¶ A declaration of maister William Nagareta, made against Pope Boniface the eight, with his appellation also made at Paris, afore the kyng and his Counsaile in the Church of Paris.
* 1.1IN the name of God Amen. In the yeare of our Lorde. 1303. Indictione secunda, the 12. day of March, and the ix. yeare of the Popedome, of the most holy father the L. Bo∣niface the 8. by Gods prouidence pope: and in the presence of vs common notaries, and witnesses written vnder, the noble man maister William Nagareta knight (a worship∣full professour of the lawes) standing afore the most excel∣lent Prince the Lord Philip, by the grace of God most no∣ble king of Fraunce:* 1.2 spake with liuely words, and gaue in writinges these thinges that follow.
There haue bene false Prophetes among the people: as there haue bene also among you false teachers. &c. S. Peter the glori∣ous prince of the Apostles, speaking to vs by the spirite, tolde vs thinges to come: that likewise as there were false Prophetes afore tyme, so there should come among you false teachers, bringing in sectes of destruction: by the which the way of trueth shall be defa∣ced: and couetously they shall make marchandise of you with fay∣ned wordes: and further addeth, that such maisters did follow the way of Balaam, of Bosor, whiche loued the reward of wickednes, and had hys bridled Asse to correct hys madnes, whiche speaking in a mans voyce did stop the foolishnes of the Prophet. All which thinges as they be shewed to vs by the greatest Patriarch himself: Your eyes see them fulfilled this day according to the letter. For there fitteth in S Peters Chaire the mayster of lyes, causing him∣selfe to be called Boniface. 1. a well doer, where he is notable in all kinde of euill doyng: And so both he hath taken to himselfe a false name, and where he is not a true ruler and maister, he cal∣leth himselfe the Lord, Iudge, and mayster of all men. And com∣ming in contrary to the common order appoynted by the holy fathers, and also contrary to the rules of reason, and so not en∣tring in at the doore into the Lordes shepefold, is not a shepheard nor hierling, but rather a theefe & robber. For he (the true husbād of the Romish church yet liuing) deceiued him that was delighted in simplicitie, & entised him with fayned flatterings & gifts to let him haue his spouse to be his wife,* 1.3 let no man separate: & at length laying violent handes vppon hym, perswading him falsely that thing which the deceiuer sayd to come from the holy spirite: was not ashamed to ioyne to himselfe with wicked practise that holye Church, which is maistresse of all Churches, calling hymselfe to her husband, where as he cannot be: for Celestinus the true Ro∣mish Byshop, agreed not to the said deuorce, being deceiued by so great subtiltie, nothing is so contrary to agreeing as errour and deceit, as mans lawes beare witnes, that I neede not to speake of his violence. But because the spirite inspireth where he will, and he that is led with the spirite, is not vnder the lawe, the holy vni∣uersall Church of God, not knowing the craftes of that deceiuer, stumbling and doubting whether it came from the holy ghost, that Celestinus should leaue of his gouernment, and the sinnes of the people deseruing it, for feare of a schisme, suffered the foresaid de∣ceauer: although according to the doctrine of our Lord, by hys fruites he might be knowne, whether he came to the say'd regi∣ment by the holy ghost or otherwise: his fruites (as it is playnely here written beneath) are now manifest to all men, by which it is apparaunt to the worlde, that he came not in by God but other∣wayes: and so came not in by the sheepefould. His fruites are most wicked, and hys ende is death, and therefore it is necessary that so euill a tree (according to the Lordes saying) should be cut downe and cast into the fire. This cānot auaile to his excuse, which is said of some men, that is: that the Cardinals did agree vpon him: agayn after the death of the sayd Celestinus the pope, seing he could not be her husband, whom it is manifest that he defiled by adultery, her first husband yet liuing, & she beyng worthy to haue the pro∣mise of mariage kept vnto her. Therefore, because that whiche is done agaynst the Lord, turneth to the wrong of all men: and spe∣cially in so great a mischiefe, by reason of the consequence by which she is iudged of the people both a woman adultres or de∣famed: I like a bridle Asse by the power of the Lord, and not by the voyce of a perfect mā, being not able to bear so great a burdé, take in hand to rebuke the madnes of the sayd false Prophet Ba∣laam, whiche at the instaunce of kyng Balaac. 1. of the Prince of deuils,* 1.4 whom he serueth, and ready to cursie the people blessed of the Lord, I beseeche you most excellent Prince, and Lord Phillip by the grace of God king of Fraunce: that like as the Aungell of God in tyme past mette in the way with a sword drawne, the pro∣phet Balaam goyng to curse Gods people: so you (whiche are vn∣willing to execute iustice, and therefore like the Aungell of the Lorde, and minister of power and office) woulde meete with a naked sworde this sayde wicked man: whiche is farre worse then Balaam, that he performe not that euill whiche he intendeth to the people.
First, I propound that the foresayd man,* 1.5 that nameth himselfe Boniface is no Pope, but wrongfully keepeth the fear which he hath in deede to the great damage of all the soules of Gods holy Church. I say also, yt his entring was many waies faulty, and he entred not in at the doore, but o∣therwaies, and therfore is to be iudged a theefe & a robber.
2. I propound also, that the sayde Boniface is a manifest hereticke, and vtterly cut off from the body of the holy Church, because of many kindes of heresies, whiche are to be declared in conuenient tyme and place.
3. I propound also, that the sayde Boniface is an horrible simoniacall, & such a one as hath not bin sithens the begin∣ning of the world: and the mischiefe of this sinne in him is so notorious to all the world (whiche thing is manifest to all that will playnly vnderstand) in so much that he beyng openly slaūdered, said openly that he could not commit si∣mony.
4. I propound also,* 1.6 that the sayd Boniface being wrapt in infinite manifest haynous sinnes, is so hardened in thē, that he is vtterly not possible to be corrected: and lying in doungeon of mischiefe so deepe, that he may not be suffered any longer without the ouerthrow of the state of ye church. His mouth is full of cursing, his feete and steps are swift to shed bloud. He vtterly teareth in peeces the Churches, which he ought to cherishe, wasting wickedly the goodes of the poore, & making much of wicked men that geue hym rewardes: persecuting the righteous, and among the peo∣ple not gathering but scattering, bringing in new sectes of destruction that haue not bene heard of.* 1.7 Blaspheming the way of truth, and by robbery thinking himselfe equall to yt Lord Iesus Christ which is blessed for euer. And he beyng most couetous thirsteth for gold, couereth gold, & by some deuise getteth gold of euery people: & vtterly not regardig the worshipping of God, with sayned wordes sometimes by flattering, sometimes by threatning, sometime by false teaching, and all to get mony withall, he maketh marchā∣dise of vs all: enuying all thinges but hys owne, louing no man, nourishing warre, persecuting & hating the peace of