Bishops but because he that is Apostolicall should not wander from the Apostle we humbly in euerie particular circumstance enquire whether these words of this Apostolicall person sauoring the grauitie of the Apostle be sound and irreprehensible He promiseth Apostolike benediction to Robert but doth he commaund him to doe that that should obtayne benediction c. who hath euer persecuted the Church of God without punishment And here are alledged many examples out of the Scriptures See here the workes of iust malice that this father ordayneth for his sonnes to come to the heauenlie Hierusalem by impugning the Church of God We giue thankes to thy wisedome saith the Church for that thou hast done at Cambray who can thinke of the ruine and desolation of that Church without teares I a daughter of the Church of Rome did condole their estate for that brotherhood that was betwixt vs but now hearing that all these mischiefes haue lighted vpon them by the Apostolike authoritie I grieue the more because I feare least that should light vpon my mother Esay 10. that the Lord saith by the mouth of his Phrophet Esay Woe vnto them that decree wicked Decrees and write grieuous things to keepe backe the poore from iudgement c. That there should be such desolation of the Church such oppression of the poore and widowes such crueltie such rapine and which is worse such effusion of bloud without respect of good and euill and all this and worse than all this done by the commaund of the Pope who would beleeue it if his owne mouth had not spoken it We remaine astonished with the noueltie of these things and wee enquire from whence this new example should come that the Preacher of peace with his owne mouth and the hand of another man 2. Tim. 4. should make warre against the Church of God c. For Apostolike men improoue rebuke exhort offendors with all long suffering and doctrine c. And Christ saith Math. 8.15 If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him c. And here they alledge the example of S. Gregorie towards the Bishop of Salonne reprehending the Emperour Maximus for that he vsed force against Priscillian and his fellows He say they that condemned Itachius their accuser for the death of Heretikes doubtlesse if he were now aliue he would not commend Paschal by whose commaund so many people are murdered for the cause of Cambray c. We commaund the like to be done saith he against the excommunicat falsly called Clerkes of Liege And why excommunicated we are all baptised in one spirit into one bodie c. when hath the Church of Rome heard that there are contentions amongst vs we thinke and say of Christ one and the same thing we doe not say I am Paules I am Cephas I am Christs Are we excomunicated for this our concord c Because we keep the law of God they obiect against vs that we transgresse their new traditions But God saith vnto them wherefore doe you transgresse the commaundement of God by your traditions God commandeth vs to giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and to God that which is Gods which S. Peter and S. Paule doe likewise teach Honor the King Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers c. He that commaunds euerie soule to doe this whom doth he exempt from this earthlie power Because therefore we honour the King and serue our Lords and masters in the simplicitie of our hearts are we therefore excommunicated But we are simoniacall persons No we auoyd all such and those we cannot by reason of the time and place we tollerate and we no lesse flie those who couer their auarice with an honest title and vnder the name of charitie boast themselues to giue that freely which in effect they sell dearely and like the Montanists vnder the name of oblations they cunningly receiue gifts Alas with griefe we wonder why when and by whom we are excommunicated we know we are not excōmunicated by our Bishop by our Archbishop and we thinke much lesse by the Pope because he cannot be ignorant of that which Nicodemus saith Our Law iudgeth no man before he be heard Johan 7. Genes 18. neither had God condemned the Sodomites except he had first come downe to see whether they had done altogether according to that crie which came vp vnto him Seeing therefore he hath heard nothing of vs neither hath beene sollicited by the Bishop or Archbishop against vs who would euer beleeue that he would excommunicate vs c. But perhaps you will say that therefore he doth it because we fauour our Bishop who takes part with the Emperour This is the beginning of our sorrow and that which may make the cause of the wicked to blush because Satan being let loose and walking through the earth hath now diuided the Kingdome and the Priesthood Forasmuch therefore as the Diuell came vnto vs Apocal. 20. hauing great wroth as it is in the 20 of the Reuelation we pray to our father which is in heauen for this especially that he lead vs not into this temptation but that hee deliuer vs from the euill thereof c. But who can reprehend a Bishop for keeping his faith and loyaltie to his Prince And yet they that teare in sunder the Kingdome and Priesthood with new schismes and new traditions promise to absolue those from the sinne of periurie that break their faith to their King c. Hereby let all men iudge who of the two deserueth punishment he that giueth vnto Caesar according to the decree of God himself those things that belong vnto Caesar or he that dishonoreth his King and takes that name of God in vayne by which he plighted his faith to the King See here the reason why we are excommunicated and why we are called false Clerkes who liuing Canonically deserue by our liues and conseruations to be called Clerkes He is I say no part of Gods lot alluding to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clerkes that is to say he hath no portion in his inheritance who will exclude vs out of his inheritance where then doth he place Paschal It is an iniurie which out of his wicked heart he vomiteth against vs as old witches vse to do S. Peter teacheth vs not to rule as Lords in Clero ouer Gods heritage 1. Peter 5.3 Galla. 4.19 but that we may be examples to the flocke And S. Paule My little children of whom I trauell in birth againe in in the Lord. These should be examples for Paschal to imitate or rather admonishers and not impious raylers and slaunderers The curse of excommunication our Lord Paschal hasteneth vpon vs but aboue all we feare that which the spirit of God by the mouth of the Psalmist hath sayd Cursed are all they that decline from his commaundements That curse of excommunication that Hildebrand Odoardus and this third haue by a new
tradition indiscreetly brought in we wholly reiect and we hold and reuerence those first holie Fathers vnto this day who by the motion of Gods spirit not carried by their owne affections haue otherwise ordayned Our Bishoppe communicateth with his King and Emperour to whom for those Royalties he holds from him hee hath sworne fidelitie It is a long time since this custome began and vnder the same many holie and reuerend Bishoppes haue departed this world giuing vnto Caesar that which belongs vnto Caesar and vnto God those things that are Gods And here they produce many places out of Ambrose and Augustine Now behold saith the Church of Liege why wee are held for excommunicats euen because wee hold and to our vttermost power doe imitate the holie and moderate auntient Fathers We hold with our Bishop and Archbishoppe our prouinciall and conprouinciall Synod according to the auntient tradition and whatsoeuer is there determined by the holie Scriptures we goe not to Rome but for such matters as are not determined by the Scriptures And as for those Legats a Latere who runne through the world to fill their purses wee wholly reiect them according to those Councels of Africa held in the times of Zozimus Caelestnius and Boniface For that we may know them by their fruites there proceeds from their Legations no correction of manners or amendement of life but the slaughters of men and the spoyle of the Church of God Forasmuch therefore as we sticke to the auntient rule are not caried with euerie wind of doctrine we are called excommunicats false Clerkes c. But rather let Paschal lay aside his spirit of presumption and let him aduisedly consider with his Councellors how from Siluester to Hildebrand the Popes haue obtayned the Chaire at Rome what and how many outrages haue beene committed by the ambition of that See how they haue beene defined by the Emperours and the false Popes condemned and deposed and he shall easily see that the imperiall power preuailed more than the excommunication of Hildebrand of Odoardus and of Paschal c. Paule the Apostle resisteth Peter the Prince of the Apostles to his face and therefore laying aside the wind of the Roman ambition why should not the Bishops of Rome be reprehended and corrected for great and manifest offences He that refuseth to be corrected is a false Bishop a false Clerke but we who by the mercie of God are obedient and corrigible according to the rule by the assistance of Gods spirit will auoyd Schismes and simonie and excommunications in all things c. Which if we were to be destroyed it were to be done by the edict of Kings and Emperors who beare not the sword in vayne But Sathan is let loosse Apocalip 12.12 hauing great wrath whom the powerfull hand of God will put to flight c. Alluding to that place in the Apocalips of the church persecuted by Sathan The authoritie of the Romans will free vs from excommunication Pope Hildebrand who was the Authour of this new Schisme and the first that raysed the Priestlie launce against the Princelie Diademe did first excommunicat those that indiscreetly fauoured Henrie but condemning himselfe of intemperancie he excepted those out of that excommunication that by a necessarie and lawfull subiection and no desire to doe ill tooke part with the Emperour And this hee set downe for a Decree c. Hee still proceedeth in the examination of this Epistle to Robert Persecute Robert the head of the heretikes and his maintayners thou canst offer no sacrifice more acceptable vnto God c. When Alaricus King of the Gothes went to take Rome being admonished by one of the seruants of God to desist from so wicked an enterprise I goe not willingly saith he to Rome but a certaine man doth daily vrge me to destroy it By this example doth the Pope vrge his Esquire to wast and ouerrunne the whole kingdome which cannot be done without slaughter and bloud and the ruine of the Church of God Alaricus was more mild who hauing taken Rome spared the Churches of God and abstained from the slaughter of men Now nothing is excepted but Robert is sent by the Pope not onely to ruinate those of Cambray and Liege but to indeauour wholly the destruction of all Who will crie out now with Esay How beautifull are the feet of those that preach peace c Doubtlesse that Zeale which S. Peter had when he cut off the eare of Malchus the same hath the Vicar of Peter in cutting off the eare of an hereticall King but he that will imitate Peter in wounding let him imitate likewise in putting his sword into his sheath c. Suppose our Emperour be an heretike as you would haue him yet he is not to be repelled as such a one by vs by taking armes against him but by prayer vnto God Against Pharao whose heart was hardned against God Moses brought frogges and flies and grashoppers and bayle These onely plagues he could no way auert but by praying with stretched out hands to heauen Ieremiah prayed for Nabuchad-nezzar and Paule for Nero c. And these examples he relateth more at large Which of the Popes of Rome hath by his Decrees giuen authoritie that a Bishop should vse the sword of warre against offendors Gregor l. 7. Regist c. 1. Gregorie the first Pope of that name telleth vs what all the Popes before him did thinke hereof all that succeeded him should think writing to Sabian the Deacon c. All contented with this example from Gregorie the first vsed the spirituall sword alone vnto the last Gregorie who was the first that armed himselfe and by his example others with the sword of warre against the Emperour c. You say with Gregorie howsoeuer the Shepheard bind let the flocke feare the band of the shepheard that is his censure Gregor Homil 26. And we say with Gregogorie that he depriueth himselfe of the power of binding loossing that bindeth loosseth not according to merit but his owne will You say likewise that be a man excommunicated for what cause soeuer if he die in that state he is damned The authoritie of the Church of Rome helpes vs in this For Gregorie the first hath authorised by writing and deed that the Pope of Rome hath power to absolue any man vniustly excommunicated by any man If then the Bishoppe of Rome can doe it who will say that God cannot absolue whomsoeuer the Pope hath vniustly excommunicated No man can be hurt by another that is not first hurt by himselfe But Robert can offer no sacrifice more acceptable vnto God than to persecute vs. I demaund of thee my mother the Church of Rome Can that sacrifice please God which is not cleane and without spot How then should this sacrifice of warre be acceptable vnto God which cannot be but vncleane full of murder rapine And this he amplifieth with many places of Scriptures And this saith he we commaund thee
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
and least of all ouer the Maiestie Imperiall and if he vsurpe the same they are bound by diuine lawes to resist him therein by word by deed by all meanes and all endeuours and not doing so they should be vniust and iniurious to God as on the contrarie they that fight for him and these false prerogatiues may be reputed to be the diuels champions That the Emperours confirmation belonged not to the Pope much lesse his election nay and this manner of his coronation by reason of many abuses growing from the same brings some danger to the Empire But so on the contrarie the Emperour being a Christian Prince by the consent of the Clergie and people may nominat a Pope and the partie being absent confirme him nominated If he be accused or obiected against he may reduce him into the true way and judge him by a Councell That Peter when he liued as he was a man might fall nay and erre neither was the Pope by any priuiledge exempted from error And whereas it was said to Peter Oraui pro te this may be extended likewise to the rest of the Apostles therfore he could be no surer of his faith constancie than the rest of the Bishops That only the Canon of the sacred Bible is the fountaine of truth in whose disesteeme wee must neither beleeue the Pope nor the Church That we ought not to beleeue the Popes and Cardinall onely about the sence and meaning of the Scriptures or any principall poynt of faith because verie often by their wicked interpretations and opinions they haue led miserable men to hell That the Christian Church is properly the generall bodie and number of the faithfull not the Pope or the Cardinals no not the Roman Church it selfe and the same is truely represented in a lawfull and general Councel of the Churches which was to be called by the Emperour with the consent of other Christian Princes and in times past was so perpetually called And surely my verie conscience vrgeth me to comprehend as briefly as I can what hee speakes of these things because neuer any man more plentifully displayed by what degrees and pretences the Popes haue attained to this height of tyrannie As also I would request the Reader not to thinke it tedious to read ouer the booke it selfe especially speaking of the Court of Rome Marsil Pataui part 2. c. 24. Those saith he which haue visited the Roman Court or to speake more significantly a Staple of traffickes more horrible than a denne of theeues Or they who haue not seene it may vnderstand by the report of a multitude of men worthie of credit that it is at this day become the verie receptacle of all bad and wicked practicioners both spirituall and temporall For what other thing is it than a concourse of Simoniacks What other than an harsh rude bawling of Barretters an Asylum for slaunderers and the trouble and vexation of honest men There the innocents iustice is hazarded or at least so long protracted if they be not able to compasse it by money and bribes that at last exhausted and toyld with innumerable disturbances they are enforced to let fall their miserable and tedious suites For there indeed humane lawes reecho and sound out but diuine precepts are are silent or seldome heard There are counsels and consultations of inuading Christian Princes by armed and violent power conquering and taking the same from them to whose custodie and iurisdiction they were lawfully committed but for purchasing of soules there is neither care nor counsell taken Whereunto we may annexe That there no order but perpetuall horror and confusion inhabites And as for my selfe that haue seene and beene present me thinkes I behold that fearefull statue which in the second of Daniel was represented to Nabuchadnezzar in a dreame hauing an head of gold armes and breast of siluer bellie and thighes of brasse yron legs and the feet one part yron and the rest of earth And so applying it in euerie part Brasen breasts and thighes saith he because of the shrill and large promises and the vocall though fallacious absolution from sinnes and penalties and the vniust and terrible maledictions and condemnations of such as but defend their owne libertie or obserue due fidelitie to their Soueraignes though through Gods protection all this rage and tumor is but vaine and innocuous And no maruell it is that the Index Romanus forbad all men the reading thereof Iohn de Iandun a Gantois maintained the same propositions who also was comprehended in the same sentence of condemnation a man of rare learning in those tempestuous dayes as may plainly be collected by his workes printed both at Venice and Florence Also Leopald of Bebemburg Doctor of the lawes and Bishop of Bamburg who handled the same argument namely That the Emperour had absolute power of gouerning the Empire presently after his election and the Popes coronation added nothing to him to whom he was neither vassall nor feudatarie He also conuicted Constantines donation to be a mere fable The title of the booke is De translatione Imperij printed at Paris anno 1540 but Michael of Cesenna Generall of the Franciscans spake much more broadly and confidently for he said expresly The Pope was Antichrist the Roman Church Babylon which was drunke with the bloud of the Saints And therefore Antoninus placeth him among the Fratricelli or poore Friers of Lyons who as formerly wee saw were the verie progenie of the Waldenses This man and his followers particularly auerred That Pope Iohn was an heretike and all the Popes and Prelats that should come after him Antonin parte 3. tit 21. c. 5. sect 1 And diuers saith Antoninus were burnt in sundrie parts of the world that stood firme in this opinion He also notes That long time after the Marquisat of Ancona Florence it selfe was full of them from whence being expelled they dispersed themselues ouer the countries of Greece as also that Lewis of Bauaria the Emperour was a supporter of these opinions and amongst others he makes mention of one Iohn Castiglio and Francis de Harcatara Franciscans Paulus Aemilius in Carolo Pulchro who were burnt Hereupon our Paulus Aemilius descends into these words Vnder king Charles the Faire there liued many admirable wits and most learned men This age flourished in learning Some of them were verie holie men and some contending ambitiously to excell others exceeding a meane grew to be wicked and impious Others there were of whose manners and intentions a doubtfull coniecture may bee made Good men grieued for the euils of the times and silently lamented And they who were called Fraterculi condemned both by deed and writing Ecclesiasticall wealth and opulencie and preached That riches the purple robe and domination were vnbeseeming and vnproper for religion c. But in the life of Philip de Valois we learne both out of him and other French writers That Pope Iohn what need soeuer he had of our
cause banished their countrey Theodor. Ã Nyem de schismate l. 3. who repaired to Iohn Hâ—s who as Aeneas Siluius saith gaue him great light in many principall poynts In Italie it selfe Nicholas Lucensis a Carmelite and Doctor of Diuinitie was not afraid out of the pulpet at Lucca in the presence of Gregorie the twelfth to preach against his and the Papall tyrannie whereupon he was cast into prison and hardly got out againe notwithstanding that fauour and helpe he had from the gouernour and from thence forward he was put to silence Besides infinit numbers of all estates and conditions whom euerie where with exquisit torments they put to death in France England and elsewhere some shut vp in barrels some hanged on gibbets some burnt whose memorie remaines in the bookes of their aduersaries themselues Thom. Waldens in Fasciculo Zizoniorum Baptista Panaetius in Chron. in sermon Thom. Walsing in Chron. Thom. Walsing an 1413. in Henr. 5. Waldensis Baptista Panetius Walsingham and others Amongst whom we must not forget Iohn Oldcastle a nobleman of England heire by right of his wife to the Lord Cobham A man saith Walsingham Regi propter probitatem charus acceptus in great fauour with king Henrie the fift for his honestie and likewise renowmed for his valour and great knowledge in feats of armes who in the yeare 1413 is in the historie called the Protector and defender of the Lollards for that name or title was giuen to all those who protested against the corruptions of the Church who sent into the Diocesses of London Rochester Hereford some to publish the truth of the Gospell without the leaue and license of the Ordinaries who were especially in their sermons to confute the doctrine of Transubstantiation the Sacrament of Penitence Perigrinations the worshipping of Images the Keyes vsurped by the Church of Rome For these speciall heads the Authour reciteth Hee therefore reporteth That Oldcastle being by the authoritie of the king committed to the Tower of London and being brought before the Archbishop of Canturburie hee tooke out of his bosome a copie of the confession of his Faith and deliuered it vnto him to read which the Archbishop hauing read said That it contained in it much good and Catholike matter but yet he must satisfie him touching other poynts that is to say the abouenamed but especially that that concerned the power of the Pope and Cardinals and the Roman Hierarchie which Oldcastle refused not to doe but ingeniously professed withall That the Pope was true Antichrist that is his head the Archbishops Bishops and other Prelats his members the Friers his tayle And as touching the other poynts Idem in Ypodigmate Neustriae an 1413. They are ordinances sayth he of the Church of Rome made against the Scriptures after that it grew rich and the poyson had dispersed it selfe therein and not before The place it selfe is worthie the reading that we may acknowledge the agreement of their doctrine with ours against which no man can cauill Wherefore the Archbishop pronounced Oldcastle an heretike and excommunicated him requiring the secular power for the putting of him to death But the king proceeding slowly and vnwillingly in this businesse he escaped out of prison to whom there gathered a great multitude to haue freed him from that danger who were almost all put to the sword and such amongst them as were taken prisoners as well Clergie as Lay vnder a pretence of heresie were put to death whose constancie appeares in these words That the greatest part of them nec quidem poenitere curabant tooke no care to repent If wee may credit Walsingham there were not then lesse than an hundred thousand who made publike profession of this doctrine Another Annalist in few words sayth Iohannes Capgrauius l. 2 de Nobilibus Henricis That Oldcastle was not afraid in the Parliament to say That England would neuer be at peace vntill the Popes power were banished beyond the seas And learned and eloquent as he was he caused many bookes to be scattered in the streets against the inuocation of Saints auricular confession the single life of Priests Transubstantiation and other abuses of the Church of Rome for which cause being led prisoner to London at the last he was burnt But there comes now vpon the stage euen with open faces Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage men by the testimonies of their aduersaries themselues renowmed for their learning and godlie conuersation who being called to publike charge in the Church did publikely preach against the abuses of the Church of Rome euen those that we in these dayes detest and abiure namely against the tyrannie of the Pope whom as their owne Iudges doe testifie they called Antichrist Aeneas Siluius in historia Bohemia c. 35. Aeneas Siluius himselfe who was afterwards Pope Pius the second sayth With the sound of their voyce the spirit of God assisting the word of God thundering in them the people were awakened out of their dead sleepe ran by flockes to this great light enuiting likewise their neighbours from diuers parts And whereas about that verie time Pope Iohn the foure and twentieth had granted a full remission of sinnes to all that would beare armes in defence of the Church of Rome against Ladislans king of Naples Certaine mecanicall persons saith Pius the second hearing this published with a lowd voyce Pope Iohn to be Antichrist bearing the crosse against Christians These good Fathers in the meane time assembled at the Councell of Constance for the reformation as they sayd of the Church as well in the head as in the members who should haue beene stirred vp thereunto by the sound of these Heraulds vnder a pretence of fidelitie as much as in them lay supprest and opprest them Being therefore called to the Councell vnder the trust of a safeconduct granted by the Emperour Sigismond who had called that Councell there to giue a reason of their doctrine they willingly came but presently they were cast into prison declared heretikes and in the end burnt aliue Iohn Hus first and Hierome about a yeare after Cap. 35. These Fathers leauing this Decree for an example and law to all posteritie Haereticis non seruandam fidem That we are not to keepe faith to Heretikes For such they accounted all those as we haue seene that withstood their opinions euen in matters meerely ciuile and that not without an apparent purpose to cut off all hope of a reformation of the Church by a free and lawfull Councell Siluius telleth vs That they were admonished not to thinke themselues more wise than the Church and that it would be easie for them to obtaine an honourable place in the Church if they would renounce their opinions In which meanes of conuerting we may easily note the stile of that auncient Doctor tempting our Sauiour in the desart Cap. 36. But they answer saith Pius That they teach the truth being the disciples of Christ directing themselues
was If you will say that those statues were erected not past some two hundred yeares was it not long ynough for Rome to take knowledge of it being vnder her nose and to gaine say it if it had beene false Last of all Onuphrius sayth Luitprand l. 6. c. 6. 7. That he is of opinion that this tale proceeded from hence That Pope Iohn the twelfth had manie concubines and aboue the rest Ione Raineria and Stephania and because he suffered himselfe to be led by Ione and did what pleased her some idle head or other inuented this tale of her But he whose occupation is to be an Annalist doth he not remember that there are an hundred yeares betweene And what probabilitie to put Iohn the twelfth for Iohn the eight And doth he thinke with this friuolous conjecture to shake the foundation of so manie proofes And which is more Luitprand whom he alledgeth among all his concubines nameth no Ione but Raineria he doth whom he made gouernesse of manie Cities and gaue her manie Crosses and Chalices of S. Peter and Stephania who died in childbed of his doing being brought to bed before her time likewise one Anna a widow and another which was his neece As for Ione which Onuphrius nameth first there is no such named in Luitprand but Onuphrius hath foisted her name in onely to giue a colour to his owne inuentions And now let the indifferent Reader be judge of this strife betweene vs. 31. PROGRESSION The attempts of Pope Nicholas vpon the Emperour Lewis vpon Lotharius king of Lorraine vpon the Bishops of France and the small reckoning he made of holie Scripture An. 855. YEt could not this shame make them let goe their hold but the worser their game the better face they set vpon it Benedict the third then succeeded this Ione and was inthroned without leaue asking of the Emperour and thinking it ynough if he sent him word afterward thereof Whence followed that schisme of Anastasius who was borne out by those of the greater sort and qualitie and by the Emperour Lewis at the instance of his embassadours so that they were forced to returne to a new election wherein Benedict through the fauour of the people Anastas in Benedict 3. was againe preferred in the election and then followed by the consent of the Emperor and in the presence of his Lieutenants his confirmation Whereby it euidently appeareth That there was a meere nullitie in the first Act for want of his authoritie This Benedict liued not long and did but little but so soone as Lewis sole Emperour now by the decease of Lotharius and who had nothing to take vnto but onely Italie heard thereof knowing how neerely it concerned him to maintaine this prerogatiue he remoued presently to Rome to assist at the creation of a successor but found himselfe preuented by a choise alreadie made of Nicholas the first who as the manner then was had hid himselfe to make the world beleeue that he was elected against his will and was shortly after consecrated in the presence of the Emperour This is he whom they vse to compare to Gregorie the Great who indeed at the first entrance into his office made his hautie mind and itching humour sufficiently to appeare For abusing either the deuotion or the present necessities of the Emperour whose dominion was confined with the narrow bounds of a part of Italie and that ouerlaid with the inuasion of the Sarasens he was content to let him take his horse by the bridle at two seuerall times Idem in vita Nicolai 1. and querrie-like to lead him aboue a bow shoot as Anastasius himselfe reporteth adding farther That they kissed each other at their parting But Sigonius in a more glorious manner Sigon de Reg. Ital. li. 5. saith That the Emperour taking his leaue kissed his holie foot An. 860. and so returned into Lombardie In the yeare 890 Iohn Archbishop of Rauenna set his old Title on foot againe declaring That he held nought from the See of Rome whereupon he fell presently into suspition of Heresie for greater Heresie than this knew they none in those dayes Anastas in Nicol 1. Sigon de Reg. Ital. li. 5. Nicholas hereupon stirred vp some of his inferiour Bishops against him who also made other complaints of him whereupon he was depriued of his Bishopricke Iohn in this extremitie fled vnto the Emperour who mediated for him to the Pope The Pope called a Synod at Rome to heare and to sentence his cause in the presence of the Emperours embassadours where he was condemned to acknowledge the Pope to enter into a straiter band and to take a more speciall oath vnder paine of forfeiture of some good summe of money as we haue said before to him and his successors once in euerie two yeares to visit the Court of Rome if he were not hindered by sicknesse or otherwise dispensed with by the Pope This we learne out of Histories and a certaine Author of that time telleth vs That the ground of this rigorous proceeding was for that he seemed too familiar with the Emperor and farther That in despight of the Emperour for that he had appeared in his cause his anger led him vnder a colour of inspiratiō from heauen to set the crown of the Empire vpon Charles the Bauld his head Neither did the Pope stay here It fel out that Lotharius king of Lorraine falling in loue with a concubine of his called Waldrada whom he had of long time kept desired to be rid of his queene Thietberga and to marie her and Guntier Archbishop of Collen whether kinsman to Waldrada as some report or vpon what other respect I know not assisted the king in this his purpose Wherupon was a Synod assembled at Metz where the queene made her apparance and witnesses were produced to testifie a filthie incest betweene her and her brother and she was thereupon separated from Lotharius who shortly after in another Synod at Aix presented a bill shewing the importance of hauing children to succeed him and thereupon got leaue to take another wife which was this Waldrada the cause of all this quarell Hereupon the friends of Thietberga began to stirre among the rest Hubert duke of Mantiou Transturanorum Dux an allie of Charles of France and vncle though no great friend vnto Lotharius these complained to Pope Nicholas who hasted to be dealing with a Prince that was faultie finding himselfe to be backed by a puissant king of France and thereupon dispatched an embassage to Lotharius cited Thietgard Archbishop of Treuers and Gontier of Collen to appeare at Rome to answer the separation which they had made of Thietberga from Lotharius Annal. inceris Authoris made them deliuer vp into his hands the whole processe of the cause in writing by which they offered to shew That they had done nothing contrarie to the Canons called not long after a Synod of certain Bishops without any summons giuen to
the small reckoning they made of holie Scripture thereby to aduance the credit of their owne Decretall Epistles But no maruell since he is not afraid to attribute to himselfe the verie name of God and that in a certaine Decret canonized by Gratian It is plaine ynough saith he D. 96. ca. Satis euidentèr 7. that the Pope can neither be bound nor loossed by any secular authoritie whom it is euident that the godlie Prince Constantine called by the name of God seeing that it is a point without contradiction That God cannot be bound For if the name of God be taken in both places in one the same sence i. for the Euerliuing God then he calleth himselfe The true God if otherwise then are there foure terms in his Syllogisme therefore it concludeth not and so stil there is in his words either fraud or blasphemie Adde we hereunto That he is false in his allegation for Constantine as all Historians report spake those words of all the Bishops assembled at the Councell of Nice and by the same reason all they were not to be judged by men least of all by the Pope who was not in that companie and therefore had no part in that saying of his but onely as he was of their Order For Syluester was at Rome whiles the Fathers were at Nice And yet Nicholas his successor attributeth those words to himselfe in preiudice of and excluding all other Bishops to whom it was spoken Gloss ib. And the Glosse vpon that Canon well obserueth That after this reckoning a Bishop could not iudge his Clergie vnder him and we may say after him That much lesse then may a Pope judge the Bishops For saith the Glosse 11. q. 1. c. Sacerdoti Omnes Clericos this saying of Constantine is to bee vnderstood of all Ecclesiastikes in generall meaning in that sence in which Saint Gregorie speaketh saying That all Priests in holie Scripture are called sometimes Gods and sometimes Angels The words of the Canon Futuram though falsely attributed to Miltiades 12. q. 1. c. Futuram Quorundam Clericorum are these Constantine the Emperour Presiding ouer the Councell of Nice seeing the complaints of certaine Clerkes brought vnto him sayd vnto them You can be iudged of none because you are kept to be iudged by God alone seeing you haue bin called Gods and so they destroy one the other Thus much for the Policie As for the Doctrine I haue elsewhere declared That this was that Nicholas who most violently put in execution the Law of Caelibate or Single life among Church-men threatening Anathema to those which withstand it whereof ensued much trouble in the Westerne Churches But before we proceed any farther we must first see whether he carried all these attempts without resistance or no. OPPOSITION And first as touching the Reduction of the Church of Rauenna to the obedience of the See of Rome That Heresie for which the Archbishop was accused Author Coaetaneus in Appendice Historica is at large set downe by an Author of that time in manner following The Emperour saith he not to surcharge with taxes those which had beene alreadie pilled and spoiled by the Sarasens demaunded helpe of Rauenna and Venice by their meanes to succour Apulia by sea At that time Iohn was Archbishop of Rauenna who seruing the Emperour in house was verie familiar with him Whereupon Pope Nicholas moued with a spirit of enuie grew into great choler against him and went about to call him to Rome by a tricke purposing if he could catch him there to conuent him in an Ecclesiasticall Court and to condemne him and to put another in his roome Iohn hauing a wind of this practise fled to the Queene Enguilberta who sent her embassadours to the Pope requesting him to receiue the Archbishop to his fauour But failing in her suit she humbly entreated the King her husband to receiue the Archbishop into his protection and to stand betweene harme and him Inaudito Principe and to forbid the Pope to meddle with him And because the Pope had excommunicated him without hearkening to the Prince therefore was there great heart-burning betweene them till in the end the Regall Honour stood vp against the Apostolike Dignitie putting him in mind of the ancient lawes and statutes of the Church by which a Prelat might not excommunicat a Bishop without the aduise of a Synod and that the calling of a Synod did not belong to the Pope but to the Emperour Whereupon grew sundrie dammages vnto the Pope For in Romania and la Marche the Emperour bestowed Church benefices vpon his followers Ordines beneficiales commaunding them to pay nothing to Rome c. seised of many of the Popes lands in Campania to his owne vse and of such as were about him c. and in a word by the aduise of the Nobilitie of Rome established in Rome one Arsenius for their Bishop a man of great sanctitie and much learning Legat of the See of Rome and gaue him for his assistant Iohn the Deacon chiefe Chancellor and a Secretarie of his own which afterwards was made Bishop of Rieta This was as you see all that damnable Heresie which the Pope pretended and this was the order which the Emperor tooke in Rome it selfe So that saith the Historian when the Emperour saw fit time he came to Rome where he was honourably receiued by great and small the Archbishop of Rauenna came also with him not fearing the Popes threats which strooke yet a greater heat betweene the Emperour and the Pope For the Emperor taking vp his lodging at Saint Peters Palace and the Pope lying at the holie Apostles when he saw that whateuer he attempted against the Royall Dignitie came to naught he appointed certaine Monkes and Nunnes these were their old prankes of the Monasteries about Rome who euerie morning by way of deuotion went saying the Letanie round about the walls and singing Masses against bad Princes The great ones about the Emperour vnderstanding hereof went to the Pope entreated him kindly to forbid such doings but not able to preuaile with him went their wayes discontent It fell out shortly after that some of the souldiers going to Paules lighted vpon these Letanies who through the instigation of the old enemie were thereupon moued to choler and in duetie to their Lord reuenged them of these wrongs done vnto him wounded many of them and made all take their heeles and run away casting downe Crosses and Images which they carried in procession after the manner of the Greekes whereof some were broken and others trampled vnder foot The Emperour hereupon grew much offended and the Pope somewhat calmer than before and went to the Emperours lodging to entreat for those of his companie who had committed that offence and hardly could obtaine for them And from that time forward they grew more familiar than before But the Imperiall authoritie was still maintained at Rome Thus we see how
that Hincmar of Laon appeare before our clemencie and that his accuser appeare also with him c. a stile not vsed heretofore by our predecessors when they wrot to ours And although we perceiue that you goe about to bring into the Church of God instead of the cleere light of simplicitie and humilitie the thicke mist of the pride of this world yet will we haue a better opinion of your will and meaning considering that a man as a man may doe that in hast which vpon better consideration â—â— would wish vndone againe But where doth your Secretarie find That the Apostolike See may commaund a king who by his office is a correcter of the faultie a chastiser of offenders and by all law both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall a reuenger of crimes committed to send an offendor to Rome condemned alreadie by due course of law and according to the Canons for his disorders and one who before his depriuing was conuicted before three seuerall Synods to haue endeuoured the disturbance of the common peace and tranquilitie and since his depriuing hath persisted in his obstinacie by himselfe and others c. Know therefore saith he as we haue alreadie written vnto you That we Kings of France and of royall ofspring Non Vicedomini sed terrae domini are not to be reckoned as Vidames and Vicegerents of Bishops but Lords of the Earth And so goeth hee on to proue by the testimonies of holie Scriptures out of the mouth of our Sauiour and his Apostles and by the sayings of Augustine Leo and of the Synod of Rome it selfe what is due from all men and from Bishops themselues to the royall dignitie And saith he if you search your offices you shall find that our auncestors neuer receiued any such commaunds from your predecessors not Theodoric and Theodobert from Saint Gregorie when he wrot for Vrcism of Turin But if saith he it be true to wit that he was deposed contrarie to the Canons we intreat you that of your owne accord in reuerence of the Church and regard of equitie you would be pleased to grant our request Neither vsed he any other stile when he wrot to the Exâ—rch who yet was inferiour to our ranke in the cause of Blondus Bishop of Ortona whom the Exâ—rch held prisoner at Rauenna We cannot beleeue saith he that your Excellencie holdeth him there without some probable cause and therefore it is fit his cause should be heard in a Synod to see whether his fault be such as may deserue depriuation to the end we may put another in place Thus spake he of Bishops not yet deposed for their crimes and therefore iudge Whether in the case of one which hath beene legallie and orderlie depriued for his enormities by the iudgement of a Synod he would haue commaunded vs as you haue done Vt eum nostra fretum potentia RomaÌ„ mittamus That by our power we should send him to Rome Saint Augustine saith vnto Ianuarius All these things which are not contained in the holie Scriptures nor ordained in the Councels of Bishops nor confirmed by generall custome I thinke fit they should be taken away Where then did your Scribe find this law which neither the Lord hath written with his owne finger nor inspired to bee written which he neuer ordained in the hand of a Mediator which no Painim euer commaunded no Christian euer proposed nor any Church-man hath decreed by which he commaundeth me to be a fauourer of a man condemned and excommunicated by the Church Me I say a King established by God girt with a two-edged sword a reuenger of the wicked and defender of the good when he bids me send Hincmar to Rome one that hath broken the lawes disgraced the Priesthood and wronged the Royall Dignitie a troubler of the State a periured person a mutiner a scourge of his Church sacrilegious scandalous to the countrey wherein he liueth not caring to crosse one of his deeds with another nor to doe contrarie to his owne hand writing and who seeth not that this law was vomited out of the bottome of hell it selfe c. But the holie Scriptures chalke vs out the way which we must walke against such lawes Christ the power and wisedome of God saith By me Kings raigne and by me Princes decree iust things The holie Councels also shew what is to bee done namely that of Afrike c. Likewise the Emperours Valens Gratian Valentinian Iustinian and others Which lawes ought to be obserued not onely by other Bishops but also by the Popes themselues Which Leo the Pope writing to Leo the Emperour well acknowledged so did Gelasius to Anastasius as by their words may and doth appeare And therefore saith he we hold vs to that for the Lord telleth vs by his Prophet That the lips of the Priest shall preserue knowledge and men shall seeke the law at his mouth And therefore you may not suffer any man in your name to write that to vs which is not contained either in the holie Scriptures indited by the wisedome of God or at least in the holie Canons published by his spirit For the Prophet saith to the Priest which commandeth Thou shalt declare to them that which thou hast heard of me Of me saith he not of thy selfe and they are blamed who speake of their owne mind because he that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glorie Let no man in your name write vnto vs visions threats of excommunications contrarie to the beaten way of the Scriptures the writings of the Fathers the sacred Lawes and holie Canons For you know and so doe we that whatsoeuer is repugnant to this is void and of none effect It was said to S. Peter saith S. Leo To thee will I giue the keyes c. The right of this power passed to all the Apostles and this decree to all the chiefe of the Church c. and consequently this prerogatiue of Saint Peter is common to euerie one which iudgeth according to the equitie of Saint Peter For when it is said Vbicunque as no place it excepted so likewise is no Bishop which iudgeth according to the equitie of Saint Peter As on the contrarie no Bishop is commended which iudgeth contrarie to the same He should haue said no not the Bishops themselues of Rome And whereas the Pope gaue order That together with Hincmar should come a competent accuser to haue the whole cause reuiewed in his presence Although saith he this be grounded vpon no reason yet if you thinke Hincmar to be lawlesse and if your Emperour my nephew will be content that I shall passe through Italie to Rome I will not faile to be there so soone as by the grace of God I shall be able to set my realme in some good order against the Painims And because my selfe accused him in open Synod I will be there in person a competent accuser against him in many causes and we will bring so many and so great accusers of all sorts
with vs that we will very sufficiently proue that he was lawfully and orderly accused and conuicted To conclude because you haue ouershot your selfe in what is alreadie past we now entreat you for the honour of God and in reuerence to the holie Apostles that from hence forward you send no such mandats either to vs or to our Prelats or to the great men of our kingdome least we be enforced to dishonour them and those which bring them Which we tell you of beforehand for the honour of your priuiledge because we desire to be obedient vnto you in all things that are fitting as vnto the Vicar of Saint Peter But you must also take heed that you driue vs not to take that course which is both approued and commended in the fift generall Councell concerning the Apostolike authoritie and in the Synodall Epistle of Saint Gregorie to the foure Patriarches and the foure precedent Epistles all which treat of the ordering and limiting of Ecclesiasticall powers and jurisdictions which we would not insert into these our letters till we might see whether we may bend you to mitigat the rigour of your commaunds For looke what is sent vnto vs in the name of the See Apostolike according to the holie Scriptures and the preachings of our auncestors and the Decrees of the Orthodox Fathers we know we ought to follow But what euer commeth besides come it from whom it will we know how to reiect and to controll it Last of all if in this answer there be any thing misbeseeming me or you you haue forced me thereunto Such were the letters which passed betweene king Charles the Bauld and Adrian the second though he had giuen him not long before some hope to make him Emperour though any other would giue him bushels of gold Baron vol. 10. an 871. art 79. offering him indeed an Empire but as he did in the desart vpon condition That he would fall down and worship him And this Charles was he which a few yeares before An. 853. first made a breach vpon the liberties of the French Synods when about the yeare 853 hauing held a Synod at Soissons two or three yeares after he sent the Acts thereof to Benedict the third thinking onely to gratifie him and neuer considering vnto what consequence his successors might draw the same Our French Bishops wrot much after the same maner vpon the same argument vnto Adrian being assembled in Synod at Dousy wherein they call him Primae Sedis Papam complaining That they were vtterly mistaken and casting the fault vpon his multitude of other businesses that he had not more maturely considered of their Acts which were in all points agreeing with the holie Canons As for the Excommunication which Adrian thundered out against this Charls we could wish we had his owne Epistle in answer to it but Hincmars the Archbishop of Reimes we haue who receiued command from the Pope to pronounce it and we will here produce the principall clauses thereof And first of all hauing complained of many grieuous reproofes and menaces receiued he declareth vnto him That he had imparted the tenor of his letters to the great ones and Prelats of the kingdome and which was more had caused them to be openly read in an assemblie of Bishops of France and Lorraine and had shewed Lewis king of Germanie the aboue mentioned letter wherein he was commaunded by Adrian to excommunicat by his authoritie all those who attempted any thing vpon the kingdome of Lotharius deceased I vnderstand saith he Qui de regno eius estis that like letters haue beene sent to the glorious king Lewis and to the great ones and Bishops of his kingdome which you who are his naturall borne subiect should best know But comming afterwards to the matter he letteth him to vnderstand That he is informed by diuers that the two kings had agreed to diuide this kingdome equally betweene them without which the people had long ere this beene vp in armes That therefore hee knoweth not what to doe seeing he must either disobey his commaund or disallow of the treatie and accord made betweene the two kings That whereas he saith That no man better than himselfe knoweth the great wrong which Charles doth herein he plainely telleth him That in case he did know yet would hee not thereupon doe any thing seeing that Charles confesseth no such matter of himselfe neither standeth he legally or canonically conuict thereof But rather protesteth and many there are which beare him witnesse That this part of the kingdome of Lorraine was by the consent and assent as well of the Bishops as of the great ones of the Empire giuen him by his father Lewis and confirmed to him by oath by his brother Lotharius That therefore he taketh that Canon of the Councell of Afrike to be spoken to him as well as to all other Bishops whereby men are forbidden to lay a crime to a mans charge which he is not able to euict by proofes because as S. Augustine who was there present saith Manie things are true which yet a Iudge may not beleeue without sufficient proofes That he hath no power to put anie man from the Communion for a crime neither confessed by the defendant nor proued by the informer That otherwise they should make themselues both judges and accusers which were not lawfull alledging for his authoritie the rule of the Apostle and the practise of the Church with sundrie places out of Augustin Gelasius Boniface and others And whereas he is charged by him as a partaker or rather author of this vnjust inuasion because he held his peace and stirred not as he was commaunded his answere is That Adrian should remember that it was written The cause which I vnderstood not I searched out with diligence and that Gregorie sayth That God to whose eyes all things are open yet in the verie case of Sodome sayth Descendum videbo I will goe downe and see to teach vs to be well informed before we beleeue a fault And whereas he commaundeth him to seperate himselfe from Charles and not to bid him so much as Good morrow whereas yet he desireth to be receiued to the Communion of Adrian that this toucheth him to the heart and that manie men of great sort both secular and Clergie now met at Rheimes hauing heard this commaund say that the like was neuer heard of to be sent from Rome though in their dayes there had beene warres before this time not onely betweene confederat Kings but also betweene the brothers and betweene the father and the sonnes That for his owne part he must needs thinke that this displeasure is befallen him for his other sinnes seeing it fareth better with some others who haue not doubted to call Charles into the kingdome of Lorraine That for the rest the Parliament of that kingdome sayth That Popes and Bishops excommunications are no titles to claime kingdomes by That the Scripture teacheth that
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
attempts his fortitude in the middest of dangers his incredible courage patience in labours counsell answerable to his magnanimitie and his diligence as farre forth as his age is capable in militarie affaires his knowledge of diuine and humane lawes an euerlasting desire of peace care of religion bountie towards the poore clemencie towards the vanquished benignitie towards his friends beneuolence towards souldiers in all which he hath excelled all the German and Roman Princes that euer were And if he had beene a wicked tyran yet it had beene our dueties to haue obeyed him not to rebell against him and all humane lawes and the decrees of our forefathers doe forbid a mans aduersaries his enemies to be his accusers witnesses and Iudges The Emperour made peace with Hildebrand in Italie whilest by the perfidious treacherie of a few Saxonie fell from him A traiterous tyran who receiued due punishment for his treacherie contemning all oathes and promises and all affinitie and kindred inuaded him At the last he concludeth No man may proceed or pronounce sentence against a man that is depriued vntill he be restored to his former estate See the booke and read the law and so he deliuered it to Wesilus Archbishop of Mence Guebhard Bishop of Saltzbourge being for his age eloquence and learning chosen Prolocutor by the Bishops that tooke part with Hildebrand was mute and answered not a word From that time forward many of the Bishops and Princes of Saxonie abiure the sect of Hildebrand that name they retained in the time of Vrban and repenting themselues of what they had done came to the Emperour Onely foureteene persist obstinat therein who being assigned to appeare the moneth following at Mence at their day of appearance came not There the rest of the Bishops of Germanie being present with the Legats of the Bishops of France and Italie by the common consent of all the sect of Hildebrand is judged to be contrarie to Christian pietie Otho called Vrban being conuicted of sacriledge and irreligion was excommunicated and those foureteene being condemned of rebellion periurie murder were deposed Moreouer Historiographers doe obserue that in one yeare all the Bishops and Princes died that had kindled those ciuile warres wherewith the whole Empire for the space of seuenteene yeares had beene set on fire and they recite them by name which was in the yeare 1090. An. 1090. Waltram in Epist ad Ludouic Comitem It was at this time that Waltram Bishop of Magdeburge writ an Epistle to the Earle Lodowick whom hee calls a glorious Prince wherein he proues out of the Scriptures that obedience is due to lawfull Kings and Princes to the end he might arme him against the imposters of that age who to women and the vulgar sort of people preached contrary doctrines setting likewise before his eyes the judgements of God vpon Rodolph Hildebrand the Marquesse Egbert and diuers other Princes who bare armes for the Pope against the Emperour Sigebert in Chron. At which time likewise Sigebert speaking of Vrban chosen against Clement and of those things that followed thereupon From hence saith he grew scandalls in the Church and diuisions in the State the one disagreeing from the other the Kingdom from the Priesthood one excommunicating another the one contemning the excommunications of the other either out of a preiudicat opinion of the cause or the person and whilest the one abuseth the authoritie of excommunicating against the other by doing it rather according to his owne lusts than with any respect of iustice he that gaue the power of binding and loossing is altogether contemned Doubtlesse this noueltie that I may not say heresie did not till now appeare in the world That his Priests who causeth the hypocrite to raigne for the sinnes of the people should teach the people That they owe no subiection to wicked Kings and though by oath they bind themselues vnto him yet they owe him no fidelitie neither are they to be accounted periured persons who resist the King but rather to be accounted an excommunicat person that obeyes the King and that man to be absolued from all iniustice and periurie that opposeth himselfe against him Others speake more confidently Then did there arise false Prophets Apostles Priests who deceiued the people with a false religion doing great signes and wonders and of some he makes instance who began to sit in the Temple of God and to be extolled aboue all that is worshipped and whilest they goe about to establish their owne power they extinguish all charitie and Christian simplicitie c. As if the decree of the immortall God kept not alwayes one course That no periured persons shall inherit the kingdome of heauen The most part of the best sort of men such as were iust and honest and ingenuous and simple haue left in writing That at that time they foresaw the Empire of Antichrist to be beginning and those things to come to passe that our Sauiour Christ Iesus had long before foretold Sigebert and Auentine after diuers others doe note Auent l. 5. That the prodigious wonders that were obserued in those times did astonish the minds of most men The heauens saith he seene many times to burne the Sunne and Moone to lose their light the starres to fall from heauen to the earth burning torches fierie darts flying through the ayre new starres neuer seene before Sigebert in Chron. Auent l. 5. pitched pauillions and armies in the ayre encountring one another and innumerable the like whereby the people were confirmed in their opininion But especially when they saw the sonne to conspire against the state and life of his father Conrade against Henrie who had appointed him to be his successor An. 1095. and that by the persuasion compulsion and approbation of Pope Vrban instigated or rather bewitched by the cunning of Mathilda his father in the meane time leauing nothing vndone that might regaine him to his duetie obedience who preuailing nothing by his just gentle exhortations was enforced in the Councels and solemne assemblies of the Empire to beg vengeance from heauen and earth euen with teares in his eyes All this in the meane time was couered vnder a pretence of that sacred and plausible expedition to Hierusalem the mysterie whereof William of Malmesburie opened before vnto vs That by that meanes Vrban might recouer his authoritie at Rome or rather diuert the minds of men imployed about remote affaires from those more necessarie businesses that touched them more neerely at home That whilest they bended all their endeuors abroad to persecute the Infidels they might neglect Antichrist freely wasting all at home in the Church Neither wanted he in that impure and darke world a bait whereby to win and allure the simple people to that war which was an absolute absolution from all their sinnes without any penance What greater encitement could there be to men who were to inuade a countrey wherein all things were left to the
a greater and more diuine power granted vnto them from aboue for further edification and not for destruction they were the deepelier engaged to exclude and extirpate such bloud-suckers out of the Church of God And so inferring that his commaundements were of this nature and therefore not Apostolicall For this saith he would be but either a manifest defect corruption or abuse of his sacred and absolute power or an absolute recession from the glorious throne of our Lord Iesus Christ and a present accession to the pestilentiall chaire of infernall torments intimated in the two forementioned Princes of darkenesse Neither can any subiect or faithfull one vnto that seat in immaculat and incontaminat obedience and no wayes by schisme disseuered nor rent from the same bodie of Christ and the same holie seat obey the same precepts commaundements or iniunctions from whence soeuer they come yea though it were from the highest order of Angels but of necessitie he must needs with his whole power contradict oppose them For the sanctitie of the See Apostolicall can enioyne nothing but that which tends to edification and not destruction for herein consists the fulnesse of power That all things may be done to edification and these things which are tearmed Prouisions tend no way to edification but to manifest destruction Wherefore the blessed seat Apostolicall may no wayes entertaine them because flesh and bloud which shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen hath reuealed these things and not the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is in heauen Vpon the receit of these letters Innocent so stormed as he vowed by Peter and Paul That if a certaine naturall clemencie did not dissuade me I would bring him to such a confusion that he should be an example terrour prodigie and a verie fable to all the world Is not the king of England our vassall nay and to say more our bondchild who at a becke of our finger can imprison and impose vpon him any reproach or shame And the Cardinals could hardly assuage his furie by saying How it was not conuenient to denounce any hard Decree against the Bishop for to confesse but truth said they these things are most true which he inferreth Condemne him we cannot he is a Catholike nay and a most holie one more holy more religious and more excellent than our selues and of a farre better life so as it may hardly be beleeued that amongst all the Prelats there is any one better or equall to him This the whole French and English Clergie know and therefore our contradictions would but little auaile and so the truth of this Epistle which peraduenture is well knowne to many may excite and stirre vp many against vs For he is reputed a great Phylosopher absolutely learned in the Geeeke and Latine tongues a louer of iustice a publike Reader in Diuinitie Scholes a Preacher to the people a louer of chastitie and a persecutor of Symoniacks This was vttered by the Lord Aegidius a Spanish Cardinall and others who seemed to be touched euen in their owne consciences And so they aduised our Lord the Pope conniuently with dissimulation to passe ouer all these matters not raising any stirre or tumult thereupon But obserue the reason which he annexed to all the former allegations Especially saith he because it is knowne that a departure must one day happen That departure foretold by the Apostle in the second to the Thessalonians cap. 2. Antichrist himselfe being to be the author hereof whom they expected and looked for not as they would haue it beleeued from Babylon but euen out of the heart of the Church from Rome it selfe And hereupon grew Innocents mortall hatred to Lincolne But this verie yeare he fell sicke in his house at Buckdon where speaking to Frier Iohn of S. Giles one of the Predicant Order he both sharply reprehended him others of his institution vowing pouertie That they did not reprehend the sinnes of great men with whom they were familiar yea though it were of the Pope himselfe who committed the care of soules to his owne vnworthie kinsmen that were both ignorant and greene in yeares this being a true heresie contrarie to sacred Scripture which commaunds vs to ordaine fit and conuenient Pastors and therefore the Pope was an heretike in doing so and they in conniuing thereat being both worthie of eternall punishment Then calling about him his Clergie and mourning for those soules which perished through the auarice of the Court of Rome Christ said he came into the world that he might gaine soules and therefore whosoeuer feares not to loose soules he may not worthily be tearmed an Antichrist God in six dayes created the whole world but for mans redemption he trauelled and suffered therein more than thirtie yeares may not therefore a destroyer of soules be thought to be the enemie of God and Antichrist The Pope impudently annihilates the priuiledges of the holie Roman Bishops his predecessors with this Prouiso Non obstante c. Grant that any of those Popes were saued and God forbid the contrarie doth not our Sauiour say He that is least in the kingdome of heauen is greater than Iohn Baptist a greater than whom there was neuer any amongst the sonnes of women Is not then such a Pope who was a giuer and confirmer of priuiledges greater than this man liuing Wherefore doe they then that follow root vp the foundations laid by their predecessors Many Apostolicall persons confirmed diuers priuiledges which had formerly in pietie beene granted Are not many alreadie saued through diuine grace of farre greater authoritie than one who yet hangs in danger From whence then proceeds this iniurious temeritie to frustrat the priuiledges of so many auncient Saints And here hee spake liberally against the rapines and simonies of the Roman Church which enioyned the Friers Mendicants to be alwayes neere at hand to those who were departing the world to the end to persuade them to bequeath a part of their goods by Will and Testament for the aid of the Holie Land or if they recouered health to vow a journey thither They sold the Croisado to lay persons euen as they were woont to sell oxen and sheepe in the Temple they sold many things and these peraduenture to be appropriated to their owne vses And we also viewed the Popes letter wherin we found written That they which made such Testaments tooke vpon them the crosse or affoorded any aid or succour to the Holie Land the more money they bestowed the more plenarie Indulgence they should receiue In briefe Eius auariciae totus non sufficit orbis Eius luxuriae meretrix non sufficit omnis The whole world not suffic'd his auarice to content Nor harlots all his lust so ill his mind was bent And it was in this that he did manifest by what meanes the Roman Court like as Behemoth in Iob promised to swallow vp all Iordan in his throat might vsurpe vnto her selfe the goods of all intestates and
victorious where he had no opposite But if this supreme spirituall power should offend whether in this case must be our refuge I pray you see how perspicuously he resolues this doubt If this supreme power erre 1. Cor. 1. v. 14. 15. must onely be iudged by God and not by man the Apostle testifying The spirituall man iudgeth all things but he is iudged of no man but is this spirituall man of Paules to be onely vnderstood by the Pope doth he not there rather oppose one to another the man meerly animal and liuing to the man spiritual the man regenerat by the spirit of God to one vnregenerat and haue all the faithful this power to judge of Kings and Princes as their superiours Is the Bishop of Rome then onely a faithfull one in that he onely assumes to himselfe this power and prerogatiue And thus in their Decretalls the Popes make as meere a mock of the Scriptures no lesse than Roman Pasquill doth Yet notwithstanding out of these ridiculous antecedents he impudently concludes We therefore affirme declare determine and pronounce That vnder paine saluation euerie creature must be subiect to the Pope of Rome But now let vs see how wicked an vse he makes of so impious a Decretall After the Emperour Rodulphes death there grew a schisme and rend in the Empire there concurring at the same time a vacancie of the Popedome for part of the Princes especially the Ecclesiasticall chose Adolph Count of Nassau and the other part Albert Rodolphes sonne But when Boniface came to be Pope he reiected them both vnder this pretext that without his approbation they could descend to no election Hereupon grew a ciuile warre in Germanie and at a last a battell was fought wherein Adolph was slaine so as then Albert came to be easily confirmed in the dignitie by all the Doctors When the Iubile was ended he sent embassadours to Rome to haue his election by him ratified and confirmed Krantzius in Saxon. l. 8. c. 36. But this stout Pralat made answer That without his authoritie the election past was not validious affirming that he had in his hands the power of both swords Another pregnant testimonie he gaue of himselfe in the Easterne Empire Charles Count of Valois brother to Philip le beau king of France maried Katherine daughter to Baldwin Emperour of Constantinople he permitted him to inuade the Easterne Empire out of which his father in law was driuen vnder colour sayth Platina of vsing his aid in an expedition to the Holie Land Platina in Bonifac 8. Extra in Sexto l. 5. c. 23. Clericus but rather in truth to constitute him his Lieutenant in Tuscan for the extirpation of all the Gibellines And at last he grew to that height of insolencie as that he commaunded by authoritie Apostolicall all Prelats Clerkes and persons Ecclesiasticall to pay no tributes tenthes twenties nor hundreds to any lay powers to Emperours Kings Dukes Counts Barons or inferior Lords c. as also that they should impose nothing vpon them vpon paine of incurring excommunication enioyning the like to all communities and gouernements vpon paine of interdiction from which they could not be absolued before the verie point of death Matthaeus Westmonast in Floribus Temporum an 1301. and that by the Pope himselfe A bold enterprise very iniurious and preiudicial to all Princes and magistrats which notwithstanding presently tooke effect in England where the Clergie proudly answered the king returning from a warre with the Scots That it was no more lawfull for them to pay tribute which he hearing presently layd hold of all the Clergies temporall goods where he also by expresse Patents forbad the attempting of any thing against Scotland because pleno iure in true right and equitie it belonged to the See of Rome Thus farre he preuailed without any resistance but attempting the like oppressions in France he light vpon king Philip the faire who making no such extraordinarie account of his decretall to the great benefit and emolument of all Princes curbed as we see and bridled his vnjust insolencies OPPOSITION In the yeare therefore 1301 An. 1301. Boniface sent the Bishop of Pamiers into France to Philip the faire a man verie like himselfe in pride and arrogancie to stir him vp to a sacred warre with no greater fidelitie questionlesse than his predecessours formerly had done He furnished his Legat with imperious and menacing Letters vnlesse he stoopt at his beck to thunder out against him excommunications as also the Legat out of his own froward disposition inserted with his persuasions verie vnseemely and distastfull words But Philip could not digest so great arrogancie for apprehending his Legat he committed him in custodie to the Archbishop of Narbon while he should further determine of him Boniface grew into a rage herewith and sent the Archdeacon of Narbon by birth a Roman to Philip by whose embassie he commaunded the king forthwith to set his Legat at libertie the Bishops and Peeres of Fraunce also were enjoyned to appeare in Rome at a Councell by a certaine day But Philip mouing some scruple herein Henricus Steron in Annalib Ann. 1301. Chronique de S. Denis Paulus Aemilius in Philippo Pulchro Blondus Decad. 2. l. 9. Naucler vol. 2. Generat 44. Bochellus Decret Gallican Eccles l. 2. c. 32. Chronic. Monsort Theodor. Ã Nyem Gulielm de Nangis Iean le Maire de Belges the Pope protested that the kingdome of Fraunce did belong to the Roman Church and therefore he should refraine the gouernement thereof committing the same to him and the Church forthwith he absolued his subjects from the oath of fidelitie speaking to them personally that were present and for want of obedience in this point he suspended all the indulgences pardons and graunts which vnto that day the Popes had giuen to the kings and kingdome presuming of his owne head to inuent and deuise That in the Treasorie of Rome he found a certaine record which made mention that Fraunce belonged to the Pope Philip being exasperated with these threatnings forbad the Prelats to goe out of the kingdome The Pope ratled out his excommunications the more against him because he had layed hands on a Bishop disposed of the goods of seats vacant and inuested Bishops True it is that Philip to justifie and confirme his owne right freed the Bishop out of prison but snatching the Bull out of the Archdeacons hand while he red it he gaue the same to Robert of Artois to be burned in the Palace Court at Paris commaunding him presently to withdraw which he did And here it is not amisse to see what letters he brought and what he retourned These of Boniface were of this tenour Feare God and keepe his commaundements We would haue you to vnderstand that both in Spirituall and Temporall things you are subiect to vs The collations of benefices and prebends no wayes belong vnto you for though you haue the vacancie of places in your
or weakened the same especially the first and second which touch the deprauations and corruptions of Regulars and Seculars because our Sauiour himselfe being the foundation of the Church both by his owne and by the words of his Heraulds foretold expresly That this should come to passe in those times and that not onely in the Canonicall Scriptures but further as much hath beene exhibited to vs in the reuelations of the holie Church by many sacred persons of both sex and kind which the holie Popes with singular zeale and deuotion haue reserued in secret Records of the Apostolicall See Euen as saith he I haue seene and handled with these my hands in the soueraigne citie For the third point of the negligence and carelesnesse of the See Apostolicall That which our Sauiour Christ did in his owne time and would shortly againe performe might satisfie him he formerly did it in that he twice commaunded That the See Apostolicall should be taxed with a diabolicall Apostasie first vnder Boniface the eighth and lastly vnder Benedict the eleuenth and that sometimes with plenitude of directory light For saith he the denouncer declared first that the things he denounced proceeded not from himselfe neither was he stirred vp by any motiue of his owne to declare these things but by the illumination and precept of the Lord of lords And so he laid open vnto them both the place time and meanes he meant to make choyce of in the declaration of them Secondly he denounced vnto them a deceitful snare of Sathan layd for their seduction in so much that openly these two things were inculcated to them First That they had counsellors and assistants about them who were the Angels of Sathan who vnder shew of religion and a cloke of true zeale should endeuor to mislead them from the sifting clensing of the aboue mentioned Decrees Statutes Thirdly he declared to them That if they should neglect to execute this message God would make them tast a presagement of he eternall iudgement so as it was told Boniface in writing that he â—hould fall into such and such a danger and confusion and hee tooke no heed thereof till he tasted the same As also the like in writing was insinuated to Benedict That if hee neglected the same hee should swiftly bee throwne downe from his seat and from the day hee read this hee sat not aboue fiue and thirtie dayes more So as neither the things written to him nor the fearefull euents of his predecessour could moue him to beleeue but hee contemned all things Fourthly for illumination and motiue many diabolicall and abhominable deprauations were declared particularly vnto them of many of that state formerly mentioned which is to say That those things aboue expressed were verie seuerally layed open and moreouer other things in this forme Certaine pestilent men disseuer and rend the Citie of the celestiall Lambe especially in the State which so much glories of the hight of all Euangelicall perfection they subuert veritie Euangelicall and ouerthrow the edifice thereof in the people not onely by peruerse workes and examples but by corruption of doctrine in their Sermons and preachings For they preaching in the delusion and subtiltie of malignitie doe sometimes alledge indirectly otherwhiles impertinently and peruersly applie and sometimes sophistically distinguish and most improperly expound And thus the truth of the Scriptures was by them darkened and not clearely deliuered to the Auditors but Gods sayings they did adulterat and falsifie And in the spirit saith he of Antichrist they endeauour to diuert the people from excellent ordinarie Priests and to plucke the Sheepe from their owne proper Pastours by so many meanes and in such sort as particularly are expressed in the writings reserued to this day in the treasurie of the See Apostolicall Fiftly the same writings obiected vnto them the diuelish plague of the inquisitors of that State and others That is those who bought these offices in Prouinces not for the reducing of those that erred into the way but rather that by mere calumniation and slaunder they might thrust the man righteous and of good conuersation into the furious oppressions of diuels and Tyrans where hee enueyes mightily against diuers coinquinations which raigned commonly amongst them as also the frauds and deceipts wherein they maintayned themselues which being prolix and long I would rather referre to the Reader to peruse them in Arnold but yet these things ensuing by him prosecuted are no wayes to be omitted They burne and condemne the Scriptures saith he as superstitious and erronious expressing the veritie Euangelical declaring the mysteries of the sacred texts and touching too nerely to the quicke their transgressions and vncleanesse not vpon any erronious or false but onely for some ambiguous and doubtfull saying They forbid all the Colledges of that state to read or studie the foresayd holie Scriptures vnder payne of death and so by damming vp the well of the water of life they denie the vnderstanding of the holie Oracles and this water of life to those that are thirstie and crie out for the same Sixtly because the Popes were by this denunciation enjoyned to reueale these things in the behalfe of God vnto men which plainely appeares out of such writings which the holie Fathers left both at Rome and in the auntient Monasteries but they beeing wholly oppressed with spirituall lethargie would giue no eare to any good thing or to extirpat Christs opprobrie on earth but beeing bewitched as they were made choyce rather to embrace most palpable and euident lies than the mysterie of the truth and of the Gospell And therefore the whole Church was so infatuated by these seducers as that she tooke the disordered multitude which supplanted and rooted out the Gospell to be a Religion and Order Seuenthly That this denouncer exciting the vniuersall Church in these instigations That she would preuent the Gospels extirpation all notwithstanding out of consent and compact turne aside her eare either condemning the message or raging against the Herault That amongst them all not one arose vp endewed with Catholicall veritie armed with justice Euangelicall and encouraged by the equitie and righteousnesse of this celestiall warfare who would so much as say This man is zealous for the honour and glorie of Christs spowse and the saluation of soules Let vs therefore examine and diligently by experience make triall whether those things hee speakes and declares tend to the conuersation or corruption of the Gospell But the Senat was all mute and onely because he reuealed the blemishes and defects of the spowse vnto the Bride-groome out of a zeale obscuring and healing these wounds he was whipped And they that bore the colours of Euangelicall sanctitie persecuted him more cruelly than any other strangers not onely in renouncing the rules of equitie and charitie but moreouer laying apart the bridle of all humane modestie they laboured to pollute innocencie and to destroy the innocent He concludes notwithstanding That Fredederick should
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
giue Lawes to the Church of Rome To what end then are Councels held But contrarily saith he all Councels by the authoritie of the Church of Rome are called and haue their force and in all their Statutes the authoritie thereof is manifestly excepted But where can they shew one sillable OPPOSITION Platina in Paschaū 2. Prodigious spectacles in the ayre the earth and the sea still continued obserued by all the writers of these times Neither was Paschal moued with these saith Platina because he beleeued them to be wrought by nature nay hee could not indure that others should obserue them but there was no prodigious wonder that so much troubled the world as himselfe which no man could deny that saw him entring into his Popedome with this belt whereon hung the seuen keyes and the seuen seales play so formally the part of Antichrist whether it were to attribute vnto himselfe all that was proper vnto Christ alone or to represent in his person that Abbadon described vnto vs in the Apocalyps And this no doubt moued the Bishop of Florence in the yeare 1106 publikely to preach Acta vitae Paschalis that Antichrist was borne which Paschal vnderstanding of and being much grieued therewith tooke the paynes to goe in person to Florence and there held a Councell to stop the mouth of this Bishop being content neuerthelesse fearing to stirre in the matter too much to admonish him openly to desist from this bold enterprise that is to say Sigon l. 9. de regno Jtal. least the matter should more apparently breake out The Emperour Henrie as we haue seene retired himselfe to Liege Sabellici Aenneade 9. Platina in Paschali 2. which Paschal could not endure wherefore vnder a shew of congratuling Robert Earle of Flanders beeing happily returned from Hierusalem to his Countrie he writ this vnto him It is the part of a loyall and lawfull souldier to pursue the enemies of his King by all possible meanes We giue thee therefore thankes for executing our commaund in the Diocesse of Cambray and we commaund thee to doe the like vpon the excommunicated people of Liege who falsly terme themselues Clerkes c. And not onely in those parts but euerie where else when thou canst with thy whole power to persecute Henrie the head of the heretikes and his followers Thou canst offer no sacrifice vnto God more acceptable than to withstand him who rayseth himselfe against God and his church c. This we commaund thee and thy souldiers to doe in remission of your sinnes c. Hereby making this his reuenge equall both in right and merit with that famous expedition to the holie Land But what doe the Bishops Canons and Clergie of the Diocesse of Liege There is the second volume of the Councels both the Epistle of Paschal to them and their aunswere to him Epist Leodiens Cleri in 2. vol. Concilior Edition Coloniens apud Quiritel pag. 809. I crie saith the Church of Liege with sighs and astonishment as the Prophet Esay speaketh who exaggerating the burden of the desart Sea crieth out As the Whirle-windes in the South vse to passe from the wildernesse so shall it come from the horrible Land a grieuous vision was shewed vnto me He that vnderstood not hetherto what this desart Sea was by heresay let him now vnderstand it by the eye It is not onely Babylon but the world and the Church c. The Church sigheth to see herselfe abandoned and forsaken by the holie Councels and Prelats for was there euer greater confusion in Babylon than there is at this day in the Church In Babylon the languages of Nations were confounded in the Church the tongues and minds of beleeuers are diuided S. Peter saith in his Epistle 1. Petr. 5. The Church that is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you Hetherto I interpreted it that Peter would therefore by Babylon decipher Rome because at that time Rome was confounded with all Idolatrie and all manner of wickednesse But now my griefe enterpreteth it vnto me that Peter by a propheticall spirit foresaw the confusion of that dissention wherewith the Church at this day is torne in pieces c. What those whirle-winds are that come from Africa we rather learne by suffering than by reading from that horrible Land that is the Church of Rome a grieuous vision is shewed vnto me from thence commeth a whirle-wind as a tempest from Africa For the Bishop of Rome the father of all the Churches hath written Letters against vs to Robert Earle of Flanders And so they insert the Epistle What is he whose reynes reading these letters are not filled with sorrow not for the horror of the daunger but the horrible noueltie of the thing That a mother should write such lamentable Letters against her daughters yea though they had offended In that iudgement of Salomon is exprest the greatness of a mothers loue because Salomon giuing sentence that the infant for which they contended should be diuided with a sword the true mother chose rather that her child should liue with a stranger Esay 21. than be slayne with the sword The Prophet Esay saith speaking of Babylon The might of my pleasures is turned into feare vnto me But I say Rome my beloued mother is turned into feare vnto me For what is more fearefull nay what more miserable Dauid saw once the Angell of God standing with his sword drawne ouer Hierusalem wee the daughters of the Church of Rome see the Pope of Rome who is the Angell of the Lord for the place he supplieth with his sword drawne ouer the Church Dauid prayed that his people might not be slayne But our Angell deliuers the sword to Robert and prayes him to kill vs. From whence hath our Angell this sword There is but one sword of the spirit which is the word of God c. There is another sword of the spirit wherewith the sinnes of the flesh beeing mortified we buy the crowne of Martyredome The Apostles therefore receiuing of the Lord onely two swords from whence comes this third to the Apostolicall that is the Pope which he hath deliuered to Robert against vs Ezechiel 21. Perhaps he hath recourse to the Prophet Ezechiel that taking a third sword out of his hand he might goe to the right hand and to the left killing both the righteous and the wicked c. This is the sword of occision with which Ezechiel makes me astonished for what heart faints not to thinke that he that is annointed to giue life should be girt with this third sword to kill vs c And if it be lawfull to speake it with reuerence of the Apostolicall dignitie he seemeth to vs to haue beene a sleepe yea all his Counsellers slept with him when he hired at his charge a destroyer of the Church of God S. Paule commaundeth that the word of a Bishop be sound and irreprehensible we therefore reprehend not the word of the Bishop of