History of the Catholic Church from 600 to 1600

CHAP. II. Of POPES.

1. SYLVESTER the II. (before called Gerebert) had been a Monk in Orleans, and made a contract with the Devil to advance him unto the Papacy. Thence he went to Hispala in Spain, where becoming a Doctor, he had amongst his hearers Otho the III. Robert King of France, Lotharius a man of noble birth, afterwards Bishop of Senon, and others. Robert gave him the Bishopric of Reims; the Emperor advanced him to Ravenna; lastly, by great ambition, and aid of the Devil, he attained the Papacy, saith Platina and others. The Emperor, for favor of his Master, gave unto Saint Peter eight Counties, Pisa, Senogallia, Favum, Aucona, Fossabrum, &c. Vsser. de stat. Eccles. cap. 3. ex Gerber. Epi. 158. Benno Cardinal of Ostia saith, When the 1000. years were expired, Gerebert coming out of the bottomless pit of God's perdition sat 4. years; and as by the responses of Satan he had deceived many, so by the same responses he was deceived, and in the just judgment of God he was taken away by sudden death. What he saith briefly, Platina declares more fully, thus; Once Sylvester asked the Devil, how long time he might enjoy the Papacy? The answer was ambiguous, If thou go not to Jerusalem, thou shalt never die. After four years and one month, he was saying Mass in Lent, in a corner of the Rood-Church that was called Jerusalem, within Rome; and he asked how that Chapel was called? They said, Jerusalem. Then he knew the time was come when he must die; wherefore he became sad, and confessed his sin before the people, and exhorted them to beware of ambition and craft of the Devil, and to live holily. Then he commanded them to cut his body into pieces, and lay it on a cart, and to bury it wheresoever the horses of their own accord would draw it. The report is (saith Platin.) that by the Providence of God (whereby sinners may learn the hope of forgiveness, if they repent in their life) the horse stood at Lateran, and there he was buried; whereas yet (saith he) by the rattling of his bones, and moistness of his tomb, is portended the death of the Pope. It were a shame to relate these things, if they were not the words of their own Writers. Platina saith he had it from Mar. Polon. Vincentius Belluacensis, Laurent. Schrader. in Monimen. Italiae lib. 2. and Galfrid. And the same is written by Pol. Vergil. de invent. rer. lib. 5. cap. 8. but he speaks not of the Presage. Naucler. had all in generat. 34. Onuphrius would purge him of this blot; and alledgeth that the knowledge of the Mathematics, in these rude days, was taken for Magic. But the words of the now-named Authors are more clear; it is certain (say they) that he attained to the most secret things of all Sciences, and especially of the Mathematics; but as quick wits can scarcely hold themselves within bounds, he entered into Necromancy; and it is so thought by many Authors, not without great infamy; by which Necromancy he made way unto the Papacy. He was the first Pope who caused to beat the drum unto the Wars in the holy land, (as they spoke) and published an Epistle with this inscription, Wasted Jerusalem unto the Universal Church commanding the Scepters of Kings; Gerebert Epist. 18. but the expedition was not so soon begun. Of all the Popes from Sylvester the II. unto Gregory the VII. inclusive, Benno testifieth that they did exceed Jannes and Jambres in jugleries; although the height of Antichristian pride be referred unto Gregory the VII. and others after him. Io. Naucler. in volum. 2. generat. 31. faith, The Popes of that time had departed from the foot-steps of Peter.....and it is horror to hear what vile things were done by almost 28. Popes immediately succeeding. After the death of Sylvester (saith Benno) was strife among his Necromancing Disciples, each contending to usurp the Papacy.

2. JOHN the XIX. (aliàs XVII.) by the help of the Devil (who then gave the Papal Chair) followed the Sorcerer Sylvester, saith Bale & Blond. He first did exclude the people of Rome from the election of the Pope, and so did restrain it unto the Clergy only: He was wont to say, The people must follow, and not precede. By him (as saith Fascic. tempor.) the Feast of all Souls, next after the Feast of all Saints, was brought into the Church, An. 1004. by the advice of Odilo Abbot of Cluniak, who thought that Purgatory was under the Mount Aetna; and being in Sicily, dreamed that by his Masses he had delivered many souls from thence; and said also, that he heard the voices of Devils lamenting for the loss of the souls, which were taken from them by Masses and Dirges. M. Fox in Acts & mon. citeth Bakenthorp in Prolog. 4. li. senten. qu. 10. John sat 5. months, and was poisoned by his Clergy.

3. JOHN the XX. (aliàs XVIII.) by prodigious Arts attained the See of the Satanical Papacy. Benno. He considered into what difficulties his predecessors had entangled themselves, and willingly took ease to himself; he died, not without suspicion of poison, in the 4. year; Benno saith, within one year. The years of many of them are reckoned variously.

4. SERGIUS the IV. was a man of most holy life, before he was Pope, saith Naucler. and sat 2. years: But Benno reckoneth him in the same category with the others, and saith he sat 3. years; he died An. 1012. when Italy was wasted with famine and pestilence.

5. BENEDICT the VIII. was a Hawk of the same nest; the Cardinals conspired against him, and set up another; he prevailed by the weight of his purse, and had a good friend of the Emperor Henry the II; he sat 11. years. After his death, he appeared unto Odilo riding on a black horse. Odilo had been familiar with him, but then he was afraid; and asked, Art thou Pope Benedict which is dead? He answered, I am that unhappy Benedict. O Father (saith the Abbot) how go all things with thee? He said, I am tormented, but I may be helped; go therefore to my brother John, who now is in my place, and bid him give unto the poor the Treasure which lieth hid in such a place, and he named it. Then he appeared unto Pope John, saying; I have hope to be delivered; but oh! that Odilo of Cluniak would intercede for me! Platin. But Fascic. temp. hath more of their discourses. Behold with what delusions Satan did then deceive the World, that he might establish his Kingdom; and this is a sure ground (forsooth) for the doctrine of Purgatory, and prayer for the dead.

6. JOHN XXI. (aliàs XIX.) was the son of Gregory Bishop of Portuen. and succeeded (as it were) heritably unto his brother; for he was not entered into Church Orders, saith Platin. Baronius saith, That unworthy man entered unworthily, and came into that Seat tyrannically and by evil means; for all things were then done at Rome by Enchanters and Necromancers, Theophylact, Io. Gratian, Laurence, Brazut, &c. Nevertheless (saith he) his life was wondrously approved by the Romans, but he shown not his virtues; possibly he understands the yearly alms, which he enjoined to Princes, and some Masses unto Priests, and fasting on Saturday unto people; and the Canonizing of Saint Romwald, and Saint Martial; and the Feasts of John the Baptist, and Saint Laurence, all these had their beginning from him. Nevertheless Baronius saith, That unworthy man is in the lowest Purgatory; he sat 8. years, and died in the 25 year after his Master Gerbert, saith Benno.

7. BENEDICT the IX. was made Pope, An. 1033. although he was not above 12. years of age; for Albericus Marquess of Tuscia, would not suffer that Chair to be taken from his house; therefore by bribery he thrust in his son, a Tyrant, a Monster and Opprobry of the Church. Baron. ad An. 1033. §. 6. Car. Benno saith, He was given to Necromancy and doctrine of Devils; and he named his Masters. In the woods and mountains he caused women to run after him, whom by Magical Arts he forced unto his wicked lusts. His own books (saith the Cardinal) that were found in his house, after his death, bear witness of his Arts, and it is notoriously known by every boy. Platina saith, He was thought unworthy of his place, and therefore he was deposed. But Benno and others say, that he with Laurence and others his companions, had plotted to deprive Henry the III. and gave unto Peter King of Hungary the Title; as he sent unto him a Crown with this verse, Petra dedit Romani Petro, tibi Papa Coronam. Whereupon followed an open battle between Godefrid Duke of Lorain, General unto Henry the III. and the same Peter. In the first fight Peter was taken, and Henry made hast towards Rome. The Pope was afraid, and sold his Chair unto the above-named Io. Gratian (afterwards Gregory the VI.) for 1500. pounds of gold. As for his death, Platina saith, he was condemned by the judgment of God: Benno saith, he was strangl • d by the Devils in the woods. Platina addeth, It is certain his Image appeared very monstrously, he was like to a Boar in body, to an Ass in head and tail; and the man who did see him was an Eremite, and did ask, how he had been so metamorphosed? He answered, Because in my life I lived like a Beast without law and reason, and without God, and now I must wander in this shape, at the will of God and of Saint Peter, whose See I have defiled. Fascic. temp. This is a sure proof to reverence Saint Peter's Chair. This Pope sat 10. years; or 12. years, as Onuphrius; or 13. years, as Fascic. temp.

8. GREGORY the VI. attained the See by money, (as it is said) and not by election; nevertheless Gregory the VII. acknowledged him for Pope, because he did confirm his Acts, and called himself the seventh of that name, and his successors to the number now of fifteen. In his time were three Popes together, for Benedict seeing that the Clergy would not consent unto his bargain, and so it was not like to take effect, did claim his former right; Gregory would not renounce his possession. The Author of Fascic. tempor. saith, Because Benedict was ignorant, he caused the consecration of another Pope to say Mass for him, which did not please many; therefore a third was chosen, who alone might discharge the duties of the two. This was Sylvester the III. who had his Manor at Saint Maria Major, Benedict in the Lateran Palace, and Gregory at Saint Peters. Baronius saith plainly, Rome was at that time a beast with three heads, which came out of Hell. And therefore (saith Platin.) by the prayers of the best sort, the Romans sent for Henry the III. An. 1047. and an Eremite writ these lines, Imperator Henrice, Nupsit tribus maritis: Omnipotentis vice, Dissolve connubium Vnica Sunamitis Et triforme dubium. Vsser. de success. Eccles. cap. 4. ex Gregor. Heimburg. in Confutat. Primatus Papae, par. 3. The Emperor came into Italy, and (as Platin. saith) compelled these three most ugly Monsters to renounce their Papacies; and then was chosen Swidiger Bishop of Bamberg, or Clemens the II. Benedict escaped by flight; Gregory and Hildebrand were sent Prisoners into Germany (where the Pope died, and Hildebrand obtained liberty to return) and because Sylvester was made Pope without ambition, he was permitted to return into his Bishopric. Ph. Morn. in Myster. iniqu. ex Leo Ostien. c. writeth so, that for these things done so happily and so Canonically, the Romans gave unto this Henry the honor of Patriciatus, as of old unto Charles the Great, and with the Diadem of the Empire they ordained such a Chain of Gold. Platina saith, this Gregory was killed in the Church of Saint Peter by the fall of a stone, and was buried there not without opinion of holiness. But how doth this agree with what he and others have said before. Onuphrius in Annotat. in Platin. expressly contradicts him, and saith, he died at Cluniak, whither he was sent by the Emperor. Neither do they agree in the space of his sitting.

9. CLEMENS the II. being confirmed, a Synod was held; and an Act was made, that the Bishop of Rome should not be chosen without the knowledge and confirmation of the Emperor. This constitution was conform to ancient practice, and it was then judged necessary for tranquility in time coming; seeing (as Platina saith) every factious or potent man, yea even some of base degree, by corrupt suffrages attained to so high dignity. Nevertheless the Cardinals would not suffer it to stand but presently did despise it by subtle and open practice. Likewise the Romans did swear, in the same Synod, that they should not intermeddle with the election of the Bishop, but as the assent of the Emperor should concur. Nevertheless the Emperor was no sooner gone, but contrary to their Oath and Act made thereupon, even within nine months, they poisoned the Pope, which some impute unto his next successor, Platin; and some unto Bruzate, who is said to have poisoned six Popes within 31. years. Car. Benno.

10. DAMASUS the II. starteth up neither by consent of the people nor Clergy; for every ambitious man then could climb into Saint Peter's Chair, saith Platin. But others say, when Clemens was poisoned, they did set up Benedict again; and the Emperor caused this Damasus to be set up, who was Bishop of Brixia; hereunto Onuphrius seemed to agree, for in Annotat. in Platin. at Clemens II. he saith expressly, that the four next Popes were chosen by the authority of the Emperor, and proved it by instances. So Fascic. tempor. saith, Henry the III. deposed five Popes, and set up the sixth. Damasus escaped not Brazutus cup 35. days. Now we come (saith Onuphr. loc. cit.) out of most obscure darkness, and all things shall be more clear. Then was great contention at Rome for the Papal Seat; wherefore the Romans, by advice of the Cardinals, sent unto the Emperor, desiring to give them a Bishop; who was Benno Count of Etisheim, and Bishop of Tullensis, or Leo the IX. being verily an Ass, since among the Bishops of Germany none other would come amongst the enchanters of Rome. Crantz. in Saxon. When he was coming in his Pontificals toward Rome, the Abbot of Cluniak met him; and he, with Hildebrand (which then had leave to return with the Pope) began to chide him for taking his authority from the Emperor, and not from the Clergy, as others had done before. The simple man was persuaded to change his habit, whereby he conquered the consent of others, and was elected.

11. LEO the IX. by persuasion of Hildebrand and Theophylact took up Arms, and went in person against the Normans prevailing in Sicily; and by these two, remaining always with him, was betrayed and delivered into the hands of Duke Gisulph, who said unto him, Peter put up thy sword; and so sent him away well accompanied unto Rome. There he could not live peaceably, and so he went into Germany. Whilest he was with the Emperor in Worms on Christmas day, Lambert the sub-Deacon read the Epistle, after their own manner; the Pope sent unto him, and commanded him to read in the Roman manner; Lambert would not change. Wherefore the Pope, with a loud voice, deposed him from his Office, and commanded him to depart. Luithpold Arch Bishop of Mainz, went from the Altar, and would not proceed until the sub-Deacon were restored; because Worms was within his jurisdiction, and the man should not be deposed in his presence without his consent. The Pope restored him again, and so they went on. Crantz. in Saxon. lib. 4. cap. 45. commendeth the Pope for equanimity; and the Bishop for maintaining his own jurisdiction. In a Synod at Mainz, was the Pope, the Emperor, and 130. Bishops: It was ordained there, That no Clark should follow Dogs or Hawks in hunting, nor deal in civil business : None should be admitted a Monk till he came to perfect age, and by his free-will. Naucler. generat. 36. And Crantz. li cit. cap. 43. saith more, The Pope was President; Sibico Bishop of Spira was accused of adultery, and was purged by examination of the Sacrifice: And there also the heresy of simony, and of Priests marriage was condemned. He returned unto Rome, and on a day (as Naucler. writes) he saw a Leper at his gate, he commanded to take him in, and to lay him in his own bed; the next day when he sent to visit him, no man was there. Whereby they understood, that Christ was come to visit the Holy Father. With such lying miracles were they wont to deceive the World often; but for the most part I omit such. When he had sat 5. years, he was poisoned by Brazut, An. 1054. Then the Romans, partly reverencing the authority of the Emperor, and partly judging none at Rome worthy of that honor, sent Hildebrand in the name of the Clergy and People unto the Emperor, to give them a Bishop. Ph. Mornay in Myster. ex Sigon. de regn. Ital. lib. 8. but Platina saith only, They did so, lest they might seem to attempt against their Oath. Car. Benno saith, Hildebrand did oft run from Rome unto the Emperor, and back again, without the advice of the Church; and if any other was named Pope with speed, Brazut gave him a cup of poison.

12. VICTOR the II. was sent. In a Synod at Florence he deprived many Priests, for that which they called simony and Nicolaitanism. He sat 2. years, and was poisoned.

13. STEPHEN the IX. was elected by the Clergy and People, not awaiting the Emperor's nomination, for he was young. Now this Pope accused the defunct Emperor Henry the III. of Heresy, that he had diminished the authority of the Church, or (if ye will have it more plainly) had restrained the pride of the Popes. But when he begun to speak of seeking confirmation from the Emperor, the cup of Brazut was prepared for him. Then Hildebrand assembled the Cardinals, and caused them to swear, that they would choose no Pope without common consent. So he took journey to the Bishops of Florence to bring and install him; and the Clergy swore, that they would not proceed in election before his returning. Nevertheless the Count of Tuscany, by gifts and threatenings, did cause the people to choose his brother.

14. BENEDICT the X. a man altogether ignorant of Letters. Peter Damian Bishop of Ostia protested against the election, but they made no account of that. When Hildebrand returned with Gerard Bishop of Florence, he caused the Clergy, according to their Oath, to proceed in a new election, seeing that Benedict was not Canonically called. The Clergy saw the friends of Benedict to have power at Rome, went to Sena, and there do choose Gerard or Nicolaus the II. Benedict considering that the most part of the Clergy were his adversaries, retired to Velitra, and lived privately.

15. NICOLAUS the II. held a Synod at Sutrio, by the aid of Duke Godefrid and Italium Bishops, and annulled the election of Pope Benedict. Then he went to Rome and held another Synod at Lateran, where a Decree was made; That if any by money or favor of men, whether of people or soldiers, without Canonical election of Cardinals, shall enter into the Throne of Saint Peter, he shall not be called Apostolical, but Apostatical; and it shall be lawful for the Cardinals, Clergy and People, calling upon God, to accurse him as a robber, and to thrust him from his seat by any help of man. Gratian. dist. 32. cap. Vnde Nicolaus. Here the election of the Pope is limited, and ascribed unto the Cardinals; but (as Pol. Vergil. de invent. rer. lib. 4. cap. 10. hath observed) it was to be approved by other Priests, and by the people of Rome; and another might have been chosen who was not of that College. But within a short time both these were abolished; for now (saith he) the Cardinals, without consent of People or Priests, do choose only a Cardinal to be Pope, although there be no law for that. Some write, that Nicolaus gave the Dukedom of Pulia and Calabria unto Robert Guiscard : But Platina saith, Robert defrauded his brothers son, and the Pope was offended for Godefrid's sake; yet suffered him to enjoy it, because he gave a part of the Dukedom unto the Pope, and himself became Tributary unto the Church of Rome. After three years Nicolaus was poisoned. The Lombards had been oppressed by him, and now were desirous to have a Bishop of their Country; therefore they sent unto the Imperial Court for favor in the election; for the nomination of the Pope (said they) appertained unto the Emperor. Then Agnes did send one, who was thought most fit : And so in a Synod at Basil

16. HONORIUS the II. was elected. Hildebrand and the Cardinals at Rome, set up ALEXANDER the II. They gathered Armies, and fought a bloody battle near Rome. Honorius was said to have the worse, and recruits his forces. The Emperor sent an Ambassador Otho, or (as Platina calls him) Anno Bishop of Colein, who sharply expostulated with Alexander in a Synod at Rome, for taking so much upon him without the knowledge of the Emperor; and contrary to his Royal privilege, as it had been acknowledged, for the most part, by his Predecessors. Hildebrand made the Apology for Alexander briefly. Otho taking more part with the Roman Clergy, did procure the cause to be referred to another Synod, to be held at Mantua, where Alexander had friends. He appeared; but Honorius sent word, that the Master should not be judged by his Disciples; and would not come, unless he might be Moderator of the Council. By the way observe this contest, Who should be Moderator in a Synod? Before this, if the Emperor had named a President, there was no opposition; or when the Emperor winked, or was contemned, any Patriarch might moderate within his own Diocy. Otho answered in the name of the Synod, He being but one, should submit himself unto the Holy Oracle and Sentence of so many Fathers. Then Alexander, having no present competitour, was heard; and when he had sworn that he had used no unlawful means for obtaining the Papacy, he was confirmed. Car. Benno writes of him thus, When he understood the intention of Hildebrand, and others the Emperor's enemies, that they had set him up for a private respect of their own, he told them publicly he would sit no longer in that place, (he was at Mass) unless he had consent from the Emperor. Wherefore Hildebrand was in such rage, that he could scarcely hold his hands off him, till the Mass was ended. Then, by force of Soldiers, he threw the Pope into a chamber, knocked him with his fists, and raileth at him that he would seek favor of the Emperor. Then was he thrust into Prison, and stinted to five shillings a day of the money of Luca, where he had been Bishop; and Hildebrand turned all the rest of Saint Peter's revenues to his own use. At this time Sueno, King of Denmark, made his Land Tributary unto the See of Rome; following the example of Casimire, King of Pole, in the days of Benedict the IX. and paid yearly Peter-pence. Alexander died in prison after 12. years.

17. GREGORY the VII. (aliàs Hildebrand) caused himself to be elected, the same day that the other died; contrary to a Decree, which ordained that the election should not be before the third day; to the end, that the Clergy and Cardinals may be the more frequently assembled. After ten weeks he was confirmed by the Emperor, saith Platina; but not till the Emperor sent a Count to challenge the Romans: And then Gregory said, He was chosen indeed, but he had delayed his consecration, until he knew the King's pleasure. And Car. Benno testifieth, that many of the Gardinals would not subscribe unto his election. Because he had been a Disciple of Gregory the VI. in honor of his Master, he took his name, pessimo Magistro pejor Discipulus, saith Benno. Aventin. Annal. lib. 5. reports, that an ancient and famous Writer, living at that time, when he comes to speak of Hildebrand saith, We are come to factions, fraud and wickedness; it is dangerous to write truly, and it is a sin to write falsely. Car. Benno relateth his enchantments and juggleries at large; and saith generally, When Satan could not persecute Christ openly by Pagans, he plotted to turn religion topsie-torvy, by a false Monk, under show of religion; but although Divine Providence suffereth such things, yet the time of retribution is at hand. Bellarm. de Pontif. Rom. lib. 4. cap. 13. would purge him of these blots, saying; We have no Author of that time, who accuseth Gregory the VII. but one Benno; and he did not write so bitterly against him in truth, but only under the name of Pope Gregory, he would describe a wicked Pope; or Benno is not the Author of that book, but some Lutheran; and he alledgeth ten Authors of that time commending Hildebrand. The whole History confuteth the first excuse, and the other is convinced by the copies of Benno, more ancient then Luther; and by many Authors before Luther, who do cite Benno. Namely, Orthwin Gratius (who was not a Lutheran) in Epist. ad Lector. prefixed to the same book, saith; More credit is to be given unto Benno, then unto Platina or others who favor the Popes too much. And though his own faction commend him, it is no wonder; and they testify of more then ten times ten others, writing against his impieties. It is enough for the Truth, that she wanted not witnesses, and Tyranny had contradiction at the rising; yea and of the same ten, although one excuse of one crime, yet he accuseth him of another. Were they all Lutherans, whom Onuphrius in Annotat. in Platin. ad Grego. VII. reports to have called this Gregory a Necromancer, a simoniack, blood-thirsty, &c.? He was the first kindler of those toilsome wars, Bellum Pontificium, between the Emperors and Popes, as followeth. Before that time there was some order in the Church, and Bishops were subject unto Emperors, as Miltiades and Sylvester unto Constantine; Gregory unto Maurice; Leo unto Charles the Great. Chrysostom on Rom. 13. saith, The Apostle she wing that these things [subjection, &c.] are commanded unto all, both Priests and Monks, and not to Seculars only, saith in the beginning, Let every soul be subject unto superior powers, although he be an Apostle or Evangelist or Prophet, or whoever he be; for this subjection overthrows not piety; and he saith not simply, be obedient, but be subject. Cumin Ventura, a late Popish Writer, in Thesaur. Politic. printed at Frankford, An. 1610. pag. 386. saith, The ancient Emperors received not their beginnings from the Popes: And in the next page, The Popes in time of the old Empire, were subject unto the Emperors, until Lewis the Godly renounced his right, which renounciation was revoked by the Emperor, and renounced by a Synod in the days of Pope Leo the VIII. And Onuphrius in vita Gregor. VII. saith, Although the Bishops of old Rome were reverenced as the Vicars of Christ and Successors of Peter, yet their authority reached not further then the teaching and maintaining of the faith; they were subject unto the Emperors, and were created by them, and in all things were at the beck of the Emperors, and a Pope durst not judge nor discern anything belonging unto them. Bellarm. de Laicis lib. 3. cap. 8. propounds and proves, that Kingdoms are given immediately by God unto wicked men, as Dan. 2. and that these Infidel Kings should be obeyed, unless one will set himself against the Ordinance of God, in 1 Pet. 2. To this purpose he cites the testimony of Augustine. de Civ. Dei lib. 5. cap. 21. & 15. he saith expressly, All Kings and the State of Venice, and such others, have none above them in temporalibus; otherwise they could not be called Heads of their Common-Wealths, but members only. But then Gregory the VII. the first of all Romish Bishops, swelling with pride, and trusting in the strength of the Normans, and to the riches of Mathildis; and seeing dissension amongst the Germans, durst not only excommunicate Caesar, but deprived him of his Kingdom also. A thing not heard in former ages, saith Otho Frising. de gest. Frideri. lib. 1. cap. 1. So speaks Onuphrius loc. cit. and addeth, For I account not the fables concerning Arcadius, Anastasius and Leo Iconomachus. And Gotfrid. Viterb. in Chron. par. 17. saith, We read not that any Emperor, before this, was excommunicated by a Pope of Rome, or deprived of his Empire; unless that be called excommunication, when Philip the first Christian Emperor, was for a short space set amongst the Penitents; or that Theodosius, &c. Aventin. in Annal. lib. 7. writeth, that Everhard Bishop of Salsburg said, Hildebrand under pretext of religion (170. years since) had laid the first foundation of Antichrist; and he first began those wicked wars, which until this time have been continued by his Successors. So Gregory the VII. did glory of himself, that he could bind and loose in Heaven; and he could give and take away Kingdoms, Empires, and whatsoever men possess on earth. He could abide no equal, far less any Superior, derogating from others their due right and honor, and arrogating all unto himself. After him the Emperors could have no interest in the election of the Pope, saith Ventura loc. cit. Likewise he kept Bishops and all Prelates in awe, suspending some, and chopping off the hands of others at his pleasure; he released Oaths of Allegiance; yea whatsoever he did, the Pope must be feared, as one who could do no wrong. In a Synod at Rome, he decreed it to be simony to accept any Bishopric, Abbocy, or Church-living from a Lay-man, were he King or Caesar who gave it, and the receiver as well as the giver should be excommunicated, Platin. By this means he severed Church-men from Princes, and tied them unto the Popes forever; and the former custom of the Church, in all ages, was then condemned; and the Decree of Pope Leo the VIII. was condemned; yea himself might by this Decree be deposed. Henceforth whatsoever ambition any Pope once practiseth, his Successor will make it a rule. But one thing is above all wonders (saith Corn. Agrippa de vanit. scient. cap. 56. They think that they may go up to Heaven by this means, for which Lucifer was cast down. He did forbid the Benedictine Monks to eat any flesh at all; and permitted unto others, as weaker or more imperfect, to eat flesh on some days. In the year 1076. he published some Aphorisms, with the Title Dictatus Papae; these are extracted by Spalaten. de Rep. Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 9. and are the Picture of his mind; The Roman Church was founded by the Lord alone; the Roman Bishop is the only Universal Bishop; [Gregory the I. behold thy Antichrist] he only can set up and depose other Bishops; he may depose and excommunicate absents. [This was a warrant for his practice against the Emperor.] If any be excommunicated by the Pope, none may abide in one house with that person: He alone can make new Laws, erect new Congregations, unite or divide Benefices: All the Princes of the earth ought to kiss his feet: His only name should be heard in Churches: No Synod should be without his commandment: No book is Canonical without his authority: All weighty causes, in whatsoever Church, should be brought unto him: He may absolve Subjects from their Allegiance: He may judge all men, but can be judged by no man : And all these, because the Roman Church cannot err; and the Pope, being Canonically elected, is by the merits of Saint Peter undoubtedly sanctified; and there is but one name on earth, to wit, the Pope, &c. Mornay in Myster. hath more of this kind. What more could Hildebrand say, to prove really in his person the fulfilling of these words, 2 Thess. 2. 4.? Only he omits this conclusion, Therefore I Gregory the VII. am the Antichrist. But others did not fail; for many said then (as Aventin. lib. 5. testifieth) Hildebrand is the Antichrist; under the name of Christ, he doth the work of Antichrist; he sits in Babylon, in the Temple of God, and exalts himself as if he were a God; he vaunteth that he cannot err; he destroyed both peace and godliness, &c. He commanded a Fast to be kept, with prayers that God would reveal whose opinion was truer, whether of the Church of Rome, or of Berengarius, in the controversy of the Sacrament; he sought a sign to establish his faith, but none was given. It is a wonder, that neither the Pope could with all his infallability determine the doubt, nor in that lying age some cogging miracle was not devised. Then he sent two Cardinals, Alto and Cuno, unto Suppo Abbot of Saint Anastasia, to keep a Fast of three days with his Monks, and on every day they should sing the whole Psaltery, and the Masses for the same end; but so neither could they find any sign. Gar. Benno. On the second holy day of Easter-week, he, in a Sermon, said, Never accept me for Pope, but pluck me from the Altar, if that false King [all understood that he spoke of the Emperor Henry] shall not die before the Feast of Saint Peter; or else shall be so dejected from his Kingdom, that he shall not be able to command six soldiers. This he spoke before the battle between Henry and Rodulph. But God preserved the Emperor, and the time being expired, (saith Benno) he feared to be contemned according to his own words; and said, that he meaned not of his body, but of his soul. Some said, The Kings soul could not lose all his soldiers to six. But Mattheus Parisie; and Onuphrius in vita Gregor. VII. say, He prophesied truly of the false King, but he failed in the application; it was to be understood of Rodulph. Paul Bernutens. writ the life of this Pope in two books, and there saith of him thus: The Romans usurp Divine honor; they will not render account of their doings, neither can they willingly hear it said unto them, Why doest thou so? They hold that saying, Sic volo, sic jubeo, my will is sufficient reason, Io. Lampad. in Mellif. But his own words decipher him no worse, (as they are rehearsed by Platina.) In the first deposition of the Emperor he said, Peter chief of the Apostles, I pray incline thy ears, and hear me thy servant, whom thou hast brought up from my infancy, and until this day thou hast delivered from the hands of the wicked, which hate me for my faith in thee, and they have persecuted me; thou art a sufficient witness unto me, and the godly mother of Jesus Christ, and thy pious brother Paul, who was partaker of Martyrdom with thee, that I took not the Papacy of my own accord, but against my will; not that I thought it unlawful or rapine to ascend lawfully into thy Chair; but I would rather have passed my life in Pilgrimage, then to have come into thy Throne, which is so high for fame and glory: I confess therefore, that by thy grace, and not by my merits, hath the charge of the people been committed unto me; as also the power of binding and loosing: And so I trusting in this assurance, for the dignity of thy holy Church, in the name of the Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I cast Henry, the son of the deceased Henry the Emperor, from all Imperial and Princely administration, because he hath too boldly and rashly laid hands on thy Church; and I absolve all Christians, subject unto the Empire, from their Oath, whereby they are wont to give their fidelity unto their true Sovereigns; for it is just that he should want all honor, who attempteth to diminish the Majesty of the Church; yea and he hath contemned all my or rather thy commandments belonging unto his salvation, and the salvation of the people; and he hath severed himself from the Church, which he endeavoreth to lay wast with seditions: Therefore I bind him with a curse, the chain of a curse; I, certainly knowing that thou art Peter; and on thy Rock, as a sure foundation, Christ our King hath built his Church. Here many particulars may be observed in these words; and they give just occasion to demand, Whose servant thought this Gregory himself to be? He saith to Peter, Me thy servant, thy seat, thy grace, thy commands? Why did he not derive his authority from Christ, if he was the Vicar of Christ? We read this Title in his words related by Platina; but he began not as yet to conciliate authority unto himself by this Title, neither did any Bishop of Rome use it before him. The Jesuit Azonius Instit. Moral. par. 2. lib. 5. cap. ult. writeth, that this Gregory in a Synod did ordain, that only the Bishops of Rome should be called Papa; although in former times it was common unto other Bishops, as is certain (saith he) out of Cyprian and Ruffin; and we may adjoin the Epistles of Augustine and others. But Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 4. cap. 3. saith, Christ prayed in Luk. 22. for him, to whom he said, Confirm thy brethren; but the Church hath no brethren whom she may or should confirm: Who I pray (saith he) can be feigned to be the brethren of the Church Universal? Are not Believers the children of the Church? After the same manner may we argue: Since none can be called the Brother of the Church, far less can they be called the Father or Spouse of the Church. Gregory sat 12. years, and died in exile, as is above related.

18. VICTOR the III. came next, without consent of the Emperor, and shown himself bold enough, until he was poisoned with the wine of the Mass in the 16. month of his Papacy. Platin. Others say he died of a dissentery. Both may be true, the one being the cause of the other. His short life, and the miserable success of his Predecessour, did not teach his Successors wisdom; but as the Kings of Israel followed the steps of Jeroboam, rather then of David; so the most part of the Popes contemn the Imperial authority, and follow the pride of Hildebrand, rather then the good example of Christ or Peter.

19. URBAN the II. was set up by the same faction, Clemens the III. yet living, who was chosen with consent of the Emperor. They did excommunicate and accurse one another. Urban would release none whom Gregory had accursed; therefore fearing insurrection, or (as Platin. saith) fearing the inconstancy of the Romans, he crept out of the City, and dwelt at Amelphis; where he held a Synod, and another at Troy in Pulia, and the third in Placentia; in them all confirming the Decrees of his Master Gregory against the Emperor, and against married Priests, and strengthening the Laws for the Papal authority. At last he was constrained to fly unto Claremount, where he assembled a Council under pretence of consulting for recovery of the Holy Land from the Turks, An. 1094. of which it follows. There he made many constitutions; as, The Church is pure in faith, and free from all Secular power: No Bishop, Abbot or Clark shall accept any Ecclesiastical dignity from the hand of a Prince or any Laic: Whosoever shall lay hands violently on, or apprehend, men of holy Orders, or their servants, shall be accursed: Whosoever shall marry within the seventh degree of kindred, shall be accursed, &c. Matth. Paris. in Wilhel. 2. There also he renewed the excommunication against the Emperor, and against Pope Clement. So one Pope at Rome, and another Pope at Claremont had contrary Synods, cursing one another, burning one another's Acts, and abjuring their Consecrations, Baptisms and Masses. Nations and Cities were divided, and some people, espying the pride and vices of both the Popes, did continue neutral; and learned, by lamentable experience, that a Church can be ruled without a Pope. When Popes and Bishops were taken up with bloody wars, and tyrannical usurpations of Secular power, what could the Sheep learn from such Pastors? Urban did ordain, that these words should be propounded unto all Intrants at their admission, Wittingly and willingly I shall not communicate with them who are excommunicated by the Church of Rome: likewise I shall not be present at the consecrations of them who accept Bishoprics or Abbeys from Laics; so may God help, and these holy Evangelists, as I shall never change from this sentence, Platin. He did confirm the hours and Matins of Saint Mary, saith Hec. Boet. lib. 12. cap. 12. And the Officium to be solemnly read on the Sabbath-day, saith Fascic. tempor. Pol. Vergil. de invent. rer. lib. 6. cap. 2. saith, As Pelagius the II. ordained the Priests to keep the seven Canonical hours, as a present remedy of men's weakness, who fall seven times a day; so Urban the II. ordained, that so many hours should be kept to the honor of the Virgin. The Arch-Bishop of Toledo covenanted with this Urban, that he should make him Primat of Spain; and therefore the other should endeavor to make all Spain Tributary unto Rome. Before that time the Church of Spain was not subject unto Rome, neither do we read of any Spanish Cardinals at Rome. The Order of Cistersian and Carthusian Monks were about that time devised in Burgundy, and confirmed by Urban. After the Council at Claremont he returned into Rome; but with such authority, that he was glad to lurk in the house of a Citizen Peter Leo, the space of 2. years, and died there in the 13. year of his Papacy, and the year of our Lord 1099. To move the more men unto the expedition against the Turks and Sarazens, he devised the first proclamation of indulgences, or the full remission of all sins, unto all that would go thither, to deliver that holy Land, (as he said) and the Sepulcher of Christ our Savior, from the power of the Mohammedans. His Successors following this his example (as it is easy to add unto things that are once devised) did enlarge these indulgences; to the benefit not only of them who went thither, but unto everyone, which though they went not, yet would contribute for the maintaining of Soldiers in that expedition. Upon this account great sums of money were brought unto the Pope. Thereafter these Indulgences were proclaimed unto all which would contribute unto the Wars, against those which were called enemies of the Roman Church, though they were Christians. Under these colors vast sums were gathered from time to time, although many times the money was employed another way, as followeth; and God (who brings light out of darkness) made the same indulgences to be the occasion of Reformation.

CHAP. III. Of Divers Countries.

1. IN the beginning of this Century were many prodigies, as tokens of evils following, (Platin.) signs in the Heavens above, Earthquakes below, in the Sun darkness, on earth Snakes were seen fighting against other, Fountains were turned into blood, the air was corrupt. Ia. Vsser. hath them at great length, de success. Eccles. cap. 3. & 4. Whereby some were moved to say, Antichrist is come into the world. Tho. Cooper ad An. 1099. In an assembly at Aken, in the year 1016. were convened many both Princes and Bishops : The Emperor Henry spoke of God's wrath hanging over their heads, and advised them to think upon a way how these judgments might be turned off. A Decree was made, that all men should study to escape those judgments by fasting, actions of piety and alms; for (say they) the true doctrine of inward and saving repentance, or of turning unto God, as the consideration of sins that are committed against the ten commands, of faith in Christ, and the true and serious amendment of life, hath been altogether obscured, yea and buried by outward worship and human traditions; therefore, by public authority of this Synod, it is compounded, that Priests attend more upon their Service, all people give themselves unto fasting, and Princes be more liberal in their Alms. Sigebert. & Crantz. in Saxon. lib. 4. cap. 4.

2. The Fathers of the Primitive Church, guessed that after a 1000. years from Christ's birth or passion, or from the destruction of Jerusalem, Antichrist should come; and shortly after his appearing, the world should have an end; as Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople, showeth in Rer. Ecclesiast. Theoria, out of Theophilus, Cyril, Chrysostom, &c. And about the thousand years from Christ's nativity, many men looked that it should come so to pass. But when the thousand years were expired after the destruction of Jerusalem, and they saw no such Antichrist as they had imagined, neither did such things come to pass as they had conceived, concerning the end of the World; then, as if they had been delivered from the danger thereof (saith Baronius Annal. tom. 11.) they made fair buildings and Churches throughout the World, especially in Italy and France. Whereunto Ia. Vsser. doth apply that saying of Henry, Beware of Antichrist; it is evil, that the love of Churches hath overtaken you; it is not well, that ye reverence the buildings and walls of Churches; ye conceive amiss of these : is it any doubt that Antichrist shall sit in these? The Mountains, and Lakes, and Woods, are more safe unto me. Likewise some made defection from the Faith, and returned to Paganism, as in the North parts, Luitici Obotriti, Vari, &c. So did Vilgard, a Gramarian, in Ravenna, trusting to the apparitions of foul spirits, in the likeness (as they professed) of Virgil, Horace, and Juvenal; when he began to vaunt foolishly of his knowledge of humanities, they appeared unto him, and gave him thanks for his love to their Books, and promised to make him partner of their glory: Thereafter he began to profess, that the Divinity of the Poets was true; at last he was challenged, and condemned by the Patriarch Peter: But many in Italy, Sardinia, and in Spain, followed the same impiety, and were punished, some with the sword, and some with fire, Rodolp. Histo. l. 2. c. 12.

3. Berno, excellent in all learning, was set over the Augianes, anno 1008. he wrote many Books; in Marc. Evang. sect. 3. he saith, In the holy Scriptures do hang the armor of our salvation, Serm. de concor. offic. c. 5. Our weakness can do nothing without God; as Lazarus could not rise by himself, Serm. de ascend. Dom. Christ is the head of the whole Church, and all the elect are his members; At that time lived Oecumenius, and Olympiodorus, two famous Greek writers. Guthet, Bishop of Prague, was famous for learning, and holiness, and was put to death by the enemies of the faith, Platin. in Benedict. 8. and in Benedict. 9. he saith, Gerard, a Venetian, and Bishop of Hungary, a good and learned man, suffered martyrdom; the Infidels tied him to the wheel of a Cart, and let it run from the top of an high mountain, so that he was all crushed; yet he suffered it with joy.

4. Fulbert, Bishop of Charties, or Carnatum, was a learned man; sundry Sermons, and Treatises, that are among the works of St. Augustine, are said to be his. He wrote an Epistle to Adeodatus, wherein he first reproveth a gross opinion of some men, who held, that Baptism, and the Eucharist, were naked signs; Then he proveth, that these should not be considered as mere and outward signs; but by faith, according to the invisible virtue of mysteries : The mystery of faith it is called, saith he, because it should be esteemed by faith, and not by sight; to be looked on as the spirit and mind, and not as sight of body; seeing only by faith, beholdeth the secret of this powerful mystery; for what seemeth outwardly bread, and wine, now inwardly it is the body, and blood of Christ; we being encouraged by the authority of our true Master, when we communicate of his body, and blood, we confess boldly, that we are transfounded into his body, and that he abideth in us. Taste and see how savoury that meat is; unless I be mistaken, it tasteth like Angels food; not that thou canst discern it with thy mouth, but mayst taste it with thy inward affection; open the mouth of faith, enlarge the hope, and the bowels of love, and receive the bread of life, even the food of the inward man: from faith of the inward man, proceedeth the tasting of the inward food, while certainly, by the infusion, or preception of the gracious Eucharist, Christ floweth into the bowels of the communicating soul; when a godly soul receiveth into her chaste corners, in that form wherewith she beholdeth him present with her, under remembrance of the mystery, and as the Spirit revealeth, to wit, as an infant lying in his mothers bosom, or offered upon the alrar of the cross, or lying in the grave, or verily having trampled death underfoot, and rising again, or carried high in glory above the heavens; according to which forms Christ entereth into the acceptable habitation of the communicant; and refresheth his soul with so many (to speak so) several blisses, as are the ways that the eye of holy meditation can behold him: neither let it seem a vain thing unto thee, that we say, that according to the beholding of a desirous soul, Christ is found within the bowels of the communicant, seeing thou art not ignorant that our fathers sojourned through the wilderness, and were refreshed with Angels food, to whom a fertile rain brought meat of one color, but of divers tastes; and according to the appetite of everyone, it gave sundry delights of taste, that whatsoever their appetit did covet, the secret dispensation of the Giver did furnish the same; to whom their gust gave what their eye could not see, because it was one thing which was seen, and another which was taken; therefore wonder thou no more: What Manna under the law did signify by shadow, the revealed verity of Christ's body layeth open; in which body the divine Majesty condescendeth mercifully unto our weakness, that with what sort of punishment man's body is punished, he should taste the same in his body sensibly; but God performeth this in the breast: as he saith himself, He who cometh of me, shall live by me: Now therefore the scruple, or doubt, is to be removed, seeing he who is the Giver, is a witness of the truth. Then he illustrateth the same, by comparison of a baptized man; who albeit outwardly he be the same he was before, yet inwardly he is another, being made greater then himself, by increase of invisible quantity, that is, of saving grace, &c. here is no word of substancial change of the elements; the bread is still bread: but we find two other changes, to wit, the faithful are transfounded into the body of Christ, and Christ is infounded into the habitation of a faithful soul; yet so, that Christ's body remaineth in the heavens; and, by the revelation of the Spirit, faith beholdeth Christ present, or lying in his mothers bosom, and dying, and rising, and ascending, and he entereth into the gracious habitation of a faithful communicant, and refresheth him so many ways, as is said: Here also we see, that the substance of bread remaineth, as the substance of him who is baptized remaineth, albeit inwardly he be another, Biblioth. part. de le Bigne tom. 3.

5. Berengarius, Deacon of St. Maurice in Angiers, was his disciple, who hearing Math. Parisiensis calleth him Archiepisc. Turonen. a contrary error unto the former, was broached in his days; to wit, that the bread of the Eucharist, was the very body of Christ; and the wine his blood substantially, or properly: Berengarius, I say, hearing this, taught, that the body of Christ is only in the heavens; and these elements, are the Sacraments of his body and blood, as followeth. The occasion of this controversy at that time, is written by Guitmund, in his second book against Berengarius, to wit, when Lanfrank, Abbot of Bec-heloin in Normandy, was a boy, in Italy, it happened, that a priest, (as he saith) saying Mass, found very flesh upon the altar, and very blood upon the chalice, he burned to take them, and immediately declared the matter unto the Bishop, who, assembling with moe Bishops, ordained, that that flesh, and that chalice, with the blood, should be kept in that altar forever, as a most worshipful Relique. From this deceiving Impostor many were moved to believe, that the body and blood of Christ was present in the elements, not only sacramentally, as the Fathers spake, but substantially. Berengarius wrote and preached against this Capernaitis error; and therefore Adelman, Bishop of Brixia, wrote unto him; In the beginning he saluteth him, his holy and beloved Brother, and condisciple under Fulbert, Bishop of Carnatum: Then he showeth, he heard it reported that Berengarius did teach, that the body and blood of Christ, which are offered upon the altar throughout the earth, are not the very body and blood of Christ, but only a figure, or certain similitude; howbeit indeed Berengarius had said nothing so : To the intent Adelman may bring his Brother from this opinion, he entreateth him brotherly not to depart from the doctrine of their master Fulbert, and of the Catholic Church. Then he appealeth to the testimony of Augustine, Ambrose, and Jerome [who never taught any transubstantiation, or impanation] He writeth also, that the very flesh and blood of Christ, was given unto the Apostles at the first institution, and are still given unto faithful communicants; for he who said in the beginning, Let there be light, and the light was made of nothing; why, saying of the bread, This is my body, may he not cause it to be the same? Afterwards he showeth how Christ worketh this by the mystery of man; for when he was made immortal, and going up to heaven, he said, Behold, I am with you unto the end of the world; because he was compersonate of two natures, one circumscribed, another uncircumscribed: by his circumscript nature, he went from place to place; by his uncircumscript nature, he is whole everywhere illocally, and abode with them; yet he did not separate the Son of Man from the Son of God; and when the Son of Man ascended up to heaven, he was there as the Son of God; as he witnesseth himself, No man ascendeth up to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven: If therefore he was there by the unity of person, whether he had not ascended by property of nature; for in the same unity he abode still on earth with men, after he had ascended up to heaven. Therefore, that faith may be exercised in believing, because that vital Sacrament appeareth not under a bodily shape, it is hid profitably, as the soul in the body. Last of all, The water in Baptism, seemeth to be common water; and a baptized man, What seemeth he, but what he was before? he declareth this at great length, that neither sense, nor reason, can reach to comprehend this mystery; where sense judgeth that water to be an humide liquor, cold in substance, and which may be turned into air, or earth: but how by the water, and the Spirit, a soul is regenerate, and forgiveness of sin is given, unto this unsearchable mystery, neither sense nor reason can attain; and nevertheless, we must surely believe, That the unbodily soul, is created by bodily water, &c. Mark here, as Christ's body was not in heaven, when he said, Behold, I am with you; and yet, even then he was in heaven wholly, in respect of his person; so now his body is in heaven, and not on earth, where notwithstanding he is personally. Again mark, We have here an union of the water and the Spirit, to the regeneration of the soul: but whoever thought, that that water is the Spirit? or that the thing signified is corporally, or locally in the water? or who can imagine, that the body is turned into the soul, when the body and soul are united? And yet Adelman writeth, that the union of bread and wine, with the body and blood of Christ, is like to these two unions; to wit, by these comparisons he would show, that though the elements remain still the same, and Christ's body be always in the heavens, till he come again to judge; yet there is a real, and sacramental union twixt the sign and the thing signified; and that the faithful certainly communicate of both together. What answer Berengarius did return to his con-disciple, we cannot find; But he wrote an Epistle to the forenamed Lanfrank, declaring the abuses of the Sacrament, and commending the book of John Scotus on that question: And he wrote expressly, that the body of Christ is not in the Sacrament, but as in a sign, or figure, or mystery. He spake also, in his preachings, against the Romish Church, in the doctrine of Marraiage, and necessity of Baptism. Io. Oecolampad. epist. lib. 3. fol. 154. print. at Basil anno 1536. And Bellarm. in praef. before his Books de Pon. Rom. witnesseth, that Berengarius called the Church of Rome, the Malignant Church, the Council of Vanity, and the Seat of Satan; and he called the Pope, not Pontificem, vel Episcopum, sed Pompificem, & Pulpificem. It happened that Lanfrank was not at home, and the Convent opened the Letter of Berengarius, and sent it with a Clerk of Reims unto Pope Leo IX. The Pope summoned a Synod at Verceles; Berengarius was advised not to go himself, but send some Clerks in his name, to answer for him; The two Clerks were clapt in prison; Scotus was condemned 200. years after his death; and the doctrine of Berengarius was condemned; yet nothing done against his person at that time, because many favored him. Lanfrank was now a pleader for him; but he was commanded by the Pope, to answer him under no less pain, then to be as great an Heretic as he. Lanfrank following the sway of the world (for afterwards he was made Bishop of Canterbury) performed the charge. In that Book he showeth, that Berengarius, in the words of Institution, This is my body, did appoint them this; that is, this bread: and the bread remaineth (saith he) bread, so that it becometh what it was not; to wit, the body of Christ sacramentally. Even as Ambrose said, The Sacrament consisteth of two things, one visible, another invisible; the thing signified, and the sign: which thing signified, if it were before our eyes on earth, it were visible; but since it is lift up to the heavens, and sitting at the right hand of the Father, it cannot be brought, until the time that all things be restored. Again, Lanfrank saith, Thou believest the bread and wine of the Lord's Table, to remain unchangeable, in respect of the substance; that is, to have been bread and wine before the consecration, and to be bread and wine after the consecration; that they are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are celebrated in the Church in remembrance of his flesh, which was crucified; and of his blood, which was poured out of his side; to the end we, being admonished thereby, may call to mind the Lord's passion; and when we call it to mind, we should incessantly crucify our own flesh, and the vices and infections thereof. What absurdity could be in these words, worthy of so many curses? and what was against the Scriptures? But Lanfrank, hoping to catch some advantage by these last words, as if Berengarius had said, These signs are naked signs; he did beat the air, and nothing impugned the true doctrine of Berengarius; for this is the special argument of Lanfrank against him, The doctrine of the Apostles ordained to be preached, that the flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is eaten with the mouth of the body, and with the mouth of the soul; that is, both bodily and spiritually; seeing with the mouth of the body we eat and drink corporally, as oft as we receive the Lord's body from the altar, by the hands of the priest; but it is eaten and drunken spiritually, with the spiritual mouth of the soul; when sweetly and profitably, as Augustine saith, it is called to memory, That the only begotten Son of God, for the salvation of the world, took upon him our flesh, hang on the cross, rose again, appeared, ascended, and will return again to judge. Of the spiritual eating, the Lord said to his disciples, Take, eat. Augustine endeavored to demonstrate the spiritual eating, Tract. 26. in Johan. when he said, Eat the heavenly bread spiritually, bring innocence unto the altar : This then is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that whosoever eateth of it shall not die; but, which belongeth to the virtue of this Sacrament, and not to the visible Sacrament, who eateth inwardly, not outwardly; who eateth with heart, and not who cheweth with teeth. Here if Lanfrank by his bodily eating, or eating with the mouth of the body, will have both the signs, and the signified thing to be taken bodily; his argument against Berengarius is silly : or if he meant it only of the signs, Berengarius saith the same. But Guitmund, Bishop of Aversa, turned further aside, and wrote more bitterly, and less truly against Berengarius; Who can hold laughter, saith he, when he heareth Berengarius expounding the words of our Lord concerning the Sacrament, This is my body, i. e. this bread is my body. O most impudent foolishness! why may not the teeth touch that which the hand toucheth? If the body of the Lord was touched by the hands of Thomas, after his resurrection, and by the holy women, why may it not today be touched more easily, and surely touched? that is, chewed by the teeth of the faithful; He therefore who gave himself to be handled after the resurrection, he will not flee from our teeth for uncleanness, &c. Nevertheless Berengarius abode constant, and was in high estimation, both with Nobility and People; and therefore Pope Victor the II. gave direction to the Bishops of France, to take order with him. They assembled at Towres anno 1056. there was Hildebrand, and the Priests legate; Berengarius eluded the Council, rather then open his mind; for he professed generally, That he followed the sentence of the Catholic Church; that is (said he) as the Scriptures, Fathers, and Primitive Church have taught. And more particularly he said, that the bread and wine became the flesh and blood of Christ; not as in a shadow, but truly. Pope Nicolaus II. hearing that Berengarius was honored of many, summoned him again to a Synod at Rome, anno 1059. and there (as Baron. ad ann. 1059. saith) without any disputation, he condemned his own error. But Vsser. de succes. Eccles. c. 8. hath marked, that (Sigon. de reg. Ital. lib. 9.) when Berengarius, with many arguments, defended, that the Sacrament (to speak properly) was the figure of Christ's body; and Cardinal Albericus (who was nominated to dispute against him) could not by voice resist him; and neither of the two would yield to the other. Albericus sought the space of seven days to answer in writing; as also it is remembered by Leo Ostien. in Chron. Cassin. lib. 3. And at last, when disputation could not prevail against him, it was given him in option, Whether he would recant, or burn? The old man, for fear of death (as Pa. Masson. Annal. Franco. lib. 3. speaketh) made that beastly recantation (a perpetual argument of his dastardly courage, and of the brutish ignorance of that Council) which was penned by Cardinal Humbert, and is registered by Gratian. de consecr. dist. 2. Ego Berengarius. Nevertheless, the words of the recantation are as far from Romish transubstatiation, as white from black. These are the words, (so far as they concern our present purpose) faithfully translated; I Berengarius, do consent unto the Apostolic and Roman See; and with my mouth and heart confess, that the bread and wine, which are laid on the altar, after the consecration, are not only the Sacrament, but also the very body and blood of our Lord Jesus; and sensibly, not only in Sacrament, but in truth, are handled with the hands of the priest; broken, and chewed with the hands and teeth of the faithful, &c. John Semeca, the Glossator of the Decrees, expressly condemneth the words of this recantation, and saith, If thou understand not the words of Berengarius soundly, thou shalt fall into a greater heresy then he did; for we break not Christ's body into pieces, nisi in speciebus. Lombard li. 4. Dist. 12. E. 1. saith, Not in the substance of his body, but in a Sacrament; that is, in specie. And Bellarmine. de Council. lib. 2. c. 1. saith, In signo, & non in se. When they say, understand soundly, they understand clean against the Text; for if by species, and sign, they understand not bread and wine (as the ancient Fathers did certainly mean, and speak) they deceive the world, seeing whiteness, and such other qualities, can never be broken without some substance: neither are these qualities, the sign of Christ's body; wherefore the substance of bread remains after the blessing. And when they condemn the confession of Berengarius, and call it his words, they consider not that they condemn their Pope Nicolaus, and their Council of one hundred and fourteen Bishops prescribing it, and ordaining Berengarius to subscribe it; and which sent that confession unto the Bishops of Italy, Germany, and France, as Catholic. It is certain, that Berengarius, returning home, returned also to his former doctrine, and wrote in defense of it; so that (as Blondus saith) he was summoned again by Pope Gregory the VII. anno 1079. and then subscibed another recantation; and an Act was made, That thenceforth none may dispute, nor teach another, concerning the body and blood of our Lord, except for bringing unto the faith them that are gone astray. It seems, that as yet, Gregory was not resolved of his doubt. Bercold, a Priest of Constance, ad ann. 1083. saith, Albeit Berengarius abjured that heresy in face of Synods, yet he ceased not to return unto his vomit. Some have written, that Berengarius denied the baptism of Infants; but, saith Ja. Usser, In so many Synods held against him, We never find any such thing laid to his charge. And unto the said Usser it appears, that, who in those days were charged to deny the baptism of children, did hold no more but this, Baptism conferreth not grace ex opere operato. So Berengarius died, holding his first doctrine, at Towres, in the Isle of St. Cosina, and was buried in S. Martins, where his Tomb was reared; and Hildebert, Bishop of Caenoman, and then of Towres, made his Epitaph; which is in Guil. Malmesbu. de Gest. Anglo. lib. 3. And this is a part of it;

Platina, in Johan. 15. calleth Berengarius, famous for learning and holiness: He is reported to have been an hearty friend to learning, and did breed many Students of Divinity at his proper charge; and by means of them his doctrine was sowed through all France, and the Countries adjacent; this was matter unto his adversaries, to envy him the more. Albeit he did waver, as Peter did; and albeit his doctrine was so oft condemned by the Popes, yet it could not be rooted out of men; for Math. Paris. in Hist. ad ann. 1087. writeth, that all France was affected with this doctrine. And Math. Westmonast. at the same time, saith, That the doctrine of Berengarius had corrupted all the French, Italian, and English Nations: so that the Berengarians, that is, the Preachers of the true faith (which the Romanists call Heresy) against the rising errors, did not lurk in a corner, And Sigebert Gemblac. in Chron. saith, Much was disputed by many, both for him, and against him, by word, and by writing. Ex edit. Antwerp. anno 1608. where it is to be marked (saith Vsser de eccles. succes. c. 8.) that in the Edition at Paris, anno 1589. the words, For him, are omitted. Also Thuan, in the Epistle Dedicatory of the History of his time, hath marked, That in Germany were many of the same doctrine; and that Bruno, Bishop of Treveres, banished them all out of his Diocese, but sparing their blood. And Io. Tossington, a Franciscan, in his confession, set forth anno 1380. saith thus, The heretical sentence, which is raised of the dreams of Berengarius, affirmeth openly, that all the Fathers of the Church, and doctors of the second thousand years (as they speak) that is, who have been within 380. years, have been after the loosing of Satan; and the doctrine which we (saith he) commonly hold to be the faith of the Church, concerning the blessed Eucharist, they say, It is not right, but an error, and heresy, and the tares of Satan, being let loose. Vsser. c. 3.

6. To defend the words of the former recantation, which was given in the Synod at Lateran unto Berengarius, these flatterers of the Romish Idol have devised a new distinction of oral eating, to wit, oral eating is either visible or invisible; And they called the opinion of eating Christ's flesh visibly, the error of the Capernaites; and they said, the eating of Christ's flesh with the mouth invisibly, was the explication of Christ; so writeth Ivo Bishop of Carnotum, anno 1092. Catalo. test. ver. lib. 12. But the Fathers of higher antiquity condemned all oral eating as Capernaitism; neither were the Capernaites so subtle to make such distinctions: Yea, surely Christ would have made his correction according to their error. Behold what Augustine saith Tract. 27. in Johan. Who abideth not in Christ, and in whom Christ abideth not, without all doubt he neither spiritually eateth Christ's flesh, nor drinketh his blood; albeit carnally, and visibly, he with his teeth do press the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. And Tract. 28. What is it? they are spirit, and life; they are spiritually to be understood : understandest thou them spiritually? they are spirit, and life; understandest thou them carnally? so also they are spirit and life, but not to thee. They, understanding spiritual things carnally, were scandalised. Here Augustine opposeth carnal eating, whether visible, or invisible, unto spiritual eating and understanding: and he saith, that carnally men eat not the flesh of Christ, but the Sacrament of his flesh.

7. Bellarmine writeth in his second Book de Pon. Rom. c. 21. that the great Schism twixt the Greeks and the Latins, began anno 1054. because in that year Michael, the Patriarch of Constantinople, did excommunicate the Pope, and all the Romanists, for adding Filioque unto the Decree of the Ephesin Council, concerning the procession of the holy Spirit. Here we may see who made the Schism; the Greeks kept the Decree, as it was first enacted; but the Latins added Filioque. And when, in the same place, Bellarmine saith, It is uncertain when the Latins added it; but certainly, saith he, not before the 600. year: and the Greeks espied the addition in the days of Pope Nicolaus LAt this time Pope Leo IX. wrote against the Greeks; and Michael the Patriarch, and Nicolas a Monk, wrote against the Latins. Of this difference I will speak (God willing) when I come to the Council at Florence, where they disputed this question. Why was there so great a Schism then? Bellarmine. de Cleri. li. 1. c. 19. saith, The differences were not confined within that one, but there were many others; of which these are rehearsed by Fox, in Act. & Mon. out of an old Register of Hereford. 1. The Church of Constantinople is not subject, but equal unto Rome. 2. The Bishop of Rome hath no greater power then the four Patriarchs; and whatsoever he doeth without their knowledge and concurrence, is of no strength against them. 3. Whatsoever hath been concluded, or done, since the seven general Councils, is not of full authority; because, from that time, they convince the Latins to be in an error, and to be excluded from the holy Church. 4. The Eucharist is not the very body of Christ; also whereas the Romish Church doth use unleavened wafers, they have great loaves of leavened bread. 5. They say, that the Romish Church erreth in the words of Baptism; for the Romanists say, I baptize thee, &c. but the Greeks say, Let this creature of God be baptized in the name, &c. 6. They hold, that the Spirit proceedeth from the Father, and not from the Son [of this in another place.] 7. They hold no Purgatory; nor that the prayers of the Church do help the dead, either to lessen the pain of them in hell, or to increase the glory of them who are ordained for salvation. 8. They hold, the souls of the dead (whether elect, or reprobate) have not their full pain, nor glory; but are reserved to a certain neutral place, till the day of judgment. 9 They condemn the Church of Rome, because Women, as well as Priests, anoint children (when they baptize them) on both shoulders. 10. They call our bread Panagria. 11. They condemn our Church for celebrating Mass on other days then Sundays, and certain Feasts. 12. They have neither cream, nor oil, nor Sacrament of Confirmation. 13. Neither do they use extreme unction; expounding the place of St James of spiritual infirmity, and not of corporal. 14. They enjoin no satisfaction for Penance; only they show themselves to the Priests, who anoint them with oil, in token of the remission of their sins. 15. Only on Maundy Thursday they do consecrate for the sick, and keep it the whole year after; and think it more holy that day, then any other: neither do they fast on any Saturday, save only on Easter-even. 16. They have but five Orders; as Clerks, Deacons, Sub-Deacons, Priests, and Bishops: whereas the Romish Church hath nine Orders, according to the nine Orders of Angels. 17. In their Orders they make no vow of single life; alleging the Canon, J. N. Priest, or Deacon, shall not put away my wife, as it were for honesties sake. 18. Every year, on certain days, they excommunicate the Church of Rome, and all the Latins, as Heretics. 19. They excommunicate him, who striketh a Priest. 20. Their Emperor doth name Patriarchs, Bishops, and others of the Clergy, and deposeth them at his pleasure; also he giveth Benefices to whom he listeth, and retaineth the Fruits of the same Benefices as it pleaseth him. 21. They blame the Latins, because they eat not flesh, eggs, nor cheese on Friday. 22. They hold against the Latins, for celebrating without consecrated Churches, and fasting on the Sabbath days; and for permitting menstruous women to enter into Churches before their purifying; also for suffering dogs, or other beasts, to enter into Churches. 23. They use not to kneel at their devotion; yea, not to the body of Christ, but one day in the year; affirming, that the Latins, like goats, or beasts, prostrate themselves on the ground in their prayers. 24. They permit not the Latins to celebrate on their Altars; and if it chance a Latin Priest celebrate on their Altar, by and by they wash it, in token of abomination, and false sacrifice. 25. They condemn the worship of Images as idolatry. These are the Articles contained in the said Register: But there are many more in the Book of Catholic Traditions, published in the French tongue by Th. A. I. C. and translated into English, and printed at London ann. 1610. out of which I have drawn these Articles. 1. All the Apostles were equally universal Pastors, and no primacy given to Peter, who was never at Rome, but when he was martyred. 2. To say, that the Church is grounded on the stone of Rome, is hard and grievous, and not far from the Jewish baseness, to include the Church within a Town. 3. St. John, ending his life after Peter, had the first place among all Evangelists and Bishops; and he never taught, that Rome, by divine right, ought to be the Lady of other Churches. 4. But after St. John, the Bishop of Rome obtained the first place among the Bishops, within the Roman Empire: for seeing the Citizens of Rome reigned above other Cities, he had been proud and audacious, who would have preferred himself before their Bishop, especially without Ordinance of a Council. 5. The Churches of Italy, and others their neighbors, by lapse of time, gave to the Church of Rome, not only the first place, but also superintendence over the Bishops near them in particular, to give his advice in matters that happened, until a Synod might be held; yet never any presidency, or power was given to the Church of Rome above other Churches. 6. As all the Apostles were equal in Authority, so they left behind them everyone diverse Successors of equal Authority. 7. He who accuseth the Scriptures, accuseth God the Author thereof; but God is void of blame, and the Scriptures contain the whole matter of faith. 8. Those only are Canonical Books, which were contained in the Ark, and written in Hebrew before, or in Greek after the coming of the Lord. 9. They hold, they were the first Nations converted unto Christ, and in that regard they are the men who truly, and purely maintain the Traditions of the Primitive Church, as it was taught them by the Apostles. 10. Faith is an assurance of the love of God; and he who doubteth, cannot approach unto God with confidence. 11. The saying of Paul, It is not in him who runneth, nor in him who willeth, prevents two mischiefs; One, that no man exalt himself : for grant that thou runnest, or endeavorest, yet think not what thou doest well, is thine; for if thou be not inspired from above, all is vain: Another, that no man deem that he shall be crowned without service. 12. Faith is imputed to justification; faith sufficeth for all; faith absolveth, justifieth, and maketh partaker of eternal glory: for God requireth no other thing, but compunction and mourning. 13. When we praise good Works, we mean not to exalt ourselves by them, or to put our trust in them; but we desire men would give themselves thereunto, as to things necessary unto salvation, and which everyone is bound to exercise, according to his power, following the commandment of God. 14 They communicate under Both elements; and they have one fashion for the Communicants in the Church, and another for the Sick: the Priests, with little or no reverence, eat the remanent elements, which are not eaten by the faithful; but for the sick, it is kept all the year, being consecrate the week before Easter. 15. They celebrate the Liturgy in their own Language, that the people may understand. 16. The Bishop of Rome cannot by his Indulgences deliver any from these temporal punishments which God inflicteth; neither ought he to dispense with the fulfilling of all these works of repentance, which are possible, &c. The most part of these last differences, are fallen twixt the east and western Churches since the 11. Century; and in them all we find, that the differences are either calumnies articulated by the Church of Rome, or matters of Discipline, or Ceremony, or then our Reformed Church agreeth with them.

8. The Bishop of Milan had the next place in Italy unto the Bishop of Rome; he had eighteen Suffragan Bishops under him, twenty two Ordinary Cardinals, and divers other Offices of mark: he was always named by the King of Lombardie; neither he nor any of his Clergy trotted at any time to Rome. This was a great moat in the Priests eyes, and therefore the Popes ofttimes sought to bring Milan into subjection unto their See; but the Millanoyes still kept their liberty. At last, ann. 1059. Ariald Clericus Decumanus conspired with Landulfus Cotta praefatus populi against the Arch-Bishop Wido, and made a pretext, that married Priests ought to be exautorate. Wido assembled all his Bishops and Clergy at Fontanetum; with common consent it was denied, that Priests should have liberty of marriage. Then was great strife in the Town; the Nobility defended Wido, and the People were for Landulf; who sent Ariald to Pope Nicolaus II. accusing the Clergy of Milan, and requiring him to send some Judges to try the matter: He was glad of the occasion, and sent Peter Damian, Bishop of Ostia, and Anselm, Bishop of Luca. So soon as Damian began to talk of his Commission against the deposing of married Priests, for that their heresy the people cried, with shouting, The Pope hath no Authority over Milan; neither will we lose our liberty which our Fathers have maintained; nor will we go under the yoke of any foreign Church; With this the Bells rang, the Trumpets sounded, and all the People were in an uproar; so that at this time nothing could be altered, nor in all the days of Landulf. After his death, his Brother Erlembald, coming into his room, stirred the former coal; he went to Pope Alexander II. unto Luca, ann, 1065. and easily obtained a Decree against the Clergy. The Arch-Bishop would have it examined on Easter-day; but Erlembald, and Ariald commoved the People, so that Wido durst not go out at his gate. In the next year Wido, and his followers prepared themselves against their enemies; and Ariald fled for fear: when he was drawn back by force, he was accused as the Author of the tumult, and shamefully put to death : then Erlembald held his peace. But the next year he obtained another Decree, That none should be accounted a lawful Bishop, without the consent of the Pope, notwithstanding the election, and approbation of the People, and Clergy. In the absence of Wido, he compelled the People, and Clergy to subscribe this Decree. The Bishop was astonished when he heard it, and being now old, and desirous of rest, renounced his Bishopric, and sent the badges of his Office to the Emperor Henry IV. who sent Godifrid Castillionaeus into that See, ann. 1068. Pope Alexander threatened him with his curse, that he should not be so rash; and Erlembald by force thrust him out of the City. And when Wido died, the Pope sent Atho, a Priest of Milan, into that See, at the request of Erlembald, who also caused him to be received with great murmuration of the People, that such dignity should depend on the Pope. The Emperor did pursue his right, and therefore a new broil began twixt him and the Pope. The Pope accused the Emperor of Simony, and Heresy. By this means the Church of Milan was brought under the yoke of the See of Rome. Ph. Mornay in Myst. pag. 237. About that time the Saracens had divided Spain into several Dominions, and those Lord's were called Kings; they could not agree among themselves; and the Bishops took usually arms for their several Kings; especially the Bishops of Ausa, Gerumda, and Barcinon, went under the colors of King Zeluma, against Almahad, and were all three killed in battle. Baron. Annal. ad ann. 1011. This division among the Saracens, gave some advantage unto Alfonso V. and Ferdinand; yet for some ages they could not subdue, nor expel those Kings of Castile Infidels.

9. Before this time Priests were forbidden to marry, but could not be restrained from their liberty, and many had their own wife. In the year 1074. Hildebrand, in a Synod at Rome, condemned all married Priests as Nicolaitans; He directed his Bulls (as they called them) to Bishops, Dukes, and other Powers, declaring them all to be no Priests which had a Wife; forbidding People to salute them, or pay them Tithes, or to acknowledge them in any way. This was a new example, and (as many said) inconsiderate judgment, saith Matth. Parisi. in Williel. Conquest. and against the sentence of the Fathers; especially it was against Canon Apostolor. 6. saying, Let not a Bishop, or Presbyter, put away his Wife under pretext of Religion; or if he put her away, let him be excommunicate. It was against their own decrees, Dist. 28. c. Siquis, If any shall teach, That a Priest should for Religion forsake his Wife, let him be anathema; And Dist. 31. c. Siquis, If any do blame Marriage, or shall detest a faithful Woman for lying with her own Husband; or think the Man culpable, as if for that cause he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, let him be anathema. It was contrary to Pope Leo IX. who in epist. ad Nicet. Abba. saith, We always confess, It is not lawful unto a Bishop, or Priest, nor Deacon, to forsake his own Wife for Religion; but that he should give her food and raiment, and not lie with her bodily, as we read the holy Apostles did; even as the blessed Apostle saith, Have we not power to lead about a Wife, a Sister? Pol. Vergil. de inven. rer. li. 5. c. 4. is large in this purpose, and concludes thus; This I may say, That that forced chastity was so far from being better then married chastity, that no crime did bring, imprint, or burn-mark more shame upon the Order, more evil upon Religion, or more sorrow unto good men, then the blot of Priests lusts; therefore it may be thought useful, both unto the Christian Re-public, and to the Order, that at last the liberty of marriage might be restored unto Priests, which they may keep holily without infamy, rather then to defile themselves most filthily with that vice. The Index expurgatorius of the year 1571. hath ordained all these words, and many more of that Chapter, to be blotted out. And what obedience was given unto this Decree of Hildebrand, is clear in Naucle. vol. 2. gener. 36. where he hath this Epistle unto Constance; Gregory, Bishop, the servant of God's servants, unto the Clerks, and Laics, both greater and lesser, in the Diocy of Constance, salutation and blessing; We have sent unto our brother your Bishop Otho exhortatory letters, by which, according to the necessity of our Office, by Apostolical Authority, we have commanded him to exclude Simoniacal heresy altogether out of his Church, and that he shall earnestly preach the chastity of Priests; But your Bishop, neither reverencing the command of blessed Peter, nor taking heed unto his own duty, as it is reported unto us, hath not done what we did fatherly advise; and not only disobediently, but rebelliously hath he, as we have understood, publicly permitted unto his Clerks, altogether contrary unto our command, or rather of blessed Peter, that they which have wives, may keep them; and they which have none, may have them by unlawful temerity: which so soon as we heard, taking it ill, we wrote again unto him, showing how he had provoked our indignation; and also we have summoned him unto our Synod at Rome, to give the reasons, and in the audience of the whole Convent declare the causes of his disobedience, if they be reasonable. These things, most dear children, we make known unto you, that we may provide for your salvation; for if your Bishop will with open hand fight against us, and be contumacious, it is not fit he should rule, &c. Wherefore, as we have said, by Apostolical Authority we command all those, which are obedient unto God, and blessed Peter, if he shall continue hardened, that ye give him no reverence of obedience; nor think that to be any hurt unto your soul; for if he will be contrary unto the Apostolical precepts, we, by the Authority of blessed Peter, do absolve you from all yoke of subjection unto him; so that if any of you were bound unto him by obligation of Sacrament [or Oath] he shall not be subject unto him in giving any fidelity, so long as he continues rebellious against God, and the Apostolical See. Naucler saith moreover, It is worthy the observation what Hersfeldensis reports of the constitutions of Hildebrand: Hildebrand, convening with his Bishops of Italy, had decreed in many Synods, that, according to the Institutions of ancient Canons, Priests may have no Wives; they which have any, should put them away, or be deprived: and that none be entered into the Priesthood, which shall not profess single life forever. This Decree being proclaimed thorough all Italy, he sent many letters unto the Bishops of France, commanding that they in their Churches, should by an everlasting curse, put away all women from the houses of Priests; All the faction of Clerks presently do rage against this Decree, and said, The man was plainly heretical, and of a mad mind; which having forgot the Lord's word, saying, All cannot receive this word; but who may, let him receive it. And the Apostle saith, If any cannot contain, let him marry; it is better to marry, then to burn. Now he by violent compulsion, will compel men to live after the manner of Angels; and while he denieth the accustomed course of nature, he looseth the rains to fornication and uncleanness: But if he will continue to execute this Decree, they will choose to forsake the Priesthood, rather then Marriage; and then let him who despiseth men, see how he will provide Angels to govern the people in the Church of God. Nevertheless the Pope was instant, and by continual missions did accuse all the Bishops as careless. The Bishop of Mainz perceiving that it was not an easy work to root out an old custom, would walk more moderately; and at first gave them the space of an half year to advise, exhorting his Clergy to do willingly what they must do at last; and to remove both from himself, and the Pope, the necessity of dealing more severely. Then in October he assembleth his Synod at Erdsfurt, and urgeth, that without anymore delay, they would now either abjure marriage, or leave their service at the Altar: They brought many reasons to the contrary, to elude the wickedness of his so pressing command. When neither reasons nor supplications could have place against the Authority of the Apostolical See, whereby he did allege, he was forced against his will; the Priests went forth as to advise, and their counsel was, to return no more into the Synod; But some cry, It were better to return into the Synod, and pull him from his Episcopal Chair, before he pronounce his execrable sentence against them; and if he were punished with death, as he deserves, they might leave a notable monument unto posterity, that none of his Successors dare put such a calumny upon the Priestly Order. This was reported unto the Bishop, and he was advised by his friends, to preveen the tumult in time: Then he sent forth, and intreats them to settle themselves, and return unto the Synod; and he promiseth with the first opportunity to persuade his Apostolical Lord, if by any way he can, to surcease from the severity of his Decree: These things were done ann. 1074. The next year the same Bishop held a Synod in October at Mainz, where, with other Bishops, came the Bishop of Curia, the Popes Legate, with letters, and commands unto the Arch-Bishop, with threatenings of his Order, and Place, to compel presently all the Priests within his Diocy, to forsake their wives, or to dimit the service of the Altar forever. Which when he professed to obey, the Clerks which were sitting round about him arose, and did so confute him with words, and rage against him with their hands, and gestures of their bodies, that he was past hope to escape with his life. So being overcome with such difficulty, he resolves to deal no more in this matter, but refer it unto the Pope, to end it when and in what manner he would by himself. So far writes Naucler. The Author of Catalo. test. ver. li. 13. calleth this Bishop of Mainz Sigefrid. Then such a Schism was in the Church, that the people would not send their Priests unto the Bishops, but did elect them among themselves; and put them in Office without the knowledge of the Bishop, whereby the people would prevent the peril of Intrants; seeing the Bishop would admit none, unless they did swear to live a single life. Naucler expresses it thus, Upon this disception followed an horrible pest in the Western Church, so that Laics, in time of this dissention of the Priests, did administer holy things, baptize, anoint with filth, instead of the true and holy Oil. He writes thus, as if he thought, that none can be lawful Presbyters, unless they be ordained by the Bishop, or at his command; And nevertheless neither the Priests, nor the People did think so: But of this point more followeth in the next Chapter. And hence it appears, that both Priests and People did oppose the Popes Decree, and that not only in Germany, but in France also. Yea Gebuiler, a late Papist, testifieth, that in those times Twenty four Bishops in France, and Germany, with their Clergy, did constantly maintain the liberty of marriage. More of this followeth in Clemens 3. The same Pope Gregory commanded all men to abstain from flesh in time of Lent: his Successors have pressed it more and more, as meritorious of eternal life, and satisfactory for sin, and under pain of deadly sin. In former times had been a Lent, or sort of fasting, but with liberty, and much variety. Socrates Hist. li. 5. c. 22. saith, The manner of fasting usually observed before Easter, as all the world knows, hath been diversely observed: The inhabitants of the princely City of Rome, do fast three weeks together before Easter, excepting Saturday, and Sunday. Illyricum, all Greece, and Alexandria, begin their fasting five weeks before Easter, and that space they call forty days fast. Others begin seven weeks before Easter, and in all that while they use abstinence but for fifteen days, pausing before every of them; and these few days they call Lent. So that I cannot but marvel, that howbeit they differ in the number of days, yet all do call their observations, forty days fast. Neither is this difference in the number of days, but there is a greater diversity in the kinds of meat; for some abstain from every living creature; some feed upon fish; others with fish eat fowls of the air, affirming (as Moses writes) that their original is of the waters; others eat neither nuts, nor apples, nor any kind of fruit, nor eggs; some feed only upon dry bread; and some receive not that; some, when they have fasted until nine of the clock, refresh nature with divers sorts of meats: Other nations have other Customs; the manner and cause are infinite, seeing none is able to show a president, or record of it in writing; it is plain, that the Apostles left liberty unto every man, at his own discretion, without fear, compulsion, or constraint, to addict himself unto what seemed good and commendable. We know for certain, that this diversity of fasting is rife throughout the world: so far Socrates. Before him Theodoret on Rom. 14. at the words, Let everyone abound in his own sense, saith, He speaks not generally, but of meat only he gives liberty unto everyone: for this Custom continues unto this day in the Churches, that one abstains, and another eats any meat without scruple; neither doth the one condemn the other, but this law of concord makes them the more famous and laudable. And Eusebius Hist. li. 5. c. 26. repeats the Epistle of Iraenaeus unto Victor Bishop of Rome, saying, Neither is this difference of the day only, but of the manner of fasting; some think they should fast one day, some two, some more, some forty, and telling the hours of the night, and day : neither began this variety in our time, but long before; yet for all this variety they held unity one with another, and as yet we retain it; for this varity of fasting commends the unity of faith. They who before Soter were Bishops of that See, I mean Anicetus, Pius, Higin, Telesphorus, and Xistus, did not observe it themselves, nor did they publish any such president unto posterity: and though they kept not that Custom, they held unity with others who came unto them from other Churches, &c. Indeed Caranza in Summ. Council. hath a Decree as of Telesphorus; to wit, We Decree, that seven full weeks before Easter, all Clerks, that is, who are called into the Lot of the Lord, should fast from flesh; because, as the life of Clerks should be different from the conversation of Lay men, so there should be a difference in their fasting. Observe, the time is here appointed seven full weeks, and it is enjoined unto Clerks only; nor is anything forbidden but flesh. But how can this Decree stand with the words of Irenaeus, or with the practice of Rome in the days of Socrates? In the first Council at Orleans (and that was about the time of the Nicene, and a National) is such an Act concerning Priests; only Augustine in Epist. 86. saith, If you ask my opinion in this, I, resolving it in my mind, do see in the writings of the Evangelists, and Apostles, fasting is commanded; but upon what days we should fast, or not fast, I do not see it defined by precept of our Lord, or his Apostles: so he. Bellarmine De bon. oper. li. 2. c. 15. saith, It seems a wondrous difference was among the Ancients in keeping of Lent; Nevertheless Pope Gregory had a precedent; for Eusebius Hist. li. 5. c. 16. saith, Montanus condemned marriage, and eating of flesh; and also he kept three fasts yearly, whereof one was two weeks before Easter: It is also to be marked, that whatsoever necessity be laid on keeping of Lent, yet a man may have a dispensation from his Priest for a small sum of money, as the Papal Chancelary directeth.

10. Peter Damian, Bishop of Oscia, wrote a Book De Correctione Episcopy & Papae: it is in Catal. test. ver. lib. 12. There he sharply rebukes the arrogance of Bishops which will live as they list, without subjection unto censure; albeit the Prophet David did not spurn at the admonition of the Prophet Nathan; and Samuel (though suffering wrong) did not refuse the censure of the people of Israel; and albeit Peter was endowed with such graces, yet he was subject to the censure of others, Act. 1. and when he was rebuked by Paul, he did not quarrel, but took it in good part, because he well understood, it was not of malice, but in love. But (saith he) now they say, I am a Bishop, I should not be rebuked by my sheep; they must be silent, whatsoever be my carriage, &c. He concludes, Therefore let this pernicious Custom be abolished by Ecclesiastical discipline; away with this deceitful subterfuge, that he who pretends so malepert arrogancy, may not enjoy his sin with immunity. In an Epistle unto Udalrik, Bishop of Firma, he reproves the Popes, that they do contrary unto that which they are commanded to teach; for they should exhort all men unto patience, and toleration of injuries, and forbid vindictive contentions: But now (saith he) what Bishops should exhort others to do, they themselves will not do; Christ commands to forgive thy brother seventy times in a day: the King may use the temporal sword, but a Priest should use only the sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word; If for maintaining the faith, Priests should not carry iron weapons, how then see we armies of them rising against one another for earthly things? But so it is fulfilled what the Apostle writes, When they preach to others, themselves are found to be reprobates.

11. About the year 1072. at Nantes, in low Bretanny, a Letter was presented unto a Clerk, as directed from hell: in it Satan, and all that fry, gave thanks unto all Church-men, because they were not deficient unto his and their pleasures; and by negligence of preaching, they sent so many souls unto hell, as no age preceding had seen so many. Mat. Parisi. ad ann. 1072. Cardinal Benno testifieth, that none of Hildebrand's Cardinals would (at first) subscribe the excommunication of the Emperor Henry; and he hath a large Catalogue of Cardinals, Bishops, and Deacons, who left the Pope, and would never return unto him; so that (as he saith) the Church was divided, the one party pretending the Authority of the Pope, and the other accusing them and their Pope, that he and they taught, and did contraray unto the Scriptures and primitive Church. He adds, that he and his Successor Turban, had presumed to violate the Decrees of Chalcedon, namely, in baptising, and communicating without the Church: But (saith he) as Eusebius alone defending the unity of the Church against Liberius, proved him to be an Heretic; and by his refusing to communicate with him, did bind him with the keys; so & much more is Hildebrand, persevering in this error, condemned unto hell, by the departing of so many Fathers from the Roman Church; and who accurse his Heresies, and abuses of the power of binding and loosing. Then he hath a large description of Hildebrand, and his disciples; saying, Let the Prophets be astonished at the voice of Peter, and his disciples; they are men in face, and scorpions in tail; wolves lurking in sheep-skins, killing bodies, and dedestroying souls: their Religion is nothing but treachery, and covetousness; they haunt widows, and lead women captives who are loaden with sins: by occasion of times they give heed to the spirit of error, and doctrine of devils; which their Master Hildebrand hath received from his Masters Theophylact [or Pope Benedict IV.] Laurence Bishop of Amelphis, John, or Gregory VI.—Because Satan could not openly persecute Christ by Pagans, he craftily intends to subvert the name of Christ by a false Monk, under show of Religion: but albeit God permit such things to be done (our sins so deserving) yet the time of recompense is at hand. Catal. test. ver. li. 13. Many other Books were written against this Hildebrand: there is named one in the German tongue, written by Waltram Bishop of Niembergh, as is thought; the Author bewails the miseries of the Church, and lewdness of Clerks; then he adds, Hence the Catholic faith is defiled; hence that unrighteousness hath waxed so, that instead of truth, false testimonies; and for common faith, perjuries do abound: since Laws are silent, giving place to wars, that saying of Hosea is fulfilled, There is no truth, nor knowledge of God, nor mercy in the land; cursing, and lies, murder, and stealing have overflowed.—Behold, some Bishops have joined unto the faction of Hildebrand, accounting more of him, then of all the Catholic Church; so it comes to pass, that while the enemy so weth in the Lord's field the tares of many scandals, that now in Bishoprics are no Sacraments of Christ and his Church (which should be the work of the Bishops of God) but execrations, which are the works of the Servants of Satan; who (as Cyprian writes) seeing Idols forsaken, and his Temples left by the multitude of Believers, hath devised a new craft; under the name of a Christian, he deceives the unwise; and by Heresies and Schisms, he overthrows the faith, &c. In another place he saith, Now it appears Satan is loosed out of the pit, seeing, as it is written, he is come forth to deceive the Nations. Ia. Vsser. de Eccles. statu. c. 5. hath the same. The above-named Waltram, in another place lamenteth, That then a new sort of Bishops, swelling in pride because of the gifts of Believers, drew all things unto themselves under cloke of Religion; and they were painted walls, and hypocrites.

12. When Gregory, and Victor, the two heads of that pernicious faction, were gone, the Bishops of Germany and France, considering the calamities of the Church by that unhappy Schism, thought good to meet at Garstung, for debating their strife no more with swords, but with reasonings: so the Bishops of both factions convene in January. There Conrad, Bishop of Utrecht, had a long Oration to this purpose; We are assembled, prudent Fathers, to establish peace, which our Savior at his departure did leave: the temerity, violence, and pestiferous errors of those, who are not ashamed to despise that heavenly gift, I wish I could cut in sunder with the two-edged sword, and confute with the testimonies of the two Testaments, according to Christ's command. Who despiseth an Oath, breaks covenant, and keeps not promise, despiseth him by whom he hath sworn; he offends him, whose name the other party hath believed: As I live, saith the Lord, the Oath that he hath despised, and the Covenant that he hath transgressed, shall I bring upon his pate. Shall he who hath transgressed his Covenant escape? You must consider not so much unto whom, as by whom thou hast sworn; and he is more faithful, who did believe thee, swearing by the name of God, then thou art, who hatchest mischief against thy enemy, or rather now thy friend, and that by reason of divine Majesty. We find it commanded concerning Tiberius, and Nero, who were not only most cruel Tyrants, but most vile Monsters, Give to Caesar, what is Caesar's; and, fear God, and honor the King: and not only be obedient unto Princes, who bear not the sword in vain, even though they be evil; but supplicate the most high God for them, that under them we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. All power is of God, and he who resists power, resists the providence of God. Therefore those are ambitious, and presumptuous, who dare with whorish faces misinterpret that saying of our Lord and God, What ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven; and what ye bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and force it to serve unto their own lust, and endeavor to gull us, as if we were children without all knowledge.—Our heavenly Teacher did open the hearts of his disciples to understand the Scriptures, Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms; and he commanded them to preach in his name unto all the Nations, repentance and forgiveness of sins, and that they should be witnesses of those things. Therefore Hildebrand was carried headlong into ambition, when he usurped the power of the eternal God, whose Messenger he should have been; such are the times now, such are the manners, and such are the men. The most high Majesty had provided but slenderly for the affairs of mortals, if he had so entrusted the sword into the hand of any man. Who could restrain the lust of men? who could rule it? truly the wisest is not sufficient for such a burden. We have not need that any should teach us in what manner Peter, and his Colleagues did use their spiritual power, or (to speak more properly) the dispensation and administration of God's stewardship (for they were but stewards of the divine Oracles.) It is as clear as the light, by the book which the Physician Luke hath written of the Acts of Christ's Messengers, the weapons of our warfare are spiritual, and not iron, nor robberies, murders, killing of men, nor perjuries; and our helmet, breast-plate, girdle, buckler, and sword, are peace, love, righteousness, hope of salvation, truth, the word of God, and faith. These Divine Gifts our most Christian Emperor did often proffer most willingly unto Hildebrand, but he refused to accept them, &c. The Papal party had chosen Gebhard, Bishop of Salisburgh, to speak in their name; but when he heard this Oration, he would not open his mouth to speak in the contrary. Avent. Annal. lib. 5. It was appointed at that time to assemble again in May at Mainz. The Papal party did preveen the time, and assembled at Quintelburgh (now called Quedlinburgh) in April; there they wrested some words of Wezilo, Bishop of Mainz, and condemned him as an Arch-Heretic: they called themselves the true Church, and consented unto the election of Clemens III. The Synod at Mainz was very solemn: there was the Emperor, the Electors, and many Dukes; Peter, Bishop of Portua, and Legate of Clemens; and many Bishops of France, and Germany: by common suffrage the faction of Hildebrand was condemned, as contrary unto Christian piety: and a Decree was published to this purpose; All Christians should shun the company of those accursed persons whom we have named, seeing they have made defection from us, and not we from them: they promised to be present at this Synod, but they will not come; they abuse Christian piety, and leaving the sheep, they run unto the enemies of the Republic; they not only exhort unto fire and sword, but also are ring-leaders, and Captains of the war—What would they have done if they had lived in the days of Domician, Decius, &c. Avenii. lib. cit. who recordeth many other Synods condemning that faction: As also Sigebert, a Monk of Gemblac, who hath continued the Epitome of Jerome, and hath briefly written the History of the Church from the year 381. until 1112 there he noteth many errors of the Popes; namely, That they presume to absolve Subjects from their Allegiance unto their Princes. He saith of them, False Prophets, false Apostles, and false Priests have arisen, who deceive the People with a false Religion; and dare advance themselves above all that is worshipped: while they seek to establish their own power, and dominion, they have put away Christian charity and simplicity.

13. When Bishops and Priests became Monarchs, some Monarchs became Pastors; as Olaus King of Norway, and Steuchilus King of Sweden, taught their Subjects the Word of God. Herman Contractus, Count of Vering, infirm in body, was admired in the knowledge of the Greek, Arabic, and Latin tongues; singular in Philosophy, especially Astronomy, Rhetoric, Poesie, and Divinity. Jo. Lampad▪ in Mellifi. remembereth also that some Germans were then persecuted for denying Purgatory, the bodily presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the worship of Images. Ecbert, a Monk, wrote against them, and contemptuously called them Cathari, or Puritans: the Emperors also, and the Popes, made Constitutions against them. The People Heneti were compelled to receive Bishops, and Priests, in the days of Otho I. but after his death they killed the Bishops, they threw down the Churches, and returned to Idolatry. Henry III. restoreth the Christian Religion, and erecteth Bishoprics among them. Io. Pap. in Hist. Convers. After the death of Steven King of Hungary, were sturrs there for many years; in the year 1045. the Princes of the Kingdom being vexed by the severity of King Peter, sent for Andrew, Bela, and Leventa, which were of the kin • ed of Steven, and banished into Bohem and Poland. The King understanding this Plot, did cause to be hanged Vi • ca, Bua, and Buchna, three chief men, and punished others cleaving unto them other ways. For this cause, the Nobles convening at Canad, sent for Andrew, and Leventa again, with solemn promises, and oath, to bring the Kingdom into their obedience. So soon as they came, all the People came unto them at Novum Castrum, demanding first to permit the People to live after the ancient way of their Fathers, in Paganism; to kill the Bishops, and Clergy; to forsake Christianism, and worship their Idols; which was granted. The chief of them, Vacha, began in the Castle Belos; and his Son gathereth Socerers, and Soothsayers, by whose enchantments he purchaseth the Peoples favor. Then the People threw down the Churches, and killed all the Latin and Dutch Priests cruelly; Likewise Andrew, and Leventa levieth an Army against the Christians. And four Bishops, Gerard, Bistrit, Buld, and Beneth, and Zehung Count of Alba, meet together in the Church of God; where Gerard saith, Brethren, fellow Bishops, and other believers here present, we shall today go with the Crown of Martyrdom unto our Lord Jesus Christ: for this night I saw the Lord Jesus Christ communicating unto us the Sacrament of his body and blood. After Mass they went with the King and his Army, and were killed at Pesch; and the King was taken, and brought to Alba, where he died ann. 1047. Then Andrew was crowned; and so soon as he was free from enemies, he enacted a Law, That all Hungarians should renounce Paganism under pain of death: and himself did profess the faith in Christ. Nevertheless the Emperor Henry went down the Danube with a great Army, and besiedgeth the Castle Pesch: some Hungarians in the night-time boareth all the Emperor's Ships under the water, and drowned them, so that the Army was weakened, Naucler. Gener. 35. And in Gener. 36. he shows how the Emperor sought peace, and hardly obtained it; for continuing peace, they did agree that Solomon, King Andrew's Son, should marry Sophia, the Emperor's Daughter. But then Bela, the King's Brother, made a new insurrection, and by help of the Polonians invades the Kingdom; and prevails so, that Andrew was killed, and Solomon fled into Germany; and Bela was crowned at Alba: Immediately he calleth a Parliament, for settling and ordering the Kingdom. Many of the common People, especially the Country men, say unto the King, Grant unto us to live after the manner of our Fathers, in Paganism, to put away Bishops, and Priests; and to retain our Tithes; and to lay waste the Churches. The King was amazed, and craves a delay for three days: On the third day the chief of the multitude come for the answer; At the King's command Soldiers fall upon them, and then invade the multitude; and when some of them were killed, others cry for mercy, and renounce Paganism. By conferring the former part with this, it appears that two things especially did hinder the Reformation of the Heathens at that time; to wit, They had Latin Priests, who did the Service in an unknown language; and they took it ill to be burdened with payment of Tithes: and moreover, Religion was pressed upon them by the sword. In time of the wars twixt the Emperor Henry, and the Saxons, Mistiwoi, a Prince of the Wandals, did so approve himself unto D. Bernard, that he did espouse unto him his Sister: Before the day of marriage, Tiaderik, a Marquess, said unto the Duke, It was a base thing to give such a Lady unto a dog. So soon as this was reported unto Mistiwoi, he said, Are we then dogs? is this the reward of our trouble? if we be dogs, we will let them feel our madness. The Wandals then renounce Christianity, and profess hostility against Christians: at Aldenburgh they made their sport with sixty Priests; they destroy Hamburg, and the Bishop Benno escapes with his life: they expel the Marquess of Brandeburgh out of all his Lands. Duke Bernard levieth an Army against them; and the Emperor sent aid unto him. In this fight Mistiwoi was killed, and the Wandals were brought into payment of their former tribute. But for eighty years they were not sincere in Religion, saith Al. Crantz. in Saxo. li. 4. c. 34. In the days of the Emperor Conrad, Mistiwoi Duke of Poland, did renounce the faith; and raising an Army, made great havoc in Germany, twixt the Rivers Sala, and Albe; destroyed many Churches, and Monasteries, and killed many thousand men. When he heard that the Emperor was preparing against him, he returns with his spoil. Loc. cit. c. 36.

14. About the year 980. Theodor, Bishop of Antioch, besought the Emperor, John Zimisca, to remove the Manichees (who called themselves Cathari, and Pavacimi) into some remote place; because they overspread all, and infected many with their Heresies. The Emperor transports many of them into Philippopolis, in Thracia; where Alexius Commenus (Emperor in the days of Henry IV.) caused dispute with them; and by information, did prevail with many of them. Zona. This heresy spread into Bulgaria, (as afterwards they were called Bulgari) Slavonia, Lombardie, and France; nor could it be restrained by Decrees of Popes, nor power of Arms, saith Sylvius in Europ. c. 16. The Emperor Henry caused to be hanged a number of them ann. 1062. and some of them were burnt in sundry places. Their errors were, They condemned marriage, and eating of flesh; they despise the Old Testament, and some parts of the New; they held that there were two Creators; one good Creator, of things invisible; and another ill, of visible things: they deny baptism, and the resurrection from death. Vsser. de Ecles. statu. c. 8. ex Rad. Arden. Homil. 8. post. Trinit. They were divided into divers Sects, different in some other opinions, and they had their own Bishops.

15. All this time, since the last mention of the Turks, and Saracens, the Turks (as is said) lived under the Saracens, subject unto them and their Religion; and living by pasturage, without any Ruler of their own Nation. In this age they became Princes of Babylon, and Persia, and within a short space they were Lord's of all Asia, unto Pontus, and the Euxine Sea, which is called Turcomannia until this day. When the Saracens were divided among themselves, especially the Sultan of Persia, Hircania, or Sogdiana, and Media, fell at variance with the Calipha of Babylon, he sent for the Turks, by whose hand he prevailed; and when he refused to pay them, they robbed him of his Kingdom; and were advanced more and more in both the Armenios, Cappadocia, Bithymia, &c. In the year 1009. the Turks conquered Jerusalem from the Saracens; not long thereafter the Saracens of Egypt were Masters of it again, and kept it till the coming of Godifrid. About the year 1028. the Calipha of Egypt spoiled the Church of Jerusalem: and after twenty years, the Emperor of Constantinople made a league with Deber Calipha; and by his permission he built the Church again ann. 1051. The Turks compel the Calipha of Babylon to create their Prince Tangrolipex Zadok, King of Asia. Then they made a league with the Calipha of Egypt, and reigned peaceably forty and six years. At that time Peter, an Eremite (who was wont to say his Pater Noster by a role of Beads, and from whom the Romans have their Gades. Pol. Vergil. de inven. rer. li. 5. c. 9.) came into Rome, and reports the miseries of Christians under the Infidels; Whereupon the Popes dealt with the Princes to go unto their aid. And Pope Urban II. persuaded many Princes at Claremont, to recover the Holy Land (as they called it) out of the power of Turks and Saracens. The Princes took the sign of the Cross for their cognizance; and several Nations did vary the color, or situation, or some circumstance of that badge, to the end the Soldiers might know their own Prince, when they had occasion to go into these wars: and hence are so many sundry sorts of Crosses in Europe. In the first interprise Godifrid Duke of Bullion, Prince of Lorain, was their General; he sold his Duchy unto the Bishop of Leodium, that he might amass the more money: with him were his two Brothers, Baldwin, and Eustachius, Bohemund Duke of Apulia, Raymond Earl of Tolouse, Robert Earl of Flanders, Robert Duke of Normandy, and Son to William the Conqueror, Hugh Brother of Philip King of France, &c. Two Armies went before Godifrid; one under the conduct of Peter the Eremite, and the other was commanded by Gotteschalk a Presbyter; they were both spoiled for their plundering, some in Hungaria, and some in Bulgaria; and some arriving into Bethynia, went abroad without order, and were killed by Suleiman ann. 1096. The Princes went by Sea from Venice, and when they did meet with the remnants of the former Companies, they were mustered about six hundred thousand of foot, and one hundred thousand horse. They did first assault Nicomedia, and were repulsed by strong fortifications of the City, and for want of victuals: and the Turks and Saracens joined against the Christians. Alexius, Emperor of the Greeks, sent aid unto the Christians, and then the Turks were forced to yield up Nice ann. 1097. After that was an open fight, wherein forty thousand Infidels were slain; and the Christians with small loss took Iconium, the head City of Lycaonia: then they gained Heraclea, and Tursus; appointing the Government of these Cities unto Baldwin; who thereafter subdued Antiochia, Edessa, Silicia, and Comagena, &c. After all this, Jerusalem was taken on the thirty ninth day of the siege; and Robert Duke of Normandy was chosen King of all the Conquest; and Jerusalem was appointed the chief City of the Kingdom: but Robert hearing that his Brother William, King of England, was dead, would not accept it. Then Godifrid was proclaimed first King of Jerusalem ann. 1099. This expedition was begun with a good intention, that the Land might be purged from Idolatry, and Christians might be freed from grievous tharldom; but it was continued by the craft of Popes, for enlarging their Dominion abroad, and for weakening the Empire, and the hinderers of their usurpation, that themselves might promove their power with the more facility at home; and often that they might gather great sums of money under this plausible pretext; as follows very plainly, and especially after the 1200. year. At the first some did smell the vanity of the Expedition; for Anselm (of whom in the next Chapter) writing unto one William intending thither, said, I admonish, advise, pray, beseech, and command thee, as one whom I love, that thou leave off thy going to Jerusalem, which is not now The vision of peace, but of tribulation; and leave these treasures of Constantinople, and Babylon, unto the robbery of bloody hands; and think upon heavenly Jerusalem, and walk in the way unto it, which truly is the vision of peace. Lib. 2. Epist. 19. Out of these few words appears what was his judgment, and also what was the intention of many in that voyage.

16. By degrees were the Legati à latere brought in Authority among the Nations; and they did enlarge the Popes Phylacteries. At first, because Rome was the chief City of the Empire, from thence, as from a Seminary, were Preachers sent to sundry Nations, to preach, and plant the Gospel, or to confute Heresies, thereafter to provide vacant Benefices, and to supply the Bishop of Rome his absence in Synods; in all which they did no other thing, but as other Bishops might have done, and also did: But when the Bishops of Rome were made Patriarchs, and became ambitious, these Legates did the same offices at sometimes; but therewith they began craftily to enjoin unto Arch-Bishops, and Metropolitans, to execute some things, which by the Word of God they were commanded to do; and they would give them power within their own Diocies, as if Bishops were Vicars of the Roman Patriarch, or his Legate. These Primates did gladly embrace this show of honor, that for reverence of the Roman Church they might be the more respected in their own jurisdiction; and sometimes the more easily advance themselves above their Competitors. Sometimes the Popes sent Legates into other Diocies with such modesty, that they had Authority to attempt nothing without concurrence of the Bishops, or Synod of that Country; Albeit these Legations were partly godly, and at the worst were tolerable, yet they were not potestativae, or imperious, but charitativae, or exhortatory: Nevertheless the Popes brought the Churches, and Bishops, into subjection by such means; for afterwards they were sent only for ambitious usurpation, covetousness, and worldly affairs. The ordinary Legates at Picen, Romandiola, Bononia, Ferraria, Avenion, and if there be any such others, are Provincial Deputies, Praetores, or Vice-Roys; The Nuntio's at the Court of the Emperor, or of any King, or Prince, or State, are Ambassadors, or Spies for secular affairs: The affairs of any Church that are gainful, if they be of less account, are reserved unto the judgment of the Nuntio; yet not definitively, but to be determined at Rome; and things of more weight are reserved for the Court of Rome wholly; In the mean time the power of Metropolitans, and Bishops is neglected. The ancient Bishops of Rome, did severely enjoin their Legates to acknowledge duly the inferior Bishops within their own jurisdiction; but now they pass by the Metropolitans, and draw all actions unto themselves, and the Court of Rome : Also their ambiton and avarice have so provoked some Nations, that they will admit no Legate, as Sicily, and France hath entrenched their office. These particulars are more fully written by Spalatens. de Rep. Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 12.