The Brutish Thunderbolt, Declaration 1 · Part 8
The crime of Sacrilege.
HItherto hauehave we ſpoken of the ſecond crime of the papacie. Hereafter order doth require that we intreate of ſacrilege, and of that wickednes which commonlie they all Simonie, of Simon Magus. For it is manifeſt that at Rome the pope kéepeth two ſimonie markes, of thoſe thinges which they call ſpirituall. One is that, wherein benefices are openly ſold without any diſſimulation, and that is the moſt gainefull. Another being not ſo gainefull, but notwithſtanding filthy & deteſtable, is that, which is called the tax of the Apoſtolike penance, when as impunitie of all ſin and wickednes is ſo manifeſtly ſold, eueryevery ſin hauing a certaine ſum of money ſet vppon it, that euen ſome canoniſts do deteſt that vnſatiable couetouſnes, and robbery. As in the gloſſe *, where Iohn the munke c. fundamenta. de elect. in 6.ſaith, that Rome being builteby Pirates, doth as yet retaine of his firſt beginning. And ſurely ſo it is, that yéerely an incredible weight of gold is caried to Rome out of the moſt wealthy treaſuries in the world, which the popes and cardinals and other epicures of the ſame order doe ſpend vponupon the moſt inſatiable and bottomleſſe gulfe of their luſtes, with great infamie of the name of Chriſtians. The names and titles of the former are infinite: but of ſo great ſtore theſe are chiefely reckoned. The tribute of firſt fruites or vacances: which is the name of the reuenues of the firſt yéere, which the popes gather into their treaſurie: but theſe are for the moſt part doubled, and tripled. Alſo the tribute of preuentions, reſignations for fauour, commendations, diſpenſations for age, order, irregularitie, corporall faultes. Alſo of expectatiue graces, deuolutions, benefices that are like to be void, priuileges, exemptions for not viſiting, or to viſit by a deputie, of confeſſions of thoſe that are agréed, of tranſactions made vnderunder the popes good pleaſure, of changinges of benefices with diſpenſation, of mandates of biſhops, of expeditions in form by reaſon of congruitie, for making notories and protonotories apoſtolike, with their coadiutors: for letters of greater or leſſer iuſtice, for ſecular dignities, for dignities eccleſiaſticall, for new foundations, or changing the old, or for reduction of regular monaſteries into ſecular ſtate, or for reſtoring them againe, for receiuing fruites during abſence, for legitimations, portable altars, for non obſtances, for indulgences of ſecular clerks, for reuocations, and reductions, for Toleramus, or tollerances of concubines, and for reſcriptions to ſuites. Time ſhould faile vsus if we ſhould go about to reckon vp all ſorts of their vnlawfull ſcrapings and robberies. Neither is it greatlie néedfull. For there is a booke of the popes extant, concerning theſe matters & markets, hauing this title: The taxes of the Apoſtolike chancery, with the Notables, as they write them at this day, of the church of Rome: in which booke there is a woorthy ſaieng expreſſed in theſe words in a certaine place: And note diligently, that ſuch graces and diſpenſations are not granted to poore men: bicauſe they are not: therefore they cannot be comforted. Who is he that is ſo ſecure a contemner of God: who is he altogither ſo voide of conſcience amongſt the kings counſailers, whom theſe monſters of robberies, ſacrileges, ſimonies do not mooue? Who is ſo hard harted, and ſuch an enimie to his countrie, which is not throughly touched with ſo great ſpoile of the wealth of France, and with the ruin of the poore people, out of whoſe marrowes and bowels this money is fet, which the déepe luſtes of the popes & cardinals hauehave deuoured? That which we are now about to ſay, will ſéem a thing incredible, but yet it is certaine and tried to be true. When as in times paſt the Romane empire ſtoode, there was ſuch abundance of wealth and riches, ſo great ſtore of gold and ſiluer caried thither out of all partes and places of the world, of the tributes and taxes of all people and nations in a maner, that, that citie was commonly called by the Gréeke word: The little Epitomie Athenaeus li. 1. foreign.of the whole world. What if we now ſhew that the pope of Rome doth draw to Rome yéerely by his ſhifts, coſenage, and wicked policies, out of Europe onelie, (which is counted but the third part of the world) no leſſe ſtore of gold and ſiluer, than the emperors of Rome did exact of all coaſtes of the earth for ſo many legions that lay euerie-where in gariſon? Let vsus heare Flauius Blondus his teſtimonie being a man that was an Italian, & a great flatterer of the popes, out of his booke of Rome reſtored 3. Now (ſaith he) the princes of the world do adore and worſhip the perpetuall dictator, not of Caeſar, but the ſucceſſor of Peter the fiſherman, and the vicar of the foreſaid emperour, the chiefe and high biſhop. Now the whole world doth worſhip the ſenate of cardinals in Rome, next to the pope. What? That almost all Europe ſendeth to Rome tributes being greater then, at least equall with the tributes of ancient times, when eueryevery citie receiueth from the pope of Rome benefices for priestes? Thus writeth Blondus. But we muſt a little more diligently frame the reaſon of this cruel ſacrilege. For Suetonius in the life of Iulius Caeſar writeth thus: He brought all France into the forme of a prouince, and he laid vponupon the ſame yeerely foure hundred ſesterties by the name of a ſtipende. Eutropius left this ſame written in a maner in as many words in the ſixt booke of his breuiarie. If we folow William Budeus his account we ſhal find that this number of ſeſterties is in our coin, ten hundred thouſand crownes: or as they commonly cal it, a million: as the Germanes vſe it, ten tuns of gold. This was a great tribute for France: which it did yéerely pay to the emperours in ſuch ſort, that yet notwithſtanding there was paide out of the ſame to ſome legions that lay in gariſon, a ſtipende. What if we now prooue that the pope of Rome doth with his iuglings and ſhifts gather to Rome yéerly no leſſe ſum, without paieng any thing out of the ſame? Peraduenture it wil ſéeme to ſom a thing incredible, and altogither monſterous: as I ſaide before: but yet notwithſtanding we ſhall prooue by a moſt ſure teſtimonie that it is moſt true. Who is then a witnes of that ſo great robberie or rather ſacrilege? The ſenate of Paris that beareth chiefe rule in France, which about an hundred yéeres ago, preſented to Ludouicus the eleuenth, certaine requeſts for the churches of France, which Francis Duarene a lawyer tranſlated into Latine, and publiſhed with the kings priuilege, twiſe at Paris, and alſo twiſe at Lyons: toward the end of the booke concerning benefices. For in the 72. article of the ſame requeſts, it is thus written: That we may ſpeciallie and particularly ſhew how greatly the money of the realme is wasted within thoſe three yeeres, we must marke, that in the holie biſhops time there hauehave bin void in this realme more than twentie archbiſhoprikes, and biſhoprikes: and it is not to be doubted, but that as well for the yeerely tribute which we call the first fruits, as for other extraordinarie costes vponupon euerie bull, there hauehave bin paide downe ſixe thouſand crownes, which ſum amounteth to an hundred and twentie thouſand crownes. The 68. article followeth: There hauehave bin voide in this realme threeſcore abbots places: whereof euerie one cost two thouſand crownes at the least: therefore the ſum is an hundred and twentie thouſand crownes. 74. At the ſame time there were voide priorſhips, deaneries, prouostſhips, masterſhips, and other dignities which hauehave not the paſtorall ſtaffe for their inſigne, more than two hundred: and for euerie one of theſe benefices there were paide downe, fiue hundred crownes: the ſumme therefore is, an hundred thouſand crownes. 75. It is manifeſt that in this realme there be at least an hundred thouſand pariſhes, which are inhabited and repleniſhed. Neither is there any one wherein at that time ſome one did not obtaine an expectatiue grace: and for euerie one of theſe they paied fiue and twentie crowns, as well for the charges of the iournie, as for the making of the buls: non obstances, prerogatiues, annullations, and other eſpeciall clauſes, which were woont to be adioined to the graces expectatiues. Alſo for the executorie proceſſe vponupon the ſame graces. This ſumme is twentie times fiue hundred thouſand crownes. Thus ſaith the Senate of Paris. Now let vsus collect the totall ſumme of the ſummes. We ſhall find that it amounteth to the ſumme of nine hundred ſix and fortie thouſand ſix hundred thréeſcore and ſix crownes, and moreouer to the eight part of one crowne: which is the third part of that ſum which the Senate of Paris ſheweth to hauehave béen caried to Rome in that thrée yéeres ſpace: namely, eight and twentie hundred and fortie thouſand crowns: or to ſpeak plainly in our countrie ſpéech, thrée millions of gold lacking an hundred & thréeſcore thouſand: or (as the Germans ſay) almoſt eight and twentie tunnes of gold. Moreouer, we hauehave found out that the taxe of the vacations written in the bookes of the treaſure-houſe of the cathedrall churches and abbaies of France, being taxed onelyonly; doth eueryevery ſixt yéere amount to the ſumme of ſix hundred, ninetie ſeuen thouſand, ſeuen hundred and fiftie French pounds, beſides the prelacies and other benefices that are not taxed, the exactions whereof do almoſt ariſe to that ſumme. And ſhal there be any in the kings Parleament of France, that will confeſſe that he can with a quiet mind ſuffer this whirlepit, or rather Scylla, Charibdis, or gulfe? And will not rather ſo ſoone as he heareth this loſſe of ſo great ſummes, deteſt and accurſe that huge and cruell beaſt with all praiers? And yet we will not cite this teſtimonie onelyonly. Lo we hauehave another out of the booke whoſe title is, The Foreſt of common places, which was publiſhed about the end of the Councell holden at Baſill, wherein is gathered into a groſſe ſumme, the ſumme of monie that during the time of pope Martin the fifts popedome, was caried to Rome out of France alone, which is ſaide to hauehave amounted to ninetie hundred thouſande crownes. And do we woonder that that ſame Senate of Paris, did in the ſame requeſts, artic. 71. ſore and bitterly complaine, that ſo great a ſumme of gold and ſiluer was yéerely caried to Rome, ſo that they were compelled ſomtimes for the vſe of the common people of France to coine braſſe monie for ſiluer monie? But let vsus heare the 62. article of the ſame requeſts. Heertofore (ſaith the Senate of Paris) the people of this kingdome ran to Rome by heapes, whereof ſome ſerued the cardinals and courtiers: ſome being ſeruants to no man, but being intiſed by ſome vaine hope, did ſpend their owne and their parents ſubstance: other ſome, and that a great manie went to Rome for this purpoſe, that they might procure trouble to the rest that ſtaied heere, and that they might wring out of their hands by hooke or by crooke their churches and benefices. For we find by experience, that the greatest part of thoſe which went hence to Rome, was woont to die ſtraightway either through weariſomnes and danger of the iournie, or through the plague, which is oftentimes very rife at Rome: and thoſe which eſcaped out of theſe dangers, they procured trouble to old men, ſicke perſons, and to ſuch like, which were continually reſident in their churches and benefices. But it did oftentimes fall out, that ſilly men being cited to the court of Rome, when as they could not defend themſelues against theſe falſe accuſers, were inforced to end their life through weariſomnes and ſorrow. 62. Most of thoſe that did hunt after benefices, did quite emptie their parents and friends bagges, and at length, they were brought to great pouertie and beggerie. Neither did they indure ſo great iniuries vponupon any other hope, ſaue onelyonly that they might ſomtimes bring home lead for gold: and it fell out ſometimes that the gaping crow was deceiued, and that the lead that was bought with gold, was nothing elſe but lead. For whiles they trusted to their leaden buls, there came in one between, which brought at a ſudden an annullation: and ſometimes there were ten or twelue that did gape and catch for one benefice. And when the ſtrife was once begun, they must backe againe to Rome to follow the ſute: ſo that whiles all men ran to Rome from all quarters, the realme was miſerably destitute of hir people and ſubiects. And this ſurely was the complaint of the Senate of Paris, of the vnſatiable couetouſnes, and gréedie robberie of the popes, aboue an hundred yéeres ago, which was preſented to king Ludouike, and yet not ſproong from the new and freſh robberies of the popes. For there is extant a decrée of that Ludouike that was called Bleſſed, anno 1228. which doth plainly ſhew how great the couetouſnes of the popes was in France euen at that time: The exactions Sub. tit. de Talijs.(ſaith he) and heauie burdens laid vponupon the churches of our realme by the court of Rome, whereby the realme is woonderfully impoueriſhed, or which ſhall heerafter be laid vponupon vsus, will we hauehave to be leuied and gathered no farther foorth, ſaue onelyonly for reaſonable, godly, and most vrgent neceſſitie, and ſuch as cannot be auoided, and according to our expreſſe and free conſent, and of the church of our realme. It ſéemeth good to me likewiſe to cite in this place that excellent concluſion of the Abbat of Vſperge; out of the life of Philip the emperor, wherby it may be vnderſtood, Pag. 321.how ancient this complaint was concerning the robberies of the papacie of Rome, which Sixtus the fift hath determined to maintaine ſtoutly with all his tyrannie. There ſcarce remained (ſaith he) any biſhoprike, or eccleſiasticall dignitie, or pariſh church, which was not in ſuite, and the cauſe it ſelfe was brought to Rome: but not with an empty hand. Our mother Rome be glad, bicauſe the ſluces of the treaſuries of the earth are ſet open, that the ſtreames and heapes of monie may flow vntounto thee in great abundance: Reioice ouer the iniquities of the ſonnes of men: bicauſe thou hast a reward giuen thee in recompence of ſo great euils. Be glad ouer thine helper diſcord: bicauſe ſhe is broken out of the pit of hell, that thou maist hauehave many rewards of monie heaped vponupon thee. Thou hast that after which thou didst alwaies thirst. Sing a ſong, bicauſe thou hast ouercome the world through the wickednes of men, and not through thy religion. Not deuotion, or a pure conſcience doth draw men vntounto thee, but the committing of many heinous facts, and the deciding of controuerſies gotten by monie. Let vsus alſo heare the complaint of Theodore Nihemius being not vnlike Tract. 6. c. 37.to this; that the king of France his Counſellers may know, how fréely many good men hauehave long ago deteſted theſe ſacrileges of the papacie of Rome: and hauehave deteſted them at the ſame time when the Church of Chriſt was oppreſſed with the moſt cruell lordſhip of the ſame papacie. The popes treaſure-houſe (ſaith he) is like to the ſea, into which all riuers run, and yet it doth not ouerflow. For ſo into this are caried out of diuers parts of the world thouſand waights of gold: and yet it is not filled: wherein there is a generation which changeth ſwords for teeth: that it may eate vp the needie of the earth, and the poore from among men: wherein there be many blood-ſuckers which ſay, Bring, Bring. The officers of which treaſurie are called Gentes camerae: and that truly. For the Gentils be barbarous nations, which hauehave maners that are diſcrepant from the maners of men. O most iuſt Gentils, which ſhall hauehave their lot with the infernall furies, or Harpies, and with Tantalus being a thirſt, which neuer are ſatisfied. Moreouer, there be certaine verſes of certaine Canoniſts extant, which accurſe the wicked couetouſnes of the popes, and amongſt theſe of one Iohn a munke, of whom we made mention a little before, out of whoſe excellent monuments theſe are recited, and commended.
Rome gnawes hir hands, but as for thoſe
Whom gnaw ſhe cannot, thoſe ſhe hates.
To thoſe that giuegive, ſhe listeneth:
Against all thoſe ſhe ſhuts hir gates,
That nothing giuegive. That helliſh court
The mother is of euils and care:
Vnknowen with knowen ſhe equall makes,
And beasts with thoſe that honest are.
Alſo in another place:
The court doth emptie purſe and chests,
For why ſhe longeth after marks:
If thou diſpoſed be to ſpare
Thy purſe, flie popes and patriarks.
If marks thou giuegive, and with the ſame
Their chests ſhalt fill, thou looſed ſhalt be:
And cleane abſolued from all offence,
And vglie ſinne that holdeth thee.
Who keepes the houſe? Whoſe there? Its I.
What would you hauehave? I would come in?
Do you bring ought? No: Stand at doores.
I bring ynough: then come you in.
Hitherto hauehave we ſpoken of the monſterous robberies of the popes, and of the former ſort of the crimes of ſacrileges and ſimonie: now order doth require that we ſpeake of the other, which is commonly called the penitentiarie tax, if firſt we adde that one thing, which Francis Petrarcha an Italian, left in writing touching pope Iohn the two and twentie, that his heires found in his treaſure houſe after his death no leſſe than twentie times fiue thouſand thouſand crowns. Which ſum the French men expreſſe thus, fiue and twentie millions of Gold. And the Germans, two hundred and fiftie tuns of gold. By the which eueryevery man may eaſily iudge of other ſacrileges and ſpoiles of the like théeues. Therfore the booke is extant being publiſhed at Paris, anno 1520. with the priuilege of the Parleament of Paris, the ſixt day of Iune the ſame yéere, the title whereof is, The Taxes of the apoſtolike chancerie: and alſo the holie penitentiarie taxes, being likewiſe apoſtolike: where fol. 36. you may ſée theſe prices of abſolutions, and apoſtolike markets. An abſolution for a munke that weareth voided ſhooes, and that weareth knit garments, ſeuen groſſes. Abſolution for a priest that hath ioined togither in matrimonie thoſe that are within degrees of kindred, and hath ſaid maſſe before them, ſeuen groſſes. For him that hath lien with a woman in the church, and hath committed other euils, ſix groſſes. For a priest that hath married priuily certaine perſons, and hath been preſent at ſecret matrimonies, ſeuen groſſes. For a layman that hath taken away holie things out of an holie place, ſeuen groſſes. Abſolution for him that hath had any carnall copulation with his mother, ſister, or other kinſwoman, or allie, or with his godmother, fiue groſſes. For him that hath defloured a virgin, ſix groſſes. For a periured perſon, ſix groſſes. For a layman that hath ſlaine an Abbat, or another priest vnderunder a biſhop, which hath ſlain a munke or a clerke, 7. 8. or 9. groſſes. Abſolution for a layman killing a layman, groſſ. 5. For a priest, a deane, or clerke, when the ſupplication is ſigned with Fiat, groſſ. 18. or 16. Abſolution for him that hath ſlaine his father, mother, brother, ſister, or wife, or any other kinſman being a layman: bicauſe if any of them were a clerke, the murtherer ſhould be bound to viſit the apostolike ſea, groſſ. 5. or 7. For an huſband that hath beaten his wife, of which beating ſhe brought foorth hir child before hir time, groſſ. 6. For a woman that hath droonken any drinke, or done ſome other thing, whereby ſhe hath destroied the child that was quicke within hir, groſſ. 5. Is not the ſtate of Chriſtian nations miſerable and to be lamented, out of whoſe blood and bowels ſo great heaps of monie are caried to Rome, to be conſumed foorthwith in dennes, brothelhouſes, and gluttonie of the popes, cardinals, and ſuch epicures? Doth not the ſpectacle of the common people of France ſéeme lamentable and deadly, ſéeing that in theſe times the perſecutions of the reformed churches being ſo often reſtored, and renewed, we ſée innumerable families caſt out through hunger & neceſſitie, beg in the ſtréets, being deſtroied and quite paſt hope of recouerie? And to ſée the wealthie & fat epicures of Rome to be glutted with the blood of our citizens? To ſée the naturall countrimen of France that came of moſt ancient houſes, wander vp and down with their wiues and children in ſtrange countries, being driuen out of their own countrie and places where they were borne? And to ſée the Romiſh ruffians which are put into their place by Sixtus the fift, to be intertained ſo courteouſly by thoſe that are in authoritie? O nation of France derided of all other nations, that can ſo long beare that tyrannicall lordſhip of the papacie! O Ieſu Chriſt that waſt crucified for vsus, and raiſed againe, and art placed at the right hand of God the father, what end doſt thou ſhew vsus, or O thou great King what end doſt thou giuegive vsus of our labors?
And to the end the moſt famous Senators of the Parleament being lawiers may vnderſtand, that there were long ago of the ſame order learned men, which hauehave openly deteſted that cruell and barbarous tyrannie, I will héerafter cite ſome teſtimonies out of their bookes, wherof that is the firſt, out of D. Albericus. * The preſidēts l. bene a Zenone nu. 18. c. de quad. praeſcrip.of the church of Rome (ſaith he) throgh their craftie & ſuttel wiſedō according to the varietie of times, hauehave varied their ſtatutes: ſometimes aduancing their empire, ſometimes depreſſing it a little and a little. But to what end? ſaue onelyonly that by little and little they might put all things vnderunder their feete, both heauenly things as alſo earthlie things, both temporall and alſo ſpirituall things (as they call them) as they do openly boast. Let the ſecond author come foorth, which is Iohn Peter of Ferrara, in whoſe publike practiſes which hée wrote aboue an hundred and fiftie yéeres ago, we find it thus written: This deſire did In formula, act. confeſſ.ſo increaſe, that not onelyonly the lay men, but alſo the high priests and clerks are throughly infected with ſuch an infection and vice. For thou ſeest him that ſhould follow the footesteps of Ieſus Christ as his true vicar, poſſeſſe and ſeeke with a ſtrong hand to detaine the iuriſdiction vponupon earth, in cities, and townes, and places, which belong naturally both by the creation of the world, and alſo by the ordinance of Christ, to the empire of Rome, according to that: GiueGive to God that which is Gods, and to Caeſar that which is Caeſars. Yea the pope himſelfe endeuoreth to hauehave the ſuperioritie ouer the emperor, which to ſpeake is ridiculous, and to heare abhominable. Alſo, * Note how and how manie In forma reſp. rei. conuen. nu. 10.waies theſe clerks do inſnare the laymen: and inlarge their owne iuriſdiction. But alas for you ſillie emperors and ſecular princes, which endure this and other things: and make your ſelues ſlaues to the popes, and ſee the world vſurped by them infinite waies, and do not ſeeke to remedie theſe things: bicauſe you giuegive not your ſelues to wiſedome and knowledge. Therefore marke, and remember what Hierom ſaith: Peruſing old histories I cannot find that anie did diuide the Church, and ſeduce the people from the Lords houſe, ſaue thoſe that were made priests to God. Thus wrote that practitioner an hundred and fiftie yéeres ago, as we ſaid, fréely, ſtoutly, and couragiouſly: wheras notwithſtanding about that time the Church of Chriſt was moſt of all oppreſſed with the tyrannous lordſhip of the popes. Why ſhould any man therefore maruell at this time, if we deteſt the impietie of Sixtus the fift in defending the feigned religions of his Francis, his crueltie in renting in péeces the kingdome of France ſo often, his madnes in treading vnderunder foote the maieſtie of kings, his robberie and ſacrilege in taking away church-goodes? Let vsus heare another ſaieng of the ſame practitioner, * where he In formu. rei con. §. Praeſ.ſaith thus: Italie ſhall neuer be in quiet, vntill the church do not poſſeſſe all cities, or caſtels: and vntill the Donation made by Conſtantine be quite reuoked by ſome good and mightie emperour: ſeeing the Pſalter & harpe do not well agree togither: neither was it granted by Christ or S. Peter that they ought to poſſeſſe ſuch things: but let that be giuen to Caeſar that is Caeſars, and let that be giuen to God that is Gods. Alſo * Men (ſaith he) may In formu. ſent. indefinit. §. ſed ad quemcun que .appeale to the pope omitting any meane. Which promiſe was put in for this cauſe, that they might draw ſuites to their court, and ſatisfie their couetouſnes: which notwithstanding they will neuer do: bicauſe the minde, deſire, & indeuour of clearkes aboue the rest, is in heaping vp money contrarie to common honestie, and their promiſe made to God, giuing none attendance, not bending their ſtudie to good maners, nor to the ſcriptures of God. Alſo * Thou ignorant In for. libel. quo agitur ex ſub. §. ex ſuo corpore.lay man, thou must know, that the empire had ſometime both ſwords: namely the temporall and the ſpirituall: and ſo conſequently that at that time the emperours gaue al eccleſiasticall benefices throughout the whole world: and they did ouer & beſides chooſe the pope as it is in c. Adrianus 13. dist. & not at. Innocent. in c. 2. de maior. & obedient. The emperours granted a priuilege that the goods of thoſe that betooke themſelues to lead a munks life, ſhould be applied to the monasteries: by reaſon of which priuilege, monasteries hauehave bin multiplied, and an infinite number hauehave bin founded throughout the whole world: in times past for deuotions ſake, though at this day for ſpoile and couetouſnes ſake: in ſo much that they hauehave destroied the world, and hauehave annihilated the ſtate of the empire, and of all the laitie. Therefore thoſe places whether made or to be made, may woorthily be called nets to catch the goods of lay men. Therefore let a good emperour ariſe, & let al men ſay, Peace be in thy ſtrength, and abundance in thy towers.