of all the great men in the Land which then flourished eitheir in letters or armes obtaining so far by his diuine labour and zeale that truth from his mouth was harkened vnto by many embraced and receiued and happily preached for many yeares so as that light of the Gospell reuiued by his operations and endeauours no puff or whirle-wind could extinguish but rather it kindled vnto vs another fire all Europe ouer I forbeare to speake of the learning incomparable soliditie of his writings all which being duely wayed especially in so tenebrous an age amiddest so fearefull flashings and lightnings whereat the greatest Princes of the world stooped and trembled I thinke no man can justly make any doubt but that his spirit receiued illumination courage and confidence from aboue that God wrought in and by him and in the weakenesse of a wretched and abject man in respect of the world he intended the ruine of Sathans Empire of that same plenarie power so much boasted of and so long time affected by the Popes In so much as Luther seemes to haue spoken most worthily The bodies of the Saints rise againe when there is a resurrection of the Gospell of Iesus our Sauiour so as these pettie desperat Bishops are able to preuaile nothing at all against them with their Herods and Pylats All the Clergie out of doubt he wonderfully amazed and astonisht For Thomas Waldensis in his Epistle to Martine the fift spares not to tell how he wondered and admired at his irrefragible assertions at the perspicuous authorities and inconuincible reasons which he produced Thom. Waldens in Epist ad Martin 5. Thom. Walsingham in Rich. 2. Gulielm Caxtonius in Chron. Anno 1171 1372. alias fructus temporum And the Chronologers of those times seeme greatly to complaine that both king Edward and all his chiefe Counsellors gaue attentiue eare to him as also that the king was woon by him to enact by Parliament That the Bishops from thenceforth should be confirmed by their Metropolitans as in times past and not be tied vpon this occasion to goe personally to Rome But Waldensis mentions some particular men that in England entertayned his doctrine certaine Diuines and Masters of the Vniuersitie of Oxford Robert Rigg Chauncellour of the same Vniuersitie together with the two Proctors and many others whom he seuerally nominates In the Court the king himselfe and the Prince of Wales his son were his auditors Iohn Duke of Lancaster Lewis Clifford William Neuill Iohn Klenbow Richard Struny Thomas Latimer Iohn Montacute who defaced Images throughout all his jurisdiction Iohn of Salisburie who being at poynt of death rejected the Papisticall Sacrament with diuers others of the chiefest Nobilitie Besides Iohn of Northampton the Major of London and sundrie other notable Citizens and Burgesses who many times disturbed the Bishops assemblies and conuenticles which were called for the suppressing of Wickliff But so on the other side he wanted not many potent and mightie aduersaries among the Bishops Prelats Monkes but especially the Mendicants who after Edwards death obtained of Richard the second that Wickliff should be expelled England he therefore repairing into Bohemia brought a great light to the doctrine of the Waldenses when Iohn Hus being yet but a young man had diuers conferences with him about diuine matters But at length beeing recalled home againe from exile about the yeare 1387 the last of December An. 1387. he meekely in his Countrie yeelded vp his soule to God and was buried in the Church of Lutterworth within the Countie of Leicester not without a singular miracle shewed herein notwithstanding the implacable rage and furie of his aduersaries although in the yeare 1428 by Pope Martine the fifths order An. 1428. he was by the Prelats in England disinterred and burnt But God in his good time will re-demaund the bodies of his Saints of all the elements to whom he will then most gratiously communicat his hapinesse and glorie Amen Here we may also adjoyne the principall heads of Wicklifs doctrine as they are set downe by William Wydford his aduersarie who inuents many of them out of his owne braine the more to stir vp enuie against him but in a ward wee may boldly affirme that they are no other in substance then such as are receiued into the confessions of our Churches as may euidently bee seene in many treatises which are extant both in Latine and English Touching the Pope besides the points by vs premised he taught That in the Apostles time there were two only orders of Clerks those were Priests and Deacons for other degrees they proceeded from the pride of the Papacie That the Pope who counterfeitly professed himselfe to be the seruant of Gods seruants in the worke Euangelicall was of no place or degree but Sathans speciall Atturney and procurator that he might perpetually proiect and practise treason against Christ also that he was pointed at throughout all the Scriptures for Antichrist not his person simplie but the chaire and Papall dignitie from whence by meanes of the creeping in of all excesse and sensualitie confusion hath inuaded the Church how it was a most palpable heresie to beleeue that euerie militant Church in Europe depended on his See and authoritie That no man could ground out of the Scriptures how such a Vicar entred into the Church and therefore must needs haue come in otherwise by worldly courses and Sathans subtilties That Christ had neuer any meaning to constitute a Caesarian Pope one that should be both Pope and Emperour at an instant And therefore it belonged to Princes seriously to ioyne both their hearts and hands for the prohibiting of such a Sathan to beare rule in the church His principall Disciples in England grew verie famous both by edition of books and for Martyredome as Walter Bret Iohn Aston Iohn Ashwaly Nicholas Herford Iohn Puruer Richards Wits Iohn Oldcastle Peter Clarke William Taylor William With whose workes and labours Bale cites out of the auntient monuments the seed whereof brought forth afterwards the fruits into England which we both haue and daily see Thomas Walsingham specially notes Thomas Walsingham in Richarde 2. that when the Archbishop of Canterburie had sent Wicklifs condemnation to Robert Rigg Chauncellour of the Vniuersitie of Oxford to be diuulged he appointed them to preach that day whom he knew to be the most zealous followers of Wickliff in contempt saith he of the Archiepiscopall precept and among others he ordayned one Philip Rippinton a Chanon of Leycester to preach on Corpus Christi day who concluded his Sermon with these words For speculatiue doctrine saith he such as is the point of the Sacrament of the Altar I will set a barre on my lips while God hath otherwise instructed or illuminated the hearts of the Clergie The same Author sayth That in the yeare 1378 Pope Gregorie the eleuenth his Bull being presented and read at Oxford An. 1378. and seconded with expresse letters both to the
the other there reuersed their sentence declaring them to be degraded of all their Ecclesiasticall preferments tearmed the Synod of Metz An Assemblie of Theeues and Bauds Latrocinium prostibulum This done in the yeare 866 he sent Arsenius his Legat vnto Francford An. 866. to will Lotharius to abandon Waldrada and to receiue Thietberga to his bed againe and in case of default declareth him and all that followed him Excommunicat in so much that Lotharius durst not stand against him This was the first act of Excommunication and Interdiction that euer the Popes exercised vpon our kings animated thereunto partly by continuall jarres in the linage of Charlemaigne partly by their faults for which they stand registred in so many of the Popes Decrees especially this Lotharius D. 63. c. Relatum est 2. qu. 1. c. Qua Lotharius where he presumeth writing to the Bishops of Italie France and Germanie to vse these words The King Lotharius if he may be rightly tearmed a King And in the Canons Praecipuè Ita Corporis 11. q. 3. 24. q. 3. An non districta directed to his owne person Yet may we see that this Nicholas was moued to doe what he did in zeale of policie rather than of religion who at that verie instant tooke into his protection at Rome Baldwin Earle of Flanders which had rauished and carried away Iudith daughter to Charles king of France writing to the king himselfe Nicol. Epist 30. 32. and to Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes and to the Synod of Senlis in his behalfe vntill in the end hee got the mariage to be ratified the parties to be receiued vnto fauor not blushing to say That a predecessor of his had done as much in the time of Lotharius the Emperour and that a king must not thinke much to remit a small debt to his fellow seruant who hath peraduenture himselfe need that that Master of Masters should acquit him of ten thousand talents It so pleasing him to shew his omnipotencie in his ouer-rigorous proceeding against the one and his too great indulgencie towards the other By these defaults of our Kings and Princes the Popes grew bold vpon our Bishops admitting of all Appeals made from them so that if any one had beene legally condemned by his Metropolitan in a Prouinciall Synod if he Appealed to Rome made his Metropolitan a partie to the suit he was sure to be heard and his cause to be reuiewed and his Metropolitan to be Interdicted if he appeared not to the summons And seldome should you find the sentence of a Metropolitan not reuersed in fauour of the Appellant One example for all of Rothard Bishop of Soissons which Appealed from the sentence of Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes 2. q. 6. c. Arguta who would not giue way to the Appeale Whereupon Nicholas wrote vnto him That hee should not haue beene so vnmindfull of the priuiledges of the Apostolike See to whom the venerable Canons giue power to iudge of the censures of the whole Church Which Canons yet he could hardly haue found if he had beene put to seeke them With like presumption wrot he to the Archbishops and Bishops of France D. 19. c. si Romanor De Consecr D. 1. in Eccles 17 q. 4. e. Nemini 25. q. 2. si quis 6. q. 5. c. Quod bene That it belonged to his See to iudge of the writings of all Authors and that what he reiected or approved that also ought generally to be reiected or approued of all Likewise to the Clergie of Vienna That a new Church could not be built without his speciall leaue and licence had thereunto And to all Bishops in generall That no man in regard of his Primacie might offer to iudge of him or to retract a sentence which he had giuen vnder paine of excommunication And in a letter which he wrot to Charles the Bauld king of France he saith That what is once well decreed may not afterward be called into question with this limitation vnlesse it be in presence of a greater power Innuendo that this greater power was his own This is bad ynough but that which followeth is more horrible Baron vol. 10. an 865. art 13. 14. And Baronius himselfe deserueth to be commended for a steadie countenance in not blushing when he reporteth it For in an Epistle of his written to our Bishops of France wherein he argueth against those who wold not admit of all the Decretal Epistles which he produced meaning against Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes and others who for their defence alledged That they were not to be found in the Code of the Canons he is not ashamed to ranke them with the Old and New Testaments making these to depend of the same authoritie with the Decretals or rather indeed to be subordinat to them A matter worthie the Readers obseruation For what saith he shal wee stand any longer to dispute whether it ought to be done or no meaning whether no Decretals ought to be receiued but such as were in the Code of Canons For by the same reason we should not receiue the Old and New Testament for neither the one nor yet the other is found in the Code of the Church Canons As if those Testaments tooke not their authoritie from the holie Ghost who inspired them from the Sonne who vsed them against the false Doctors and Sathan himselfe and from the Father who hath so liuely and so deepely imprinted his marke vpon them But if saith he they shall replie for he maketh them as honest men and as learned in Diuinitie as himselfe That among the Canons there is one of Innocentius his making A nobis vtrūque testamētum iam esse recipiendū by which it is ordained That the two Testaments from this time forward ought to be receiued though in the first Canons neither of them be receiued I answer saith he That if the Old and New Testaments are to be receiued not for that they are in the Code of Canons but because Innocent hath decreed that they ought to be receiued It therefore followeth That the Decretall Epistles of the Popes ought also to be receiued though not inserted in the Code of the Canons because it is manifest that among other Canons there is one of Pope Leo wherein it is commaunded to obserue all the Decretall ordinances of the Apostolike See So that if any man shall attempt any thing against them he must know that there is no hope of pardon left for him First then I aske Had the Old and New Testament no authoritie in Christs Church but by vertue and since the date of that Decree of Innocent Was the Church foure hundred yeares and those the best because the first without knowledge of the Scriptures Secondly Whether Leo in those verie words of his which Nicholas alledgeth speaketh not onely De Ecclesiasticis ordinibus Canonum disciplinis i. Of Church discipline and policie We see then
thinke nothing more vnworthie or more vnbefitting their dignitie The Monkes are rauening Wolues in sheepes clothing diuels transformed into Angels of light Scribes Pharisies hypocrites painted sepulchres to whom hee applies that prophesie of Paul against false Prophets in the last times 2. Timoth. 3. and the like places The Monasteries of men and women are so many brothell houses their diuinitie meerely scholasticall and that properly which S. Paul would decipher in these words Jdem in Epist de Theolog. studio They dote about questions and strife of words c. Their fruits are like those of the lake of Sodome outwardly faire but inwardly smoke and ashes Ecclesiasticall persons are simoniacall no man hath Orders without argent no man put backe that brings money be he neuer so wicked To such an excesse are they growne in lasciuious wantonnesse that their people the better to defend their wiues chastitie will haue no Priests except they haue concubines The traditions of men euen the least are more esteemed than the lawes of God which whosoeuer shall omit or commit any thing against them shall bee grieuously punished The Legends of Saints are read in stead of Scriptures and consequently the Saints brought into the place of God But because all these corruptions diuers other the like are defended vnder the onely name of the Church he ouerthroweth this foundation Idem in Tractatu contra Simoniacos Notwithstanding saith he the authoritie of the Church militant be great because founded vpon a firme rocke c. yet we are not to attribute vnto it the titles of the Church triumphant That it cannot be deceiued That it cannot sinne for many times it deceiueth Idem contra noua Sanctorum festa and is deceiued I doe not say in matters of faith c. but of fact or manners or iudgement c. And writing to a scholer of Paris touching certaine ordinances of the Councell of Constance Truely saith he it seemeth not conuenient to me to proue the Acts of the Councell by the Councell Jdem ad Scolasticum Parisicus c. but if all the Acts of the Councell be definitions of faith when some produce many Decrees of the holie Fathers and Synods on the contrarie part see what a thing it is this schisme still hanging and in so great varietie of things and opinions and controuersies of learned men to ordaine so many articles of faith whereas it seemeth vnto me to be not onely conuenient but necessarie that those other constitutions or determinations which they affirme to be alledged by others in the contrarie part should be interpreted in behalfe of the truth and of faith and proued not to be contrarie to these least otherwise the Church might seeme to erre in matter of faith determining the contrarie And whereas you say That the Decrees of the Fathers are not woont to depend vpon reason Truely with your good leaue be it spoken if the question be of faith or matter in controuersie it is their manner to rest themselues vpon reasons especially drawne out of the Scriptures or the definitions of the holie Fathers from whose footsteps they depart not without great reason c. And as for that place of Saint Augustine which you alledge c. I should not beleeue the Gospell if the authoritie of the Church did not compell me Truely it seemes strange at the first view that he should seeme to preferre the authoritie of the Church trauelling vpon the earth before the authoritie of the Gospell since in many things that may be deceiued this neuer and that the authoritie of the Church as touching the root and foundation thereof consists principally of the Gospell neither can the institution power edification thereof be drawne from any other so expresly and certainely as from the Gospell especially since Paul himselfe saith thereof If an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise let him be accursed otherwise that is a contrarie Gospell He therefore answereth That S. Augustine neuer thought any such thing but was to deale with the Maniches who had their Scriptures proper to themselues and receiued not ours As if he should say It is not out of mine owne particular iudgement that I receiue the Gospell for Canonicall Scripture but the authoritie of the Church which hath acknowledged it to be such That is to say of the Primitiue and Apostolike Church which hath appointed the Canon of the Scriptures some of those being yet liuing that writ them Apostles Euangelists Disciples of the Apostles who could giue testimonie to the truth of these Scriptures that this or that man was the Author of this or that booke being directed by the spirit of God which being inspired from aboue ought to be the rule of our faith and Church To be briefe saith he thou art not ignorant that both Christ our Law-maker and his Apostles preaching the law and faith vnto vs alledged many times their proofes out of the old Testament and the sayings of the Fathers and Prophets to confirme their owne than which we can propose vnto our selues no example more certaine for our imitation since his actions are a most infallible instruction of our manners and actions c. And therefore it is not their parts who hold the Councell by a certaine bolnesse and libertie to doe what pleaseth them to thinke with themselues Wee are the generall Councell let vs carrie our selues boldly we cannot erre They that were at the Councel of Pisa defined and caused it to be published That they by a new election at the instance of certaine ambitious men had taken away the schisme and restored the peace of the Church And yet who is so blind in the Church that by experience of things apparently seeth not how much this opinion deceiued both themselues the whole Church For saith he of what kind of men for the most part doe Councels consist doubtlesse of Lawyers Canonists rather than Diuines of temporal persons whose care is of the things of this world not spirituall How then canst thou hope for a reformation of the Church from them If then saith he they assemble themselues for the recouerie of the temporall peace of the Church there is no necessitie that we should presently beleeue that they are come together in the name of Christ First because they know not whether it be expedient for the health of the Church and that Christ hath determined by this meanes to heale this diuision For what else are temporall afflictions wherewith the Church is oppressed but bitter potions and medicines whereby temporal auarice pride and wantonnesse is beaten downe And who will say that they are assembled in the name of Christ who with this mind seeke the vnitie of the Church who neuerthelesse are so many that they can hardly be numbred These carcall sonnes of the Church doe not onely not care for spirituall things nor haue any feeling of them but persecute those that are according to the spirit as since the time of
Legats of the other Easterne Patriarches of the Archbishops and Prelats euerie one in his order And hence may the Reader discerne what the Patriarch might judge of the pride of the Latine Bishop But what may we say of Baronius who in diuers places contesteth That the left hand in Councels was euer the more honourable As touching the matter it selfe for the concluding of the controuersies of the Latine and Greeke Churches is made an instrument of a vnion Laetentur coeli wherein they agree on both sides That the holie Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne That the Sacrament may be indifferently made of leauened or vnleauened bread That the soules of the faithfull that haue not yet satisfied for their sinnes goe to Purgatorie That the Pope of Rome is Head of the vniuersall Christian Church All which articles the Greeke Emperor causeth to be approued by the most part of his hoping he should haue assistance against the Turkes But Michael Bishop of Ephesus with some others doth euer withstand the same reiecting especially the two later Which is more when Ioseph Archbishop of Constantinople was dead Eugenius would haue them proceed before him to the chusing of another promising against his disposition to ordaine him without money yea to giue them some if need were and to depose him that did obtaine with him the place of Patriarch which he would not doe if they deferred his election till they came into their countrey The Greekes perceiuing whereto he tended namely that he might enter possession of the supreme power in the Church by that meanes and that with their consent answer him with one accord That their Patriarch cannot bee by their laws chosen any where else than at Constantinople That it is their custom he should be chosen and consecrated in his owne Church That the Emperour who was not ignorant of these ceremonies would not suffer it to bee otherwise Which the Pope vnderstanding Concisium Florent Sess vltim though much against his mind with gracious words he let them depart Now they were no sooner returned into their countrey but they were reiected of their Churches in this especially that they had admitted the supreme authoritie of the Pope of Rome whose pride being more neerely looked into they at last refute it in their writings published notwithstanding that he had endeuoured to bind vnto him some of the best learned as Isidore Bishop of Russia and Bessarion Bishop of Nicea to whom he had giuen a Cardinalls hat which he chose rather to weare in Italie than in Greece And from that time forth were by the Popes neglected the affaires of Greece and abandoned to the furie of Infidels But it is in no wise here to be omitted That during the time that Eugenius held his Councell partly at Ferrara and partly at Florence hee published diuers writings against that Decree of Basil That a Councell is aboue the Pope in which he did not sticke to affirme That so farre was it off that he ought to obey generall Councels that then he most merited when he contemned the Decrees of the Councell and which is more he declareth this proposition to be hereticall The Councell is aboue the Pope although both then and euer since it was held and affirmed by all the Vniuersities of Christendome Whence it came that whilest the Roman Church sayd she is superior to all other Churches and the Roman Bishop to all other bishops by this decree of Eugenius should the Bishop of Rome be made superiour or of higher authoritie than the Vniuersall Church and consequently that pretended infallibilitie of the Church shold be deriued not now to the Romish Church but to one onely man which is the highest degree of Antichrist in the Church according to that of S. Augustine in his booke of the citie of God August de Ciuitate Dei l. 18. cap. 2. That Antichrist should not onely sit in Templo Dei in the Temple of God but as Saint Paule hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Templum into the Temple as if he himselfe were the Temple it selfe he alone the Church In the meane time let the Reader judge of that Infallabilitie of the Church represented in a Councel by these Councels which at one same time and in one same matter doe decree things directly contrarie As touching the affaires of the Bohemians for which particularly the Empeperour Sigismund had so instantly requested the Councell the most part of the Churches terrified with the perfidious treacherie vsed towards Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prague refused to send any one thither but the principall of the Nobilitie ouer-ruled the matter that some should appeare for to render a reason of the innouation in religion imputed vnto them So soone as they came thither they were receiued verie curteously by Cardinall Iulian the Legat who was not yet called backe Then in the Councell he maketh an Oration wherein he bringing in the Church of Rome speaking to them in his words and attributing to it selfe alone all that is spoken in holie Scripture concerning the Church the Spouse of Christ and presupposing that which is chiefely in question flattereth himselfe in this perpetual Elenche Sheweth that in her power are the keyes of the kingdome of heauen That she is without spot or wrinkle That whosoeuer departed from her was an Heathen and a Publican That the decrees of Councels are her decrees which are no lesse to be beleeued than the Gospels seeing they giue authoritie to the Scriptures To this the Bohemians in few words That they despised neither the Church nor Councels that they had beene condemned at Constance without being heard Oratio Iulian. Cardinal Legati in Append. Concilij Basiliens notwithstanding that they affirmed nothing but by the holie Scriptures and then they propound their Articles And on both sides were chosen such as shold enter into conference The disputation lasted fiftie dayes and after many spent on this side and on that it was thought best to leaue Theologicall questions and prouide for the Common wealth and to send some thither who hauing made search how matters stood might compound with them Here was the policie To permit the Communiō vnder both kinds to such as in other things would submit themselues to the Councell and proceeded with all rigour to the rest that embraced not the same condition These were the auntient Waldenses and their Disciples who requested that the Church might be reformed in most of the Articles which are conteined in their and our confessions who for this cause suffered much both by the warres that Sigismund made vpon them and by the diuision and back-sliding of their companions Yet doe we see their Churches outliue so many miseries vntill these times consist and continue most flourishing and largely propagated As touching the Fathers of the Councell of Basill they seeme to be somewhat ashamed of that Decreee of Constance concerning the Communion vnder both kinds And whereas they of
vniuersall authoritie both of Councels and of the Church it selfe to the person of the Pope alone Eugenius in the Councell of Florence Pius the second in his eloquent bull on that matter and others afterward it followeth that the Pope is exalted aboue the holie Scriptures yea aboue God himselfe and is therfore to be accounted for him of whom the Apostle speaketh 2. Thes 2. He exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he sitteth in the Temple of God as God who dare correct God alter the sence of his word after his owne pleasure commoditie And thus Reader thou seest how this Mysterie of Iniquitie still aduaunceth forward OPPOSITION The precedent progression is intermixed with so many and mightie oppositions that there seemeth to be no need of any other notwithstanding as sighes encrease according to the euill so in this place aboundeth vnto vs verie manie The Emperour Sigismund had framed certaine Articles of reformation to be exhibited to the Councell of Constance diuers others also in diuers Nations had conceiued also some patternes M. Peter de Alliaco Cardinal of Cambray is particularly commaunded to write these things for to shew them to the Councel in the yere 1415 An. 1415. the first of Nouember foure monthes after that Iohn the foure and twentieth had renounced the Popedome the Seat being vacant two yeres before Martin was chosen to succeed during which space this matter of reformation seemed fittest of all to be thought vpon The Preface of his discourse is by a place of S. Bernard vpon the Canticles Sermon 33. A rotten vlcer spreadeth it selfe at this day ouer all the bodie of the Church so much the more desperat by how much the more it is farre and wide extended and by how much the more it is inward so much the more it is dangerous For if an heretike enemie should openly arise he might be cast out and so wither if a violent enemie she might perhaps hide her selfe from him but now whom shal she cast out or from whom shall she hide her selfe All are friends and all enemies c. they are the minister of Christ and serue Antichrist c. The wound of the Church is inward and incurable therfore in peace her bitternesse is most bitter And this place haue we aboue alledged at length out of which he draweth this conclusion Seeing that the Church from henceforth was fallen from euill to worse vnlesse betimes it be looked to and preuented after the horrible darknesse of so many schismes much more horride things were in very few daies to be expected He prosecuteth afterwards by degrees those things that he thinketh doe belong to reformation of the vniuersall body of the Church First That it is necessarie there shold be eftsoons held generall and Prouinciall Councels for the correction of abuses especially generall which can with greater authoritie correct both all sorts of persons and all things Neither are we to expect remedie from the Church of Rome as if it were able to satisfie all cases that fall out Many saith he suspect that she hath dissembled these things and for this cause hath neglected the holding of Councels that she might the more fully beare dominion according to her owne lust and pleasure and vsurpe the more freely the rights and prerogatiues of other Churches That before the time of Constantine because the Church might not with free libertie hold Councels it hath fallen into diuers heresies therefore no maruell if in these later times through neglect of Councels it fall into diuers schismes and innumerable other euils ad haereses disponentia which dispose it to heresies That generall Councels are first of all necessary for the reformation of the body of the Church Dist 19. C. Anastas ibid. Glossa Archid dist 15. especially of the Roman which is de arduis pertinentibus ad fidem difficult in things pertaining to faith in as much as that which the Glosse saith That the Pope ought to require a Councel when matters of faith is debated is not to be referred onely to the articles of faith but to those things that belong to the state of the faithfull Church whereas otherwise it would be too dangerous a thing to commit our faith to the judgement and fancie of one man alone Lastly that now if euer was a fit opportunitie either to procure the vnion of the Greekes with the Latines or to represse the designements of the Turks who after they haue rent and torne in peeces the Empire will with all violence rush vpon the Church and so make way for Antichrist And already saith he many very godly deuout men not without cause doe feare praesentialiter presently both the one and the other ruine namely of the Empire by the Turks and of the Church by Antichrist 2. For the reformation of the Court of Rome That for the auoiding of schismes which proceed from the factions of the Cardinals it is sufficient to haue of euery each Prouince but one onely Cardinall Also that the Pope ought to prouide remedies cut off the grieuous burdens wherwith the Roman Church oppresseth other Churhces seeing that the Greeke Church is alienated from it because of her exactions excommunications and statutes and that to take away those exactions it were meet she should abate of her pompe of her excesse and of the number of the Cardinals Excommunications which after the example of the Primitiue Church for to make them the more to be feared ought not come forth but for graue and weightie causes whereas in these dayes they are thundered forth for verie light and for the most part temporall causes and the Anathemaes themselues whereupon they are growne into contempt with all men That there be a meane vsed in Statutes Canons and Decrees which oblige to mortall paines and of which may be said that of our Lord to the Pharisies They lay burdens on mens shoulders which they wold not touch with the top of the finger And this article reached very farre 3. For the Prelats That they should be chosen capable in doctrine exemplarie in manners resident in their charges moderat in diet and expence abstaining from corporall armes from secular affaires cutting off all simonie That it was necessarie to declare that many obseruations are of that kind that they are rather counsels than precepts He bringeth for example Lent to be moderated out of the circumstances the Seruice to be abridged to a deuout and entire breuitie the varietie of Images in Churches to be repressed a meane and bounds to be set in new Holidayes Churches and Saints on Sondayes and solemne feasts onely to abstaine from labour and out of the Diuine Seruice to banish and put forth all Apocripha Scriptures new prayers and to be short all nouelties 4. For religious persons That their great number and diuersitie is altogether pernitious whilest the one boasteth and is proud in his Rule against the other aboue all
the Bishops to be there and the other exhorting them to their duetie and commaunding the Lay-men to be present Ibid. c. 15. And that indeed the Pope chalengeth not the conuocation of them to himselfe alone but affirmeth that it ought not to be held without his authoritie yet so as that the Emperour in case the Pope bee negligent in it may and ought to commaund and assigne a Councell praeceptiuè with authoritie That the Emperour did euer sit chiefe in them assisted with fifteene or twentie of the greatest Noblemen of his Court to whom he commaunded place to be giuen Ibid. c. 16. 20 yea he himselfe also and his Lieutenants propounded such things as seemed to make for the peace and profit of the Church That whatsoeuer the Church possesseth in temporall things is come from the benefits of Emperours Kings and Princes Jbid. c. 21. 28. 30. Dist 63. c. in Synodo who to cloath him haue stripped themselues And here he exclaimeth What doe the temporalties of Churches profit the Commonwealth what the Empire what the subiects Surely little or nothing Otho was enioyned to giue the inuestitures of Bishops without money Wee haue seene whether the Pope hath taken away from the Emperour the sole inuestiture because the Bishop of Rome hath not onely drawne to himselfe the meere inuestiture without receiuing money but also onely for money so that throughout all Germanie all complaine that they are not onely grieuously burdened but euen destroyed An enraged desire after the earthly possessions of the Church at this day possesseth ambitious Bishops so that wee see them seeke after those things after they are promoted as they did before all their care is for temporall things none of sprituall Such was not the intention of the Emperours their will was not that the temporall things that they gaue them for their further maintenance should swallow vp the spirituall Of the Cardinall de Alliaco we haue seene what Articles of reformation he exhibited in the Councell of Constance And in the Preface he saith he hath written more concerning that matter Petrus de Alliaco in Encomio Theologico Jdem in conclusionibus But in his Encomium Theologicum expounding these words Vpon this rocke will I build my Church vpon Christ and his word saith he As also in his conclusions he tieth the Church to the holie Scripture maintayneth that the Church of Rome may erre and taketh away the temporall Monarchie from the Pope Panormitan de Electionib c. signific Likewise Panormitan though the champion of Eugenius in the Councell of Basil A priuat faithfull man is more to be beleeued alledging reason or authoritie out of the Scripture than all a Councell or than the Pope himselfe because a Councell may erre as at other times they haue erred c. Also hee concealeth not That the Popes in his age liued in such sort that they made it euidently appeare that they beleeued not there was another life after this resurrection or judgement Against the luxurie also pride and tyrannie of the Pope and his Clergie is extant a booke of one Alain Chartier Secretarie to king Charles the seuenth which saith That he expected euerie day when a thunder-bolt would fall from heauen on the Roman Church But Thomas of Redon a Carmelite and famous Preacher durst doe yet more Antonin part 3. Tit. 22. ca. 10. he had euer in his mouth the abominations of Rome which had need of great reformation He saith Antoninus when he had for many yeares preached through Fraunce with verie great concourse of people making good motions vnto good though not according to knowledge he commeth to Rome with the Embassadours of the Venetians by whom he is recommended to the Pope But by the Popes commaund he was apprehended at the instigation and instance of William d'Estouteuille Cardinall of Rouan then Vice-Chauncellour and of the Proctour of the order of the Carmelites and as an Apostate was solemnely degraded and burned Monstrelet commendeth his pietie and holinesse Monstrelet volu 1. Baptista Mantuan lib. de vita beata cap. vltimo Mantuan also in his Booke De vita beata so that he bringeth him in as a true Martyr of Christ in whose heart was resident the auntient feruencie of faith whom enuie by manifest in justice deliuered to the cruel fire I make no doubt saith he but that the flames of this man may be compared to the fire not of Scaeuola but of S. Lawrence There are also read verses in his praise in which are celebrated his holinesse myracles and martyrdome among which are these that follow Nicholaus Harlemens in Collectaueis Lippis Lux oculis nocuit non substinuere Viuere tam sanctum foeda Romana cohors Their poor-blind eyes could not endure the light Nor filthie Rome that holie man in sight Antonin part 3. Tit. 22. cap. 7. parag 8. And almost the like had happened a little before to Manfred of Verfeil Manfred saith Antoninus a man of venerable life religious of the order of Preachers was learned and feared God he preaching in the parts of Lombardie led by I know not what spirit told the people That the comming of Antichrist was neere and as if he were to be in his time he brought in for this his reasons out of the Scriptures chiefely out of the Apocalyps c. He gathered together therefore about foure hundred persons of euerie age and sex and Pope Martin would haue dissolued this assemblie but he could not doe it because their conuersation had gained a good opinion among all men though he forbad any thing to bee giuen them that through need they might be compelled to returne home They come then to Bononia Florence and at last to Rome where verie many of them died expecting the manifestation of Antichrist but saith Antoninus without seeing him he should rather haue sayd without knowing him And Manfred some time after died at Rome vnder Eugenius who commaunded Frier Barnardine that monster of superstition to write against him And Manfred on the other side reproued his superstitious doctrine in many points In our Fraunce Charles the seuenth in the yeare 1438 Paulus Aemilius in Carol. 7. Epist ad Episcop Lauzanens in volum Concil in Appendice Concil Basiliens commaunded a Councell of the French Church to be held at Bourges in which vnder the title of the Pragmaticall sanction was read and approued the acts of the Councell of Basil and by this the collations of the benefices of Fraunce and appeales to Rome were cut off Whereunto belongeth an Epistle which we haue in the Councels directed to the bishop of Lauzanne with which were sent vnto him the decisions of this Councell by him whom the Councel of Bourges had sent Embassador to Rome He signifieth to the bishop of Lauzanne that he hath in charge with one consent from the French Church that whatsoeuer the Pope endeauours to the contrarie he should in no wise
Princes being taken prisoners by the Palatine whereupon they fell to this agreement Krantzius in Saxon. l. 12. c. 1. Naucler vol. 2. Gener. 49. That Adolph should possesse till his death the places which he had surprised and that Diether should peaceably enioy all the rest and also should succeed Adolfe whensoeuer he should decease which happened six yeares after And this was the fruit of ouerthrowing the Pragmaticall sanction which Pius said would be so profitable to the Church Neither was France better contented with the Decree of Pius the second than Germanie and so much the lesse for that Pius to gratifie Ferdinand bastard of Alphonsus had troden vnder foot the right of the Frenchmen in the kingdome of Naples He therefore sent a Legat into France for to abolish the Pragmatical sanction which was there obserued by vertue of the Councell of Basil and moued the king by letters in these words If thou be the sonne of obedience wherefore doest thou hold and defend the Pragmaticall sanction Eugenius warned thee to leaue it as not being according to God the same did Nicholas and Calixtus as the cause of great euill and discord in the Church and yet thou wouldst neuer heare the voyce of the Church And the king was somewhat moued with these words But the Court of Parliament of Paris came to him and earnestly declareth vnto him of how great importance it was for the Christian Commonweale the want whereof would most certainely bring foure principall inconueniences First A confusion of the whole Order Ecclesiasticall Secondly The depopulation of the subiects of the kingdome Thirdly An emptying the kingdome of money Fourthly The ruine and totall desclation of Churches All which they at large lay open vnto him from point to point This their admonition may be seene at large recited by Iohn Cardinall of Arles comprehended in 89 Articles in the workes of Peter Pithou which is worthie the Readers perusing There among other things they declared vnto him out of the holie Scriptures the practise of the Primitiue Church Canons of Councels Decrees of the Fathers ordinances of Popes themselues and by the lawes of Christian Emperours and Kings especially of ours That the Election of Bishops Abbots and other Prelats of the Church doth no whit depend and neuer haue depended of the Bishop of Rome That such was neuer the intention of Charlemaigne Lewis the Meeke Philip Augustus S. Lewis Charles the Wise and others who haue euer ordained and maintained Canonicall election so that whatsoeuer things are done otherwise is by meere vsurpation Then they come to speake of the pillages and buying and selling of the Court of Rome which in France alone doth amount to many millions of gold of which they set downe examples draw a roll of them and cast vp the particulars For what doe they say that in one onely Diocesse in one yeare the expectatiue graces are found to bee in number six hundred c. Whereupon the Pope was so moued Jacob. Cardin. Papiensis in Epistolis that as Iames Cardinall of Pauia writeth to king Lewis when he heard of a refusal he cried out Guerra vsque ad capillos But knowing wel that this king was diuersly intangled with many affaires and hauing found out his easie disposition that he wold do all things of his own head he could warily obserue him That thus had Constantine the great the two Theodosius Charlemaigne and many other of his predecessors gotten themselues an immortall name and a neuer-fading glorie to wit by abolishing the Pragmaticall sanction And what can be farther off from the truth and therefore what more vnworthie But principally because he heard his humor was in many things to goe contrarie to his fathers doings and wold be absolutely obeyed in what he pleased he there taketh hold Aeneas Syluius Epist 387. data Romae 26. Octob 1461. and tickleth him in that We commend saith he this among other things that without the assemblie and consultation of many thou hast resolued to take away the Pragmaticall Surely thou art wise and shewest thy selfe to be a great king which art not gouerned but doest gouerne c. Thou doest that which is meet for thee knowing that the Pragmaticall sanction is without God thou hast decreed to banish it out of thy kingdome and wilt not enter into deliberation whether those things ought to bee done or no which thou knowest are to be done This is to be a king and a good king whom good men loue and euill doe feare c. Betimes make knowne thy wisedome as to vs it is so to the whole world to the end that none may say he was a long time vnwilling because long in deliberating And if the Prelats and vniuersities require any thing of vs let them haue recourse to vs and make thee their Mediator Knowing without doubt if the matter once had come to deliberation he should surely haue had againe the repulse And he addeth Neither do we doubt but that when thou wert exiled namely when he was out of his fathers fauour as it were out of the kingdome thou wouldest often say with thy selfe O if I one day sit on my fathers throne I will doe many acceptable seruices to thee O God Surely I will not suffer thine inheritance to be spoyled by the furie of the Turkes c. But what doth he conclude of this Now shew thy slefe gratefull to his diuine goodnesse seeing he hath made thee his sonne king and hath restored the kingdome with great glorie and for so great benefits doe this againe for him take away the Pragmaticall sanction as thou hast promised our embassadour to doe and that done which is no hard thing to doe addresse thy selfe wholly to the succouring of Christian religion against the Turkes c. Thus to abrogat this law which respected onely the Canonicall election of Bishops and the restraint of the pillages of Rome was a matter of greater importance with him than the purpose or vow of making warre against the Turkes So then Lewis resolued to disannull it vnder colour that it had beene published in the time of schisme although he concealed not to encrease the benefit That it had beene concluded in a great assemblie of Prelats and with great deliberation of time and was now hardened and had taken firme footing But to what purpose he so eagrely pursued this businesse anon after appeared whereof wee haue a shew and example in the letters of Iames Cardinall of Pauia to Francis Spinola William Cardinall of Hostia saith he told vs a storie of an Abbie in France famous for wealth and religion of which there was an Abbot old and decrepit who seeing himselfe vnprofitable in his charge for conscience sake would leaue the administration of the same I know not what Bishop whose Church was farre thence requested that the Abbay should be giuen him in Commenda The Abbay as we haue sayd was of great fame in Fraunce hauing no ill in
it was afterwards printed by it selfe at Basil in 8o. in Italian Latine French The title of the booke is Francisci Guicciardini loci duo c. which it were not labour lost to read Baptista Mantuanus a Carmelite a man famous for his learning in those times in many places but especially in his ninth Eclogue freely describeth the state of the Church of Rome in his time which he saith was in such sort degenerated that the shepheards and their dogs were become rauening wolues and those whom they should feed and defend they deuoured But let that which he hath in his third booke of Calamities be to vs in stead of the rest Petrique domus pollûta fluente Marcescit luxu nulla hîc arcanareuelo Non ignota loquor licet vulgata referre Sic Vrbes populique ferunt sic fama per omnem Iam vetus Europam mores extirpat honestos Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynaedis Seruit honor andae Divum Ganimedibus Aedes Quid miramur opes recidiuaque surgere tecta Thuris odorati globulos cinnama vendit Mollis Arabs Tirij vestes venalia nobis Templa Sacerdotes Altaria sacra Coronae Ignis Thura preces coelum est venale Deusque And Peters house defil'd pines with excesse I name not things vnknowne nor secrets I rehearse Things common let me speake all countries say the same Yea through all the parts of Europe it is the same That honestie from Rome is fled that holie place Serues jeasters buggerers the Altars doe disgrace The houses of the gods with Ganimedes are fild Why doe we admire their wealth the houses they build Arabia Frankincense and Cinamon sells The Tirians goodlie garments Rome all things else Temples and Priests Altars and Crownes they fell for pelfe Fire Frankincense prayers heauen and God himselfe And all this in Italie Neither were they silent in Germany for it is noted that about these times the prouerbes were verie common The neerer to Rome the worse Christian In the name of God begins all mischiefe for this was the beginning of their Bulls He that goes once to Rome sees the man of sinne he that goes twice knowes him hee that goes thrice brings him home with him that is to say being neere the man of sinne is made like him But among the learned many haue left behind them a good testimonie of their conscience Iohn of Vesalia a Doctor and Preacher at Wormes was accused before the Inquisitors for holding these propositions That Prelats haue no authoritie to ordaine new lawes in the Church but to persuade the faithfull to the obseruation of the Gospell That the best interpreters of the Scriptures expound one place by another because men obtaine not the spirit of Christ but by the spirit of Christ That the Doctors be they neuer so holy are not to be beleeued for themselues and the Glosse as little That the commaundements of the Church bind not to sinne That the elect are saued by the onely mercie of God That the Popes Indulgences are vaine and so are the Chrisme Lent difference of meats holie-dayes auricular confession pilgrimages to Rome c. But for as much as he impugned the opinions of Thomas the Frier-Preachers who were of the Inquisition were moued against him Diether also Archbishop of Meniz to auoyd that suspition of heresie the Pope had of him was enforced to yeeld vnto them in so much that without any respect of his yeares or his long sicknesse they proceeded against him whereby he was enforced to reuoke his opinions He that writ his examination which bare date the yeare 1479 saith and takes God to witnesse That he was compelled to that recantation that he made and the burning of his bookes Examen Magistrate Iohannis de Vesalia Moguntia 1479. M. Engeline of Brunswic a great Diuine and M. Iohn Keiserberg withstanding it both men learned and free addicted to neither part especially it seemed to M. Iohn Engeline that they had taken too precipitat a course with so great a personage yea he feared not to affirme that most of his articles yea the greatest part might verie well be defended There are many bookes of his extant and among the rest a Treatise of Indulgences where he peremptorily affirmeth That the supremacie of the Pope is a humane inuention That the Church militant may erre That all things necessarie to saluation are contained in the Scriptures There liued at the same time but somewhat younger Doctor Wesellus of Groning called The Light of the world who in a certaine Epistle of his saith That he did expect that the Inquisitors hauing condemned Vesalius would haue come vnto him hauing defended his opinion both at Paris and at Rome against diuers articles of the Church of Rome And he feareth not to say That many of the Court approued it though it differed not much from the opinion of the Waldenses as we may gather by his writings Iohan. Wesellus de subditis superioribus In his booke of Subiects and Superiors he affirmeth That the Pope can erre and that erring we ought to resist him That by his simonie and wicked gouernement he made it to appeare that he had no care either of God or the good of the Church That his commands bind no farther than they are agreeable to the word of God That his excommunications are no more to be feared than those of any other learned and godlie man for so did the Councell of Constance hearken rather to Iohn Gerson than Iohn the 24 and all good and godlie men to S. Bernard sometime than to Pope Eugenius the third Philip. Melancton in vita Rodolfi Agricolae His workes are to be read printed by pieces at Leipsic Antuerpe Basill Also in this countrie his familiar friend Rodolphus Agricola was verie famous a man worthily accounted one of the lights of this darke age who was of the same opinion And Iosquin of Groning then yong witnesseth That he had often seene them both send forth many a sigh and grone to thinke of the doctrine of the Church so much deformed Gocchius Pupperus a Priest and Curat of Malin in Brabant taught the same reformed doctrine almost in all the Articles especially in that of the free justification of a sinner by the bloud of Christ rejecting all the glosses of Sophisters and Schole men betaking himselfe wholly to the Scriptures and namely to that which S. Paule teacheth vs That those interpretations which they commonly alledge differ from the word of God and smel of the heresie of Pelagian That they haue turned Christianitie into Iudaisme and Pharisaisme His bookes are Printed in Germanie namely Of grace faith the dignitie of the holie Scriptures and others In the Vniuersitie of Tubingue Paulus Scriptoris a Doctour in Diuinitie expounding the fourth booke of the Master of sentences openly condemned transubstantiation as not being grounded vpon the holie Scriptures whom the Augustinians the Disciples of Iohn Stauffich Prouinciall followed with diuers
who seeth not that the sacred Canons made in better times to direct as the rules of the Clergie and to fashion posteritie by the prescriptions of the Fathers are now become leaden rules such as in times past as sayth Aristotle were the Lesbian rules of building For as leaden rules and soft giue not euen direction for the right frame of building but being flexible are applied according to the commoditie and pleasure of the builders so we see that the Popes Canons by vse of the Rulers of the Church are made flexible as lead or wax so that now of a long time the Institutions of the Fathers and Decrees of Popes are not vsed for the gouernement of manners but applied for the getting in of money But the Iesuites thought they had found out a fit remedie when by their Spanish Index Expurgatorius Index Expurgat Hispan fol. 97. Budaeus de Tranlat Hellenismi l. 2. they commaunded all these places to be rased out But wee will adde yet this ouer and aboue out of another Treatise The auncientnesse or rather worme-eatennesse of the Canons is now of no more vse but as a doting old woman is cast out of the pleading place and reiected to the deskes of Libraries for the Canonicall discipline of the holie Ghost is long agoe cast downe from the bridge of our assemblies he alludeth to the Latine prouerbe being more than sixtie yea than six hundred yeares old c. Would to God that of this faith now almost buried we held at least but the reliques and ashes in regard of which faith God called the dispensers and disposers thereof his faithfull who inspired of God full of godlie zeale of the spirit and of God himselfe in times past were the pillars honour and ornament of the Church now and of a long time hardly retaineth it tectorium inane Ecclesiae a slight plaistering ouer of the Church the colour and image of religion instituted and taught by Christ if wee will iudge of the whole by the greatest part And he had told vs a little before the reason The ship of sociable and ciuile discipline hath beene left vnto vs by Christ the builder of the Church which hath been furnished by him or by his authoritie and direction with all manner of necessarie prouision and he hath promised vs wind in the poupe to bring the passengers to their wished hauen if the Church had continued to hold the rudder vpright and to receiue into her sayles the blowing of the spirit namely consulted the Scriptures which proceeded from the holie spirit Among the Italians was then admirable Iohn Picus Earle of Mirandula whose workes were printed in the yeare 1504 An. 1504. Joh. Picus in Conclus secund Thom. 14 20 Secund. Scotum 15. Picus in Apologia cap 3. Among the nine hundred Propositions which he publikely disputed at Rome are these The true bodie of Christ is locally in heauen sacramentally on the Altar By the power of God one same bodie cannot be in diuers places at one time to wit because there would be implication of contradiction which he maintained out of Thomas Aquinas Also according to Scotus By these words precisely This is my bodie without expressing the words going afore to wit The day before he suffered consecration cannot be made because consecration dependeth not of certaine words but on Christs institution And when the Doctors of Paris had reprehended this his Proposition Neither the Crosse nor any Image is to bee worshipped with the worship of Latria also in that manner that Thomas setteth downe In his Apologie he maintaineth that the same is Catholike and the contrary false When also they had condemned his Theses of the Eucharist he vnderttook to defend That without conuersion of the bread into the bodie of Christ and the annihilation of the same the bodie of Christ is present according to the truth of the Sacrament Yet euer to keepe himselfe from being mistaken he spake of what is possible not of what is done No doubt if he had beene free he would haue spoken more freely In a certaine Epistle of his to the Emperour Maximilian in the yeare 1500 Alexander the sixt raigning Pope he sheweth indeed with what feruentnesse he was carried to a reformation I beseech thee saith he by the faith and pietie I possibly can that thou accomplish that thy most holie purpose of setting the Christian Commonwealth into her auntient libertie so soone as possibly may be It is shaken by outward enemies rent in peeces by inward and this sheepe-fold enclosed about and consecrated by the bloud of Iesus Christ hath suffered and doth daily suffer much worse from wolues in sheepes cloathing than from the wolues that assaile it in their owne skinne Set therefore your hand vnto it most excellent Emperour and excite thereunto by all meanes the Christian kings shew thy selfe a faithfull minister to Christ the King of kings who will presently deliuer his sheepe both from enemies and from perfidious Pastors But the euent answered not his prediction Ioh. Franc. fide ordine credēdi Iohn Francis also his brothers sonne degenerated not from him In that conflict betweene the Councell of Pisa and of Lateran handling this question In matters of Faith which is to be preferred the Pope or the Councell he answereth out of the Decree it selfe It is written in the Glosse of the Decretalls Distinct 19. The Pope is bound to require a Councell of Bishops when matters of faith are treated of and then the Councell is greater than the Pope Wherupon the Archdeacon of Bononia approuing this Glosse saith It were a dangerous thing to commit our faith to the iudgement of one man And S. Bernard speaketh in the same sence saying What greater pride can there be than that one man should preferre his iudgement before a whole congregation as if he alone had the holie Spirit And after he had sayd that the greater number ought to carrie it away from the lesser caeteris paribus But sayth he if the greater part would decree any thing against the diuine Scriptures and against those things that cannot be violated without grieuous sinne the rest which are the lesser part holding the contrarie the lesser number ought to be stucke vnto as it happened in the Councell of Arimini and in the second Ephesine Councell Yea which is more a plaine rusticke fellow children and sillie old women are rather to be beleeued than the Pope and a thousand Bishops if these speake against the Gospell and those for the Gospell Handling also this question Theorem 4. Whether Councels or Popes may erre out of him is easily decided seeing he presupposeth that they might erre from the holie Scriptures hee sheweth that many Councels haue erred many Popes fallen into heresie and it hath often fallen out that he which was accounted chiefe President of the Church either did not preside or gouerne by right or else could not preside at all For saith he Historie teacheth
in the presence of manie Bishops and had taken the murderers into his protection as belonging to the familie of S. Peter pronouncing those that were slaine guiltie of treason Aimoni. de familia S. Petri. and consequently their murder iustified So that Sigonius himselfe let fall this word That the embassadours of Lewis could not search out the veritie of this fact nor so much as begin to take knowledge of it This was about the yeare 823. But when Lotharius came the yeare following after the death of Pascal An. 823. Iusticias facere into Italie to see iustice done in those parts he found the cause of these mischiefes to proceed from the misdemeanors of the Popes and conniuencie of the Iudges by meanes whereof manie mens goods had beene confiscated all which he caused to be restored to the right owners Aimoni. lib. 4. c. 112. reuiuing withall an ancient custome of sending some certaine personages à Latere with speciall commission from the Emperour to doe iustice betweene man and man indifferently Author vitae Ludoui without respect of persons as often as the Emperour should thinke fit All which was done with the consent of the new Pope Eugenius say the Historians and to the contentment of Lewis when he vnderstood thereof Sigonius also produceth a certaine ordinance which he left behind him for the ordering and composing of matters within the Citie of Rome wherein is contained That none should intrude himselfe into the election of the Popes but such as are called thereunto by the Canons vnder paine of banishment which article tended to preuent all canuassing for the Popedome also therein was contained That all those who were to exercise anie place of judicature in Rome should first come into his presence that he might informe himselfe both of their number and of their names and put them in mind of their seuerall duties Item that the King himselfe or in his absence others in his roome should assist at the consecration of the Popes And so saith he was it for certaine yeres after obserued and last of all established by a new Constitution In the yeare 824 came there embassadors from Michael and Theophilus Emperours of Greece to Lewis and Lotharius to craue their aduise and the aduise of the French Church concerning the vse of Images and withall to entreat them to be a meanes to the Pope that he would graciously accept the embassage which they purposed to send vnto him vpon the same question whereupon there assembled a Nationall Councell of the French Bishops to giue their aduise jointly vnto the Emperors Synod Paris sub Ludoui Lothar an 824. where they openly declared vnto them as well the euill practises of Adrian in the carriage of the Councell as also the pestilent contagious error and abhominable superstition which vnder Images he had brought into the Church But aboue all they plainely shew that the position concerning the Popes not erring was no article of their learning or beleefe when they say That the Pope suffered himselfe to be carried downe the streame of this error partly by ignorance partly by wicked custome That it was pitie to see those who were placed in chiefe authoritie to direct others themselues to forsake the high way and to run astray into paths of error And in their Epistle to Eugenius they sticke not to write plainely That the matter of this miserable rent and distraction was a thing without which through faith hope and charitie the Church might be saued as well in this world as in the world to come And that the Empresse Irene and her sonne in the passing of that Edict concerning the adoration of Images were abused by a pestilent illusion of the diuell And the booke which thereupon they wrote to the Emperours Lewis and Lotharius is so well grounded both vpon the authoritie of the Scriptures and interpretations of the Fathers that it may easily appeare that the diuinitie of Italie was no way comparable to that of the French Clergie As for the Pope when the Emperors requested to heare some proofes for the adoration of Images out of the word of God he neuer put himselfe to the paine to giue them satisfaction but answered all in a word saying Simoneta c. 5. That they were arrogant fellowes that made such questions Adde we here one obseruation of the manner of speaking which that Synod so frequently vsed We say they hold the place of S. Peter to whom Christ said Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind c. All the Bishops then holding themselues as the Vicars of S. Peter saying farther of the simple Priests That they were the porters to whom were committed the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen And what can the Pope chalenge more In the yeare 827 vpon the death of Valentine was elected Gregorie the fourth Sigon lib. 4. de Reg. Jtal. with due obseruation of the Law which Lotharius had left behind him For the Lieutenant of the King happening at that present to be away Gregorie could not be consecrated vntill he was returned and had fully informed himselfe of the proceedings in that election And the Annalist sayth in expresse tearmes That his consecration was deferred till the Emperours pleasure was knowne thereupon Author vitae Ludouici An. 833. Certaine yeares after about the yeare 833 his children made a conspiracie against him This Gregorie to oblige Lotharius to himselfe tooke his part and came into Fraunce in shew to mediate a reconciliation betweene the father and the sonnes but indeed as Aimonius reporteth to set them farther out Aimoni. lib. 3. c. 14. and to giue countenance to a certaine Synod which the sonnes assembled at Compiene to depose their father This attempt as say the Authors of those times proceeding meerely from the working of the diuell Thega de gest Ludoui Chronichon Dionysian which wrought by his ministers in the hearts of the children against the Emperour The Bishops of Fraunce tooke part some with the father others with the sonnes on the sonnes side was chiefe Hebo Archbishop of Rheims a slaue by birth and a man of lewd conditions against whom the Historian cryeth out saying Miserable wretch how hast thou recompenced thy masters kindnesse Purpura vestiuit te pallio he made thee free for noble he could not clothing thee with the Pall and Scarlet and thou makest him to put on hairecloth How hast thou despised those precepts of the Apostle Be ye subiect to euerie higher power Feare God Honour the King Who persuaded thee hereunto but he who is onely King ouer the children of pride who said to his Creator All these things will I giue vnto thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me For the father stood principally Drogo or Dreux Bishop of Mets a great man in his time with manie others all which perceiued plainely that this Gregorie was a part taker in this conspiracie The Emperour said If he be come into Fraunce as
to be next vnder God their supreame Lord who likewise reuerenced him as a Father Gregorie the seuenth contrarily who was Hildebrand putting his confidence in the armes of the Normans who then raged and rioted throughout Apulia Calabria Campania which by violence they had possest and trusting likewise vpon the riches of Matilda an insolent woman and the discord of the Germans was the first that against the custome of his Elders contemning the imperiall authoritie possessed the â—â—pedome and durst to say That Christ had put vpon him both persons giuing him power to bind and to loosse to exercise both charges Ecclesiasticall and secular to transferre all power vnto himselfe not to indure any equall much lesse a superior to contemne Emperors and Kings as holding their Dominions at his will and pleasure to bring Prelats and Bishops into order to denounce to chaunge States to sow discords to raise warres to authorise factions to absolue oaths and though he wrong the Emperour himselfe yet in a certaine Epistle of his he glorieth that he must be feared because it is he that cannot erre that hath receiued of Christ our Lord and Sauiour and S. Peter power to bind and to loosse how and whomsoeuer he please Then he likewise addeth began those perillous times which Christ and Peter and Paule had so long before foretould Then were those fables of Siluester and Constantine no lesse sottishly than impudently deuised and diuers others which it becomes not Christian modestie to relate then did counterfeit religion put on the shape of pietie Then began robberies the sale of holie things and diuine Philosophie to be polluted corrupted and violated by Sicophants subtile interpretations lyes old wiues tayles Insomuch that without the vtter ouerthrow of many true religion cannot be restored to her auntient maiestie All this began with Hildebrand who first built vp the pontificall Empire which his successors for 450 yeares retayned in despite of the world and the Emperours in such a maner that they brought the infernall spirits beneath and gods aboue into seruitude making all subiect to their yoake and terrifying the whole world with their thunderbolts Quo bruta tellus vaga flumina Quo Stix inuisi horrida Taenari Sedes Atlanteusque finis Concutitur mutant ima summis As farre as earth as Sea extends As Stix or horrid Taenaris Yea where the hill Atlanteus ends His fearefull power carried is And all this this Author deliuereth notwithstanding he were by profession a Roman being willing perhaps to haue said more if it had beene lawfull for he concludeth with these words The Roman Emperor is now no more than a bare name without a bodie without forme notwithstanding the fruit be knowne by the tree and no man gathereth grapes of thistles and the souldier knoweth his captaines colours but yet we must not iudge before the time but according to the rule of S. Paul we must attend the perpetuall decree of the eternall Iudge As if he would haue alluded to that place of the Apostle speaking of Antichrist And now ye know what withholdeth the Roman Empire that he might be reuealed in his time What manner of man this Hildebrand was we shall see in his due place But yet at the first he bewrayes not his boldnesse but when the Emperor Henrie sent the Earle Heberard to Rome to admonish the Romans of their offence and threatning withall that except they did satisfie him he would pronounce the election void he humbly answered That he was enforced to vndertake the Popedome against his owne will neither would he euer haue suffered himselfe to be consecrated had he not vnderstood by the relation of his Legats that the election was approued by the Emperour By which words he so pacified the Emperor that he easily yeelded his consent to his consecration But presently after he held a Councell at Lateran where he renewed the Canons against those his Heresies of Simonie and Nicholaisme sufficient preteâ—â—es to diminish the authoritie of Henrie and if he should oppose himselfe against them to make him an Heretike The one of them tooke from him all authoritie at Milan if any were left the other should daily diminish that power which he retained in Germanie by the right of Inuestiture The summe of them was this It shall not be lawfull for a Clergie man to marie a wife nor to take their inuestiture at the hands of a lay man vnder paine of excommunication But it is worth the noting that the Countesse Mathilda was present at this Councell a woman no lesse infamous for her vnchast life than her pride Erlembald gouernour of Milan put the first Decree in execution continuing his rage against the Clergie and vpon the day called Coena Domini the Supper of the Lord he forbad Godfrey whom the Emperour had made Bishop to consecrate the oyle An. 1075. and prouided other The yeare following 1075 he did the like he himselfe ministring the oyle in the Paschall ceremonies but all the Priests refused to receiue it at his hands except Luitprand onely Curat of S. Paul Whereupon the people being much offended forsooke the citie protesting that they would obey no Bishop but him whom the Emperour should nominat and not long after entring into the citie againe they killed both Erlembald and his Luitprand Godfrey in the meane time not being accepted by the Pope stood still excommunicated not without the great indignation of Henrie who neuerthelesse to accommodat himselfe a little vnto him named in his place Theobald Castillon who was kindly receiued by those of Milan And from this onely act let euerie man judge how vnwillingly this yoke of single life was receiued in Italie Gregorie vrgeth the same in Germanie writeth to the Princes and their wiues That they should not frequent the Masses of maried Priests That they should execute his Decree and account those for excommunicat persons that obeyed it not declaring vnto them that they were neither Priests nor might sacrifice Whereupon the common people grew insolent against them and trampled the Hoast consecrated by them vnder their feet though it were at that verie time when the opinion of the reall presence began to spread abroad From this occasion saith Auentinus many false Prophets did arise who with fables myracles examples they cal them turned the people of Christ from the truth interpreting the Scriptures so as that they might serue their owne turnes whilest in the meane time vnder the honest name of chastitie whoredome incest adulterie were euery where freely committed But yet in the meane time notwithstanding the attempts that were made at some Councels in Germanie and the threats that were thundered out by the Legats à Latere of Pope Gregorie they could not persuade the Bishops to yeeld their consent to this Decree or to depose those Priests that were maried defending themselues by the authority of the Scriptures the auncient Councels and the Primitiue Church adding thereunto the commaundement of God and
and thy souldiers to doe in remission of your sinnes c. Here I know not what I should say or whether to turne my selfe For if I should turne ouer the whole volume of the old and new Testament and all the auntient expositers that writ thereupon I should neuer find any example of this Apostolike commaund Only Pope Hildebrand hath offered violence to the sacred Canons whom we read commaunded the Marquesse Mathilda in remission of her sinnes to make warre against Henrie the Emperour And so hauing discoursed out of the Scriptures and some places of Gregorie of the true manner and meanes of the remission of sinnes and shewing to a sinner his sinnes and making him to confesse them to feele the burthen of them to bee sorie for them to seeke the remedie by a liuelie faith in Christ Iesus the church of Liege concludeth in these words This manner of binding and loossing thou hast heretofore held and taught vs O my mother the Church of Rome From whence then comes this new authoritie by which there is offered to offendours without confession or repentance an immunitie from all sinnes past and a dispensation for sinnes to come what a window of wickednesse doest thou hereby set open to men The Lord deliuer thee ô mother from all euill Let Iesus be the doore vnto thee let him be the Porter that no man enter into thee but to whom be shall open He deliuer thee I say and thy Bishop from those who as the Prophet Michah speaketh seduce the people of God that bite with their teeth and yet preach peace This was the letter of the church and Clergie of Liege to Pope Paschal the second fortified with the testimonies of the holie Scriptures and authorities of the Fathers Neither need we doubt that such in those times was the voyce of the greatest part of the Churches of Christendome who consequently acknowledged Satan to be let loose wasting the Church of God in the person of Antichrist sitting in his Throne which the Emperour Henrie instructed by his Prelats spake plainely in his Epistle to the Christian Princes exhorting them to haue regard to their posteritie the royall Maiestie Auent l. 5. and the saluation of all Christian people because saith he the Pope vnder the honest title of Christ goeth about to oppresse the publike libertie of all Christian people whom Christ hath bought with his bloud and indeauoureth day and night to bring vpon all Christians a slauish seruitude except the Kings and Princes of the earth preuent it neither will he cease to doe it vntill like Antichrist he sit in the Temple of God and be worshipped of all as if he were God These and the like letters saith Auentine are to be found in many antient Libraries written to the kings of France Denmarke England and to other Kings and Princes of Christendome who neuerthelesse became not the more strange vnto him but being rather sorie for this his condition detested the author An. 1104. It was at this time that Yuo Bishop of Chartres writ a letter to Richard Bishop of Alba the Popes Legat who would censure his Clegie of simonie whom he openly giueth to vnderstand that he had done his best endeauors to mend that fault but all in vayne because they maintained it by the custome of the Church of Rome You Epist 133. If the Deane saith he and Chapter or other officers doe exact any thing of those that are made Canons my selfe forbidding it and persecuting the fault they defend themselues by the custome of the Church of Rome wherein they say the Chamberlaines and other officers of the Palace doe exact much of such Bishops and Abbots as are consecrated which they couer vnder the name of oblations or benedictions for there they say neither penne nor paper will be had without money and with this collop they stop my mouth not hauing any other word to answer them but that of the Gospell Doe that which they say that is to say the Pharisies and not that which they doe If therefore I cannot pluck vp this plague by the root impute it not onely to my weakenesse because from the first growth of the Church of God the Church of Rome hath been sicke of this disease nor to this houre cannot free herselfe of those that seeke their owne gaine Moreouer the same man being much molested by the Clergie at Rome makes a grieuous complaint vnto Paschal against the Appeales to Rome which are the cause of much disorder rebellions in the Clergie against their superiours whom abusing that libertie they slaunder at Rome Epist 75. he neuerthelesse not long before in the cause of Godfrey appealed to Rome whose place by the authority of the Pope he supplied out of the selfesame humor as aboue acknowledging reason and justice when it made for their owne purposes 43. PROGRESSION Of the turbulent estate of the Church and Common-wealth through the factious pride of Pope Paschal NOw to follow againe the course of our Historie Auentine concealeth not ratiunculas some smal reasons as he calleth thē why these Popes since Hildebrand pretended a right to deiect from their Throne vel potentissimum Imperatorem any Emperor how mightie soeuer That all power had been giuen of God to Christ and from Christ vnto S. Peter and to the Bishops of Rome his successors vnto whom by Religion of oath all Christians were bound perpetually to obey and to other Princes onely a limited time and vnder condition so long as it shold please them That therefore it was lawfull for the Pope if the Emperour disobeyed him who represented Christ on earth to excommunicate and depose him no lesse than any other Christian insomuch as he raigneth but by precarie right and holdeth the Empire in homage of him That in case he should rebell he might root him out of the Common-wealth as a Tyran by any meanes whatsoeuer And the people saith he bewitched by Hildebrand with such reasons as they are subiect to let themselues be carried away with euerie wind of doctrine Fraunce Italie and Germanie were pierced to the heart for the space of three and thirtie yeares Namely Paschal following from point to point this instruction who seeing his enemie dead reenforced the rigor of his Decrees and will not receiue to absolution the inhabitants of Liege till they had taken him out of the Sepulcre where they had layed him when Henrie also his sonne demaunded permission of him to giue him buriall he flatly refused him saying that the authoritie of holie Scriptures and of diuine miracles and of the Martyrs receyued vp into heauen repugned thereunto This writeth Peter the Deacon l. 4. ca. 38. And Auentine noteth expresly that till that time the Bishops of Rome had accustomed to date their Bulls Epistles and other affaires from the yeres of the Emperours raigne which he first ceased to doe and began to date from the yeare of his Popedome He was also the first that gaue
contemners of ordinarie Pastors and their supplanters creepers into royall chambers and adulterators of confessions as they that roaming ouer vnknowne Prouinces administred a libertie and boldnesse of sinning All these complaints being heard the Pope commaunded that this new booke which they called The eternall Gospell should secretly and with as little scandall as could be to the Friers be burnt with some other inuentions which were said to proceed from Ioachims erronious braine This execution therefore was closely and priuily performed and with as little scandall as possible might be to the Friers through the speciall diligence of Cardinall Hugo and the Bishop of Messina both which were of the Predicant Order so as this tumult at that time ceased and slept The opinions of this Gospell were these That God the Father raigned vnder the Law and the Sonne vnder Grace but by the rising of the foure Orders Mendicants the holie Ghost began then to raigne and so should doe while the end of the world and that from this time forward they onely should be saued that beleeued in this new Gospell That Christs Gospell was not true perfect nor sufficient to saluation as also his Sacraments were of little esteeme but if this new one were compared with that it as farre exceeded it as the Sunne doth the Moone and so consequently that the Church which should be grounded on this new Gospell would in the same proportion excell the other precedent The authors notwithstanding of these inuentions which were to be extirpated the Pope did tollerat and support because any thing whatsoeuer seemes just and equall to them so it make for their prerogatiue and power and they were afraid especially least these their hucksters should grow out of grace with the people by whose tongues and talons so much good bootie and spoyle came vnto their hands Wherefore that same William of S. Amors one of wonderful estimation amongst good men both preached writ against them declaring in his sermons That he affected aboue all other crimes to be zealous in discouering of hypocrisie because this brought more damage and preiudice to true pietie than all the other besides as also in that the Church was now ouergrowne with the same sinne and no bodie for feare of the Pope and Prelats durst lay hand to the irradication of it Amongst others wee read at this day a booke of his intituled De periculis mundi seu nouissimorum temporum which begins thus Quia nos vacantes sacris Scripturis Matth. Paris in libro de Antichristo c. printed at Basil in the yeare 1555 and no wayes to be suspected of falsitie seeing Mathew Paris in a great volume that he writ against Antichrist comprehends the same wholly and entirely ascribing it to the Vniuersitie of Paris and this questionlesse because it was made and publisht by authoritie thereof especially in that hee alwayes speakes in the Plurall number In which booke he conuinceth them That they preached vnsent or at least without a Mission canonicall against and contrarie to the veritie of the sacred Scriptures and fraudulently concealing that which should most principally be deliuered That they crept into houses and insinuated into the peoples priuities by confessions Gulielmus de Sancto Amore lib. de periculis mundi edito Basileae An. 1555. whom by this means they bring vnder their power the easier to commaund and rule them And they call themselues Generall aiders and supporters of the Church preferring themselues before all men euen before the religious Orders themselues And to appeare the more holy they deuise new and superstitious traditions That they loued the highest places at inuitements the chiefest chaires in Synagogues reuerences and low bowings in the open market places and of men to be called Rabbies That they vaunted of the great good they did in the Church of God boasted of their owne and their followers myracles and chalenging the prayse of that they neuer performed That vnder pretext of humilitie they insinuated themselues into the Courts of Princes and affect to be reputed Courtiers That they smoothed the defects of men and arrogantly assumed a farre greater zeale than that of ordinarie Pastors That at first men entertaine them joyfully but at last they grow wearie of them the which happened quite contrary with the true Apostles That they asked with importunitie and receiued indifferently not to releeue necessities but to prosecute their delights and pleasures To conclude That they solicited and sued to obtaine letters commendatorie from great men And here the Reader may obserue the maners and carriage of these Neotericke Pharisies The same man deliuered in a certaine sermon Duo Conciones Gulielmi de Sancto Amore in Antilogia Basileae edita An. 1555. That Christ chose plaine and simple men to preach but Antichrist on the contrarie for the propagation of his falsities and errours made election of men of a double heart subtile and expert in worldlie policies and not onely Antichrist himselfe made choyce of such but also his members and champions No maruell therefore though they persecute the professors of the Christian faith to death seeing Iohn saith in his Apocalyps I saw a beast rise out of the sea that had seuen heads and seuen hornes this beast was intended by Antichrist and his followers And certaine yeares after Iohn de Poliaco Williams disciple and Laurence an English man defended these propositions publikely in Sorbon In a sermon of his he particularly admonished the Church Laurentius Anglicus in defensione Gulielmi de Sancto Amore Tractat. Cauendum esse à Pseudoprophetis Serm. 2. in die Philippi Jacobi Thomas Cantipratensis in Apibus mysticis That a great danger hung ouer her head by the Monkes That they were the seducers and ministers of Antichrist of Antichrist who was hard at their doores But when the Pope had suppressed the scandall of this new Gospell least it might haue prejudiced his affaires taking an occasion of reuenge against William of S. Omers and some other his like for the denunciation of these truthes whether by right or wrong he published and declared him for an heretike as also he complained of him to our Princes that had need of his helpe and fauour and caused him to be expelled out of the Vniuersitie which remained as it were desart and forsaken exciting in like manner Thomas Bonauentura and others to write against him so as all true Diuinitie yeelded to Sophistrie and Paul to Aristotle But so the Mendicants on the other side euen seazed on the Diuinitie Scholes and the Canonists on the Ciuilians chaire that so all points were decided by Gratian and Lombard and of the holie Scriptures there was not so much as any mention in scholes Out of their studies therefore from this time forward came bookes easie to be smelt by their verie titles as Summae Repertoria Quodlibeta Rosaria Legendae Specula in Sententias Decreta Ordines Monachorum Regulas Confessiones Tractatus de
spirited man to see the places infernall and a Palace wherein was a firie bed on which this the Popes nephew lay All which being related to the Pope he was neuer after seene to be merie but within a while departed Whose bodie being layd in a certaine Church with many lights about it in the night the Church was burnt with fire and his bodie from the loynes downe to the feet Clement l. 2. tit 11. de sententia re iuditata C. Pastoralis And yet this is he which in his Clementine Pastoralis We as well out of the superioritie which vndoubtedly we haue ouer the Empire as out of the power by which in the Empires vacancie we are to succeed the Emperour but more especially out of the fulnesse of that power which hath pleased Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords in the person of blessed S. Peter to conferre vpon vs c. doe decree and ordaine May we not rather beleeue by the poynts aboue mentioned that hee tooke his power from him that sayd to the Lord I will giue thee all these kingdomes if falling downe thou wilt worship me This is he also that commaunded Corpus Christi day to be kept holie of all men in a Councell at Vienna which was first instituted by Vrban the fourth and then afterwards came to be neglected againe and therefore he granted new Indulgences which is to say Lib. 3. Clementinarum tit 16. de reliquijs veneratione sanctor To all saith he penitents and confessed which shall be present at the Matines of this feast in the same Church where it is celebrated shall haue 100 and he that is present at Masse as many as also they that were present at the first beginning of Euen-song of the same feast 100 and they that were at the second as many and they that were present at the offices of the first third sixt and ninth houres and at those completorie for each of the houres he had graunted fortie Indulgences And to him that was present at the Matines of the Octaues of that feast and the Masses of the foresayd houres he obtained an hundred for euery day of those Octaues And trusting the mercies of God we release him of all enioyned penances Can we better judge of these inuentions than by the inuentors themselues who made but laughter and scorne of these things whether in life or death And yet abusing the reuerence falsly by them vsurped they dare presumptuously vpon any occasion offered most vnworthily dare and prouoke Princes and Emperors This was the Pope amongst others who being angrie with the Venetians for taking of Ferrara exposed them all both in generall and particular to bootie and spoyle so as they might haue beene brought vnder slauerie and seruitude To be redeemed from which miserie they sending Francis Dandulo to require absolution in their names after many detractions delayes the matter was thus concluded That he lying prostituted at his feet so long as the Popes pleasure was to obtaine the same he was enforst with a coller of yron about his necke by way of penance like a dog to lye under his table and therefore amongst his countrymen he was tearmed Canis a Dog And yet Baronius would needs excuse the crueltie of Alexander the third against Frederick the first Because saith he to be true it digresseth too much from the accustomed clemencie of the Popes OPPOSITION When Clement published the Councell of Vienna to giue some hope of Church reformation he commanded Durandus Auditor of the Rota and Bishop of Mende a French man vulgarly called the Visitor or Examiner to digest certaine principall heads thereunto tending to bee propounded in this Councell There is a treatise yet extant whose title is The celebrating of a Councell printed at Paris Anno 1545 this booke began with a sharpe reprehension of the Roman Clergie with an intention if he might haue beene heard or beleeued not to haue spared them a iot They follow saith he the way of Balaam of Bosor who loued the reward of iniquitie and bore the chastisement of his owne madnesse for a dumb she Asse speaking to him in a mans voyce discouered the Prophets follie and impietie The same happens amongst vs at this day seeing so many foolish and dissolute parts are played in the Church of God by the sayd Ecclesiastical persons who should be a light vnto others as candles set on candlestickes according to that which the Lord sayth as that they dull and amaze the sence both of Iewes and Pagans yea and they who are altogether depriued of the vnderstanding of diuine wisedome doe detest their follie and their by and digressing steps from Gods pathes they correct and conuince by a sounder vnderstanding And therefore he briefly sets downe what course must be held to effect a reformation Tit. 2. By a sacred Councell saith he both Kings and Popes ioyning their hands together we must haue recourse First to the Law to the Gospell and to the Councels approued and confirmed by the instinct of the holie Ghost as also to good and wholesome humane lawes And whatsoeuer we find to the contrarie to haue beene attempted in worldlie gouernement let it be reformed and amended as well as may be and the contrarie no wayes permitted to escape vnpunished Let all abuses customes dispensations priuiledges liberties and exemptions which are opposit to the same reformation be remoued being to be reputed but meere deprauations and corruptions Tit. 2. Secondly Let the Popes themselues conforme their words and deeds both to diuine and humane lawes submitting themselues thereunto for imitation sake and setting forth examples of those things to be performed in themselues for their followers and subiects to imitate and behold but otherwise if they themselues swarue and digresse from lawes and precepts desiring rather to ouerrule and commaund than to aduise and counsell their subiects Their honour will swell vp into pride and what was ordained for concord will turne to offence and discord Thirdly It cannot be denied but that the Roman Church hath in many things declined from the Institutions of the sacred Primitiue Church and from the sentences and approbations of the holie Fathers Councels and Decrees So as it appeares to haue vtterly forgotten the first Institutions although wee should prefer the truth of the holie Scriptures before any custome how auncient soeuer Fourthly That the Popes should not easily permit causes and controuersies to be transferred out of their Prouinces to be decreed in the Court of Rome That Ecclesiasticall gouernement was manifestly confounded when the Popes place benefices depending on the Bishops yea and that before their vacation so as it is to bee feared that the Roman Church hooking all to her selfe will giue an occasion to verifie the prouerbe Qui vult totum perdit totum All craue nothing haue And here he inueyed against the promotion of strangers whose voice the subiects could not heare they neither vnderstanding the people
before his consecration at Rome might execute all his authoritie and prerogatiues and whosoeuer thought otherwise were traitors and heretikes Of which kind also that information is De nullitate processu Iohan. 22 whether Marsilius Patauinus or Ockam be Authour thereof Wherein Lodouike appeales from a Citation vnduely made in Auignion vnto a generall Councell conuocated in some safe and secure place with due forme and according to the sacred Canons and after a lawfull Appeale hee auerres that no place remaines for any Excommunication or Interdict And thus it was enacted against Iohn the two and twentieth or according to Platina the three and twentieth Furthermore Trithemius in Chronic. Hirsaugiens the Diuines and Ciuilians of these times argued this question by way of Thesis De potestate Imperiali Papali earumque distinctione Of the Emperours and Popes power and their seuerall distinction For to omit what Vldarick the Emperour Lewis his Chancellor Apologia Ludovic 4. contra Ioh. 22. publicē proposita wrot to Iohn in certaine letters directed to him in his Masters name wherein amongst other things he calls him Bestiam illam de mari ascendentem That beast arising out of the sea of which mention is made in the Apocalyps an Apologie was publisht in Lodouikes behalfe by the Diuines whereby they stifly affirme Quod nullus Papa potestatis plenitudinem in temporalia sibi arrogare potest That no Pope could arrogate to himselfe any plenarie power in temporall things much lesse in the Empire and yet much more lesse such an one as Iohn a man most vnworthie of the Papall chaire as also that the Pope swaruing from the Faith might haue a superiour on earth which is the whole Church represented in a generall Councell which out of their authoritie may judge him and to which for this cause it was lawfull to appeale And the same we read printed at this day But beyond all others out of doubt William Ockam a Franciscan an Englishman borne being a verie wittie and learned Doctor assayles him verie stoutly Defend me Caesar saith he with thy sword against the Popes iniuries and I will by word writing and irrefragable reasons maintaine thee against him the which indeed he performed while he liued hee constantly auerring That the Pope was an heretike and schismatike whose censures were nothing at all to be esteemed From hence came those Dialogues of his Pro Ludouici defensione Liber nonaginta trium dierum pro Michaele Caesennate Generall of the Franciscans excommunicated for the same cause Errores Iohannis 22 Dialogus inter Clericum militem and other such like In which he debates this poynt with so vnanswerable arguments as no man need to call his opinion into doubt or question The principall heads were these That the Pope ex iure diuino hath no Primacie That Peter neuer had nor neuer sat at Rome and therefore the Pope cannot haue it That the Pope may erre yea and the whole Roman Church and therefore ought to be liable to a Councell Concerning the controuersie betwixt the Pope and the Emperour he discusseth eight seuerall questions First Whether the Imperiall and Pontificiall dignities might be joyntly discharged in one man Secondly Whether Caesar onely receiued his authoritie from God or from the Pope of Rome also Thirdly Whether by any authoritie from Christ the Pope and Church of Rome haue power to confirme Caesar and other kings in the exercise of royall jurisdiction Fourthly Whether Caesar being elected hath at the same instant absolute right to gouerne the Commonwealth Fiftly Whether other kings besides Caesar and the king of Romans being consecrated by Bishops receiue any authoritie from them Sixtly Whether such kings are in any sort subiect to those which consecrated them Seuenthly Whether if they should vse any other rite or solemnitie or assume another Diademe they lost in so doing their royall title and prerogatiue Eightly Whether the seuen Electors conferre as much right vpon the Emperour elected as other Kings and Princes haue by lawfull succession All which questions he arguing on both sides he determines in the greatest part for the ciuile Magistrat I meane for Kings and Princes vtterly ouerthrowing by the way the Extrauagants of Iohn the two and twentieth as false hereticall and by many condemned Whosoeuer thinke otherwise they may be numbred amongst them of those times whereof the Apostle to Timothie admonisheth vs 2. ad Timoth. c. 3. v. 3. 4. The time will be when they shall not giue eare to sound doctrine but according to their owne lusts they shall seeke out for teachers that may delight their eares which themselues shall stop against all truth and open wide vnto fables For this is the state of the present time that all men in a manner enquire not what was the doctrine of Christ of the Apostles or of the Fathers but onely they listen what the Pope wills and commaunds them Ascentius in his Preface sayes That he writ six other Tractats which he wittingly omitted because they were somewhat too sharpe and bitter against the Pope of Rome Editus Basiliae Marsilius Patauinus the Author of that golden Treatise whose title was Defensor Pacis of the authoritie of the Emperour and of the Pope writes much out of the same veine where out of the holie Scriptures the Lawes the Canons and both the sacred and ciuile historie he affirmes and auerres these propositions ensuing That Christ was the onely head and foundation of the Church and not Peter That he constituted none of the Apostles no not Peter himselfe Vniuersall Vicar and head of the Church and that by as good right any one else may vsurpe to himselfe this title That Peter was neuer Christs generall Vicar neither did Christ appoynt the other Apostles to be subiect vnto Peter How it was most probable that Peter was neuer at Rome much lesse that there hee held his seat who as the rest of the Apostles had no peculiar seat That the Pope labouring to confirme his Primacie by succession hath no right at all and therefore it is not validious That he hath no greater authoritie than other Bishops no not in that which appertaines to Indulgence and remission of sinnes and that otherwise by diuine right all men are equall with him the Bishops of Magunce Collen and Treuer are Primats as well as he That the plenarie power attributed to him was a manifest lye an execrable title and the verie originall of all euils and the vse thereof was to be interdicted the Popes by some good generall Councell But concerning temporall things Christ whose Vicar he would be thought to be neuer exercised any temporall authoritie vpon earth but contrariwise both himselfe and the Apostles submitted themselues to the ciuile Magistrat and after his ascention into heauen they both obeyed Princes and enioyned their disciples to this obedience and therefore that no temporall jurisdiction did any wayes belong to the Pope ouer any man much lesse ouer Princes
wishing verie earnestly that hee might bee his disciple A certaine ecclesiastical person in the citie of Coire a countrie of Grisons speaking to his fellowes You haue saith he cast S. Paule vnder the bench but a time shall come when hee shall come forth and put you where yee placed him Andreas Proles the Prior of the Augustines at Leipsic in his Lectures was wont to say You heare bretheren the testimonie of the Scriptures that by grace wee are whatsoeuer wee are and by grace wee haue whatsoeuer wee haue From whence then is there so much darkenesse such horrible superstitions O my brethren the state of Christendome hath need of a great and a seuere reformation which I now see to bee neere at hand But his brethren demaunding of him why hee beganne not this reformation and opposed not himselfe against these errours his aunswere was this You see my brethren that I am old and weake of bodie and I confesse my selfe for my learning industrie and eloquence insufficient to performe so great a worke but the Lord will raise a man fit and able for his age his strength his industrie his learning wit and eloquence who shall beginne the reformation and oppose himselfe against all errours God shall giue him a heart to withstand the mightie men of the world and you shall find his ministrie by the great grace and goodnesse of God profitable vnto you All this is reported by Heningus an Augustine Monke in the monasterie called The gate of heauen neere Weringherad whereof this Proles was Prior whom the Pope afterwards excommunicated because he opposed himselfe in the Councell of Lateran against a certaine new feast alleadging that the people of God deliuered from bondage by the bloud of Christ were too much oppressed with multitudes of traditions from which opinion he could neuer be withdrawne Iohn Hilten a Monke in Henac of Turingia beeing cast into prison for reprehending some Monasticall abuses beeing verie sicke called the Gardian or keeper and said vnto him Philippus Melanthon in Apologia Cap. de votis Monasiticis I haue said little or nothing against our Monkish Societie but there will come one in the yeare 1516 who shall ouerthrow them all whose proceedings they shall not bee able to withstand And that verie yeare Luther began to preach which did farre excell any humane diuination Diuers like vnto him did euerie where appeare who out of the palpable darkenesse of those times as if the dawne of the day did approach began to discrie the light of the Gospell after which all the people of God had a long time longed in such sort that Paulus Langius a Monke of Citique Paulus Langius Citicensis Monachus in in Chron. the disciple of the Abbot Trithemius about the time of Luthers first appearance though he had not yet left his Monasterie gaue him this excellent testimonie Martin saith hee is a perfect diuine profound incomparable he endeauoureth to bring diuinitie to her first fundamental dignitie and puritie and to her Euangelicall sincere and simple innocencie altogether banishing all prophane Philosophie Againe In imitation of that most Christian Diuine Simon de Cassia who florished about the yeare 1340 contemning all Philosophie hee handled and taught the Scriptures purely bringing into the light euerie day many venerable and almost vnknowne mysteries of the word of God beeing for the greatnesse and dexteritie of his wit famous through the whole world notwithstanding with S. Ierome hee wanted not the malice of his Competitors that is the persecution of Schole-diuines who frame the Scriptures to the rule of Philosophie In an other place about the yeare 1503 hee ioined vnto him Carolostadius and Melanthon They handle and teach the studie of Diuinitie and the wheat of the word of God purely without the mixture of any Chaffe that is of humane Philosophie and Syllogismes tying themselues wholy to the Gospell of Christ and to his Apostle S. Paul whom they take for their Patron and foundation with the Studie of learning sowing by their preaching the seed of all vertue and by their example pen in the hearts of their Disciples the feare of God And least thou shouldest replie that this was before Luther began his warre with the Pope heare what he saieth about the yeare 1520 hauing before discoursed of the abuse and excesse of Indulgences Hee saith he by his admirable learning and preaching brought to nothing the force of all Indulgences called them into question and dissuaded the people from buying of them affirming them to bee no way necessarie to saluation that they were no remission of sinnes but a neglect of repentance a hinderance and relaxation from good workes and a vice And that the merits of Christ and the Saints were not the foundation and treasurie of these indulgences since in the primitiue Church and a thousand yeres after we find nothing written of them by the holie Doctors of the true Church neither was there any such opinion or esteeme had of them as now there is for the loue of that money that is gotten by them Moreouer affirming and prouing that the Church of Rome by the law of God is not the head of all others c. And therefore hee saith againe Vntill this time they haue by all meanes like another Athanasius persecuted him especially for defending this Thesis That the Pope by the law of God is not the head of the Church and some other rare and high points of doctrine which not onely the Romans doe still impugne but diuers other learned men especially the Thomists Neuerthelesse this Martin the prince of all the Diuines of this age fortifying and approuing his doctrine with the testimonies of the Scripture and of S. Paul as also with the originall authorities of the auncient fathers hath hitherto continued vnconquered not wanting in the meane time in other nations diuers learned Doctors in Diuinitie who stucke vnto him and consented with him as that most learned and eloquent interpreter of the Scriptures Erasmus Roterodamus Iohn Reuschlin Iacobus Stapulensis Idocus Clithoueus and diuers others And thus much saith the Monke non assertiuè saith hee but admiratiue not by way of affirmation but admiration suspending his iudgement according to the manner of diuers others vntill it were determined by a generall Councell what is to bee held in a matter of this difficultie But it is now time to see what hath passed in our Fraunce in these times Pius the second as wee haue seene before had shaken the Pragmaticall sanction vnder king Lewis the eleuenth which neuerthelesse partly hee liuing the Court of Paris had maintained and partly vnder Paul the second his successor by the mediation of the Vniuersitie did throughly restore Sixtus the fourth comes who againe impugned it for this was then the principall marke they shot at and had beene then quite ouerthrowne had not Lewis the eleuenth being then in his owne power and withall offended with the wicked cariage of Sixtus vndertaken