Iurisdiction regall, episcopall, papall Wherein is declared how the Pope hath intruded vpon the iurisdiction of temporall princes, and of the Church. The intrusion is discouered, and the peculiar and distinct iurisdiction to each properly belonging, recouered. Written by George Carleton.

The state of Venice.

155. IT were too long to recompt all the mischiefes and miseries, that the Popes Excommunications haue brought vpon Christendome; I haue collected the chiefe and most eminent, and will end this discourse with the memory of that affliction and desolation which the Pope brought vpon the Venetians. Iul•…•…s the second, following the steppes of his predecessours, brought an armie before Bononia, besieged the towne, and tooke it. The familie of the Bentiuoli he vtterly ruinated, killing some, banishing other: When thus hee had ouerthrowne the Bentiuoli. Then he set himselfe in like sort, to root out the Venetian name: Ad venet•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 excidiu•…•…, saith 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The better to effect the malice against the Venetians, he drew 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Emperour, the French King, the King of Spaine, the Duke of Ferrara, and the Duke of Mantua into a league: when first himselfe had excommuni∣cated and c•…•…sed them, hee set all these vpon them at once. The Pope made choice of a fit time to doe them the greatest hurt he could: for a little before this the state of Venice was brought so low, that a weake enemie might soone haue •…•…dan∣gered

them; hauing had their whole army brought vnto Inter∣necion at Abdua: after that ouerthrowen in a great battell, by Lewes the French King; their chiefe generals, Liuianus ta∣ken prisoner; Petilianus put to flight. The Pope tooke the ad∣uantage of this their weakenesse, and seeing them falling, labo∣red to thrust them headlong, that they might neuer be able to rise againe. M•…•…ximilian tooke Verona, Vicetia, Padway, Carni; the French King surprised Bergamum, Brixia, Cremona, & Cre∣ma: the Spaniard wan Tranum, Monopolis, and Barletta in A∣pulia. The Popes share was Rauenna, Ariminum, & all Aemilia. The Duke of Ferrara got Rodigium: and the Duke of Mantua Asula. Thus was that noble state brought in manner to vtter ruine.

156. Iulius hauing thus satisfied his malice, and obtained his purpose in some measure against the Venetians, being ledde by a spirit that would giue him no rest, began to turne his furi∣ous wrath in like sort against 〈◊〉〈◊〉, contrary to his faith often promised, and confirmed in the publike assembly of the States. And so furious was this Vicar of Christ, that himselfe led the Army, vsing these words, as hee went out of Rome: that seeing Saint Peters keyes would not preuaile, hee would trie what Saint Pauls sword could doe: and so hee threw the keyes into Tiber.

157. And thus when the Princes of Christendome shall re∣compt their miseries, the spo•…•…le and desolation of their king∣domes, the ruine of auncient houses, the vexation of their sub∣iects, the circumuention of their persons, the ex•…•…irpation and extermination of many noble families, the bloody warre, and by reason of warres, all the troubles and calamities of Christen∣dome: then must the Pope come to remembrance (with his excommunication as a firebrand in his hand, taken out of the infernall pit, and carried in the handes of these furies) who onely hath brought all these troubles vpon the Princes of the earth: so that since the time that hee began to exercise his ex∣communication against Princes, there hath not beene much warres in these westerne parts of Christendome; but such as the Pope himselfe hath raised, dashing one Prince against another;

when first he had cast them into a deadly sleepe to make them insensible of the wrongs which hee hath done them: but when they are awaked out of their sleepe, they will remember all. For the Popes as the great conspiratours against the States of Princes, haue set Friars their resolute creatures to practise all se∣cret treasons against the persons of Princes. And because this cannot be done without great bloodshed, they come resolued to shed blood like hungry wolues: so headlong are they carried herein, seeking a temporall Iurisdiction ouer Princes, secretly by the conspirac•…•…e of Friars, openly by their excommunicati∣ons: that if the world should stand long, before the Pope with his Babylon be ouerthrowen, wee haue reason to thinke that the Popes will in time vtterly cast off and reiect the maske of religion, wherewith they couer their practises now, and will in plaine tearmes quarrell the Princes of Christendome, for their Temporall right and Iurisdiction. And then will the Princes thinke it is time for them to awake.

Notes

• Onuphr. Iul. 2.