to impeach or oppose against it And who now can haue any good opinion of the decrees of Gratian reformed in our dayes since Gregorie the thirteenth which vndertooke to reforme them was not ashamed to let stand for good I will not say this Palea or chaffe but this vnsauorie and filthie ordure And wee haue just cause to wonder at the impudencie of Baronius who trippeth ouer this matter as one would doe ouer fire lightly for feare of burning leauing it as a judged case no longer to be questioned Baron to 3. an 324. art 117. We saith he say nothing hereof because we can say nothing but what hath beene often said alreadie and it were bootlesse and troublesome to repeat it Whereas poore soule how many matters of farre lesse importance handled by infinit numbers of Authors doth he there repeat And the whole volumes of his Annales what are they else but heapes of idle and needlesse repetitions Well I wot that things were not at this time come vnto that height neither could they climbe so high but by degrees which we purpose to deduce euerie one of them in their order in the meane time this is cleere that together with their plentie came in corruption not onely in life and manners but also in religion which then began to degenerate by admistion of Heathenish superstitions Baron an 44. to 1. art 86. sequent Idem passim and this is that which Baronius meaneth where he saith That men at that time hallowed Heathenish rites and ceremonies by bringing them into the Christian Churches OPPOSITION This great aboundance and plenty of wealth falling by heaps vpon the Church caused many deuout and well disposed persons to forecast cruell things The Legend of Syluester saith Legenda B. Syluest That there was at that time a voice heard from heauen saying Hodiè effusum est venenum in Ecclesiā i. This day is there a poison powred forth vpon the Church But what euer the wealth of the Roman Church was this one thing is cleere as touching their authoritie That when there was question about Donatus who stood an heretike condemned by the Churches of Afrike Constantine left him not to be judged by Miltiades Bishop of Rome but appointed Delegats for the hearing of his cause namely Maternus Rheticus Marinus Bishops of Collen Optat. cont Parmen li. 1. August Epist 162. 166. Authun and Arles as Optatus Augustine report with whom he joyned afterwards in commission for the same cause the said Miltiades And when Donatus refused to stand vnto their judgement he assigned him the Councel of Arles which himselfe had formerly assembled to judge of his appeale and at last gaue sentence vpon him himselfe in person at Milan so that the Bishops of Rome of Authun and the rest were all equall in this commission without any colour of prioritie Neither needed Constantine any great intreatie vpon the difference and controuersie of Arrius himselfe to call the Nicene Councell Theodor. lib. 1. Histor Eccles cap. 7. and there to preside in person witnesse Eusebius Socrates Theodoret Sozomene Gelasius and the whole companie of Fathers assembled in that Councell by their Synodall Epistles which Fathers tooke vpon them to order the Bishop of Rome and did order him by speciall Canon which Canon because it is cauilled and contradicted by some deserueth more narrowly to be scanned and more particularly to be considered The sixt Canon therefore of the first Nicene Councell about the yeare 325 An. 325. concerning the ranking and ordering of Bishops euerie one in his place Canones Graec. Concil Nicen. 1. can 6. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is read in these words Let the auncient customes be obserued which are in Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis so that the Bishop which is in Alexandria haue authoritie ouer all these because such also is the manner or custome of the Bishop of Rome where the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a thing vsed by custome by which appeareth that it was a matter onely of custome not of law much lesse an ordinance or decree of God Likewise in Antioch and in other Prouinces let euerie Church retaine her due honour And in the seuenth Canon is like prouision made for the Church of Hierusalem and the same reason added Because such hath beene the custome and the ancient tradition to honour the Church of Aelia for so was Hierusalem called after that Adrian had rebuilt it in another place let her also haue her honour next after the other with reseruation alwayes of due honour to the Metropolitane Church And so is this Canon read in Gelasius Cyzicenus in the Acts of this Councell taken out of the Vatican Gelas Cyzicen in Act. Syno Nice 1. pag. 61. where we may obserue that this Councell foundeth them all alike vpon custome which it calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manner wont or custome placing the Bishop of Rome betweene those of Alexandria and of Antioch vnto whom it assigneth their proper portions in euerie respect equall to him of Rome Of this custome we read in Epiphanius in expresse tearmes The custome sayth he is such Epiphan her 68. in princi that the Bishop of Alexandria hath ecclesiasticall cure and charge ouer all Aegypt Thebaida Mareotis Lybia Ammonia Mareotida and Pentapolis And Ruffinus Ruffin lib. 1. cap. 6. who liued in the same time with S. Ierome about 60. yeares after this Councell citeth the Canons thereof and among the rest this sixt Canon to the effect of the Canon before rehearsed In Alexandria sayth he and in the Citie of Rome let the ancient custome be obserued to wit that the one should take care of the Churches of Aegypt and the other suburbicariarum that is of the Churches neere vnto the Citie meaning Rome And the truth is that at this time doe he what he could he could not extend the limits of his jurisdiction so farre as vnto Milan or Rauenna whereof there is a type and figure remaining at this day at Rome which witnesseth as much wherein the Church of Lateran is expressed to be a Patriarchall Church vnto which there are seuen Bishops assigned to celebrate before the Pope vpon high daies or to assist the Pope if he pleased to celebrate himselfe Onuphri de Episcop titulis Diacon Cardinal to wit the Bishops as saith Onuphrius of the adioyning Cities namely Ostia Porto Sylua candida Sabini Praeneste Tusculum and Alba which Ruffin here seemeth to call Suburbicarias which yet perhaps comprised somewhat more as the countries of Marca and Tuscanie as we may collect out of the Theodosian Code True it is that Balsamon expounding the Greeke Canon extendeth the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome ouer all the West because that in his time which was about the yeare 800 he had stretched his wings a little farther Balsamon in Ca. Nice Synod cap. 6. 7. and Balsamon thought it ynough to exempt the
excommunication to the judgement of Christ There is read a certaine sermon of his de Pace of Peace which he made before the Pope where after he hath described and bewayled the wicked Pastors that haue no care of their sheepe authors of schismes heresies and infidelities he stoutly maintaineth That seeing the principall worke of Christ for which he came into the world is the quickening of soules and Sathans proper worke inuented by him as being a murderer from the beginning is the killing and mortification of soules those Pastors which put on the person of Christ and preach not the word of God although they adde thereto none other wickednesse are Antichrists and Sathans transformed into Angels of light theeues and robbers killers and destroyers of the sheepe making the house of prayers a denne of theeues But they also adde all kind of preuarication Their pride doth euer most manifestly shew it selfe and their greedie couetousnesse so that now is fulfilled the voyce of the Prophet which saith Euerie man declineth after his couetousnesse following the gaine of auarice and cannot be satisfied c. And here he largely discourseth of them But saith he what is the first cause and original of this great euil I most vehemently tremble and feare to say it yet I dare not hold my peace least I should fall into that Vae of the Prophet Woe to me because I haue held my peace because I am a man of polluted lips The cause spring and originall hereof is this Court not onely because it purgeth not these abhominations forth of it when it alone may and is bound to doe it but further in that by prouisions dispensations and collations it ordaineth to pastorall charge such Pastors as wee haue before touched which are rather betrayers of the world and that in sight of this Sunne But of this we are to speake more hereafter in following the historie of Innocent the fourth There is read an Epistle published in England about the same time bearing this title De extrema expilatione Angliae per Papam effects Of the extreame pillage made by the Pope in England wherein the Authour hauing particularly reckoned vp all his extortions at length bursteth forth into these words Shall wee compare him to king Nabuchadnezzar who destroyed the Temple of the Lord and carried away the gold and siluer vessells For what he had done this man doth also and hee spoyled the ministers of the house of God and made it destitute of due ayd the same doth this man also Surely better is the condition of them that dye by the sword than of them which are killed with hunger because the first dye presently but these are consumed by the barrennesse of the earth And euer and anon he vseth this versicle Let all that passe by daughter haue pitie on thee for there is no sorrow like vnto thine For alreadie through too much sorrow and ouer much shedding of teares thy face is made blacker than coles so that thou art no more knowne in the streets Thy foresaid superiour meaning the Pope hath set thee in darkenesse he hath made thee drunke with gall and wormewood Heare O Lord the affliction of thy people and their groues behold and come downe for the heart of this man is hardened more than the heart of Pharoah he will not let thy people goe free but by the strength of thy arme For he doth not onely exact miserably aboue the earth but after death because what Christians soeuer dye intestat he deuoureth their goods after their departure c. Least therefore thy daughter be brought to longer miserie it is expedient that the mightie men of the kingdome resist the imaginations conspiracies pride and arrogancie of this man who not for the contemplation of God but for the foresaid respects and for to enrich his kinsmen and feather his owne neast extorteth by a kind of new principalitie all the money of England And thou speaking to the Pope take heed to the words of the Lord and prophesie of Ieremie to beat downe such proceedings which say Thou Pastor which hast dispersed my people and cast them forth of their habitations behold I will visit vpon thee the malice of thy designes neither shall there be a man of thy seed to sit vpon the throne of Dauid or haue further power in Iuda let thy neast be made desart and ouerthrowne as Sodome and Gomorra And if terrified with these sayings he giue not ouer his enterprises and make not restitution then his heart being wickedly hardened let them sing for him the hundred and eighth Psalme This is that Psalme of Dauid full of all sorts of imprecations against a most desperat and reprobat enemie of God and Christ and is interpreted by S. Peter to be a figure of Iudas This is with the Hebrewes the hundred and ninth Neither is it needfull we should adde any thing here of Mathew Paris a Monke of S. Albans a notable English Historiographer seeing it is ynough manifest out of diuers places aboue cited what was his judgement of the Church of Rome it is ordinarie with him to say That the couetousnesse thereof is growne so insatiable confounding diuine and humane things that hauing laid aside all shame as a common and shamelesse strumpet set to sale to all men she deemeth vsurie a small fault and simonie none at all All this time the Waldenses or Albigenses continued in Dauphinie Languedoc and Guienne and in all those mountaines which reach from the Alpes to the Pyrenean These had some release and respite of breathing vnder S. Lewis who molested them not but in as much as they were subiects of Raymund Earle of Thoulouse who had warre with the Earle of Prouence his father in law whom he was bound to succour but the warre being ended they maintained their religion principally in those mountaines But they had spred themselues verie much in other places for in Germanie were a great number of their Preachers who at the sound of a bell hauing called the Barons preached in publica statione in a publike place That the Pope was an heretike his Prelats tainted with simonie and seducers That they had no power to bind and loosse neither yet to interdict the diuine seruice or the vse of the Sacraments That those their Friers Preachers and Minorites by their false sermons peruerted the Church That the truth was held and preached onely among them And that although they had not come God would haue raised vp others euen of the verie stones for to enlighten the Church by their preaching rather than he would haue suffered faith vtterly to perish Our Preachers say they haue till this time preached Krantzius l. 8. c. 18. in Metropol Saxon. l. 8. c. 16. and haue buried the trueth and published falshood We on the contrarie preach the trueth and burie falshood and in the end giue vnto you not a fained or inuented remission from the Pope or Bishops but from God alone and
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
thinke nothing more vnworthie or more vnbefitting their dignitie The Monkes are rauening Wolues in sheepes clothing diuels transformed into Angels of light Scribes Pharisies hypocrites painted sepulchres to whom hee applies that prophesie of Paul against false Prophets in the last times 2. Timoth. 3. and the like places The Monasteries of men and women are so many brothell houses their diuinitie meerely scholasticall and that properly which S. Paul would decipher in these words Jdem in Epist de Theolog. studio They dote about questions and strife of words c. Their fruits are like those of the lake of Sodome outwardly faire but inwardly smoke and ashes Ecclesiasticall persons are simoniacall no man hath Orders without argent no man put backe that brings money be he neuer so wicked To such an excesse are they growne in lasciuious wantonnesse that their people the better to defend their wiues chastitie will haue no Priests except they haue concubines The traditions of men euen the least are more esteemed than the lawes of God which whosoeuer shall omit or commit any thing against them shall bee grieuously punished The Legends of Saints are read in stead of Scriptures and consequently the Saints brought into the place of God But because all these corruptions diuers other the like are defended vnder the onely name of the Church he ouerthroweth this foundation Idem in Tractatu contra Simoniacos Notwithstanding saith he the authoritie of the Church militant be great because founded vpon a firme rocke c. yet we are not to attribute vnto it the titles of the Church triumphant That it cannot be deceiued That it cannot sinne for many times it deceiueth Idem contra noua Sanctorum festa and is deceiued I doe not say in matters of faith c. but of fact or manners or iudgement c. And writing to a scholer of Paris touching certaine ordinances of the Councell of Constance Truely saith he it seemeth not conuenient to me to proue the Acts of the Councell by the Councell Jdem ad Scolasticum Parisicus c. but if all the Acts of the Councell be definitions of faith when some produce many Decrees of the holie Fathers and Synods on the contrarie part see what a thing it is this schisme still hanging and in so great varietie of things and opinions and controuersies of learned men to ordaine so many articles of faith whereas it seemeth vnto me to be not onely conuenient but necessarie that those other constitutions or determinations which they affirme to be alledged by others in the contrarie part should be interpreted in behalfe of the truth and of faith and proued not to be contrarie to these least otherwise the Church might seeme to erre in matter of faith determining the contrarie And whereas you say That the Decrees of the Fathers are not woont to depend vpon reason Truely with your good leaue be it spoken if the question be of faith or matter in controuersie it is their manner to rest themselues vpon reasons especially drawne out of the Scriptures or the definitions of the holie Fathers from whose footsteps they depart not without great reason c. And as for that place of Saint Augustine which you alledge c. I should not beleeue the Gospell if the authoritie of the Church did not compell me Truely it seemes strange at the first view that he should seeme to preferre the authoritie of the Church trauelling vpon the earth before the authoritie of the Gospell since in many things that may be deceiued this neuer and that the authoritie of the Church as touching the root and foundation thereof consists principally of the Gospell neither can the institution power edification thereof be drawne from any other so expresly and certainely as from the Gospell especially since Paul himselfe saith thereof If an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise let him be accursed otherwise that is a contrarie Gospell He therefore answereth That S. Augustine neuer thought any such thing but was to deale with the Maniches who had their Scriptures proper to themselues and receiued not ours As if he should say It is not out of mine owne particular iudgement that I receiue the Gospell for Canonicall Scripture but the authoritie of the Church which hath acknowledged it to be such That is to say of the Primitiue and Apostolike Church which hath appointed the Canon of the Scriptures some of those being yet liuing that writ them Apostles Euangelists Disciples of the Apostles who could giue testimonie to the truth of these Scriptures that this or that man was the Author of this or that booke being directed by the spirit of God which being inspired from aboue ought to be the rule of our faith and Church To be briefe saith he thou art not ignorant that both Christ our Law-maker and his Apostles preaching the law and faith vnto vs alledged many times their proofes out of the old Testament and the sayings of the Fathers and Prophets to confirme their owne than which we can propose vnto our selues no example more certaine for our imitation since his actions are a most infallible instruction of our manners and actions c. And therefore it is not their parts who hold the Councell by a certaine bolnesse and libertie to doe what pleaseth them to thinke with themselues Wee are the generall Councell let vs carrie our selues boldly we cannot erre They that were at the Councel of Pisa defined and caused it to be published That they by a new election at the instance of certaine ambitious men had taken away the schisme and restored the peace of the Church And yet who is so blind in the Church that by experience of things apparently seeth not how much this opinion deceiued both themselues the whole Church For saith he of what kind of men for the most part doe Councels consist doubtlesse of Lawyers Canonists rather than Diuines of temporal persons whose care is of the things of this world not spirituall How then canst thou hope for a reformation of the Church from them If then saith he they assemble themselues for the recouerie of the temporall peace of the Church there is no necessitie that we should presently beleeue that they are come together in the name of Christ First because they know not whether it be expedient for the health of the Church and that Christ hath determined by this meanes to heale this diuision For what else are temporall afflictions wherewith the Church is oppressed but bitter potions and medicines whereby temporal auarice pride and wantonnesse is beaten downe And who will say that they are assembled in the name of Christ who with this mind seeke the vnitie of the Church who neuerthelesse are so many that they can hardly be numbred These carcall sonnes of the Church doe not onely not care for spirituall things nor haue any feeling of them but persecute those that are according to the spirit as since the time of
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
it was said they had craftily gotten into their hands Therefore thinking it best for him to rest quiet hee approueth the conuocation of the Councell of Basil and confirmeth the Legation of Cardinall Iulian and that so much the rather for that Sigismund came into Italie whose alliance with the Duke of Milan and intelligence with the Colonni he feared But this Prince otherwise great either by his owne negligence or more truely by reason of pouertie came thither in so poore a manner that hee easily put away from him all feare We haue seene him saith Valla with few followers about him liue but as for a day and he would haue perished for hunger if Eugenius had not fed him though not gratis for he wrested from him the Donation He comming to Rome to bee crowned Emperour of the Romans could not be crowned of the Pope but on condition that he should ratifie the donation of Constantine and also giue all those things anew Yea he addeth in indignation What is more contrarie than to be crowned Roman Emperour and to renounce Rome to be crowned of him whom he confesseth and as much as in him lyeth maketh Lord of the Roman Empire and to ratifie a donation which if it be true leaueth to the Emperour nothing of the Empire which I thinke children would not haue done Yea and Eugenius adiureth him before he set the Crowne on his head presently to depart Rome and to stay no longer in Italie and so hee forthwith passed the Alpes Platina in Eugenio 4. and returned into Germanie And this is it Platina hath In the beginning of his Popedome moued by the words of the Emperour Princes and Prelats he confirmed the Councel of Basil euen by his Apostolicall letters for he was so vexed with warres that he scarcely had power to breath but taking heart againe hee constantly and prudently administred all things Thus spake hee in fauour of the Popes Whereup Eugenius stoutly taketh vpon him to dissolue this Councell or to assigne another somewhere else and he publisheth his Bulls whereby he reuoketh both the Councell and Cardinall Iulian whom he had appointed to preside there who speedily returneth to him into Italie The Fathers of the Councell on the contrarie by their embassadours sundrie times beseech him That he would come and be there present himselfe otherwise by dissoluing the Councell hee would giue occasion of scandall yea they decree That reuocation can haue no place and set before him the most grieuous punishments propounded in the Councell of Constance vnlesse he would obey but if he purpose which he hideth to hold another Councell they declare openly that there can be but onely one And that if he breake it off Sess 10.11.12.26 he with his is to expect the like judgement of God as in time past fell vpon Core Dathan and Abiron schismatikes Lastly they admonish cite blame accuse and adiure him leauing no forme requisit vnobserued or done they abrogat the Cardinals by him created for to hold another Councell Sess 31.34 35. they suspend him from the Popedome depose him pronounce him a notorious schismatike periurer heretike scandalous incorrigible obstinat depriued deposed put downe and as such a one they take from him all obedience and make a Decree for the chusing another in his roome All which things in their order reach to the yeare 1439. And these things were done notwithstanding the Emperour Sigismund in the meane time was deceased who had chiefely set forward the Councell that Eugenius also with his had assigned another Councell first at Ferrara in the yeare 1438 An. 1438. and after by reason of the pestilence there transferred it in the yeare 1439 to Florence An. 1493. whither came the Emperour Palaeologus of Greece to entreat the succours of the Latines against the Turkes and for that cause as it was thought was the more pliable to the pretentions of the Romish Church But the Fathers of the Councell of Basil proceed farther to the election of a successor and prescribe beforehand the forme of the oath that hee ought to take namely To execute and obserue the Decrees of the Councells of Constance and Basil Sess 37. also to procure the celebration of generall Councels and confirmation of elections according to the Decrees of the sacred Councell of Basil They further declare the Councell of Ferrara to be vnlawfull and none at all and tearme it a Conuenticle And presently also authorise three Catholike truthes against certaine Inuectiues of Eugenius The first is That the power of a generall Councell representing the vniuersall Church Sess 38. is aboue the Pope and all other whomsoeuer is a truth of Catholike Faith Secondly That the Pope can by no meanes of his owne authoritie dissolue a generall Councell or prorogue it to another time or transferre it from one place to another without the consent thereof Thirdly That he which obstinatly repugneth the foresaid truthes is to be rudged an heretike And these they handle in a writing published expresly In the end they enter into the Conclaue and chuse for Pope Amades Duke of Sauoy absent by the name of Felix the fourth who a little before did liue an Hermits life at Ripaille vpon the lake of Lausanne In the meane time Eugenius was not idle in Italie Charles the seuenth king of France who held for the Councell of Basil had sent his gallies into the Ionicke sea for to meet Iohn Palaeologus Emperour of the East and to giue him to vnderstand in what place the lawfull Councell was held to persuade him to take land in France thence to conduct him to Basil Eugenius hauing corrupted with money the Generall of the French gallies breaketh off his course and draweth him to his part Whereupon Eugenius taketh occasion not a little to commend his Councell by the hope of making an vnion betweene the Roman and Greeke Church which notwithstanding as it seemed continued not long And so hauing dismissed his conuenticle he returneth to Rome where he is receiued with greater applause than before On the other part the Councell of Basil continuing still neuerthelesse it troubled him and truce being made betweene the kings of France and England whereby the souldiers on both parts were dismissed Eugenius taketh the occasion offered and winneth the Dolphine of France who was afterward Lewis the eleuenth who of those broken troupes gathered together to the number of thirtie thousand and more and vnder diuers pretences marcheth towards Basil but indeed with a purpose as the Historiographers of Italie doe testifie to terrifie the Fathers of the Councell for to constraine them to breake it off When these were entred on the territorie of the citie the Cantons of the Switzers ran to succour it There foure thousand Switzers sustained a violence and force neuer before heard of in a conflict that continued till night of the Switzers fighting it out euen to the last gaspe there hardly escaped an hundred and fiftie
when Caelestins letters were read the Synod cried out To Caelestin a second Paule I confesse and did they not the like of Cyrill crying out To Cyrill a second Paule there is but one Caelestin but one Cyrill And what other demaund I pray you did those Legats make but onely that they might haue the Acts to subscribe vnto them a thing not to haue beene denied to anie ordinarie Bishop which had come late as they did And yet Baronius would faine haue it Iterata damnatio that this subscription of theirs was a second sentence confirmatorie of that which had beene giuen by the Councell whereas they themselues writing to the Emperours signifie only this that they are of the same beleefe and opinion with the Synod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now if Cyrill had beene Legat what need of this Or if this were needfull then it followeth that Cyrill was not Legat for the Pope but was onely requested to passe his word vnto the Councell for the Orthodox beleefe of Caelestin Fourthly Philippicus a Priest of Rome and one of the Legats in his speech said that he rejoyced to see that the members did so well agree with their holie Head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 195. And hereupon Baronius maketh a flourish and because these Fathers had the patience to heare him Doest thou see Reader saith he how all these Fathers were content to heare him without repining For my owne part I know not what he would haue had them to doe in this case vnlesse it be that they should haue made an vprore in the Synod and haue fallen by the eares about it He should rather haue considered how at the ouerture of this Councell they placed Christ in his Gospell for Head of this Councell or if the doubt be of the ministeriall Head that then in their Synodal Epistle they call Cyril the Head of the Congregation of Bishops but of euerie such insolent pranke which the Popes or their Legats play Baronius is euer readie to make a Title But will you now know who was Soueraigne in this Councel The Synod by their letters to the Emperours in all humilitie aske leaue to depart euerie man to his owne home seeing that all controuersies were now decided And the Emperour vpon relation of what they had done gaue his confirmation in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pa. 273. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Emperour a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 duely informed hath pronounced That the holie Oecumenicall Councell hath done all things according to the Canons and therefore hath displaced and banished Nestorius commaunding the Bishops of the Synod to enter vpon the Church and to elect and consecrate a Bishop of Constantinople and thereupon the Fathers ordained Maximinus And farther the Emperor commaunded them to returne euerie man to his owne home Consider we also that the Fathers of those times speak of this Primacie by vertue of Saint Peters chaire in farre other tearmes than now men vse to doe Saint Ambrose expounding those words of Saint Paul to the Galathians Ambros ad Gala ca. 2. where hee compareth himselfe to Peter He nameth saith he onely Peter and compareth himselfe to him because he had receiued the Primacie to lay the foundation of the Church among the Gentiles Now I would know whether Rome were not of the Gentiles if so to what purpose then serueth the Primacie of Saint Peter But hee addeth yet farther Yet we see ful and absolute authoritie giuen to Saint Peter for the preaching to the Iewes and so likewise full and absolute authoritie was giuen to Paul to preach vnto the Gentiles For which cause also hee tearmeth himselfe the Teacher of the Gentiles in truth and veritie and yet was he neuer Bishop of Rome For saith he euerie man according to his abilitie tooke vnto him as by lot the dispensation And a harder matter it was to draw those vnto the faith which were a farre off than those which were neere at hand as if he meant to preferre Paul before Peter as one which vndertooke the harder taske August in Iohan Tract 124. in Epist Iohan Tract 10. And Saint Augustine The Church saith he is founded vpon the rocke from which rocke Saint Peter tooke his name vpon this stone saith our Sauiour that is vpon this stone which thou hast confessed will I build my Church meaning vpon this faith Those which would build vpon men said I am of Cephas i. of Peter but those who would not build vpon Peter but vpon that stone said I am of Christ. Saint Basil doubtlesse neuer dreamed of this Primacie he saw indeed and grieued to see the pride and hautinesse of the Bishop of Rome for with what indignation speaketh he of him in his tenth Epistle Yea but say they in his 52 Epistle to Athanasius speaking of the combustions in the East he saith That hee purposed to write to the Bishop of Rome I confesse but to what purpose would hee write onely for this Basil Epist 10.50.52 To request him to giue them his aduise and that hee would admonish such as were peruerse How much more gloriously doth he speake of Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria saying That it was he which vnderwent the care of all the Churches and calling him the shelter and refuge of them all And speaking of the Church of Antioch Miletius saith he presideth there as ouer the bodie of the Catholike Church Chrysost in Math. c. 16. in serm de Pentecost Euseb Emiss in serm de Natiui Chrysost Homil. 43. in Math. and of which all other Churches are but as parcels And Chrysostome Vpon this stone he saith not vpon Peter for he hath not built his Church vpon a man but vpon that faith and confession and words of pietie And in like manner speaketh Eusebius Emissenus And Chrysostome hauing laid this doctrine for a ground goeth on and speaketh plainely Whosoeuer saith he among the Bishops he excepteth none shall desire this Primacie here on earth shall vndoubtedly find confusion in heauen and be which affecteth to be the first shall not be numbred among the seruants of Christ And vpon the Epistle to the Galathians speaking of Saint Paul He had saith he Idem in Epist ad Galat. c. 2. before declared that he was equall to the rest in honour but now he compareth himselfe to the greatest that is to Saint Peter shewing that euerie of them had receiued equall dignitie Now if the Apostles themselues were equall how commeth there one superiour among their successors And yet this was spoken at what time the Pope began apparently to exalt himselfe aboue his fellowes for of this verie age it was that Socrates speaking of Innocentius Zozimus Boniface and Caelestin Socrat. li. 7. c. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops of Rome vnder the Emperor Theodosius the yonger testifieth That the See of Rome like vnto that of Alexandria passing the bounds and borders of the Priesthood
God than man which Saint Peter in the Acts spake to another sense At his returne into Italie finding himselfe more firmely setled in Rome in the yeare 1097 he caused those articles to be confirmed An. 1097. but yet strengthened with a notable reason Guill Malm. l. 4 Edinerus in vita Arnulini Archiepiscop Symeon Dunelmens l. 2. Chron. That it was too abhominable that those hands that by the signe create their Creator should be bound as handmaids to serue those that euerie day and houre pollute themselues with vncleanenesse Thus abusing the world with a shew of reuerence due to the holy Eucharist because then Transubstantiation began to take footing To conclude we read that in these times he made a shew vpon this occasion of his authoritie in France and England in France in that Geffrey Bishop of Chartres was not onely deposed by him for his many and grieuous offences but Iuon Abbot of S. Quintin put into his place of whom he made choyce being a man famous in those dayes that by his commendations he might the better countenance his owne vsurpation In England in that he persuaded Anselmus an Italian the disciple of Lanfrane being chosen Archbishop of Canterburie by the consent of King William the second to take his confirmation of him which being once admitted by the Primat of England was an example for all the rest to doe the like OPPOSITION But it is now time to consider what the state of the Christian world was especially in the time of these schismes which for the space of sixteene yeares filled it with fire and sword The Popes Cardinals Councels Decrees Excommunications being opposit the one against the other each part chalenging to themselues the true Church affirming that without it there was nothing but heretikes heresies Christ himselfe if you will beleeue them was personally present on both parts and yet not so much as his footsteps to be found in either In so much that many Christian States tooke part with neither of them but left the gouernement of the Church to their owne Bishops not so much as turning their eyes towards Rome out fathers hauing then learnt that the Church of God might subsist without Popes and that Christ without their Vicarship was able to gouerne the Church Germanie was the Theatre of this tragedie wherein it much grieued all sorts of people that such controuersies as should be decided by Scriptures were with a strange disorder of all things determined by ciuile warres And therefore in the yeare 1088 at the entrance of Pope Vrban An. 1088. the Bishops and Princes on both parts assembled in Councell at Garstunghen to find some course for peace to be proposed to Vrban before he were touched with the affections of his predecessors which he seemed neuerthelesse to succeed by right of inheritance There Conrade Bishop of Vtrecht layd open vnto them how necessarie a thing peace was and how detestable it was for any man vpon any pretence whatsoeuer to breake his plighted faith for whosoeuer did so contemned him by whom he sware since we are not so much to consider to whom we sweare as by whom and we are admonished by Christ and his Apostles to obey Tiberius Nero and the most wicked monsters that are how much more then good and lawfull Princes Ambitious therefore and proud are they who with a brasen face abuse the words of our Sauiour Whatsoeuer thou loossest vpon earth shall be loossed in heauen adulterating them by their interpretations enforce them to serue their owne appetites and like children and such as are vnskilfull in all things endeuour to deceiue vs as if saith he wee were ignorant that it is a familiar and common thing with the holie Prophets and Preachers of the word to call one and the same thing by diuers names according to the capacitie of the hearers and to expresse them sometimes figuratiuely sometimes simply according to the diuersitie of the effects Doubtlesse that which Christ Iesus spake more obscurely in one place he expresseth plainely in S. Iohn and most plainely in S. Mathew S. Marke and S. Luke Peace be vnto you saith he Auent l. 5. As my Father hath sent me so I send you Receiue ye the holie Ghost Whose sinnes ye remit shall be remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine shall be retained And to the end he might sow concord and shew himselfe to be the onely true shepheard he saith to one If thou loue me feed my sheepe that is goe into the whole world and preach the Gospell to all creatures And againe All power is giuen me both in heauen and in earth goe therefore and teach all nations And therefore this heauenly Doctor opened the minds of his Disciples that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes and commaund them in his name to preach repentance and remission of sinnes to all nations and to be witnesses of these things This good Bishop had not yet learnt that these places were to be restrained to one Pope to Peter onely excluding all the rest both Apostles and Bishops or that they were more to be applied vnto him than the rest And therefore he addeth For these causes Hildebrand is fallen headlong into ambition since he vsurpeth the power of the immortall God whose messenger he is such are the customs the times the men The Supreame and Soueraigne Maiestie had ill prouided for humane affaires if it had deliuered the sword into the hands of one mortall man whosoeuer For who can set limits to the boundlesse desires of man c. We haue no need to be taught after what manner Peter and his Collegues vsed the Spirituall power or to speake more truely the dispensation and procuration of the heauenlie food for we are the Butlers as it were and Yeomen of Gods garner It plainely appeareth in the booke of the Acts of the Apostles written by Saint Luke the Physitian that the armour of our warfare is the spirit not sword nor rapine nor murders nor periuries but our breastplate or helmet girdle sword buckler are peace loue righteousnesse hope truth the word of God faith all which our most Christian Emperour hath many times of his free will offered to Hildebrand but he hath refused them We denie not but he is a man and apt to sinne without which no man commeth into the world but it is his happinesse that the greatest are not layed to his charge He is giuen to the lusts of the flesh but yet that which nature hath permitted which as youth hath stirred vp in him old age is accustomed to correct I confesse that this is a great sinne but yet humane and such as many yea good men haue often committed And if we truely consider of this our Prince we shall find that whatsoeuer vices there are in him either by naturall inclination or by reason of his age they are ouer counterpoysed by his excellent vertues his readinesse in the execution of great
of the Creed onely they blaspheme the Church of Rome and hold it in contempt and therein they are easily beleeued by the people To the end that all accusations may vanish away which were spred against them among the people although Baronius following the report of certain Monkes is not afraid to recite Baron an 1178. vol. 12. art 17.21 that they haue fained thē to be sometimes Arrians sometimes Manichees but wrongfully as he himselfe acknowledgeth although Rainerius was more impatient in his whole discourse against them Iacobus of Riberia in his collections of Tholouse hath these words Jacob. de Riberia in Collectaneis de vrbe Tholosae The Waldenses or Lagdunenses haue continued a long time the first place they liued in was in Narbone in France and in the diocesse of Albie Rhodes Cahors Agen And at the same time there was of little or no estimation such as were called Priests Bishops and Ministers of the Church For beeing verie simple and ignorant almost of all things it was verie casie for them through the excellencie of their learning and doctrine to get vnto themselues the greatest credit among the people and forasmuch as the Waldenses disputed of Religion more subtilly than all others were often admitted by the Priests to teach publiquely not for that they approued their opinions but because they were not comparable vnto them in wit In so great honour was the sect of these men that they were both exempted from all charges impositions and obtayned more benefit by the Willes and Testaments of the dead than the Priests A man would not hurt his enemie if he should meet him vpon the way accompanied with one of these heretikes insomuch that the safetie of all men seemed to consist in their protection What greater testimonie could a man expect from an aduersarie As touching their doctrine we cannot better learne what it was than by their owne confession presented sundrie times to the Kings of Bohemia who after their dissipation in Fraunce fled thither agreeing in substance with the profession of our Churches although according to the rudenesse of the time not so clearely expounded as also by their Catechismes wherein they instructed their children Neither will we refuse to giue credit to the acts of the Court of Inquisition and the writers of those times who for the most part caried away with malice endeuoured to make it odious to the world The aforesayd Rainerius noteth among the causes of their heresies That men and women little and great day and night cease not to learne Rainerius de Waldensibus and to teach I haue heard from the mouth of a credible person that a certaine heretike whom I knew that he might diuert him from our faith and peruert him to his owne did swim ouer the riuer Ibis in winter and euen in the night to come vnto him Let the Doctors of the true Religion blush at their owne negligence who are not so zealous of the truth of the Catholike faith as the Leonists are of the errour of infidelitie Moreouer they haue translated the new and old Testament into the vulgar Tongue and so they teach and learne it so well that I haue seene and heard saith he a Countrie Clowne recite Iob word by word and diuers others that perfectly could deliuer all the new Testament Then he distinguisheth their errors into three parts against the Church of Rome against the doctrine of the Sacraments and of Saints against the honest customes and rites of the sayd Church Of the Church of Rome saith he they teach that it is not the Church of Christ but the Church of the malignant which fell from Christ euer since the time of Syluester when the poison of temporall dominion entred into it that it is that whore described in the Apocalyps that the Pope is the head of all errours his Prelats Scribes his Monkes Pharisies and all turned from the Doctrine of the Gospell to follow their traditions As touching the Sacraments they disallow the administration of them in an vnknowne tongue the Godfathers vnderstanding not what they answere or promise in the Baptisme as also the exorcismes and the signe of the crosse and others the like They hold the Masse as nothing and that the Apostles neuer knew what it meant and as little did they know their Canon holding themselues to the words of the institution of Christ deliuered in a vulgar tongue That the oblation of the Priest serueth to no purpose And as touching the sacrament that it ought to be consecrated in a knowne tongue that for this purpose there needed no altar and that the changing of the formes is not done in the hand of the Priest consecrating but in the mouth of him that worthily receiueth it And all this because they admit nothing into their Church but what is written in the Bible no decrees no epistles decretals not the Legends of Saints nor Traditions of the Church and condemne also the inuocation and praying to Saints and whatsoeuer is comprehended vnder the name of honest customes the feasts of candles the adoration of the Crosse vpon Good friday the consecration of Palmes of Ashes of the Chrisme of fire of the Agnus dei of salt and water of certaine vestments and places of Pilgrimages to Rome and other places They denie also Purgatorie saying there is only but two waies the one heauen for the elect the other hell for the damned they condemne Masses and oblations for the dead besides anniuersaries and other suffrages for the soule These are the points that may be gathered out of that Authour who bestowed much time afterward in refuting them and mingled by the way many false accusations Aeneas Syluius in historia Bohemica ca. 35. from which they were afterward freed by Aeneas Syluius called Pope Pius the second whose doctrine he comprehended in these few words That the Bishop of Rome is equall to other Bishops neither is there any difference between them one Priest being not greater in dignity than another but in holinesse of life That the soules departing the body passe either to paine or to ioy eternall That there in no fire in purgatorie That a man prayeth in vaine for the dead being nothing else but an inuention of the auarice of Priests That the images of God and Saints were fit to be abolished That the halowing of waters and palmes are but mockeries That the religion of begging friers was inuented by some euill spirit That Priests ought to be poore and content to liue by almes That the preaching of the word of God is free to euery man That no man should sinne to auoid any euill whatsoeuer That whosoeuer is guilty of deadly sinne they mean a crime ought not to be admitted either into any secular or ecclesiasticall dignity That the confirmation by the Chrisme and extreme vnction are no Sacraments of the Church That auricular confession is but a friuolous and vaine thing and it is
distinct legacies and for the more licentious performance hereof how she might draw the king to be a pertaker and consort with her in her rapines For said he the Church shall neuer be freed from her Aegyptian seruitude till she embrue her sword in bloud But towards the end of this prophesie being much pressed with sobs and teares this same holie Bishop of Lincolne Robert the second left the banishment of this world which he neuer loued who was a seuere reprehender of our lord the Pope and the king a reformer of Prelats a corrector of Monkes the director of Priests an instructer of Clerks a supporter of schollers a preacher to the people a persecutor of incontinent men a carefull searcher of diuers Scriptures and the verie mallet and beater downe of the Romans Innocent notwithstanding out of an obstinat will against all his Cardinals consent caused his bones to be throwne out of the Church and that hee should be proclaymed ouer all the world for an Ethnick disobedient and rebellious and such a letter he caused to be written and sent ouer to the king of England in that he knew the king would willingly assume any occasion of rigour towards him and to prey vpon the Church But the night following the Bishop of Lincolne appeared to him in his Pontificall roabes and so with a seuere countenaunce and ghastly aspect he approached and spake to the Pope in a lamentable and mournefull voyce as he lay in his bed taking no rest and giuing him a forcible push on the side with the point of the Pastorall staffe he carried on his shoulder saying vnto him Senebald thou miserable Pope from whence proceeds it that thou determinest to cast my bones out of the Church both to mine and the reproch of my Church of Lincolne It were more fit that thy selfe being exalted and honoured by God thou shouldest likewise respect and esteeme Gods louers though dead and buried God will suffer thee in no wise to haue any power ouer me I writ vnto thee in the spirit of humilitie and loue that thou wouldest correct and amend thy frequent errors but thou with an obdurat heart and proud looke didst contemne my healthfull admonishions Woe be to thee that contemnest shalt not thou also be dispised And so Bishop Robert going backe he left the Pope who when he was pushed as I told you lamented wonderfully as one pearced through with a lance halfe dead sighing and sobbing with a submisse and deploring voice so as they of his Chamber hearing the same and being astonished they demaunded the reason thereof the Pope with sobs and sighes made answere and sayd I haue beene mightily vexed with visions of the night and there is no meanes for me to be absolutely restored to my former state out alas alas how my side torments me which was goared through with the launce of a Ghost So as he neither eat nor drunke all that day but fained himselfe to be grieued with the feauer asmaticall and againe that he was sicke of an incurable plurisie neither did the Pope euer after this liue one good or prosperous day while the night or one night while â—he day but altogether without rest and much disturbed and molested till his whole armie was difcomfited and then his sadnesse conuerting into deepe and growen melancholie he ended his life at Naples when perceiuing his kinsmen to lament and houle renting their garments and tearing their haire for griefe lifting vp his eyes which were almost drowned in death he sayd Poore miserable soules why doe you lament doe not I leaue you all rich What would you haue more and instantly vpon the words he gaue vp the Ghost his soule being to vndergoe the strict and seuere sentence of the euerliuing God Auent l. 7. Auentinus obserues thus much in few words that Innocent entending to deuoure and swallow vp the kingdome from Conrades son of 2 yeres old was suddenly taken away in a day diuinely prescribed vnto him as we find in the Annales by the supreame and highest Iudge Caestr l. 7. Caestrensis saies that the same night he died a voyce was heard in the Popes Palace Veni miser ad Iudicium and a pale deadly wound was found in his side But the vision of a certain Cardinal which happened the same week is worthie of speciall note and Matheus conceales his name for some purpose He though the was in heauen before the Maiestie of the euerliuing Lord sitting on the Tribunal on his right hand stood the blessed Virgin and on his left a certain noble Matron verie venerable both in bodie and in habit who stretching out her right arme ouer her left hand she supported as it were a Temple on the Frontispice of which Temple was written in golden letters Ecclesia and Innocent the fourth prostituted before his diuine Maiestie with hands ioyned and erected and bended knees requiring pardon and not iudgement But this noble Matron contrariwise said Most iust Iudge giue a iust iudgement for I accuse him in three points first when thou laidst the foundation of thy Church on earth thou diddest endow it with liberties which proceeded from thy selfe but this man hath made her a most contemptible bondmaid secondly thou diddest found thy Church for the saluation of sinners that so she might gaine the soules of miserable caitiues offenders but this man hath made it a table of money changers thirdly the Church was founded in constancie of faith iustice truth but this man hath made both faith good to maners wauer and fleet he hath remoued iustice ouershadowed veritie yeeld me therefore iust sentence Then the Lord sayd well depart and receiue the reward of thine owne demerits and so he was taken away But when the Cardinall out of the terrour of the sentence awaked he was almost out of his sences and all his men supposed him to be mad At last his distraction being mitigated he began more at large to explaine his vision so it came to be published ouer all those parts Of the same kind was that of Alexander his successor who saw him in this state and a beautifull woman expostulating with him before God on his throane in these words Dissipasti EcclesiaÌ„ Dei duÌ„ viueres carnalis penitus factus c. And he heard God denouncing the same sentence formerly related whereupon saith the author being vehemently terrified for the space of certaine daies he could not well come to himselfe again therfore one presenting him a gift to obtain froÌ„ him a grant of a certain church he made answer No brother the Church seller is dead but it is thought that if out of the astonishment of this vision he doe not amend he will be more seuerely taken vp before God All which things haue some reference to Robert of Lincolnes Historie whom he of all Ecclesiasticall persons tooke to be his greatest enemie although he is celebrated by writers of those time to haue beene a
Lincolne And yet our Authour ascribeth miracles to this man And these things also happened during the Papacie of Alexander the fourth Vnder Gregorie the tenth one Nicholaus Gallus a countrie man of ours flourished who was borne in Languedoc the seuenth Prior generall of the Carmelites who distasting the corruptions that then crept into his order returned into his auntient hermitage and there ended his life he being Authour of that book intituled Ignea sagitta wherein he layes open the customes and manners of the Monkes of his time especially the Mendicants who beeing but newly risen vp were yet growne to such an hight of deprauation that in their conuents there was no so much as any mention made of studies or any Christian exercises so wholly they were transported with pleasure and vncleanenesse That these after the leauing of hermitages and entring into cities were so degenerated as they seduced the present and were like to corrupt those future and to come And this was wholly the Popes fault Elias Rubeus in Semidiali l. 2. c. 3. 4. who denied them nothing both to the Churches prejudice and the danger of their owne saluation Much after this vaine Elias Rubeus an English man in his Simidiali inferres That the Monkes had conuerted religion into superstition and turned from the interior to the exterior to the forme of an hood to colour and to meats making saluation to consist in things of themselues vaine or indifferent That there was no kind of men more blind in concupiscences or infamous for vncleannesse than the Clergie that a man who otherwise was good and commendable for his life and manners if he but once attained to any Clericall place he was instantly transformed into a theefe of a lambe he became a wolfe and of a souldier of Christ a base broaker and huckster And therefore it was deseruedly spoken of a Monke who was consecrated to be a Bishop Monachum promouendo perimunt They kill the Monke by promoting him All Bishops breaking downe the walls entred not into the Bishoprickes by the open gate neither could inferiors by any other meanes be promoted or preferred The saying was in the Court of Rome Except you bring purses laden with money you cannot be promoted to the honour of any Ecclesiasticall dignitie No esteeme was made of learning vertue or religion In such a case reall allegations of royals preuailed aboue learning vertue or morall vnderstanding And therefore because they thus promoted doe glorie in their exaltation by meanes of money they afterwards become extreame and shamelesse extorters of money but in my opinion Ecclesiasticall persons erre mightily in this nay what may we say of the verie gouernours and rulers of the Church certainely to auerre nothing but truth without lying we can deliuer no good of them in generall Nicholas of Biberache in Germanie affirmed no lesse He tells how he was at Rome and declares how they there vsed only fained flatteries toward strangers learned men and that Iuramenta per oscula Iudas Oathes passed for Iudas kisses Faith and pietie were there rare and deere like aromaticall spices And that the Pope and his assistants raked all to themselues being robbers and theeues worse than Pharao Perpetuò in sinu mulierum and dayly lulling in womens laps he concluding in these verses Papae dicatis precor intuitu pietatis Quod stat in Ecclesia iam multiplex simonia Et mala quamplura fidei quae sunt nocitura Quae si durabunt eclipsin forte creabunt Shew to the Pope in zeale and pietie That in the Church raignes too much simonie And euils many more that hurtfull are Which will eclipse true faith in spreading farre He presaging herein some eclipse and reuolt in the Church But Arnold de Villa noua borne in Catalognia a man endued with the knowledge of all Tongues and Sciences speakes somewhat more broadly The diuell saith hee led all Christian people from the veritie and truth of Iesus Christ The faith that Christians now retaine is but such as the diuels themselues hold All Cloysterers swarue from charitie and are damned All falsifie the doctrine of Christ and Diuines did ill namely the Schole-men in mixing Philosophie with Diuinitie The Popes in their consultations haue no regard but to humane respect and interests And as for doctrine he expresly condemneth the sacrifice of the Altar Masses are not to be celebrated We must not sacrifice for the dead Nothing herein is offered vnto God Almes rather represents the passion of Christ than this sacrifice He therefore for these propositions was condemned of heresie by Frier Iohn of Longuil of the Order of the Predicants and Geoffrey of Crudilles But Germanie vnder Honorius the fourth renewed her auncient vertue Bernard Luitzenbergens Catologo haereticorum sent Iohn Bishop of Tusculum a Roman Cardinall to Rodulphus the Emperour vnder pretext of intreating him to goe into Italie there to be crowned which notwithstanding he did not greatly desire and he demaunded of all his Clergie for fiue yeares a fourth of all reuenewes as well secular as Ecclesiasticall as also of the Conuents of women and Nunnes A Diet therefore was called at Wirtzberge where his demaunds and patents were opened being corroborated and vrged with many intimations and reasons By a generall consent the Archbishop of Collen rose vp who opposing himselfe appealed to a generall Councell and as he was deliuering there reasons according to the charge imposed vpon him hee was by the Cardinall interrupted threatened and excommunicated The Monks and Priests receiued him with scorne and laughter filling the whole temple with clamors and tumult He exclaimed of the wrong and violence done vnto him imploring aid of the Emperour who was present who by his Marshall caused him to be conducted halfe dead into his lodging Then Probus Bishop of Thoul a Doctor of Diuinitie standing on his feet neere to the Font made this Oration How long deere Collegues shall these Romultan Vultures abuse our patience Auent l. 7. Nauclerus vol. 2. Gener. 43. if rather I may not say our follie and blindnesse How long shall we endure their impietie auarice pride and exorbitancies This wicked race of arch Synagoguists will neuer giue ouer before they haue brought vs all to pouertie slauish seruitude And comparing the Popes to the Iewish Priests Our owne discord said he brought forth this incouenience These imposters haue made vse of our differences and as long as they are vpheld the Christians will neuer be able to enioy happie peace to auoyd the miseries of warre or to exercise pietie and charitie one towards another They lately set the Sueuians and Saxons together by the eares then did they depriue both of State and life Frederick the second an excellent member of the Christian Commonwealth and Conrade the fourth both Sueuian and worthie Princes The impes of Sathan and Antichrist sowed seditions and dissentions in Germanie then afterwards by fraud and deceit they intercepted and put to
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
read in the nineteenth Session with this title That notwithstanding the safeconduct of the Emperour of Kings c. it is lawfull by a competent Iudge to enquire of hereticall prauitie The words themselues are these This present holie Synod declareth Concilium Constantiens Sess 19. That notwithstanding any safeconduct giuen by the Emperour or Kings or other secular Princes to heretikes or any suspected of heresie pretending thereby to draw them from their errours by what band soeuer they be bound it cannot nor ought to be any preiudice or hinderance to the Catholike faith or Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and that the said safe-conduct can be no let but that it shall be lawfull for a competent and Ecclesiasticall Iudge to make iniquisition of the errours of such persons and otherwise to proceed against them and to punish them as iustice shall require if they shall obstinatly refuse to reuoke their errours notwithstanding that vnder the assurance of a safeconduct they shall come to the place of iudgement refusing otherwise to come Neither shall be that hath so promised hauing otherwise done what in him lyes from thence forward continue in any thing bound In the margent this is likewise noted A safeconduct can be no defence for an heretike obstinatly defending his heresies So that by this meanes Princes are discharged of their faith their safeconducts in this case are made voyd They that appeare vnder this assurance are deliuered to the Inquisition and they that dispence so absolutely with other mens consciences what faith can they make and being made how doe they performe it or who will take it Iohn Hus therefore died a Martyre of Christ in the yeare 1415 An. 1415. the people that were present at his death breaking out into these words What this man hath heretofore taught or done we know not but doubtlesse these are great tokens of true pietie that is to say hearing his ardent prayers vnto God touching this point turning to the Prelats that were present at this spectacle he said After an hundred yeres you shall answer to God and to me Whereupon there was money coyned in Bohemia with this inscription in Latine on the one side CentuÌ„ reuolutis annis Deo respondebitis mihi and on the other side Credo vnam esse Ecclesiam Catholicam I beleeue one Catholike Church It is likewise said that he should say You roast â—e the goose for that his name Hus signifieth in the Bohemian tongue but hereafter will a Swan come who in despight of you shall sing better and yet you shall not roast him Now iust an hundred yeares after came Luther by whose doctrine the Church of Rome being striken as it were with lightning notwithstanding all their rage and furie he died peaceable in his owne house 62. PROGRESSION The fortunat proceedings of Iohn de Trosnouie otherwise called Zischa Captaine of the distressed Christians against the Emperour Sigismund The practises of Pope Martin to destroy the Christians in Bohemia after the death of Zischa The cunning shifts of Martin the fift to auoyd the reformation of the Church at the Councell of Constance The Councell of Basil deposeth Eugenius and chuseth Amades Duke of Sauoy for Pope Of the comming of the Emperour of Greece and the Patriarch of Constantinople to the Councell at Florence Vladislaus king of Hungarie maketh peace with Amurath the great Turke which he breaketh through the persuasion of Pope Eugenius and what happened thereof Aeneas Syluius in histor Bohem. c. 35. 36. GReat was the authoritie of Iohn Hus in Bohemia whose puritie also of life commended him to be powerfull in words The people were filled with his doctrine especially at Prage the capitall citie where vpon the exceeding great Indulgences of Iohn the foure and twentieth they made this outcrie That he was Antichrist and when the magistrat had put many of them to death in prison not daring to do it openly the people seeing their bloud running vnder the gate of the palace ran thither to seek the bodies crying out These are the Saints that haue deliuered vp their bodies for the testament of God Moreouer that Epitome of Roman abhominations which was come so neere vnto them at Constance made their stinking sauor reach so far as into Bohemia the people of Sueuia complaining That in so very little space of time they had brought in with them so great a deluge of vncleannesse as could not be washed away in thirtie yeres seeing that among the traine of those Prelats are numbred of Historiographers to be foure hundred and fiftie common whores and three hundred juglers The report then of the death of Iohn Hus comming vpon this and aboue all the infamous treacherie vsed towards him exceedingly stirred vp the people yea made them so much the more beleeue the truth of his doctrine for that he had sealed it with his bloud and contrariwise moued them to abhorre the Romish whose abhominable faith could not bee maintained but only by treacherie Then therefore they entreat the king to grant vnto them Temples for the free exercise of their religion which he consented to them and they multipled and according as they encreased they require to be prouided of places necessarie Neither did queene Sophia of the house of Bauaria who gouerned the kings weakenesse shew her selfe repugnant vnto them But he being deceased of a palsie the Emperour Sigismund his brother succeeded who instigated by the Councell and after by the Pope resolueth to vse all violence against them and employeth against them all the â—tes of the Empire assembling to that end Princes Monstrelet vol. 1. c. 257. Prelats Knights Esquires and common people out of Liege Holland Zeeland Henault and other places and left nothing vnattempted that could be done either by force of warre or bitternesse of torments There rose vp at that time one Iohn de Trosnouie called Zischa because he had but one eye of a noble house but of meane fortunes yet a valiant man who gathered together the wandring and scattered people of euerie age and sex into a place of aduantage It were incredible but that the aduersaries themselues doe testifie it hee fought eleuen battels with Sigismund and euer got the vpper hand and in some of them after he had lost his eye blind of both he was no lesse fortunat a Leader of this wretched people whose murmurings often in that desperat estate was no lesse difficult a matter for him to restraine and appease than to sustaine the violent force of the enemie till at length Sigismund seeing all things succeed well vnto him and that at his onely becke all the affaires of Bohemia were swayed resolueth to ouercome and ruine him with faire words and giueth vnto him the Lieutenancie of the kingdome with chiefest authoritie and a great yearely pension on condition That he should acknowledge him king and cause all the rest also to acknowledge him Here the acclamation of Pope Pius is worthie noting Surely a great
betweene both was the Emperour who would haue it so to be transferred that it should be thought dissolued Neuerthelesse he found so much reason in the proceeding of them of Basil that he gaue them for Protector of the Councel Conrade de Windzberg whereby he manifested both that he approued the Councell and disliked the wiles of Eugenius namely that which the Author noteth The embassadours requested that the Fathers would repaire and transferre the Councell to another place which one thing Eugenius seemed to haue sought that so he might either disperse the Fathers of the Councell or take away the libertie thereof During the Parliament of Mentz was disputed among the Diuines in the Councell of Basil of the person of Eugenius the one part affirming That he is an heretike others That he is a relapse and some denying both the more grieuous sentence carried it away That he was an heretike and a relapse both together The Diuines therefore set downe in writing eight Conclusions which they call Truthes and send copies of them throughout all the world which were such First It is a Truth of Catholike Faith That a sacred generall Councell hath power aboue the Pope and all other whomsoeuer Secondly That a generall Councell lawfully assembled cannot without the consent of the same be by the Pope of Rome his authoritie either dissolued or transferred or prorogued for a time and that is of the same Truth Thirdly That he which obstinatly opposeth himselfe to these Truthes is to be iudged an heretike Fourthly Pope Eugenius the fourrh hath repugned these Truthes when first by the fulnesse of Apostolike power he attempted to dissolue or transferre the Councell of Basil Fiftly Eugenius being at length warned by the sacred Councell hath reuoked the errours repugnant to these Truthes Sixtly The dissoluing or transferring thereof the second time by Eugenius attempted is contrarie to the Truthes aforesaid and containeth an vnexcusable errour concerning faith Seuenthly Eugenius enterprising againe to breake vp or transferre the Councell is fallen into his errours formerly reuoked Eightly Eugenius being admonished by the Synod to reuoke the dissolution or translation by him attempted for the second time persisting in rebellion after his contumacie declared and erecting a conuenticle at Ferrara declareth himselfe obstinat Neuerthelesse the Fathers would haue these yet publikely be examined by all the Doctors both of the Ciuile and Canon Law for the space of six dayes Lewis Cardinall and Archbishop of Arles sitting President a man of great learning and courage and they would that all should speake their opinion of them The Abbot of Palermo vulgarly called Panormitan tooke vpon him the defence of Eugenius yet durst not denie that hee was an heretike but onely that he was a relapse whom he would rather should be called a Prolapse because from a relapse is no returne On the contrarie Iohn de Segouio a Spanish Diuine of great fame stifly maintaineth out of his owne sayings That he is an Infidell rather than a beleeuer a member of Sathan rather than of Christ opposing to that singular Glosse alledged by Panormitan That the iudgement of the Roman Church ought to be preferred before all the world the authoritie of S. Hierome Orbis maior est vrbe The authoritie of the whole world is greater than of one onely citie The Bishop of Arges proceedeth That the Pope is onely the Minister of the Church Panormitan waxing in choler contendeth That he is Lord thereof Segouia replieth Take heed what thou sayest Panormitane that is a more honourable title for the Bishop of Rome whereby he calleth himselfe the Seruant of the seruants of God For that is taken from the saying of Christ to his disciples when they asked which of them should be the greatest for you know that he answered The Princes of the Gentiles rule as Lords ouer them c. But the Archbishop of Lyons Embassador of the French king stoutly proued by many reasons that Eugenius was an heretike and detested the lacke of courage of them that had created such a man Bishop of Rome The Bishop of Burgos Embassadour for Spaine insisting on the three former conclusions concludeth out of all the Law diuine and humane That the Councell is aboue the Pope that he is an heretike which denieth it But comming to other things which properly respected the fact of Eugenius It seemed saith the Authour that he somewhat departed from himselfe and was no more Burgensis neither did that grace appeare in his words nor that grauitie in his speech or chearefulnesse in his countenance and if he could haue seene himselfe perhaps he would haue beene abashed at himselfe For who saith he did not then see the force of the truth which furnished this man speaking for it with sentence and words but speaking against it tooke away from him that verie eloquence which naturally was ingrafted in him Yet thus much modesty shewed both he and Panormitan that they sayd ingeniously That the iudgement of the Diuines was to be beleeued and not their opinion who were not instructed in the holie Scriptures What Doctors of the Canon-law are these what assessours or assistants of Popes and of Councels which neglected to read the holie Scriptures The Authour proceedeth to declare what was done vpon those three conclusions vpon the first namely which hath two points Whether the Councell be aboue the Pope and whether Catholike faith commaundeth to beleeue so And for the Popes authoritie was solemnely cited Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke c. Item I haue prayed for thee Peter c. By conference then of places and by the exposition of the Fathers they manifestly proue that these things were promised to the church not to Peter much lesse to the Pope and indeed that many Popes haue grieuously erred and of these they produce examples That the Church which is represented by a Councell is the mother of all the faithfull and by consequent of the Pope whence of Annacletus and Calixtus it is called Mother That the Church is the Spouse of Christ the Pope onely his Vicar a Vicar who can neuer be aboue the Spouse who is one bodie with the bridegroome That these words euer in their mouth maketh nothing for them Whatsoeuer yee shall bind on earth c. for this power was giuen to the Church not vnto Peter for edification not for destruction which consequently may be taken away from the Pope if he abuse it who is onely Vicar and Steward of the Church therefore not equall to the Church seeing Christ sendeth Peter himselfe to the Church tell it sayeth he to the Church which if he will not heare he ought to be accounted an heathen and a publican That this Church ought to be heard by the Pope in a generall Councell lawfully assembled And that all those Canonists which buzze into his eare that the Pope cannot be iudged but by god alone that the first Seat is iudged of none that though he should leade multitudes of soules
with him into hell yet is it lawfull for none to say vnto him what or why doest thou so doe most shamefully flatter him That those decrees are the words of the Popes themseues labouring to enlarge the fringes of their garment That those places also of Scripture Thou shalt be called Cephas c. I will giue vnto thee the keyes c. I haue prayed for thee c. Feed my sheepe c. Launch forth into the deepe and the like are induced against the true meaning of the holie Scripture which they proue both by forcible reasons and by good and well applied places of the Fathers That the Pope if he obey not the Church may be deposed by it seeing he is not the naturall head thereof but grafted in which may no lesse be cut off than the rest of the members if hee ill execute his charge if he be for the destruction or dammage thereof be cast into the fire if he bring not forth good fruit and be troden vnder foot in the street if he be vnprofitable Which is the opinion of S. Hierome interpreting the vnprofitable salt That the Prelat foolish and vnsauorie in preaching chiefely in Peters chaire is to be cast forth of doores that is to be deposed that he may be troden vnder feet of swine that is of Diuels which beare rule ouer the euill Prelat as ouer a beast of their flocke And this not onely for heresie but for whatsoeuer crime whereby the Church is scandalized And this so much the more truely for that the Pope to speake properly is not the Vicar of Christ but of the Church and the Lord and Master may by all right depose his Vicar or Lieutenant whose power ceaseth when the Master is in presence so likewise doth the power of the Pope when a Councell is gathered wherein remaineth fulnesse of power Here this doubt came in their way But the calling of a Councell doth it not belong to the Pope alone Yea saith he if that haue place who seeth not that the ruine of the Church is neere at hand and will presently ensue For who knoweth not that hee which will sinne will sinne without punishment And who wil beleeue that a Pope will assigne a Councell for to represse and reforme himselfe Neither doe I find saith he either by histories or by the Acts of the Apostles themselues that Popes alone haue assembled Councels The first of all Councells where Mathias is substituted in place of Iudas I find to be gathered not by the commaundement of Peter but of Christ who commaunded his Apostles that they should not depart from Hierusalem but should expect the promise of the Father The second for the election of Deacons was not assembled by Peter alone but by the twelue Apostles for it is written Then the twelue called the multitude together The third for the taking away of Circumcision and other legall rites was gathered by commune inspiration as it is written The Apostles and Elders came together The fourth for the permission of certaine legall things seemeth to be assembled by Iames the brother of the Lord. The same was also in the Primitiue Church and since by the authoritie of the Emperours yet so as that the Popes consent was requisit according to reason but on condition that the greater part carrie it away And much more the Councell being once assembled cannot be by the Pope reuoked seeing he himselfe is a part of it which ought to giue place to the greater and from it to depart maketh him guiltie of schisme And thus much for the first Truth whereon the second dependeth That the Pope cannot dissolue a Councell otherwise at the first word he should heare of correction he would bethinke himselfe of this remedie There remained the third Whether this of Catholike faith is so to be beleeued Which they shew affirmatiuely because we are held to beleeue whatsoeuer is in the Gospell now in it say they is dic Ecclesiae on which words the Councel of Constance hath grounded this Decree That the power of a Councell is aboue the Pope vnder paine of heresie And so these three first Conclusions rest most firme by consequence of which the others also are approued Now this decision was to be applied against Eugenius and part of them who had consented in these Truthes desired that the sentence should be deferred some hoping they should haue better of him others by reason that many Bishops yet stayed in the Parliament of Mentz famous men whose Suffrages might seeme to be expected And Panormitan tooke occasion thereupon to inferre That the Bishops ought to be stayed for and that inferiours haue not in Councell a Suffrage decisiue but onely consultatiue Vnto which added Ludouicus Romanus That argument is not to be taken out of the Acts of the Apostles whose examples were rather to be admired than imitated neither is it there manifest that the Apostles had called the Elders out of their duetie there is onely declared that they were present out of which nothing can be inferred Which speech all wondering at in so great a man crie out Blasphemie Then therefore Lewis Cardinall of Arles A man of all other most constant and borne to the gouernement of generall Councels taking vp the words of all the Orators that had spoken declareth That all these doubts were without cause That these Conclusions had beene maturely determined and weighed That the embassadours of all the Princes had giuen vpon these their sentence which were the chiefest men in the Church That the Bishops were in fault that they were not present That to such as were present greater reuerence was giuen than in any Councell before and indeed greater authoritie for so much as their prerogatiues are fully restored vnto them whom they placed in their former state and haue made them which were not Bishops but shadowes to be true Bishops That euen they which now do most draw back haue in their writings auouched the same Truthes meaning by those words of Panormitan and Ludouicus Romanus But saith hee the Presbiters are not so to be put downe who in the Councell of the Apostles had a decisiue voyce and in like sort also in the auncient Councels That in time past the Bishop and the Presbiter or Priest was but one and the same in so much that S. Augustine saith on these words I will giue vnto thee the keyes c. That our Lord gaue judiciariam potestatem iudiciarie power to Bishops and Priests especially seeing they haue more done their duetie in the Councell than the Bishops these fearing to lose their dignities and their delights those for so just a cause not dreading any losse nor yet death it selfe That the Councell hath now sat eight yeares so that there cannot be pretended any headlong proceeding nor any ignorance And moreouer the threats of some Princes are inferred beside the Purpose who are wiser than to attempt any thing in preiudice of the Councell and they themselues also being
in Alexand 6. Volaterran in Anthropologia Guicciard lib. 1. who neuerthelesse gaue lesse credit to these things But Innocent tooke more care to send out his Bulls against those that payed not their yearely pensions at their day appointed whom he punished with excommunication and depriuation of those benefices they possessed In such and the like expeditions the zeale of the Church then appeared Now to these abhominations what could be added to make vp the heape in these times And yet Rodericus Borgia called Alexander the sixt stayed not here For as some report that he came to the Popedome by a compact with the Diuell so his actions bewrayed the Diuels conditions Doubtlesse in this all Authours agree that there was neuer any that ascended to that dignitie by worse meanes Volateranus and Onuphrius say That he obtayned so high a dignitie by the endeauours of some Cardinals corrupted with ambition and auarice who afterwards had experience of his ingratitude and receiued condigne punishment for their wicked assistance and their voyces they then made sale of Of these the principall was Ascanius Sfortia who sold himselfe at a high price that hee that of the whole order was the most wicked might in stead of the best be chosen Pope And there they relate how he ouerthrew them all some by exile some by imprisonment some by violent death some he strangled some he poysoned But Guicciardin more exquisitely He was chosen Pope saith he by meanes of the discord that was betwixt the Cardinals Ascanius Sfortia and Iulian of S. Peter ad vincula But add withall thereunto That by a new example in the sight and knowledge of all men hee bought the Popedome partly with money partly with the promise of his greatest offices and benefices by which meanes he got the Cardinals voyces who contemning the commaundement of the Gospell were not ashamed to sell the power vnto him to make traffique of the sacred treasures by a celestiall authoritie and in the most high and principall part of the Temple that is to say according to that of the Apostle sitting in the Temple of God c. To this abhominable negotiation many amongst them were drawne by Cardinall Ascanius not onely by persuasion but example who being corrupted by an infinit desire of riches bargained with the Pope that for a reward of this his great wickednesse he might haue the Vice-Chauncellorship which was the principall office of the Court of Rome enriched with most pretious furniture But the Pope could not auoyd neither for the time to come the iudgement of God nor for the time present the infamie and iust hatred of men filled by reason of this election with astonishment and horrour because it was made by dishonest meanes and the nature and condition of the man knowne vnto all And among others to the king of Naples who though in publique he dissembled his griefe yet he opened it to the Queene his wife and that with teares from which he was woont to refraine euen at the death of his children because they had chosen a Pope who would proue dangerous not onely to Italie but all Christendome A diuination not vnworthie the wisedome of Ferdinand for there was in Alexander a quick and subtile wit a deepe reach of iudgement a maruelous force to persuade and in all affaires whatsoeuer an incredible care and dexteritie But his many vices did farre exceed these his vertues His maners were verie dishonest there was in him no sinceritie no shame no truth no faith no religion but rather vnsatiable auarice ambition beyond measure more than brutish crueltie and an insatiable desire to raise his sonnes which were many in number whether by right or by wrong to the highest dignities among which one of them in all manner of wickednesse was equall with the father And here let the Reader againe compare these manners with those gifts that are necessarie for a Bishop remembred by Paul 1. Timoth. 3. The onely end therefore of all his endeuours was to encrease the honour and greatnesse of his sonnes whom hee was not ashamed to acknowledge to be his to the whole world for he would not haue them accounted for nephewes as others were woont to doe the better to couer their shame In the first Consistorie he created Iohn Borgia his sisters sonne Cardinall but he was vpon the sudden stricken with a strange feare Charles the eighth king of Fraunce attempting the possession of the kingdome of Naples came with a great power into Italie being inuited by Lodouicus Maurus Duke of Milan and other Princes of Italie against whom Alexander made a league with Alphonsus of Aragon heire to his father Ferdinand in the kingdome of Naples The principall conditions were these That Alexander should inuest Alphonsus into the kingdome of Naples at the same rate that he did his father and should send his Apostolicall Legat to put the Crowne vpon his head That hee should create Lodowicke the sonne of Henrie who was Alphonsus his bastard brother Cardinall Againe That Alphonsus on the other side should pay to the Pope thirtie thousand ducats That he should giue to the Duke of Candia the eldest sonne of Alexander in the kingdome twelue thousand ducats of yearely reuenew and the first of the seuen principall offices that should be voyd That he should maintaine at his charge three hundred men at armes to be alwayes readie when need shold be to serue him That vpon Caesar Borgia his other son by him made Cardinall he shold bestow benefices to a certain yerely value Here the Author noteth That he made him Cardinall after that he had proued by false witnesses that hee was the lawfull sonne of another because otherwise hee could not haue beene capable of that dignitie What impudencie was this hauing before commonly called them and publikely shewed them to be his sonnes In the meane time Charles prepared a great armie for this voyage notwithstanding that Alexander did sometimes dehort him from it with his Briefes sometimes threaten him with his Ecclesiasticall censures Paulus Iouius l. 2. But yet finding himselfe in these straits it was thought expedient for him and his confederat Alphonsus to flie vnto Baiazet the Prince of the Turkes and by embassadours sent to that purpose to lay open vnto him their imminent danger It fell out happily with them at that time that Gemes the brother of Baiazet was detained prisoner at Rome a man famous both for his valour and wisedome who being ouercome by his brother in the plaines of Bythinia retired himselfe to Rhodes where being taken by Aubussonius the Great Master of the Order for a summe of money was deliuered to Innocent the eighth whereupon there was that friendship betwixt Innocent and Baiazet that Baiazet payed vnto him a yearely pension of fortie thousand ducats which Alexander his successors did afterwards receiue Phil. Comin in Histor Carol. 8. c. 19. Philip de Comines saith sixtie thousand to the end that a strong gard might be