The Brutish Thunderbolt, Declaration 1 · Part 29
Of the vaine and contemptible thunderbolst of the popes.
FOr to cite a few of many teſtimonies, when pope Boniface the eight had proſcribed with this ſame ancient boldnes, Philip the faire king of France, the king hauing aſſembled a parlement, did decrée according to the ſentences of the orders, that the filthie legates of the pope, being reproched and ill intreated, ſhould be baniſhed out of the borders of his kingdome. Boniface the pope, ſaith Laurentius Valla, who deceiued Celestine with trumpets that he had put into a wall, depriued the king of France of his kingdome of France, and iudged that the kingdome it ſelfe (as if hee would execute the donation of Constantine) was and is ſubiect to the church of Rome. What? with what minde did king Philip ſuffer this his madnes? It ſéemeth more fit to hear the whole matter out of the words of Platina himſelfe. Boniface, ſaith Platina, ſent the archdeacon of Narbon to tell the king, that he ſhould ſet at libertie the biſhop of Apame. If he would not do that, he ſhould ſay in the hearing of all men, that the kingdome of France was turned ouer to the church, and that he ſhould adde a curſe, and ſhould abſolue all the French men from their oth taken to the king. (Is not this the very ſame forme of proſcription, which our mad headed Sixtus, hath vſed in proſcribing the king of Nauarre, and prince of Condie? Platina procéedeth: But in the meane ſeaſon, ſaith he, Philip king of France taking the arrogancie of pope Boniface impatiently, holding a great aſſemblie of eccleſiasticall perſons and noble men at Paris, and ſetting downe the iniuries that he had receiued at Bonifacius his hands, and his ambition, and wicked ſubtilties to get the popedome, which he held vniustly; he appealed vntounto the ſea apostolike, which was at that time (as he ſaid vacant) and vntounto the next councel that ſhould be held. Wherwith Boniface being ſmitten, holding a generall councell, he maketh Philip and his kingdome ſubiect to Albertus the emperor, whom he had reiected and put backe in the beginning of his popedome. But then Philip willing to tame his pride, ſent Sarra Columnienſis, knowen in part of Maſſilia, and redeemed from pyrates with Nogaretius a most faithfull French knight, to Rome, for this cauſe (as he did openly declare) that they might publiſh his appeale. For he had another purpoſe in his head. For Sarra entring into Italie apparelled like a ſeruing man, hauing gathered togither his friend, out of all parts, ſendeth Nogaretus before to Terentine with two hundred horſemen, being French men, and hired out of the campe of Charles Valeſius, that they might aide him from thence, if need ſhould be. But entring by night ſecretly into Agnania, hauing the Gibellines to aide him, whom Boniface had long and greatlie vexed, he caught the pope in his fathers houſe fearing no ſuch thing, after he had brok vp the gates, & he bringeth him captiue to Rome, where 35. daies after, he died for ſorow. Thus writeth Platina, where he addeth alſo that of Iohn Andreas & Baldus, that he is as a dead dog, who entred like a fox, and ruled like a lion *. In which place, Bald. in c. 1. de nat. feud.it ſéemeth we ought not to omit that which our cowled frier hath left in writing in his booke of conformities, * in theſe words. Fol. 103.Pope Vrbane the fift, ſwore to deſtroy our order, but he died ſhortly after: pope Bonifacius the eight cauſed manie buls to be made, all of one tenor, that the friers minors ſhould be diſpatched, as the tēplars, that our whole order might be deſtroied in one day. Before he could ſend them, he was taken priſoner, the buls were burned, and the pope himſelfe died miſerably. But omitting trifles, let vsus ſée to other things. Surely by theſe things we vnderſtand, that euen at that time, that is in the yéere M. cccvj. theſe mad and furious proſcriptions of the popes were contemned of the French kings, & counted as nothing. Neither was the vertue and courage of king Charles the ſixt, inferior, about the yéere M. ccccxviij. For as we vnderſtand by the records, of the ſenate of Paris, & both French and Germane chronicles, ſo ſoone as Martinus the fift was made pope in the councell of Conſtance, being not content with ſo many and ſo great tributes, vponupon which two former Antipopes, and alſo thrée former Antipopes, and a little before fower Antipopes relieng, had nouriſhed deadly wars amongſt them almoſt for the ſpace of fortie yéers, he began to command moreouer new tributes, in the churches, and eſpecially of France. Which meſſage, after the king had receiued, he determined foorthwith to hauehave a parlement according to the cuſtome. In that aſſemblie after the matter had béen long time hard and debated, a decrée was made, that that new kind of the popes exactions ſhould be inhibited. Which ſo ſoone as pope Martin knew, he ſent foorthwith legates from his traine into France, to inhibite principally all the citie of Lions from all holie things. This was woont to be the force of thoſe inhibitions of the popes in that time of darknes, (if happilie any man knew it not) that they ſhut vp all the church doores, there was no maſſe ſaide, there was no vſe or exerciſe of any religion, there was alſo no ringing of bels. OnelyOnly ſo? Yea ſurely thoſe that were dead might not be buried in churchyardes. Wherewith it cannot in words be vttred, how greatly mens minds infected with ſuperſtition, were terrified. What did they then? Foorthwith according to the authoritie of the publike aſſemblie, & the decrée of the ſenate of Paris, it was pronounced, that that curſe ſhould be counted as nothing. Let them remember, let thē think vponupon, let them meditate vponupon theſe things, if there be any in our country of France either ſo ignorant, and vnſkilful of things, or ſo euil affected towards mightie princes, that they thinke that this fooliſh and ridiculous proſcription of our cowled frier is of any importance: eſpecially at this time, wherein the hypocriſie of the popes is laid open almoſt to all Europe. For our Peretus doth as ſnailes vſe to do when winter is ouer: when they féele the heat of the ſunne, then they thruſt out their ſwelling necks and two hornes out of their ſhels, wherwith ſomtimes little children are terrified. So he hath long time couched in his munkiſh den, enduring hunger miſerably begging from doore to doore. Now when he ſéeth that he is aduanced to ſo great honor, he caſteth his cowle from about his ears, and doth proudly ſhew foorth his hornes, and he hopeth that he ſhal therewith terrifie princes and kings. But as we hauehave alreadie ſaid, moſt Chriſtian princes knowe the blindnes of thoſe beaſts: they hauehave learned long ago what difference there is betwéene a lion and an aſſe of Cuma: neither are they mooued either with the gaping mouthes of Antiks, and with the téeth making an hidious noiſe, or with other childiſh bugs of the ſame ſort. It is recorded that that our French king, of whom we ſpake euen now, Charles the ſixt, did with like courage deſpiſe the vaine thunderbolt of the pope, about the yéere of Chriſt, M, CCCXXX. For when he was proſcribed by pope Benedict the 13. bicauſe he had forbidden certaine new and vnaccuſtomed exactions of pope Benedict, he decréed according to the ſentence of the publike councel and orders, that the popes legates, which had brought into France that bull which was fearefull to women and children, ſhould ſuffer this ignominie at Paris: firſt, that about ten of the clocke in the forenoone, about which time the Senate of Paris vſeth to be diſſolued, being brought to the gréeſes of the pallace, hauing ſome biſhops ſtanding by them, and a great manie of prieſts, being naked and holding in their right hand a burning torch, they ſhould openly confeſſe the wickednes they had committed: and ſhould humbly craue pardon for the ſame. Then, that being clothed by the hangman with garments painted to their reproch, and hauing that popes armes turned in in reproch, and being carried in a dirtie cart through the chiefe ſtréetes of the citie, they ſhould be ſet to be laughed at of the common people. Which thing to hauehave béene done, and alſo to hauehave béene quickly put in execution, the moniments of the Senate of Paris do declare, and it is alſo reported by Paponius. Alſo In lib. Arreſt. 1. tit. 5. Artic. 27.the authoritie of Baldus is extant againſt that raſhnes of Benedict the 13. *in c. olim. col. penult. Extra. de reſcript.who ſharpely and couragiouſly inueigheth againſt the Antipopes of that time: wherof this Benedict had his ſea at Auenion; the other, namely Boniface had his at Rome: and the former of theſe he called a bellowing oxe, the latter a warring beaſt: & he inueigheth againſt both moſt ſharply and moſt fréely. Moreouer, there is extant in Theodor Nehemius * an epiſtle of the Vniuerſitie and ſtudie of Paris, where Tract. 6. c. 17.this firſt requeſt is made, that The popes letter made like to a bull be rent and broken, as iniurious, ſeditious, fraudulent, and offenſiue to the kings maiestie, with protestation to proceed vntounto greater things: and let all ſuggeſters, fauters, receiuers be taken and kept to be puniſhed, and corrected according to the canons. Like courage appéered in the Florentines againſt pope Sixtus the fourth, whoſe name this Sixtus the fift thought he might take, and alſo imitate his example: who came out of the ſelfe-ſame ſeminarie of Bernardo. For when he had proſcribed the Florentines for that traiterous biſhop of whom we ſpake before, whom they hanged out at the court window, and had giuen them to Ferdinando king of Sicilia for a praie, the Florentines contemning the popes vaine thunderbolt, and taking to them the duke of Ferrarie to be their partner in war, they beate downe the madnes of the furious and fierce vncowled frier: and inforced him with war and armes, to reuerſe his curſe. Which hiſtorie Raphael Volateranus recordeth in his fift booke of Geographie. Furthermore, there is extant the councel of Francis Aretinus a lawier, being at that time very famous and noble: wherein defending the cauſe of the Florentines, he vſeth theſe words: The crime wherwith the woorthie man Laurentius de Medicis is charged touching rebellion, is ſo manifestly refuted, that I am aſhamed of the voice of the pope in this point. For in his letters written to the ſame woorthie man, in the monethmonth of September last past, it is declared, that as touching that crime he counteth him as innocent and giltleſſe, and that he had no ſinister ſuſpition of him. Then most holie father, ſee you to it, why you, after a few moneths do heape vp ſo manie and grieuous crimes against him. It is not for me to ſet my face against heauen, onelyonly I will ſay thus much: It is not honestly done of him that ſitteth in the throne of God to vſe ſo great varietie. Thus writeth Aretinus in his 163. councell, as Iohn, num. 3. Time ſhould faile vsus, if we would ſéeke to proſecute the princes and nobles, who hauehave contemned theſe proſcriptions, and vain thunderings, thunderbolts, lightenings of the popes, euen in former times, in ſo great miſtines and darknes. The emperor Otho the fourth was proſcribed by Innocentius. Henrie the fourth by Gregorie the 7. Henrie the fift by Paſcalis the ſecond. Friderike the firſt of Sueueland, by Adrian the fourth and Alexander the third. Philip ſonne of Friderike the firſt, by Innocentius the third. Friderike the ſecond by Gregorie the ninth, was excommunicate not once nor twiſe, but thriſe. Conradus the fourth by Innocentius the fourth. But as touching the firſt beginning of this madnes & boldnes, from whom it firſt came, the Germane hiſtoriographers do not ſufficiently agrée. Indéed Otho Friſingenſis referreth it vntounto the yéere, CIC. lxvj. wherein William king of England was proſcribed by pope Alexander the ſecond *. Lib. Chron. 6. c. 35.I read, ſaith he, and read againe the famous facts of the kings and emperors of Rome, and I can find none any where that was excommunicate before him. But Iohn Tritemius writing concerning the emperor Henrie the fourth, ſaith: He was excommunicate by Gregorie In Chron. Hirſaug. cap. 4.the ſeuenth, and was depoſed from the empire by the ſynodal decree of the biſhops: though he cared not for it. But he is the first amongst all the emperors that was depoſed by the pope. But howſoeuer it be (for it is not greatly appertinent to that we hauehave in hand, what time this inſolencie of the popes began) it is euident that in all ages there were very many couragious men, which deſpiſed theſe thunderings of the popes, as ſquibbiſh thunderbolts, and old buſſings, and as fray-bugs to feare children.