A17167:256
A confutation of the Popes bull which was published more then two years ago…A confutation of the Popes bull which was published more then two yeres agoe…
A confutation of the Popes bull which was published more then two years ago against Elizabeth the most gracious Queen of England, France, and Ireland, and against the noble realm of England together with a defence of the said true Christian Queen, and of the whole realm of England. By Henry Bullinger the Elder.A confutation of the Popes bull which was published more then two yeres agoe against Elizabeth the most gracious Queene of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, and against the noble realme of England together with a defence of the sayd true Christian Queene, and of the whole realme of England. By Henry Bullinger the Elder.
London: printed by John Day, 1572London: printed by Iohn Day, 1572
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
of which doing sprang up innumerable mischiefs. For these two princes maintained bloody wars one against an other, and oftentimes encountered with exceeding great slaughter. But yet had Philip always the upper hand. These calamities are described by John Aventine in the seventh book of his stories, the 458. leaf. And yet for all this,1 Otho could not make the Bishop to like so well of him and of his service, but that he excommunicated him also, and deprived him of the Imperial stile, and released the princes of their oath, which were sworn to him as Emperor. With like fury were Honorius the third, and Gregory the ninth (but Gregory with most deadly feud) carried against Frederick the second,2 3which succeeded Otho in the Empire. Gregory the ninth was Innocent the thirds nephew: whose most stately, ambitious, and bold ⟨p. 78⟩nature bearing hatred overmuch in mind, did singularly utter it self in all his sayings and doings. This Bishop allieth himself in league with the greatest part of Italy against the Emperor. Afterward he publisheth three bulls against him, wherein he calleth Gods anointed king, beast, heretic, and all to naught: straightly charging all faithful Christians, that they obey not the Emperor as a creature all to cursed. There be six books of epistles of one Peter Vines, wherein these things and other of the same sort are to be read, like as they be set out also by Cuspinian, in the life of Frederick the second, and by other storiwriters, and also by John Aventine in the vii. book of his stories. No man that seeketh to be brief (as I do at this present) can in few words comprise the miseries, slaughters, and most bloody treasons, which the popes that baited this Frederick the second, (and specially this Gregory the ninth) stirred up in Italy and throughout all Germany, and other realms, by those bulls of theirs like to this Bull (for the devil is no changeling) which is now put forth by Pope Pius the fifth, against the Queen of England. Truly the partaking of the Ghibellines,4 and Guelphs, which sprang up under Innocent the second were greatly renewed and spread abroad far and wide through all Italy by the practise of this Gregory the ninth. Of which things Nauclerus in his story of pedigrees 42. fol. 826. writeth thus: