The tragedies of tyrants Exercised upon the church of God, from the birth of…The tragedies of tyrantes Exercised vpon the church of God, from the birth of…

Hereunto appertaineth, that at the same time with Gratianus, not long after, according to the supputation of other, about the year of our Lord. 1172.¹ Peter Lombard, whom they call master of the sentences, wrote, and set forth 4. books of the Christian faith and doctrine, which were received into the Schools, as was the body of the law: so that like as Gratianus is author of the Canonists, & doctors of the Pontifical law: so Peter Lombard is author of the scholastical divinity. For the Doctors of those times, and chiefly mendicant friars, read Lombards sentences openly in schools, and have written upon the same, as Albertus, Thomas, Bonaventure, Scotus, and many ⟨p. 108⟩other. And according unto these sentences: they ordered the doctrine of faith, and all other affairs of the Church. At which time the Christian doctrine was wonderfully torn & cut into sundry questions, whereof they commonly disputed and argued in the schools and holy sermons, or rather scolded, whereby the Christian doctrine, became altogether unlike unto² the ancient Apostolic singleness, & integrity. Allthings were referred and subjected to the sea of Rome, and y• pope unto whom all the Canonists, & divines were bound by an oath. And this is the conspiracy of the clergy, which they call & vaunt to be the consent of all the church, in faith, & doctrine. Howbeit in very deed it is none other but this conspiracy which we have here recited. Wherefore, out of this fountain and wellspring, flowed y• grievous papistical persecution against the Christian Church. For whosoever misliked with the Popes Monarchy, and conspiracy of the clergy, which they term consent and agreement of the church, and did not speak allthings according to the intent of the Canonists, and Theologists: upon those they ran in flocks, ⟨image 91⟩and through the Popes help, and assistance of the secular arm: they proclaimed them everywhere heretics, persecuted, and oppressed them. Touching which purpose, in the Decretals there is extant a decree of Pope Lucius the third the effect whereof is this. Whosoever³