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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07768	The mysterie of iniquitie: that is to say, The historie of the papacie Declaring by what degrees it is now mounted to this height, and what oppositions the better sort from time to time haue made against it. Where is also defended the right of emperours, kings, and Christian princes, against the assertions of the cardinals, Bellarmine and Baronius. By Philip Morney, knight, Lord du Plessis, &c. Englished by Samson Lennard.; Mystère d'iniquité. English	Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly, 1549-1623.; Lennard, Samson, d. 1633.	1612 (1612)	STC 18147; ESTC S115092	954,645	704

is it that the Popedome hauing swallowed vp this poore Church at the word of the Lord in these later times should cast it out againe that so the Gospell might be preached more gloriously than before euen to your selues But now giue me leaue to aske thee againe In all this long space of time where was thy Church and of all loues answer me In those six hundred yeares next after Christ in the whole world was there any that was thy Church and that worshipped burnt incense adorned adored and inuocated Images Doubtlesse there was none such except thou seeke it among the Heathen with Simon Magus not Simon Peter In a whole thousand yeares was there any Church that called the Hoast Lord thought it a god adored it In a whole thousand two hundred yeares that shut it vp in a box carried it about appointed vnto it a proper feastiuall day set it out with pomp to be gazed vpon by the people as in a publike Theatre Againe in a whole thousand yeares after Christ was there any Church howsoeuer otherwise corrupted that placed Christ the sonne of God betweene the hands of a Priest yea created him that sold his sacrifice for money to be offered at all times yea euerie moment of time and in all places That abolished the auncient institution of Christ and Communion of the faithfull bringing into the place thereof their solitarie Masses for the liuing and the dead mumbled vp in a corner That depriued the people of the Cup of the Lord to feed them with the smoke of this pretended sacrifice And since I am entred into it to lay open these monstrous abuses to the view of the world Was there any Church that accused the Scriptures of insufficiencie or imperfection writing bookes to that purpose That forbad the reading of them as being daungerous and deadly vpon paine of grieuous punishment and that by a publike Decree Againe was there any Church in the whole world for six hundred yeares after Christ that beleeued the Pope of Rome to be the Vniuersall Bishop an earthlie Prince armed with both swords spirituall and temporall That for a thousand yeres out of Rome acknowledged him to be Pope and Emperour the Lord of the world the true Spouse of the Church That for twelue hundred yeares did affirme him to be aboue generall Councels the Catholike Church the Scriptures That did affirme or teach That he had power to dispose of the state of our soules by his Indulgences That he could shut Purgatorie open heauen canonize for a Saint or damne to hell at his pleasure whom it pleased him commaund the Angels abrogat the lawes of God and therefore a god and aboue God Adde if you will to make vp the matter What Church in those ages euer knew those multitudes of Monkes the foure Orders of begging Friers the scarlet Cardinals this Pontificall pompe his Ianizaries and Mamalukes and lastly his Iesuites who are as it were the rereward of the Popes armie And yet of these doth your Church now consist and they must be beleeued vpon paine of damnation Herein Bellarmine and Baronius spend their labours and he that abates but a haire of that they affirme let him bee accounted as a Heathen or Publican That man on the other side that beleeues all this especially all those poynts that concerne the Pope though he be otherwise an heretike a prophane person an Atheist yet he is a good Catholike and in the right way It is now then your part to proue this your Church out of the Fathers Councels Histories yea euen your owne for I refuse not any But perhaps thou wilt aske though against the rules of disputation By what apparent reason it appeares that your Church hath erred and how it should bee likely that it hath hitherto receiued Christ his enemie for Christ his Vicar and how and in what part that corruption thou speakest of hath crept in Hearken my friend let not this preposterous presumption deceiue thee the Angels in heauen haue erred our first parents in Paradice haue erred Iacob amongst so many visions of God Israel in the desart in the middest of so many myracles haue erred the Church the Spouse of God vnder the Iudges the Kings in the presence of the Arke in that holie land though reproued by the Prophets verie often in the time of the first Temple and as often vnder the second and that which is more puffed vp with the doctrine of the Law euen to the forsaking of Christ himselfe the crucifying of him with her owne hands and consequently in her owne saluation hath erred What then should hinder but that it may now likewise erre euen to the receiuing of Antichrist that man of sinne the sonne of perdition and the adoring of him since both the one and the other proceed from the same spirit of presumption not to erre both the one and the other foretold by the same mouth by the spirit of God in his word and therefore of like certaintie Doubtlesse the Church then hath erred erred by neglecting the word of God and shall erre as often as she shall forsake the sea-mans compasse without which all things are to it vncertaine the heauens the sea the earth In so much that being left to her own discourse her owne cogitations it is no maruell if she haue erred if she doe erre yea rather it were a wonder and more than a wonder if without that compasse she should hold her course but a moment of time and not bee split in peeces against some rocke or suffer shipwracke vpon some vnknowne shore But whereas thou desirest to know the moment of time when this accident happened vnderstand my friend that this Mysterie was wrought in the darke for Antichrist is compared to a theefe that digs through the wall in the dead time of the night At what watch therefore he began his worke it is your part to know and to tell vs that stand sentinell that haue so long time before beene forewarned by God himselfe by whose either negligence or treacherie he hath inuaded the Roman castle and therefore your Church But thou art perhaps sicke of a dropsie thy bellie is swolne as big as a tunne thy bloud turned into water and yet thou wilt not hearken to the Physitian change the course of thy life vntill he tell thee the verie instant time when thy liuer began to be distempered to bee inflamed to grow drie and to be hardened into a Schyrrus whereas thou shouldest haue beene the first that should haue knowne that if it might be because there is no man so neere vnto thee as thy selfe There is nothing more ridiculous than to thinke that another should know it before thy selfe especially considering it is one of those diseases according to Hypocrates that at the first is most hardly knowne most easily cured afterwards by tract of time the symptomes or accidents belonging thereunto encreasing it is easily knowne hardly cured But yet I will not refuse to

Iudas from one sonne of perdition to another In the Sermon of the conuersion of Saint Paul Jdem in sermone de Conuersione B. Paul● speaking to the people Ah ah Lord God they are the first in persecuting thee which seeme to loue Primacie and beare chiefe sway in the Church They haue possessed the fort of Sion they haue seised vpon the strong places and afterward liberè potestatiuè freely and with full power haue set the whole citie on fire Miserable is their conuersation and miserable the subuersion of thy people and would to God they did hurt in this part alone c. The last of their thought is the saluation of soules Can there be any greater persecution to the Sauiour of soules Others doe also wickedly against Christ and there are many Antichrists in our times yet by good right he esteemeth more cruell and more grieuous the persecution that he suffereth of his owne Ministers c. These things Christ seeth and is silent these things the Sauiour suffereth and dissembleth and therefore it is necessarie also that we dissemble them and in the meane time be silent chiefely of our Prelats and Masters of Churches Neither let them thinke here to escape by saying That this is meant of schismaticall Popes hee speaketh of the same whom he acknowledged Thy friends said hee before and thy neighbours haue drawne neere and set themselues against thee It seemeth that the whole world of Christian people haue conspired against thee from the least euen to the greatest from the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head is not any soundnesse Iniquitie hath proceeded from the Elders and Iudges from thy Vicars which seeme to gouerne thy people note thy Vicars Vita Bernard l. 2. c. 8. In his Sermons vpon the Canticles which the Author of his life witnesseth to haue beene written after the death of Anaclet when Innocent was established at Rome after he had spoken of the diuers temptations of the Church by persecution which the Martyrs haue ouercome by heresie Bernard in Cantic serm 33. which the Doctors haue conuinced Behold saith he our times through Gods fauour are free from them both but wholly defamed with the businesse that walketh in the darke Woe be to this generation for the leuen of the Pharises which is hypocrisie if notwithstanding it may be called hypocrisie which now for the aboundance thereof cannot be hid and for the impudencie thereof seeketh not to be hid A stinking Vlcer creepeth in these dayes throughout all the bodie of the Church being the more desperat by how much the more it is spread abroad and the more inward it is the more dangerous For if an open enemie should rise against her he might be cast out and there wither if a vioolent enemie she might perhaps hide her selfe from him But now whom shall shee cast out or from whom shall she hide her self All are friends namely in shew and all are enemies all are necessarie and all domestike and none are peaceable all neighbours and yet all seeke their own Could he more significantly expresse vnto vs this disease spread ouer al the bodie of the Church this running canker feeding vpon al the substance therof But he proceedeth further They are the ministers of Christ serue Antichrist They go honoured with the goods of the Lord and giue no honor vnto the Lord thence is as you daily see meretricius nitor that whorish glittering that apparell of stage players that royall furniture gold on bridles sadles and spurres and spurres do shine more than Altars c. It is for these they will be heads of Churches Deanes Archdeacons Bishops and Archbishops For all these are not giuen to desert but to that worke which walketh in darknesse in hipocrisie long ago this was foretold and now is come the time of the accomplishment Behold how in peace my bitternesse is most bitter Bitter before in the death of Martyrs more bitter after in the conflict of heretikes now most bitter of all in the maners of domestikes The Church can neither put them to flight nor auoid them so great is their force so much are they multiplied aboue number The wound of the Church is inward and incurable and therefore in peace the bitternesse thereof is most bitter But in what peace It is both peace and no peace peace from Pagans and peace from heretikes but not from children The voice of her that lamenteth in these times I haue nourced children and brought them vp and they haue despised me They haue despised and defiled me with their filthie life with their dishonest gaine and commerce and lastly with that businesse that walketh in darkenesse It remaineth that now should come forth that Daemon of Mid-day for to seduce if there be yet any residue in Christ abiding yet in simplicitie for he hath deuoured the flouds of the Wise and the streames of the mightie hee trusteth that he can draw vp Iordan into his mouth that is Iob. 40. the simple and humble which are in the Church There rested but the name and here it presently followeth Ipse e●im est Antichristus For this is very Antichrist who will vant himselfe not only to be the day but the mid-day will exalt himselfe against all that is called God 2. Thes 2. or that is worshipped whom the Lord Iesus shall slay with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnesse of his comming as he that is the true and eternall mid-day the Bridgroome and Aduocate of the Church For to whom may this last clause be referred but to the Pope distributer of all the dignities abouesaid head of all that commerce which he calleth the businesse of darkenesse In his 77 sermon of the Pastours of his time Whence thinkest thou aboundeth vnto them that great abundance Jn Cantic serm 77. glittering of apparell c. but from the goods of the Spouse Hence it is that she is left poore and needy and naked with a face to be pitied vnhandsome vndressed blood-les For this is not at this day to adorne the Spouse but to despoile her this is not to keepe her but to lose her not to defend but to abandon her not to institute but to prostitute her this is not to feed the flocke but to kill and deuour it c. Wherefore let vs leaue th●se which find not the Spouse but which sell her c. All would be successours but few imitatours c. It sufficeth not our watchmen that they keepe vs not vnlesse also they lose vs. Out of which we may thinke what opinion he henceforth had of them In his sixt sermon vpon the 91 Psalme where he testifieth that he wrote those sermons after his other on the Canticles that is after the Schisme was abolished what before hee there had spoken of Antichrist hee now here taketh vp againe almost in the same words Then proceeding Bernard in Psal 91. Serm. 6. 7.

souldiers against Albert. Wherefore the Duke of Bauaria himselfe with whom he was retired began to faint especially vpon the receit of the Emperour Fredericks letters out of Italie by which he was commaunded to chase him away as guiltie of high treason All which the Pope was aduertised of by a deuout old woman named Katherine Begute and a certaine young stripling called Henrie oftentimes sent from Albert into Italie In this extremitie they haue recourse to superstition Agnes the Dukes wife was religious he might haue said more truely superstitious Albert deceiueth her by Henrie the Dukes Secretarie Prouost of Munster and Theodoric Otholim her houshold Chaplaine they affirming vnto her That on the feast eue of Saint Philip and Iacob whilest they were in their quiet sleepe they saw twice a sword let downe from heauen to Albert the Virgine mother of God and the Apostles of Yuorie with inscription in letters of gold That they approued and confirmed all the actions of Albert and made themselues authors of all that he should take in hand Whereupon he boldly commaunded the Bishops of Ausbourg and of Eichstat That they should depriue from the communion of the Church all the cities of their diocesses that had sent men of warre to Frederick but none obeyeth him Then he calleth them together to Landshut yet no man also appeareth At last the Pope in his fauour sendeth to the Canons and religious persons that they should chuse themselues other Prelats neither are yet these any thing moued He citeth to Rome out of euerie diocesse them that Albert designed vnto him but no man prepareth himselfe to goe thither In the meane time Eberard Archbishop of Saltzbourg and Radiger Bishop of Bathaw goe to Otho Duke of Bauaria admonish him of his duetie promise him the Emperours fauour and intreat him to be present in their assemblie at Ratisbone there with a great number of Bishops to treat of the affaires of the Commonwealth which he granted them Then Eberard Archbishop of Saltzbourg opened his bosome in an Oration which we haue at length set downe in Auentine where after he hath said vnto them for Preface That Christ had left vnto vs for his badge whereby we may be discerned from others the duetie of loue and peace He earnestly also saith he admonisheth vs that we should auoid false Christs and false Prophets who couered with sheepes skins that is vnder the name of a Christian and title of Pope seeke to haue dominion ouer vs and delude vs. Whom he teacheth vs to know by their thornes and workes namely couetousnesse excesse contention hatred enuie warres discord desire of domination ambition With what words could the Emperour of heauen more plainely haue demonstrated vnto vs the Scribes and Pharisies of Babylon If we be not blind we may discerne vnder the title of Soueraigne Bishop in Pastors clothing a most cruell Wolfe The Bishops of Rome take armes against all Christians make themselues great by presuming deceiuing and sowing warre out of warre They kill the sheepe destroy peace driue concord out of the land draw out of hell ciuile warres and domestick seditions c. They prouide not for their flocke after the manner of a Bishop but rather after the manner of tyrans they licentiously rage in crueltie Iustice goeth to nothing but impietie couetousnesse desire of honours loue of money and lust grow apace c. And here he amplifieth his discourse vpon this confusion of things Hildebrand about an hundred and seuentie yeares agoe vnder shew of religion first laid the foundation of the Empire of Antichrist first began the horrible warre which his successors haue continued euer since till now At first they excluded the Emperour from the election of Popes and transported it to the people and Clergie And afterwards hauing had both these in mockerie and scorne they now also labour to constraine vs to subiection and seruitude that they may raigne alone and being now delighted with the custome of commaund and hauing often weighed their owne and their aduersaries forces they vse the specious colour of Ecclesiasticall libertie for an occasion of violently taking to them domination and of oppressing Christian libertie Beleeue him that hath experience of it They will not cease till they haue brought the Emperour vnder dissipated the honour of the Roman Empire oppressed the true Pastors which feed taken away the dogs that can barke that after this manner they may extinguish and destroy all things They would therefore confound all things together in vprores yet euen in despight they contend for dominion Paul the storehouse of Philosophie commaundeth Be yee subiect one to another in the feare of Christ c. That supreme Maiestie tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant that he might serue his Disciples and wash their feet The Bishops of Babylon couet to raigne alone they cannot endure any equall They will not giue ouer till they haue troden all things vnder their feet and sit in the Temple of God and be exalted aboue all that is worshipped Their hungring after riches and thirsting after honors cannot be filled the more is giuen them the more they desire reach to them a finger and they will couet the whole hand This seruant of seruants coueteth like as if hee were a God to be Lord of Lords He despiseth the sacred assemblies and Councels of his brethren yea of his Lords He feareth least he should be constrained to render an account of those things that he doth daily more and more against lawes and commaundements ingentia loquitur he speaketh great things as if he were a God meditateth new counsels in his breast that he might get an Empire to himselfe He changeth the lawes establisheth his owne He polluteth teareth asunder spoyleth defraudeth killeth This is that sonne of perdition whom we call Antichrist in whose forehead is written this name of contumelie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the Temple of God and hath dominion farre and wide but as it is in the mysterie of holie Scriptures Let him that readeth vnderstand The learned shall vnderstand but all the wicked shall doe wickedly and shal not vnderstand And here he briefely noteth vnto them what of these things is said in the Reuelation which he applieth to the present state of the world and chiefely to the corruption of Rome then by and by after hee saith The Emperour is but a vaine name and onely a shadow There are ten kings likewise which haue diuided the whole earth sometime the Roman Empire not for to gouerne but to consume it The tenne hornes which seemed incredible to Saint Augustine to wit the Turkes Grecians Aegyptians Africans Spaniards Frenchmen Englishmen Germans Sicilians and Italians possesse the Roman Prouinces and in these failed the Roman Colonies And the little horne alluding to the place of Daniel hauing growne vp vnder these which hath eyes and a mouth speaking great things holdeth vnder and constraineth to serue him the three kingdomes especially of Sicilie

assumes the spirit of Sathan makes himselfe like to the most high is content to be worshipped which was forbidden Iohn from aboue by the Angell and permits his feet to be kist after the manner of Dioclesian and Alexander most cruell Tyrans when Christ a freeman nay the Lord of heauen and our God washed the feet of poore fishermen his disciples that his Apostles and messengers by his example might doe the like to those to whom they were sent That there was one diuine Maiestie and prouidence rich enough in it selfe and needing nothing of ours being present euerie where consulting and prouiding of it selfe for all things c. And Emperours were not constituted vppon earth by fortune chaunce neither by mortall men or the secret power of the fates but they were chosen by supreamest deitie diuinely created and by a most mercifull and indulgent Father placed in the administration and gouernement of all humane things Furthermore the Roman Priest whose conuersation should be in heauen and heauenlie things holds and possesseth Cities Castles Boroughs Prouinces riches power great worldlie honour and magnificence the power of the sword and accruments not out of any right of his own but by others liberalitie benefit that is by the beneuolence bounties if I may not rather say the vilitie and basenesse of the Potentates of Germanie But they of all others most ingrate studie how to deserue ill of their benefactours for the sword which through our munificence they hold in their hand they are not ashamed to draw and sheath euen in our bowels which haue beene their benefactors now these goodlie Pastors raised by our predecessours to honour and riches can endure no equall They haue excluded Caesar out of Italie and Christ out of Rome true it is they yeeld him heauen and hell and the world they challenge to themselues And they will not onely be called but firmely beleeued to be the gods of this world and of men as if they could rule ouer mens thoughts and tongues or had an Empire equally diuided betwixt them and Ioue Christ crucified and supreame power on earth are verie repugnant and opposit the souldier and the Priest the Emperour and the Pastour the Kingdome and the Crosse corporall and spirituall things armes and sacred offices warre and peace Caesar and an humble messenger the Prince and the Minister the Lord and the seruant whosoeuer would be greatest amongst you saith the highest heauenlie Arbitrator to his Legats let him be lowest and your seruant To be both Emperour and Pope at one time is a monster with two heads for in coynes and medals we see that Decius and Nero with such like Tyrans then worshippers of false gods were the like It is an abhominable reproach to nature a great prouocation to God and our owne mere slothfulnesse and stupiditie that the Prince of Princes should serue the seruant of seruants If he be the seruant of Gods seruants why serues he not Why does he not minister Why feeds he not Why does he not teach Why does he not preach For greedinesse of power and pelfe he confounds heauen and earth all matters are vendible he hath hell and heauen at commaund Then he comes to refute the Popes Bull by a president from his predecessours especially the prerogatiue that he so arrogated to himselfe as that in the vacancie of the Empire and vpon the dissenting of the electors the gouernement of the Empire belonged to the Pope He justified also the course and proceeding of his election and all his actions since the same explaning and laying open vnto all men how justly he applied himselfe to a necessarie defence both in Germanie and Italie And so going forward He most falsly saith he accuses me for a fauourer of Heretikes I am a Christian but he is an Heresiarck for he cannot be Christs disciple that scornes his life contemnes pouertie despises pietie pollutes Religion prophanes holie functions sets light by modest manners condemnes institutions and treads vnder foot all rule and precept For S. Frauncis who was an Herauld of veritie diuine the ensigne-bearer of Christian pouertie and all his whole order he condemned of impietie in Auignion the sixth of the Ides December anno 1322. I pray you heare for what cause An. 1322. This pernitious man thirsting after dominion and Empire preferring siluer before the Gospell where wealth is termed sinne and gold before Christs pouertie calls the Franciscan Friers of contemptible opinion with him a foolish kind of cattell and pernitious foxes who with religious hipocrisie delude the world and deceiue the people He attempted to put downe their order because they taught preached and proued to their followers That Christ possessed nothing in proper on earth But they calling a solemne assemblie at Perugia by common consent of all the Diuines set him forth in his liueliest colours defending the truth by the holie Scriptures and diuine Testimonies though such kind of men deserue rather to bee chastised with imprisonment and bands than with arguments and disputations but yet they deciphered him most truely euidently declaring him to be an insatiable gulfe of Auarice and a worshipper of Idols For that wonderfull masse of gold sayd they which he raked together out of all Christendome but principally out of Alman the kingdome of Arles and Italie vnder colour of an expedition into Asia he distributed amongst the Saracens to make warre vpon the Christians of Armenia who refused to be pilled and powled by him At last drawing to a conclusion he sayes If he be not Antichrist yet he must needs be his predecessour and forerunner and therefore for defence of Gods Temple wherof he hath charged vs to haue a speciall care we appeale from him to a generall and vniuersall Christian Councell This appeale many supposed to be full of perill and daunger but William Ockham a Franciscan a Diuine of great reputation and his collegues diuulging Bookes vpon this subiect they fully satisfied all those saith Auentine who made a great scruple where none was This Apologie of Lodouickes was of such force among other Princes yea euen with his aduersaries that the Counts of Tyroll and Goritz treated a peace betwixt the two competitors Lewis and Frederick Lodouick taking Frederick in battaile as hath beene related held him in custodie for certaine yeares he therefore restored him to libertie vpon condition that Frederick should abjure all royall Title and plight his faithfull promise That the house of Austria should neuer contend with that of Bauaria for the Empire hereupon they receiued the Sacrament together but as many Historiographers make mention Frederick did not afterwards performe his promises Lewis in the yeare 1327 as you haue heard went into Italie An. 1327. and ordering his affaires in Lombardie the imperiall Di●deme was with sumptuous celebration solemnitie set on his head at Rome There he assembled also a celebrous Synod wherein he grieuously complaining of Pope Iohn Diuers heauie censures past and many

Court of Rome Secondly I will confute the writings and sayings thereof as erronious and lesse Catholike Thirdly I will declare out of most true grounds that the Court of Rome is wholly erronious and sick in the state of damnation c. And he handleth each of these in order At last after many complaints despairing that it would suffer reformation and much lesse that from it selfe any were to be expected The onely sonne of God saith Paul vouchsafe to reforme his Church himselfe And to shew that it was not his opinion alone he plainely saith in his Preface All men truely doe inwardly murmure but none crie out And the Doctors themselues that sat nere Boniface the ninth seeing this so manifest corruption partly could not dissemble it and partly were diuided in opinions concerning the remedie thereof Theodorick à Niem saith Many also skilfull in the Law Theodor. à Niem l. 2. c. 32. by reason of the continuation of Simonie in the Church of Rome in the time of the sayd Boniface would publiquely argue and hold That the Pope could not commit Symonie yea in benefices and goods Ecclesiasticall by interuention of gaine or couenant of money What will they not say as that harlot in the Apocalyps I sit as Queene neither can be a widow I cannot erre And what readier way is there vnto all mischiefe The Authour addeth Which seemed vnto me verie vniust seeing that at least it is vnciuile and against good manners if that which ought to be giuen gratis to persons worthie be gaunted for vile gaine of money to the vnworthie and that the Pope who is ouer all and from whom others ought to take example of life should be so defiled with such a crime not being able to punish another for that wherein himselfe offendeth for it is a shame for the Doctor that the fault should rebuke himselfe For this cause euen among the common sort the Popes authoritie is abased blamed and defamed namely in this saith he that dispensations which should bee done with great deliberation of his brethren he did them in his Chamber after the maner of Merchants being himselfe Bullator scriptor forsan numerator the maker of the Bulls the writer and teller of mony But he also addeth In his life time some Doctors in Diuinitie and others learned in the sciences grieuing that Symonie was so commonly and openly committed in the Court and that many Iurists and others obstinatly affirmed that it might be so done arguing to the contrarie determined conclusions which they reduced into volumes yet with great feare That the Pope in selling Ecclesiasticall benefices by bargaine made was a Simmoniack that is the successour of Simon Magus not of Simon Peter because he is not established for to sell them but to bestow them freely on persons worthie But in all Nations there arose vp some that passed further Vincent at Venice about the yeare 1400 An. 1400. a great Preacher and famous for holinesse who freely condemned all the Roman Hierarchie Prophetiae editae Parisijs in 8. ex varijs authoribus collectae ibi Epist S. V incentij affirming That religious persons that ought to be the way of lyfe vnto soules are throughout the world become vnto them the way of perdition That Priests fish for honours but not for maners That the bishops none excepted haue no care of the soules of their Diocesse That they sell the Sacraments for money yea he passeth so farre as to pronounce the Pope to be Antichrist himselfe In a certaine Epistle also printed at Paris entituled The Epistle of S. Vincent he saith That Antichrist is alreadie in the world whom he expected not to come from the Iewes or from auntient Babylon but alreadie beheld him raigning at Rome In Bohemia Mathius Parisiensis wrote a great volume de Antichristo where he proueth that he is come by this That fables and humane inuentions beare sway in the Church That images are worshipped Saints are adored in Christs stead euerie Citie and each person choseth out some one of them for to worship as their Sauiour whom by consequent they place in Christs seat That our Lord himselfe had fortold Loe here is Christ loe there That the Monkes themselues haue left him and haue sought vnto themselues other sauiours in whom they boast as Frauncis Dominick and others The word of God being neglected they bring in their Monkish rules That such like hypocrites raigning in the Church are those Locusts of which the Apocalyps speaketh Neither is it to be doubted but that Antichrist is come who hath seduced all the Vniuersities and all the Colledges of learned men so that they now teach nothing sound neither can they any more giue light to Christians by their doctrine But God hitherto as seed raised vp godly Doctors who inflamed with the spirit and zeale of Elias both refuted the errours of Antichrist and discouer him to the world And he inferteth in this Booke the opinions of many famous men nere to those times concerning this matter amongst whom he extolleth the Diuines of Paris who perceiuing the tares of the begging Friers to grow brought to light againe and published the booke of William de S. Amour Of the perils of the last times which before time Alexander the fourth had laboured to abolish These Doctors saith he in his Preface faithfull in Christ c. Whose multitude was then the health of the world acknowledging partly that most wicked Antichrist and his members and his ●●●re and parly prophesying for the time to come haue openly and nakedly reuealed these things for the holie Church and her gouernours to take heedof In England Iohn Puruey Disciple of Wickliff wrote many bookes in defence of his doctrine but among others a Commentarie vpon the Apocalyps the Title whereof was Ante centum annos There he openly saith Seuen yeares are passed since generally the Pope of Rome was published to be that great Antichrist by the Preachers of the Gospell namely from the yeare 1382. And behold how God worketh in our infirmities his owne glorie I neuer had written such like things against Antichrist and his if they had not imprisoned me for to make me hold my peace And then it was God infused his spirit into him so much the more that beeing deliuered he might speake so much the more boldly although by force of torments he had beene constrained by the Archbishop of Canterburie to abiure This booke was since set forth in Germanie in the yeare 1528 where he applieth that famous prophesie in the Apocalyps from point to point to the Church of Rome and out of the 10 and 11 chapters it is manifest that he wrot the same lying fettered with yrons in prison Lastly the Waldenses in this time euery where for the testimonie of the truth submitted themselues to the fire for in Saxonie and Pomerania in the yeare 1490 An. 1490. there were taken of them foure hundred and more and examined

had forsaken and by appeasing the mind of king Lewis the twelfth whom the other Princes had forsaken suspecting his power Neuerthelesse the Clergie of France stroue against it cleauing fast to their propositions especially of the Pragmaticall sanction as appeareth by the Acts of that Councell till that vnder king Francis his successour in the yeare 1516 notwithstanding the formall Appeale of the Clergie by means of the Concordat the Pragmatical was abolished And of this Couneell where a reformation was expected came none other fruit than an imposition of tenthes on all Europe euer vnder colour of inuading the Turkes which indeed was neuer so much as dreamed on Wherefore many Prelats in giuing their suffrages Concil Lateranens Sess 12. added this clause Placuit quo ad Turcas I am content so it be for the Turkes when the expedition shall be begun the Bishops namely of Durazzo of Salamanca of Taruisino of Grasso of Chio of Montuert of Montmaran of Seruia of Licie of Ferentine of Perousa of Sora of Macerata of Nabia of Algara and others And so the Councell was concluded and dismissed notwithstanding some Bishops tooke it hardly that Christian people should bee so deluded and pronounced with a lowd voyce Non placuit clausura Concilij The shutting vp of the Councell pleaseth vs not as the Bishops of Trane of Salmantica the Generall of the Order of the Iacobines and others The pretence for this dissolution was for that the Councell had now dured fiue yeares which is so much the greater shame for them that in so long time had done nothing but for their owne commoditie That the Prelats might goe visit comfort their Churches And to the end saith Leo that they may returne with greater ioy home to their own filled with some spiritual gifts we bestow vpon them and their families plenarie remission and indulgence of all their sinnes once in their life and at the houre of death In the meane time let the Reader note here the height of his impietie and blasphemie In this Councell Anthonie Puccius in the ninth Session making an Oration feared not to attribute vnto him those words which the Psalmist had pronounced of Christ our Lord Psalm 72. All the Kings of the earth shal worship him all Nations shall serue him and therewithall he addeth All the kings of the earth know what power is giuen thee in heauen and in earth which the Lord had spoken of himselfe Math. 11. Iube impera manda Commaund saith he whatsoeuer it pleaseth thee at all times In the same manner also the Archbishop Stephan in the tenth Session All power is giuen vnto thee c. Hee which said all hath excepted nothing But would you know by what title the sixt Session will shew you Because he is Christ himselfe the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the root of Dauid the Sauiour and Deliuerer Which names Saint Iohn in the Apocalyps attributed to Iesus Christ and to him alone and none other ought it to be attributed Adde these phrases ordinarie euerie where in this Councell The royall race of the Soueraigne Bishops of Rome The Empire of your Holinesse Sess 9. The Pope is the Prince of the Apostles Sess 4. He is Prince and King Sess 3. The Prince of the whole world contending with Sathan himselfe in blasphemies Sess 1. Yea he is made to be God himselfe The aspect of your Diuine Maiestie Sess 9. Most like vnto God and who ought to be adored of all people Sess 3. 10. and with the same adoration wherewith Christ is worshipped for to him they attribute these words of of the Psalme 72. All the Kings of the earth shall worship him namely the eternall sonne of God But Spouse or Bridegroome of the Church that is his ordinarie Epithete often in that Councell What monstrous and audacious boldnesse is here for a pretended Vicar Canst thou Reader expect greater blasphemies than these for the reuealing of Antichrist And thus in the Councell of Lateran all Christendome was deluded But truely in his affaires Leo proceeded verie seriously for he ordayned Laurence his brother Peters sonne gouernour of Tuscanie and established the Common-wealth of Florence in such sort that it depended of him alone hence is the ground of the soueraigne power of the Medices in that citie Alfonsina also the mother of Laurence of the house of the Vrsins was continually instant vpon him to doe her sonne yet some further fauor wherefore for some light occasions by him sought saith Onuphriu● he set vpon by armes Frauncis Maria de Roueria Duke of Vrbin whom he suspected and hated and depriued him of his whole Dukedome and set his Nephew vp in his place though his familiars blamed his vngratefull mind towards that Prince who had safely receiued and kept them of his familie in their exile But saith Guicciardine when against all faith and credit he had once begun to offend him he dissembled not that be supposed it a thing necessarie vtterly to ruinat him With the same mind also he draue away Alfonsus Petrucci Cardinall and his brother from Siena Whereupon Alfonsus a while after impatient of griefe conspired against him with many Cardinals Adrian de Corneto Raphaell Riario Bandinello Saule and others but the conspiracie being discouered they were depriued of their Cardinalship and Alfonsus as chiefe was strangled by a Moore in the castle S. Angelo Bandinello condemned to perpetuall imprisonment and a while after for a great sum of money set at libertie yet was it suspected he had first bin poysoned with slow-working poyson Many others redeemed their liues with money among which the Cardinall de Corneto after reconciliation departed secretly from Rome and howsoeuer it happened was neuer seeme more in any place afterward Guicciardine particularly noteth That out of the suspition that Leo had conceiued against Alfonsus by reason of certaine letters intercepted he had called him to Rome hauing giuen him his safe conduct and passed his word and faith to the Embassadour of the king of Spaine that he should safely returne But that Guicciard l. 13. when the Embassadour objected vnto him his violated faith and his perjurie he answered That neuer any crime against the life of the Pope was assured by any safe-conduct how ample soeuer it were and full of pregnant causes although it were namely and indiuidually expressed Now hereby he acknowledged that whether hee had well or ill proceeded in his businesse all the Colledge of Cardinalls was much alienated from him he therefore resolued to get himselfe new friends and in one Morning the Colledge consenting to it for feare not of free will he created one and thirtie Cardinalls among whom were two of his sisters sonnes and some that had serued him before and after his Popedome Who for diuers causes were acceptable and obedient both to him and to the Cardinall de Medicis but were not for any other respect capable of so great dignitie Many of them also he made for money