Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 6 · Part 2 – Part 5
The Prouerbs of this Pius.
THe diuine nature of God may rather be comprehended by faith then by disputation.
Christian faith is to bée considered not by what reason it is prooued but from whom it procéedeth.
A couetous man cannot be satisfied with mony, nor a learned man with knowledge.
Learning ought to be to a poore man as siluer, to noble-men as gold. and to Princes in steed of precious stones.
An artificiall Oration moueth fooles but not wise men.
Sutors in the Law be as birds, the Court is the bayt, the Iudges the nets, and the Lawyers the fowlers.
Men are to be giuen to dignities, and not dignities to men.
The office of a Bishop is heauy, but it is blessed to him that doth well beare it. A Bishop without learning may be likened to an Asse.
An euill Phisition, destroyeth bodies, but an vnlearned Priest destroyeth soules.
Marriage was taken from Priests not without great reason, but with much greater reason, it ought to be restored againe.
He dissolued certaine Nunnes of the orders of Saint Bridget, and Saint Clare, bidding them depart out that they should burne no more, nor couer a harlot vnderunder the vesture of Religion.
The Epistle of Hulderick is abridged in this Booke before: therefore omitted now.
After this Pius secundus, succeeded Pope Paulus secundus, who was wholly set vponupon his belly and ambition, voide of all learning, and a hater of all learned men: because his Daughter was reproched, for that shee was gotten in fornication Hes went about to reforme the Lawe of the single life of Priests, had not death preuented him.
After him succeeded Sixtus the fourth, which builded in Rome Stewes of both kindes, and thereby got great Reuenues and Rents vntounto the Church of Rome: He reduced the yeare of Iubile from fifty, to fiue and twenty yeares: hee instituted the Feasts of the Conception, and of the presentation of Mary, and of Anna her Mother and of Ioseph; he canonized Bonauenture, and Saint Francis for Saints; he brought in Beades and made our Ladies Psalter, through Alanus and his Order: He made two and thirty Cardinals in his time.
Petrus Ruerius was the first, who in two yeares spent in luxurious ryot 200000. Floreines, and was left six thousand in debt: This Pope licenced the whole Family of the Cardinals to play the Sod…mites the three hot monethes; Iune, Iuly, and August.
After him succéeded Innocentius the eight, as rude & vnlearned as his predecessor: at Polus he caused eight men, and six women, with the Lord of the place, to be condemned for Hereticks, because they said since Peter none was true Uicar of Christ, but they onelyonly which followed the pouerty of Christ.
Hee condemned of heresie George the King of Boheme, and depriued him, made his whole stocke to be reiected, and gaue his Kingdome to Mathias King of Panonia.
Pope Alexander the sixt succéeded him: Hee receiued two thousand Florens for poisoning Gemen the Turkes brother at Rome. Hee sent for help of the Turkes against the French King: He was vngratefull to the Cardinals that chose him: He commanded Marcinellus one of them to hauehave his hands and tongue cut off, for speaking against his vices. After sitting with his Cardinals, and the rich Se…ators of Rome at dinner; his man vnawares bringing a wrong Bottle vntounto him he with his Cardinals about him were poisoned: In his time the Angel which stood on the top of the Popes Church was beaten down with thunder; which thing seemed to declare the ruine of the Pope-dome.
Pius the third succéeded Pope: after him Iulius the second, passing all other in iniquitie, as he was going to warre, he cast the keyes of S. Peter into the riuer Tybris, saying, being the keyes of Peter would not serue him to his purpose, he would take himselfe to the sword of Paul.
By this Iulius, partly with warre, partly with cursings, in seuen yeares 200000. Christians were destroyed: he got many Citties out of Princes hands by bloudshed: when he was made Pope, he tooke an oath to hauehave a Councel within two yeares; but breaking his Oath, he was occupied in warres: whervpon nine of his Cardinals departed from him, and appointed a Councell at P…sa, they alledged the cause, for that the Pope was forsworne, and that they had diuers other crimes to accuse him of, purposing to remooue him from his seate, which hee had obtained through bribes and ambition. Iulius commanded vnderunder great paine that none obeyed them; the next yéere he called a Councell.
The French King seeing the Pope take part with the Uenetians against him, called a Councell at Thurin, in which Councell they agréed, that the Pope ought not to war against any Prince without cause: and that it was lawfull for the King to defend himselfe against him, and that vniust excommunications were not to bée feared. After the King sent to the Pope the decrées of the Councell, who accursed the French King, with all his Kingdome: and the next yeare after this warlike Pope dyed.
The lamentable handling of RICHARD HVN, who was priuily murdered in Lolards Tower in London.
HVN had a Child died in his house,1515 the Curate claiming the bearing-shéet for a Mortuar…, Hun answered; The Infant had no property therein, whereupon he was cited to the Spirituall Court; he sued the Curate in a Premunire, and then the Priests of mallice accused him of heresie, and brought him to Lolards Tower, where he was found dead, hanging by the necke in a girdle of silke. The Bishop of London called Richard Fitziames and Doctor Horsey, his Chancelor said …e hanged himselfe; and the Temporalty said he was murdered: The Coronor summoned a Iury, and viewed the body, and many times they were with the Kings Councell, and heard their opinions, but in the mean season the Bishop burnt the dead carkase in Smithfield, to the abhomination of the people: but after the matter had bee…e heard by the Kings Iudges, and after by the Kings Councell, the King being present; at las… Doctor Horsey the Chancelor, and one Charles the Bel-ringer of Pauls, an… Ioseph the Bishops Somner, were indicted of murder, and the said Charles being in the Tower of London, of his owne frée will said; that Maister Chancelor deuised and wrote with his own hand all the heresies that were laid to Huns charge, and that when Richard Hunne was slaine, Iohn Bell-ringer bare vp a Waxe Candle, and I went next to him and Maister Chancelor came vp last, and Hunne was lying in his bed: and Maister Chancelor said, Lay hands on the Theefe, and so all we murdered him, and I put the girdle about his necke, and Iohn Bell-ringer and I did heaue him vp, and maister Chancelor pulled the girdle ouer the staple, and so Hun was hanged.
The said Charles, told Iulian Little his maid, he killed him by putting a Wyer vp into his nose.
Before that time the Chanceller commaunded to be put vponupon Huns necke a great coller of Iron, with a great Chaine, which is to heauy for any man or beast to weare, and long to endure. And before Huns death, the Chanceller came into the Lolards Tower, and kneeled downe before Hunne, holding vp his hands and asked him forgiuenesse▪ of all he had done and must doe to him. And on the Sonday before the night in which he was destroyed, he caused the Penitentiary of Paules to go to Hun and say a Gospell, and make for him Holy Water, and Holy bread, and giuegive him, which was done.
The Bishop did all he could by word or writing to the King and Cardinals, and the Councell▪ to smother the matter, affirming that he hanged himselfe, and that the Iury was forsworne, and that the said Charles spoke that which he had done as before, by reason of durance of imprisonment: and that if the King and Councel should fauour this matter, he should not be able to goe abroad for Heretickes; and by the meanes of him, and the spiritualty, and money, the Chancelor caused the Kinges Atturney to confesse on his arraignement, him not to be guilty: so he escaped to Excester, and for shame neuer durst after come to London.
The Historie of Doctor VVESALIANVS.
THis Wesalia was complained vponupon to Piorherus Archbishop of Mentz, by the Thomists, which is an Order holding of Thomas de Aquino. The Bishop made him answer, he should giuegive vp all his workes and writings which he had made and preached. This being done, they deuided them amongst themselues, that eueryevery man might finde out what errours and heresies they could. His Articles and opinions were these:
That all men be saued fréely and through méere grace by faith in Christ Iesus: frée-will to be nothing; only that we should beléeue the word of God, and not the glosse of any man or fathers: that the word of God is to be expounded by the collation of one place with another: that Prelats hauehave no authoritie to make lawes or expound the Scriptures, by any peculiar right more then another: that mens traditions, as Fastings, Feasts, long prayers, Pilgrimations, and such like are to be reiected. Extream vnction and confirmation to be reproued, confession and satisfaction to be reprehended: the primacy of the Pope he also affirmed to be nothing. Upon which Articles this Wesalia by a generall assembly was condemned, and his books to be burned.
He bring required of the Councell, what he thought of the Uicar of Christ in earth? He said he beléeued that Christ left no such Uicar in earth: for ascending into heauen hee said, Behold I am with you &c. By which wordes hee declared that he would substitute vnderunder him no Uicar in earth: for a Uicar signifieth one who in the absence of the principall hath to doe the workes of the principall.
And being asked his opinion of Indulgences and Pardons: he said he beleeued that the treasure-boxe of the merits of Saints could not be distributed of the Pope to others, because their treasure is not left here on earth: for it is written in the Reuelation, Their works follow them; and that their merits could not be applied to other men, for the satisfaction of their paine due to them: and he called Indulgences and Pardons pias fraudes fidelium.
And being asked the question, he said, He thought that hallowing of Altars, Chalics, Uestments, War Candles, Palmes, Hearbes, Holy water, and other diuine things, made them hauehave no spirituall power in them to driue away any Diuells, and that holy water had no more efficacie then other water, concerning remission of veniniall sinnes and driuing away Diuels, and other effects which the Schoole Doctors attribute vntounto it.
After these Articles were condemned by the Inquisitor and his assistants, hee said, As you doe with me, if Christ himselfe were here he might be condemned as an hereticke: but within thrée or foure dayes, with much perswasions, he was content to condiscend vntounto them, and submit himselfe to their holy mother Church.
Doctor VESELVS.
THis Veselus and the foresaid Vesalianus were great friends: and when Vesalianus was condemned, this Veselus thought that the Inquisitor would also examine him. He was so worthy a man, that the people called him Luxmundi. He reprehended the Papists doctrines of the diuision of Repentance, and Purgatorie, and workes of Supererogation, and Pardons, and Indulgences, and disputed against them at Rome and at Paris; so that many of the Popes Court perswaded by him, began to speake more freely and more boldly against these matters then himselfe did: hee disallowed the abuses of the Masses, prayers for the dead, and the Supremacie of the Pope, and that no such supreme head ouer all others ought to bee in the world: and that the Pope hath no authoritie to command, but so farre as truth goeth with him, and that hee ought not to preuaile by commanding, but by teaching that the Pope and the Prelates proceeding against Christes Doctrine, are plaine Antichristes. Hee said those Priestes that had vowed not to marrie, and were not able to bee chaste might breake there vow.
Hee said that their forefathers before Albert and Thomas did resist the Popes indulgences, and called them Idolatry, fraude and errour: in his Booke de subditis & superioribus; he disputeth against the Pope, and his Prelates: affirming, except their Faith be sound, they are not to bee obayed, and that the Pope may erre, and men ought to resist him therein, that superfluous riches in the Clergy doe not profit but hurt.
That the Pope doth wickedly distribute the rents of the Church, and the Church itselfe to vnworthy Ministers by Symony for hir own profit: whereby it appeareth hee careth not for GOD nor the Church: That the precepts of the Pope and Pr…lates binde no farther then the precepts of physitions, that is so farre as they bee holsome, and stand with the truth of the word; that the Pope can command nothing vnderunder paine of deadly sinne, but what God commandeth: The Kingdome of heauen, is rather shut then opened by the Popes keyes, as the Pharisies did: that the hearers ought to discerne and Iudge the Doctrine of the Prelates, and not to receiue all things they say without due examination.
Hee prophesied to Iohn Ostendorpius, well my Childe thou shalt liue to that day, that the Doctrine of these new and contentious Diuines of THOMAS and BONAVENTVRE, with other of that sort, shall bee vtterly reiected from true Christian Diuines: And hee often disputed of the righteousnesse of faith, and why Saint Paul did so often inculcate that men be iustified by faith and not by workes, that all men were deceiued who attributed to Traditions any opinion of GODS worship, or that they could not in any wise be violated or broken.