The Relics of Rome, Part 1

The Relics of Rome · Part 1

Of the Pope, and of his vsurped power and fayned authoritie.

POpe Boniface the third thorowe great and earnest sute (although many good and Godly learned men resisted hym in thys behalfe,The beginning of the Popes primacie. vtterly condemning this his ambition and Luciferlike pride in exalting and lifting vp himselfe aboue his fellowe Byshops, and chalenging vntounto hym y^t Supremacie and authoritie, which the holy Scripture in no place geueth him neither had any of his predecessours y^e Byshops of Rome tofore enioyed the same nor once desyred it, but rather both written and spoken against such vsurped power, as we may see in the writings of Pope Gregorye the fyrste against Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople,Epist. lib. 4. Epist. 32.33.34. capi. 76.77.78. whiche attempted the lyke wicked enterprise, but was resisted) to Phocas the Emperour, at the last obtayned of hym, that he and his successours for euer after should be taken for y^e chiefe byshop and supreme head of the vniuersall Church of Christ throughoute the worlde:Pope, … head of the Emperors making. and y^t the Church of Rome from that daye foreward should be called, and so admitted and receaued the chiefe and principall head Church of y^e whole world: Againe, that the Church of Rome should be in subiectiō to none other Church, but that al Churches vniuersall shuld be obedient and in subiection vntounto it. For vntil that time the Church of Constantinople was counted the highest and of greatest authoritie bicause of the imperial see in that city. This thing was brought to passe about the yeare of our Lord .vi.C.vii. Flatina. Christianus Massaeus. Henricus Pantaleon. Paulus Dia…onus. Anselmus Rid. Polichronicon. Albertus Krantz. Abbas vrspergēsis. Hermannus Contractus. &c

Phocas the Emperor.This Phocas (as histories make mē tion) was a great and cruell tyraunt, & by force & violence obtayned the Empyre. And that he myght the more quietlye enioye it, he wrought not onelyonly treason against his Lord and Maister, that was Emperour before him called Mauritius a mā both noble & vertuous, p. 2but he also most shamefully and traytorously slewe hym,The tirāny of Phocas. not onelyonly him, but al his children also, y^t none of his flocke might lyue to make any clayme to the Emperiall Crowne after him. A Tyraunt mete to set vp the tiranny of the Byshop of Rome contrary to y^e worde of God and the determination of the auncient Cannons.

But thys trayterous murtherer receaued a iuste reward of thys his tirannye. For as he vniustlye slewe: so was he most iustly slayne. As he deposed his Lord and Master: so was he deposed & put down. As he against al right toke away the Empire frō his Lord: so was it againe taken a way from him. As he suffered none of his masters children to liue: so dyed he without childrē, one doughter only excepted. Loke with what measure he mette vntounto his lorde and master: with the same was he paid home again, sauing that his death was more vilanous and shameful, than the death of his master.The death of Phocas For thys tyraunte after he had reygned certayne yeares, had fyrst of all his handes and his feete cut of, afterward bicause he had bene a famous and notable adulterer, his priuy membres with his heade were cut of also. As for the residue of his bodye was burnt to ashes, An ende worthye such a tirant: Zonaras, Paulus Vuarnefridus, Ioannes Monachus, Paulus Diaconus, Ioannes Cuspinianus, Sebastianus Frank.

Pope Christes vicare and Peters successour.Pope Benet the seconde obtayned of the Emperour Constantine, that the Bishop of Rome for euer after should be taken of all men for Christes true vicar in earth, and saint Peters lawful successor. This Pope also broughte it to passe, that the bishop of Rome only should be called Pope, that is to say, the father of fathers. For before that time all Bishoppes generallye were called Popes,The bishop of Rome only Pope. it maye be gathered of diuerse writers. In the yere of oure Lorde si…e hundred .lxvii. Anselmus Ryd. Achilles Perminius, Sebastianus Franck. &c.

The church of Rome heade of all churches.Pope Vigilius (as they fayne) made a decree with the consente of his adherents that the Sea of Rome shoulde be taken for the head and maistresse of al churches thorowout the worlde. In the yere, &c. v. C. xxxv. according to the doctrine of these two verses.

p. 3Dogmate papali datur, simul ac imperiali,

vt sim cunctarum mater, & caput ecclesiarū.

That same decree also made Pope Simplicius (as they write)A famous & notable lye. in the yere of our Lorde: 471. Moreouer the papistes go forth and say, that when Pope Siluester was Bishop of Rome, Constantine the Emperour did exalte and aduance the Sea of Rome, that he gaue vntounto it not only an ecclesiasticall, but also an Imperiall, power, appoynting the church of Rome to be the chief church through out y^e world, & to hauehave autority, rule, & preeminence no lesse ouer those foure principall Churches, Antioch, Alexandria. Cōstantinople, and Hierusalē, The Pope is become a playne Lucifer.than ouer al other churches cōtayned vnderunder the heauens: Agayn, y^t the bishop of Rome should be higher & of greter autority, than al the bishops and priests of the whole worlde, and y^t whatsoeuer should be determined concerning matters of religion, shuld depend only vponupon the popes iugement, eyther to be receiued, or to be reiected, He appointed also (as the papistes go forth to lye) that the pope should hauehave fre liberty to weare the apparel either of an emperoure or of a byshop at his pleasure, and that he shoulde hauehave all manner of officers to attend vponupon, as the Emperours maiesty hath. Moreouer the aforesaid Emperor Constantine gaue to Pope Siluester and to his such cessors the city of Rome and al Italye,S. Peters patrimony. withe the prouinces, places and cities of all the weast parts, to be S. Peters patrimony for euer: & addeth furthermore these words.O terrificū fulmen. If any mā do infringe break, transgresse, contemne and condemne this our ordinance, euerlasting damnation hang ouer his head: and the holy and chiefe apostles, of God Peter and Paule be his enemies, and immortal foes both in this world and in the world to come: yea perish mought he in the lowest part of hell and so be damned for euer and euer withe the deuill and all the wicked.

The Papistes are impudent liars.Furthermore this Emperoure (as the Romanists fayne) when he hadde made this donation to the Churche of Rome plucked of the imperial crown made of moste fine golde garnished w^t all kind of precious stones pearles and iewels from his own heade, and set it vponupon pope Siluesters pate for the reuerence p. 4y^t he bare to s. Peter & caused y^e Romish bishop to be set vponupon a costlye & richely appareled palfrey,☜ & to be solemnely caried aboute thorow the citie of Rome in the presence of al y^e citizēs, y^e Emperour himself running on foote like a lacky by the Popes side, holding his horses bridle in his hāde, as a most vile page. These thinges done, y^e Emperour Constantine departed from the West parts of the world which he had now giuē ouer to Pope Siluester and to his successors for euer to be s. Peters patrimony, with all the priuileges, emoluments, commodities & profites of the same, and wēt himselfe into y^e East partes, euen vntounto the citie Bizantium, which being in great ruine he repared and amplified, beautifying it with many noble and sumptuous buildings, & called it Constantinople according to his name. He caried also with him almost al the noble men of the Romanes, and the whole order of y^e Senatours with their wiues & children, bicause the pope and his complices (as it maye appere) shuld hauehave elboughroume inough, & as few to trouble his holines, as might be In the yere. &c. 315. Bartolomaeus Picerius de monte arduo, Ioānes Laziardus, Edic. Constant Policronicon, &c.

But how vayne, false, forged, lying and counterfayte this bragging of the papistes is, concerning the donation of the emperoure Constantine to the Sea of Rome, and the supremacye of that Romishe bishop aboue all other bishops, yea, aboue Emperors, Kings, Princes, &c. diuers faythful learned & expert writers do aboundantly testify Nicolaus de causa. Note wel y^e propertie of the papists.Laurentius Valla, Antoninus Archiep. Florent. Volateranus Hieronimus, Paulus Cathalanus, Albertus Crantzius, Huldrichus Huttenus, &c. But this is the properti of the papists alwaies to father theyr lies, theyr idle inuentions theyre drowsye dreames, theyr croked constitutions, theyr diuelish decrees. &c. Upon such as liued manye yeares before, and vponupon suche as were mē (in theyr dayes) of great learning and vertue, that by this meanes theyr trifeling traditions might seme to be of the greter autority in the eies of the simple and vnlearned people & so althoughe plaine erroures, yet at y^e p. 5last thorow the colour of antiquity be receiued for moste manifest verities & vndoubted truthes.Richesse poysoned y^e church of Rome. Notwithstāding this must we nedes cōfesse (which thīg the histories doe also testify) that after y^e church of Rome was endowed with temporal possessiōs, it was euer after more studiouse of y^e world thā of god, of secular businesse thā of spiritual excercises, of outward pomp & pride▪ thā of inward deuotiō & christen holines, of making their owne traditions and degrees than of setting forth gods holy commaundements & lawes, of enriching themselues than of edifyinge the flock of Christ: so that not without a cause it is written, y^t what time the Church receaued temporal possessions, y^e olde enemy cried with a loude voice in y^e ayer: This daye is poison shed forth into the Church of Christ. ☜Therfore saint Ierome in vitas patrum saith: Sithens that holye Church encreased in possessiōs, it hath decreased in vertues according to this cōmon saying: Religio peperit diuitias: Filia deuorauit matrē : y^t is to say, Religion brought forth richesse, & the daughter hath deuoured the Mother. Polichron.

Moreouer the Papistes fayne, that the aforesaid Siluester being Byshop of Rome, the councell of Nice gaue thys priuilege to the Byshop of Rome, that he should be aboue all other Byshops, as y^e emperour is aboue al other kings: and that he should be called Pope,An other lie of the Papistes concerning the counc…l of Nice. that is to say, the chiefe father, or the father of fathers. But this is so false, that nothing can be more contrary to y^e truth. For in the councel of Nice, which was celebrate by the commaundemente of Constantine the Emperour in y^e yeare of oure Lorde .iii.C.xxiiii. where also wer present and gathered together .iii.C. & xviii. Bishops and holy fathers, it was determined, that the Byshops of Alexandria, & Antiochia, and vniuersally all other primates should hauehave al the gouernance & preheminence of al y^e countryes that were nere vntounto them,Note. as y^e byshop of Rome had in Italy, &c.

We will, say they, y^t the old custome and manner shal continue in Egipte, Libie, and Pentapali, which is, that y^e Bishop of Alexandria shal hauehave gouernaunce and rule ouer all these: for tha… p. 6there is a lyke custome for y^e Byshop of Rome. In like manner we wil, that at Antioche, & other prouinces, eueryevery one shal hauehave their due honour.

Moreouer when Faustinus Legate to the byshop of Rome alleaged in y^e sixte councell Cartaginense, In the coū cell of Carthage no Scripture coulde bee founde to proue the Popes primacie. The falsehoode of the Papistes.that the bishop of Rome ought to hauehave the ordering of al great matters in al places by his supreme authoritie, he alleaged no scripture for him (for at that tyme no scripture was thought to make for it) but he alleaged vntruely the fyrst general councell Nicene, in whiche Arrius the heretyke was condemned, to make for that purpose. Which after y^e boke was brought forth, & no suche article found in it, but the contrary: (yet the councel at that tyme sent to Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioche, where y^e Patriarchall Sees were, to hauehave the true copy of y^e Councell Nicene, which was sent vntounto them, & also frō Rome, whether thei sent also for that purpose. And after they found no suche article in it, but in the fyrst chapter therof, the contrary, that al causes ecclesiastical shuld eyther be determined within y^e diocesse or els if any wer greued, thē to appeale to the Councell prouinciall, and there the matter to take full end, so that for no such causes, men shoulde goe out of there prouince,) y^e whole councell Cartaginense wrote to Celestine at y^e tyme being Byshop of Rome, that since the councell Nicene had no such article in it, as was vntruely alleaged by Faustinus, but the contrary: they desired hym to abstayne after to make any more such demaunde, denouncing vntounto him, that they woulde not suffer any cause great or smal to be brought by appeale out of their countrey & therupon made a lawe, that no man shuld appeale out of the countrey of Aphricke, vpō paine to be denounced accursed. Wherewith the Byshop of Rome euer after helde him content & made no more businesse with them, seing he had nought to say to the contrarye. In the syxte article of the said coūcel it was also determined, that in the Orient or Easte partes the Byshop of Antioche should be chiefe: in Egipt the Bishop of Alexandria, about Rome, the Bishop of Rome, and likewyse in other countreyes the Metropolitanes p. 7shoulde hauehave theire preeminence: so that the byshop of Rome neuer had medling in those countries. And in the nexte article following, the byshop of Hierusalem, which citie before had bene destroyed, and almost desolate, is restored to his olde prerogatiue, to be chiefe in Palestine and in y^e countrey of Iewrye: which Church of Hierusalem, if places should be regarded, shuld be the chiefe. For there was accomplished y^e mystery of our redemption, and Christ himselfe the eternall worde & Sonne of God there preached in his own person, and after his ascencion, all the Apostles and Disciples, &c.

Furthermore in y^e councel Constantinople it was ordayned, that byshops should not be troubled out from theyr diocesse, nor one shuld meddle with an others iurisdiction, but the bishops of Alexandria shuld hauehave the gouernance of the orientall parties, the honoure of primacie reserued to the church of Antioche, as it was ordayned in the Nicene councell. And euen so, that the byshops of Asia shoulde ouersee Asia, and order all thinges pertayning to Asia. Likewise, that y^e bishop of Pont shuld gouerne the diocesse of Pont. And the byshops of Thracia, their diocesse: so y^t thys councell also denyeth Prelacie or Supremacie to Rome, & to the bishop thereof, reseruyng eueryevery diocesse to his own bishop. Likewise in the Councell Mileuitane it was prouided, that all causes concerning one prouince shulde be determined in the same.

The Godly auncient councells attribute no more authoritie to the bishop of Rome, than to any other Byshop.Of these councells aforesayd it manifestlye appeareth, that the byshop of Rome hath no such preheminence, authority, supremacie & iurisdiction ouer al other bishops and ouer their prouinces and diocesse, as he vniustly chalengeth, and wickedly vsurpeth, but that his power is only in Italy: al other bishops being in al other pointes of like authoritie with him, eueryevery one hauing the same authoritie and power in hys owne diocesse that the Byshoppe of Rome hath in Italye. Sainte Ciprian calleth the Byshop of Rome in his Epystles, whiche he wrote vntounto hym, Brother, to declare that they were of lyke authoritie, and Fellow ministers in the laboure of the Gospell.

p. 8He maintaineth also with S. Austen, that there is none, which is Bishop of other bishops:Tra… de simplicitate Prelat. Epi. lib. 4. cap. 76.78▪ and that it is a great tyranny to desire to be Lorde ouer other bishops. S. Gregory writeth expressely, that he, which would be bishop of al other bishops, shal not hauehave the place of Christ in earth, but of Lucifer, & shalbe very Antichrist himself.What wil the papists saye here to S. Gregorye. He saith moreouer, that to bee called the vniuersall bishop, or head of all other bishops is contrary to the ordinaunce of y^e gospel, contrary to the decrees of the Canons: yea, saith hee, it is a newe name, and a name of blasphemie, whereby y^e honour of all priests is greatly diminished and abased:Note well. He addeth moreouer, that the name of the vniuersall bishop for y^e gouernour of blessed Peter Prince of the Apostles, was offred to the bishop of Rome at the counsel Chalcedonense & yet notw^tstāding none of all his predecessors woulde euer take vntounto thē that name of singularitie, neither wold thei cōsent to vse it, lest while such priuate prerogatiue should be giuē to one mā, all other priests should be defrauded of their due honor. &c. Greg. li. 4. epi. 76.78.

And the aforesaid S. Gregorye willing to shew how greatly he abhorred the name of the vniuersall Byshop or Supreme head of the whole Church of Christ dispersed throughout y^e world, in all his letters & Epistles called himself the seruaunt of Gods seruauntes: which stile and māner of writing, his successours do also at thys present vse, but most falsely and vniustly being in dede in pride Lucifer, in ambitiō Alexander, in tyranny Nero, and in al kind of wickednesse Antiochus.

The primacye of the Bishop of Rome, is but a newe inuē tion.Of these things aforesaid, it is plain and euident y^t thys supremacye & vniuersall power, whiche the Byshop of Rome chalengeth ouer all other Byshops, is both forged & fained, and hath no ground in the worde of God, nor in the auncient councels, but with much labour & corruption was at the last obtayned of that tyraunt Phocas y^e Emperour through the suttletie of Pope Boniface the thyrd, as we hauehave to fore heard, not only to the great dishonour of Christ the alone head of his church, but also to the vnworthy abasemente of the Ecclesiasticall ministerye, as I p. 9may speake nothing of the losse of many thousand soules, whiche being perswaded that the Popes authoritie is no lesse, than he and hys trumpetters blow and boste, hauehave put the affiaunce of theyr saluation in his pardons and ceremonyes.

But let vsus beholde moe of theyr decrees, whereby they hauehave stablyshed their tirannical power.

Pope Innocent the fyrst made a law,The see of Rome iudge of all but may be iudged of none. that the Sea of Rome shuld be of greater authoritie, than y^e Sea of any other byshop throughout the world, and that it shuld be lawfull for the sea of Rome to iudge of al other Seas, but that one and alone Sea of Rome to be subiecte to the iudgement of none other. In the yeare of our Lord. 408. Caus. 9. Quaest. 3. Nemo iudicabit. Pantaleon.

Pope Iulius the fyrst in like manner made a decree,Appellations to Rome. y^t if any man did suspecte his iudge, he should appeale vntounto y^e sea of Rome, as a place to iudge al mē, but to be iudged of none. In y^e yere, &c. 338. Chron. Ioan. Tit. 2.9.6. cap. placuit.

Pope Stephan the fyrst decreed,The popes statutes ar of necessitie to be obserued. that whatsoeuer statutes y^e church of Rome maketh, they ought of al men necessarily to be obserued. In the yere, &c. 361. Gratianus. Dist. 19. Enimuero.

The Popes lawes equal with the word of God.Pope Nicolas the fyrst decreed, that the Popes lawes and letters shuld bee of equall authoritie w^t the holy Scriptures. In the yere of our Lord. 871. Anselmus Rid▪ That same decree is also attributed, but falsely, to Pope Anacletus, which liued, &c. 101. Chron. germ.

No man may dissent from the church of Rome.Pope Calicte the seconde made a decree, that it is not lawfull for any man to dissent frō the church of Rome. For, sayth he, as the Sonne came to do y^e will of the father: so must Christen men do the will of their mother,A substantiall rea…on and a wise. whiche is the church of Rome. In the yeare, &c. 1120. Dist. 12. Non decet.

Generall councels obedient to the Pope.Pope Marcellus ordayned that from that time forward a generall councell shuld be of no authoritie, except the bishop of Rome do affyrme and allowe the same. In the yere of our Lord. 304. Lib▪ Concil. Polyd. Vergil. Dist. 17 Synodū. This decree also is ascribed to pope Iulius the fyrst. Ioan▪ Laziardus.

No man may louelove whome the Pope hateth.Pope Clement ordained, that no man should be frendly vntounto such as the pope p. 10fauoureth not, but that he shuld rather eschew them as enemies, & turne away from them as heathen persons. For seing (sayeth he) that the dead, (that is to say, y^e pope) abhorreth thē,Note this reason. much more y^e fete that is, all Princes, Kyngs, Rulers, & all other kinde of people ought so to do, and vtterly deteste them. Ioan. Laziardus.All temporall rulers, subiect to the Pope.

Pope Clement the fyrst made a constitution, that all Emperours, kings & princes shuld be subiecte to the church of Rome both in spirituall and temporall matters, & acknowledge the pope to be their head. Chron. Ioan. Laziardus. Celestinus.Appellatiō to Rome.

Pope Sixtus made a decree, that if any man wer euill entreated of his Metropolitane, it shuld be lawfull for him to appeale vntounto the Sea of Rome, mother and head of the vniuersall churche of Christ throughout al y^e worlde. 2. Q 6. Cap. Si quis putauerit.

Pope Fabian the fyrst ordained, that eueryevery mā might lawfully appeale vntounto the sea of Rome, although sentence wer pronoūced against him. In y^e yere▪ &c. 242.2. Qu 6. ca. Licet. Iac. Phili. Bergō.

Pope Leo the thyrde made a decree, that the decrees of the bishop of Rome should be more regarded & set by,All mens iudgemēts muste geue place to the decrees of the Pope. than al the iudgementes, writings & bo…es of the best learned. In the yere, &c. 817. Iacob. Phil. Bergom.

Pope Eugenius the fourth gathered a councel at Florence, in the which wer present many great learned men both Grekes and Latines.Note well▪ In thys councell it was required of the Grekes and of the Indians, that they shuld celebrate the Lordes Supper with vnleuended bread according to the decree of Pope Alexander the fyrst: and y^t they shoulde graūt, y^t there is a purgatorie to purge soules after this life: agayne, that they shuld confesse the bishop of Rome to be the true vicare of Christ, & the very successour of Peter, and the supreme head of Christs church thorowout y^e world. But they woulde not obey the Popes request,Note thys aunswere. but boldly answered, that they would continew in the fayth and doctrine, whiche their Churches from the beginnyng had receaued of the Apostles. In the yeare, &c. 1433. Ioan. Philip. Bergom. Chron.

p. 11Pope Boniface the eyght vponupon a certayn great and solemne feast,The Lucifer like prid of Pope Boniface. apparelled in hys Pontificalibus was caried about the citie of Rome on mens shoulders, & gaue the people large blessings with wagging his fyngers ouer them on eueryevery syde. The nexte daye after he put on an imperial robe, decking himself like an Emperour, and cōmaunded a naked sweard to be borne before him and he himself sitting vponupon his moyle gloriously, cryed out with a loud voice saying.Scripture wel applied Ecce duo gladij hic. Behold, here are two sweardes: calling himself Lord of the whole worlde concerning both temporal and spiritual matters. This is that monsture, of whom it is writtē: Intrauit vt Vulpes, vixit vt Leo, moritur vt Canis. That is to saye, he entred in as a fore, he liued as a lyō, he dyed as a dogge. In the yeare of our Lord. 1290. Albertus. Popes fete k…ssed and honoured.Crantzius, Fascic. Temp. Pantal.

Pope Leo the fourth so greatly estemed both himselfe and his authoritye, that he offered hys feete vntounto princes to be kyssed and honoured. In the yere &c. 858. Volat. Plat. Pantal.

Pope Innocent the thyrd fyrste of allO Lucifer. crowned Otho the Emperour,The Pope may set vp and p…ucke downe princes at hys pleasure. and afterward depriued him agayne, saying: It lyeth in my power both to set vp & to plucke down emperours, kings and princes at my pleasure. For all power is geuen vntounto me both in heauen and in earth. In the yere of our Lord, 1195. Sebast. Frank. Chron. Temton. Fasc. Temp…. Paulus. Phrig, &c.

A charitable act of so holy a father.Pope Alexander the thyrde did not only with martiall armours resiste the Godly and noble Emperour Frederike, but at the laste thorow the might of other princes, subduing him, compelled y^• aforesayd Emperour, before he wuld geue hym absolution, & be at one with him, to lye flatte down vpō the ground before hym in the syght of the people: and the pope setting hys foote in the emperors necke, cried out with a loude voyce and sayd: Scriptū est: Super aspidem et basiliscum ambulabis & conculcabis leonem & draconem. That is to saye. It is written. Upon the Adder & the Cockatrice shalt thou walke and thou shalt treade downe the lion & the dragon. In the yeare, &c. 1161. Nauclerus▪ Sabel. Iaco. Phil. Ioan. Char.

p. 12This pope made & compelled Lewes King of Fraunce,Kings lackies & slaues to the Pope. and Henrye King of Englande to be his lackies & to runne on fote by him, y^e one holding his horses bridle on the right side the other on the left syde, leading him with greate pompe thorow the citie Totiacum vntounto Ligris. Chroni. Sigebertus.

Pope Hadriane the fourth was not a little angrye bicause the Emperoure helde with his hand the left stirrope, and not the right, when he came down of hys horse, aboute the yeare, &c. 1158. Albertus. Crantz. Otho. Frisius. Pantaleon.

Pope Calixtus the second,An holy father & charitable acts whē he returned vntounto Rome caused pope Benet, whom the Emperor had before set vp, to be apprehended, and to be set vponupon an horse, & so ryde before him vilanously al the way, his face being turned vntounto the horses arse, & holding the horse tayle being in his hande in steade of a bridle. Afterwarde he threw him into prison, where he most miserably dyed. About the yere. &c. 1120. Chron. Fasciculus temporum, &c.

Pope Celestine the third crowned the emperour Henry the fyfte,A pointe of knauerye. holding the crowne betwene his fete. And whē he had put the crown vpō the emperours heade, he smote it of with his fote againe: saying y^t he had power to make Emperours, and to put them down agayne. In the yeare. &c. 1195. Crantz.

No othe may be required of the Pope.Pope Cornelius ordayned, y^t no othe shoulde be required of the pope excepte it were for the mayntaynaunce of holy church. In the yeare, &c. 255. Ranulphus. Cestrensis. Chron.

The Pope a sower of sedition.Pope Gregorye the seuenth, for dyspleasure that he bare vntounto Henrye the Emperoure, wrote vntounto the princes & people, that liued vnderunder y^e Emperours dominion, that they should by no meanes obey the Emperour, but rather resiste hym and hys authoritie, and take him no more for Emperour but rather for an vsurper of the empyre.The Luciferlik pride of the pope. The emperour perceauing this malicious purpose of y^e pope, wrote againe vntounto him on this manner: When Christ cōmitted the sheepe vntounto Peter, he excepted Kings. The pope aunswered the Emperor in his letters on this wise: Whē Christ gaue y^e keyes vntounto Peter he excepted no man: by this meanes chalē ging p. 13power & authoritie ouer al Emperours, Kings, Princes, and Rulers, vntounto whom notw^tstanding by y^e worde of God both pope & Bishop w^t all the spiritualty (as they terme them) ought to shewe obedience euen from the very heart,Rom. xiii.Rom 13 not only for conscience sake. In the yeare, &c. 1073. Christianus Massaeus. Sabast. Frank. Chron.

Pope Boniface the eight wrote vntounto Philip King of Fraunce,Pope Lord of y^e world. that he was Lorde of all thinges aswell temporall as spiritual thorowout y^e whole world and that he therfore ought to hauehave receaued the kingdome of Fraūce at his hande, which thinge forasmuch as the king had not done, y^e Pope wrote vntounto him, y^t he had iustlye deserued to bee depriued of his kingdome: so y^t afterwarde this arrogant Lucifer and mō s…ure of pride excommunicated Kinge Philip, and gaue away his kingdōe to Albert the Emperor. About the yeare, &c. 757. Pol. Virg. Pant.

Pope Stephan y^e seconde was y^e first Pope that was caried about vpō mēs shoulders:Pope caried on mens shoulders. which thing his successors hauehave euersince diligētli practised▪ put in vse. In y^e yere, &c. 757. Pol. Vir. Pan….

Pope Cletus firste of all vsed in his letters these wordes: Salutem & Apostolicam benedictionē. In the yere, &c. 81. Chron. Ang.

Pope Gregory the first vsed firste of all in his letters and bulles this title▪ Seruus seruorum dei, that is to say, seruāt of the seruants of God, which title his successors yet keepe: but how truely who seeth not? seing they labour to the vttermoste of theire power to hauehave the whole world vnderunder their girdle, yea & to compell princes kinges and emperors, not onelyonly to be their lackies, but also to kisse euen their very feete. Hee vsed this title in all his letters to represse the arrogācye and pride of Iohn Patriarche of Constantinople,☞ which contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel and contrary to the decrees of the olde Canons, presumed to vsurpe a newe name to himself, and sought to be called the vniuersall bishop, or head ouer all other bishops. To shew that such a proud & ambitious name ought vtterly to be detested of al spiritual ministers, of whatsoeuer calling or dignitie they p. 14be, the aforesaide Gregory in all his letters euer after named himself, the seruant of the seruauntes of God. In the yere, &c. 590. Ranulphus Cestrens. Chron.

This aforesaid Gregory sent Austen y^e Monke w^t certaine other into Englād to conuert and turne the english natiō vntounto the Romish Religiō.Austen the Monk, corruptoure of the Christē fayth in England. Which Austen, when thorow his hipocrisy & coū terfait holines he had won many vntounto his purpose, and had obtained of king Adelbright to be Archbishop of Cāterbury and primate of al England, wēt into Wales, where hee founde manye godly & lerned byshops and preachers of Goddes worde, which sincerely and purelye taught the doctrine of the holy Scripture, and rightlye administred the blessed sacraments according to Christes institution:Note thys This decre was not euil. whom thys aforesaid Austen the Monk labored also to the vttermost of his power to allure frō the sinceritie & simplicity of christs religion, vntounto the Romish and popish superstitiō, bosting himself to be a Legate of the most holy father the Pope, sēt frō Rome: again, made & ordayned the chief bishop & primate of al englād, and therefore he wylled them to obey him and his doctrine, and to receaue y^e most holy father of Rome, and his catholike Religion. But the Godly and learned Fathers boldely aunswered, that they were alredy true Christiās, and according to christs doctrine they gouerned theire Churches: therefore they would neither obey him, nor submit themselues to the aucthoritie of y^t straunge Romishe Bishop, nor yet receiue his supersticious ceremonies, but continue, as heretofore they had done, in the simplicitie of Christes religion. By this meanes this Monke Austen was compelled to depart, his expectation not satisfied. Notwithstanding this monstrous Monk afterward foūd the meanes (such is the charitie of the bloudy papists) greatly to annoy these Godly and lerned fathers, bicause they would not obey his wicked & deuilishe request. For he complained to Kinge Adelbright, Austen a bloudy Monke.that the Britaines called otherwise Welshmen, woulde neither obey him nor anye man, but onelyonly the Archbishop of Carlion. Which thinge when the King heard, he was greatly p. 15moued, and threatned to destroy them al, writing to Elfride king of Northū berland that he should come to him w^t al the power that he might make, and that he would meete him at Leiciter & frō thence they would go into Wales and there destroye the Archebishop of Carlion and all those that had refused to obey Austen and his doctrine.

When the Godly fathers hearde of this and that the two kings with their armies approched, to the ende for to destroy them, they sent vntounto the kings certaine holy and vertuous mē, which went barefoote & woolwarde with all humilitie & meekenes, desiring thē …t… cease frō so vngodly an enterprise. But the kings were so sterne & so wicked, y^t they woulde not once speake to those holy mē, but slew them straightwaies eueryevery one. They spared them no more (alas for sorow) than the wolfe doth y^e sheepe, but cruelly and vniustlye murthered those saints of God, so that thei were all martired y^t came vntounto theim, being in numbre fiue hundred & forty. And from thence those kinges went vntounto Gāgor,☜ for to slea all y^e Britanes that they might fynde. But when the Britanes heard of it, they assembled & prepared thēselues with all their power to fyghte with those kinges for the defence of their countreye, and for the mayntaynaunce of Christen religion, so that in that battell king Adelbright was slaine by y^e iust iudgement of god, and kyng Elfride was sore wounded and compelled moste cowardly to flye, theyr whole armye also being vtterly discomfited & wel nigh al slayne. They that remayned toke them to their fete and fled, so that by this meanes God gaue his seruaunts a glorious victorie ouer the popyshe enemyes. Ex Chron. Angl. Such end, O Lord, geue thou to all thine enemyes, that of malice and without repētaunce persecute thy seruauntes for the testimony of thy truth, that the kingdome of Antichrist and y^e pope, vtterly subuerted, thou maiest be knowen to be the alone Lorde and thy worde to be the alone veritie.