What shall we think of all those that murdered their predecessors to obtain the place, were they capable of being true Bishops? What shall we say of Pope Sylvester the second who was a conjurer, and agreed with the Devil to help him to be Pope, and by the deceit of the Devil was again deprived of it by sudden death? Doth the Devil make true Bishops of conjurers? I know the deceiving Papists would make the simple people believe that all these things that we say of their Popes are lies of our own forging: but men that have eyes in their heads may see who are the liars Their own Writers do commonly affirm the same that we affirm. A Cardinal of their own (Benno) in vita Hildebrandi, affirmeth this of Pope Sylvester: and he lived in the times next him, and therefore might know. Platina another of their own affirms (in vita Silvest.) that [Gesbertus impelled by ambition, and devilish desire of rule, did first by bribery (or Simony) get the Archbishopric of Rhemes, then of Ravenna, and at last of Rome, the Devil giving him more of his help, but on this condition, that after his death he should be wholly his, by whose deceits he had obtained such dignity.] The like hath Lyra in Gloss ad cap. 14. Maccab. l. 2. and a multitude of their Historians unanimously confirm it. Yea Aeneas Sylvius who was a Pope himself (de gest is Concil. Basil. l. 1.) saith [We are not ignorant that (Pope) Marcellinus did at Caesars command offer incense to Idols, and that another, which is a greater and more horrible thing, did come to be Pope of ⟨p. 185⟩Rome by the fraud of the Devil.] In a word if Murderers, Adulterers, Conjurers that come in by the Devil, and Heretics, may be true Bishops of Rome, and yet a man that believeth not the Popes Universal Vicarship can be no true Catholic Christian; then it seems, it is a greater sin not to Believe in the Pope then not to Believe in Christ, or then it is to bargain with the Devil, or be a Murderer or Adulterer? Certainly these men were as uncapable of being true Bishops when these things were once publicly known of them (at least) as a Mahometan would be: And therefore there hath been many an interruption in their succession. And many a schism there hath been wherein two or three Popes have reigned at once, and he that had the greatest strength hath carried it, when his Right was not the greatest.
What shall we think of all those that murdered their predecessors to obtain the place, were they capable of being true Bishops? What shall we say of Pope Silvester the second who was a conjurer, and agreed with the Devil to help him to be Pope, and by the deceit of the Devil was again deprived of it by suddain death? Doth the Devil make true Bishops of conjurers? I know the deceiving Papists would make the simple people believe that all these things that we say of their Popes are lies of our own forging: but men that have eyes in their heads may see who are the lyars Their own Writers do commonly affirm the same that we affirm. A Cardinal of their own (Benno) in vita Hildebrandi, affirmeth this of Pope Silvester: and he lived in the times next him, and therefore might know. Platina another of their own affirms (in vita Silvest.) that [Gesbertus impelled by ambition, and devillish desire of rule, did first by bribery (or Simony) get the Archbishoprike of Rhemes, then of Ravenna, and at last of Rome, the Devil giving him more of his help, but on this condition, that after his death he should be wholly his, by whose deceits he had obtained such dignity.] The like hath Lyra in Gloss ad cap. 14. Maccab. l. 2. and a multitude of their Hystorians unanimously confirm it. Yea Aeneas Sylvius who was a Pope himself (de gest is Concil. Basil. l. 1.) saith [We are not ignorant that (Pope) Marcellinus did at Cesars command offer incense to Idols, and that another, which is a greater and more horrible thing, did come to be Pope of ⟨p. 185⟩Rome by the fraud of the Devil.] In a word if Murderers, Adulterers, Conjurers that come in by the Devil, and Hereticks, may be true Bishops of Rome, and yet a man that believeth not the Popes Univerversal Vicarship can be no true Catholike Christian; then it seems, it is a greater sin not to Believe in the Pope then not to Believe in Christ, or then it is to bargain with the Devil, or be a Murderer or Adulterer? Certainly these men were as uncapable of being true Bishops when these things were once publikely known of them (at least) as a Mahometane would be: And therefore there hath been many an interruption in their succession. And many a schism there hath been wherein two or three Popes have raigned at once, and he that had the greatest strength hath carryed it, when his Right was not the greatest.
