FFyrst ye shall vnderstande howe the churche of Rome / was fyrst infecte with treasure and possessyons . As fyrst by the Emperour Constantyne / the great and his successours ? Pepyne / Charlemayn / lowys de bonere . And by dyuers other prynces . Howe be it it was ingendred / & gadred / vnder the shadowe of polecy , throughe fayned holynesse . Wherof sprang great infexions , and therby was ingend●ed many wycked chyldren / as Pryde , Pompe , Arrogansy , Herisy , Auctoryte of Kynges , and Prynces , suppressynge subiectes with great tyranny / without mercy , shame or pety , after the whiche thynges there folowed great abusyons and debates , in counceylles generalles . And thus of all these foresayd iniquites engendred great sysmes and diuysions , seperacyons , & impedymentes , with percyalytes , amonge chrysten Regyons wherof sprange great euylles , trybulacyons inconuenyences , persecutyons , through all chrystendom . And thus through these enormytes , and Inconuenyences , it was expedyent for dyuerse Kyngis , & Pryncis to assemble dyuerse councelles and congregacyons of wyse & prudent persons , and faythfull chrysten Rulers , and gouerners , the which counceles doth more playnly appere in the fyrst parte of this present boke and specyally in the .vii. fyrste sysmes .

¶ And so this cruell tyranny contynewed many yeres by detyns and his successours / and so after Detyns successid Ualeryan gallus which began the .viii. persecucion / vnder whom dyed Sextus bishop of rome the fyrst of that name ( also ) Laurens his deacon which distrybuted the goodes of the church to the pore accordyng to the law of God also saynt Ypolyt with dyuers other martyrs dyed vnder hym . And after hym Aurclianus emperour borne in Dalmace , the .xxxii. emperour founder of Orleaunce in Fraunce . And the cytie of Geneue vpon the lake in sauoy / he persecuted the .ix. persecucion on Christes flocke or region through cristendom to pytefull to suffer .

THe .x. persecucion was most cruely vsed through Dioclesian & Maximyan Emperours borne in Dalmatiq̄ whiche persecucyon endured .x. yeres , whiche Dioclesyan caused hym selfe to be honoured lyke a God in kyssyng his fete as popis of late daies hath vse princes and crysten rulers to do which was abhomynable afore God , & man , and this sayd Dioclesian persecuted ouer al the Orientall partes of the world & Maximian in lykewyse in the occident partes / and tyranny vpon chrystes chosen chyldren was so horryble & vnmerciful lyke bochers of bestes / that it was to exec●eble in the syght of all people / impossyble for pen to wryt for in the space of a moneth in y● pa●tꝭ of England & Fraunce was put to deth .xvii. thousand christen people / in so moch that the fayth of chryst was almost in Englande and fraunce extynckit that no man durst shew hym felfe a crysten man for fere of deth and tyranny / & all bokes of Chrystes fayth brent that myght be goten / so after this cruell persecucyons the deuyll ennemye to al mankynd engendred many heresyes as Sabellyans that denyed that Ihesus Chryste was not the sone of God and also the herytykes called Manekis put forth two questyons / one good that other euyl / whervpon was gadred a great counceyll in Antioch agaynst Paule the samosethā bysshop which denyed the virginite of the virgyne Mary mother of chryste . In the whiche counceyll and busynesse was assembled .xviii. bysshoppes in the cyte of senesse in the countrey of naples .

¶ All this persecucyon endured vnto the tyme of Constantyne the great emperour in which tyme was martyred and put to deth for Christes fayth all these sayntes Marcellyn , Marcell , Melchiades , bysshops of Rome , Also Agnes , Anastase , Barbara , Crispyn , and Crispian , Crystofer , Cosme , and Damyan , Kateryne , Luce , marget , George , maximilian , quintyn , Blase , Mauryce , Uincent , & many without nombre whose names are wryten in the boke of lyfe .

THus haue you harde howe the fylthy treasours that Fabyan helde Chrystes churche / was infected fyrste with by the couetous mynde of Fabyan bysshop of Rome / whiche held the treasours of Phyllyp kynge whiche dyed vnder Decyus the tyraunt / whiche Decyus cruelly persecuted all crystendome for with holdynge the sayd tresory of kyng Phyllyp / and so afterward the forsayd No●atus & Nycostratus was proued false prophetes & antipapes openly to theyr great rebukes and shame by a generall counceyll / and yet after this there ●ose agayne throughe all Chrystes churche great dyscordes / trybulatyōs / & persecucyons through the infexions / pryd & of arrogansy / the arose in the church of Rome through the treasours and gyftes of constantyne and of his successours / where through sprange .xxiii. great sysmes in contynuaunce in crystes church through these possessyons temporall abused .

COnstantyne was sone to the doughter of claude . Emperour the seconde of his name , and the said Constancius maryed Helene quene of Englande herefor to the Crowne of Englande / by whom was conceyued and borne constantyne / the great / the yere of oure Lorde God .ccc.viii. whiche Constantyne was emperour of all the occident partes and after warde emperour of all the worlde .

¶ And thus after his great warres Cyuyle he beynge yet a pagan & a persecutor of crysten men / as his predecessours were / frome the whiche tyranny God of his wonderfull workes conuerted hym to the faith by Siluester byshop of Rome which was fled & hyd hym selfe for dred of deth in mountens and woodes .

SIluester the .xxxiiii. bysh●p borne in Rome , was estemed a man of holy lyfe which had great grace gyuen to hym in conuertyng many to the fayth , as specylaly constantyne the great / by whose dylygence and preachyng the sayd syluester caused hym to sease of his cruell tyranny vpon cristen people / commaunding 〈◊〉 destroy all ydoles temples / and set vp Crystes churches / & so worshipped the crosse and passyon of cryst ouer all the worlde vnyuersall / to the great ioy of all crystendome and straytly he commaunded that no persecucion shulde be done ouer crysten men in no regyon / which was to al crystendome a wonderful s●d ayne mutacyon and chaunge that in a lytle whyle afore the no man so hardy the durst be knowen to be a crysten man for feare of persecucyon of deth / in somoch they were hated ouer all / that no body wold suffre a crysten man ( ones knowen ) abyd in no place but lyued in great dred and in secret places .

¶ Thus by the prouysyon of God syluestre was taken in lyke honour with kynges whiche was as many haue opinion and say it was by the subtyl craft of the deuyll / whiche is & euer was the auncyaunt ennemy of mankynd which could fynde none other poyson to destroy the perfexion of holy byshops / which were xxxii . that dyed holy martyrs for crystes fayth afore Syluester / & thus the deuyll supposynge to haue a great parte of crystendome / through riches , power , dignite , pryd , and heresy , and sismes , the shulde sprynge / & dyd in dede afterward / vnto this day experience leadeth vs to moche And some holdeth opynyon , & wryteth that at this tryumphe was herd a voyce horryble in the ayer sayenge / Hodie venenum in ecclesia semiau● , yet I can not assure this for a trewth but as some writers haue wryten .

¶ This noble Prynce Constantyne in loue & zelus mynde to siluester / through the wonderfull suffraunce of God / and blynded with worldly vanytes , caused Siluester the bisshop to be clothed with purple sylkes & rayment imperyal most lyke a Kynge or a Prynce in somoch he toke his crowne imperiall & set it on his hede / yet notwithstandyng Siluester with humble countenaunce wolde not take it , but vtterly refused it & wold not vse nor take vpon hym to were it / but a symple myter of fustian / the whiche is yet vsed among the bysshops and cardinalles of Rome to this daye / notwithstandynge though Siluester wolde not take vpon hym the emperyall Crowne yet the bysshops of Rome of late dayes haue taken vpon them vsurpacyon & hye auctoryte thre crownes of golde facyoned hye and sharpe copped , ryche with stones and perle as the boxe of a great lapydarye oryental for truely it is to be wondered on such superfluyte to be worne on any such holy persones / hede for Chryst our redemptour vsed no such vayne glory / for in this cause Platyne the great wryter of stores mayster of the roulles in Rome / whcihe mocketh this abusyon in the tyme of Adrian the fyrst which was called paule the proude a venecyan / which gloryfy●d in hym selfe in suche lyke ryche apparel euen as a god in earth ( and wolde so be called ) among people in earth in his arrogancy & pryde and thus wolde the sayde Paule vse hym selfe gloryfyed euery yere of Iubely / afore all the worlde & afore the Pylgrymes & dyd vse hym to were the maner & facion rayment / of women in those dayes lyke the customable weryng that Bysshops dyd vse , and yet moreouer saynt Austyn sayeth de verbis domini / in reproche of the arrogancy & pryde of popes / whiche wolde be called Goddes saynge thus . ( Qui vult videre deus cum sit homo non imitatur illum qui cum deus esset pro illo factus est homo . )

¶ Thus to proced of Siluester though he with holy and symple countenaunce refused the ryche crowne emperyall of Constantyne / yet he wolde not refuse of Constantyne the great possessyon gyftes and rentes that he gaue with the hole cytie of rome , which was no small possessyon as dyuers wryters maketh mencyon , as doth Laurence valla the great orator .

¶ This Syluester caused to assemble the fyrste great generall councell at Nycene and Bythena purposly agaynst the herysies of Aryen which greatly encreased , whose errours was in the distynctions of the thre persons in Trinite . And in this counceyl was present .xxxviii. Bysshoppes assembled , ✚

AFter the donacyon of Constantine folowed two bisshoppes of Rome pesyble & iuste men in theyr offyce without sysme or dyscorde amonge crystes flocke / the one was named Marke , the other Iuly . In whose tyme the heresyes of the Aryans encreased more & more , whiche torned the hart and mynde of Constance the sone of Constantyne that then rayned . And so he began the .xi. persecucyon vpon crysten people . And put Iulius in exyle out of rome , whose place succeded Liberius , and Felyce togyther , which enuyed ech other , who shuld haue the see of Rome , so in contynuaunce Liberius the heretyke throughe the fauor of Constans opteyned his purpose to be bysshop of Rome , And enioyed the see of Rome , the space of .xlii. yeres and .vii. monthes and thre dayes / notwithstandyng he was noted to be the fyrste pope heretyke and sysmatyke . And supporter of the Aryans artycles , through his abhomynable gloryous dygnyte pleasyng the mynde of the Emperoure Constantyne the yonger infecte with the sayd heresyes / whiche was the most abhomynablest and cruel heresyes that euer was , worse then the seckte of Mahommet / for the Preestes Aryans persecuted other crysten bysshops & catholyke people without pety , or mercy , in Affryque & Spayne . Thus was Felyxe the bysshop of Rome put to deth in this persecucion / the .xiiii moneth of his reygne / & after this rose other heresyes called Donastytes whiche baptysed the cristen agayne / as our late Anna baptystes vsed and as the enmonyans heretykis the sayd that Iesu Cryste in his Godhede was not equall with God the Father by dyuyne nature / but onely by grace / & the massedonyas heretykes / denyed the holy Ghost to be equall with the Father , and the Sone , & thus these heresyes arose the .xii. persecucyon through the commaundement of Iulian the appostata emperour that was fyrst a cristen man and after fell to Ydolatry / whiche persecucyon arose by euyll example & sismes / that he sawe in Chrystes church .

THus bytwene the thyrde sysme & the fourthe was but foure pesyble bysshoppes of Rome , whiche were Syryake Anastase fyrst , Innocent the fyrst / & zosynus after whose death began the .iiii. sysme & deuisyon in the churche / that is to wet bytwene Bonyface the fyrste and eulalyus cardynall preest . The cause of theyr dyuysyon was that the clarge ware departed in to two partes and sortes / in the which tyme the Emperour Theodosius beyng at Mallan with his wyfe were banyshed & shortly after Boniface was reuoked agayne and so made bisshop of Rome onely / after that vnto the fyfte sysme began the heryses of Predestynacyon the whiche affyrmed that no person aueyled to do any good werkes but euery ꝑson to do his pleasure for god had predestynated euery man to be saued & dampned at his plesure & in this season was assembled a councel at Constantynople in the tyme of gratiam Emperour & theodose & damascus bysshop of Rome agaynst the errour of the macedonyans .

THe .v. sysme of the churche of Rome beganne the yere .494 . this sysme beganne bytwene Symachus and Laurence the cause of this dyuisyon was that the clargye could not agree in theyr voyces / whiche of these two shuld holde the see of Rome for the which rose great dyuysyon and dyssencyon in two pertes amonge the Romayns / and in fine agreed to assemble a counceyll at Rauenna in the presens of Theodore Kynge of Gotes / In the whiche counceyll they agreed that Symachus shulde be bysshop through Theodore the Kynge / which bysshop was at Sardyne / & Laureus was made bysshop of Nucerre thus was fynyshed the .v. sysme .

IN this tyme raygned Emperour of Constantynople Iustyniane the seconde of that name / in whose tyme was Seresinus borne in Surrey . Anno xpi .706 . Agaynst the whiche arose an Antypape whiche helde byforse the dygnyte of Rome / whose name was Diascorus / thus began the .vii. sisme in the churche of Rome / with great persecucyon & trybulacyon in Rome / whiche continewed a great season vnto the tyme of Gregory the seconde of that name / borne in Rome with another named Sygysmond , thorowe whose enormytes the fayth of Chryst began sore to decay in the oryent partes / and through this horlay burlay the bysshops of Rome toke corage / and lyfted vp theyr hornes / that is theyr power agaynst the Emperours more then euer was sene / for this Gregorye & Anastase were the second abhominable bisshops that raygned in Rome after Anastase / whiche was so bold to excommunycat his Emperour Leon the .iii. of his name the whiche cause was that he wolde a put downe the worshippyng of ymages through al crystendome sayeng it was ydolatry hated of god / & the pope withstonde it beforse wherthrough arose great bandes of companyes & of persyalytes bytwene Emperours & bisshops / wherthrough oftimes sysmes hath ben renewed & thus during this sysme & discorde / arose out of Afrique a great army of Sarazyns & entred into spayne / & wone the Realme of Granado / and so kept it by force ●yl with great polecy and forse of Prynces & Kynges wane it agayne / also in this tyme was a great armye of Sarazyns in Fraunce / which were reculed byforse of armes by Charles Prynce and Martyre & in this tyme of Gregory began the Lent of forty dayes to be fasted / the which Lent Melchiades , predecessour of saynt Siluester strongly withstode & defended / bycause therby myght engender great corrupcion and infexion vnyuersally among crysten people . As wytnessed then the counceyll of Physycions expert .

¶ And in this tyme of contynuaunce of malyce in the Churche , one Constantyne bysshop of Rome vsurped the see of the papasy by force , & by money , whose eyes were perforce put out , & so put in pryson in a monasterye , by the whiche he is named the .v. abhomynable bysshop of Rome . And in this tyme began the nacyon of Turkys , that came out of Tartary who enuayed sore the partis oryentall And so mynysshed sore chrystendome . And this heresyes dyd encrease more & more , where through they were enforsed to assemble the .vii. counceyll at Constantynople for the 〈…〉 and worshyppynge of Images in the Churche whiche many sayd it was Idolatrye , and for certayne other Articles that the Greke churche had agaynst the holy ghost . ❧ ❧

THe noble 〈◊〉 maketh mension that Clowys the fyrste crysten kyng of Fraunce / whiche was bytwene the .iiii. & the .v. sysme then reygned . And this kyng was the fyrst crysten that assembled a general councel in Orliaunce . Anno. dni .486 . Raynyng that tyme at Constantinople the emperour zeneme . And at the tyme sat in the apostolyk see 〈◊〉 the .iii. of the name And about 〈◊〉 tyme rayned king Artur of Englande and he sent a presydent to that councell at orliaunce one named Mellanius , which he sent for a good purpose for the welth of the churche .

This Charlemain rayned emperour o●er Almayne , Fraunce , and Ytaly , which assembled this counceyll in a cyte in Germanya called Herbypolys in the tyme of Adryan the fyrst bisshop of that name / as Platyne wryteth the which counceyll the Grekes called the great Sinoda , and there was condempned the opynyon of the Felycyans the whiche sayd that no Ymages ought to be in the churche , and shortly after Pope Leo the thyrd of the name came into Fraunce to Charle mayne / complaynynge of thre Preestes which had done hym great vltrage and dyspleasure / y● one named Pasculis the other Pri●isserius/y● thyrde called Campulus / the which with many of theyr opynyon droue out of Rome the sayd Adryan with all his affynyte for goyng on precessyon and syngyng the Lateny which Gregory instytuted and ordayned afore for the which Charlemayn was sore displeased / and so at the sayd Adryans request Charlemayn raysed a great army and went to Rome / to set Adryan bysshop in his see agayne / wherthrough he had the name of the Empyre of Rome / which he gaue to the see of rome & great possessyons & rychesse / as his father Pepyn dyd afore hym as dyuerse such successours hath syas contynued and augmented .

THere was about this tyme a detestable and wycked counceyll & a permysyous , which was gadered by euyll auctoryte ***** of the wycked prelates of Fraunce / whiche conspyred agaynst theyr good Kynge Lowys / bycause he set a dyreccyon and good order agaynst theyr dishonest lyuynge pompe , pryde , & abhomynacyon , and superfluytes as afore was wryten / and thus this wycked counceyll of prelates conspyred a great insurreccyon and army of moch people / as the sone against the father and frend agaynst frend / & so toke the good Kyng Lowys , & put hym captyue at seysons in a stronge hold . And to this conspyrese was agreed , pope Gregory the .iiii. of his name bycause he was not benefyciall to the Churche of Rome at that tyme , and for redressyng many enormytꝭ . And not so benefycyall as he was to other Bysshops afore . And as the orator Raphael of voluntary testyfyeth of this wycked counceyll & companye assembled without auctoryte . And so there these traytours condempned this good kyng without auctoryte / & deposed hym frome all armes and out of his dignyte emperyal and dyspoyled hym of his Kynges rayment and put on hym a monkes kole in derysyon .

¶ O cursed & wycked Pharysyans / repleat with treason and ypocresy sacerdotall / howe can ye conspyre so great abhomynacyon and cruelty agaynst so good a kynge / for redressynge your Antecristian lyuynge / pompe & pryde / suerly this is not your fyrst cruelty for ye began with the hede that was our sauyour Iesu Christ whome ye shamfully crucyfyed and put to deth .

¶ And thus contynued the good kynge Lowys captyue indesolacyon amonge his ennemyes / tyll God prouyded for hym through good counceylles / & iustyce diuyne of Kynges and Prelates that he was restored to his originall tytle emperour and Kynge of Fraunce agayne .

AGaynst these counceylles the bysshop Benedict the .vii. of that name / caused to assemble another counceyll at Raynes in the which Arnulphus was restored to the byshoprych of Rayns and the vsurped bysshop deposed / which was after Archbysshop of Reuenna and syns bysshop of Rome by crafte and meanes of Diabolyke scyence wherin he was expert / yet notwithstandynge he ended his dayes myserably ,

THis holy bysshop of Rome Urban the .xii. of that name Abbot of Clunye a blacke monke and Cardynall of Hostyensis , was moued with pyte and compassyon thorow the lamentable complayntes of the worthy pylgr●me Peter the heremyte borne at Mens / the whiche came lately from the holy lande . And so informed Urban of the mys●ry and po●erte , & seruytude that crysten people were in there with the patryarke Symon in Ierusalem . So this complaynt herynge Urban , moued with compassyon & prepayred with all dylygence for succour & delyueraunce of them there beyng in the thraldom & daunger of Sarasyns , turkys , & Infidels , which crysten people laye in this thraldom from the tyme of Hiracle , whiche was the yere of our Lorde god . cccc.lxxx . or there aboute as platyne wryteth .

¶ And shortlye after Urban was in so greate trouble and veracyon amonge the Romayns , that they were fayne to flye out of Rome , and came in to Fraunce . And there was assembled throughe his commynge a great counceyll of all the Prelates of the Churche catholyke whiche was holden in the cytie of Cleremount in Ouernia . And some storyes sayth that Phillyp the fyrste of that name assembled another counceyll agaynst the Hollandes . And so whan the great councell of Urban the bysshop of rome was assembled in the holy Ghost / this sayde Urban made an excellent and elygant Oration to that assemble . And there therof breyfly & sentenciously I gadred as foloweth concernynge the vyage to Ierusalem for the delyueraunce and captyuyte of the crysten people .

¶ All ye honourable audyence here assembled ye shall vnderstande that I whiche haue taken on me vnworthy this entendeth to set good ordre and reformacyon in all thynge accordynge to the catholyke Relygyon of Chryste .

¶ It is not vnknowen to you what ingerys and losse hathe ben of late dayes in crystendome by Sarasyns and Infydellys without mercy or pytie / with great warres and battayllys / for the whiche remedy is there none but by force of armys / wherfore to redresse it as we and you be very C●tristyans stonde faste in the fayeth / and lette vs seke remedy for this pyteous tyranny that chrysten people do susteyne , and Remember the great dylygence that your predysessours hath had in this behalfe in tymes paste , And spetyally ye nobles of Fraunce , whiche hath alwaye susteyned agaynst the Infydelys , also you Germayns & Saxons & Polax , Bohemys , and hungaryon and Englysshe nacyon ye shulde not suffer this tyranny vpon Chrysten people so pyteously also ye Italyons shulde remembre what paynes and tyranny your predycessoures frendes of late dayes hath suffred by them also ye venecyans & ye of Dalmase and of Hystrye / and al ye bourderars of the Ardryatyque sees whiche haue alwaye valyantly defended the malyse & power of the Sarasyns / now apply your selfe withal other princes to withstande this cruell Infydellys or els ye shall se your chyldren / your wyfes / your goods / and lyues , vtterly destroyed by cruelty , wherfore awake all ye valyaunt personage and we humbly desyre you in the mercy of God / put on your armyes & sprede forth your standardes and Baners & set forth your compaynyes with great courage / and God that is most puysaunt shal be with you & send his omnypotent powre to ayed & strength you in all your wayes & to confounde all that shall withstande you .