CHAP. VI. Eugenius IV. A. D. 1431. to Paul III. A. D. 1534. from the end of the Schism, to the Reformation. IV. UPON the death of Martin, Eugenius the Fourth Eugenius was chosen, who began his reign with persecuting the family of his predecessor. The Council of Basil continued to sit, and declared, (as that of Constance had done,) that the Pope was subject to the Council; and thereupon summoned him to appear, and to preside in person. The Pope, without contradicting any of their conclusions, used all the means he could to translate the Council to Bologna; but the Council absolutely refused; and the Emperor Sigismond, and Charles the Seventh of France, concurred with them, and resolved it should continue still at Basil; where the Bohemians got a decree, that they might continue the communion, sub utrâque specie. IV. dis the oaths of the Duke This Pope, Eugenius the Fourth, left a lasting mo-Eugenius nument to Christendom of his mischievous power penses with and jurisdiction, in two infamous dispensations which he granted, to dispense with oaths formally and reli- of Burgungiously entered into: the first was his absolving the dislaus Duke of Burgundy from the faith and promise that Hungary. he dy and La King of VI. CHAP. he had given to the King of England, never to enter into any treaty with France, without the consent of the English; and the Pope's dispensing with him to break that oath was attended with the loss of much blood, and was really the original cause and ground of the ruin of that most illustrious family: the other was in the case of Ladislaus King of Hungary, who had made a good and advantageous peace with the Turks, and with all solemnity had sworn to observe it; but this Pope (though Christendom was at that time enough distracted by bloody wars amongst themselves,) importuned and prevailed with him to break this peace, and dispensed with him for his oath; upon which that bloody battle of Varnas was fought with the Turks, in which that young King lost his own life, and all his army, a wound (says "Monsieur Mezeray) which bleeds yet at this very Council of 66 day;" and he says farther, "that the Popes did things of that nature very often, believing that it "did belong to that power which our Saviour had "granted them of binding and unbinding." From these unhappy and impious precedents, the Turks themselves learned the infidelity which they had not before practised, and justified all those barbarous violations of the treaties and conditions which they made in the kingdom of Cyprus, and many other places, which cost the lives of so many thousand Christians. After great and high contests, the Pope requiring one thing, and the Council another, and threatening to depose him, the Pope by degrees, by gifts and promises, wrought upon some of the Prelates to withdraw from Basil; and then published his bulls for dissolving the Council at Basil, and for convening another VI. another at Ferrara: whither those Prelates which CHAP. adhered to him came accordingly, and where they had the more credit, by the Emperor of Constantinople's repairing thither to compose the disputes with the Eastern Church. The Council at Ferrara Council of declared those who remained at Basil schismatics; and they at Basil (with whom the Emperor France Naples and Milan joined,) declared the apostolical Ferrara. Duke of Sa. ed; takes chair to be void, and, proceeding to a new election, chose Amadeo Duke of Savoy: he had long before Amadeo, given over the world, and retired into a monastery; voy, electyet he accepted this election, (which Germany Spain the name and France, and so much of Italy as Naples and Mi-of Felix V. lan contain, concurred,) and came to the Council at Basil, and took the name of Felix the Fifth. ment of the Albizi, of Cosmo Eugenius had this likewise added to his affliction, Banishthat he was driven out of Rome too by the people; Eugenius and after seven years absence he returned thither, IV. to Flobut it was only a little before his death. The great-lection of est part of the time that he was banished from Rome and recal he spent in Florence, of which Machiavel, in his His- de Medici, tory of Florence, makes a very pleasant relation. At that time Cosmo de Medici was banished by the power and faction of the Albizi, and confined to Padua. The year following, when the election of new magistrates was to be, there being a design, or at least thought to be, to create a new Bailiff, and then to recal Cosmo de Medici, the contrary party, of which Messer Rinaldo delli Albizi was the chief, put themselves in arms; nor would they be persuaded to lay down their arms, though the Signiory disclaimed any such purpose, either to choose a new Bailiff, or to recal Cosmo. Pope Eugenius, however, who was a friend to the Albizi and that party, gave so much VI. CHAP. credit to the professions and protestations of the Signiory, that he prevailed with Messer Rinaldo to dismiss the people, and lay down his arms, and to stay himself with him in his palace; where he gave him his word and faith, that he should be secure from any injury or affront. The Pope having thus far prevailed, the Signiory no sooner perceived that the party was dispersed and disarmed, but they sent privately to Pistoia for soldiers to come into the city, and then they chose a new Bailiff, and recalled Cosmo de Medici, who was received in triumph by all the best of the people of all conditions, and was saluted "Benefattore del Populo, et Padre della Pa"tria ;" and presently after Messer Rinaldo delli Albizi, and all the chief of his party, notwithstanding all the interposition and importunity the Pope could use, were banished. The Pope was 'infinitely displeased and grieved for having been made the instrument to cozen and undo his friends, and to promote those who were not loved by him he made a thousand excuses to Messer Rinaldo for having been so much abused himself, without which he could not have abused him to which Messer Rinaldo answered, that his friends giving less credit to him than they ought to have done, and his believing the Pope more than he should, had brought this ruin upon him; but that he had reason to complain most of, and to be offended with himself, for believing, "che "voi che erate stato cacciato della patria vostra po"tessi tener me nella mia :"-" That he who was "driven out of his own country, could have credit "enough to preserve him in his country" and so he went into banishment, from whence he never returned. After VI. Nicholas V. Eugenius After Eugenius was dead, Nicholas the Fifth was CHAP. chosen to succeed him, and carried himself with that respect to the Emperor and other Princes, and with succeeds that dexterity towards the Council of Basil, that it IV. A. D. was consented by a full consent to be dissolved; and Felix, renouncing his right, was made Cardinal and Legate of Germany. 1450. Felix resigns. nople taken This was about the year one thousand four hun- Constantidred and fifty, a little before the time that Chris- by the tianity received that deadly wound in the loss of Turks. Constantinople to the Turk, where the Christian Emperor was himself killed in the storm: and that dismal and irreparable damage cannot be imputed to any human cause, but that fatal Schism in the Church, which for so many years kept all Christian Kings divided in that quarrel, and diverted them from being united in any one honourable or generous action for the good of Christianity; and to that accursed dispensation of the Pope, by which Ladislaus was induced to break the faith he had given. and conse quences of separa tion be Church of the Greek Nor did ever any Pope interpose or desire to procure Causes. such an union; but the Popes professed and avowed such an implacable animosity against the Greek the Church, because it would not submit (as it had no tween the reason to do,) to their extravagant jurisdiction, that it Rome and is evident to all the world that they rather desired to Church. see them live in servitude under Infidels, than that they should be free members of Christ's Church, without being subjects to their lawless authority, To decline and renounce that authority, they have however much more authentic evidence of primitive tradition, than the Popes can produce for their unreasonable pretences; besides a concurrence of much the greater part of Christendom with them in the same |