constantinople which was not defiled with floodes of Christian blood so that in this one towne are reckoned to the number of fortie thousand persons that were slaine amongst whose dead bodyes the body of Constantine the Emperour was found whose head being brought to Mahomet he commaunded it to be carried vpon a speare through the whole Citie for a publike spectacle and derision to all the Turkish armie Also he tooke the Image of the Crucifixe being there in the high Temple of Sophia and writing this superscription vpon the head of it Hic est Christianorum Deus this is the God of the Christians caused it to be carried thorow all his armie and made every man to spit at it most contumeliously Thus was the noble citie of Constantinople sacked 1139. yeers after it was first built by Constantine the great now is made the Imperiall seat of the Turkish dominion Notwithstanding the proud heart of Mahomet which was so highly lift vp by the conquest of Constantinople was by the providence of God somewhat abated soone after For at the siege of Belgradum in Hungarie in the yeere 1436. hee was so manfully resisted by that worthie Governour Iohannes Huniades that hee was compelled after the losse of a great part of his army to the number of 40000. souldiers his owne person also being sore wounded to raise his siege and for feare and shame ready to kill himselfe In the East after Emanuel raigned Iohannes his sonne who was present at the Councell of Florence with Eugenius 4. Pope of Rome but lived not long after his returning And after his death because hee had no children his brother Constantine succeeded in whose time the town of Constantinople was pitifully destroyed and the Emperour himselfe slaine as hath beene declared And here is the end of the Empire of Christians in the East CENTVRIE XVI Maximilianus IN the yeare of our Lord 1486. Fredericus waxing aged and partly also mistrusting the hearts of the Germaines did in his life-time associate his sonne Maximilian to be ioyned Emperor with him with whom he reigned for the space of 7. yeers till the death of Fredericke his father after whose departure he reigned 25. yeers This Maximilian as he was a valiant Emperor prudent and singularly learned so was his raigne intangled in many vnquiet and difficult warres First in the lower Countries of Flanders and Brabant where he was taken captiue but worthily againe relieved by his father Hee had to wife Mary the onely daughter to the Duke of Burgundie by whom hee had two children Philip the father of Charles the fift and Margaret this Mary by a fall from her horse fell into an ague and died So happy was the education of the Emperor in good letters so expert hee was in tongues and sciences but especially such was his dexteritie and promptnesse in the Latine tongue that hee imitating the example of
Iulius Caesar did write and comprehend in Latin Historie his owne acts and feats of warre done by him In this Emperours time Baiazeth the second Emperour of Turkes after long siege tooke a strong towne of Peleponesus called Methon or Modon being vnder the dominion of the Venetians and caused all the Noblemen of the Venetians and Grecians that were found in the towne to be brought into his owne presence and there most cruelly to be slaine Carolus quintus AFter Maximilian Charles King of Spaine Duke of Austria and Burgundie and nephew to Maximilian was chosen Emperour and raigned 37. yeeres He was a Prince of singular wisedome expert in warre slow to wrath and if it had pleased the Lord to haue illuminated his heart with that true light that begun to shine in his time hee might haue beene reckoned amongst the most renowned Emperours His inclination to wisedome may appeare by these witty sentences vttered by him Like as Saturne which is counted the most supreme planet hath the slowest course of all the rest even so they that are in supreme authority ought to doe all things with greatest deliberation and advisement And like as the Sunne sendeth out his beams in like brightnesse both vpon poore and rich so ought supreme Magistrates minister iustice without partiality both to poore and rich And like as the eclipse of the Sunne is a foretoken of great commotions so likewise the errors and oversights of Princes bring with them great perturbations to countries Hee was intangled with great and dangerous warres all the time of his government either against forraine Princes or some of the Empire In his warrs against the King of France hee had better successe then he could haue looked for for as much as the towne of Millaine being already taken by the King of France and the towne of Pavie in Italy likewise besieged yet the Emperours army shortly after encountred with the French-men and both vanquished them and also tooke the King himselfe prisoner and from thence conveyed him away to Spaine where through care and griefe hee fell into sicknesse but when hee was comforted by the Emperour and put in some hope of agreement hee began to take heart vnto him and recovered and in the end a peace was agreed vpon at Madruce in Spaine and the King was set at liberty leaving for pledges his two eldest sonnes But shortly after hee revoked his oath being absolved by the Bishop of Rome and said he was forced to swear or else hee should never haue beene delivered The Emperor after the delivery of the King of France gaue to Charles Duke of Burbon the Dutchie of Millaine on condition to pay 4000. ducats and finde a number of souldiers yeerely This Charles Duke of Burbon passing through Italy to Naples afterward in the Emperours quarrell besieged Rome and in the assault was slaine but his souldiers tooke the citie spoyled it and besieged the Bishop Clement with his Cardinalls in the Mount Adrian from whence hee could not be dismissed by any meanes vntill hee agreed with the souldiers Notwithstanding this the Emperour Charles being then in Spaine and staying the thunderbolt of Excommunication which the souldiers nothing regarded did excuse himselfe by letters that hee knew not of that his men had done and therefore willed the Bishop to bee set at liberty In this Emperours dayes begun reformation of religion in Germany by meanes of the disputations writings and doctrine of Martin Luther whom the Emperour laboured by all meanes to suppresse First by gathering a convention of the estates of Germany in the towne of Worms Which convention was kept in the yeere of our Lord 1521. and Martin Luther being cited by an Herald of armes to appeare before the said Councell with a letter of safe conduct by the Emperour and Princes appeared and although many perswaded him not to adventure himselfe to such a present danger yet Luther answered that he was resolved and certainely determined to enter Worms in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ although hee knew that there were so many divells to resist him as there were tyles to cover the houses in Wormes thus being presented before all the Estates of the Empire Iohn Eccius who then was the Bishop of Triers generall officiall at the Emperours command demanded of Martin two questions First whether hee confessed those bookes which were given out vnder his name to be his or no shewing herewith an heape of Luthers bookes written in the Latin and Dutch tongues Secondly whether hee would revoke and recant them or stand to all that hee had written To the first point hee answered affirmatiuely that hee would acknowledge his owne bookes As touching the second whether he would recant any thing contained in his bookes or no he craved time to premeditate what hee should speake in that matter which was the more easily granted because they were in some hope that Luther would recant some of his writings but it fell out farre otherwise then they looked for For at the time of his next appearance hee divided his bookes into three sorts some of them opened the grounds of Christian religion simply which his very enemies had counted inculpable and therefore hee would not condemne them himselfe Another sort contained invectiues against the Papacie and others of that retinue which had with their pestiferous doctrine and pernitious examples corrupted the whole estate of Christianity which bookes if hee should revoke hee should adde more force to their tyranny and his retraction should be a cloake and shadow to all their impiety and naughtinesse The third sort of his bookes were written against certaine particular persons who with tooth and naile laboured to maintaine the Romane tyranny and to deface his doctrine and these likewise hee could not recall left by his recantation it should come to pasle that tyranny and impiety supported by his meanes should rage more violently against the people then ever it did before When no recantation could be obtained nor yet submission of his writings to the iudgement of the Emperour and his Estates Martin Luther departed from Wormes being dismissed according to his promise of his safe conduct and returned to his owne countrey Soone after this the Emperour Charles to purchase favour with the Pope because hee was not yet confirmed in his Empire provideth and directeth out a solemne writ of outlawry against Luther and all them that take his part commanding the said Luther where-ever hee might be gotten to be apprehended and his bookes burned After this another convention of the Estates of Germanie was gathered at Norinberg for the suppressing of Martin Luther to which Councell Pope Adrian the sixt sent his Ambassadour Cheregatus to desire that the sentence of the Apostolick Sea and the Emperours edict against Martin Luther should bee put in execution The Princes of Germany on the other part declared great vrgent causes wherefore they were compelled to forbeare
skirmishes there were killed a thousand of their enemies and scarce fortie persons of their owne Triniteus the Captain by the counsell of Truchetus an expert Warriour thought meet to besiege the Castles of Convallenses but God fought against them in all their enterprises and the Convallenses came vpon them suddenly as they were besieging a certaine Castle and slew a great number and Truchetus himselfe was first sore wounded with stones afterward was slaine with his owne sword by a poore Shepheard that was keeping cattell in the fields In the end when Triniteus was out of all hope to subdue the Angronians and their complices he advertised the Duke of Sauoy how all matters went and peace was granted to the Convallenses with libertie to vse their owne Religion providing they should render all due seruice and obedience to the Duke of Savoy their Soveraigne Lord and Master To returne againe to France After the disputation at Rossie the number of the Protestants daily increased and rumours of sedition vprores were in the mouths of all the people The Queene mother willing to prouide timely remedie for repressing of ciuill and intestine warre assembled the estates of the land at S. Germane where the edict of Ianuarie was made bearing that the professours of the reformed Religion might assemble themselues together to heare Preaching of the Word provided those assemblies were kept without the towns without armour This edict was published throughout all the land and sore grieued the hearts of the adversaries namely the Duke of Guise the Constable Mommeraunce and the Marescall Santandreus who consulted together how they might haue this act vndone againe but no way could be found out to bring this matter to passe except first the King and Queene mother were in their hands to the end that the force of the Lawes which they feared might be turned against their enemies when as they had the Law-makers in their owne hands This was also thought to be an high attempt and dangerous to be enterprised so long as the King of Navarre was their enemie and a fauourer of the reformed Religion for this cause all meanes were sought out to divert the affection of the King of Navarre from his foresaid Religion The Cardinall Ferrar being the Popes Ambassadour in France put him in hope that by the Popes trauailes with Philip King of Spaine the kingdome of Navarre should be restored to him againe if he would turne to the Catholique Religion Thus was the heart of the King of Navarre stolen away from his Religion to the great encouragement of the Duke of Guise and his complices who without further delay put hand to worke The first fruits of his martiall deeds after he raised his armie was the cruell Massacre of poore vnarmed people assembled to heare the Word of God at Vassiace a towne in the borders of Champaigne and neere vnto his dominion Those poore people to the number of a thousand and fiue hundreth being occupied as is said vpon the Sabbath day the Duke of Guise came vpon them suddenly and compassed the Church wherein they were with armed souldiers that none might escape also the Duke himselfe stood in the entry with a drawne sword in his hand and sent in his souldiers who most cruelly without compassion of sex or age martyred the poore members of Christ for hearing of his Word After this the Duke of Guise addressed himselfe toward Paris where he was receiued with ioyfull acclamations of the people and from thence he marched forward to Fonteblew where the King was and seased himselfe of the King and the Queene mother and for greater securitie transported them both to Paris On the other part the Prince of Condie went to Orleance to whom resorted a great number of the Nobles of France namely the admirall Castilion Andelot Princeps Porcianus Rupsfocald with many others who all bound themselues together to set the King and the Queene mother at libertie from captivitie wherein they were deteined by the Guisians as also to defend the true professours of the Gospell of Christ that according to the act of Ianuarie they might without molestation assemble themselues to heare the Word of God The Prince of Condie was chosen to be their Chieftaine to whom the Queene mother sent many secret Letters declaring that she was deteined by the Guisians against her heart And if the Prince of Condie could set the young King and her selfe at libertie shee would neuer be vnmindfull of so great a benefit Thus in the beginning of the Warres the Queene mother fauoured the Prince of Condie and stirred him vp with many Letters and secret advertisements to procure her and her sonnes libertie for greater euidence whereof the Letters themselues are inserted in the French Historie Many great townes in France were taken and fortified by the Protestants as namely Orleance Lion Valence Granoble Roane Bourgos Towers Poictiers Montpellier and Nimes Many of those townes were recouered againe by the Guisians namely Bourges and Roane At the siege of Roane the Prince of Navarre was slaine and receiued a iust reward of his inconstancie and leuitie And Augustinus Marlorart a faithfull seruant of Christ and Preacher of the Gospell was taken by the Guisians and afterward hanged Many great cruelties were designed against those of the Religion in this first Warre namely in Tullus Aurange Burges Roan Sens and diverse other places In Montargis belonging to the Ladie Rence daughter to Lewis the twelfth Dutches Dowager of Ferrar fell out a very remarkeable matter This Ladie was a retrait to diuers families of the Religion notwithstanding the threatnings of the Duke of Guise sonne in law to the said Ladie who sent thither one Malig corne a new Knight of the order to sease vpon the Towne and Castle who begun to threaten the Ladie with Canon shot to batter her Castle wherin were diuers of the Religion But the Princesse answered him that there was not any man in the realme except the King alone that had power to command her And if he would proceed to such boldnesse as to batter her Castle with Canon shot shee would first stand in the breach her selfe to try if he durst be so bold as to kill the daughter of a King Those words caused Malicorne like a Snaile to pull in his hornes and presently to depart Afeer this the Prince of Condie perceiuing that great preparation was made against him and the Queene mothers affection was turned away to the Guisians thought meete to send for ayde to the Queene of England and the Prince of Condie willing to ioyne himselfe with the English armie marched forward to Normandie but the Duke of Guise followed after him with so great celeritie that the Prince of Condie was compelled to ioyne Battell with the Guisians at Dreux in Normandie before he was supported of the English armie This battell was fought with vncertaine victory for on the one part
and that he would giue him what part of his Realme hee would aske to let him liue in peace This their enterprise succeeding so well farre aboue their owne expectation mooved them to set forward and to desire of the King that hee would make and sweare an irrevocable edict of extirpation of Heretikes To take by force the townes holden by those of the new religion To renounce the protection of Geneva to authorize their warres to reconcile them vnto him to bee of their league and of a King to become a participant Wherevpon followed an edict prohibiting the exercise of the new religion and revoking all other edicts that favoured it commanding all the Ministers out of the Land and all subiects in France within six moneths after to make profession of the Catholike religion or to depart out of the Realme Dispersing also the tripertite chambers of Parliaments likewise ordayning that the townes given in hostage to those of the religion should be yeelded vp and approving the warre which the Leaguers had begun acknowledging it to be done for his service And not content with this they asked of the King for their further surety the townes of Chalon Thoul Verdium Saint Desier Rhems Soissons the Castle of Dyon the towne and castle of Beaume Rue in Picardie Dinan and Conque in Brittaine to be delivered vnto them The King of Navarre all this while kept himselfe quiet being solicited by the King so to doe But when hee saw the King had rendered himselfe to the appetite of the Leaguers hee set forth a declaration of the cause why the Leaguers had taken armes of the vanity of their pretences and of the fruits which the Estates in France might reape by the conclusions of Peronne Nemours and Nauty for in those places the Leaguers had bound vp their league with protestation that with him the Prince of Condie his cousen the Duke de Mommerencie with Lords Gentlemen Provinces and Townes both of the one religion and of the other so many as would concurre with him should oppose themselues to the authors of these troubles In the meane time while the King of Navarre is so busied with the King and the Leaguers who were now as it were incorporate in one bodie the third assault commeth on and Pope Sixtus the fift with his thunderbolts of excommunication setteth vpon him declaring him to be vncapable of the crowne of France abandoning his person and his countrey for a prey to such as should obtaine them At the same time also the Electors of Germany who in all the former warres had beene so helpfull to the Protestants of France was not vnmindfull of them at so strait a pinch but sent Ambassadours to the King desiring him to heare the requests of his neighbours and to pity the case of his poore subiects and not to keepe backe the edict of peace that hee had lately graunted vnto them The King answered that hee thought strange that forrain Princes should meddle with his affaires and that he would doe nothing against the honour of his conscience nor the fatherly care he had vnto his people With this answer the Ambassadours returned not well pleased The Duke of Guise being advertised of the dislike the Ambassadours of Germany had touching their answere counselled the King to set vpon the Protestants before the Rutters entred into France so that in lesse then eighteene moneths the King of Navarre saw himselfe assayled by fiue Camps royall vnder fiue severall Generals Neverthelesse very few exploites worthy of remembrance were done by those armies vntill the army of the Germanes entred into France vnder the conduct of the Baron of Othna a man of greater courage then experience The Duke of Bulloigne in the name of the King of Navarre ioyned with the Baron of Othna to leade this great army wherein were moe then thirty thousand Switzers Rutters and French-men They marched from Loraine to Cheaumont in Bassigny and passed the river of Marne also they crossed l' Anbe at Montigny and Seine aboue Casklion and Cure aboue Vermentone and Yome hard by Crenaunt and so made haste towards the river of Loire There began the complaints of the Switzers and the mutinies of the Rutters because the King of Navarre came not to them and the King of France was at the side of the river Loire either to fight with them or to stay their passage At this time the King vsed a stratagem which was the cause of his victory and of the dissipation of the army of strangers For hee considered that the onely meanes to breake their army was to impeach their ioyning with the King of Navarre Therefore he commanded the Duke Ioyense to keepe the King of Navarre in Poictou and rather to hazard battell then suffer him to passe the river of Loire as hee determined at the head thereof to the which end the Duke de Ioyense that had an army fortified both with men munition artillery and meanes marched to Coutras to passe la Drogne at Que and vpon tuesday the twentith of October Anno 1587. he stayd with all his forces betweene la Rotch Chalais and Coutras The King of Navarre made toward him fully resolved to fight and about eight of the clocke in the morning the King of Navarres artillery began to play and that of Duke de Ioyense to answer them but not very fortunately for that either the ignorance or malice of the Canoners had placed it so low that the mouth of the canon shot right vpon a little hill of earth wherein the bullets stayed without piercing any further The battell was so soone decided that in ten houres this great army of the Kings that had the vantage both for place and number began to retyre and was sooner broken then fought withall The King of Navarre the Prince of Condie and the Earle of Soissons behaved themselues most valiantly executing the offices both of Captaines and souldiers and gaue thankes to God in open field In this battell Duke de Ioyense and Monsieur de S. Sauueur his brother were slaine and fiue and twenty other Gentlemen of name all their cornets were taken with their artillery and baggage and fourteene Gentlemen of account were taken and put to ransome That done the King of Navarre being eased of so many nets that were set vp to catch him marched forward to ioyne with the forraine army and to passe the river Loire The King on the other part to impeach the meeting of the two armies of his adversaries caused the ditches betweene Povilly and Dony to bâ—e broken vppe filling them with thousands of trees stones and chaines to entangle the feet of the Rutters horse that should passe and in truth the letting of that passage was next to the helpe of God the second cause the King had of the victory For the Rutters being disappointed of their passage were compelled to recoile and having failed of their enterprise at la
Charitie they entred in the way of Beauce drawing towards Montargis From this time forth a great mutinie began in the army of the strangers being mooved with impatience because they could neither haue money nor sight of the King of Navarre whereof the King being then at Bonevall had intelligence and thereupon vsed all the meanes hee could to sound the hearts of the Switzers and perswaded them to separate themselues from the rest of the army and retyre home whereunto the Switzers condiscended and vpon agreement of 400000. crownes payed to them in ready money they returned backe againe to their owne countrey The Duke of Guise perceiving the army of the Rutters to be as a body dispersed hauing nothing left but the armes and legges tooke boldnesse to set vpon them as they camped at Aunew and entred with his footmen into the streets about the time that the carts and baggage were ready in the morning to issue out and so couragiously surprised the Rutters at their breakefast when the trumpets began to sound a chivall having no meanes to issue out they were constrained to retyre into their lodgings at the pleasure of the assaylants The booty was great being 800. chariots iewels and chaines of gold and two thousand horse both for the field and waggons The gates being seazed vpon and the streets chained there was no meanes to saue themselues but by the walles which the Generall leaped ouer Notwithstanding of this surprise the army of the Rutters was in such estate that by reason of some small assurance they had of the King of Navarres arrivall it was likely to haue overcome the Duke of Guise forces And as it was at point to retyre backe againe the Prince of Condie the Duke of Bulloigne and the Lords of Chastillion and Cleruant promised to pay them all their wages if they would march forward The hope of their pay made them to march in a time not very convenient towards the Forrest of Orleance The King perceived that the longer the armie kept the fields the greater would be the ruine of his Countrey and that being ioyned with the king of Navarre would doe great hurt caused the Sienrs of the Isle of Cormont to certifie the Coronels that if they would yeeld vp their colours and sweare to beare no armes in Fraunce without the expresse commandement of his Maiestie hee would giue them assurance to retire in safetie They on the other part perceauing themselues to be farre from the king of Navarre hardlie handled by the Frenchmen beaten by the league pursued by the king and forsaken of the Switzers assembled themselues together at Marsigni and accepted his Maiesties offers sent by Monsieur D' Esperno and retired out of France toward Geneua The Marques Du pont eldest sonne to the Duke of Loraine and the Duke of Guise against their faith giuen followed the miserable troupe of the Rutters to the mountaine at Saint Clande where they gaue thankes for the good successe of their companie and from thence to please their hungrie troupes they trauersed the Countrie of Bourgoundie entering into the Countries of Mombeliard and Hericourt where his men vsed diuers great cruelties and spared not the lands of the Bishop of Basile After the bloodie ceasing of so lamentable vengeance vpon a poore innocent people which as yet doe feele the losse and destruction of two hundred villages the violence vsed to a number of women and maids the Massacre of so many old men and the furious and beastlie inhumanitie of the League they beare the signes of their spoyles into Loraine Neuerthelesse after this exploite of the Duke of Guise so full of crueltie falshood inhumanitie the Roman Church extolled him aboue all measure The Pope sent vnto the D. of Guise a sword engraued with burning flames in token of his valiantnes accompanied with burning zeale towards the Roman religiō The Preachers of France advāced him aboue the king saying that Saul had slaine his thousand but Dauid ten thousand and so the Duke of Guise puft vp with winds of popular praise seeing also that the greatnesse of the Soueraigne maiestie was embraced and that the Protestants were retired vnto the Rotchell also that England had a proud Spaniard embarked on her backe meaning the great Spanish Nauie by Sea hee assured himselfe to take the king without danger and to this effect aduertised the Cardinall of Burbone not to neglect so good an occasion but to gather his principall friends at Nancie there to aduise the meanes to passe forward and to constraine the king as it were to make his will and so that assemblie concluded that the King should be summoned to ioyne his forces to the league to refuse the Counsell amitie of such as should be named vnto him to establish the inquisition in euerie towne to publish the Councell of Trent euen touching the things that derogated the priuiledge of the French Church to consent to the restitution of the goodes that had bin alienated and sold for the charges of the warres to giue them townes wherein they might place men of warre to make such fortifications as the necessity of the time would require ordaine the sale and confiscation of Hugonits goodes also the disabling of their persons entertaine an armie vpon the Fronteris of Loraine against the returne of the Germans that would come to haue some recompence for the cruelties by the league committed in the countie of Montbeliard The Duke of Guise came to the King at Soissons to constraine the King either to bow or breake and to confirme the articles drawne and deuised at Nancie and Dyion The King on the other part by Mousieur de Bellieure gaue the Duke to vnderstand that he should doe him a pleasure if he would abstaine from comming to Paris in so troublesome a time wherein so many factions raigned and if hee came thither against his will hee would lay the cause of all the troubles that might arise by his presence vpon him But the Duke of Guises heart as it were attainted with a burning feauer could find neither appetite nor pleasure but in that which liked his stomach would needes for the loouer or die by the way and therefore mounted on horsebacke with eight Gentlemen about nine of the clocke at night leauing the Prince de Iumueille his sonne at Soissons and desiring the Archbishop of Lyons to follow him in the morning and so arriued at Paris This maner of arriuall together with the peoples fauour vttered by their ioyfull acclamations at the Duke of Guises lighting increased the distrust of the kings heart so that hee resolued to preuent the enterprises intended against him and commanded the Marescall Biron to cause foure thousand Switzers to enter into the Towne and to lodge them in diuers quarters thereof who seased incontinent vpon the bridges of Nostredame and Saint Michael But the Parisians being abashed at the sight shut vp their shoppes
In the beginning of March the Duke de Maine with all his forces passed over the bridge of Maule which is about eight miles from Dreux whereof the King being advertised provided for his affaires and the twelfth of the same moneth set himselfe on the way to goe against his enemies On the thirtith day the King after hee had ordered his army made an earnest prayer to God and looked for battell but there were nothing but skirmishes wherein the Leaguers had the worst The next day the battels ioyned neere to the towne of Dreux wherein the King obtained a great victory and overthrew all the footmen of the Leaguers which were counted to the number of twelue thousand men Onely the Switzers who cast downe their weapons and yeelded to the King together with the Frenchmen who were mingled amongst them had their liues spared also fifteene hundred horsemen of the Leaguers were slaine and drowned and foure hundred taken prisoners The Duke de Maine fled towards Dreux and when he was entred the towne broke vp the bridge before his owne people were all come which was the cause of the death of a great number of his army especially of the Rutters of whom a great sort were drowned In this battell the army had their ioy mixed with sorrow at the first for they saw not the King returne but within a while after they espyed him comming all stained with the blood of his enemies not having shed one droppe of his owne whom they discryed onely by the great plume of white fethers which hee had in his creast and that which his palfrey had on his head all the army gaue hearty thankes to God for his safetie crying with one voyce God saue the King The Duke de Maine and other Captaines of the league being frustrate of their hope and seeing their army thus spoyled betooke themselues to their ordinarie shifts which was to feed the Parisians with fable and lyes publishing that in the battell they had almost eqâ—all losse and that the King if hee was not already dead hee was neare vnto it But the people being every day more and more ascertained of the truth began to grudge and to be desirous of peace so that the Duke of Maine tooke his iourney towards the Duke of Parma to obtaine support from him The King drew nigh to Paris and shut vp the passages of the river of Seane being master of Mance and Poyssie on the one side and Corbell Melum and Monterean on the other side of Paris so that neither from aboue nor from below could any provision bee carryed to Paris by the river of Seane likewise by taking of Lagnay and the fort of Gonrey hee stopped the passage of the river of Merue and by taking Compienge Creil and Beaumont hee stopped the passage of the river of Oisso or Ayne In that populous towne the famine was soone felt and within the space of three moneths moe then an hundred thousand dyed in the towne yet the most part of them stirred vp by the seditious Preachers were content rather to endure an hundred deathes then to acknowledge their owne soveraigne King whom they called an Heretique and a favourer of them The Duke de Maine having obtained promise of support from the Duke of Parma returned from Beuxellis whom the King pursued from Laon to Meux where hee inclosed himselfe betweene two rivers waiting for the comming of the Duke of Parma The King hoped for battell so soone as the Duke of Parma was ioyned with the Duke de Maine but the Duke of Parma got vp to an hill to view his enemies army and after hee had throughly noted it hee tooke resolution not to fight but to fortifie and entrench his army within a great marrash and so by meanes of his intrenchments hee eschewed the hazard of battell and came to Paris and named himselfe the deliverer of it But after he had stayed a while in Paris the principall Captaines of the league began to giue the Duke of Parma thankes for his good will and entreated him to goe with his people to Breuxelis againe This request or secret command fell out very well for the Duke For on the one part his army was seene by all men dayly to waste and himselfe did plainely behold that hee stood in the midst of an inconstant multitude Therefore hee dressed himselfe homeward with all possible speed and the king pursued him to the very frontiers of Artoys The Duke of Parmaes comming serued to none other purpose but to fill their purses with the gold of Peru and to entangle and bring their affaires vnto a remedilesse end for in the beginning of the yeere 1591. the King continued his siege and the Parisians were fallen into their wonted distresses as before But we leaue for a while and marke the estate of the rest of the countrey In the countrey of Dauphein Francis de Bonne Lord of Diguireres chased the Leaguers out of that part and became master of Grenoble In Normandy the Duke of Montpensier wonne Honfleur and forced the Leaguers to forsake field In Poictou the Vicount dela Guerche commanding over certaine regiments of footmen and horsemen and finding about a thousand of naturall borne Spaniards newly come from Brittaine to doe some great exployt they were all charged by the Baron de la Rotche Pose and others of the Kings chiefe servitors In this conflict la Guerche was compelled to see 300. Gentlemen of his most assured favourers slaine and lying on the ground at the which sight hee was so abashed that hee fled to the next river where finding the boat and thinking to goe over easily the throng was so great that the boate and all the passengers sunke to the bottome La Guerche was there drowned with a great number of others There perished in the water and in the fight moe then seven hundred Spainards some supposed this losse of the Leaguers to be little lesse then that of Coutras by reason of the great number of the Nobility that dyed therein Likewise the Lord Digners overthrew in the plaine of Portcharre the Duke Savoyes army commanded by Amedio the Dukes bastard sonne and Don Pleneres a Spanish Captaine and the Marquis of Treuic and others There were slaine vpon that plaine 2000. and 500. of the Dukes army and a great number were taken prisoners being for the most part Gentlemen of command The booty which was gotten amounted to the summe of two hundred thousand crownes The next day two thousand Romanes and souldiers of Millaine who with their Commander the Earle of Galcot of Belioyense were saved within the Castle of d' Analon at length yeelded themselues to the Kings mercy but the fury of the souldiers could not bee quenched till they had slaine sixe or seven hundred of them The rest having white roddes in their hands given them in stead of pasports were sent home to Italy In the meane time the King handled his affaires so
busily that hee had taken the townes of Chartresse and Noyon and taken order that Paris should still bee inclosed on every side so that the great tribute and taxes which were gathered for the bringing in of victuals to the Parisians and for the maintenance of their troopes did gleane away their money peece after peece and brought the people to great poverty Likewise the King after the taking of Noyon sent som of his troops to Normandie to tame those of Roan who shewed themselues no lesse obstinate then the Parisians The Leaguers had none other shift but againe to cry for ayde of the Duke of Parma who entred into France the second time with foure thousand footmen and three thousand horsemen besides some Italians conducted by S. Fondrat Earle of Mont Martian and three thousand Switzers At this his approaching to Roane the towne of Candebec was yeelded to him howbeit he did not keep it long and hee entred into Roane but made no tarrying there because his purpose was to set forward to Paris The King on the other part sent to all the neighbour townes such as Louviers Mance Menlan Vernon and others where his garrisons were that they should march towards him which was speedily performed so that in sixe dayes his army grew to more then three thousand horsemen and six thousand footmen With this companie the King followed the Duke of Parmaes army and charged diverse times so roughly that at one time they lost six hundred of their number another time two thousand and fiue hundred and so fled shamefully towardes Paris and from thence to Brie and last they came to Artoys where within few moneths the Duke of Parma with his troopes melted like waxe in the Sunne S. Fondrat saw his people also confounded Besides this good successe the Kings favourites in many other parts of the Land still continued prevailing against their enemies The Duke of Bouillone Mariscall of France accompanied with foure hundred horse and two hundred hagbuziers onely overthrewe before Beaumont the Lord of d' Amblise high Mariscall of Loraine and the Dukes Lieutenant generall accompanied with two thousand footmen and eight hundred horsemen Amblize was slaine in the field with more then seven hundred others his artillery wonne all his corners and ensignes taken and 400. Lance-knights sent away vnarmed In Languedocke Duke de Ioyense the brother of him who was slaine at Coutras had besieged Montaban and Villemure but Thimenes issuing out of Villemure constrained the Duke to forsake the held with the losse of three thousand men three canons and two culverines The bridge which the Duke had builded over Tie was cut vp and was almost the cause of all their deaths Ioyense himselfe overcome with dispaire in this distresse was heard to vomit out these desperate words Farewell my great canons ha I renounce God I runne this day an high fortune and therewith desperatly hee plunged himselfe horse and all into the river Tae This was the miserable end of this cruell proude and blasphemous young Duke who was much lamented of the Leaguers for whom hee had done many great exployts The Kings army in that part consisting of fiue hundred horsemen and two thousand and fiue hundred hagbuziers besides those that were within the towne of Villemure withdrew themselues in good order vnto their garrisons after they had given thankes to God for so prosperous a victory After all those successes which God granted to the King followed his defection from his religion in the moneth of Iuly Anno 1593. The Archbishops Bishops and Doctors of Sorbon were appointed to meet at Mance the fifteenth of Iuly without any mention of the Protestants Ministers who were before put from the King By whose perswasion the King was induced to heare and see masse sung in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Denise the fiue and twentith day of Iuly All this asswaged not the furie of the Leaguers who still continued in their wonted malice against the King and stirred vp a wicked man called Peter Burrier alias Bar borne at Orleance to slay the King This man was committed to prison at Melun the sixe and twentith day of August where hee confessed that hee was seduced by a Capushan Fryer at Lyons and by a Curat and Vicar of Paris and also by a Iesuit closely to follow the King and to murther him with a two edged knife which also was found about him He was drawne through the streets of Melun where then the King was they cut off his right arme holding the murthering knife therein and after burned the same also his armes legs and thigh-bones were broken vpon a wheele where he languished certaine houres till hee dyed The King seeing that the malice of his enemies still continued resolued no longer to beare the same wherefore hee caused a declaration to be imprinted and published in the beginning of the yeere 1594. containing an Oration of the mischiefes and vnfaithfull practises of the Leaguers Prescribing a moneths liberty as well to the chiefe of the Leaguers as to the clergie cities townes communalties yea and to all men generally within the same to acknowledge him their King and to submit themselues to his gouernment The time once past hee would revoke his grace favour accounting them to be rebells and guilty of high treason for contempt of his Kingly offer The report of this declaration and the preparations which the King made to chastise their stubborne opinions amazed the very principall of the league and the most part of the rebellious townes and commons The towne of Meux in Brie a small iourney from Paris yeelded themsselues to the King the eleventh of Ianuary and by a pithy letter exhorted the Parisians to follow their example Soone after the cities of Orleance Lyons Roane Poicters Bourges Haure de grace Pontean de Mervernueil at Perche Pointoise Riome in Anergne Peron and mondidier in Picardie were received in favour and those of Annens and Abeveil after they had remained neuters a while shortly after acknowledged their soveraigne King Last of all the towne of Paris yeelded to the King in the moneth of March Wherein it is to bee noted that the Kings troopes entred so peaceably into the towne that within two houres after the shops were all set open and the towne appeared so peaceable as if there had never beene any change In Picardie the towne of laon was fortified against the King by the Spaniards forces yet was compelled to yeeld Soissons and La Fere which were possessed by the Duke de Maine and the Spaniards would not yeeld and the towne and fort of Blauel in Britannie was also fortified against the King But now seeing the League inclined to an hastie ruine the last refuge was by horrible treason to cut off Henry the fourth as they had done Henry the third before To this effect they stirred vp a young stripling named Iohn Castill about 18. or 19. yeeres of age
to slay the King as he was returning from Picardie to Paris Thus vpon the 27. day of December Anno 1584 â—as the King was readie booted and spurred to returne from Picardie to Paris within a chamber at Lououre this stripling went into the chamber amongst the presse and as the King was busily occupied in receiuing his Nobles and in a princely manner kissing them for his farewell suddenly he would haue stricken the King in the bodie with a knife he had in his hand But by reason his Maiesty was very readie to take vp the Lords which were on their knees before him in his stooping he strucke him in the face on the vpper iaw on the right side therewithall cutting out one of his teeth Presently this miserable caitiue was taken and after examination vnderstanding that he was a scholler of the Iesuites the King said And must it needs be that the Iesuits must be confounded by my mouth This parricide being brought to prison freely declared all the circumstances of his euill intent discouering many of the Iesuits secret practises Amongst many other things he remembred he heard the fathers of that holy societie say that it was lawfull to kill the King that he was excommunicated out of the Church that he was not to be obeyed nor taken for their King vntill such time as he was allowed by the Pope The Court of Parliament condemning this Castile of Treason in the highest degree caused him to be brought naked in his shirt before the principall part of the Cathedrall Church in Paris holding in his hand a taper of waxe lighted there to confesse his haynous sinne asking forgiuenesse of God the King and the lawes which done he was conveyed to the place of execution carrying in his hand the murthering knife wherewith he intended to murther the King the which was there first cut off his flesh pulled off with hot burning Pincers both from his armes and thighs after that his bodie was drawne in peeces with foure horses and cast into the fire and consumed to ashes and the ashes scattered in the winde Likewise the said Court of Parliament ordeined that all the Priests and Schollers of Clermont colledge and all other of the same societie of Iesus to be holdeâ— and reputed as corrupters of youth disturbers of the publique peace enemies to the King and State and to avoyde within three dayes after the Proclamation of this edict out of Paris and all other townes and places where their Colledges are and within 15. dayes after out of the kingdome on paine if being found after the time prefixed to be punished as guiltie of the said crime of treason Besides these horrible troubles that were in France in the dayes of this Emperour Rodulph the King of Spaine prepared a great armie to invade the Realme of England This armie was counted invincible and of most admirable preparation it conteined an hundreth and thirtie Ships wherein were as many Regiments having an hundreth seuentie two Ensignes and 20000. fighting men besides the number of 1000. moe that had nothing to doe with armes also their furniture and provision was exceeding great for they had 11000. Quintals of Biscat 14170. Pipes of Wine 6500. Quintals of Bacon 3433. Quintals of Cheese 8000. Quintals of dried fish of all sorts 6320 Bushels of Beanes and Pease 11398. Roues and Measures of oyle 23870. Roues of Vineger And 11850. Pipes of fresh Water besides the victuals and necessaries of houshold that were in great number and of all sorts The armes reserued for store were 7000. Caleeuers their furnitures a 1000. Muskets a 1000. Lances a 1000. Partisants and Halbards 6000. Pikes More Pickaxes Payles and other instruments then would serue for 700. Pioners With this number and in this manner being prepared the armie departed out of Lisbone vnder the conduct of the Duke de Medina Gidonia assisted with 22. Lords of estate councell and experience But it had searce entred into the sea sailing toward the Gnongnes in Gallicia but there arose a storme with so great force that the Navie was constrained to put to land and there to stay till winde and weather serued hauing lost in that storme three Gallies of Portugalls and many of them so scattered and bruised that they were not seruiceable for that Voyage The storme being calmed and the weather good about the 22. of Iulie the Generall caused them to set saile so fortunately that in lesse then fiue dayes after they descryed the point or end of Cornwall and at the same time they were seene from Plimmouth by the Admirall of England and Sr Francis Drake Vice admirall who made them turne their faces and gaue them such a skirmish and that so neere that the Ships were in disorder and a great Gallion lost wherein was found a part of the treasures that the Armie brought with it and all the instructions which the Duke de Medina had and what he should doe having Conquered England At the last the Navie got as farre as Callis where it should haue ioyned with the Duke of Parma but the Armie of England that fought to impeach it followed it and that so nie that it was forced to leaue her Anchor-hold confusedly to flie away Their principall Gallias among other Vessels was by the streames cast vpon the sands hard by the hauen of Callis there with his Ordnance was left for the governor of Callis After this it made toward the North seas passing betweene Norway and Scotland and so toward Ireland where those northerne seas being as then risen according to the time of yeare were very tempestuous and vsed the rest of the armie very hardly for it drowned and sunke 17. great Vessels vpon the coast of Ireland and spoyled broke and ouerthrew diuers others in such manner that of 130. Shippes there were scarcely 30. that returned to SPAINE Here endeth the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF the Church Containing a briefe Catalogue of the beginnings proceedings and deaths of all the Bishops Popes Patriarches Doctors Pastors and other learned men in Europe Asia and Africa since Christs dayes vntill this present CENTVRIE I. Of Apostles AFter the Lords resurrection his twelue Apostles were indued with grace from aboue and sent forth to convert all people to the obedience of Christ whose travels the Lord so wonderfully blessed that within a short time many thousands of all Nations Languages whom God had appointed to eternall life were converted to the faith of Christ. This conquest that Christ made by the Ministrie of twelue poore and contemptible men is more worthie to be called a Conquest then all the valiant exployts of Cyrus Alexander Caesar and other Conquerours For he made this conquest by a small handfull of poore and infirme Disciples also he conquered not onely the bodies of men but also their hearts to his obedience and finally he made this conquest not by shedding of peoples blood but by
would accept that place The Emperour Constantine commended his modestie and counted him worthy to be Bishop of the whole world Neuerthelesse he was not altogether free of the Heresie of Arrius before the Nicene Councell and he was remisse and slacke in the cause of ATHANASIVS He was so familiarly acquainted with Pamphilus who suffered martyrdome in Caelarea that he clothed himselfe with his name and called himselfe Eusebius Pamphili He died about the time that Athanasius first returned from banishment by the meanes of Constantine the younger about the yeere of our Lord 342. Nazianzenus liued in the dayes of Constantius Iulian and Theodosius He was borne in a little towne of Cappadocia called Nazianzum from which he receiued his name He was trained vp in learning in Alexandria and in Athens his familiaritie with Basilius Magnus began in Athens it was increased in the Wildernesse he Preached in Sasâ—ma but because it was a place vnmeete for studies he returned to Nazianzum and was a helper to his aged father After his fathers death he went to Constantinople where he found the towne in a most desolate condition in regard the Arrian and Macedonian heresies had so mightily prevailed that all the principall Churches were occupied by them Nazianzenus onely had libertie to Preach in a little Church called Anastatia because the truth of God which seemed to haue beene buried now by the Preaching of Nazianzenus was revived againe In the second generall Councell gathered by Theodosius because some Bishops of Macedonia Egypt murmured against his admission he counterfeited the fact of Ionas and was content to be cast out of his place to procure peace and concord amongst his brethren He benefited the Church of Christ in the dayes of Iulian by writing bookes of Christian Poesie whereby the Christian youth should haue no harme by the interdiction of Iulian prohibiting the Children of Christians to be brought vp in the Schooles of learning He detected the heresie of Apollinaris and the abominations of Heathen idolatrie whereunto Iulian had sold himselfe more cleerely then any other man had done A man worthie for excellencie of gifts to be called Theologus Basilius Magnus Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia was so vnited in heart and mind with Nazianzenus that the Pen of Socrates will not separate the Treatises of their liues His father Basilius his mother Eumele his nurse that fostered him named Macrina all were Christians His father was martyred vnder the persecuting Emperour Maximus He left behinde him fiue sonnes three of them were Bishops namely Basilius Bishop of Caesarea Peter Bishop of Sebaâ—ta and Gregorius Bishop of Nyssa He was instrusted in all kinde of learning in Caesarea in Constantinople in Athens vnder Himerius and Proaeresius in Antiochia vnder Libanius At his second comming to Athens he acquainted himselfe with Nazianzenus They spent too much time in searching out the deepenesse of humane learning and it repented Basilius that he had spent so much time in searching out things that are not necessary to eternall life He was ordained a Deacon by Meletius B. of Antiochia and a Presbyter by Eusebius B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia The good cariage of Basilius toward Eusebius is worthic of remembrance albeit Eusebius conceiued indignation against him without a cause yet he would not expostulate with his Bishop but he departed to a solitarie place in Pontus where he remained vntill the dayes of the Emperour Valens Then did the Arrian Heresie so mightily prevaile that necessitie compelled the Churches of Cappadocia to intreat Basilius to turne againe left in his absence Arrianisme should get a full vpper-hand Basilius returned not without the foreknowledge good aduise of Nazianzenus his deare friend who counselled him to preueene Eusebius and to ouercome him in courtesie and humanitie So was he reconciled to Eusebius and after his death was ordained B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia whom God so blessed that the Arrians and Eunomians who seemed to be excellently learned when they encountered with Nazianzenus and Basilius they were like vnto men altogether destitute of learning In the persecution of Valens he was led to Antiochia and presented before the Deputy of Valens who threatned him with banishment and death but he answered him with inuincible courage so that the Deputy was astonished at his answeres He was not afraid of banishment because the earth is the Lords neither was he afraid of death but wished to haue that honour that the bonds of his earthly tabernacle might be loosed for the testimony of Christ. The Emperours sonne Galaces at this time was sicke vnto the death and the Empresse sent him word that she had suffered many things in her dreame for the B. Basilius so he was dismissed and suffered to returne to Caesarea The prouident care of God ouer-ruling all humane cogitations kept before hand some sparkles that were not quenched in the feruent heat of this persecution The multiplied number of his Letters sent to the Bishops of the West whereof he receiued no comfortable answere gaue vnto Basilius iust occasion to suspect affectation of supremacy in the West as his owne words doe testifie which I cite out of the Latine version as most easie to be vnderstood Nihil nos fratres separat nisi animi proposito separations causas robúrque demus vnus est Dominus vna Fides Spes eadem Siue caput vniversalis Ecclesiae vos ipsos esse reputatis non potest pedibus dicere caput non est mihi opus vobis c. That is There is nothing brethren that separates vs except the purpose of our owne mindes furnish both cause and strength to separation There is one God one Faith one Hope Or if yee suppose your selues to be head of the vniversall Church yet the head cannot say vnto the feete I haue no neede of you Nyssa is a Citie of Mysia of olde called Pythopolis The brother germane to Basilius Magnus named Gregorius was Bishop of this towne In the second generall Councell to him was committed the ouer-sight of the Countrey of Cappadocia Albeit the volume of his Bookes be not extant yet he is renowned in the mouths of the learned and the fragments of his writings declare that he hath beene a man of note and marke Concerning sinne he said that albeit the Serpents that stinged vs were not slaughtered yet we haue sufficient consolation in this that we are cured from their venemous bits and stings Concerning pilgrimage to Ierusalem Mount Oliveâ— and Bethlehem he said that a pilgrimage from carnall lusts to the righteousnesse of God is acceptable to the Lord but not a iourneying from Cappadocia to Palestina and that God will giue a reward in the world to come onely to things done in this world by warrant of his owne Commandement Epiphanius was borne in a little Village of Palestina called Barsanduce in the fielde of Eleutheropolis He was
and Silvester the third was placed in his roome who continued not aboue fortie dayes in his Popedome for Benedict by force intruded himselfe againe into the Popedome and fearing to be expelled of new againe from his Papall dignitie hee made merchandise of it and solde it to Gregorie the sixt for a thousand and fiue hundreth pounds waight of Gold Many Historians such as Martianus Polemus Damianus and Platima doe report that after his death hee appeared in a monstrous similitude more like vnto a beast then a man to represent the effigie of his beastlie conversation The Emperour Henry the third entered into Italie gathered a Councell at Sutrium wherein all these three monsters were deposed and Suidigerius Bishop of Bamberg was made Pope whom they called Clemens the second After the Emperour Henry the third had placed Clemens the second in the Popedome hee returned to Germanie The seditious Romans returning to their wonted vomit poysoned him when hee had continued onely nine months in his Popedom because he was not elected by themselues but by the Emperour with aduise of the councel of Sutrium After Clemens the second succeeded Damasus the second continued not in the Popedome aboue 23. daies After the death of Damasus the second the Romanes sent Ambassadours to the Emperour Henry the third to send vnto them a worthy Pope The Emperour made choice of Brunâ— Bishop of Tullus who being on his iourney towarde Rome in his Pontificall garments the Abbot of Cluniake and Hildebrand a seditious Monke met him by the way and perswaded him to lay aside his Pontificall garments to enter into Rome with the habite of a priuat man lest hee should seeme to haue receiued the Popedome from the Emperour and not by the election of the people Clergie to whom rightly appertained the election of the Romane Bishop Bruno obeyed their councell and was the more gladlie accepted of the Romans who called him Leo the ninth he ruled fiue yeeres and assembled councels both in Rome and Vercellis against Borengarius as shall be declared God willing in the head of Councels Victor the second succeeded to Pope Leo gouerned two yeeres three months and fourteene dayes Hee was chosen Pope with the advice of the Emperour Henry whom they feared to irritate by presenting vnto him new occasions of wrath and anger After Victor succeeded Stephanus the ninth who died in the seuenth month of his Popedome To him succeeded Benedict the tenth who continued not aboue nine months in his Popedome He was compelled to denude himselfe of his Papaldignitie because he was elected without the consent of Hildebrand to whom the whole number of Cardinals Clergie had promised that no new Pope should be elected before he had returned to Rome for he had taken a iourney to Florence Nicolaus the second followed and ruled three yeeres sixe months and twentie six dayes This is the Pope who gathered a councell at Rome against Berengarius forced him to make recantation of his opinion of the Sacrament of the supper of the Lord as shal be declared God willing in its own place To this Pope Godfrid D. of Apulia and Calabria recoÌ„mended Bagallardus his son But the Pope fauored Robert Bagallardus his vncle the iust heire of the Dukedome couenanted with Robert surnamed Guiscard that hee should be authorised to be Duke of Apulia and Calabria providing he would bend vp al his forces to subdue the rebels of the Roman church which thing also Duke Robert seriously performed rendered to the chaire of Rome the townes of Beneventum and Troia which he had added to his dominions when he first eiected his brothers son from his inheritance Also the Pope honoured Robert by giuing vnto him a baner standard in token of confirmation of his Dukedom which authoritie belonged to the Emp. not vnto the Pope But now as Funchus writeth Fur furem Latro latronem iuvat that is one thiefe helpeth another one brigand supporteth another In the end Pope Nicholaus the secoÌ„d tasted of Brazates cup this Brazutus was the familiar friend of Hildebrand who within the space of 13. yeeres empoysoned 6. Popes to wit Clemens 2. DaÌ„asus 2. Leo 9. Victor 2. StephaÌ„us 9. Nicholaus 2. After Nicholaus succeeded Alexander the 2. whose name before his election to the Popedome had bin Anselmus B. of Luca he ruled 11. yeeres 6. months His competitor was Candalus B. of Parma whom the Lumbards assisted with all their might and procured to him the allowance of the Emp. This was the ground of cruell warres betwene Alexander the 2. and Candalus but the faction of Alexander preuailed The Emp. sent Otto Archbishop of Colen to pacifie th vprors and tumults of Italie At his first comming hee sharplie rebuked Pope Alexander because he had entered in the Popedome without the emperours consent But Hildebrand according to his forme inclinable to furie madnesse could not abide vntil Otto had made an end of speaking but he interupted him and answered that the election of the Bishop of Rome belonged not to the Emperour but to the clergie and people of Rome Otto on the other part bearing as it appeareth more with the Clergie of Rome then fauouring the Emperours cause condisóended that this question should be entreated in a lawfull assembly at Mantua In that councel Alexander was declared to bee Pope and Candalus had pardon granted to him In the end Pope Alexander finding that he was set vp in the Papal dignity to prepare a way to Hildebrands Popedome hee sayd vnto the people in the time of the solemnity of the masse that hee would not sit in the chaire of Rome except hee had licence of the Emperour The angry humor of Hildebrand a man borne for sedition was so overcast with furie that scarcely hee could abstaine from outrage and putting hands vnto Pope Alexander vntill the masse were ended The masse being finished he drew him by force into a chamber where hee bussed him before hee was devested of his pontificall garments because he sayd hee would seeke the Emperours favour Finally hee was cast into prison and bonds and vnder the miserable indurance of Hildebrands wrath hee finished his life To Pope Alexander the second succeeded Gregorie the seventh called Hildebrand before his Popedome who continued twelue yeeres and one moneth He was craftie and subtle in bringing to passe that thing which hee had imagined a long time before to wit in treading downe vnder the feâ—t of the Romane Bishop all civill authority In the Councell of Mantua by Hildebrands speciall advice it was decreed that no man should be admitted to a Prelacie Benefice or Eclesiasticall office by a secular person and that it should not be lawfull for Priests to marrie These grounds being layd by Hildebrands advice before hee came to the Popedome hee laboured with all his might to put them in execution when hee
of excommunication giuen out against Peter king of Arragon for invading the kingdome of Sicilie After him followed Nicolaus the fourth and ruled foure yeeres one month after whom the Chaire of Rome was vacant for the space of two yeeres and three months because of the intestine discord of the Cardinals who could not condiscend among themselues who should be chosen to succeede In the end Caelestinus the fift is chosen and ruled one yeere and fiue months hee was an Heremit had liued such a solitarie life that he was altogether vnmeet for gouernment in great and weightie affaires Neuerthelesse he was a notable Hypocrite and pretended a reformation of the abuses of the court of Rome and namely in this that the Cardinalls Bishops should ride not vpon horses mules with Pompous traines but vpō Asses following the example of Christ who did ride to Ierusalem vpon one of them But the Cardinals were so farre from yeelding to this ordinance howbeit the Pope in his owne person gaue them example so to doe that they counted him an old doting foole and finding him to be a verie simple man so abused his simplicitie that they caused him voluntarily resigne and giue ouer his office For Caietanus a certaine Cardinall digged a hole thorow the Popes chamber and sounded in a voyce admonishing him to resigne his office to another who was more fit to gouerne then hee was which the Pope supposing to be an Angelicall voyce an heauenly admonition willingly resigned his office desiring the Cardinals to choose another man more fit for the Popedome then himselfe was who choosed thereafter this same Cardinall Caietanus and named him Bonifacius 8. who ruled 8. yeeres 9. months 17. daies Besides the subtile policie wherby he attained the Popedome he ioyned Barbarous crueltie for his predecessor Caelestinus hauing dimitted his Popedome he returned againe to the wildernesse to liue a solitarie life as before But Bonifacius brought him by force backe from the wildernesse emprisoned him where he died for heart-griefe This Pope renewed the old factiōs of the Gibelines Guelses hated the Gibelines to the death in so farre that he deposed the Cardinals that were found to be of the families of the Gibelines and disposed their dignities rents castles and heritages to others and proceeded in hatred and crueltie against them that he could abide no man that was of the stocke of the Gibelines Insomuch that Porthecus Archbishop of Geneua comming vnto him falling downe at his feete Die cinerum hee would not lay the Ashes vpon his head nor say to him Memento homo quod cinis es in cinerem reuerteris as the custome was but hee threw the ashes in his eyes and said Memento homo quod Gibellinus es cum Gibellinis in cinerem redigeris that is remember O man that thou art one of the Gibelines and with them thou shalt be turned to ashes He instituted the first Iubily that was kept at Rome promising a full remission of all their sins to so many as would take paines to visit the Apostolike Sea In solemnising whereof the first day he shewed himselfe to the people in his Pontificall garments with S. Peters keies caried about him but the second hee shewed himselfe vnto them in royall apparell with a naked sword carried before him and an Harold proclaiming Ecce potestas vtrinsque gladij that is beholde the power of both the swords to wit both ciuil and spiritual claiming to himself a soueraigne authoritie in al things both ciuil ecclesiasticall He excommuincated Philip king of France and his posteritie to the fourth generation because he made an ordinance that no mony nor revennue should bee caried out of his countrie to Rome But Philip assembled a Councel at Paris and appealed from the Bishop of Rome to the first generall Councell to be holden And sent William Nogaretius steward of his house together with Scarra Columnensis one of the noble men of Rome whom the Pope persecuted because he was a Gibeline These two I say he sent to Rome to publish his appellation against the Pope but they had another purpose in hand as the euent declared For Scarra disguised himselfe entered in Italy with a seruants habite and secretlie gathered a number of his friends Gibelines and set vpon the Pope by night as hee was lying at Anagnia the towne of his natiuity Nogaretius also cōcurred with 200. horsmen who brake in vpon him by night and spoiled al his rich treasures and put himselfe vpon a wanton Colt with his face towards the taile and made him a ridiculous spectacle to all the people Soone after he went to Rome and died for displeasure that he had loosed his riches and sustained so great shame This is he of whom it was truly said that he entered in as a Foxe liued as a Lyon and died as a Dogge Patriarchs of Constantinople AFter Georgius Xiphilinus succeeded Ioannes Cametarus after him Thomas Maurocenus who being made Patriarch tooke his iourney to Rome receiued confirmatiō of the Roman B. Innocentius 3. He was also present at the coūcel of Lateran holden at Rome in the yeere of our Lord 1215. Next to him succeeded Pantoleo Iustinianus after him Germanus and Arsenius to whose tutorie the Emp. Theodorus cōmitted his yong sonne Ioannes but Michael Paleologus being chosen Emp. plucked out the eyes of the yong Emp. for the which he was excōmunicated by Arsenius Paleologus on the other part gathered a Councel of Bishops against him accused him for suffering of Azetines the Sultan to be present at the holy seruice for conferring with him in the temple In this councell Arsenius was deposed because he appeared not to answere to the foresaid accusation immediatly after was bāished by the Emp. Nicephorus placed in his roome After whom succeeded Germanus and after him Iosephus to whom the Emperour confessed his sinnes of periurie and crueltie in plucking out the eyes of Ioannes the son of Theodorus Lascaris and receiued absolution from him But when he perceiued how the Emperour was purposed to make an agreement with the Bishop of Rome hee would not consent thereto but voluntarily dimitted his office and entered into a monasterie where hee ended his life After him followed Becus whom the Emp. traueled to perswade to giue his consent to the foresaid agreement with the B. of Rome but all in vaine for which cause the Emp. imprisoned him there giuing him many books to reade confirming the opinions of the Latine church which made Becus change his opinion and both by word and writ defend the doctrine of the Latin church To whom succeded Hugolinus Of other Doctors IN this age many were found who taking example of Petrus Lombardus invented subtile and intricat disputations questionin̄g reasoning and calling all things in doubt after the maner of the Academik Philosophers insomuch that there
vice of heresie the Pope both may and ought to be accused After this the vehemencie of his disease more and more increasing and because the nights were somewhat longer the third night before his departure the Bishop feeling his infirmitie to grow vpon him willed certaine of his Clergie to be called vnto him thereby to be refreshed with some conference or communication vnto whom the Bishop lamenting in his minde for the losse of soules through the auarice of the Popes court said on this wise as by certaine Aphorismes Christ came vnto the world to saue and to winne soules Ergo he that feareth not to destroy soules may hee not worthily be counted Antichrist The Lord created the world in six daies but in the restoring of man he laboured more then thirtie yeeres wherefore hee that is a destroier of that about the which the Lord so long laboured is not hee worthy to be accounted the enemie of God and Antichrist These and many other enormities of the Roman Church when the Godly Bishop had reproued as all kindes of Auarice Vsurie Simonie Extortion and all kindes of filthinesse fleshly lust gluttonie and their sumptuous apparell then sayth hee this old verse may be truly verified of the Court of Rome Eius avaritiae totus non sufficit Orbis Eius Luxuriae meretrix non sufficit omnis Afterward hee went about more to prosecute how the foresaid Court like a gulfe neuer satisfied euer gaping so wide that the flood of Iordan might run into his mouth aspired how to vsurpe the goods of them that die vntested and of Legacies beqâ—eâ—hed without forme of law whereby more licentiously to bring this to passe they vsed to ioyne the king to be fellow and partner with them in their spoiles extortions and robbings Neither sayth he shall the Church be deliuered from the seruâ—tude of Aegypâ— out by violence and force and with the bloodie sword And albeit sayth hee those be yet but light matters yet shortly more great and grieuous things then these shall be seene And in the end of this his prophecying which he scarcely could vtter with sighing and weeping his tongue and breath begun to faile And so the Organ of his voyce being stopped made an ende both of his speech and life This is that Bishop who not onely in his lifetime resisted the pride and insolencie of the Bishop of Rome but also after his death God made him a terrour to the Pope who dreamed that Robert Gostred came to him and with his staffe strake him on the side and said vnto him Surge miser veni adiudicium after the which dreame within a few dayes hee ended his life Others doe adde that a voyce was heard in the palace where the Pope lay at Naples saying Surge miser vem adiudicium as hath beene declared in the life of Innocentius Quartus Of Monkes BEcause the orders of Monkes most abounded in this age albeit they begun long before therefore haue wee casten in this treatise in this Centurie howbeit wee declare the Order of Monks that sprang vp before or at this time About the time of the raigne of Iustinus the elder as hath beene declared in the seuenth Centurie Pope Iohn the first being Bishop of Rome Benedict a father and fauourrer of Monkes gathered together all scattered religious persons and begun a peculiar order vpon the Mount Cassinus where he built a most renowned Cloister giuing them there a rule prescript and forme of liuing Afterward the same Bennet hauing much people resorting to him built 12. other Monasteries and filled them with religious men Of this order is reported to haue beene 24. Popes of Rome 182. Cardinalls 1464. Archbishopps and Bishops 15000. and 70. renowned Abbots as sayth Pope Iohn the 22. There hath beene of this Order 5655. Monkes canonised and made Saints This Bennet also invented an order for his sister Scolastica and made her Abbesse ouer many Nunnes Her cloathing was a blacke coate cloake coule and vaile and lest the scripture should deceiue her and Hers it was commanded that none should read it without the consent and permission of their superiour Here is to be seene how God is sought in all monasticall orders when as amongst them his holy word is expelled This order of Bennedictin monkes when it was nerely decaied in shaddow of Godlines was quickned againe by one Otlon or Otho and was called the order of Clumacensis Howbeit their cloathing and rule was according to the appointment of Bennet And this monkish order was richly endewed with great substance and yeerely rents by a certaine Duke of Aquitania called Guillidinus in the yeere of our Lord 913. In the yeere of our Lord 850. Pope Leo the fourth gouerning the Sea of Rome the monkish religion of Camaldinensis was devised by Romoaldus of Rauenna in the mount Apenninus Their coule and cloake and all their cloathing was white They kept perpetuall silence Euery wednesday and fry day they fast on bread and water they goe bearefooted and lie on the ground Pope Innocentius the 7. being B. of Rome the monkish order of Hieronimians began vnder the name of S. Ierome who leauing his natiue countrie went vnto Iury there not far from BetheleÌ„ builded him an house where he liued very devoutly in the later end of his life Those Apes and counterfeites of S. Ierom weare their cloathes of white and a cope platted about their coate girded with a lether girdle The order was endewed with diuers priuiledges and liberties by certaine Bishops of Rome as Gregorie the twelfth and Eugenius the fourth Pope Gregorie the first borne of a noble stocke and very rich forsaked all and became a Monke After the death of his father he builded six religious houses in Sicilie giuing them a forme and rule of liuing He built another within Rome in the name and honour of S. Andrew wherein he dwelt with manie monkish brethren which from time to time keeping his rule diligentlie are called Gregorians Their habit is a copper-colloured cloath according to their rule Pope Gregorie the sixt bearing rule Ioannes Gualbertus a Knight begun this order in a certaine mouÌ„taine called Vallis Vmbrosa that is to say a shaddowed valley vnder Bennets rule with adding thereto and changing of blacke cloathes into gray In the yeere 1038. Pope Alexander the second being B. of Rome the sect of the Grandimontensis Monkes was invented by Stephen of Auernia Their order is to lead a strict life as Monkes vse to doe to giue themselues to watching fasting and praying to weare a coate of Mailes vpon their bodyes and a blacke cloake therevpon Pope Vrban the second bearing rule Robert Abbot of Molisme in Cistert in a wildernesse or forrest in Burgundie did institute the order of Cistertians albeit some ascribe this to one Ordingus a Monke that perswaded the aforesaid Monke to the same They weare red shoes and white Rotchets on a blacke coate all shauen
neuer at Rome Eightly That the Clergie of Rome is a den of Theeues Ninthly That the doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed because it leades to eternall death In another treatise he disputes of free iustification by grace and that workes are no efficient cause of Saluation Sed causa sine qua non for the which doctrine hee was condemned by the Pope I passe by a great number who clearelie discouered the corruptions and Apostasie of the Church of Rome such as Ioannes de Gunduno Gregorius Ariminensis Andreas de Castro Dante 's an Italian Taulerus a Preacher of Argentine in Germanie Franciscus Petrarcha a man famouslie learned who in his workes in Italian verses speaking of Rome calles it the whoore of Babilon the schoole and mother of errour the Temple of heresie the nest of treacherie growing and increasing by the oppression of others Likewise Ioannes de rupe scissa who was cast in prison by Pope Innocentius the sixt also Conradus Hager a Germane of the citie of Herbipoli Gerardus Ridder Michael Cesenas Provinciall of the Gray friers Petrus de Corbaria with one Ioaxnes de Pâ—liato This foresaid Michael general of the gray friers writ against the tyrannie pride and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome to be the whoore of Babilon drunken with the blood of the Saints He affirmed there were two Churches one of the wicked florishing wherein raigned the Pope the other of the Godly afflicted also that the veritie was almost vtterlie extinct and for this cause hee was depriued of his dignitie and condemned by the Pope Notwithstanding he stood constant in his assertions and left behind him many fauourers and followers of his doctrine of whom a great part were slaine by the Pope Some were condemned as William Ockam who writ both in defence of the Emperour Lewes whom the Pope excommunicated and likewise in defence of Michael generall of the gray friers whom the Pope had cursed for an heretike and some were burned such as Ionnes de Castellione and Franciscus de Arcatara Likewise Armachanus a Bishop in Ireland and Matthias Parisiensis Ioannes Montziger rector of the Vniuersitie of Vlme Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica Iacobus Milnensis and one Milezius Henricus de Iota and Henricus de Hassia Likewise in this most desperate time when the estate of religion was vtterlie corrupted and the onely name of Christ remained amongst Christians his true and liuely doctrine being vtterly vnknowne and turned into an heape of shadowed Ceremonies which so increased that there was no end of heaping vp of ceremonies invented by man at this time I say the Lord raised vp Iohn Wickliffe a professor of Diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Oxford who seeing that error by long vse and custome had beene so deeplie rooted in the hearts of men that it could hardly be plucked out hee medled not with all at once bâ—â— firsâ— bâ—gâ—â—nne to touch the matter of the Sacraments and discoâ—er 〈◊〉 â—rrours that men were fallen into in this head of 〈◊〉 but this byle could not be touched without the great griefe and paine of the whole world For first of all the whole rabble of Monkes and begging Friers were set on rage and madnes against him and after them the Priests and then after them the Archbishop Simon Sudburie tooke the matter in hand who for the same cause depriued him of his benefice which then he had in Oxford Notwithstanding being supported by the friendly assistance of the Duke of Lancaster sonne to king Edward the third and some other friends whom God raised vp for his protection he bare out the malice of the Friers and Archbishop Likewise Pope Vrbane was so busied with suppressing of another Pope Clement the seuenth set vp against him that he could not spare any time to suppresse Iohn Wickliffe and so it came to passe thorow the prouidence of Almightie God that the enemies of the true light with fretting minds were compelled to see the sparkles thereof not being able to quench them The chiefe heads of doctrine which hee maintained against the Roman church were these That the substance of bread remained in the Sacrament of the altar after the words of consecration That it is not found in the Gospell that Christ instituted or confirmed a masse That it is a presumptuous Speaking to affirme that the infants of the faithfull who die vnbaptised are condemned That in the time of Paul there were onelie two orders of Clerks to wit Elders and Deacons neither was there in the time of the Apostles any distinction of Popes Patriarches Archbishops Bishops but these the Emperours pryde did finde out That the causes of diuorcement for spirituall consanguinitie or affinitie are not founded on the scriptures but onely by the ordinance of men That he who is most seruicable and humble in the church and most inamored with the loue of Christ the same is the neerest vicar of Christ in the militant Church If corporall vnction were a Sacrament then Christ and his Apostles would not haue left the ordinance of that vntouched Whatsoeuer the Pope and Cardinals doe command which they cannot deduce cleerely out of the Scriptures the same is to be accounted hereticall and not to be obeyed That it is but a follie to beleeue the Popes Pardons That it is not necessarie to saluation to beleeue the church of Rome to be supreme head of other Churches A Deacon or Priest may Preach the word of God without the authoritie of the Apostolike sea The Church of Rome is the Synagogue of Sathan neither is the Pope immediatlie the vicar of Christ nor of the Apostles That the Emperour and Secular Lords are seduced who so inrich the Church with ample possessions If any man enter into any priuat religion whatsoeuer it be hee is thereby made more vnapt and vnable to obserue the commandements of God Of Monkes POpe Clement the sixt bearing rule Iohn king of France sonne of Philip invented the sect and order of those Monkes which in Latine are called Stellati whose maner is alwayes to weare a starre vpon their brest signifying thereby that there is nothing in them but the light of perfection and the cleere shining of good workes Yea that they themselues are the light of the world according to the saying of Christ vos eslis lux mundi yea are the light of the world Item That they shall rise againe at the later day all shining and glistering as the most cleere and pleasant starres according as it is written by the Prophet They that informe many into righteousnes shall be as the starres world without end In Anno 1336. Pope Boniface the ninth raigning a certaine man called Gerardus being of great learning and vertuous conversation ordained a certaine fraternitie or brotherhood of learned godlie men to teach schollers and to bring vp youth not onely in good letters but also in good maners that by those means there might be
Popes excommunications are not to be feared and that hee who doth feare or flie them is excommunicate of God 9. That the auricular confession is not necessary 10. That hee had mooved the Citizens to vprore and sedition 11. That hee had neglected and contemned the Popes citation 12. That he had shamefully slandred and spoken against the Pope 13. That he had taken Christ to witnesse of his naughtinesse and heresie 14. That Italy must be cleansed through Gods scourg for the manifold wickednesse of the Princes and Clergie These and such like articles were layd to their charge and reade before them Then they demanded of the said Hierom and his companions whether they would recant and giue over their opinions Whereunto they answered that thorow Gods help they would stedfastly continue in the manifest truth and not depart from the same Then were they degraded one after another by the Bishop of Wasson and so delivered to the secular rulers of Florence with strict commandement to carry them forth and handle them as obstinate and stifnecked Heretiques Thus was that worthy witnesse of Christ with the other two aforesayd first hanged vp openly in the market place and afterward burnt to ashes and the ashes gathered vp and cast into the river of Arum the 24. day of May 1499. In this age likewise sprang vp many men of great erudition and learning as namely Laurentius Valla Picus Mirandulae Comes Angelus Politianus with many others whose names for learning are worthy rememberance The meane whereby learning so exceedingly increased in this age seemeth to bee the Art of printing found out in Germany by a certaine Gold smith named Iohn Faustus in Strausbrugh and Guttemberg his copartner as some write but whosoever was the inventer of it it is certaine that this faculty was given to the vse of man by the providence of almighty God at what time the Bishop of Rome with all the whole and full consent of all the Cardinals Patriarchs Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Lawyers Doctors Provosts Deanes Archdeanes assembled together in the Councell of Constance and had condemned poore Iohn Hus and Ierom of Prague to death for heresie and after subdued the Bohemians and in a manner the whole world to be vnder the supreme authority of the Romiâ—h Sea In the very time so dangerous and desperate where mans power could doe no more The blessed wisedome and omnipotent power of God began to worke for the Church not with sword and target to subdue his exalted adversary but with printing writing and reading to convince darknes by light error by truth ignorance by learning So that by this meanes of printing God hath heaped vpon the proud kingdome of Antichrist a double confusion For whereas hee could not abide to haue the enormity of Prelats liues to be condemned by Iohn Hus who neither denyed his Transubstantiation nor his Purgatory nor yet spake any thing against his Masse but onely exclaimed against his excessiue and pompous pride his vnchristian or rather antichristian abhomination of life Now of late dayes God hath found a way by this faculty of printing not onely to confound his life and conversation which before hee could not abide to be touched but also to cast downe the foundation of his standing that is to examine confute and detect his doctrine lawes and institutions in such sort that albeit his life were never so pure yet his doctrine standing as it doth no man is so blinde but may see the Pope to be Anti-Christ For by this Art Tongues are knowne knowledge groweth iudgement increaseth bookes are dispersed the Scripture is seene the Doctors are read the stories bee opened times compared truth decerned falshood detected and with the finger pointed at and all as I haue said God hath wrought by the benefit of printing CENTVRIE XVI Popes of Rome AFter Paulus the second succeeded Sixtus the fourth and ruled thirteen yeeres and foure dayes Hee changed the custome of keeping the Iubilie every 50. yeere and would haue it kept every 25. yeeres After him succeeded Innocentius the eight and ruled seven yeers ten months and twenty seven dayes After him Alexander the sixt ruled eleven yeeres and eight dayes Hee was a notable tyrant and a scourg of God to all Italy and in speciall to that corrupt Colledge of Cardinals which had chosen him to be Pope not for his good graces and vertues but for the heapes of gold which hee had distributed amongst them of whom some he banished others hee caused to be impoysoned and cruelly slaine In his time Charles the eight King of France clayming right to the Kingdome of Naples entred into Italy with a mighty army and without great resistance came to the towne of Rome and from thence to Naples Alphonsus King of Naples at this time finding himselfe to be hated of all men had denuded himselfe of the Kingdome and given it to his sonne Ferdinand and hee himselfe was fled into Sicilie Also his sonne Ferdinand not being able to resist the puissant army of King Charles was likewise compelled to flie to the little Island of Istria for safety of his life and the whole kingdome of Naples was in short time ouer-run and subdued to the King of France This victorious conquest so hastily atchieved made the name of Charles to be terrible to other Princes even to the Duke of Millan and Estate of Venice who had beene his confederate friends assisters in this warfare Notwithstanding fearing lest his increasing power should in time be the overthrow of their Estates they conspired with the Pope and the Emperour and the King of Spaine against him and as hee returned backe againe to France fought against him at Fornovo not farre distant from the towne of Parma The victory was vncertaine notwithstanding Ferdinand King of Naples was so encouraged with this encounter that hee recovered againe all his kingdome which hee had lost Likewise in this Popes time Lewis the twelfth who succeeded to Charles the eight came into Italy claiming right not onely to the kingdome of Naples but also to the Dukedome of Millan He had before bound vp a covenant with the Pope the King of Spaine and the Venetians vpon these conditions that having possessed himselfe first in the Dukedome of Millan hee should give Cremona a famous towne in the Dukedome of Millan to the Venetians and hee should assist Caesar Borgia Duke of Valentinois and sonne to Pope Alexander the sixt to eiect out of Romagna the Lords presently bearing sway in that Countrey to the end that all might come vnder the Soveraignty and commandement of this Duke of Valentinois only and finally that he should divide the Kingdome of Naples betwixt himselfe and Ferdinand King of Spaine Vpon these conditions was King Lewis assisted by the Pope the King of Spaine and the Estate of Venice and so with little adoe obtained the Dukedome of Millan and carryed away Lodovick Sforce Duke of
Now are yee cleane through the word that I haue spoken vnto you The heresie of Sabellius began to shew it selfe vnto the world about the yeere of our Lord 257. vnder the raigne of Gallus It was set forth by Nortus in Ptolemaida afterward by Hermogenes and Prazeas and last it was propagated by Sabellius the disciple of Noetus Alwaies the heresie rather taketh the name from the disciple then from the master They confessed that there was but one God onely but they denyed that there were three distinct persons in this one Godhead viz. the Father Sonne and holy Ghost By this their opinion they confounded the two Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if there were no difference betwene them No man dare presume to say that in God there are three distinct substances therefore Sabellius and his adherents sayd that there were not three distinct substances or persons in the Godhead but the three names of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost were given to one person only but pointed not out distinction of persons or substances in the Godhead By this opinion they were compelled to grant that it was the Father who cloathed himselfe with our nature and dyed for our sinnes and they were called Patrispassâ—ani because their opinion imported that the Father suffered In the raigne of Gallienus and about the yeere of our Lord 264. a certaine Bishop in Egypt called Nepos began to affirme that at the later day the godly should rise before the wicked and should liue with Christ heere in the earth a thousand yeeres in abundance of all kinde of delicate earthly pleasures The ground of this errour was the misvnderstanding of the words of the Revelation of Iohn chap. 20. vers 5.6 In refuting of this heresie Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria bestowed his travels with good successe for hee disputed against Coracion a man professing this errour in Arsenoitis a place of Egypt whom hee refuted in presence of many brethren who were auditors of that disputation for the space of three dayes from morning till evening So that in the end Coracion yeelded and promised that hee should not maintaine any such opinion in time to come About that same time that is in the time of the raigne of Gallienus Claudius and Aurelianus Paulus Samosatenus Bishop of Antiochia a pestilent fellow denyed the divinity of the Sonne of God and affirmed that Christ obtained the name of the Sonne of God through his vertuous behaviour and patient suffering but he was not naturally and truely the Sonne of God begotten of the substance of the Father His life correspondent to his doctrine was wicked and prophane He was so covetous of vaine-glory that he built vnto himselfe in the Church a glorious seat according to the similitude of a princely throne and from this seat hee spake vnto the people whom he was accustomed to reproue with sharpe words if they had not received his words with cheerfull acclamations and shoutings such as were wont to bee vsed in Stage-playes The Psalmes also that were sung in Church to the praise of God hee abrogated and was not ashamed to hire women to sing his owne praises in the Congregation of the Lords people For this his damnable doctrine and lewd life he was most iustly deposed by the Councell convened at Antiochia and excommunicated by all Christian Churches in the whole world and was so detested by all good men that Fâ—rmilius Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia and Dionysius Alexandrinus who for his olde age might not travell and be present at the Councell of Antiochia yet they both damned the Heretique Samosatenus by their letters sent to the Congregation of Antiochia but not to the Bishop thereof because hee was not worthy that any man should salute him either by word or writ Manes a Persian otherwise called Manicheus a man furious and mad answering well vnto his name set forth the venome of his heresie in the time of the raigne of Diclesian a man both in speech and manners rude and barbarous in inclination divelish yet hee durst to call himselfe the holy spirit as Montanus had done before and to represent Christs actions in chusig vnto him twelue disciples whom hee sent forth to propagate his errors into diverse parts of the world His heresie contained a masse or venomous composition of old extinguished errors which hee renued and massed together such as the error of Cerdon and Marcion concerning two beginnings The error of Encratitae in prohibition of meates which God hath appointed for the vse of man with thanksgiving specially flesh and wine Hee vtterly reiected the old Testament as many other Heretiques had done before him Hee ascribed not sinne to the free will of man and his voluntary defection from the estate of his first creation but to necessity because mans bodie was made of the substance of the Prince of darknes This was that heresie wherewith Augustine was infected before his conversion but the Lord who brought forth light out of darknesse and made Paul sometime a Persecuter to be a Preacher of his Gospell and Cyprian a Sorcerer to be a worthy Preacher and Martyr this same gracious Lord I say in the multitude of his vnspeakeable compassions drew Augustine out of this filthy myre of abhominable heresie and made him liste vnto a bright starre sending forth the beames of light to comfort Gods house The opinion of Manes concerning the creation of the world and the creation of man the manifestation of Christ in our nature rather in shew and appearance then in verity and the horrible abhomination of their vile Eucharist no man can be ignorant of these things who hath read but a little of the bookes of Augustine written against the Maniâ—heans In the end like as Manes exceeded all the rest of the Heretiques in madnesse of foolish opinions even so the Lord pointed him out among all the rest to be a spectacle of his wrath and vengeance For the King of Persia hearing of the fame of Manes sent for him to cure his sonne who was deadly diseased but when hee saw that his sonne died in his hands hee cast him into prison and was purposed to put him to death but he escaped out of prison and fled to Mesopotamia Neverthelesse the King of Persia vnderstanding in what place Manes did lurke sent men who pursued him tooke him and excoriated his body and stopped his skin full of chaffe and set it vp before the entry of a certaine Citie of Mesopotamia If any man bee desirous to haue greater knowledge of this remarkeable Heretique both in respect of his life and death hee may reade the fore-mentioned chapter of the Ecclesiasticall history of Socrates and he shall finde that the first man called Manicheus who renued the error of two beginnings was a man of Scythia He had a disciple first called Buddas afterward Terebynthus who dwelt in Babylon This man
Terebynthus was the composer of these bookes which Manes gaue out vnder his owne name Manes was but a slavish boy bought with money by a woman of Babylon in whose house Terebynthus had lodged and shee brought vp the boy at schoole his name was Curbicus when he was bought but when this woman died shee left in legacie to Curbicus the money and bookes of Terebynthus and he went from Babylon to Persia changed his name and called himselfe Manes and set forth the bookes of Terebynthus as if they had beene composed by himselfe so that he added vnto the rest of his villanies this fault also that he was from his very youth a dissembling and deceitfull fellow After Manes sprang vp Hierax who spake of the Father and the Sonne as of two lights different in substance Hee damned mariage denyed the resurrection of the bodie and excluded infants from the kingdome of God Marke in this Catalogue of heresies of the first three hundred yeeres how many of the divels trumpeters sounded the doctrine of the prohibition of marriage The Nicolaitans Gnostici Encratitae Montanistae Apostolici Origeniani called Turpes Manichei and Hieracitae Satan hateth mariage to the end that his kingdome might be advanced by fornication and all kind of vncleannesse CENTVRIE IV. OLd heresies before mentioned such as the heresies of the Novatians Sabellians and Manicheans did more hurt in this Centurie then in the time wherein they were first propagated as appeareth by the books and Sermons of learned Fathers seriously insisting to quench the flame of hereticall doctrine which was kindled before their time In this Centurie the plurality of Heretiques did most mightily abound Meletius a Bishop in Thebaida was deposed by Peter Bishop of Alexandria who suffered martyrdome vnder Dioclesian because hee was found to haue sacrificed to Idols After his deposition he was factious and seditious raysing vp tumults in Thebaida and practizing tyranny against the chaire of Alexandria and his disciples were found to haue communicated with the Arrians The Councell of Nice suffered Miletius to enioy the name of a Bishop without power of ordination In the yeere of our Lord 324. sprang vp Arrius a Presbyter in Alexandria who denyed that the Sonne of God was begotten of the substance of the Father but that hee was a creature and made of things not existent and that there was a time wherein the Sonne was not Alexander Bishop of Alexandria dealt with him to reclaime him from his hereticall opinions but his travels were spent in vaine Therefore Alexander was compelled to vse the last remedie to depose and excommunicate Arrius with his complices to wit Achilles Euzoius Aethalus Lucius Sarmata Iulius Mâ—nas Arrtus alter and Helladius This excommunication had allowance by the Bishops of Thebaida Pentapolis Lybia Syria Lycia Pamphylia Asia Cappadocia and many other places But Arrius an head strong heretike was incorrigible neither the letters of the good Emperour Constantine nor the trauelts of Osius Bishop of Cordubae could worke any amendment in him He laboured to fortifie himselfe in his hereticall opinion especially by the assistance of Eusebius B. of Nicomedia a perilous deceitful man Arrius was condemned by the Councel of Nice was banished by the Emp. Constantine Albeit he was reduced againe from banishment by the meanes of Constantia the Emp. sister of an ArriaÌ„ presbiter whom she coÌ„mended to the Em. her brother when she was concluding her life Yet the Lord punished the insolent pride of this heretike with a shamefull vnquoth death as hath bin already declared This heresie was propagated by Constantius by Iustina and her sonne Valentinian the second by the Emp. Valens and by the kings of Gothes and Vandalles The principall defenders of the heresie were Eusebius B. of Nicomedia Menophantes B. of Ephesus Theogonius B. of Nice Vrsatius B. of Sygdonia and Valens B. of Mursa in vpper Panonia Theonas B. in Marmarica Secundus B. of Ptolemaida in Aegypt Maris B. of Chalcedon Narcissus B. in Cilicia Theodorus B. of Hearaclea in Thracia and Marcus B. of Irenopolis in Syria In the number of most impudent Arrian Bishops was Ishyras the chiefe accuser of Athanasius to whom the Arrians gaue the wages of iniquity and ordained him B. of Mareotis The ouer-throwing of the holy Table the breaking of the holy Cup the burning of the holy bookes the slaughter of Arsenius many other accusations were all forged against Athanasius by Ishyras for hope of reward Eulalius Euphronius Placitus Stephanus LeoÌ„tius Spado and Eudoxius Bishops of Antiochiaâ—all these were defenders of the Arrian heresie with many others of whom I will haue occasion to spèake hereafter Albeit Anomaei were a branch of the stocke of the Arrians yet they differed from other Arrians in this that they abhorred from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which other ArriaÌ„s embraced The principall authors of this heresie were Acatius Ennomius and Aetius whereof it came to passe that some called them Acatiani others Eunomiani and some Aetiani Acatius in the Councell of Seleucia manifested the Hipocrisie of his deceitfull speeches because in his books he had called the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of like Substance with the Father he was demaunded in what sence he had so written he answered that the Sonne of God was like vnto the Father in will but not in substance Eunomius bishop of Cyzicus in Bythynia was the inuenter of this miserable Heresie of Anomaei a man who delighted in multitude of wordes as many Heretikes doe Sozomen blames him for altering the custome of thriee dipping the water in Baptisme The people of Cyzicus complained to the Emp. Constantius of the bad and reprobate opinion of Eunomius The Emperour was offended against Eudoxius bishop of Constantinople who had placed him in Cyzicus Hereof it came to passe that Eudoxius who was of that opinion himself but durst not auow it sent secret aduertisement to Eunomius to flie out of Cyzicus Basilius Magnus in his fiue bookes written against Eunomius as it were filled with the spirit of Phineas who with one speare killed Ombri and Cosbi euen so Basilius with one penne confounded both Eunomius and his master Aëtius This Aetius was a Syrian admitted to the office of a Deacon by Leontius Spado he spake vnquoth things of the Trinitie and was justly called an Atheist The Emp. Constantius albeit he loued other Arrians yet he disliked Anomei and procured his deposition and excommunication by the Bishops who came to Constantinople from Ariminum and Seleucia Eudoxius first Bishop of Germanitia in the confines of Cilicia after Bishop of Antiochia last Bishop of Constantinople a hunter for preheminence of place he was a fauourer of the sect of Arrians called Anomei or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet he had the heart of a beast for neither would he embrace the true faith neither durst he defend
turne to Heresies So the Donatists in the end were defenders of Hereticall opinions namely that the Catholicke church was no where els to be found but only in that corner of Africke wherein they themselues dwelt and that Baptisme was not effectual except it had bin ministred by one of their societie Of all the branches of this heresie Circūcelliones was the most reprobate branch a people cruel sauage not only against others but also against themselues throwing themselues headlong frō high places or casting themselues in fire and water and this sort of death they counted Martyrdome The diuersitie of names wherewith this Heresie was pointed out clearely declares that the Donatistes wanted not a great number of fauorers for they were called Parmeniani Rogatistae Cirtenses and Maximianistae Against this Heresie and the Heresie of the Pelagians August Bishop of Hippo contended with mightie grace as likewise against the Heresie of the Manicheans wherein he had bin nursed himselfe Collyridiani were a sort of superstitious people who worshipped the Virgin Marie the mother of our Lord with diuine adoration and with baking little pasties which in the Greeke language are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they offered to the Virgin Marie as to the Queene of Heauen Epiphanius counts them Heretikes because the Virgin Marie albeit shee be a blessed woman yet is shee not God Many late heresies are nothing els but a renewing of old decayed heresies Such was the heresie of Priscillianus a man of Noble birth in Spaine very eloqvent rich temperate with great show of humilitie who easilie insinuated himselfe in the fauour of the people In his youth hee was inclined to Magical Arts and renewed the heresie of Gnostici who disallowed Marriage and commended fornication Some Bishops of Spaine were entangled with this heresie such as Iustantius Salvianus and Helpidius whom Adygimus Bishop of Corduba damned in a Coūcell gathered at Caesaraugusta This was done in the dayes of the Emp. Gratianus Valentinian The great Citie of refuge to heretikes was to addresse themselues to the Bishop of Rome and to leane vnder his shadow But Damasus who was bishop of Rome at this time would not admit these Heretikes to his presence Neither would Ambrose Bishop of Millane to whom they addressed next in any wise accept of them when al other means failed them last of al with buddes and bribes they sollicited the Emp. cubiculers were sent backe againe to enjoy their owne places Neuerthelesse God suffered not Priscillianus to escape punishment for hee was conuict of sorcery and was punished to the death after the death of Valentinian the second whether by Maximus an vsurper of the Emperiall Soueraintie or by Theodosius I am not certaine Lucifer was Bishop of Calaris in Sardinia He was present at the Councell of Millan and was banished by Constantius because hee would not consent to the deposition of Athanasius Hee was reduced from banishment by the Emperour Iulian. Hee visited Antiochia a towne miserably distracted with Schismes and by ordaining Paulinus Bishop of Antiochia hee rather augmented then lessened the schisme he perceiued that this his fact was disproued by Euseb. Bishop of Vercellis and many others therefore he and his followers did not communicate with such as disproued the ordination of Paulinus This seemeth rather to be reckoned in the catalogue of schismes then of heresies and Theod. disprouing Lucifer saith that hee made faith to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a weapon of contentions but not a weapon of heresie These who supposed that after the Natiuitie of the Lord the Virgin Marie companied with her husband Ioseph and did beare children to him were called Antidicomarianitae In this opinion was Helvidius a man more curious then wise The opinion of the Fathers of the Church not repugnant to Scripture was this That like as no man did lie in the sepulchre wherein Christ was buried before him Euen so in the wombe wherein hee was conceiued no man was conceiued after him so the Fathers tooke the words of the Apostolicke symbole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it had beene said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is borne of Mary a perpetuall Virgin In holy scriptures by the brethren of our Lord is meant the kinsmen of the Lord according to the flesh to which exposition the consent of Ancient and Neotericke writers for the most part agreeth Augustine cites out of Philaster a sort of heretikes called Metangismonitae whose heresie sounded to this That the sonne is in the Father according to the similitude of a little vessel comprehended within the compasse of a greater vessel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke Language signifieth a vessell and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the entering of one vessel within another which in our language cannot be expressed by one word as it is in the Greeke From Seleucus Hermias this heresie had the name where they dwelt or in what Emperours daies this heresie was propagated August maketh no mention their opinions were most abominable namely that the Masse whereof God created the elements was coeternall with him and that the Angels and not God created the soules of men that Christ in his ascension vncloathed himselfe of the flesh of man and left it in the Globe of the Sunne They receiued not baptisme by water They denyed the resurrection of the dead supposing that by new generations one succeeding to another that is performed which in Scripture is written concerning the resurrection The rest of heresies of this age were all obscure and had few followers such as Proclianitae who denied that Christ was come in the flesh Patriciani who affirmed that the body of man was formed by the deuil not by God Ascitae who carried about with them the new vessels to represent that they were vessels filled with the new wine of the Gospell Patalorynchitae foolish men who counted it religion to stop their breath with their fingers and to vtter no intelligible speech Aquarij who in stead of wine receiued water in the holy Sacrament The beginning of this errour seemes to haue beene in the dayes of Cyprian Coluthiani denyed that any evill either of sinne or punishment came of God Floriani who by the contrary affirmed that God created creatures in an evill estate The eight heresies which Philaster cōmemorates without any name either taken from the Author or from the heresie it self Augustine scarcely will reckon them into the roll of heresies CENTVRIE V. PElagius Brito and his followers Iulianus and Coelestius mantained damnable heresies in the dayes of Arcadius and Honorius Their pernitious heresies may be easily knowne by the learned writings of Augustine who directly impugneth the Pelagians and by the Councels of Arausio in France and Milivetanum in Numidia which damned the error
were two Gods the one authour and creator of good things and the other of euill things Alwaies it is certaine that they counted the Clergie of the Romane Church a corrupt rable And for this cause Innocentius the third sent vnto France twelue Abbots of the Christian order with Didatus Bishop of Oxfurd and Dominicus who was afterward the author of a new sect of Dominike Friers All those came to France for cōfutation of Albigenses But when the Pope perceiued that they yeelded not to his foresaid Ambassadours he pursued them with cruel warres and sent out an armie against them vnder the conduct of Leopold Duke of Austria and Simon Count of Montfort who vsed great crueltie against the townes of Bitera Carcassus Vaurus Careum Apistaginum Galliacum Causacum Funum Marcelli Fanim Antonij Modacum and diuers others wherein Albigenses had their residence In the towne called Castra Mineruae an hundreth and twentie were burnt quicke In Paris about the same time 14. Priests were accused as guiltie of this sect and ten of them were burnt with fire one at London At Penuense Agenois Castrum which was long besieged 74. Souldiers were hanged the rest who would not recant their opinions were burnt with fire Yet after this the French armie being troubled with other warres the Albigenses increased of new againe and were supported by Raymond Count of Tulosse and Peter king of Arragon against whom Simon of Montfort leading out his armie slew of their host twentie thousand men In Avinion Lewis the eight for suppressing of their sect dimolished the walls of the towne razed from the groūd 300 houses in Avinion and was minded to haue vsed greater rigour if hee had not bin preuented by death Almaricus a man of Carnotum a towne in France vttered strange opinions cōcerning God whom hee affirmed to be the essence of all creatures the soule of heauen that all creatures should be counerted into the substance of God againe with many other foolish things who was refuted by the Schoole of Paris and after that he had appealed to the B. of Rome was sent backe againe to recant his errour which thing also he did rather with his mouth then with his heart Likewise about Tullouse sprang vp certaine heretikes called Patereni and Gazari from the authors of this sect who affirmed that married men were not in the state of grace could not be saued This opinion was damned in the Councell of Lateran In this age also sprang vp Begardi Beginae and Bizochi who are all reckoned to be of the sect of Fratricelli who imagined that a man might attaine in this world to the estate of such perfection that he might be altogether voide of sin And that he who had attained thereto was neither vnder subiection to ciuill nor spirituall gouernours but was freed from all subiection to mortall men and that they had no neede of prayer and fasting and such other exercises whereby increase of grace is obtained CENTVRIE XIV POpe Iohn the 23. of that name taught that soules so soone as they were dispoyled of the bodie should not see God before the last iudgement Against whom Thomas Wallafe a Iacobin an English-man opposed himselfe but was thrust in prison Afterward Pope Benet who succeeded Pope Iohn made a decretall wherein hee confuted and condemned as hereticall the doctrine which his predecessor Iohn had publiquely preached touching the happy soules and it was determined and declared that the soules which had nothing to purge incontinent as they are departed from the bodie doe see the face of God CENTVRIE XV. THE Councell of Basill confirmed that the Virgin Marie was conceived without originall sinne CENTVRIE XVI WHen the Gospel began to spring vp in Germany thorow the malice of Satan sprang vp also a Sect of pestilent Heretiques called Anabaptists so called by reason they thinke that Infants should not bee baptized vntill they come to perfect age and can giue a confession of their owne faith They maintaine wicked opinions concerning Christ himselfe his Word his Church his Magistrates Concerning Christ that hee tooke not flesh and blood of the Virgin but brought it from heaven concerning the Word that God not onely revealeth his will by the written Word but also by visions and dreames wherevnto the Anabaptists do leane more then to the Word concerning the Church that it is not a true Church wherein there is any spot or wrinckle concerning Magistrates that their office vnder the New Testament is not a calling approved of God Some other wicked opinions they maintaine but these are the chiefe And it was no wonder that men who had layd such grounds of seditious doctrine were also found in their liues to be authors of very seditious commotions and insurrections against Princes Like as Thomas Muntzerus one of the first Fathers of this sect gathered a great number of common people who made insurrection against their superiours and albeit this first attempt of the Anabaptists succeded very vnprosperously for the Princes of Germany overcame in battell those seditious people and tocke Thomas Muntzerus himselfe and beheaded him whose memorie was so perturbed with beastly feare that hee could not recite the beliefe but the Duke of Brunswicke was constrained to recite it before him and hee followed after him for lacke of memorie yet others would not take warning by him to abstaine from the like seditious attempts For in the yeere of our Lord 1533. Iohannes Leidensis a Taylor of Holland came to a towne of Westphalia called Munster and hee had seduced many and increased the number of his faction hee expelled and banished the Citizens of Munster and vsurped to himselfe a kingly authority being assisted with the support of Cniperdolingus a vaine man and a false Prophet who affirmed that it was revealed to him by God that Iohannes Leidensis should haue the dominion of the whole world and that he should raise vp a mightie army and destroy the Princes of the world and should onely spare the simple multitude so many of them as would forsake impiety and imbrace righteousnes Likewise hee affirmed that it was the will of God that Iohannes Leidensis should send throughout the whole world eight and twentie Apostles to exhort the world to repentance and to receiue the doctrine of the Anabaptists which thing Leidensis was willing and readie to performe But the Princes of Germany and the Princes of other Countries tooke those seditious Apostles and gaue vnto them the reward which seditious Preachers iustly deserved so that of all the number of his Apostles onely one who by fleeing conveyed himself away escaped the punishment of Death Thus Iohannes Leidensis was called King of new Ierusalem and tooke vnto himselfe many wiues of whom also hee beheaded one in the open market-place because she had compassion of the poore besieged people of Munster of whom many died through famine For the Bishop
of Christ. And the bookes of holy Canonicke Scripture which are to be read in time of holy Conuocations of people are particularly reckoned out both of olde new Testament And in this Catalogue of canonicke bookes no mention is made of the bookes of the Machabees of Ecclesiasticus and other Apocreeph bookes VNder the raigne of the Emperours Valentinian and Valens and about the yeere of our Lord 370. With aduice of both the Emperours a Councell was gathered in Illyricum wherein the Nicene Faith had confirmation and allowance The Emperour Valens was not as yet infected with the poison of the Arrian heresie LAmpsacum is a towne situated about the narrow passages of Hellespontus The Macedoniā heretikes sought liberty from the Emp. Valens to meete in this towne who granted their petition the more willingly because he supposed that they had accorded in opinion with Acacius Eudoxius but they ratified the Coūcel set foorth at Seleucia damned the Councel holden at Constantinople by the Acacians The Emp. Valens being deceiued of his expectation commanded them to be banished and their Churches to be giuen to the fauourers of the opinion of Eudoxius This dash constrained the Macedonians to take a new course and to aggree with Laberius Bishop of Rome But these Camelions when they had changed many colours they could neuer be white that is sincere and vpright in Religion VNder the Emperour Valentinian in the West Damasus bishop of Rome gathered a Councel in Rome wherein he confirmed the Nicene Faith and damned Auxentius Bishop of Millan with Vrsatius Valens and Caius Likewise hee damned Apollinaris and his disciple Timotheus IN the yeere of our Lord 38.3 or as Bullinger reckoneth 385 in the third yeere of the raigne of Theodosius a Generall Councell was gathered at Constantinople consisting of 150. Bishops of whom 36. were entangled with the heresie of Macedonius who called the Holy Spirit a creature a minister seruant but not consubstantiall with the Father and the Son In this Councel the Macedoniā heretikes were louingly admonished to forsake their errour to embrace the true faith and that so much the more because they had once already sent messengers to Liberius and professed the true Faith But they continued obstinately in their errour departed from the Councell The heresie of Macedonius was dāned the Nicen faith confirmed with amplification of that part of the Symbole which concerned the holy Spirit in this manner I beleeue in the holy Spirit our Lord giuer of life who proceedeth from the Father with the Father and the Son is to be worshipped glorified They ordained Nectarius B. of Cōstantinople that Constātinople shuld haue the prerogatiue of honour next to Rome Great care was had of Prouinces that they should not of new againe be infected with Heresies For this cause the name of Patriarches in the Councell of Nice appropriated to a few in this Generall Councell is communicated to manie To Nectarius Megapolis and Thracia was allotted Pontus to Hellodius Cappadocia to Gregorius Nyssenus Meletina and Armenia to Otreius Amphilochius attended vpon Iconium and Lycaonia Optimus vpon Antiochia and Pisidia Timotheus vpon the Churches of Aegypt Laodicea was recommended to Pelagius Tarsus to Diodorus and Antiochia to Meletius who was present at the Councell and ended his life in Constantinople To other Bishops a care and sollicitude of their owne boundes was committed with this caueat that no man should inuade the bounds belonging to another but if necessitie so required Synods should be assembled and euery one being desired should mutuallie assist his neighbour THe great affaires of the Church the care of their brethren in the West compelled them to meete againe in Constantinople where they wrote a Synodicke letter to Damasus B. of Rome to Ambrose Britto Valeriāus Acholius Anemius Basilius to the rest of the Bishops cōueened at Rome Wherin they declare the māifold troubles they had sustained by heretikes now albeit in the mercie of God they were ejected out of the sheepe-folds yet like vnto rauening wolues they were lurking in woods seeking oportūity to deuour the sheepe of Christ. They excuse their absence because the infirmitie of their Churches newly recouered from the hands of heretikes could not permit many of their number to journey to Rome Alwayes they sent their beloued brethren Cyriacus Eusebius Priscianus to countenance the assembly at Rome In matters of Discipline they recommended vnto them the Canons of the Councell of Nice namely that Ecclesiasticall honours should be conferred to persons worthy that with the speciall aduice and consent of the Bishops of that same Prouince with assistance of their confining neighbours if neede required After this manner was Nectarius B. of Constantinople Flauianus B. of Antiochia Cyrillus B. of Ierusalem ordained Heere marke that the consent of the Bishop of Rome was not necessarie to the ordination of the Bishops of the East And the vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome smelleth of Noueltie and not of Antiquitie This Synodicke letter sent from Constantinople would seeme to import that the Councell which Damasus gathered at Rome was assembled in the dayes of Theodosius or els that hee had gathered two assemblies in Rome at diuers times and yet for owne purpose GOdly Emperours and Kings such as Constantine Theodosius and Dauid were very carefull of the vnitie of the Church that it might be like vnto a compact Citie as Ierusalem was when the tower of Iebus was conquised then the people worshipped one God were obedient to one Law and subject onely to one Soueraigne Theodosius in the fifth yeere of his raigne caring for the peace of the Church conueened a great Nationáll Councell at Constantinople not onely of Homousians but also of Arrians Eunomians and Macedonians hoping that by mutuall conference possibly they might in end accord The good Emperour consulted with Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople Nectarius with Agelius a Bishop of the Novatians Agelius with Sisinius an eloquent man and a mightie Teacher and a Reader in his Church This man considering that by contentious disputations Schismes were increased but not quenched gaue this aduice to Nectarius that hee should counsell the Emperour to demande of Heretikes in what account they had the holy Fathers who preceeded their time The Heretikes at the first spake reuerently of the Fathers but when they were demaunded if in matters of Faith they would giue credit to the testimonie of the Fathers the Heretikes were diuided amongst themselues Therefore the Emperour rent in pieces the summes of the Arrian Eunomian and Macedonian faith and ordained the Homousian Faith onely to haue place THe second Councell of Carthage was assēbled vnder the raigne of Theodosius neere vnto the time of the Generall Councell holden in Constantinople In it first the summe of the Nicene Faith is confirmed The continencie of
Bishops Elders and Deacons is recommended with abstinence euen from matrimoniall societie so earlie began men to bee wiser then God But in the twelfth Canon of the third Councell of Carthage it may bee perceiued that this constitution as disagreeable from Gods word was not regarded because Bishops in Africa married and had sonnes and daughters and these are inhibite to marrie with Infidels and Heretikes in the Canons a fore-saide The making of Chrisme and consecrating of holie Virgins is ordained onely to belong to Bishops The Canons of this Councell for the most part tend to this to aduance the authoritie of their Bishops fore-smelling as appeares the vsurpation of preheminence in the Bishops beyond sea THe third Councell of Carthage was assembled in the yeere of the Lord 399. Aurelius Bishop of Carthage seemeth to haue bin Moderatour of the Councell Augustine Bishop of Hippo was present Many good constitutions were accorded vpon in this Councell as namely that the Sacramentes should not bee ministred to the dead That the sonnes and daughters of Bishops and others in spirituall offices should not be giuen in marriage to Pagans Heretikes or Schismatikes The men in spirituall offices should not be intangled with secular businesse according to the precept of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. verse 4. That men of the Cleargy should practise no kind of vsury That no man shall be ordained Bishop Elder or Deacon before hee haue brought all persons of his owne familie to the profession of Christian Religion That Readers who are come to perfect yeeres shall either marrie or els professe continencie That in the ministration of the Sacrament or Sacrifice to wit Eucharistike nothing should bee offered except bread and wine mixed with water of the fruites of the Cornes and Grapes That the Bishop of Rome should bee called the Bishop of the first seate but not the high Priest nor the Prince of Priestes That nothing except holy Canonicke Scripture should be read in the Churches vnder the name of holy bookes ABout the yeere of our Lord 401. vnder the raigne of Honorius was assembled againe a great nationall Councell in Carthage of 214. Bishops Augustine Bishop of Hippo was also present at this Councell Manie Canons were set downe in this Councell almost equall with the number of conueened Bishops That persons married for reuerence of the blessing pronounced to the marriage should not companie together the first night after their marriage That the Bishop should haue his dwelling place neere vnto the Church his house-holde-stuffe should be vncostly his fare should be course and vndelicate and that hee should conquiese authoritie vnto himselfe by fidelitie and vprightnesse of an holy conuersation That a Bishop should not spend time in reading the bookes of Pagans the bookes of Heretikes if necessitie required he might reade That a Bishop entangle not himselfe deepely with houshold businesse to the end hee may attend vpon reading Prayer and Preaching That a Bishop admit no man vnto a spirituall office without aduice of the Clergie and consent of the people That a Bishop without aduice of his Cleargie pronounce no sentence els it shall haue no force except they confirme it That a Bishop sitting shall not suffer a presbyter to stand That an assembly of Heretikes conueened together shall not be called Concilium but Conciliabulum That hee who communicateth with an Heretike shall be excommunicate whether he be of the number of the Laikes or of the Cleargie That such as refuse to giue vnto the Church the oblations of defunct persons shall bee excommunicate as murtherers of the poore Heere marke what is meaned by Oblationes Defunctorum not soul-masses said for the defunct but the charitie which they haue in testamentall legacy to the poore That no woman shal presume to baptize CENTVRIE V. COncerning Councels gathered in the daies of Arcadius and Honorius by Epiphanius in Cyprus and Theophilus in Alexandria vnder pretence of damning the bookes of Origen and in Constantinople first and last by the malice of Eudoxia the Emperour Arcadius wife to the deposition of Iohn Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople I hope I haue not need to make a new declaration of things which are amply declared in the preceding history ABout the yeere of our Lord 419. a great number of Bishops were assembled in the Towne of Carthage whose names are particularly expressed in their Synodicke letters sent to Innocentius the first Bishop of Rome In this assemblie they damned the opinions of Pelagius and Coelestius which hath been aboue rehearsed as hereticall The answer that Innocentius returned to the Councell is intermixed with words of swelling pride as if no Decree could be firme vntill it had allowance of the Romane chaire yet the fift Councell of Carthage had pronounced Anathema against the opinions of Pelagius and Coelestius before they sent their letter to Innocentius Amongst the canons of this Councell the two last are to be remarked namely the fourteenth and fifteenth canon The one declareth that no Church was consecrated without the reliques of the Martyrs the other declareth that adoration of reliques at this time was the custome of Ethnickes supplication is appointed to be made to the Emperors that reliques which are found in Images groues or trees or such other places should bee abolished THe first Councell of Toledo in Spaine was assembled vnder the raignes of Arcadius and Honorius The yeere of our Lord wherein this Councell was gathered is much contraverted therefore I overpasse it contenting my selfe with some notice of the time of the Emperour in whose time the Councell was gathered It seemeth to haue beene assembled for confirmation of the Nicene Councell and refutation of some errours The canons concerning prohibibition of marriage to some persons are foolish and the admitting of a man to the communion who wanteth a wife and contenteth himselfe with one concubine onely is foolisher so perilous a thing it is in a iot to depart from the certaine rule of the written Word of God MIlevitum is a towne of Numidia in it many Bishops were assembled vnder the raigne of Arcadius whose names are particularly expressed in the letter sent from the Councell to Innocentius Bishop of Rome which letter is inserted in the Epistles of Augustine together with the answer of Innocentius the first Two principall causes mooved them to assemble together First to finish the work they had begun in the fift Councell of Carthage in condemning the heresies of Pelagius and Coelestius by whom as yet many were deceiued and perverted from the true faith Augustine Bishop of Hippo was not onely present but also President The opinions of Pelagius and Coelestius concerning the power of mans nature not supported by the grace of God and free-will of man to doe good of it selfe is so solidly refuted and that by arguments taken out
So that in this Councell also is presented vnto vs a viue paterne of the weakenesse of Councels Like as in euery sacrifice there was dungue so likewise in euery Councell there is found some note of infirmitie and weakenesse And it is a foolishe thing to adhere to all the ordinances of Councels except they doe agree in all pointes with the written word of God IN the yeere of our Lord 788. and in the eight yeere of the raigne of Irene and her sonne Constantine a Councell was assembled at Nice in Bythania of three hundreth and fiftie Bishops The Ambassadours of Adrian the first Bishop of Rome were present in this Assemblie Basilius Bishop of Ancyra Theodorus Bishop of Myra and Theodosius Bishop of Amorium offered to the Councell their supplicant letters confessing that they had sinned in condemning the worshipping of images in the Synode assembled by Constantinus Copronymus These reedes shaken with the winde and vnconstant fooles were accepted in fauour as a preamble vnto this malignant Councell The Epistle of Adrian Bishop of Rome was openly read in the Councell approuing the worshipping of images His letter was full of fables and lies such as the fable of the leprosie of Constantine and of the shedding of the blood of innocent babes to procure remedie against his sicknesse and baptisme of Constantine by Syluester the miraculous restoring of the Emperour to health after his Baptisme and of the images of Peter and Paul produced to Constantine before his baptisme Such a Legend of lyes no Councell could haue heard read in their audience if it had not bin a time in the which the mistery of iniquity was effectually working For the history of the life of Cōstantine written by Eusebius expressely prooueth the contrary to wit that Constantine was not leprous but rather a man of a cleane and vnspotted body and that hee was not baptized by Syluester in Rome but by Eusebius in Nicomedia Notwithstanding the letter of Pope Adrian was accepted and allowed by the Councell And it was ordained That the image of Christ of the blessed Virgine Mary and of the Saints should not onely bee receiued into places of Adoration but also should bee adored and worshipped And the honour done to the image is thought to redound to him or her who is present by the image according to the words of Basilius Magnus But Basilius Magnus is writing in that place of Christ the image of the inuisible God and not of images made with mens hands THe Fathers of this Councell as it were bewitched by the delusions of the Deuill were not ashamed to confirme the adoration of images by lying miracles and by a foolish confabulation betwixt the Deuill and a Monke whom Sathan ceased not to tempt continuallie to the lust of vncleannesse and would make none end of tempting him except he would promise to desist from worshipping the image of the Virgin Mary But argumentes taken from the fables of Monkes and delusions of the Deuill are not to be hearkened vnto in a matter expressely repugnant to the written word of God IN the yeere of our Lord 794. Charles the Great King of France assembled a great Councell at Frankford partlie in regard of the heretike Foelix who called Christ the adoptiue Sonne of God in his humane nature and was condemned in a Councell assembled at Ratisbona Anno. 742. but hee was returned to his vomite againe and therefore was of new againe condemned as a notable heretike in the Councell of Frankford partly also in respect of the great disputation that arose euerie where concerning the worshipping of images disallowed in the councell of Constantinople and allowed in the second Councell of Nice Not onely the Bishops of France but also of Germanie Lombardie as Prouinces subdued to the King of France were present at this Councell Likewise Pope Adrian sent his Ambassadours Theophilactus Stephanus to the Councel And Charles himselfe King of France was present in the Councel of Frankford The Ambassadours of Pope Adrian produced the actes of the second Councell of Nice hoping that the Councell of Frankford should haue giuen consent and allowance vnto the same But the Fathers of this Councell collationed the actes of the Councell of Constantinople with the actes of the second Councell of Nice And they disallowed in the Councell of Constantinople the strict prohibition to picture images either in Temples of other places And in the second Councell of Nice they disallowed the Act of worshipping of images and of honouring them with garments incense candles and kneeling vnto them counting the afore-saide Act to be so impious that the Councell in the which it was concluded was neither worthy to be called Catholicke nor Oecumenicke The arguments whereby the second Councell of Nice endeuoured to approue the adoration of images are all refuted in the Councell of Frankford as I haue declared alreadie in a treatise concerning worshipping of Images Concerning the argument taken from the authoritie of Epiphanius who in his book called Panarium reckoneth not the worshippers of images in the roll of Heretikes it is answered by the Councel of Frankford that in case Epiphanius had counted the haters of the worshippers of images Heretikes hee had likewise inserted their names in the catalogue of Heretikes but seeing he hath not so done the Councell of Nice had no just cause to triumph so much in this friuolous argument which maketh more against them than it maketh for them More-ouer in the Councell of Frankford the Epistle of Epiphanius written to Ihonne Bishop of Ierusalem was read wherein hee disalloweth the verie bringing in of images into Churches and this Epistle was translated out of the Greeke into Latine language by Ierom. The Epistle is worthie to be read Reade it in the Magdeburg Historie Cent. 8. Chap. 9. CENTVRIE IX IN the yeere of our Lord 813. by the commandement of Carolus Magnus in the Towne of Mentz were assembled 30. Bishops 25. Abbots with a great number of Priests Monkes Countes and Iudges about reformation of the dissolute manners of Ecclesiasticke and Laicke persons After three dayes abstinence and fasting joyned with Litanies publicke Prayers and imploring the helpe of God they diuided themselues into three companies In the first company were the Bishops with some Noters reading the history of the Euangell and the Epistles and the Actes of the Apostles together with the Canons and workes of ancient Fathers and the Pastorals booke of Gregorie to the ende that by the Preceptes contained in these bookes the enormitie of mens liues might be corrected In the second companie were Abbots and Monkes reading the rules of S. Benedict for the reformation of the liues of Monkes In the third company were Lords and Iudges pondering the causes of all men who came to complaine that wrong was done vnto them The 1.2 and 3. Canons of this Councell intreat concerning Faith Hope and Charitie 4. Concerning the Sacraments to be ministred chiefly at Easter and
are bold without consent of Bishops to place and to displace Pastours to distribute Ecclesiastical liuings according to their pleasure And to burthen Church-men with exactions and taxations whensoeuer they please This forme of doing is ordained to be punished with excommunication And he who receiueth a Church from a Laicke person without his owne Bishops authoritie is to be debarred from the communion and in case he perseuere obstinatly in his sin he is to be depriued of Ecclesiastical orders Also Laicke persons who transfer the right of tythes to other Laicke persons they who receiue thē and deliver them not to the Church shall want the honour of Christian buriall Church-men who haue accquired riches by Church-rents howsoever they die let their goods pertaine to the Church Moreover because some Bishops are found in some parts who permit them whom they call Decani for a summe of money to exercise Episcopall iurisdiction it is ordained that hee who so doth shall bee depriued from his office and that the Bishop shall haue no power to conferre any such office Let not the votes of a few persons in the Church hinder the ordination of them who are thought meet by the most part to be ordained to Eclesiasticall offices If a question arise concerning presentations of diverse persons to one Church or concerning the gift of patronage if the foresayd question bee not decided within the space of three moneths the Bishop shal place in the Church the man whom he thinketh to be most worthy Seeing that the Church as a provident mother should provide all things necessary for the soules and bodies of the people left the poore and indigent parents want the benefite of good education in learning It is appointed and ordayned that in every Cathedrall Church a worthy benefice shall be bestowed vpon a Schoole-master to the end the teacher receiving a competent reward for his travels a patent doore may be opened to the increase of learning Diuers Churches are so heauily over-loadned with tribute and taxations by Consuls Gouernours of townes and Rulers of Provinces that the estate of Bishops is worse then was the estate of the Idolatrous Priests of Egypt in the daies of Pharaoh for the Priests had an ordinarie of Pharaoh and they did eate their ordinary which Pharaoh gaue them wherefore they sold not their ground which Pharaoh gaue them But now all charge of civill affaires are layd vpon Gods Church Therefore it is ordayned vnder paine of cursing that Governours and Rulers of Provinces desist in time to come from such doing except the Prelates vpon consideration of the great necessitie of the countrey would voluntarily consent to support the necessitie of the Laiques Seeing that Pope Innocentius the second and Pope Eugenius the third our predecessors of good memorie condemned the spectacles on market-dayes and holy-dayes for ostentation of their valure and strength skirmishing one against another in sight of the people whereby it came to passe that some were slaine and their soules were in ieopardie These spectacles are also damned by vs and if any person be slaine in them let him want the honour of Christian buriall This containeth a commandement of superstitious observation of dayes Let no men presume to alter the ancient custome of exactions without the authority and consent of Princes Persons diseased with leprosie it is permitted to them to haue their owne Church and their owne Pastor They who furnish armour to the Saracens who fight against Christians or who take Christians prisoners who are busie in their lawfull callings or who spoyle them who haue made ship wracke let them be excommunicated Manifest vsurers shall be debarred from the communion and if they repent not they shall want the honor of Christian buriall and no man shall receiue their offering Iewes and Saracens shall not be permitted to haue Christian servants in their houses no not vnder pretence of education of their children Also the testimony of a Christian against a Iew shall be admitted and if any Iew through the mercy of God be converted to the Christian religion hee shall in no manner of way be secluded from his possessions In the last Canon after a smooth preface that Pope Leo said Ecclesiastical discipline is content with a Priestly iudgment but vseth not bloody revenges Alwayes Pope Alexander in this Councell thought it lawfull to borrow the power of secular Princes to persecute those whom he called Heretiques in Gasconie Tholuse and other parts These he calleth Cathari Patrini or Publicani but out of question they were Valdenses who being driven out of Lions Pope Alexander would grant them no corner in the world to rest in But meitated by his cruell edicts all Princes Nobles Lords Governours to pursue them with fire and sword and all kinde of hostility promising to them who so doth if they bee vnder Ecclesiasticall censure indulgence and relaxation of two yeeres of the compleat time of their penance and to those who doe zealously pursue them such security in their persons and goods as vseth to bee conferred to such persons as visite the holy graue and are taken vnder the protection of the Church Others of Aragon Navarre and other places whom also hee calleth Heretiques and who practised against Christians all kinde of mercilesse in humanity neither sparing sex nor age I cannot vnderstand of what kinde of Heretiques he meaneth for their heresie is not expressed CENTVRIE XIII ABout the yeere of our Lord 1215. Pope Innocentius the third gathered a generall Councell at Rome wherein the doctrine of Transubstantiation was ratified Also the Grecians were ordayned to turne to the obedience of the Church of Rome to the end there might be one shepheard and one sheepfold and that they should desist from detesting the Priests of the Latin Church whom the Grecians so abhorred that they would not say masse vpon the Altar which the Latin Priest had touched vntill it had beene cleansed and washed Also that they should not rebaptize such as were baptized by Latin Priestes and that all these things should be observed vnder paine of cursing And finally it was concluded that an army should bee sent vnto Syria for reliefe of the Christians there and the recouery of the holy Land and that processions supplications and fastings should be kept monethly for the more easie obtaining of it LIkewise in the yeere of our Lord 1273. Gregorius the tenth gathered a generall Councell at Lions where Michael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople was present who by the slaughter of Theodorus Luscaris sonne committed to his custody had vsurped the Empire This Michael I say being present at the Councell acknowledged the superiority of the Church of Rome wherevnto the other Grecians were so farre from condiscending that they abhorred the said Emperour and would not suffer his body to be buried amongst other Christians In this Councell also was concluded that