doubt that, if requisite, they would imitate these CHAP. He desired his autho The next pope, Paul III., exhibited the same feelings in his attempt to depose Henry VIII. for his heresy," in his congratulatory letter to Charles V. on his capturing the duke of Saxony;13 and in send 36 13 'Quorum sancta et præclara gesta, si etiam hac in parte (ubi aliter fieri nequent) fueritis imitati, non dubitamus, quin Divina Clementia ad eundem-sensus et corda vestra inspiret.' ib. "He instructs his nuncio F. Cheregat, to tell them, that if they did not exert themselves they would degenerate from their progenitors, quorum aliqui ipsum J. Huss, propriis manibus, ad ignem duxisse dicuntur.' Instructio Had. in Le Plat, v. 2. p. 145. Doctrinam istorum pernitiosissimam, perfidam, blasphemam, diabolicam.' Breve. Had. ad Bamberg, ib. 151. * Cum suis auctoribus, tanquam infernum horreatis.' ib. 9 Ib. 151. 10 Nefarius et perditus Lutherus.' Ep. Clem. to Chas. V. Le Plat, p. 213, dated 27th Jan. 1534. "Initio magnum momentum agi extirpandæ illius hæresis.' ib. We have already mentioned, in our note in ch. xv. vol. 3. that it was made a systematic policy of the Romish hierarchy, to speak of Protestants and their opinions with these general and reviling invectives. 12 Paolo III. giudicando per queste sue nuove heresie indegno Henrico del nome Christiano, in consistorio publico lo'scommunico é priviò del titolo regio e di ogni sua potesta.' Oner. Panuin. p. 569. 13 He impresses on the emperor that his victory not only represses XXVI. II. BOOK ing to the emperor a military force, under his legate and brother, to act with his army against the Protestants;1 which proved a very seasonable assistance in defeating them," to the great delight of the pope. The wars in Italy and Germany between France and the emperor, prevented Julius III. from uniting these two great princes in any league to destroy the Reformation, to which both, after all their vacillations, ultimately inclined;" and the accession of Mary in England opened an easier way to its suppression in that country, whose defection had most shaken the papal see. But Paul IV. whose severe and cruel the germina impietatis,' 'but may utterly extirpate all its evils.' That he has now got the head and origin of the crime and wickedness' in his power. That Heaven destroyed Pharaoh by slaying him 'extremo exitio,' when he became incorrigible. That the duke was worse than Pharaoh, Pharaone deterior,' and was now delivered into his hands expressly to be made to feel, not the laws which reward the good, but those which propound the punishment of their crimes to the impious and the nefarious.' Epist. Pauli, dated 30th May 1547. Le Plat, v. 3. p. 644. Charles, however, would not put the duke to death, as the pontiff wished. 14 6 Havea papa Paulo mandato, per esser guerra contra Lutherani, e per amicitia, tre valorosissime legioni, d'Italiani; e 600 cavalli lesgieri; e il cardinale suo fratello legato.' ib. 585. 15Che giunsero molto in quel bisogno a tempo.' ib. 16 Molto si rallegro di questa vittoria il papa,' and especially because it was a war in favor of religion, and that he had sent succors to it. Onef. Pan. p. 583, 4. 17 One of the closing acts of the life of Charles V. in its declining imbecility, displays him also in the form of an exterminator; and may account in some degree for that character becoming so fully assumed by his son; thus eviucing the universality of that system of extirpating the Protestants on which the Catholic hierarchy and its supporters had determined. On his codicil, written twelve days before his death, Charles V. after reciting that he had caused many persons to be arrested for Lutheranism, adds, ' particularly desirous to inspire my son with the wish of imitating my conduct, I beg and command him, in my quality of father, to labor with all diligence, that the heretics be prosecuted and chastised, with all the severity which their crimes deserve, without permitting any criminal to be excepted; and without any respect for the intreaties, or rank, or quality of the persons.' Sandoval's Hist. Charles V. Llorente Hist. Inq. p. 173. 18 XXVI. mind 1 led him to procure for Rome the misery of CHAP. the inquisition in that city,19 roused and supported the English queen to exterminate heresy and heretics in her kingdom by the burnings and persecutions, which she obediently enforced." He left imprisoned at his death, in his own capital, many persons of consequence, on the suspicion of heresy, whom he had grievously afflicted:" and whom his successor, Pius IV. (chosen four months afterwards,22) with less acrimonious feelings in their individual case, or disbelieving the imputation, had the liberality to release.23 But this pope soon rebuilt that dreaded inquisitorial mansion, which the Roman people had rushed to destroy as soon as they knew that Paul IV. had expired; and made the anathema of Luther, and of all the reformers, and of all that they taught, a part of his required profession of faith.25 From 21 18 His Catholic biographer, Onofrio Panuinio, so describes him' in molte delle cose troppo severo per non dir crudo.' Vit. Pont. p. 606. 19 This trait sufficiently proves the applicability of the preceding epithets, tho his historian admires it too much to make it an illustration of them: It was principally he who persuaded Paul III. to institute the tribunal of the inquisition [in Italy,] that they might chastise the Lutheran heretics, whose pestilence had now spread thro all Italy, and was infecting not only the laity, but also many religious persons.' ib. Panuinio, however, admits that, being elected to be head of this tribunal, he did exercise the office con grande acerbezza.' ib. The tyranny with which he used this merciless institution is evidenced by his putting cardinal Morone into its prison, whom the next pope released, and confidentially employed as his predecessors had done. 20 See before. "Molte persone d'importanza ch'erano da Paulo IV. state per sospettione d'heresia; e di carcere e d'altre pene gravementi afflitte.' Onef. Pan. p. 621. "Paul. IV. died 18th August 1559, and Pius IV. was 'eletto 29 Decembre.' Onef. 617. 23 Onef. 621. 24 See before, ch. 18. vol. 3. 6 25 The last article of his Professio Fidei, in 1560 is, ANATHEMA to the heresiarchs of this age; to Luther, to Ecolampadius, Zuinglius, Calvin, and others, and to all their followers, and to all other hereties.' Le Plat, Mon. Trid. v. 4. p. 650. BOOK II. 26 papers and verbal phrases, he proceeded to actual hostilities against them. When the king of France, on preparing to take the field against his subjects who claimed liberty of conscience, solicited the pontiff's pecuniary aid, Pius required the revocation of all his edicts on religion, because they showed some favor to the Huguenots, and that others should be made according to his mind; and he declared that he would contribute to no wars, except those for religion and against heretics." He was displeased that the French sovereign should invite Elizabeth and the Protestant princes to send their representatives to the council of Trent, because they might influence it in favor of the Reformation; 28 and we find the important fact, that he was supplying various Catholic states with money, in order to enable them to withstand the Protestant spirit which was rising 26 The French ambassador at Rome, De Lisle, on 29th May 1562, described his interview with the pope. Pius complained of the sum as being excessive, 200,000 crowns; and declared, 'If his majesty wished to avail himself of his aid, he could do so, provided he revoked all his last edicts, which were half Huguenot and half Catholic; and instead of these, there should be some made according to the meaning and opinion of his holiness.' Le Plat, v. 5. p. 189. 27 He said he would not by any means contribute to the expenses of war, unless it was made for religion, and against heretics, and not against rebels only, who seemed to him to be the only persons comprised in the king's edict.' ib. 28 The pope refused to give more than 100,000 crowns as a gift, payable in three months, but would lend 100,000 more on good securities at Rome. When the French envoy urged that his king's enterprise would require an extraordinary expense, Pius answered, ' He would not add to it,' and declared that the French minister at the council of Trent seemed to be ambassador from the Huguenots, he was requiring such strange and new things on religion. Among others he had proposed that the queen of England, the Swiss Protestant cantons, and the dukes of Saxony and Wirtemberg, should be invited to the council. These, he said, were his enemies, and rebels, and could not be called or received there, because their intention would be to corrupt it, and to make it Huguenot as far as they could; and, if they could, overpower his authority and forces.' ib. 194. 29 XXVI. up in so many parts of Europe. So he authorised CHAP. both the French and Spanish kings to take part of the ecclesiastical property, for the purpose of applying it to crush the multiplying reformers.30 Thus Pius IV. fed the wars that were making for the destruction of those, whose reformed opinions were acknowleged, even by their persecutors at that very time, to have arisen from the corruptions of the existing Catholic church;" and who were so numerous in France, that the king felt he could not proceed to take them off by force, without putting his own crown in peril." This pontiff had his eye so fixed on military violence, that he sent his auditor into Spain, to persuade Philip to assist the attack on the Huguenots, and to form a league with the papacy "The pope added, ‘As to the resources of the church, they were not sufficient; his state and patrimony have need of new munitions. The duke of Savoy is asking for aids in money. The day before, an ambassador had come from the Swiss, with the same request. In fine, the church was assailed in so many places, that he must distribute his finances with some measured proportion.' ib. 195. 30 On 17th November 1560, sir N. Throckmorton wrote from Orleans: M. de Ferme, who went to Rome, is returned with the pope's grant for the taking of 100,000 crowns of the spiritual revenue to be sold. The consideration of this grant, and the like to the king of Spain, is, as I am informed, that the money made thereof be employed against the Protestants and heretics as they call them.' 'The pope hath granted to the said king licence to sell 50,000 crowns of spiritual revenue, the profits whereof will arise to, at the least, two millions of crowns.' Hard. Stat. Pap. 1. p. 141, 142. "Thus, in April 1562, it was a part of the instructions of the government of Charles IX. to its ambassadors at the council, that they shall show 'que les principales causes des troubles de la religion ont pris naissance des abus, que l'on voit au ministere de l'eglise, par la corruption de la discipline et des mœurs des ministres d'icelle eglise.' Instr. in Le Plat, v. 5. p. 151. If it be objected that the king tolerates heresy, they will answer, that he found at his accession the diversity of opinions of religion impressed on the minds d'un grand nombre de ses sujets, that he thinks at his age he cannot 'encore les tollir par force, sans mettre sa couronne et son état en trop grand peril.' ib. 155. |