The brutish thunderbolt: or rather feeble fier-flash of Pope Sixtus the fift, against Henrie the most excellent King of Nauarre, and the most noble Henrie Borbon, Prince of Condie Togither with a declaration of the manifold insufficiencie of the same. Translated out of Latin into English by Christopher Fetherstone minister of Gods word.

Of feigned religions.

THe third argument of the popes im∣pietie remaineth. For although we haue both a forme of Christian religion, and also to worship God, prescribed both by Christ and also by his apostles, and though we haue the same deliuered vnto vs in the bookes of the new Testament, and God doth accurse those so often, which bring in feigned religions into the Church: yet the papacie hath brought in new inuentions of religion, so absurd and rediculous, that

in so great calamitie we must notwith∣standing giue thankes to the immortall God, that he hath suffered so great wicked∣nes to befall the dull wits alone. The in∣uentions of religions are these in a ma∣ner: first the innumerable troupes of Munks, as Augustinians, Battuti, Bene∣dictines, Bernardines, Carmelites, Capu∣chines, Cartusians, Caelestines, Domini∣cans, of ignorant Friers, Franciscans, Hieronymitans, Maturines: of which euerye order hath his particular forme of cowléd gownes distinct from the rest, and of diuers colors: euery one of them haue their proper and seuerall prescript forms to worship their Gods, and (as they say in plaine words) their prescript forms of their religion, their rites and ordinan∣ces, far vnlike to the rest. Yet there is such a multitude of them, that in our Europe the number is thought to amount to fiue hundred thousand. Which we may easily coniecture. For Sabellicus hath left in writing *, that the sect of Franciscans did so swarme throughout the whole world, that there were of them fortie prouinces, and that vnder euerie one there were sun∣dry kéepers of the conuent (Wardons they

call them) and thréescore thousand men. So that the maister of the whole order, which they call their generall, hath often∣times béen heard promise the pope, at such time as he was to set out an army against the Turke, of the familie of the Seraphi∣call Francis thirtie thousand men of war, which coulde play their parts stoutly in the wars: without any hinderance of the holie seruice. Againe, their inuentions of miracles and doctrines are so false, that now the most of them are not onelie wea∣rie, but also ashamed of so great follie. Nei∣ther would it séeme to be a thing like to be true in any mans iudgement at this time, that the vanitie of mankind was so great in times past, and that the darknes of re∣ligion was so great, vnlesse there were proofes héerof extant more cléere than the sunne. For no man in déed denieth, that amongst the Romans, and other profane nations there were most absurd inuenti∣ons of religions: but sillie men liued then in cruell and darke clouds, and as it were in a night when the moone shineth not, that is, without any moniments of holie scripture. But when as the same bookes of scripture were extant, where Christ gaue

light to mankind as the sunne beame, who would thinke, that sathan and the pope could preuaile so much by their messen∣gers, that in so great light, they should not∣withstanding blind mens eies, and as it were kéepe them fast bound with bands? Go to then, let vs also fet out of the moni∣ments of the Franciscans and Domini∣cans some examples of this kind of forge∣rie. For séeing this pope Sixtus came out of that crew and sinke, we must sée what maner forme of religion he bringeth vs out of that schoole. Therfore let be ranged in the first ranke that common oracle, which we wil prooue out of the booke of the Conformities of Francis, to be commonly receiued and approoued in the church of Rome, that Francis sonne of Peter Ber∣nardo, was in a trance conioined with Christ, and had as many stripes & marks, and was pricked by Christ in the selfsame places, as Christ had when he hanged vp∣on the crosse: and that for this cause he was called the Typicall Iesus: that is, as it were a type and figure of Christ crucified. So that as the seale or print maketh a marke in the wax, so Christ did imprint his wounds in the bodie of Francis: like

Iesus Christ is the image of the father, so is Francis the image of Christ: finally, that Christ appéereth in the bodie of Fran∣cis as the image in the glasse. Wherupon commeth that wicked and blasphemous verse in the beginning of the same booke:

Francisce, Iesu typice, dux normáque minorum, Sedes nobis perpetuè da regni coelorum.

Francis whom Typicall Iesus we call, The captaine and rule of Minorites all, Grant vs in heauen places perpetuall.

And now that euery one may vnderstand what maner marking that was, which the church of Rome setteth downe to be belée∣ued of all the faithfull, it is woorth the pains to marke the very words of the wri∣ter: or rather of our Frier pope Sixtus, which hath decréed that that writer be be∣léeued, and reuerenced commonly. For he saith *, Not onelie his hands and feet, were bo∣red, but also nailed, so that the nailes might be seene in them. Againe, the heads of the nailes were blacke: whereas notwithstanding they should haue beene like to the flesh or sinewes, whereof they were made: thirdly, the heads of the nailes were very long, and turned backe againe, wheras notwithstanding there was nei∣ther

hammer nor stroke: fourthly, the marks were imprinted in a bonie place, and not in any soft place: fiftly, though the nailes were fleshie, or sinowie, yet were they hard as iron, strong & solid: sixtlie, the nailes themselues were not short, hauing onely tops or heads, but they were long, and went through: seauentlie, the nailes did not sticke out on the other side, but they turned backe, so that you might thrust your finger in vnder the crooke and bent thereof: eightlie, though the nailes were made of flesh or nerues, and were bent on both sides of his feet and hands, and were longer than they were thicke, truely neither his handes nor his feete were disfigured or drawen togither: ninthlie, the nailes were on euery side seperate from the other flesh, so that there were tents put in on e∣uerie side, to stay the blood: tenthlie, the nailes did wag, and yet they could not be remooued from his handes or feete, though S. Clare and others had assaied to do this: eleuently, the markes of the nailes and of his side during this long time were not putrified, namely for the space of two yeeres and vpward: tweltfthlie, the wound of his side was like the wound of Christs side. Moreouer it was a woonder how S. Fran∣cis (seeing his paine was so great by reason of the opening of his bodie in fiue places, namelie

in his hands, feet, and side, and the blood issued thence continually) could liue so long, to wit a∣boue two yeeres, all which time he liued after he had gotten his markes. Our cowled frier hearest thou this, who séeing thou hast so manie yéeres béene a generall chiefetane of the Franciscane order, and a great maister, hast taught these fables in thy schooles, being now the chiefe stay and top of the same order, and being become the pastour of the vniuersall church (as thou saiest) thou goest about to deliuer vnto vs these same monsters in stéed of diuine ora∣cles? What? If there were in thée and thy Franciscanes any shame or shamefastnes, should there remaine & continue at Blese a noble citie in France, that wicked su∣perscription written openlie vppon the church doores touching Francis Bernardo: His sinne shall be sought: And it shall not be founde? But it delighteth vs a little to de∣clare whence these oracles haue their au∣thoritie. For a few lines after he writeth thus: The deuill saide, that when Christ sawe that Francis was giuen him to be the standerd-bearer of so great an order, he imprinted in him the markes of his wounds, and the nailes in his hands and feet, and the wound in his right side.

Thus saith the deuill. And why it was done, the deuill being coniured by a certaine priest to tell the troth, after more things, by the mouth of a woman abiding at Rauenna, called Santese, saith thus: There be two in heauen that are marked, namelie Christ, & stout Francis. Ther∣fore when Christ knew that he would giue stout Francis the bull of his markes, he did not suf∣fer him to receiue a bull from the pope, made with mans hands. Thus said the deuill. These words are written in as many letters out of the same book of Conformities. Wher∣by we may vnderstand what authoritie is due to these oracles, and to this woorthy testimonie of theirs vttered by sathan: al∣though neither Christ, neither yet his apo∣stles could abide that he should beare anie witnes of them. Now let the noble and fa∣mous Counsellors of France consider ac∣cording to their singular wisedome, séeing that Sixtus the fourth, and Sixtus the fift, being both Franciscanes, and presidentes of the Franciscanes, & many other popes haue brought in these forged and blasphe∣mous fables into the church, and haue confirmed them so long by their authori∣tie, and do so greatly confirm them at this day, whether they be iustly or vniustlie

condemned by the most part of Chri∣stendome, of impietie and wickednesse. Whereof that they may the more com∣modiouslie consider, we wil also adde ano∣ther place out of the same booke, where it is thus written: Francis was bodilie lifted up in the holie mountaine of Aluerne, as frier Leo his fellow saw him. For somtimes he found him in the aire, lifted vp so high, that he could scarse touch his feete, and then he did imbrace them with teares: sometimes he found him lif∣ted vp from the earth; halfe as high as bee∣ches: sometimes he founde him lifted vp so high that he could scarce see him. And frier Leo did oftentimes finde him speaking with Christ. O good Iesu! Who is he that doth not shake euerie iointe when he heareth these monsters of words? For what other thing is it to deliuer these things to the people in sermons, than to make Francis a bodied God, and to set him foorth to be worshipped of the people of Christ? And yet there followe more cruell, and filthy things. For Francis himselfe is brought in speaking thus. After these things Christ Iesus crucified, laid his hands to my bodie, and first to mine hands, and secondlie to my feete, thirdlie, I felt the marke of his side with great

paine: and he did imprint them euery time, when I cried out sore, and he told me certaine secret words, which I neuer told any as yet. Doth our cowled Sixtus thinke that there is any so void of vnderstanding in this our age, that he doth beléeue these blasphe∣mous and wicked fables? Doth he thinke that the Counsellers of the king of France and the Senators of the Parleament are so dull and sottish, that they do not detest these wicked inuentions togither with their author the sonne of Peter Bernardo? Vnlesse peraduenture some man will say, these things are shut vp in the selfe-same cloisters and prisons of Munks, and are kept in as mysteries of Ceres, there where they first tooke their beginning: and that no man is at this day so void of wit, that he doth not know that these are old wiues fables, and dreams of doterels. But on the other side behold, we haue in our hands the fearfull decrées of the popes, wherein they most sharply forbid that no man pre∣sume to doubt of the credit of these histo∣ries: and they decrée that they be receiued in the catholike Church of Rome: that if any man thinke otherwise, he be counted an heretike and a schismatike. For in the

same booke , it is thus written: Pope Gre∣gorie the 9. hath made sundry buls of the holi∣nes of S. Francis and his marks, wherein he af∣firmeth that S. Francis had truly in his bodie imprinted by Christ the marks of the L. Iesus; And he commandeth all the faithfull to hold this, and to beleeue it, and that the wise man opposing himselfe against it, be punished for an heretike. The Lord Alexander the fourth, who saw the marks of S. Francis with his owne eies, whiles S. Francis was yet aliue, speaketh thus in his bull. The eies that sawe faithfully, saw, and the most sure fingers of those that handled, felt, the marks in the bodie of the same S. whiles he was yet liuing. Thirdly, the L. pope Nicolas the 3. gaue the like bul. Fourth∣ly, the L. pope Benedict the 12. And forasmuch as the determination of the holie Church of Rome is most true and certain (for the Church of Rome must be followed as a mistresse in all things: and he that speaketh against hir is counted an heretike , bicause she hath neuer erred frō the path of the apostolike tradition , vnto which we must haue recourse in doubtful and hard matters *, and she is of force to iudge all, and none is permitted to iudge hir *) and the same church of Rome hath declared that S. Francis was marked by Christ, as it appee∣reth

by the foresaid buls. Wherefore this must be holden most firmly as true, and he that hol∣deth the contrarie must be despised of all as an heretike: and especially seeing the foresaid two popes Gregorie and Alexander did not onelie see it with their owne eies, but do also expresse∣ly say that it hath beene witnessed by witnesses woorthie of credit. And streightway. Sixtly, the marking of S. Francis is made authenticall euen by the testimonie of the wicked spirits, of whom we haue spoken before. Thus far out of the booke of the Conformities, so that all men may now plainly sée, that it is not for nothing that we do so greatly vrge these things. For our frier the excommunicator of kings and princes will not suffer these things to be counted but trifles: especially séeing he hath tumbled so long in the filth of the Franciscans, and doth now professe himselfe to be a patrone and defender of that order, and commandeth that they be counted heretikes, which will not beléeue and highly estéeme of the church of Rome in all points. Whereof that no man may doubt, these things are taught not in one place of that booke, that is fol. 234. but e∣uen in the verie entrie of the booke also *, in these words: In what saint was the mon∣strous

marking made? Surely in none other, but in our holie father Francis: as the church of Rome doth auouch, and commandeth the faith∣full to beleeue. Secondly, pope Benedict also granted the order a feast to be celebrated and kept for the marks. Moreouer Antoninus bishop of Florence saith thus: Pope Alex∣ander the 4. anno 1254. taking into his speciall protection immediately the mount of Aluerne bicause of the impression of the holie marks made there in the bodie of S. Francis, and ma∣king the same subiect to the church of Rome, and giuing S. Francis great commendation, he gaue an effectuall commandement that the fri∣ers should neuer forsake that holie mountaine. The same yeere being at Anagnia, he sent a seruant to carrie letters to the faithfull ser∣uants of Christ, according to the tenor of Gre∣gorie the 9. touching the holie marks of Saint Francis, wherein he affirmeth that he saw them with his owne eies. Also he sent other letters to the Archbishop of Genua, commanding that he should personally cite and call before him those that had maliciously put out the marks of the image of S. Francis in the church of S. Marie and ministerie of S. Xistus, to be punished as they had deserued, inhibiting vnder danger of cursing, that no man heereafter should attempt

to do the like. Nicolas the third being pope a∣bout the yeer 1280. sent letters to al the faith∣full seruants of Christ, containing a certaine te∣stimonie of the holie marks of Francis. Thus writeth Antoninus. So that no man ought now to doubt, but that all Christi∣ans, especially so long as this Franciscane frier beareth rule in the Church, must pre∣pare themselues either to abide the pu∣nishment appointed for schismatikes and heretikes: or else to imbrace these inuen∣tions of the Franciscanes for diuine ora∣cles, giuen by the church of Rome. And that we may haue other and more com∣modious store of choice, it séemeth not vn∣appertinent, to cite out of the same booke of Conformities certaine other notable things, such as is that: A certaine citizen, saith he, slept, and was rapt vp into heauen, where he saw Christ and S. Marie, and other Saints, all which went as they go on procession, giuing reuerence to Christ and his mother. But when he saw not S. Francis, he said to the An∣gell that led him, where is S. Francis with his crue in this place? The Angell answered; Ta∣rie, and thou shalt see S. Francis, and in what state he is, and he saw: and behold Christ lif∣ted vp his right arme, and out of the wound in

his side came Saint Francis with the banner of the crosse displaied in his hands, and after him a great multitude of friers, and others. Then that citizen gaue his goods to the friers, and he became a frier minor. Also: S. Francis making a representation of the natiuitie, had Christ in his armes, and whiles he praied the virgin that she would grant him comfort of hir sonne Iesus, the most beautifull virgin hir selfe stood by him, and gaue him to S. Francis to hold in his armes and kisse, from the euening till it was day. Some will say these are toies: and very bables: but these trifles (as it was somtimes said) are counted among them matters of weight. Also by these we vn∣derstand how wickedly these former popes haue mocked the Church of Christ in fei∣ning religions, vsing the helpe of one Bar∣tholomew Pisanus in patching these fa∣bles togither, and in forcing them vpon the vnskilfull multitude in stéed of holie scripture. What? Whether may we call these trifles, or rather detestable and exe∣crable things, which are written in these words: Francis was more than Iohn the Bap∣tist, bicause Iohn Baptist was onelie a preacher of repentance: Francis was both a preacher, and also an ordainer of the order of Repentance. He

was a fore-runner of Christ: Francis was a preacher and standerd-bearer of Christ, wher∣in he surmounteth Iohn Baptist. Also, Francis went before Iohn, bicause he conuerted more vnto the Lord, and in more places, namely in the whole world. Iohn preached but two yeeres and a little more: but Francis preached eigh∣teene yeeres. Iohn receiued the word of repen∣tance from the Lord: Francis receiued it both from the Lord and the pope: thats more. It was told by an Angel to Iohn Baptists father, it was declared by the holie Ghost and the prophets what a one he should be. But S. Francis was de∣clared to his mother and the seruants in the shape of a stranger by the prophets, the Lord Ie∣sus Christ, and also by an Angell. S. Iohn pro∣phesied in and without his mothers wombe: S. Francis foretold with ioy in the wombe, that is, being prisoner at Perusius, that he should bee some great man. S. Iohn was the friend of the bridegroome: S. Francis was like the Lord Ie∣sus Christ. Iohn was the most singular in the world for holines: Francis was the most excel∣lent of all other with Christ, for the conformitie of his marks. S. Iohn was aduanced in the Sera∣phicall order: S. Francis was placed in the ve∣rie same order in the place of Lucifer. What is it to mocke Christian religion, and to

deride the sacred historie of S. Iohn Bap∣tist, if this be not? O God, thou Lord of vengeāce, how long wilt thou suffer these monsters of popes to mocke thy most holie maiestie so reprochfully? How long wilt thou suffer them to rage in thine holie temple? But surely there is another place in that same storehouse of blasphemies, al∣most more detestable. For * he saith: Fran∣cis is better than the Apostles, bicause they for∣sooke onely their ship and other things, but yet not their garments, which they had on their backe. But S. Francis did not onely forsake all earthly things: but he did also cast from him his clothes and breeches, and offered himselfe being cleane both in bodie and mind, to the arms of the crucified: which we read not of any other Saint. Wherefore he might well saie to Christ, I haue forsaken all, and followed thee. Where be those Pharaos, and the woorser champions of the Pharaos, which count the iuggling casts of the magitians better than the miracles of Moses: and make semblance that they take delight in these munkish monsters, that they may remoue the vnskilfull people from reading the ho∣lie scripture, and from studieng the same, and that they may abuse their subiects as

beasts? And yet these things were belée∣ued in former ages: and no maruell, sith Paul foretold so plainely that Antichrist should come with the effectuall working of satan, with all power, and signes, and li∣eng woonders: and with all fraud of vn∣righteousnes, in those that perish, bicause they receiued not the loue of the truth, that they might be saued. Therfore God shall send vnto them the efficacie of deceit, that they may beléeue a lie: that all that haue not beléeued the truth, may be con∣demned.

Notes

• Ennead. 9. li. 6.
• Fol. 228.
• Fol. 230. col. 4. & fol. 231. col. 1.
• Fol. 231.
• Fol. 232.
• Dist. 22. c. omnes.
• Fol. 234. col. 3.
• Dist. 11. in fi. dist. 12. c. 1. & seq. & dist. 22. c. reputatur dist. 22. ca. omnes in fine.
• 24. q. 1.
• dist. 11. c. pa∣lam. dist. 12. c. praecep. 24. q. 1. c. quo∣ties. 11. q. 3. episcop. § Sola. 17. q. 4. nemini.
• Col. 3.
• Fol. 234.
• Fol. 3.
• Lib. hist. 3. tit. 24. § 10.
• Fol. 66.
• Fol. 2.
• Fol. 18.
• Fol. 39.
• 2. Thes. 2.