Part 14

After he had been in confinement at Munich three years, to the astonishment of every one, he was released, and made cardinal and bishop of Tusculum, by Pope Martin V., whose feet he submissively came to kiss at Florence. Shortly afterwards, in the year 1419, he died there, and was buried with great pomp and solemnity in the church of St. John the Baptist. After he had thus received his sentence, the other two popes were summoned; of whom Gregory XII., who resided at Rimini, sent Charles Maletesta thither, with instructions to abdicate voluntarily in his name the papal dignity; in reward of which he was made a legate in Marca d’Ancona, where he subsequently died of a broken heart, at Racanay, a seaport on the Adriatic Sea.

Benedict XIII., the pope at Avignon, remained obstinate in his purpose, so that neither entreaties nor threats, nor the authority of the council could move him, to submit, or lay down his office, for the tranquillity of all Christendom. See the aforementioned _Chronicle, 15th Book, for the year 1415. page 773. col. 2. and 774. col. 1._

NOTE.--Pope Benedict XIII., through the incitation of the King of France, and the University of Paris, sent his legates to Pope Boniface IX.; but they received as an answer, that their master could not properly be called a pope, but an antipope; whereupon they refuted him. See _De Ondergang, 15th Book, Anno 1404. page 757. col. 1._

Here it is proper to note what the last mentioned author narrates concerning the plurality of the popes, who existed at one and the same time.

“Besides this,” he writes, “It is related that there were sometimes four, sometimes three, and sometimes two popes at the same time.”

Victor, Alexander III., Calixtus III., and Paschalis, possessed together the papal authority, at the time of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa; and also Benedict VIII., Sylvester II., and Gregory V. were popes together, till finally, Henry III. deposed them.

Likewise Gregory XII., Benedict XIII., and Alexander V. arrogated, by excommunications, the papal authority.[60]

[60] Concerning this matter, P. J. Twisk gives this account: “At this time there were three popes at once, namely, Gregory XII., Benedict XIII., and Alexander V. Thus was the great city, the spiritual Babylon, divided into three parts, as a token of its approaching fall. _Chron. for the year 1409. page 762. col. 1._

Further, how Stephen III. and Constantine, Sergius III. and Christophorus, Urbanus V. and Clemens VII., Eugene IV. and Clemens VIII., and many other popes, whom to mention it would take too long, strove and contended with each other for the triple crown, their own historians have sufficiently elucidated. See in _the 9th Book of the Chronicle for the year 891. page 315. col 2. from the tract, Den Onpartijdigen Rechter_.

HOW THE ROMAN CHAIR STOOD VACANT.

As great as was at times the inordinate desire manifested by some for the possession of the chair of papal dominion, so great was at other times the negligence and aversion as regards the promotion of the same cause;[61] for it occasionally happened that the chair stood vacant for a considerable time, in consequence of the contentions and dissensions of the cardinals; so that the whole Roman church was without a head; without which, as the papists themselves assert, it cannot subsist.

[61] Where no true foundation is, there is no stability; this is apparent here: for as immoderate as they were in seeking to possess the Roman chair, so immoderate they were also in leaving it vacant.

In order to demonstrate this matter, we shall (so as not to intermix all sorts of writers) adduce the various notes of P. J. Twisk, who gives information in regard to this subject from Platina’s Registers of the Popes, and other celebrated papistic authors, in his _Chronicle_, printed _Anno 1617 at Hoorn_; from which we shall briefly extract the following instances, and present them to the reader.

We shall, however, omit brief periods of a few days, weeks, or months, and pass on to intervals of more than a year, which, consequently, are not reckoned by months, or still lesser periods. In this we shall begin with the shortest period, and end with the longest.

On _page 225, col. 1_, mention is made of pope Martin I. (in the Register the seventy-sixth), that he was carried away a prisoner by Constantine, emperor at Constantinople, and sent into exile, where he died; whereupon the chair stood vacant for over a year. _Ex. Hist. Georg; lib. 4. Platin. fol. 135. Zeg. fol. 224, 225._

_Page 260, col. 2_, the same writer relates of Paul I. (the ninety-fifth in the Register), that he excommunicated Constantine V., who had thrown the images out of the church; and that Constantine, not heeding this, in his turn excommunicated the pope; whereupon the latter died, and the Roman chair was without an occupant, and the church without a head, one year and one month. _Ex. Platinæ Regist. Pap. fol. 166. hist. Georg. lib. 4. Franc. Allars. fol. 54._

After that he makes mention of pope Honorius I. (in the Register the seventy-second), that he, having instituted the exaltations of the Holy Cross, the Saturday processions, which had to be held at Rome, the special prayers in the invocation of the departed saints, etc., was deposed by a certain council at Constantinople; and that, he having died, the chair at Rome was vacant for one year and seven months. See above mentioned _Chronicle, page 218. col. 1. ex hist. Georg. lib. 4. Franc. Ala. Reg. fol. 44. Platin. Succ. Papæ. fol. 130._

When Pope John XXIV. was deposed on account of his wicked life and ungodly conduct, and placed in confinement somewhere, in the time of emperor Sigismund and the council of Constance, there was for the time of two years and five months no one who took charge of the papal government; hence the chair was without an occupant for that length of time. See aforementioned _Chronicle, for the year 1411, p. 769. col. 1. ex Fasc. Temp. fol. 187. Platin. fol. 401. Onuf. fol. 406. 417. Hist. Eccl. Casp. Hedio. part. 3. lib. 11. Chronol. Leonh. lib. 6. Joh. Stumpff. fol. 21. Hist. Georg. lib. 9. Hist. Mart. Adr. fol. 53. to 66. Jan Crisp. fol. 356. to 175. Zeg. fol. 326._

Moreover, twice it happened, that for the space of about three years no one was pope, or general head of the Roman church; first, after the deposition of Pope Benedict XIII. of Avignon; secondly, before the election of Otto Calumna, called Martin V., thus named because he was consecrated or ordained on St. Martin’s day. Concerning the first time, see _P. J. Twisk, Chron. for the year 1415. page 774 col. 1_; concerning the second, see in the same book, for the year 1417, or two years afterwards _p. 781. col. 1._ compared with _Fasc. Temp. fol. 187. Platin. fol. 470. Hist. Georg. lib. 6. Mern. fol. 913. Seb. Fr._ (old edition) _fol. 31._

After the death of Pope Nicholas I. (the 108th in the Register), information is obtained from Platina, according to the account of various other authors, relative to the condition of the Roman church at that time; namely, that she had no pope or head, for eight years, seven months and nine days. Compare _Plat. Reg. Pap. fol. 197._ with _Georg. hist. lib. 5. Joh. Munst. fol. 14. Mern. fol. 556. Francisc. Ala. fol. 60._ Also, _P. J. Twisk, Chron. 9th Book, edition of 1617. p. 297. col. 2._

OF THE UNGODLY LIFE AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT OF SOME OF THE POPES.

Many of the ancient writers, even good Romanists, are so replete with the manifold ungodly and extremely disorderly conduct of some of those who occupied the papal chair, and are placed in the Register of the true successors of Peter, that one hardly knows how to begin, much less how to end.[62]

[62] Besides what is told in the body of the work concerning the ungodly life and disorderly conduct of some popes, it is related by other authors, that some of them were accused (even by those of the Roman church) of heresy, and apostasy from the Roman faith. From _Platina’s Register of the Popes, number 37_, is adduced the apostasy of pope Liberius to the tenets of the Arians; which happened in this wise: The emperor, being at that time tainted with the tenets of the Arians, deposed pope Liberius, and sent him into exile ten years. But when Liberius, overcome by the grievousness of his misery, became infected with the faith and the confession of the Arian sect, he was victoriously reinstated by the emperor, into his papal chair at Rome. Compare _Chron. Platinæ_ (old edition) _fol. 73. Fasc. Temp. fol. 102. Chron. Holl. div. 2. cap. 20._ with _P. J. Twisk, Chron. 4th Book, for the year 353. page 150. col. 2._

Concerning the apostasy of pope Anastasius II. to the tenets of Achacius, bishop of Constantinople, and, consequently, to the Nestorians, we find, from various Roman authors, this annotation: Anastasius was at first a good Christian, but was afterwards seduced by the heretic Achacius, bishop of Constantinople. This was the second pope of bad repute who adhered to the heresy of Nestorius, even as Liberius adhered to the heresy of Arius. _Plat. Regist. Pap. fol. 100. Fasc. Temp. fol. 113. Chron. Holl. div. c. 20._ compared with the _Chronijk van den Ondergang, edition of 1617, 5th Book, for the year 497. p. 171. col. 2._

Some time after Honorius I. had been exalted to the dignity of the Roman chair, it was found that he did not maintain the doctrines of the Roman church, but was opposed to them, although he seemed to ingratiate himself with her in some external things. Concerning this, the following words are given by a certain author: Honorius I. added the invocation of the saints to the litanies: he built many temples, and decorated them with great magnificence; but this pope was afterwards condemned as a heretic, together with six prelates, by the sixth council of Constantinople. Compare _Hist. Georg. lib. 4. Franc. Ala. fol. 44. Platin. Regist. Pap. fol. 130._ with the last mentioned _Chronicle, edition of 1617, for the year 622, page 218. col. 1._

In addition to the evil testimony which is given of John XXIV., P. J. Twisk gives the following account: “This pope John, as some say, forcibly took possession of the papal chair, and is styled by the ancient writers a true standard-bearer of all heretics and epicures. He was a man better fitted for arms and war, than for the service of God.” _Chronijk, P. J. Twisk, 15th Book, for the year 1411. p. 768. col. 2._

We shall therefore, so as not to cause any doubts as regards our impartiality, not adduce all, but only a few, and these not the worst, but, when contrasted with those whom we shall not mention, the very best examples of the kind; and shall then soon leave them, as we have no desire to stir up this sink of rottenness, and pollute our souls with its stench.

Concerning the simony or sacrilege of some popes, a brief account is given from Platina and other papistic writers, in the _Chronijk van den Ondergang, 9th Book, for the year 828. p. 281. col. 2._ and _p. 282. col. 1._ The writer of said chronicle, having related the complaint of the king of France about the revenue of twenty-eight tonnen gold,[63] annually drawn by the popes from said kingdom, proceeds, to say: “How true the foregoing is, appears sufficiently from the fact that John XXII. at his death left two hundred and fifty tonnen gold ($7,000,000) in his private treasury; as Franciscus Petrarcha, a credible writer, plainly states.

[63] 2,800,000 guilders, or $784,000.

Boniface VII., finding that he could no longer remain in safety at Rome, surreptitiously took the precious jewels and treasures from St. Peter’s coffers, and fled with them to Constantinople.

Clemens VIII., and other popes, were at various times convicted of such sacrilege, by their own people.

Gregory IX. sold his absolution to the emperor for a hundred thousand ounces of gold.

Benedict IX., being stricken with fear, sold to Gregory VI. the papal chair, for fifteen hundred pounds of silver.

The simony and sacrilege of Alexander VI. is also sufficiently known, from his epitaph, which we, for certain reasons, omit.

Further, how Leo X., through Tetzel, and many other popes, through their legates and nuncios, sold their letters of indulgence, is better known throughout all so-called Christendom than the popes of Rome desire. Compare this with _Chron. Plat_. (old edition) _fol. 183. Fran. Ala. fol. 58. Onpartijdigen Rechter, fol. 28._

Concerning the open tyranny, secret treachery, and deadly poisoning, imputed to some of the popes, the following account is given from Vergerius and others:

_I. Their Tyranny._--Julius II. had more than two hundred thousand Christians put to death, in the space of seven years.

Gregory IX. caused the emperor’s envoys by whom he was informed, that Jerusalem was retaken, to be strangled, contrary to all justice.

Clemens IV. openly beheaded Conrad, the son of the king of Sicily, without valid reasons, or legal proceedings.

It is not necessary to give a recital here, of the innumerable multitude of true Christians, who, through the pretensions of some popes, were deprived of life, in all parts of the earth, by fearful deaths at the hands of the executioner, only on account of their religion; for this is sufficiently known, and needs no further demonstration.

_II. Their Treachery._--The Emperor Frederick, at the diet of Nuremburg, openly complained of the treachery of Pope Alexander III, and that in the presence of the princes of the empire, before whom he read the letter containing the treason, which the pope had sent to the soldiers of the Turkish emperor.

Gregory II. secretly issued a prohibition, not to pay to the Emperor Leo his customary (and due) tax.

Alexander VI. availed himself of the assistance of the Turks (or at least, called upon them), against the French. _III. Their Poisoning._--Ancient writers mention, that Pope Paul III. poisoned his own mother and niece, that the inheritance of the Farnesi might fall to him.

Innocentius IV., through a priest, administered poison to the emperor, in a host, thus removing him from this life.

Moreover, how another pope, whose name is sufficiently known, put to death by poison, in accordance with Turkish custom, the brother of Gemeno Bajazet, the Mohammedan emperor, which was contrary to common justice, because he was ransomed with two tonnen treasure, needs not to be recounted, as the fame of it has gone out both into the east and the west.

This same pope had at a certain time determined to poison in like manner some cardinals, when the cupbearer made a mistake in the tankard containing the poison (as the ancient writers have annotated), and he who had arranged this, was himself served with it, insomuch that he died with the cardinals who had drank of it. Compare _De Tractaten Contarœne, Vergerij des Onpartijdigen Rechters_, especially _pp. 48, 49, 50_, with the _Chronijk van den Ondergang, first part, for the year 1227. p. 544. col. 1. 2._ Also, _p. 768. col. 2._ of the bad conduct of Pope John XXIV., taken from _Fasc. Temp. fol. 187. Platin. fol. 401. Onufr. fol. 406. 417. Hist. Eccl. Casp. Hedio. part 3. lib. 11. Chronolog. Leonh. lib. 6. Henr. Bull. of the councils, 2d Book, chap. 8. Joh. Stumph. fol. 21. Hist. Georg. lib. 6. Seb. Fra._ (old edition) _fol. 31_ to _fol. 89. Hist. Andriani fol. 53_ to _fol. 66._ _Jan Crisp. fol. 256_ to _369. Chron. Car. lib. 5. Zeg. fol. 326._

OF THE DIVINE JUDGMENTS AND PUNISHMENTS VISITED UPON SOME OF THE POPES.

The divine vengeance for great misdeeds is sometimes carried out in this life, and sometimes reserved for the life to come.[64] The vengeance which is inflicted in this life, is sometimes executed immediately by God himself; at other times he uses means--either the elements, or things composed of the elements, yet without life; and sometimes he does it by means of living creatures as, men, beasts, etc. However, here we shall only speak of the judgments of God visited upon some of the popes in such a manner and through such means, as will be shown.

[64] But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds. Rom. 2:5,6.

In the eighth book of the _Chronijk van den Ondergang der Tyrannen, for the year 767, page 262, col. 2_, several examples of this kind are successively related, which we shall present here as is most suitable, and in the best possible order.[65]

[65] Notwithstanding, the examples related in the body of the work are recorded by P. J. Twisk, it is proper to state, that they were extracted from various papistic writers.

The author of said chronicle, after mentioning the ignominious expulsion of pope Sylvester Campanus from the city of Rome, relates the sad ending of Constantine, Hadrian, John, Benedict, Boniface, Lucius, Innocentius, Nicholas, Paul, Leo, Clement, etc.

Pope Constantine II., having led an ungodly life, was deprived, in a council, of both his eyes, and the papal power, and then put into a convent.

Hadrian III., fleeing from Rome, came to Venice in the habit of a gardener, where he was ordered to work in a garden.

Hadrian IV. was choked to death by a fly, which flew into his mouth, or, as others say, into his drink, while he was drinking.

John XI.,[66] being apprehended by the soldiers of a certain Guido, was smothered with a pillow, which they held upon his mouth.

[66] John XI. was put for John XXII.; by the author from whom this was taken, but this is an error.

John XXII. was crushed by the falling in of the vault of a pavilion, and thus departed this life.

Benedict VI.,[67] was shut up in the Castle Angelo, by Cynthius, a citizen of Rome, and there strangled by him, on account of his great villainy.

[67] This Benedict VI. was also put for his successor, Benedict IX.; which error we have corrected.

Benedict IX. was killed by poison, which had been put into a fig by an abbess, who was considered a devout, spiritual daughter.

The body of Boniface VII., who had died a sudden death, was dragged along the street, with his feet tied to a rope, and ignominiously buried in the common grave.

Lucius II., about to storm the capitol, whither the senators had fled, was so seriously pelted with stones, that he died soon afterwards.

When Innocentius IV. had unjustly sentenced to death Robert of Lincoln, because he had censured, with the mouth as well as with the pen, the nefarious deeds of the popes, and Robert therefore appealed to Christ, the Supreme Judge, the pope was found dead in his bed the following day.[68]

[68] Our author relates, that before the death of pope Innocentius IV. a voice was heard in the papal court, saying, “Come, thou wretched man, to the judgment of God!”

Nicholas III. died very unexpectedly of apoplexy (called the stroke of God).

Paul II., having supped very merrily, died soon after, likewise of apoplexy.

Leo X. died while laughing and frolicking at his cups.

Clemens VIII., having conspired with Franciscus, king of France, against the Emperor Charles V., was afterwards apprehended by the emperor’s captains, derided above measure, ultimately reinstated in the papal chair, but finally, in the year 1534, suffocated, together with several cardinals, with the smoke of torches. From _Onpar. Recht._ Also, from various other accepted authors who have previously been referred to.[69]

[69] Many more such examples might be related here, but, since by these few our aim is sufficiently understood, we deem it unnecessary to enter more deeply into this subject, and shall, therefore, let this suffice.

CONCLUSION OF THE MATTERS HERE RELATED.

We will now take leave of the popes, and let them pass. It is enough for us to know, that their succession, of which the papists boast so much, is confused and vain, or, at least, without tenable grounds. How we have proved this, is not for us to say; we let others judge.

This would be a proper time--in order to exhibit the highly renowned Latin church, the Roman Babylon, in her full form--to bring up from the bottom, and present minutely and in the best order, the manifold and implacable contentions which have arisen from time to time in, with, and among them, on matters of faith, although they have so much to say about their extraordinary unity: how the popes contended against the councils, and the councils against the popes; how one annulled and rejected what the other had made and instituted; yea, how they sometimes persecuted one another even unto death, and devoured and killed each other in the most cruel manner, even as though they were fighting with their avowed enemies; to say nothing of the great amount of superstition and human invention,[70] which, like horrible monsters and abortions, have proceeded, now by one, then by another, from the lap of the misnamed holy Roman church; for to treat of this, as the subject demands, would be almost an endless task, or, at least, require a whole book. What was once a comedy (with respect to the gay and merry regime of the papal dominion) has, through the beginnings of its downfall, been changed into a tragedy. However, what we have shown, relates only to this present life; but the most mournful tragedy, according to the threatening of God (still we hope for the best), is yet to come, and concerns the future and eternal life.[71]

[70] “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,” saith the Lord. Matt. 15:9.

[71] Everything has its opposite: weeping is the opposite to laughing; wailing and mourning, to shouting and rejoicing; but in all this it is better to rejoice last than before. “Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.” Is. 33:1.

Besides these most ungodly things which we have mentioned, they were drunk with the blood of the saints; yea, they did not only pour out as water the blood of the beloved friends and children of God, and cool their thirst for blood therewith, but, besides inconceivable cruelties, they heaped also the greatest ignominy upon their bodies, throwing them like mire upon the earth, or giving them to the beasts for food, or, on stakes and wheels, to the birds to devour.[72]

[72] “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matt. 7:1,2. “If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.” Rev. 13:9,10.

God shall certainly visit this yet upon them, and not let it go unavenged. “He that toucheth you,” says Zechariah to the church of God, “toucheth the apple of his eye.” Zech. 2:8.

O, that they would become converted betimes! O, that they would anticipate the uplifted rod of the divine wrath! O, that they would fear, and escape, through genuine repentance, the fearful kindled fire of his everlasting displeasure, which the wicked and impenitent shall certainly incur. That meanwhile all those who are still imprisoned in Babylon, and sit in the darkness and shadow of death, would, for the preservation of their souls, flee out of her; that they would set out for Jerusalem, the spiritual vision of peace (understand, the true church of God); that they would seek their souls’ salvation while it is time, yea, that they would find, obtain and preserve it! This is certainly a thing to be wished for.

NOTE.--“Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her sins.” Rev. 18:4.