Church-history of the government of bishops and their councils abbreviated including the chief part…

§. 15. Next Succeeded in the Popedom Theodorus 2. who saith Platina followed the steps of the Seditious: For he restored the Acts of Formosus▪ and preferred his followers: and Reigned but Twenty days.

§. 15. Next Succeeded in the Popedome Theodorus 2. who saith Platina followed the steps of the Seditious: For he restored the Acts of Formosus▪ and preferred his followers: and Reigned but Twenty days.

Next came John 9. (or 10. as others) saith Platina. [He restored the Cause of Pope-Formosus, many of the People being against it: whence arose such a Sedition, that they hardly scaped a Battle. Baronius saith, that Ludovicus 4. was deposed and blinded now by Berengarius, who assumed the Empire; and this Pope Crowned him, through fear! Yet after he was gone, he called Lambert to Rome, and with a Synod concurring with him, declared the Coronations both of Berengarius and Arnulph to be Null, as being extorted; and so took Lambert for King and Emperor: Did not the Crowns of Princes sit very loose, when it was but a Popes pretending that he Crowned them through Fear, and they were presently Deposed? Would these Popes have been Martyrs, or were they Christians or Gnostics, that would sin, if they were but put in fear? And would not fear have made them own a Heresy, as well as other sin? On this occasion all was cast into Confusion: the Pope was fain to fly to Ravenna for protection, to him whom he had Crowned.

Next came Iohn 9. (or 10. as others) saith Platina. [He restored the Cause of Pope-Formosus, many of the People being against it: whence arose such a Sedition, that they hardly scaped a Battle. Baronius saith, that Ludovicus 4. was deposed and blinded now by Berengarius, who assumed the Empire; and this Pope Crowned him, through fear! Yet after he was gone, he called Lambert to Rome, and with a Synod concuring with him, declared the Coronations both of Berengarius and Arnulph to be Null, as being extorted; and so took Lambert for King and Emperour: Did not the Crowns of Princes sit very loose, when it was but a Popes pretending that he Crowned them through Fear, and they were presently Deposed? Would these Popes have been Martyrs, or were they Christians or Gnosticks, that would sin, if they were but put in fear? And would not fear have made them own a Heresy, as well as other sin? On this occasion all was cast into Confusion: the Pope was fain to fly to Ravenna for protection, to him whom he had Crowned.