MarginaliaThe enormities of life in the latte church of Rome described.and name of Cardinals, with this praunsing dissolutenes and hooryng of the Curtisans, with this extortion, bribyng, bying and selling of spirituall dignities, these Annates, reformations, procurations, exactions & other practises for monye, this auarice insatiable, ambition intollerable, fleshly filthines most detestable, barbarousnes and negligence in preaching, promesbrekyng faithles, poysoning and supplanting one an other, with such schismes and diuisions, whiche neuer were more seene then in the elections & court of Rome these 700. yeres, with such extreme crueltie, malice and tyranny in burning and persecuting their poore brethren to death.

It were to longe, and a thing infinite, to stand particularly vpon these aboue rehersed. As if a man should prosecute at large al the schismes that haue bene in the church of Rome synce the time of Damasus the firste, which are counted to the number of. 18. what a volume would it require? Or if here should be recorded al that this Sea hath burned and put to death synce lousynge out of Satan, who were able to number them? MarginaliaPolicies & practises of the court of Rome to get money.Or if all their sleightes to get money, should be described, as proces of matter would require it, who were able to recite them al? Of which all notwithstandyng, the most principal groundes are reconed at least to. xiij.

First for annates, or vacanties of Archbishopriks, Byshoprikes, Abbaties, Priories conuentual, and other benefices electiue.

Secondly, for the holding and reteinyng of all other spiritual lyuyngs whatsoeuer, besides this whiche now he paieth for, or which he may hold hereafter.

Thirdly, new annates for all the same are required againe, toties quoties, any one of all his spirituall lyuyngs be, or are feyned to be not orderlye come by, wherby it hath chaunsed diuers times, iij. or iiij. annats to be payed for one benefice.

Fourthly, for geuing out preuentions of benefices before they fall, and manye times some one preuention to be geuen to diuers and sundry persons, by the office for money sake.

Fiftly, for resignations vpō fauour, which in many cases the Pope chalengeth to be reserued to him selfe.

Sixtly, for commendams.

Seuenthly, for compounding with such as be absēt from their charge, & geue attendance about the court.

Eightly, for infinite dispensations, as to dispence w^t age, with order, with benefices incompatible, as if the number be full, if the house be of such or suche an order. Item dispensation for irregularity, for whoredome and aduoutry, for times of mariage, for marying in degrees forbidden, or in affinity canonical, for Gossips to mary, for the which it hath bene sene in Fraunce a thousande crownes to be payd to Rome at one time, for dispensing with this canonical affinity of Gossyps, as we cal it, the same being yet not true, but fained. Item dispensing for eating meates in times prohibite.

Ninthly, for innumerable priuilegies, exemptions, graces for not visiting, or visiting by a Proctor, for confirmations of priuileges, for transactions made vpon special fauour of the Pope, for permutations of benefices with dispensation annexed, or making of pensions, with suche like.

Tenthly, for mandates graūted by the Pope, to Ordinaries, wherof euery Ordinary, if he haue the collatiō or presentation of. x. maye receaue one mandate, if he haue fifty, he may receaue. ij. mandates, and for euerye mandate commeth to the Pope about. xx. ducates. And yet notwithstanding so many are sold, as wyl come byers to pay for them.

Eleuenthly, for the Popes penitentiary, for absolution of cases reserued to the Pope, for breaking & chaūging of vowes, for translation from one monasterye to an other, also from one order to an other, for licence toenter into certaine Monasteries, to carye about altars, with manye other thinges of like deuise, pertaining to the office of the Popes penitentiary.

Twelfly, for geuing and graunting of innumerable pardons and Indulgences, to be red not onelye in publicke temples, but also to be bought in priuate houses, and of priuate persons, in diuers and sundry respectes.

Thirtenthly, for making Notaries, and Prothonotries, and other offices of the court of Rome.

Fourtenthly, for graunting out Buls & cōmissions of new foundations, or for chaunging of the old, for reducing regular Monasteries, to a secular state, or for restoring againe into the old, & for other infinite rescripts and wryts, about matters depending in controuersye, and otherwise might and ought by the Ordinarye to be decided.

Fiftenthly, for geuing the palle to Archbishops newly elected, by reason of al which deuises (besides the first of the Annates) it hath bene reconed and accounted out of the kinges recordes in Fraunce, in the time of Ludouike the. ix. (as testifieth Molineus) to the number of. cc. thousand crownes, onely out of Fraunce payd & transported vnto Rome. Which summe since that time hath bene doubled and tripled, besides Annates and Palles, which all together are thought to make the total sūme,MarginaliaSumma totalis. yearelye going out of Fraunce to the Popes coffers of late yeares. x. Myriades, or Millions, euerye Myriade moūting to. x. thousand crownes. Now what hath risen besides in other realmes & nations, let other mē coniect.

Wherefore if the Gospell sende vs to the fruites to know the tree, I pray you what is to be said or thought of the Church of Rome, with these fruites of life? Or if we wil seeke the Church in length & number of yeares, wher was then thys Church of Rome with these qualities then, what time as the Church of Rome was a persecuted church, & not a persecuting church? And when the Bishops therof did not make Martyrs, as theese doo now, but were made Martyrs them selues, to the number of. xxv. in order one after an other? Or whan the Bishops therof were elected & exalted, not by factions conspiring, not by power or partes taking, not by mony or friends making, as they be now, but by the free voices of the people and of the Clergye, with the consent of the Emperour ioyned wyth all, and not by a few conspired Cardinals, closed vp in a corner, as they be now. &c.

MarginaliaThe iurisdiction and power of this new church of Rome examined.ANd yet if ther were no other difference in þ^e matter, but onely corruption of life, al that we would tollerate, or els impute to the cōmon fragilitye of man, and charge them no further therein, then we might charge our selues. Now ouer & beside this deformitye of lyfe, wherin they are cleane gone from the former steppes of the true Church of Rome, we haue more ouer to obiect against them, & to charge them in greater pointes, more nerely touching the substantial ground of the Church, as in their iurisdiction presumptuously vsurped, in their title falsely grounded, and in their doctrine hereticallye corrupted. In all which three pointes, this latter pretenced church of Rome, hath vtterly sequestred it self from the image & nature of the auncient and true Church of Rome, & haue erected to them selues, a new Churche of their owne making, as first vsurping a iurisdiction neuer knowen before to their auncient predecessors. For although the Church of Rome in the old primitiue time had his due authority & place due vnto that sea, among other patriarchal churches, ouer & vpon such Churches as were within his precinct, & bordering nere vnto it, as appeareth by the actes of Nicene councel: MarginaliaNicen. con. cap. 6.yet the vniuersal fulnes & plenitude of power in both the regimentes, spiritual & temporall, in deposing and dispensing matters of the Church, not to him belonging, in taking appeales, in geuing elections, inuesting in benefices, in ex-