The History of the Church Since the Days of Christ, Book 2 · History of century 9
CENTVRIE. IX.
Popes of Rome.
AFter Leo the third succeeded Stephanus the fourth,Stephanus the fourth. and ruled seuen months. He was not elected with consent, and allowance of the Emperour, but onelyonly by the Clergie and the people of Rome. Here it is well marked by Functius, that the Roman Church doth obserue their owne lawes so inuiolably,Func comment. lib. 9. that the priuiledge granted to the Emperour by Pope Leo the third, it is vndone againe euen in his first successors time: to wit, in Pope Stephanus the fourth his time. In the third month of his Popedome, he journied toward France, for what cause it is not certaine: but it appeareth he would trie the Emperours minde, whether or no he was griued for this, that he had beene elected Pope without the consent and fore-knowledge of the Emperour. When he returned againe, finding that Ludouicus Pius the Emperour, was not greatly grieued at the matter, but accepted his excuse, he began to make Commentaries vponupon the Decrees of Hadrian the first, and Leo the third: to wit, that they meaned not that the Emp. should bee first acquainted with the election of the Pope: but rather, that after his election, the Emperour should be acquainted with the businesse, before the Pope were anointed. By such false Glosses and Commentaries, they were by degrees excluding the Emperour from all kind of medling with the election of the Pope.
After Stephanus the fourth,Pascalis the first. succeeded Pascalis the first, who was elected without consent of the Emperour. Hee sent Ambassadours to excuse himselfe to the Emperour Ludouicus Pius, because the Clergie and people had compelled him to accept the Popedome. The Emperour Ludouicus Pius on the other part, seeing how this matter went, and that he was troubled with the vnconstancie, ambition, and obstinacie of the Romane Church, he gaue them libertie to choose their owne Bishop,Note. without the fore-knowledge and consent of the Emperour in time to come. And Pascalis, after hee had ruled seuen yeeres and seuenteene dayes, he ended his course.
Eugenius the second.Eugenius the second succeeded Pascalis, and ruled foure yeeres. His Popedome was in the time when Lotharius was appointed to gouerne Italie. His commendations are these, great Learning, great Eloquence, with a mixture of great Hypocrisie.
Valentinus the first.Valentinus, the successour of Eugenius, within the space of fourtie dayes after that he was elected, (of a Deacon) to be Pope, hee concluded his life.
To Valentinus, succeeded Gregorius the fourth, and ruled sixteene yeeres.Gregoriethr fourth. Ludouicke and his sonne Lotharius were Emperours at this time: without whose consent hee would not accept his Popedome. Gregorie would hauehave seemed to hauehave beene a mediator betwixt Ludouicke and his sonnes: but he is marked with a note of shame in the Magdeburg history, as a man who encreased discord,Hist. Magd. cent. 9. cap. 10. rather than quenched it. What he did in the Conuention at Aken, which was conueened by the authoritie of the Emperour, it shall be declared, God willing, in its owne place.
To Gregorie the fourth succeeded Sergius the second, & ruled three yeeres.Sergius the second. He seemed to be the first Pope, who chāged the name giuen vntounto him in Baptisme: for he was called Os porci, that is, the mouth of the Sowe: and for the basenes of the name, he called himselfe by the name of one of his antecessours. Lotharius sent Ludouick his eldest son, accōpanied with many Noble persons, to be crowned Emperour: for Lotharius thought meete to enter into a Monasterie, and to lament for his by-past sinnes, especially, for grieuing the heart of his father Ludouicus Pius. Hee augmented the liturgie of the Masse, with the addition of Agnus Dei, and ordained, that the Hostia should be diuided in three parts.
To Sergius the second, succeeded Leo the fourth, and ruled 8. yeares,Leo the fourth. Sergius a man of many trade. 3. months. He was a man of many trades, a builder, a warriour, and a Bishop. He compassed the Vatican with a wall, and made it in the similitude of a Towne: and builded bull-warkes in the passages of Tyber, as it issued from the towne. He was a warriour, & fought against the Saracenes: against whom also he preuailed. And finally, at some time he was a Bishop: and he gathered a Councell of 47. Bishops, in the which Athanasius, a Cardinall Presbyter was damned, for negligence in the worke of his calling. This is the first time, in the which mention is made of a Cardinall in the Historie: for the Decretall Epistles, as I hauehave alreadie declared, are but fabulous & lying writings. In this Popes dayes, Edelwulphus, King of England, came to Rome, for performance of a vowe that hee had made. He was courteously accepted by Pope Leo: for which cause hee ordained a tribute yeerely to be paide to the bishop of Rome: to wit, a pennie Sterling out of eueryevery house, in England that kindled fire. It is well remarked by Philip Morney, Lib. Mysteiniquitatis.that Leo the fourth, in a certaine Epistle, written to the Bishops of Britannie, derogateth credit to all the Decretall Epistles assigned to the bishops of Rome, preceding the dayes of Pope Siricius, except onelyonly to the Decretall Epistles of Pope Syluester. So all the authorities that are alleadged by the Romane Church, out of the Decretall Epistles, for the space of 384 yeeres, are of none effect, by the confession of Pope Leo the fourth.
After Leo, Ioane the eight.the fourth, succeeded Pope Ioane the eight, an English woman,Note. borne in the towne of Mentz. She went to Athens, cloathed with the apparell of a man, accompanied with a Learned man: and she profited in learning beyond her fellowes. When shee came to Rome, shee was regarded for her learning, and was promoted to the dignitie of the Popedome,Marian. Scon. lib. 3. chron. and ruled two yeeres, fiue months and foure dayes. About the yeere of our Lord 854 (being Pope) she played the Harlot: and by the prouidence of God, this villanie of the Roman church, which cannot erre, was manifested to the whole world: For, in the time of a solemne Procession, as she was going to the church of Laterā, she trauelled in birth, & died, and was buried without honour. Onuphrius, the Aduocate of all euill causes, cannot ouer-passe this matter with silence: but he bringeth an argument from the authority of Anastatius, a writer of Chronologie, to infringe the credit of this historie, in this manner: Anastatius (saith hee) liued about this time, & knew best who succeeded to Leo the fourth & he maketh no mētion of Ioane the eight, but of Benedictus the third, as successor of Leo the fourth. To this Philip Morney answereth, That an argument taken from authoritie, negatiuely, hath no force. Anastatius maketh no mention thereof: ergo, it was not done: It followeth not, for he bringeth in the testimonie of Ranulphus, Ranulp. lib. 5. cap. 32.declaring the cause wherefore Anastatius omitted the name of the foeminine Pope: to wit, Propter deformitatem facti: that is, For the deformitie of the fact. The nature of a short Compend permitteth me not to insist: but let them, who are desirous accurately to trie out the veritie of this matter, reade that worthie Booke of Philip Morney, called Misterium iniquitatis.
Benedictus the third.Then followed Benedictus the third, and ruled two yeeres, six months, and nine dayes. A man in honouring the Funeralles of the Clergie, with his presence, ready at all times: and desirous likewise, that the Funerall of the Bishop should bee honoured with the presence of the whole Clergie.
Nicolaus the first.To Benedict the third, succeeded Nicolas the first, and gouerned seuen yeeres, nine months, and thirteene dayes. He subdued the Bishop of Rauenna to his obediēce. He suffered the Emperour, Ludouicke the second, to light from his horse, & to leade his bridle, vntil he came to the Campo, which was the space of a mile. He permitted diuorcement betwixt married persons,Hist. Magd. Cent. 9. cap. 10. for Religions cause, without consent of parties. And that persons in spirituall offices, should not be subject to the justice seates of ciuill Magistrates. Hee ordained also, that no man should receiue the holy Sacrament from a married Priest. And that the Emperour should not be present at Ecclesiasticall Conuentions: except when questions concerning Faith should bee intreated. Likewise, hee ordained,Func. comment. lib. 9. That the seruice of God in all countries, should be celebrated in Latine: dispensing in the meane time with the Solauonians and the Polonians, to hauehave the seruice of God in their owne Vulgar Language. He added vntounto the Liturgie of the Masse, Gloria in Excelsis.
Hadrianus the second, succeeded to Nicolas the first, and ruled 5. yeeres,Hadrianus the second. nine months, and twelue dayes. He vsed Antichristian authoritie, not onelyonly against Hincmarus, Bishop of Rhemes, but also against Carolus Caluus, king of France, whom hee commanded imperiously to present one Hincmarus, Bishop of Laudunum, and nephewe to Hincmarus, Bishop of Rhemes, to the ende that his cause might bee judged by the Apostolike seate. The King tooke these letters in a very euill part, and writ vntounto the Pope. That the Kings of France had euer beene Soueraigne Lordes, in their owne countrie, and not vice-gerentes & vassales to Bishops: and, That hee would not permit any man, who had beene damned in a lawfull Councell, in his owne country, to wit, in the Councell of Acciniacum, to make appellation to Rome. In this Popes time the eight generall councell was assembled, whereof I shal speake in its owne time, God willing.
Ioannes the ninth,Ioannes the ninth. succeeded to Adrianus the second, and gouerned ten yeeres, and two dayes. This is he who for rewardes crowned Carolus Caluus to be Emperour: and was cast into prison, because hee was more affectionated to Ludouicus Balbus, sonne to Carolus Caluus, and king of France, than to Carolus Crassus, king of Germanie. Neuerthelesse, hee escaped out of prison, and fled to Ludouicke, king of France: whom also hee crowned to be Emperour. But Balbus, after his coronation, incontinent died: and Pope Iohn the ninth must seeke new acquaintance, because his olde friends were gone:Note. therfore, he crowned Carolus Crassus to bee Emperour. This was the first Pope who in time of his Popedome crowned three Emperours.
Martinus the second.Martinus the second, ruled one yeere, and fiue months.
Hadrianus the third.Hadrianus the third succeeded to Martinus: the time of his gouernment was also short: for he continued not aboue one yeere, and two months: yet neuerthelesse, men who are busie, may make much stirre in short time. He perfected that worke which his predecessours had beene busied in bringing to passe many yeeres preceding: namely, That the Clergie and people of Rome should not attend vponupon the allowance of the Emperour, but they should freely choose whom they thought meetest to bee Pope. Hee tooke the greater boldnesse to doe this, because the Emperour Carolus was occupied in warre-fare. The Nation of the Normandes were now so sauadge and mightie, and molested France with an huge Armie, that the Emperour was compelled to transact with them in manner as is aboue rehearsed in the Historie of the life of Carolus Crassus.
Another constitution was made by Pope Hadrian: to wit, That after the death of Carolus Crassus, who died without succession, the Emperiall Title, together whth the gouernement of Italie, should belong to one of the Princes of Italie. This was the ground of vnsupportable debate, and of factions, in Italy, eueryevery man according to the greatnesse of his power, contending to be King and Emperour: But chiefely Albertus, Marques of Tuscia, Berengarius, Duke of Forouilium, and Guido, Duke of Spoleto.
This seditious plotte also perturbed the Ecclesiasticall estate: For, after this, eueryevery one of the Princes of Italie stroue with all their might, to hauehave such a man seated in the Popedome, as could best aduance his faction, as will clearelie appeare in the election of Pope Formosus.
Stephanus the fift.To Hadrian the thirde, succeeded Stephanus the fifth, and ruled sixe yeeres, and eleuen dayes. The lesse Holinesse, Learning, and Vertue that he had, the greater audacitie and boldnesse was found in him: for he made a constitution, whereof Gratian recordeth (Distinct. 19. Cap. Enim vero Quicquid Ecclesia Romana statuit, Note.quicquid ordinat, perpetuo quidem, & irre-fragibiliter obseruandum est: that is, Whatsoeuer the Romane Church doth statute and ordaine, it is perpetuallie, and without all contradiction, to be obserued.
After Stephanus the fifth (whom others doe call the sixth) succeeded Formosus, Formosus.and continued fiue yeeres, and sixe months. Hee obtained the Popedome, not without strife: For one Sergius, a Deacon, was his competitor, supported with the Tusculan faction. Alwayes, Formosus preuailed. It was supposed, that hee was one of them who conspired against Pope Iohn the ninth, and cast him into bondes. After this hee feared the authoritie of Pope Iohn, and fled into France: but Pope Iohn denuded him of all Ecclesiasticall office, and put vponupon him the habite of a Laicke person: which indignitie done vntounto him, he tooke it so grieuously, that he bound himselfe by an oath,Platima, in vita Forma. That hee should neuer see the Towne of Rome, nor returne againe to his Bishopricke: for hee was Episcopus Portuensis. But Pope Martinus absolued him from his oath, and repossessed him into his Bishopricke againe, and in the end he was made Pope, as is said.
Neuerthelesse, the faction of his competitor, Sergius, ceased not to vexe and molest Formosus: so that hee sent secret aduertisemēt vntounto Arnulphus, the Nephew of Carolus Crassus to come to Rome: who came with an Armie, and was crowned Emperour by Formosus, as hath beene alreadie declared.
To Formosus succeeded Bonifacius the sixt,Bonifacius the sixt. who concluded his course, after he had continued twentie and sixe daies.
After Bonifacius the sixt succeeded Stephanus the sixt,Stephanus the sixt. and ruled one yeere, and three months: Hee not onelyonly annulled all the Decrees of his Predecessor Formosus: but also caused his dead bodie to bee taken out of his graue, and cut off his three fingers, wherewith he was wont to consecrate persons admitted to spirituall offices, and threw them into Tyber: and caused all them,Note. who had receiued ordination by Formosus, to receiue new ordination.
This fact of Stephanus the sixt, is so full of vncouth and vnnaturall inhumanitie, that Onuphrius denieth that any such thing was done: whose impudencie Morneus discouereth by the testimonie of Luitprandus, who liued at that same time and was a Deacon of the Church of Ticinum, and maketh mention of this vile fact, not without horrour and detestation thereof. Baronius is not so impudent as Onuphrius, and will not denie the fact, but extenuateth the atrocitie and vilenesse thereof: for hee saith, Non fuit error in fide, sed violenta tyrannis in facto: that is to say. It was no errour in the faith, but a violent tyrannie in the fact.
And likewise, hee annulled the inauguration of the Emperour Arnulphus, and annointed Albert, or Lambert, Marques of Tuscia, who followed the Popes course to bee Emperour. Now is the Popedome encreased to the measure of a full strength, when they dare authorise and disauthorise, place and displace, Emperours at their owne pleasure. So that there remaineth nothing, but to enter into gripes with the Emperour, throw him downe to the ground, and to treade vponupon the excellent honour of his Soueraigntie, which in the next Centurie will follow.
… Note.To Stephanus, succeeded Romanus, and continued onelyonly three months. He abrogated the Decrees of Stephanus, his predecessour.
Theodorus the second.Theodorus, the successour of Romanus, continued in his Popedome twentie dayes onelyonly. In this short time he allowed the Decrees of Formosus.
Patriarches of Constantinople.
PAtriarches of Costantinople, in this Centurie, were changed according to the dispositiō of the Emperours, fauouring or disliking the worshipping of Images. Nicephorus was a defender of adoration of Images, & was banished by the Emperour Leo. Theodotus againe, Antonius, and Syngelus, who had bin Schoole-maisters to the Emperour Theophilus, were haters of Images. But after the death of Theophilus, Theodora, his wife, advanced Methodius, a superstitious man, and an obstinate defender of adoration of Images, and intercession of Saints. Concerning Ignatius and Photius, and the great troubles that arose about placing and displacing of them, occasion will be offered to speake of these things in the head of Councels.
Of other Pastors, and Doctors.
IN this corrupt and back-sliding age, wherein the Romane Antichrist had so great an vpper-hand, the head of Councels will compell mee to make mention of the names of a number of learned men. At this time, the name of Claudius Taurinensis, putteth a great number of the refront of my remembrance, because hee was a faithfull witnesse vntounto the truth of God, in a troublesometime. He was a man borne in Spaine, vnderunder the raigne of Ludovicus Pius, he was made Bishop of Thurin, in Pi…mont. As his first entry to his Bishopricke, hee threw the Images out of his Church, affirming, that the Saints, who in their life-time were not content to be worshipped, much lesse could they be content to hauehave their pictures worshipped after their death. In speciall, hee condemned the worshipping of the crosse: affirming, that if it should be worshipped, because Iesus died vponupon it: then the Ship, in the which Christ sayled, the Asse, whereupon Christ did ride into Ierusalem, & infinit things, which Christ touched, by the like reason, ought also to bee worshipped. Concerning the Bishop of Rome, he sayd, that he was not to be counted an Apostolicke Bishop, who sate in the Apostolicke chaire:Note. but hee who fulfilled an Apostolicke office.
Hinemarius, Bishop of Rhemes, lived vnderunder Carolus Magnus, and continued in office almost vntill the raigne of the Emperour Arnulph. Hee had great strife with his nephew Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum, who refused to bee vnderunder his Diosis: and appealed from him vntounto the Bishop of Rome. Likewise, in the cause of Rhotardus Bishop of Soission, whom Hincmarus deposed, and removed from his office. Nicolaus the first Bishop of Rome, absolved him. Hadrian 2. gaue him commandement to excommunicate C. Calvus King of France, his soveraigne Lord: but he refused to performe such an vnlawfull commandement: and writ vntounto the Pope, to be circumspect, and not precipitate rashly his sentences of excommunication.
The question whereunto Hadrian 2. was so serious, was about division of lands, betwixt C. Calvus, and his brother Lotharius. C. Calvus denyed, that he did vniustly invade any of his brothers lands, but lands duely belonging to himselfe by paction and covenant. And the Nobles of the country said, that it was a strange and an vnaccustomed thing, that the Pope would take, vponupon him to be iudge in a controversie, concerning the Titles and Rights of kingdomes: because he could not be both a Bishop and a King.