History of the Catholic Church from 600 to 1600, Ecclesiastical epoch 1300-1600 · Century 14 · Chapter 3

History of the Catholic Church from 600 to 1600 · Ecclesiastical epoch 1300-1600 · Century 14 · Chapter 3

p. 470CHAP. III. Of divers Countries.

1. IN this Century groſs was the darkneſs both of ignorance and vitiouſneſs In the groſſeſt darkneſs was ſome ſparks of light.in the body of the Church; the Preachers did not teach the knowledge of God, but ſought their own gain; and the people could not but be ignorant; nevertheleſs, God raiſed ſome in all Eſtates, to note and rebuke the corruptions of the time, as followeth. It was not a ſmall furtherance, that in the Councel at Vienna, An. 1511. it was decreed, that in all Academies, there ſhould be ſome expert in the Hebrew, Chaldee and Arabick languages, who ſhould not only teach theſe languages, but tranſlate their books into Latin, for the larger ſpreading of God's word, and the more eaſie converſion of Infidels: By the benefit of theſe languages, the light of God's word began to ſhine more clearly; and the Commentaries of Nic. de Lyra, on the Bible, was a good help, although in many things complying with the times: and ſome Greeks, fleeing from the oppreſſion of the Turks, came into the Weſt, and taught the Greek tongue, and tranſlated ſome of the Fathers.

2. A ſhew and hope of reforming the Church, was made by Pope Clemens the V. in the Councel at Vienna: It is clear therefore, that the corruption was known by the people, and a Reformation was wiſhed, Clemens gave order to Durand Auditor Rotae, and Biſhop Mimaten. to ſet in order ſome Overtures of Reformation.Articles of Reformation, to be propounded in the Councel: The Treatiſe is extant, with this Title, De concilio celebrando, printed Lutetiae, An. 1545. He beginneth at the Roman Clergy, ſaying, They have followed the way of Balaam, who loved the hire of iniquity, and was rebuked for his madneſs......which hath hapned alſo in theſe days, ſeeing ſo fooliſh and unorderly things are done by Church-men, who ſhould be a light unto others; they have offended the ſenſes even of Pagans and Jews, ſo that ſuch as have no knowledge of Divine reaſon do abhor their madneſs, and being wiſer, reprove their wicked ways: He ſheweth what might be the way of Reformation; to wit, in the holy Councel, Kings and Biſhops ſhould conſpire unto theſe things: 1. Recourſe muſt be made unto the Law of God, unto the Goſpel, and to Councels that have been approved by the inſpiration of the holy Ghoſt, and unto good human Laws; whatſoever is found to have been attempted by men in government of the world, contrary unto theſe, let it be amended and reformed; and therefore away with all abuſes, cuſtoms, diſpenſations, priviledges, and exemptions, that are contrary unto them. 2. Let the Popes conform themſelves, their works and words, unto divine and human Laws; and give unto their inferiors, an example of things that ſhould be done; or if they will ſhift from thoſe Laws, and domineer rather then provide for their Subjects, their honor is puft up with pride, and what was ordained for concord, is turned to dammage. 3. It cannot be denied, but the Roman Church, in many things, hath ſtrayed from the primitive inſtitution, and from the minde of the holy Fathers, Councels and Decrees, even ſo far, that the firſt inſtitution is forgotten; but they ſhould prefer the truth of the holy Scriptures unto all cuſtom, how ancient ſoever it may ſeem to be. 4. The Pope ſhould not ſuffer cauſes to be lightly brought from other Provinces unto his Court; now all order is confounded; the Pope giveth Benefices before they be vacant; and the proverb is to be feared as too true, He who coveteth all, loſeth all. Here he inveigheth at the promotion of ſtrangers, who are blinde leaders of the blinde, when they know not the language of their flock: And againſt Simony; which reigneth (ſaid he) in p. 471the Court, as if it were no ſin: Againſt the plurality of Benefices, and penſions wherewith Biſhopricks are burthened to pay unto Cardinals; Benefices are beſtowed on the Pope's Nephews and Friends; St. Gregory would not be called univerſal Biſhop, nor ſuffer that name to be given unto any other; and the ancient Popes were wont to prefer the names of other Biſhops unto their own; this he ſheweth by inſtances; and concludeth the point thus; Every cauſe ſhould be decided in its Province. 6. It ſeemeth profitable, that in the Councel marriage be granted unto Prieſts. 7. Monks ſhould be compelled to work with their hands, as anciently......they ſhould not be permitted to meddle with the office of Prieſts......and far leſs ſhould Friers be permitted to go a begging. 8. It is neceſſary to repreſs the abuſe of images, the ſelling of indulgences and pennances, and the impertinent diſcourſes of Monks in their Sermons; for they leave the Scriptures, and preach the inventions of men. He often repeateth, There is no hope of reforming the Church, unleſs Rome begin with her good example; (and here, in the ninth place, he reckoneth their corruptions) for the univerſality of the Church is offended, and infected with the example of the Roman Church; and the leaders of the people, (as Iſaiah ſaith) cauſe the name of God to be blaſpemed; and (as Auguſtine ſaith) nothing is more hurtful unto the Church then the Clarks, who are worſe then Laicks. He ſheweth the rapines of the Legates, and other ſervants of the Court; the exactions for indulgences, for priviledges and diſpenſations, from whence floweth the neglect or contempt of Religion; and all theſe are through the luxury and pride of Popes and Prelates, whoſe pride is greater then of all Kings and Princes. Here he taxeth the negligence and ignorance of the moſt part of them, and ſeemeth to deſpair of them in theſe words; Alas! that ſaying of Iſaiah ſeemeth now to be too true of the Church, It ſhall be an habitation for dragons, and a Court for oſtriches.....O that it were not true of our Clergy; which he ſaith, This people draw near unto me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me. He hath many ſuch paſſages in the three parts of that Treatiſe; but no fruit followed ſo wholeſome admonitions. Mornay. in Myſter.

3. Arnold de Villanova, a French man, (or Catalanus, as ſome ſay) wrote Tbe doubts and fears of a Kingmany books: In Colloqu…o Frider. & Arnol. he hath a remarkable Hiſtory; Frederick King of Sicily, a religious Prince, ſaid unto him, He had a purpoſe to do ſome remarkable ſervice to the honor of our Savior, but two impediments were in his way, fear and doubt; he feared to be diſpiſed as a fantaſtical fool by the world, both of Clarks and Laicks; who are all careful of earthly things, but none of them ſavor of heaven: and he doubted, whether the Goſpel be mans invention, or brought from heaven: three things did move him to doubt ſo; 1. He certainly knew by hearing and ſeeing, that Biſhops and Clarks make a ſhew of Religion through cuſtom, but they had no devotion; they are earneſt in vain-glory and luſts, but they feed no ſouls unto ſalvation. 2. Monks and Regulars, profeſſing Apoſtolical ſimplicity and poverty, do aſtoniſh men with their lewdneſs; they are ſo eſtranged from the way of God, that in compariſon of them, not only the Secular Clarks, but even the Laicks are juſtified; their wickedneſs is ſo vile, that no Eſtate can endure them; they profeſs humility, poverty, and perfection of vertues, but no meaſure of vertue may be found in them; for humility, they are preſumptuouſly proud, creeping into Kings Courts, Councels and Commiſſions; they intrude themſelves into ſecular affairs, and if they be refuſed or rebuked, they become furious with viperous bitings; they attend feaſts, and endeavor by any means to enrich themſelves; they are falſe, ungrateful, deceitful and affected liars; in hatred, pertinacious; in preaching, peſtiferous; diſobedient p. 472to ſuperiors; and do openly avow uncleanneſs. The third cauſe of his doubt was; Whereas in former times, the Biſhops of the Apoſtolical See ſent their Legates unto the Nations, to know of their increaſe or decreaſe in Religion; now no ſuch thing is heard of, but their buſineſs is for worldly things. Arnold are anſweredanſwered, His purpoſe is pious, and he ſhould not leave it off; his fear, is a ſuggeſtion of Satan, hating the glory of God, and the ſalvation of ſouls; and he ſhould vanquiſh ſuch fear, by conſideration of God's love, and the example of Chriſt, ſuffering the revilings of men.....As for his doubts, he might be ſure that the Scriptures are the Word of God; Jeſus Chriſt is the promiſed Saviour, and the ſame God who created the world; which is clear, not only by the Articles of faith, but even by irreſiſtable demonſtration. His reaſons are ſuch as ſhould rather confirm his faith; for the firſt two are null; becauſe Chriſt, who is the foundation of the Church, hath foretold the defection and corruption of preachers, both by voice and Canonical Scriptures, and by revelation unto perſons of both ſexes; which the Popes, with great devotion, keep among the Archives of the Apoſtolical See; and I have ſeen and handled them in the holy City. And againſt the third motive, it may ſuffice what God had done in his time, and what he is about to do ſhortly; to wit, he had warned the See of Apoſtacy under Boniface the VIII. and under Benedict; for a certain man had told them, 1. That their Counſellors were the Miniſters of Satan, under ſhew of Religion and zeal, drawing them from ancient purity. 2. Whatſoever thoſe angels of Satan did adviſe them, they ſhould not authoriſe and execute: And it was told them, if they ſhall contemn this warning, God ſhall cauſe them to feel here the preſage of everlaſting judgement; Boniface believed not this until he felt it: And it was told to Benedict by writing, that God would ſhortly pull him from his ſeat; and it came to paſs, for he ſate not thirty five days after that: And it was told them, That they who glory of evangelical perfection, are corrupters of evangelical doctrine, by wicked lives and peſtiferous preaching; ſeeing the Friers, in their Sermons, do traduce them whom they do envy, and flatter ſuch as they would rob; they deprave divine Oracles with falſe expoſitions, impertinent applications, and ſophiſtical diſtinctions; they omit things neceſſary and uſeful, and in the ſpirit of Antichriſt they ſeduce people from their ordinary ſhepheards; they go unto all Provinces, and buy the office of Inquiſition; and like raging divels, they perſecute all true believers with falſe calumnies, furious vexations, clamorous lyes, and unjuſt puniſhments, and yet none reproveth nor reſtraineth ſuch madneſs: All this (ſaid he) I have ſeen among the Apoſtolical writings. And it was contained in the ſame denuntiation, that theſe falſe prophets had conſpired againſt the Divine truth; covenanting, that none of them ſhould touch thoſe paſſages of Scripture, which the Ancients had in their Commentaries expounded of falſe teachers; but to teach the Prophets rather then the Evangeliſts; that ſome of them taught, that the commiſtion of man with man was no ſin; and if any of their own ſociety do rebuke their faults, he is condemned to death as ſuperſtitious, or enemy of their Religion; if any do appeal unto the Apoſtolical See, not for ſeverity of diſcipline, but for corruption of the Goſpel, he is impriſoned cruelly, or exiled; all the books, declaring the truth of the Goſpel, and deſcribing their ungodlineſs, are condemned to the fire, under pretence of ſuperſtition and error; for an ambiguous ſentence, they perſecute all who would live in evangelical poverty, whether without or within their order; ſome of them do always attend the Apoſtolical See, leſt the complaints of the people come there; they are like the drake and oſtrich; for the drake hath pleaſure in waters, ſo they in fleſhly luſts; and the oſtrich hath feathers like an p. 473eagle, but never riſeth from the earth; ſo their auſterity of outward carriage is like to heavenly Religion, but their hearts cleave faſt to earthly ambition.....They have forbidden all their fellows, under pain of death, to read the Scriptures declaring the truth; and they ſtop the fountain of living waters, from them that thirſt after the water of life......Seeing God hath foretold thoſe things, and now hath twice denounced them; although the meſſenger was contemned, and caſt into bonds, he is not moved, but continueth conſtant in the faith; neither ſhould it move thee, O King, to doubt of the truth of the Goſpel; and I know, that God will cauſe thoſe things to be denounced the third time unto the Apoſtolical See; but determinately by whom, and where, and when, I cannot tell, becauſe it is not ſhewed unto me; and if that man, whom God ſhall ſend, undertake it, and proſecute it with the zeal of Moſes and Phinehas, he will, by the power of God, adorn it with excellent things, both old and new; but if he neglect it, be you aſſured, God will within theſe three years bring moſt fearful judgements, to the aſtoniſhment of the Eaſt and Weſt, &c. The third denouncer was himſelf; and at that time began the contention between the Pope and Lewis. King Frederick was perſwaded by theſe words, and wrote unto his Brother James, King of Arragon, of all theſe things; and received Letters from him, tending much to the ſame purpoſe. Mornay. teſtifieth, that both the Letters of the date An. 1309. are extant; and the copies of them are full in Catal. teſt. ver. lib. 18.

4. Dantes Aligerius, a Florentine, was then famous for piety and learning, and an excellent Poet, ſaith Platin. in Bonifac. VIII. He wrote a book De Monarchia mundi, where he proveth, that the Pope is not above the Emperor, nor hath any power over him; he confuted that, which was called Donatio Conſtantini, that the Emperor neither gave ſuch a gift, nor could give it: He derided the compariſon of the Pope to the Sun, and of the Emperor unto the Moon; and averred contrarily, that the Pope hath his priviledges from the Emperor. In a Poem, of Paradiſe, in the Italian tongue, he complaineth, that the Pope, in ſtead of being a ſhepherd, is become a wolf, and driveth Chriſt's ſheep out of the right way; that the preaching of God's Word is omitted, and vain fables of Monks and Friers, and Decretals, are moſt heard, the flock is fed with the winde: He ſaith, The Pope is the whore of Babylon, and the Patriarchs [or Cardinals] are the towers of it; in old time, the Church was perſecuted by the ſword, but now by famine, for the bread which was gave for her nouriſhment, is taken away. I. Fox in Act. & Mon.

5. Robert, a French man by name and Nation, a Franciſcan by profeſſion, the longer he was in that order, he loved the Friers the worſe; he lived about that time: A Treatiſe, under his name, is printed with the Prophecies of Hildegrandis. In the ſixth Chapter he ſpeaketh in the name of God unto the The Pope is an Idol.Pope, ſaying, Who hath ſet this idol in my ſeat to rule my flock? he hath cars, and heareth not the voice of them who go down mourning into hell; he hath eyes, and ſeeth not the abomination of the people, and the Bacchanal exceſſes of their pleaſures; how great evil doth this people before me? neither will he ſee them, unleſs he ſee a treaſure......Wo to the Idol; who ſhall be equal unto this Idol on the earth? he hath exalted his name, ſaying, Who ſhall controle me?......they who ride on horſes do ſerve me; what was not done unto my Predeceſſors, is done unto me, &c. This was his expoſition of that in Zech. Wo to the Idol ſhepherd. In chap. 1. and chap. 12. Some prophetical viſions.he deſcribeth the Pope under the name of a ſerpent, who exalteth himſelf above meaſure, oppreſſing the ſmall number of godly men, and hath many p. 474falſe prophets about him, to obſcure the name of Chriſt, and advance the name of the ſerpent only. Again he ſaith, I was praying on my knees, mine eyes being lift up to Heaven, and I ſaw an high Prieſt clad in white ſilks before me; his back was towards the Eaſt; lifting up his hands towards the Weſt, as Prieſts are wont at the Maſs; his head appeared not; and as I marked more attentively, whether he had an head, I ſaw his head withered, and ſmall like a tree: Then the Spirit of the Lord ſaid unto me, It ſignifieth the condition of the Roman Church. Again he ſaith, As I was the ſame way exerciſed, I ſaw in the Spirit, and behold, a man walking in the ſame habit, carrying ſweet bread on his ſhoulders, and very good wine by his ſide, and he held in his hands a round ſtone, biting it with his teeth, as an hungry man biteth bread, but he did nothing; then two heads of Serpents came out of the ſtone: and the Spirit of the Lord, inſtructing me, ſaid, This ſtone is unprofitable and curious queſtions, wherewith the hungry ſouls are turmoiled, when they leave ſubſtantial things: And I ſaid, What meaneth thoſe two heads? He ſaid, The name of the one is Vain Glory, and the other is Overthrow of Religion. It is to be obſerved, that about that time, the chief queſtions in the Schools were, Whether the bread of the Maſs be turned into the body of Chriſt, or whether the ſubſtance of it evacuateth? what eateth a mouſe, when ſhe eateth the Sacrament? wherein ſubſiſteth the accidents of the bread, whether in Chriſt's body, or by themſelves? &c. Again he ſaith, I ſaw a clear Croſs of Silver, like to the Croſs of Tolouſe, but the twelve apples of it, were like to vile apples that are caſt out of the ſea: What is this, Lord Jeſus? The Spirit ſaid, The Croſs is the Church; which ſhall be clear with pureneſs of life, and ſhril with the clear voice of the truth preached: Then I ſaid, What meaneth thoſe rotten apples? The humiliation of the Church-men, which ſhall come to paſs. Here he prophecied of the Reformation. Poſſevin in Apparto. 2. calleth this Robert, An excellent Preacher of the Word. Mornay. in Myſter. pag. 427.

6. Marſilius Paravinus wrote the book Defenſor pacis, about the year 1324. there he debateth the queſtion between the Emperor and the Pope: and by the holy Scriptures, Laws, Canons, and Hiſtories Eccleſiaſtical and Civil, he maintaineth theſe poſitions; Chriſt is the only head and foundation of Rare Theſes in thoſe days.the Church: He made none of the Apoſtles to be univerſal Vicar of the Church; nor made he the other Apoſtles ſubject unto Peter: It is more probable, that Peter was never at Rome; far leſs had he his ſeat there, who had no fixed ſeat, as alſo not any of the Apoſtles: The fulneſs of power in any man, is a manifeſt lye, an execrable title, the beginning of many evils, and the uſe thereof ſhould be diſcharged in a good Councel: The authority of the keys, is that judiciary power that conſiſteth in diſpenſing the Word, the Sacraments and Diſcipline: Chriſt, whoſe Vicar the Pope calleth himſelf, did never exerciſe temporal authority on earth; he was ſubject unto the Magiſtrate, and ſo were his Apoſtles after his aſcenſion, and they taught others to obey Princes: If a Pope uſurp temporal authority, Princes ſhould, by the Law of God, reſiſt by word and deed, or they are unjuſt, and ſin againſt God; and thoſe who fight for the Pope, ſhould be accounted the Soldiers of Satan: Unto the Pope belongeth not the election, nor confirmation of the Emperor; but contrarily, the Chriſtian Prince, with conſent of Clergy and People, ſhould name the Pope; or if one be choſen in his abſence, he ſhould confirm him: If the Pope go aſtray, or be accurſed, the Emperor ſhould reduce him into the way, and judge him in a Councel: When Peter lived, he might have fallen and p. 475erred; neither hath the Pope any priviledge againſt error: That that Chriſt ſaid to Peter, I have prayed for thee, is to be extended unto the other Apoſtles: Only the Canon of the Bible is the fountain of truth; againſt which [Canon] we may not believe either Pope or Church: Concerning the ſenſe of Scripture, or any Article of the faith, we may not believe the Pope and his Cardinals, ſeeing not once have they ſeduced ſilly ſouls into hell: The Chriſtian Church is the univerſality of believers, and not the Pope and his Cardinals; ſhe is repreſented in a lawful and general Councel: A Councel ſhould be aſſembled by the Emperor, with conſent of Chriſtian Princes, as anciently it was always: The Word of God ſhould be the only rule, and chief judge in deciding cauſes Eccleſiaſtical: Not only the Clergy, by Lay men alſo, if they be godly and learned, ſhould have voice in general Councels: The Clergy and Synagogue of the Pope, is a den of thieves, &c. This book was printed at Baſil, An. 1522. In another Treatiſe he ſaith, Good works are not the efficient cauſe of ſalvation, but cauſa ſine quanon. Mornay. ibid. pag. 452. He was condemned as an Heretick by Pope John the XXIII. Catal. teſt. ver. lib. 18. Conſider what a Modern could ſay more of this matter; and whether they ſhew not themſelves to be ignorant of antiquity, who accuſe us of novelty.

7. The ſame poſitions were held by John de Janduno, or Gandanenſis, at the ſame time, as is manifeſt by his books, printed at Venice and Florence: So wrote alſo Luitpold, Biſhop of Bamberg; namely, in a Treatiſe De Tranſlatione Imperii, printed Lutet. An. 1540. he ſaith, The Authority of governing the Empire, belongeth unto the Emperor ſo ſoon as he is choſen; and the Coronation by the Pope addeth nothing, ſince Caeſar is not his vaſſal nor feudatory: The donation of Conſtantine is but a fable. He was alſo condemned by Pope John. Catal. teſt. ibid. Michael Ceſenas, General of the Franciſcans, was bolder, ſaying expreſly, The Pope is the Antichriſt; and Rome is Babylon, drunk with the blood of the Saints. Therefore Antonin. par. 3. tit. 21. cap. 5. reckoneth him among the poor men of Lions: For the Valdenſes ſtill ſuffered perſecution in ſundry Countries, and under divers names, as the adverſaries pleaſed to brand them: Many errors are imputed unto them by the writers of thoſe times; but becauſe they did abhor the Pope and his Court, they were reviled (as we have heard from Arnold de Villanova) and ſought out to the fire; as An. 1302. Nogaret (the Father of him who took Pope Boniface the VIII.) was burnt in Aquitania. Clemens the V. cauſed it to be proclaimed, to take up the flag of the Croſs againſt them; and deſtroyed 4000 near the Alps, whether they had ſled. Platin. Others went higher unto the mountains, of whom ſome remained in his days, ſaith Antonin. par. 3. tit. 22. cap. 10. From them were the in-dwellers of Angronia, and adjacent parts, continuing until the Councel at Trent. Trithemius teſtifieth of many that were burnt in Auſtria about that time; howbeit he, believing the reports of malice, imputeth many errors unto them; yet he teſtifieth, that they abhorred the Maſs, calling the Hoſty, a god invented by man; the Church of Rome, a Synagogue of unbelievers, and not the flock of Chriſt: they denied all mens merits; interceſſion of Saints; the difference of days and meats, &c. He witneſſeth alſo, that the profeſſore of the ſame doctrine, were innumerable in Bohemia, Auſtria, and confine Countries; and that one of their Preachers, who was burnt at Vienna, had affirmed, that above 80000. embraced the ſame doctrine within thoſe Provinces; and another, named Lombard, who was taken and burnt at Colein, avowed, that there were many of his Religion, within and about that City; and from thoſe dregs (ſaith he) Bohemia is infected with theſe errors until this day. p. 476But it was made known unto all the world, what was the doctrine of the Bohemians at Conſtance and Baſil. Antonin. par. 3. tit. 21. cap. 5. ſaith, Many of them were burnt in many parts of the world; eſpecially Picenum, or Marca Anconitana was full of them, and alſo Florence, whence many were exiled, and ſpread themſelves even unto Greece. He called the Emperor Lewis a follower of them; he ſaith, Jo. Caſtillioneus and Francis Hacutara, two Franciſcans, were burnt for the ſame doctrines. Pa. Aemilius ſaith, Under Charls, the fair King of France, were ſublime engines, and moſt learned men; among them were ſome truly holy, and others, ſtriving fooliſhly to exceed others, kept no meaſure, and became wicked; and it is uncertain to gueſs of the judgement and manners of ſome; the evils of the time were grievous to good men, who mourned ſecretly. P. Mornay. in Myſter. pag. 440, & 454. About the year 1340. Conrade Hager, who was a Preacher at Wortzburgh the ſpace of twenty four years, taught, The Maſs is not a ſacrifice, nor available to quick nor dead; and money given for Maſſes is very robbery, and ſacriledge of Prieſts: And certainly, as he condemned the falſe ſacrifice, he declared the true: For ſuch doctrine he was impriſoned. Fox in Act. out of the Regiſter of Otho the VI. of Herbi. An. 1390. twenty four Citizens of Mentz were burnt at Binga for the doctrine of the Valdenſes. Maſſeus ſpeaketh of more then twenty who were burnt in Province at Narbon, becauſe they would not acknowledge the Roman Decretals, and called them contrary unto Scriptures.

8. There is an ancient record poetically compiled, of the date or year An apology of a wolf, fox and aſs.1343. under the name Poenitentiari Aſini; there a fox, a wolf, and an aſs, are ſaid to ſhrieve one another; firſt the wolf confeſſeth unto the fox, and was abſolved eaſily; then the wolf heareth the confeſſion of the fox, and ſheweth him the like favor; and laſtly the aſs confeſſeth, that being hungry, he took a ſtraw out of a ſheave of corn that was upon an horſes back going in pilgrimage unto Rome; he profeſſeth repentance for the fault, yet thinking that it was not ſo hainous as the faults of the other two, he was confident of remiſſion; but diſcipline was ſharply executed upon him; he was condemned and ſlain. By the wolf, was meant the Pope; and the fox reſembled the Prieſts: theſe do eaſily abſolve one another; but the Laicks, who were meant by the aſs, muſt ſuffer ſharp cenſure; namely, if the German Emperor come under inquiſition, he muſt be deprived; though the cauſe be but like a ſtraw, yet the wolf ſaith, It is a great crime: So they, exaugurating the eſcapes of the Laicks, they flie upon them, and devour them. Fox in Act.

9. Francis Petrarcha, a Florentine, was Arch-Deacon of Parma, about A deſcription of the Roman Church.the year 1350. a noble Poet, and honored with a Poetical Crown in the Capitole, in preſence of the Nobility and people of Rome. Platin. In his Latine Epiſtles, which are full of gravity and zeal, he declareth his minde concerning the preſent condition of the Church, eſpecially in thoſe that have no title. In Epiſt. 8. he ſaith, Whatſoever is ſpoken of the Aſſyrian or Egyptian Babylon, whatſoever is written of the Labyrinth, of Avernus, of Tartarus, and the ſulphurous Lakes, are but trifles in compariſon of what we ſee now; here is terrible Nimrod and Semiramis, here is fearful Rhadamantus and greedy Cerberus, here is Paſiphae lying under Taurus, and that two natured Minotaur; briefly, you may ſee whatſoever confuſed thing. And in Epiſt. 9. he calleth himſelf a pilgrim of Jeruſalem, about the rivers of Babylon. In Epiſt. 10. you do marvel at the ſuperſcription of my Epiſtles, and not without cauſe, ſeeing thou haſt read of two Babylons only......but marvel not; there is a third Babylon in our quarters; where can a city of confuſion be ſaid to be more juſtly, then in the Weſt? who built it, I know not, but it is well p. 477known who dwell in her, ſurely they from whom ſhe hath her name; and if thou wilt believe, here is Nimrod potent in the earth, climbing into the Heavens againſt the Lord......here is Cambyſes more furious then he in the Eaſt, or then the Turk. In Epiſt. 16. he ſheweth the dangers of good men, and lovers of truth; and then ſaith, Seeing without the Kingdom of vertue, ſilly and naked truth is deprived of all aid, what thinkeſt thou will be, where all vertue is dead and buried? ſurely there truth is the greateſt crime, and falleth under the hatred of many, becauſe all muſt hunt after the love of one man....where is no piety, no charity, nor faith; where pride, envy, avarice, and luxury do reign; where the worſt are promoted, and the bribing villain is exalted to Heaven, but the juſt and poor are oppreſſed; where ſimplicity is termed fooliſhneſs, and malice is wiſdom; where God is contemned, money is worſhipped, Laws are trodden under foot, and good men have been ſo abuſed, that now not a good man can be ſeen: I would gladly exempt one from this deluge of ſin, and I confeſs he may deſerve it, but it is a ſcorn to except one; therefore no Noah, no Deucaleon ſhall eſcape; and leſt the woman be thought more happy, no Parrha ſhall ſwim forth: this City is drowned with a deluge of filthy luſts, and with an uncredible torrent of wickedneſs......Unto this Epiſtle I have affixed neither my hand nor ring, nor time; thou knoweſt the voice of the ſpeaker, and where I am. In Epiſt. 16. he congratulateth a friend for leaving the Pope's Court; then he ſaith, If there may be any true preſage, the God of vengeance is at hand; the Lord will freely deal his juſt reward; unto the inſolently proud is their own vengeance...I remember what long ſince, I ſaid unto one, (who among very evil men, was the beſt of our number; and to whom thou art joyned in blood, and I by acquaintance) that a laſt day is approaching unto that Order, when their pride ſhall fall, the patience of God and man being wearied out; and when he, between ſtubbornneſs and deriſion, did wiſh unto me the blindeneſs of Tireſias, and objected the words, Simon, I have prayed for thee......and I replied, that I ſpake not of the defection of faith, but of the ruine of them who deſtroy the faith.......then he ſaid in earneſt, Hold thy peace; although it be true, yet let not us be the Authors......whether they will or not, all things have their own time, and the end of illuſions is at hand; which that I may ſee, I ſhall not live ſo long. Behold! every good man was then waiting for the fall of Babylon, and the Reformation of the Church. In Epiſt. 17. he ſheweth, that againſt his admonition, this friend would try with his eyes, whether it were true what he had written; and by experience had found, that whatſoever wickedneſs was in the world, all did flow to Avenion, as to the Sea: Petrarcha ſaid further unto him, If thou worſhip Chriſt, as thou haſt done religiouſly hitherto, the wickedneſs of his adverſaries, which thou haſt ſeen, ſhall be a ſpur unto thy faith, and make thy piety more zealous; for thou ſeeſt a people, who are not only adverſaries of Chriſt, but (which is worſe) under his banner, they fight againſt himſelf, and for Satan; and being filled with the blood of Chriſt, they ſay, Who is Lord over us?.....Truly, if Judas would come with his price of blood, he ſhould be welcome, and poor Chriſt ſhould be thruſt from the doors; that it is ſo, no Chriſtian is ignorant; none bewaileth it, none ſeeketh remedy; but while one looketh unto another, wickedneſs is unpuniſhed, and waxeth as thou ſeeſt; and which at the firſt was a curable malady, is now altogether corrupt: I confeſs, it began before our days, as we have learned from our Grand-fathers.....and now this peſt looketh toward the end. In Epiſt. 18. he directeth his ſpeech to Babylon in France (that is, to Avenion) thus, Shall I call thee a famous or infamous whore, p. 478who haſt played the harlot with the Kings of the earth? indeed thou art the ſame that the Evangeliſt ſaw in the Spirit; thou (I ſay) art the ſame, and none other for thee, ſitting upon many waters; the people and Nations are the waters upon which thou ſitteſt: Whore, know thy habit; a woman clothed in purple and ſcarlet, and gold and precious ſtones; having a golden cup in her hand, full of abomination, and uncleanneſs of fornication: Doeſt thou not know thy ſelf, Babylon! unleſs that deceive thee, which is written in her forehead, Great Babylon, and thou art Little Babylon; little indeed in compaſs of walls, but in vices, and compaſs of infinite paſſions and luſts, and multitude of all evils, thou art great, yea greateſt, yea infinite: And ſurely what followeth, agreeth unto thee and no other, Babylon the mother of fornications and abominations of the earth, a wicked mother of moſt wicked ſeed......If thou wilt yet diſſemble, mark what followeth; And I ſaw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints, and with the blood of the witneſſes of Jeſus: Why art thou ſilent? either ſhew another drunken with this blood, or if thou canſt deny that thou art drunk; for the viſion muſt be true.....of all the whoredoms wherewith all Nations and Kings are drunk, what lookeſt thou for, but that that John ſaith, Babylon is fallen, it is fallen, and become a den of divels, who do reign in thee, though with faces of men? Then returning to his friend, he ſaith, But thou, my friend, hear with the Apoſtle, another voice from heaven, ſaying, Come out of her my people, &c. Morn. in Myſter. pag. 465.

10. Hayabad, a Franciſcan, preached in Avenion, An. 1345. before Pope Preachers at Avenion.Clemens, that he was commanded by God to declare, that the Church of Rome is the whore of Babylon; and the Pope and his Cardinals are the very Antichriſt; and that his Predeceſſors, Benedict and John, are condemned. When the Pope challenged him, he ſaid, He was commanded in a viſion to ſpeak ſo, and therefore he durſt not fail to ſpeak it. Catal. teſt. ver. lib. 18. ex Henr. de Erford. Chron. John Rochetalaida, another Franciſcan, preached the ſame; and is ſaid to be one of them who were burnt at Avenion, An. 1353. In the year 1351. a Carmelite, in a Sermon, ſpake againſt the vices of the Pope and his Cardinals; but he was quickly hurled from the place. Mornay. ex Albert. Argentin. The ſame Author ſaith, A Letter was affixed upon a Cardinal's door, which was directed unto the Pope and his Cardinals; when it was opened, they found written, Leviathan, Prince of darkneſs, ſaluteth his Vicar the Pope, and his Servants the Cardinals, by whoſe aid he overcometh Chriſt; he commendeth them for all their vices; and he remembreth the ſalutation of their mother pride, and of their ſiſters avarice, and others who proſper well by their help......It was dated, In the centre of hell. The Author could not be known by all their inquiſition.

11. At the ſame time Gregory de Arimino, oppoſed the Doctors in the Articles of juſtification by works, and of free-will; at Paris he taught, that man hath free-will to do evil, but no good without ſpecial grace; and that we are juſtified by faith only: And he ſaid, The School-men deſerve to be called Semipelagians. Andreas de Caſtro and John Buridan, two famous men at that time, agreed with him.

12. Then Eudo, Duke of Burgundy, perſwaded the French King, that he ſhould not receive into his Realm the new Decretals and Extravagants. His ſage advice is extant among the Records of France.

13. John Tauler, a Preacher in Argentine, about the year 1350. taught againſt all the merits of men; and in a Sermon upon that Text, Simile eſt Regnum coelorum Patrifamilias, he confuteth invocation of Saints; and proveth, that we are juſtified of grace only, referring all mens truſt in the only p. 479mercy of God. He was bitter againſt all ſuperſtition. In a Sermon on the Epiphany, he ſaith, The Prelates are blinde guides of the blinde; and it is to be feared, that both guides and people fall into condemnation. In Dominit. 2. quadrageſ. on Matth. 15. he ſaith, We muſt do as the Cananitiſh woman; ſhe paſſed by the Diſciples, and made her petition unto the Lord himſelf. On his Sepulchre, in the Monaſtery of the Dominicans in Strawsburgh, is an image of a man, pointing with his finger unto the Lamb of God: whereby was ſignified, that his aim was to teach, that Jeſus Chriſt had taken away the ſins of the world; and that he diſpiſed mans merits. Catal. teſt. ver. lib. 18.

14. John Rupeſſa, or de Rupe Sciſſa, was impriſoned by Innocentius the IV. and then was burnt; becauſe he called the Church of Rome, the whore of Babylon; and the Pope, the miniſter of Antichriſt; and the Cardinals, falſe Prophets. He wrote in priſon a book of Prophecies, with this title, Vade mecum in tribulatione; there he ſaith, Surely God will ſend a ſcourge among the ſpirituality. Two Cardinals went to talk with him, and he told them a parable; Once a bird was brought into the world, all naked and without A bird without feathers is ſupplied, and again made naked.feathers; other birds hearing of her, would viſit her; they ſaw her marvelouſly fair, and pitying her that ſhe could not live well without feathers, they conſult how ſhe might be helped, and they all reſolved to give her ſome of their own feathers; ſo ſhe was well furniſhed, and began to flie, and they deligbted to behold her; but afterwards, ſhe ſeeing that all the birds honored her, became proud, and ſtruck them with her break; ſhe plucked the feathers off ſome, and the skin from others, and was hurtful unto them every where: Wherefore the birds ſate again in Councel, and adviſed, what was beſt to be done with that unkindly bird; the peacock ſaid, Seeing ſhe is ſo haughty for my painted feathers, I will take them from her again; the falcon ſaid, I will have mine again: The ſentence pleaſed them all, and they pulled every one their own feathers. Then the preſumptuous bird, ſeeing that they had dealt ſo with her, humbled her ſelf before them, confeſſing their gift; and that when ſhe came naked into the world, they had clad her, and ſo might juſtly take their own again; in an humble maner ſhe craveth pardon, and promiſed to amend all that was done amiſs, that they ſhould have no cauſe to complain. The gentle birds ſeeing her humbled, and pitying her, help her again, with this admonition, We will gladly behold thee flying among us, if thou fulfil thy office in humility, which is the chiefeſt ornament; but aſſuredly, if at any time thou ſhalt extol thy ſelf in pride, we will reduce thee into thy firſt eſtate. Ye Cardinals and Prelates are this bird; the Emperor and other Princes have beſtowed on you their goods, and ye abuſe them in your pride; but the time is coming, when they will take their goods from you, and ye ſhall be aſhamed, and confeſs your miſdeeds. The Author of Catal. teſt. ver. lib. 18. addeth, Time hath declared a part of this, let Prelates take heed to the reſt.

15. Matthias, a Bohemian, abode a long time in Paris, and was called Pariſienſis; about the year 1360. he wrote a large Treatiſe of Antichriſt; there he proveth that the Pope is the Antichriſt: He inveigheth againſt the Clergy for negligence in their callings, and calleth them the locuſts mentioned in the Revelation; he complaineth, that every City, and almoſt each man had his proper Saint, or Savior, beſides Chriſt; the images and reliques that are ſet up in Churches to be worſhipped, he calleth, the invention of Antichriſt; he ſaith, The worſhip of God is not tied to perſons, places nor times; he rebuketh the Cloiſterers for contemning the Lay men, and calling themſelves the only religious; he refuteth the merit of works, and calleth them the cauſe of ſalvation ſine qua non. In the end he propheſied, that God will p. 480once again ſend godly Preachers, who in the zeal of Elias, will openly diſcloſe Antichriſt unto the eyes of all the world. Catal. text. ibid.

15. Nicolaus Orem, a Doctor of Divinity, had a Sermon before Pope Clements the V. in time of Chriſt's Nativity. P. Morn. in Myſter. hath the heads of it; and it is full in Catal. teſt. ver. lib. 18. His text was in Iſaiah 56. My ſalvation is near......When he had ſhewed, that the words are meant Signs of a Reformation is coming.of Chriſt's coming in the fleſh, he ſpeaketh of his coming to judgement, when he will puniſh the corruptions of the Church; unto which he applieth the text of Ezek. 16. In what day thou waſt born, I ſaw thee......Then he ſaith, Although it belongeth not unto us to know the times, yet by certain ſigns, ſome things may be gueſſed; of which I take the firſt from 2 Theſ. 2. Vnleſs there come a departing, the man of ſin shall not be revealed. St. Jerome, in the laſt queſtion of the Inquiſitions of Januarius, expoundeth this text of the Roman Empire; between which and the perſecution by Antichriſt he putteth no diſtance; and now, what is the eſtate of the Empire, in reſpect of its ancient majeſty, judge ye. The ſecond ſign, That the Church ſhall be worſe in manners then the Synagogue of the Jews; Chriſt rebuked the Jews, becauſe they ſuffered doves to be ſold in the Temple; and they honored God with their lips only......conſider ye, if it be worſe to ſell the Sacraments and Benefices.......here are ſome honoring God with their lips, and yet dumb dogs......Paſtors are ignorant of true knowledge......The third ſign may be taken from that inequality; One is hungry, and another is drunk.....the Prieſts are greater then the Princes; and ſome are baſer then the moſt abject commons......The fourth ſign, is the pride of Prelates......The fifth ſign, is the tyranny of Governors; the property of a Tyrant is to ſeek not the good of his ſubjects, but his own intereſt; ſuch are our Paſtors; of whom it is true, as it is written in Ezek. 24. and Mic. 3. Ye hate good......The ſixth ſign, is the promotion of unworthy men, and the contempt of good men....The ſeventh ſign, is the tribulation of worldly States, and commotion of Nations, which is ſeen in many places......The eighth ſign, is the refuſing of correction; if it be true of the Princes of the Church, which is written Ierem. 7. They will not hearken, and have made their faces as an adamant....So if ye conſider thoſe ſigns, ye may judge, whether the preſent times be ſecure; and if it be true what God ſaith in my text, My righteouſneſs is near to be revealed. Then he anſwereth ſome objections, ſaying, Some are very confident, and they ſay, The Prelates are the Church, whom God will keep for ever; according to that, Behold, I am with you unto the end of the world; But that is to be underſtood in reſpect of the faith, which ſhall continue for ever; ſo that when charity ſhall wax cold, faith ſhall abide in a few in the midſt of calamities, as Chriſt hath foretold: And if any think that they are free from tribulation, becauſe they are of the Church, the Lord hath preveened ſuch, when he ſaid, Ierem. 7. Truſt not in lying words, ſaying, The temple of the Lord......which ſhall not avail you......Laſtly, He concludeth with a ſerious exhortation to repentance. This Nicolaus, at the direction of Charls the Wiſe, tranſlated the Bible into the French tongue.

16. Catharine of Sena, lived about the year 1376. Antonin hath her propheſies in his Hiſt. par. 3. She ſaid, An utter confuſion of the Church, and a Reformation is a coming. When it was told her, The Peruſines have rebelled againſt the Pope; ſhe ſaid, Begin not your mourning yet; what ye ſee, is but milk and honey in reſpect of things following.......the Laity do this now, but the Clergy will do more; for they give an univerſal ſcandal unto all the Church; it ſhall not be hereſie, but accounted as hereſie, that ſhall divide the Church. When the Schiſm began, after Pope Gregory the XI. p. 481Raymund, who wrote the Legend, ſaid unto her, Now is thy prophecy fulfilled. She anſwered, As I told then, It was but milk and honey, ſo now I ſay, What ye ſee, is but childrens play, in reſpect of what ſhall be. Antonin addeth, What this holy Virgin foretold of tribulation and ſchiſm, is come to paſs; but what ſhe ſpoke of good Paſtors and Reformation, is not as yet. He was Biſhop of Florence in time of the Councel at Conſtance.

17. Pope Gregory the XI. by his Bull, commanded John, Arch-Biſhop of Prague, to perſecute Militzius, a Bohemian, becauſe he had ſaid, Antichriſt now reigneth; and he had private congregations, among whom were ſome harlots, whom he had converted, and of whom he ſaid, Theſe are to be preferred unto all the religious Nuns. Jacob Miſnes, a writer about the year 1410. teſtifieth, that Militzius ſaid, He was moved by the Spirit to ſearch the Scriptures, concerning the coming of Antichriſt; as alſo to preach at Rome, that the Pope is the Antichriſt; and that the Church is laid deſolate by negligence of Paſtors; ſhe aboundeth in temporal riches, and is void of ſpiritual: Alſo that many now ſeem to deny Chriſt, becauſe, though they know the truth, they dare not profeſs it, for fear of men. Fox in Act.

18. Henry de Jota, or Heuta, taught at Vienna in Auſtria, about the year 1380. All men without grace, do but ſin when they do their beſt works; becauſe the perſon muſt be accepted, before his works be accepted; God, and not a Prieſt, forgiveth ſin; and the Prieſt doth but declare out of God's word, whom God doth binde or looſe: As Jerome had taught, It is better to confeſs unto a learned Prieſt, although he hath no juriſdiction, then to an unlearned Prieſt having it; reſervation of caſes unto the Pope or his Biſhops, is not of God's Law, but from men, ſince all Prieſts have a like power of the keys; all God's counſels are commandments.

19. John Munziger, Rector of Ulme, about the year 1384. taught, The bread of the Euchariſt is not God, nor ſhould be worſhipped as God. The Monks contended againſt him, and the matter was referred to the Univerſity of Prague; there his propoſitions were approved; and nevertheleſs, the bread muſt be worſhipped, ſaid they, for the concomitancy of the Deity.

20. Gerhard Ritter wrote a book about the year 1350. which he called Lachrymae Eccleſiae; about the year 1384. Alvarus Pelagius wrote another, Planctus Eccleſiae; Ubertin, Biſhop of Chema, wrote Onus Eccleſiae: The matter of them all, is to mourn for the corruptions and abominations of Popes, Cardinals, Biſhops, Canons, Prieſts and Monks, &c. Ubertin in cap. 19. ſaith, A Reformation ſhall never be, but in a general, free, and godly Councel; he ſaith, There is great need of Reformation; but I fear, this age is not worthy of a lawful Councel. In cap. 22. Some Monaſteries are more like to Stews of Venice, then houſes of God. Catal. teſt. ver. lib. 18.

21. About that time an Epiſtle was divulged in Germany, under the name of Wenceſlaus, where the Emperor exhorteth Church-men to ſet themſelves at liberty from the thraldom of the Pope; ſaying, By the Princes of the Prieſts, the Church is prophaned; the Prieſthood is defiled; all order is confounded; all Religion is corrupted; all things belonging to laws, manners, faith or diſcipline, is undone and confounded; even that although our Savior ſuffered many things by men of the Synagogue, yet now he ſuffereth more by our Princes of Prieſts. There is alſo a viſion of an holy man concerning the A viſion of the Church.eſtate of the Church; He ſaw a woman with Princely apparel, and thought that ſhe was the bleſſed Virgin; but ſhe ſaid, I am not ſhe whom thou thinkeſt me to be; but the figure of her, for whom thou groaneſt ſo oft and prayeſt, to wit, the Church; whoſe ſorrow is marvelous, and her malady flowing from the head through all the members, even to the feet; and that thou p. 482mayeſt condole the more with me, behold the cauſes of my grief; then, laying off the Crown, ſhe bowed her head unto him; and he ſaw the upper part of her head cut after the manner of a croſs, into four parts, and worms crawling out of her brains, and wounds full of matter; then ſhe ſaid, Behold, by thoſe things in my head, thou mayeſt underſtand the maladies in my other members; and having ſpoken ſo, ſhe vaniſhed. In this Epiſtle is honorable mention of Marſilius de Padua, and John de Janduno. Morn. in Myſter.

22. John Peter, of Ferraria, a famous Lawyer of Papia, about the year 1397. is uſually called Practicus Papienſis, as he wrote Practica utriuſque Iuris: there he ſaith, It is fond to ſay, and abominable to hear, The Pope is ſuperior to Caeſar: The Pope can by no Law have temporal dominion, nor poſſeſs Cities and Provinces; what he hath, he hath it by violence: The temporal ſword ſhould be taken from him, or Chriſtendom ſhall never be at peace: By fooliſhneſs of Princes, are they become the drudges of Prieſts: Whom the Pope abſolveth from their oath, he maketh them perjured: The Clergy have their conſciences in their hoods, and laying them aſide, no more conſcience appeareth: Let ſome good Emperor ariſe againſt them, who long ſince for the cauſe of devotion, and now by avarice, have undone all the world, and brought to naught the eſtate of the Empire and of all Laicks. John Andreae (who was called Speculator & Monarcha juris) was wont to ſay, Rome was firſt founded by robbers, and now is returned to the ſame eſtate. All theſe, and more paſſages, are razed out by Index Expurgat. pag. 43. of Plantin's Edition.

23. In time of Boniface the IX. was publiſhed a dialogue of Peter and Paul, with the title, Aureum ſpeculum. In the preface, the Author ſaith, All the Roman Court, from the ſole of the foot to the top of the head, is manifeſtly blinded with errors; and with the poiſon of thoſe errors, ſhe hath made drunk all the parts of the world almoſt. Then he divideth his matter into three heads, ſaying, 1. I will deſcribe the moſt grievous errors of the Roman Court. 2. I will confute her erroneous and uncatholick writings and ſayings. 3. That all the Court of Rome is in danger of damnation: And theſe I will declare by moſt true grounds; ſo he proſecureth them ſeverally. And after many lamentations, as deſpairing of Reformation, Paul ſaith, Only the Son of God, I wiſh, would reform his Church. And leſt it be thought that this was his judgement only, he ſaid in the preface, All men do groan privately, but none dare ſpeak it forth. Nor can this manifold corruption be concealed in the Court; for when ſome ſaid, The Pope cannot be guilty of ſimony, even in beſtowing of Benefices for money: his Secretary, Theodor a Niem, ſaid, It ſeemeth unto me to be very unjuſt, certainly it is uncivil, and againſt good manners, to ſell for money unto unworthy perſons, that which ſhould be given freely unto the worthy onelyonly; and that the Pope, who is above others, and from whom others ſhould have a rule of their doings, is guilty of ſuch a crime; certainly he cannot puniſh others for that fault, whereof himſelf is guilty: And he ſaith, Many good Maſters in Divinity, and alſo in other Sciences, do lament, that ſimony is ſo frequent and manifeſt in the Court; and many Juriſts do diſpute in the contrary, and have written (although with fear) ſundry Treatiſes, That the Pope, by ſelling Church-Benefices, is a Simoniack; a Succeſſor of Simon Magus, and not of Peter.

24. About that time was written another book, De aetatibus Eccleſiae; therein Aparallel of times.the Author ſheweth, what had been the eſtate of the Church in former ages; namely, that Biſhops were not ambitious of ſuperiority, or earthly authority; the Biſhop of Rome had not ſupremacy above other Biſhops; the name Papae was common to other Biſhops; by divers ſteps the Pope hath uſurped this p. 483tyranny; he calleth himſelf the Servant of Servants, and ſtriveth to be Lord of all Lords; he taketh Divine honor and praiſe, and he maketh or ſuffereth men to be Idolaters. Catal. teſt. ver. lib. 18.

25. In the end of that Century, or beginning of the next, lived Nilus, The cauſe of the Schiſm between the Greeks and Latines.Arch-Biſhop of Theſſalonica, who wrote two books of the cauſes of the Schiſm between the Greek and the Latine Churches. In Lib. 1. he ſaith, The cauſe is not the ſublimity of doctrine, ſurpaſſing mens capacities; and far leſs is it any word of holy Scripture, as if it did not declare what concerneth this controverſie; for to accuſe the Scripture, is all one as if man would accuſe God.....What then is the cauſe of the difference? the queſtion is not confirmed by a Decree of an Oecunomical Synod; and the Romans would be Maſters, and make all others their diſciples......It is very abſurd, that whereas the Fathers had no precedents, yet by themſelves rhey ſaw the right; we having their examples, cannot diſcern it; and indeed the ignorance of thoſe at the firſt contention might be pardoned......but when ſo many ages have paſſed, and the way of peace is not as yet known, who can think but it is the fault of them who will not have peace? But they ſay, The Pope is the Prince of Prieſts, and the Father, who hath power to call univerſal Synods, and by himſelf, or without others, may diſcern in Church-affairs. But Julius was Pope, and Damaſus, and Leo, and Agatho, and none of theſe ever ſaid ſo; but conveening with their Brethren, by the aſſiſtance of the good Spirit, they eſtabliſhed Acts and peace in the Church: And if this was the only way, and it is not now obſerved, who can doubt but the cauſe of the variance ſtandeth herein? and certainly the blame lieth not upon our ſide. And if the power of diſcerning belong unto the Pope, it were ſuperfluous to call Aſſembliet; but it is not ſo; for we know that Agatho, Celeſtin, and others, had their particular Synods for deciding queſtions, and nevertheleſs, they referred thoſe unto the univerſal Synod, and craved the confirmation of the truth by common decree; which had been needleſs, if when the Pope had diſcerned, all others muſt aſſent unto him. Now if this queſtion were concerning a private man, it might ſeem needleſs to call all the world unto an Aſſembly; but ſeeing the chief heads of the world are at variance, it is abſurd to determine the cauſe without the conſent of the world, ſince the Fathers by their writings and example have ſhewed the way. But if they will ſtill object unto us the primacy of the Pope; we ſay, that in ſo doing, he overthroweth his primacy; but by holding the ancient way, he doth what becometh a good man, and maintaineth his place; for he may conſider what ſhould be the …ſſue, if the controverſie were decided after common ſuffrage; and what hath hapned unto the Latines, arrogating unto themſelves the power of preſcribing Laws; for in that way the Church might be free from all tumults, and live in peace, ſince none could readily contradict that which was eſtabliſhed by common ſentence; for though ſome in former times have been ſo mad, yet they were but few, and vaniſhed ſoon: But when the peace of the Church is diſturbed, he loſeth what he might have; for he is deprived of the primacy of the four Patriarchs, neither is there any peace: Many have thought upon remedies; there have been many conferences and Ambaſſays; but the malady continueth, and ſhall continue ſo long as the Latines hold their tenets. The Pope, ſay they, hath power in Eccleſiaſtical affairs: So ſay I, let him not be contrary unto the Decrees of the Fathers; they eſtabliſhed things by univerſal Councel; and each had need of anothers aid, being conſcious of humane frailty: let the Pope therefore follow their ſtatutes, and diſcern not any point before it be debated by others: or if he hath his power, not from the Fathers, but from the Apoſtles, let him hearken unto the Apoſtle, p. 484who ſaid, I have not uſed my power, leſt I lay a ſtumbling-block unto the Goſpel of Chriſt; and in another place, The power which the Lord hath given us to edification, and not to deſtruction: And therefore if he hath any power, let him not uſe it but for advancing the Goſpel; to the end, that in following Paul's example, he may ſhew himſelf an Apoſtolical man; bet now none can be ignorant, whether he uſeth it for edification or deſtruction......And that preſident of the twelve Apoſtles, St. Peter was rebuked by Paul, and when he was rebuked, he was ſilent; and although he might have ſaid more reaſonably then the Pope, What I the Preſident have done, ſhould be a law unto others; yet he ſaid not ſo, but accepted the admonition, and contradicted not what Paul had ſaid.....And when Paul and Barnabas came to Jeruſalem, for that queſtion of the circumciſion, Peter uſurped not primacy, nor ſaid he, It belongeth unto me to diſcern in ſuch things; but the Apoſtles and Elders were aſſembled; neither did Peter debar the Apoſtles uſurping power; nor did the Apoſtles exclude the Elders that were at Jeruſalem, for they had learned from Chriſt to uſurp no primacy: Peter indeed began to ſpeak, and after him St. James; and all the reſt of the Apoſtles and Elders, even Peter himſelf, conſented unto the words of James; ſo did theſe bleſſed men love Chriſt, and ſo ſtudious were they of peace and truth in the Church; and the Apoſtles ſeeking truth this way, have given us a law in ſuch caſes; but ſeeing ye take a contrary courſe, can ye blame any but your ſelves for this variance? This is a touch of more; whence we ſee, that the Romans wanted not admonition.

26. With the book of this Nilus, is uſually printed another of Barlaam, a Greek Monk, to the ſame purpoſe. In cap. 16. he recapitulateth all the particulars that he had handled, ſaying, I have ſhewed, that each one of the Apoſtles were immediately appointed by our Lord Chriſt, to be a Paſtor and Teacher of the whole earth. 2. That bleſſed Clemens was created by Peter, not Biſhop of the whole world, but of Rome eſpecially and properly; and that the Roman See was neither firſt nor laſt; and by the Laws of ancient Fathers and godly Emperors it became the firſt. 3. That theſe alſo had decreed, that the See of new Rome, even as the other, ſhould have power in Eccleſiaſtical affairs. 4. That it was commanded by no Law, nor was any Cuſtom, that the Patriarchs ſhould be ordained by the Pope, neither was it ever ſo done. 5. That the Pope had no power over Councels, but they gave Laws unto his Church. 6. That the holy Fathers appointed diſtinctly what parts ſhould be ſubject unto the Pope, and which unto each of the Patriarchs. 7. That no Patriarch, nor the Pope, may decree without the knowledge of all, any thing of more weight. 8. That ſuch honor ſhould be given unto the Pope, obeying the decrees of the Fathers; but if he obey not, men ſhould flie from him as a wolf and adverſary. 9. That Chriſtians ſhould believe the Catholick Church of faith, but not any particular Church, ſince it was not ſo ordained from the beginning. 10. And laſtly, That ſuch as refuſe or deſpiſe the traditions of the Apoſtles, and profeſs to believe a particular Church or faith, are members cut off from the body of the Catholick Church, and dead members. Here, for clearing the ſecond Article, I add the words of cap. 3. where he objecteth, (as the Romans do) That Peter died at Rome, and therefore the Roman Biſhop ſhould have as full power. He anſwereth, By this reaſon it followeth, Becauſe our Lord Jeſus died for us at Jeruſalem, the Biſhop of Jeruſalem, ſucceeding in the place of the great high Prieſt, ſhould have power over all; and ſo much more then the Roman Biſhop, as Chriſt was above Peter: Moreover, how unreaſonable is it to ſay, that none of the Apoſtles had a Succeſſor, but only Peter? or if any of the Apoſtles would leave Succeſſors, either the Biſhops that were ordained by them, or the Stewards of p. 485thoſe Churches where they ended their lives, how ſay ye, that all ſhould be created by the Pope? can ye ſay, that the other Apoſtles were ordained by Peter? and if that was not, how can it be demanded, that their Succeſſors ſhould be ordained by him, whom ye call Peter's Succeſſor? but certainly the other Apoſtles had Succeſſors, of whom none was firſt or laſt, but all equal, and of the ſame rank. Then concerning the eighth point, in chap. 14. he ſaith, The Pope cannot be an Heretick: Unto this objection he anſwereth, What ſay you? I ſee him dead, and you ſay, he cannot die. Object. Many Patriarchs have been Hereticks, but not one Pope. Anſw. Let Macedonius ſay, No Patriarch of Conſtantinople before me was an Heretick, therefore neither am I one; or rather, to uſe a more familiar example, if any would plead the cauſe of that filthy woman, who was Pope, and ſay, Becauſe never a woman was Pope before her, therefore neither was ſhe one; what ſound reaſon is in ſuch arguing? In chap. 15. he clearly diſtinguiſheth between the Catholick Church and the Roman; and as no man did ever name the Roman Church, when he meant the Catholick Church; ſo no man, being right in his wit, did ever name the Roman faith, when he meant the Catholick faith; and that Catholick or common faith, we have hitherto preſerved, and God guarding us, we will obſerve it unto the end, ſaith he.

27. In the end of this Century John Vitodura, a Franciſcan in the Monaſtery of St. Montis, wrote the Hiſtory of his time; ſpeaking of Pope John, he ſaith, O what a Succeſſor hath bleſſed Peter in the See of the high Prieſthood, who forgetting the office of humanity, piety, and of a ſhepherd, liveth a tyrannical life!.....how could Peter think, that the eſtate of his Chair and Church could be ſo enormouſly perverted, in the latter days, from the rule of righteouſneſs? he was not to be praiſed, becauſe, it ſeemeth, he ſate not in the peſtilential chair. And ad An. 1344. he ſaith, O God, how great avarice and worſhip of Idols hath defiled and deformed the Church! how could, or how would Peter and the other Apoſtles, or their Succeſſors, the Martyrs and Teachers, which laid the foundations of the militant Church, and abode immoveable in the faith and actions of Chriſt, how could theſe (I ſay) have believed, that in our time, the eſtate of the Church, that was ſo famous and glorious, could be made filthy in ſuch a manner, with the peſtiſerous root of avarice? Alas! ſhe is torn and wounded in all her members, and none is for binding her fractures; none to comfort her, or to cure her wounds; ſhe is conſumed in her crimes; ſhe is fallen ſo grievouſly into the pit of vices, that ſhe cannot riſe by her ſelf, nor is there any to raiſe her; all have gone aſtray, like wandering ſheep; every one hath gone after his own way, which is not right; becauſe her fathers would not be befooled with the love of earthly things: So the word of Jeremiah is fulfilled, From the higheſt to the loweſt, all are ſet on covetouſneſs: And the word of Micah is true, The Princes judge for gifts, and the Prieſts teach for a reward, and the Prophets divine for money. This poiſonous root, avarice, with its ſmall branches, execrable ſimony, plunder, theft, and eſpecially devouring uſury, hath infected and devoujred the world in ſuch meaſure, that John hath ſpoken moſt properly in his Canonical writings, The whole world lieth in wickedneſs. And An. 1345. at that time the ſecular and religious Clergy, which had reſumed in the Imperial, and other places, lying under the Papal interdiction, did obtain abſolution from the Roman Court, when other Clarks did continue freely, and without fear, in celebrating; and ſuch abſolution was purchaſed eaſily, for a florence: Oh how lamentable and execrable a breach is made in the Church at this time! that ſaying of the Goſpel is now made null, Ye have received freely, give freely. And ad An. 1348. ſpeaking of the ſame Papal interdictions, he ſaith, p. 486Some of them for abſolution of men, and for reconciliation of Church-yards, did collect incredible and immoderate ſums of money, and did extort from them which were to be abſolved, which is miſerable and horrible to be ſpoken; for in the hearts of very many it cauſed ſcandal, ſcruple of the faith, perplexities, detrictions, grumblings, infidelity, clamors, commotions, fear and ſuſpition of ſimoniacal wickedneſs; for they ſaid, The Clergy deſpiſe, tear and defile, ſcatter and confound the Church of God, and Spouſe of Chriſt; they divide her integrity, they wound her charity, they harden her benignity and meekneſs, they weaken her zeal, they ſhut up her liberality with the knots of covetouſneſs, by withdrawing her from voluntary gifts.....not regarding the curſe of Gehazi and Simon, being hardened in their wickedneſs: Oh how vile is the Church become in her principal members! all beauty is gone from her; becauſe they which ſhould enlighten her with true doctrine, do darken her with the blackneſs of error and miſt of vices: And the people ſay, (I uſe their words) If it be lawful to celebrate for a penny, it were far better and precious to celebrate without pennies; this they ſay, thinking that ſimony is committed in theſe exactions: Oh how great a wickedneſs and madneſs, to exact forty, fifty or ſixty florens for the abſolution of a City, and relaxation of a Church-yard! I am ſilent of other things; ſimple and ſecular people do abhor all theſe things.

28. Jagielo, Duke of Lituania, was married to Heduigis, Queen of Poland, The converſion of Lituania.An. 1386. with condition, that he ſhould embrace the Chriſtian faith, and annex that Dukedom to the Crown of Poland; he and his three Brothers, Boriſſus, Suidrigielo, and Vidold, were baptized at Cracow, Febr. 14. The next year he called a general convention of all the people of Lituania at Vilna, in the beginning of Lent, and took with him the Biſhop of Geſna, and ſome Prieſts: There he propoundeth unto them the forſaking of their Idolatry, and the embracing the Chriſtian Religion; he allured them with exhortations and promiſes; but the Prieſts being ignorant of the language, could teach them nothing at all: The barbarous people were loath to leave the cuſtoms of their Anceſtors; but when they ſaw, that at commandment of the King, the fire in the Temple of Vilna to be extinguiſhed, and the Altar broken, and the Serpents (which they had worſhipped) to be killed and dead, and their holy groves deſtroyed, without the hurt of any man, the people wondered, and ſaid, How is it, that our gods do not revenge themſelves on theſe wicked Chriſtians? if any of us had done the like, we had periſhed by the wrath of the gods: Then were they willing to follow the Religion of their Prince; and becauſe it had been weariſome to baptize them all, this honor was given to ſome of the Nobles, to baptize them ſeverally; and the vulgar ſort were ſet in companies, and the Prieſts caſt water upon them, and gave unto every company a name, ſaying, I baptize ye in the name, &c. and ſo in one day 30000 barbarous people were baptized. Ale. Guaguin. in Rer. Polon. To. 1.

29. Nicolaus de Lyra, a Jew by birth, and then a converted Chriſtian, wrote Annotations on all the Bible, which were in great account among the School-men; but in many Articles of faith he differeth from the Papiſts now, as appeareth clearly by theſe paſſages. When Jerome had written in Prologin lib. Tobiae, The book of Tobiah, which the Jews (following the catalogue of divine Scriptures) have reckoned among thoſe which they call Hagiographa, de Lyra ſaith, He ſhould rather have ſaid, among the Apocrypha, or he taketh the Hagiographa largely: And in his Poſtilla, he ſaith, When I have written (as God hath helped) upon all the Canonical books of the holy Scriptures.....truſting in his help, I intend to write of the other books which p. 487are not of the Canon, to wit, the book of Wiſdom, Eccleſiaſticus, Judith, Tobias, and the books of Maccabees......We muſt know, that the books of the ſacred Scriptures, which are called Canonical, are of ſuch authority; that whatever is written there, it is held true without controverſie, and conſequential alſo, what is manifeſtly concluded thereupon; for as in the writings of Philoſophers, truth is known by reducing unto the firſt principles that are known in themſelves; ſo in the Scriptures of Catholick Doctors, truth is known, in ſo far as things to be believed, can be reduced unto the Canonical writings of the ſacred Scripture, which we have by revelation from God, who cannot lye; therfore the knowledg of theſe writings is neceſſary unto the Church; for which cauſe, of the expoſition of them, it may be ſaid, what is written Eccleſ. 24. All theſe are the book of life; that is, all the books that are expounded in the preceding work, are contained in the book of life; that is, in the books of truth revealed by God; who is life; for as divine predeſtination is called the book of life, ſo this Scripture, revealed by God, is called the book of life, both becauſe it is from him which is life eſſentially, as is ſaid, and it leadeth unto the bleſſed life. And next it is to be conſidered, that the books which are not of the Canon, are received to be read by the Church for information of manners; but their authority is not ſuch, that they are thought ſufficient to prove things in controverſie, as Jerome teacheth in the Prologue on Judith, &c. On Deut. 17. at the words, Thou shalt not decline, he ſaith, Here an Hebrew Gloſſa ſaith, If he ſay unto thee, The right hand is the left hand, or the left is the right, thou muſt receive ſuch a ſentence: But this is manifeſtly falſe, ſince the ſentence of no man, of whatſoever authority, is to be received, if it be manifeſtly falſe or erroneous; and this is clear by what is ſaid in the text, They shall judge unto thee the truth of judgement, and they shall teach thee according to his law. Hence it is clear, that if they ſpeak falſe, or decline from God's Law manifeſtly, they ſhould not be heard. On Pſal. 124. or rather 125. on theſe words, Like mount Sion, he ſaith, becauſe, as mount Sion is unmoveable, ſo they who truſt in the Lord, are not moved from the ſtability of faith; therefore it followeth, shall not be moved for ever, to wit, who dwell in the ſpiritual Jeruſalem by faith formed by love: And the cauſe of this ſtability followeth; The mountains are about it; that is, the Angels are deputed to keep the Church, and the Lord is round about his people; as he ſaith in Matth. ult. Behold, I am with you unto the end of the world. On Daniel, at the laſt words, he ſaith, The laſt two Chapters, to wit, of Suſanna and the Hiſtory of Bell and Dragon, are not of the Canon; therefore now I leave them, and intend to take in hand the other books which are Canonical. On Matth. 1. at the words, Iudah begot Phares, he rehearſeth an opinion of Jerome, which he confuteth; and he addeth a general reaſon, ſaying, The ſayings of Saints are not of ſuch authority, but we may think the contrary in thoſe things, which are not determined by the ſacred Scripture; therefore Auguſtine in Epiſt. ad Vincent. ſaith, of the writings of the Saints, This ſort of writings is to be diſtinguiſhed from the Canonical Scriptures, and teſtimonies are not brought from them ſo, that we may not think the contrary. On chap. 10. at the words, He gave them power over unclean ſpirits, he ſaith, If it be asked, Why Preachers do not ſuch miracles now? Gregory anſwereth, Becauſe when the Catholick faith is ſufficiently proved by the miracles of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, it is needleſs to reiterate ſuch proof any more. And a little after, Ye have received freely, to wit, grace, which God hath beſtowed on you, whether grace making acceptable, or grace which is freely given; Give it freely, even as ye have received; for for ſpiritual acts, as for adminiſtration of the Sacraments, preaching, and the like, nothing ſhould be received as a price. This is againſt the p. 488practiſe of that time, as we have now heard in the teſtimony of Jo. Vitoduran, On chap. 16. He calleth Peter bleſſed, becauſe the confeſſion of true faith leadeth unto bleſſedneſs......and I ſay unto thee, i. e. for thee and thy companions, thou art Peter, i. e. a confeſſor of the rock, which is Chriſt, and upon this rock, which thou haſt confeſſed, i. e. upon Chriſt, will I build my Church, and the gates of hell, i. e. perſecution of tyrants, the aſſaults and tentations of evil ſpirits, shall not prevail againſt her, to turn from the true faith: Whence it is clear, ſaith he, that the Church conſiſteth not by men, in reſpect of power or dignity Eccleſiaſtical or Secular, becauſe many Princes, and chief high Prieſts, and others inferiors, have made apoſtaſie from the faith; and therefore the Church conſiſteth in thoſe perſons, which continue in true knowledge and confeſſion of the faith and truth. By theſe few words he overthroweth the Popedom, as it is taught now. And then he ſaith, Theſe keys are not material, but are a ſpiritual power, which is two-fold; one a power of diſcerning ſin from what is not ſin; as under the Law, the Prieſts diſcerned between leproſie and not leproſie: But obſerve, that although one cannot diſcern this without knowledge, yet knowledge is not the key, but a power of judging by knowledge, which he muſt firſt have; and therefore, although knowledge is not the key, yet it is neceſſarily requiſite unto the due exerciſe of the key. The other key is the power of receiving into the Kingdom, or of ſhutting out, according to true judgement; for the unworthy ſhould be excluded, and the worthy ſhould be received. On Epheſ. 1. at the words, Before the foundation of the world, he ſaith, The election is from eternity, but the effect thereof is in time; which effect, is the ſanctification of the reaſonable creature; therefore it followeth, that we should be holy.....according to the pleaſure of his will; from which dependeth election and predeſtination, and not for our merits, not onelyonly in deed, or actually, but alſo in the foreſight of God.

30. The third age of the School-men began from the year 1320. or thereabout, The third age of School-men.and continued until 1516. of the condition whereof we have had ſomewhat by the way; but becauſe we promiſed to ſpeak of it, here we add more particularly. The School-men of this age had a three-fold power, teaching in Schools, preaching in Pulpits, and giving Indulgences; of their Inquiſition is enough before: For the little modeſty of former ages, was now turned into impudence; for becauſe in their Inquiſition, they had refuſed the holy Scriptures to be their rule, now in their Schools they durſt ſay. The Scriptures are the buckler of Hereticks; and therefore all Laicks muſt be diſcharged from reading the Scriptures, under no leſs pain, then to be accounted Hereticks: They blamed the Scriptures of obſcurity, imperfection, ambiguity, and compared it unto a noſe of wax. Will. Tindal, in his book of obedience, Edit. at Marlborough in Heſſe. An. 1528. fol. 16. ſaith, The Scripture (ſay they) is ſo hard, that thou couldeſt never underſtand it but by the Doctors; that is, I muſt meaſure the meaſuring yard by the cloth......They will ſay yet more ſhamefully, None can underſtand the Scriptures without Philautia, that is, Philoſophy; a man muſt be well ſeen in Ariſtotle, before he can underſtand the Scripture, ſay they. And fol. 62. They pervert the holy Scripture, and all Doctors, wreſting them unto their abominable purpoſe, quite contrary to the meaning of the Text, and circumſtances going before and after; which divelliſh falſhood, leſt the Lay-men ſhould perceive, is the very cauſe why they will not ſuffer the Scripture to be in Engliſh. Then alſo it began to be doubted among them, whether the Pope be a god or a man, or neither of the two; to be the Vicar of Chriſt, was thought to be a ſmall honor. In Prooem. Clementin. Iohannes Epiſt. the Gloſſ. at the word Papa, ſaith, p. 489Nec Deus eſt nec homo, ſed neuter inter utrumque: And in the margin, Papa nec Deus eſt nec homo. Pope Pius the V. in his Edition, An. 1572. was aſhamed of theſe words, and left them out: But Pope Gregory the XII. in his recognition, An. 1580. omitteth the words of the margin; and in the Gloſs the words are thus, Papa, id eſt, admirabilis; & dicitur à Papa, quod eſt interjectio admirantis; & verè admirabilis, quia vices Dei in terris gerit. Inde dixit ille Anglicus in poetria nova, Papa ſtupor mundi, & circa finem, Qui maxima rerum, Nec Deus es, nec homo, ſed neuter inter utrumque, Etymologia vero nominis eſt, pater patrum. But the man of ſin is yet advanced higher; therefore in theſe extravagants Ioha. XXII. tit. 14. c. Cum inter nonnullos, the Gloſs ſaith, To believe that the Lord God, our Pope, cannot ordain otherwiſe, it is heretical. Ye may ſee ſuch other paſſages in Morn. Myſter. pag. 444, 445. and Spalaten. de Repub. Eccleſ. lib. 2. cap. 6. §. 15. cited out of their books. So thoſe times were darkened with clouds of moſt groſs ignorance, and divelliſh illuſions. And who can any more doubt but the Pope is the Antichriſt? we The Pope is the Antichriſt.have heard not onelyonly the profeſſion of their oppoſites, and the confeſſions of thoſe which were held to be Popes, and called Antipopes, calling one another the Antichriſt; but likewiſe we ſee the gloriation of the Popes, admitting that title, The Lord God, our Pope; and not only laying the Scriptures in their footſtool, but diſpiſing them, and preferring their own Canons and traditions in compariſon of the ſacred Scriptures. But to make more clear what was the order of the Schools in that age, hear yet more from Will. Tindal, in that book and place cited; One of you teacheth contrary to another; when two of you meet, the one diſputeth and brawleth with the other, as if it were two ſcolds; and for as much as one of you holdeth this doctrine, and another that, as one followeth Duns, another St. Thomas, another Boneventure, Alexander de Hales, Raymond, Lyra, Brigot, Dorbel, Holcot, Gorran, Trumbet, Hugo de S. Victor, de Monte Tegio, de Nova Villa, de Media Villa, and ſuch like out of number; ſo that if thou hadſt but of every Author one book, thou couldſt not pile them up in any were-houſe of London; and every Author is contrary to another; in ſo great diverſity of ſpirits, how ſhall I know, who lieth and who ſaith truth? And fol. 18. ſpeaking of the ſame School-men, he ſaith, Ye drive men from God's word, and will let no man come thereunto, until he have been two years Maſter of Art; firſt they noſel them in ſophiſtry, and in bene fundatum, [in the margin he ſaith, The School doctrine, as they call it] and there they corrupt their judgements with apparent arguments, and with alledging unto them texts of Logick, of natural Philautia, Metaphyſick, moral Philoſophy, and all manner of books of Ariſtotle, and of all manner of Doctors: One holdeth this, another that; one is a real, another a nominal. What wonderful dreams have they of their predicaments, univerſals, ſecond intentions, quiddities, hecceities and relatives? and whether this propoſition be true, Non ens eſt aliquid? whether ens be aequivocum or univocum? Ens is a voice only, ſay ſome; ens is univocum, ſaith another, and deſcendeth into ens creatum & increatum per modos intrinſecos. When they have this way brawled 8, 10, or 12. years, or more, and after that their judgements are utterly corrupt, then they begin their Divinity, not at the Scripture, but every man taketh a ſundry Doctor; which Doctors are as ſundry and divers, the one contrary unto the other, as there be divers faſhions and monſtrous ſhapes, none like another among our Sects of Religion; every Religion, every Univerſity, and almoſt every man hath a ſundry Divinity: Whatſoever opinions every man findeth with his Doctor; that is his Goſpel, and that only is true with him, and that he holdeth all his life long; and every man to maintain his Doctor, corrupteth the Scripture, and faſhioneth it after his p. 490own imagination, as a Potter doth his clay. [And in the margin; Yet in this they all agree, That no man is ſaved by Chriſt, but by holy works; and that Chriſt hath given up his God-head unto the Pope, and all his power; and that the Pope may give Chriſt's merits to whom he will, and take them from whom he will.] Of what Text thou proveſt Hell, another will prove Purgatory, another Lymbus patrum, and another the Aſſumption of our Lady; and another will prove out of the ſame Text, that an Ape hath a tail: and of what Text the Gray-Frier proveth, that our Lady was without original ſin, out of the ſame ſhall the Black-Frier prove, that ſhe was conceived in original ſin; and all this they do with apparent reaſons, with falſe ſimilitudes, and with arguments and perſwaſions of mans wiſdom.....The wiſdom of one is, that a white coat is beſt to ſerve God in, another a black, another a gray, another a blew; and while one ſaith, God will hear your prayer in this place, another ſaith, in that place; and while one ſaith, this place is holier, another ſaith, that place is holier; this Religion is holier then that; this Saint is greater with God then that; and an hundred thouſand ſuch things, &c. And if ye will, hear a Papiſt writing of thoſe times, Corn. Agrip. De triplici ratione cognoſcendi Deum c. 4. & de vanitat. ſcien. c. 97. deſcribes them thus; Scholaſtical Divinity, by little and little, is turned into Sophiſtry; while the latter Theoſophiſts, and hukſters of God's word, which are Divines, but by a bought title, of ſo ſublime a faculty, have made a kind of Logomachy, moving queſtions, forging opinions, and doing violence unto the Scriptures by intricate words, putting a ſtrange ſenſe upon them, readier to winnow then examine, preſuming to device many ſeminaries of contentions, whereby they furniſh matter of ſtrife unto the wrangling Sophiſts, when they abſtract forms, call the words genera & ſpecies, ſome cleave to the things, and others to the names; and what they take from one, they adſcribe unto another, and ſome take it indifferently, and every one ſtudies how to prove his own hereſie; and they turn the ſacred faith into ſport and infidelity (whereof Tho. Aquin. did complain) among the wiſe of this age, while they diſpiſe the Canonical Scriptures of the holy Ghoſt, and choſe unto themſelves many queſtions of divine things to foſter brawlings, wherein exerciſing their wits, and waſting their time, they will have all the doctrine of Divinity to conſiſt in ſuch things. If any will oppoſe unto them the authority of the holy Scriptures, he ſhall hear anon, The letter killeth, it is pernitious, it is unprofitable; but ſay they, we muſt ſearch what is hid in the letter; and then turning to their interpretations, gloſſes and ſyllogiſms, they allow any ſenſe rather then the proper ſenſe of the words. If you do urge them inſtantly, you ſhalt receive reproaches, and be called an aſs, which underſtands not what is hid in the letter, but as a ſerpent, eateſt the earth only; ſo that among them, none are thought to be Divines, but who can contend to purpoſe, and give an inſtance in every matter, and quickly deviſe new meanings, making a noiſe with ſo monſtrous words, that he be underſtood by none: and then are they called Subtle, Angelical, Seraphical and divine Doctors, when they talk ſo that no man underſtands them. Theſe wicked Hypocrites, and preſumptuous Sophiſts, which (as Paul ſaith) teach not Chriſt of good will, but for ſtrife, have brought in ſo many hereſies, that the Philoſophers ſhall ſooner accord then theſe Divines, which have killed all that glory of ancient Divinity with opinions of men and new errors, and labyrinrhs of infinite expoſitions which they have deviſed; under diſguiſed titles, they profeſs deteſtable doctrine, and falſly uſurp the name of ſacred Divinity; and abuſing the names and doctrine of the holy Doctors, they introduce Sects, as it was ſaid in the Church, I am Apollo's, I am Pauls, I am Cephas's, pretending regard of them by whoſe means they began to know; and ſwearing to the words of their Maſter, they diſpiſe all others, not regarding what p. 491is ſaid, but who hath ſaid it: And no Divine is thought to be truly learned, which hath not addicted himſelf unto ſome Sect, and maintains it ſtoutly, and covets to be named and advanced by the title thereof, as a Thomiſt, Albertiſt, Scotiſt, Occamiſt; for it is no credit unto ſuch Maſters to be called Chriſtians, ſince that name is common to Butchers, Cooks, Bakers, and every body; and theſe Sectators are divided again many ways....Moreover, they do forge ſo many ſtrange things of God, ſo many forms of the God-head, and ſo many Idols of phantaſies concerning divine things; and they pull Chriſt our Savior into pieces with the wickedneſs of their opinions, and clothe him with ſo many vizards of ſophiſms, and as an Idol of wax, they forge and reforge him into any ſhape they pleaſe, by their abſurd ſuppoſitions, that their doctrine may be called meer Idolatry. I paſs over the debates and hereſies concerning the Sacraments, Purgatory, Primacy, the commandments of Popes, and obligations thereunto; concerning Indulgences, Antichriſt to come, and many ſuch things, wherein they ſhew mad wiſdom, with the preſumption whereof they are puft up, like the Giants in the Fables. Then coming to the Preachers, he ſaith, They make ſtories of the Saints, with pious lyes; they counterfeit reliques, they deviſe miracles, and (which they call examples) plauſible and terrible fables, they number prayers, weigh merits, meaſure ceremonies, ſell indulgences, diſtribute pardons, make merchandiſe of good works, and by begging, they eat the ſins of the people; and they ſpake as aſſuredly of the apparitions, adjurations, and reſponſes of the dead, as if they had learned them from the books of Tundalus and Brandarius, or from St. Patrick's cave; they play the Tragedies of them in Purgatory, and the Comedies of Indulgences in Pulpits, as on a Stage, with ſo Soldier-like boldneſs, ſo thraſonical boaſting, ſo arrogant eys, changing their countenances, ſtretching out their arms, with ſo various geſtures, as the Poets feign Proteus, transforming themſelves; they thunder unto the people with windy tongues, and Stentor's voice: But they which are more ambitious among them, and would have the gallantry of eloquence, and perfect knowledge, theſe in crying, (I would ſay, declaring) ſing poeſies, tell ſtories, diſpute opinions, cite Homer, Virgil, Iuvenal, Perſius, Livius, Strabo, Varro, Seneca, Cicero, Ariſtotle, Plato; and for the Goſpel and word of God, they prattle meer toys and words of men, preaching another goſpel, adulterating the word of God, which they preach not in ſincerity but for gain and reward; and they live not according to the truth of the word, but after the luſts of the fleſh; and when in the day they have ſpoken of vertue erroneouſly, they beſtow the night in the Stews; and this is their way to go unto Chriſt, &c. Eraſmus in his Annotations on 1 Tim. 1. at the word Vaniloquium, ſpeaketh of the School-men at that time thus; What ſhall I ſay of ungodly queſtions, which are made concerning the power of God and of the Pope? whether God can command any evil, as to hate himſelf, and forbid all good, even the love and worſhip of himſelf? whether he can make a thing infinite in reſpect of all dimenſions? whether he could have made this world, even from eternity, in a better condition then he hath made it? whether he could have made a man that cannot ſin?.....There is more work concerning the power of the Pope, while they argue of his two-fold power, and whether he may abrogate what is decreed in the writings of the Apoſtles? whether he may decree what is repugnant unto the doctrine of the Goſpel? whether he may make a new Article of faith? whether he hath more power then Peter had, or equal power? whether he hath power to command the Angels? whether he can make empty that which is called Purgatory? whether he be a man only, or as God? whether he partaketh of both natures, as Chriſt doth? whether he be more merciful then Chriſt, ſeeing we do not read that Chriſt did ever bring p. 492any out of Purgatory? whether among all men, the Pope alone cannot err? Six hundred ſuch queſtions are diſputed in great volumes......and their ſchools are earneſt about ſuch queſtions; and time, the ſwifteſt of all things, is waſted with theſe queſtions, which are propounded ridiculouſly, and determined timerariouſly; our time is ſhort, and it is a difficult thing to act the duty of a Chriſtian rightly. The third power of the Friers, was to proclaim and ſell Indulgences: Becauſe this falleth in often, I will here only repeat the Indulgences.words of Pa. Paulo, in the firſt book of the Councel of Trent; This manner of giving money for pardons, was put in practiſe after the year 1100. for Pope Urban the II. having granted plenary Indulgences and remiſſion of all ſins, to whoſoever would fight in the holy Land, to recover and ſet free the Sepulchre of Chriſt out of the power of the Mahumetans, it is followed by his Suceeſſors; of whom ſome (as always new inventions are inlarged) granted it unto thoſe who would maintain a Soldier, if they could not or would not go perſonally in theſe wars; and thereafter Indulgences were granted unto ſuch as would take Arms againſt Chriſtians not obeying the Church of Rome; and many times infinite exactions under theſe pretences. And lib. 8. he ſaith, It is ſure, and cannot be denied, that in no Chriſtian Nation of the Eaſt, either in ancient or modern times, was ever any uſe of Indulgences, of any kinde whatſoever; and in the Weſt no proof of them can be brought before Pope Urban the II. from his time, until the year 1300. it appeareth that the uſe of them was ſparing, and only impoſed by the Confeſſor, to free men from puniſhment; after the Councel at Vienna, the abuſes did increaſe mightily. Pol. Virg. de inven. rer. lib. 8. cap. 1. ſaith, They reap no ſmall harveſt by theſe Indulgences; eſpecially Pope Boniface the IX. in whoſe time ſuch pardons were granted with a full hand, not only at ſometimes, but (as Platina witneſſeth) were ſold dayly, and every where, as any other merchandiſe; not without the dammage of the giver and receiver; ſeeing by theſe, as the vendible remedies, or ſoul diſeaſes, many did the leſs abſtain from ſin, and the power of the keys became contemptible; and that was not without cauſe, becauſe, as Jerome ſaith, where a reward is the means, or interveneth, ſpiritual gifts become the more vile; which, oh, if that age only had ſeen. So far he.

31. When the Tartars prevailed firſt in Aſia, the Kingdom of the Turks was overthrown; and they were divided among themſelves into ſeven families; at laſt they became all ſubject unto the houſe of Othoman or Otman, Laon. Chalcocon. lib. 1. de Reb. Turc. He was a victorious and cruel Tyrant; and was declared firſt Emperor of the Turks, about the year 1300. all his Succeſſors have kept his name. He conquered Pruſa, a City of Myſia, An. 1303. and made it the ſeat of the Empire. His Son Orcanes expelled the Tartars; and others of them, through diſſenſions among Chriſtians, have raiſed that great Empire of Aſia, and ſubdued the Empire of Conſtantinople, as partly is ſaid, and more followeth.