The Brutish Thunderbolt, Declaration 1
THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT of Pope SIXTVS the fift, againſt HENRIE the moſt noble King of Nauarre, and the moſt excellent HENRIE BORBON Prince of Condie:
Togither with the protestation and declaration of the manifold nullitie or inualiditie of the ſame.
WHeras of late there was a declaration pronoūced by Pope SIXTVS the fift of that name, being a Franciſcan Frier, and it was ſhortly after publiſhed and printed, that Henrie the moſt noble King of Nauarre, and alſo Henrie Borbon the moſt excellent Prince of Condie, ſhould firſt be excommunicate as notorious heretiks from among Chriſtians; and alſo that they ſhould be put from their empires, honors, and al dignities, and principally from hope of ſuccéeding in the kingdome of France: ſecondly, that their ſubiects and vaſſals ſhould be abſolued from the oth of alleageance wherewith they were bound to them: laſt of al that they ſhuld be ſet vponupon by force, ſword, arms, and camps by the moſt mightie king of France: the moſt excellent and noble Princes aforeſaid, hauehave thus proteſted touching that matter: that with the good leaue of all Catholikes, and without anie hurt of the cōcord of both religions, which the ſame princes do greatly deſire to be kept intire in France, that proſcription or declaration of the pope being a Franciſcan Frier, was pronounced, publiſhed, & diuulgate againſt all lawes diuine and humane: and that for that cauſe it is in law none, and to be accounted for none: & that all that furious curſe is nothing, but a brutiſh thunderbolt of the Romane papacie, whoſe force is friuolous, vain, and of none account: & that principally for fower cauſes: namely, for the incompetencie of the raſh iudge, the falſenes of the allegation, the want of iudiciall order, and for the fooliſhnes of the forme wherein it is written: wherof we wil héerafter intreat in the ſame order wherein they are ſet downe.