kingly and Priestly authority protect those things which appertaine to an holy confession The kings authoritie and Priestly functiō must ioin in one Epist 33. The Churches hope rests vpon the Emperour and he commandeth the Bishops to stand to the Councell of Nice Is not this a part of the Supremacy wee seeke for In the 33 Epistle to Theodosius the Emperour thus he beginneth Your Maiestie hath given vs great hope of quietnesse in al your letters but especially now amongst all those cares which wee sustaine for the faith in condemning the councel of Nice because you will not suffer the Priestes of the Lord to goe from it And toward the ende thus And to the ende that a speedier fuller effect by Gods helpe might be brought to our profitable indeavors by the faith of your clemency I haue sent my Bretheren fellow Bishops to your highnesse whose religion to me is knowne by whom you may as it becommeth take notice They account to the Emperour what their faith is what the substance of our faith is according to those instructions we haue sent that so if the Bishop of Constantinople doe consent with all his heart in the same confession we may reioice in saftie of the Churches peace and that nothing seeme to remaine doubtfull or that peradventure we may nourish vaine suspicions But if any doe dissent from the puritie of our faith and the authoritie of the fathers Let your clemency graunt a generall councell to be held within Italy Leo and his Bishops desire the Emperour for another Councell as the Synode which is met at Rome for the same cause doe desire with me that all meeting together remedies of amendment may bee provided forthose that are fallen evē either through ignorance or feare that henceforth it be free for none so to mention the Nicene Councell The Emperour must see that none violate the Councel of Nice Two religions in one kingdome not to bee suffered as to be found contrary to the faith of it because it is Good for the Catholike Church and this your Empire if one God one faith one mystery of mans salvation be held through the world in one confession The 35. epistle is writtē to Pulcheria the Empresse touching those things Epist 25. Leo the Bishop to Pulcheria the Empresse which he requested before of Theodosius the Emperour wherin after his accustomed due praises given her And his own desire to know what the Bishop of Constantinople helde in that point of the incarnation of the sonne of God as was meet He commeth to this To the obtaining therefore of a staidnes in dispositions I haue sent my brethren and fellow Bishops to offer vnto your clemencie a forme of faith They offer a forme of faith to the Empresse which according to the do of the reverende fathers we preach which messengers after the divine grace it is meete be furthered Next and immediatly vnder God c. by the devout helpe of your godlines least contention trouble the whole church from which faith if some perhaps do disagree Let there be a general coūcell of Priests called within Italie with the consent gf your highnesse whereby all deceipt laide aside it may appeare what things ought to be withstood or amended by a longer handling In the 38. epistle to the Emperour Martianus successor to Theodosius Epist 38. Leo Episcopus Martiano sēper Augusto hee writeth That hee is glad that hee hath received his highnes letters for the good of the church whereof he is so carefull Martianus succeeded Theodosius whō God hath chosen to defend the Catholike faith from the snares of her enemies And this hee desireth his godlines to accept in briefe promising to direct his larger letters in those things which belong vnto his charge touching the affaires of the church the agreement of the priests of the Lord. Epist 39. In which he giveth thankes that she by defending of the faith had overthrowne the heresie of Nestorius and Eutiches The 39. Epistle is directed to the Empresse Pulcheria and beginneth thus Quod semper de sancta pietatis vestrae mente praesump simus id plenissimè experiendo cognovimus c. That which we did ever perswade our selues of touching the good intent of your Godlinesse wee know it fully now by experience which is that the Christiā faith although it be invaded with the many designes of the wicked yet in your presence prepared for defence thereof by the Lord it cannot be confoūded For the Lord doth not forsake the mistery of his loue nor the desert of your labor The Prince thrust out the hereticke and restored the Catholike Bishops that were displaced both which are actions belonging to that supremacy we seeke for wherby ere while you expelled the crafty enimy of true religion out of the bowels of the church This is the second victory you haue gotten in slaying the heresie of Eutiches It is good therefore to be glad with ioy and for the prosperitie of your clemencie to pay my due vowes to the Lord who thorow al parts of the world where the Gospell is preached hath gotten you a double crowne victory Let your clemency know thus much that the whole Roman church doth very much reioice in all the workes of your faith In what regard wee ought to haue the Reliques of the Martyres Read Rainolds de Rom. Eccl. Idol l. 1. c. 9. § 2. c. 2 § 2. Epist 43. Leo Episcopus Martiano Augusto whether it be in that you helped our message with a godlie affection and that you brought back againe the Catholik Priests who were vniustly cast out of the churches Or in that you caused the reliques of the innocent Catholike priest Flavianus to be brought backe with due honour to that church over which hee was set The 43. Epistle is directed to the Emperour Martianus touching the message which in his stead he directed to Cōstantinople for having a councel at Chalcedon and beginneth thus I had surely desired of your glorious clemēcie that the synode by vs requested for recovering of the peace of the East church which you also thought necessary should be a little while deferred till further opportunity that those Bishops also might come thether with freer minds whom the feare of wrong doth withholde But because with a religious care you preferre divine things before humane affaires do religiously truely beleeue that it wil be profitable for the strength of your kingdome if there be no differēce in opinion amongst the priests or discorde in the preaching of the Gospell neither do I withstand your orders wishing that the Catholike faith which can be but one be planted in the hearts of al men The former Ephesine coūcell The 1 Councell of Ephesus did iustly deservedly condemne Nestorius together with his opinion and who soever doth continue in that error can attaine to no hope of pardon
of the law for himselfe Deut. 17.19 that hee might continually haue it with him read it diligently and meditate therein daie and night Iosua 1.8 and from it to learne the worship of God even to the ceremonies themselues neither that it was said so to him in respect that he should rest altogether vpon another mans report iudging nothing of himselfe yet in these things he shall stand before Eleazar the Priest and willingly aske counsell of him and shall require the law of them whose lipps preserue knowledge He shall call those to the making of lawes for the Church whom it is meet should bee called and those whome reason doth perswade are the most skilfull and that can in those things giue counsell best And then in those things which appertaine to God command Amarias the Priest 2. Chr. 19.11 and not Zabadias the Captaine to be chiefe Touching the person Touching the persons Tortura Torti pag. 381.338 376. 1. Sam. 15.17 it is likewise as cleere that the king hath supremacy over them A power of administring lawes to all men of all degrees and to speak in the language of the holy scripture head of the tribe of Levi no lesse then of the rest of the tribes nor no lesse head of the clergie then of the laitie So the Prophet speaketh to the king When thou wast little in thine own sight Saul the king head of the tribes wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israell Now amongst the tribes of Israell was the tribe of Levi therefore the king is head of the Leviticall tribe in which Tribe was Ahimelech the Priest vnder the king his head This is farther expressed by the name of Father and mother and who head but they Iudg. 5.7 over whom they are set Debora a woman is called a mother in Israell Ezechias father and heare you papist of the Priests so he speaketh vnto them 2. Chron. 29.11 Now my sonnes be not negligent A father then was Ezechias and a father over the Priests Looke then what honour and supremacy Princes haue they haue it by no other commandement then the Fift of honouring our father them for their fatherly care of the Church as of the coūtrey And if any shall deale presumptuously against Abiathar Deut. 17.12 the king hath power by his lawes to punish him even to the putting out of Abiathar himselfe from his Priesthood 1. Kings 2 27. Touching the things if he deserue it Touching the things erected or vsed to false worship power hee hath of pulling downe the high places that is to abolish strange worship not only over the Golden Calfe which Aaron made as Moses had in breaking it to peeces Exod. 32.20 but over the brasen serpent erected by Moses 〈◊〉 King 18 v 4 as had Ezechias when the Golden Calfe is abused to Idololatry or the brasen serpent to superstition of destroying them both In things indifferent And for the things which belong to the Beauty of Gods Church which bee called indifferent he hath power also to order thē as Ioas did 2. Ch. 24. v. 12 And when occasion of schismes and divisions by trifling and foolish questions is ministred by his authoritie to restraine them as Constantine did And this I hope no man will deny to be his right Socrat. Eccles hisi l. 1. c. 7. Lastly if the Romish Catholike had rather haue examples from Christians then from the common wealth of the Iewes let him knowe that Chrysostome Hom. 2. ad popul Antioch Theodosius called head of all men by Chrysost a famous prelate in his time called Theodosius the Emperour by this name head and not only the head but that which in the head is most high the top of the head and that of all men in the earth And I make no question but that there was a man thē on the earth who was the Bishop of Rome If we craue more examples I dare truely say the Catholike Church was so far from distasting this Supremacy in Princes that it called and intituled the Emperours Charles the great Lodowike Rectores religionis Tortura 7 pag. 379. Guiders of religion in the publike acts of their Councell And yet againe if nothing will serue the turne but the very word Governour lette them that doubt of it read it in the eight generall Coūcell so called by them where the Emperour Basilius is stiled Govern our of the vniversall Church Gubernator universalis navis ecclesiasticae And Constantine himselfe doubted not to say of himselfe that he was a Bishop without as others were within the Church These duties touching the Church and titles to Princes belonging are those very things which we say appertaine vnto the kings Supremacie by the law of God The Kings and princes of the world now are in no worse case then were the kinges in the old Testament They are vnder the same condition and therefore the same primacy is due vnto them and the same ought to be yeelded vnto them And therefore I may iustly conclude here with that saying of Scaliger to Lypsius Scaliger tu Lypsius Nos non sumus novatores sed vos veteratores estis Wee are no innovators but they that deny this truth are false deceivers What other exceptiōs they take of his Maiesties vsurping part of the Priests office in the worship of God is a monster of their owne begetting against which they may fight as with their shaddowes but shall never strike vs. The reader that is not wilfully blind will herein submit his iudgement vnto the truth Thus I haue shewed by the old Testament That the christian Emperours practised this supremacy in matters of religion by the practise of the kings there my intended purpose It shall not bee amisse now to see how the godly Emperours in the primitiue Church of Christ dealt in the busines of religion according to that Supremacy we speake of a great part of which was their calling of generall Concells Calling of councels and confirming their decrees 1. Councell of Nice Socrat. l. 1. c 9. thereby as by a speedy way to ridde the Church from the infection of pestilent heresies The Bishops of the first councell of Nice confesse in their Synodicall Epistle that they were called by the authoritie of the Emperour The Synod met together say they when Constantine the most beloved of God gathered vs out of diverse cities and countries By the authority of Constantine Tortura Torti pag 165. Et synodi decreta confirmans consignavit 2 Of Constantinople They submitted themselues vnto him so the words goe And confirming the decrees of the Synod he signed them The secōd generall councell held at Constantinople was called by the authoritie of Theodosius the elder wee met together according to the letters of your Maiestie And againe your Maiestie hath honoured the Church by your letters of calling vs hither In their Epistle
to him What soever hath bin necessarily done in the holy Synode we refer them to your Godlinesse We desire also that the sentence of the Synode may bee confirmed by your Maiesties writing And as you did honour vs when you called vs hither by your letters so wee desire that of those things which are decreed you would by signing them put an end to all things The third is the Councell of Ephesus called likewise by the Emperours authority 3. Of Ephesus Theodosius the younger Valentinian wherein there is so plaine evidence as in none more plainer For the Councell it selfe confesseth seaven times in seaven Epistles that they came together by the appointment of their authorities And often times they say by their sentence Secundumo raculum man datum rescriptum commandement letters In this Epistle they say wherevpon we all fly to the authoritie of your highnesse be seeching the same that those things which are enacted against Nestorius and those that are gon astray with him may haue their force and strength And that those things whereof Nestorius is autor may be void and disanulled The councell of Chalcedon 4. Chalcedon being the last of the first foure witnesseth as much The Synod was assembled by the decree of the most Godly and faith full Emperours Valentinian and Martian In their Epistle this The holy and great councell was called together by the grace of God and decrees of your highnesse The same words are expressed by them when they relate what was done in the councell And of them that is Et ab illis denique missionē perunt ut Ephesini of the Emperours the Councell craue leaue to depart as those of Ephesus did And Martian saith We confirme the reverend Synod by the sacred decree of our highnesse .. This truth is so strong De conc eccl l. 1. c. 13. that Bellarmine although he purposely intended the overthrow of it yet doth he plainly confesse it He addeth 4 reasons to shew why the first fower Generall councels whereof I spake before were called by the Emperours but he addeth to dawbe vp the matter A Glosse besides the text Our question is by whose authority and not by whose consent councels were called It was with the consent and minde of the Pope whē our question here is by whose authority not by whose consent they were called As if the question were by whose authority is war proclaimed Bellarmine should say It is indeede by the Princes authority but not without the consent of the nobles commons therefore authority of proclaiming warre belongeth not to the Prince Besides the Emperours required the consent of the other Patriarches 4 Reasons of Bellarmine to proue that the Emperours called the first 4. generall councells aswell as of the Bishop of Rome but the Supreame right authoritie remaineth in them But to leaue Bellarmine in his poore excuse to come to his 4. reasons thus they stand 1. Because at that time the ancient law imperiall was in force which did forbidde al assemblies and companies of men without the Emperours authority because the Emperours feared seditions and tumults might haue arisen 2 If that law had not beene in force yet seeing the Emperours governed the world in great peace a councell could not bee held but in some imperiall citty and no reason it is that an assēbly should be made to one citty out of the whole world without the licence of the Lord of that place From hence it appeareth that the Pope had not all temporal Lordship deminion and rule as now they claime for him as now at this day if a councel be held out of the territories of the Pope as in France Spaine or Germanie without doubt his cōsent must be asked in whose citty or province it is 3. Because in those times generall councels were made by the publike charges especially touching the bringing of the Bishops to the place where the councell was For they were carried on horses or in citty wagons without charge of the churches And touching that of Nice during the time of the councell al the bishops lived at the charge of the Emperour This appeareth also out of Theodoret Eccl. hist 2.16 where in the conference betweene Liberius the Bishop of Rome and Constantius the Emperour Liberius for the equity of his cause prayed that a generall councell be summoned answere was made the publike revennues woulde not serue for the bringing of the Bishops 4. Because although at that time the Pope was head over all even Emperours in spirituall things yet in temporall matters The Pope could doe nothing against the Emperours mind hee did subiect himselfe to the Emperours and therefore he could doe nothing without the Emperours goodwil And when he might haue only prayed aide of the Emperour for the calling of a Synod yet because hee acknowledged the Emperour his Temporall Lord he did beseech him The pope beseecheth the Emperour that he would command a Synod to be called But after those times all those causes were changed Factum alterius alij nocere non debet and therefore aske quo iure For that imperiall lawe first spoken of doth not now stand in force and the Pope who is head in spirituall matters is not now subiect to the Emperour in temporall Thus far Bellarmine But O tempora o mores O vnequall times that so many things should be then lawfull whereof not one of them shall bee now lawfull Then the Pope intreated the Emperour now the Pope commandes him or at least not intreats him Then the Pope was subiect to the Emperour in temporall things now he is not so that is to say the Emperour is now no Emperour nor the Pope no Pope But in former times tempora mutantur The Emperour was Emperour indeed Pope Pope indeede that is hee was obedient to the Emperour as he ought Then the Romane Empire stood firme vpright nowe saith Bellarmine Romanum imperium iam ferè deletum est De nom Pon. l. 2. c. 2 § praedicit the Romane Empire is almost extinct A pleasant time for Antichrist Thus haue I proved sufficiently I trust that the first fowre general Councels were called by the Emperours authority that they were confirmed by them not one of them by the Pope nor any of them in Italy all without his command in places far remote from him in Greece where the world knoweth he was little respected Other confirmation of this truth there is out of the Ecclesiasticall histories of Eusebius in the life of Constātine Ecclesiasticall histories omitted in this Socrates Sozomene Theodoret and Evagrius al which do deliver a perfect summme of the churches infancie groth and perfectest estate for the space of 600 yeeres after Christ and in most ample maner shew that that supremacie in Ecclesiasticall matters which wee now seek for was then resiant in the Christian Emperours and not in
the Pope Generall councels there are also somewhat be yond the time spoken of in the raigne of Charles the great which might bee here brought in but at this time I will leaue the prosequutiō of any of those authorities of purpose because I hasten to an author of great credit with our adversaries which is Leo the bishop of Rome mētioned before in whom I desire thē but to see what he gaue to the Emperours in his time how fitly his testimonie fitteth our purpose and request of them but this that if they find that he gaue the Emperours as much as we giue his Maiestie and that we giue his Maiestie no more than he giveth them they woulde hence forth surcease to refuse that which is iust or if it be vniust to condemne those pious and godly Emperours of intrusion vpon the Popes right as they doe his Maiestie For the trāslation of the Epistles I must craue pardon of any curious eie that shall compare them with the originals if they find my barren English short in expressing the elegancie of Leos latine stile Leo epist 83. ad Palestinos Monachos Non valentes in Graecum eloquiurn aptè propriè Latina transferre c. since in things of this nature as an vnskilfull interpreter I am not able as he cōplaineth himselfe of some other to put the Latin phrase aptly and kindly into our English tongue seeing in expressing hard difficult things al men cannot do it in their own language much lesse in another But I haue done all that I haue done of a willing minde to better their iudgement who haue not so much as to vnderstand the Latine I knowe the learned knowe them better then my selfe The meaning of my author I trust shal not bee inverted Aucupium syllabarum Tortura Torti fol. 8 9. Melius est ut Grammatici nos reprehēdant◠quam populi non intelligant if any man shall hunt after syllables in so waightie a cause hee shall with the wise bee held guilty of raising a quarrell without iust cause For who doth not know that to every tongue there is its owne proper phrase and maner of speech and that that which is written in one cannot bee so rendred againe in another that at least there shall bee no difference in anie little sentence but that one word must answer another wholy and throughout So the intent be kept it is meere folly to languish about words Vniust taxing In his returne of vntruthes 4. art 117. b. fol. Instigante diabolo an vpright and right meaning heart in these cases should detest that petty kind of reprehension vsed by D. Stapleton against B. Iuell for his translation of Instigante diabolo they were altogether inflamed and led by the divell And thus Stapleton crieth out Lo the cācred words of M. Iuels tender hart instigante diabolo is saith he the divell pricking them and moving them forward Now I appeale to any man but to him that hath indeed a cancred hart to tell mee what difference in substance there is betweene these two altogether inflamed and led by the divell And the divell pricking and moving them forward Stap. ib. 4 art 131. a. fol. Contrary to the minds of the most part of the Bishops And where the Bishop saith that the Imperour Gratian made Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople contrary to the minds of the most part of the Bishops here M. Iuell overreacheth his author saith Stapleton for Sozomene saith many of the Bishops gaine saying it A strong cavill I wisse and a maine difference there is no doubt betweene contrary to the minds of most And many gaine saying it Especially since Christophorson who both for advantage and skill for the Church of Romes cause was as strong as Stapleton translateth the Greeke multis sacerdotibus reluctantibus many Bishops or Priests contending striving strugling or wrastling against it And what is this but contrarie to their minds Neither would I haue any sober minded man cavill at such alleaged sentences as this Where B. Iuell alleageth Liberatus Liberatus alleaged by B. Iuell Brevia cap. 12. alleageth him thus Liberatus saith that Leo the Bishop of Rome with other moe Bishops of Italy fell on their knees and desired the Emperour Valentinian and the Empresse Eudoxia to appoint a Councell and yet could not obtaine it Staplet ut an te pag. 142 In this allegation out of Liberatus two vntruthes are saith Stapleton cōmitted by M. Iuel For neither Leo the Pope fell on his knees to the Emperour Valentinian neither did they desire him to appoint a Councell but to write to Theodosius the Emperour of the East about it Nowe the first vntruth as Stapleton imagineth is that Leo fell not on his knees as did the rest but that he intreated only and other Bishops fell on their knees The second That Leo besought not Valentinian for a Councell as B. Iuell saith But besought Valentinian and Eudoxia his wife that they woulde write to Theodosius about it The Bishops of Italy and the Pope desire the Emperour to call a Councell A marvellous thing it is to see what a wit wickednes hath For what is it to the substance of the matter whether Leo prayed a Councell of Valentinian or prayed him to write to Theosius that a Councell might be called To an Emperour hee wrote It is the more signe that Leo could obtaine the lesse at theodosius hand but was faine to desire the Emperour of the West to entreat for what hee desired And so where B. Iuell made him to entreat but one it appeareth he is faine to intreat one to intreat another in effect two To coma to the first vntruth againe wherewith hee charged the Reverend Bishop of Leos falling on his knees to the Emperour Valentinian I see not in the world how it can be otherwise thought but that he did so Stapl. ut ante Thus the words lie as Stapleton hath set them downe Valentinianum autem imperatorem Eudoxiam vxorem eius ad memoriam beati Petri cum multis Episcoporum genibus provolutis Romanus Pontifex deprecatus est The Bishop of Rome beseeched the Emperour Valentinian and Eudoxia his wife at S. Peters Church with many Bishops kneeling on their knees Can we by this imagine that hee kneeled not aswell as the rest I protest I see it not Leo himselfe made the suit Romanus Pontifex deprecatus est The Romane Bishoppe besought the Emperour with many Bishops falling on their knees And what can wee thinke but this that hee fell on his knees as well as they But what if this keeling bee referred indeed to put the matter out of doubt the B. of Rome himselfe Tortura Torti pag. 167. Genibus provolutus Romanus Pontifex deprecatus est The Bishop of Rome falling on his knees besought the Emperour so readeth it a reverend Bishop of very late daies Howsoever it be Stapleton by his owne evidence doth but
vniversall Church Disturbers of the catholike religiō to be punished by the magistrat insomuch that so the quietnesse of the christian faith may profit your Empire and no hereticall impiety may glory in its enterprise Whose craftie stubborn contention will forthwith be appeased if it be bridled by the Imperiall power The 75. Epistle is also to the same Emperour Leo Epist 75. Leo Episc Leoni Augusto where after due congratulation touching the letters hee receiue frō him and complaint of the impietie of the 2. Ephesine councell which promoted the heresie of Eutiches Hee commeth to say this What more praise worthy what more religious thing can your Godlinesse decree The Emperour must by lawes provide that those thinges which in matters spirituall be established bee not infringed then that no man any more be suffered to assault those things which are determined not only by humane ordinance but also divine A little after relating the doctrine of the councel of Nice and Chalcedon it followeth Before a Christiā Prince therefore one that is to be numbred with due honor amongst the publishers of Christ do I vse my christian liberty The godly Emperour is a publisher of Christ and securely exhort you to the fellowship of the Apostles and Prophets and that stoutly you despise driue those from you who by their heresie haue lost the name of Christian men nor suffer murtherers to deale in the faith with a sacrilegious dissimulation who would by all means make void the faith For when the Lord hath enriched your clemency with the knowledge of such a mystery you ought without delay to consider that your kingly power was not given you only for the governement of the world in civill things but especially for succour of the Church Sed maximè ad ecclesiae praesidium that by repressing of wicked enterprises you defende those things that are well established The Emperour must reform the Church and restore true peace to those things which are out of order thrusting out those who are invaders of other mens right and reforming the seat of Alexandria to the ancient faith that the anger of God beeing mitigated by your meanes hee recompence not the kingly city for the evils it hath done but remit them Set before the eies of your heart renowned Emperour the priests of the Lord dispersed thorow the world who intreate you for that faith which is the redemption of the world wherin in they specially labour The Emperours supremacy is seene in these things who being followers of the Apostolike doctrine are chiefe in the church of Alexandria intreating with your Maiestie not to suffer the heretikes those that are iustly condemned through their own perversnes to vse their owne courses seeing whether you looke vpon the impiety of their error or consider the work of their fury done they cannot only not bee admitted to the honor of Priesthoode but also to haue the name of Christian men taken from them A little after after he hath spoken of the insolencies of the heretikes in exhibiting their petitions to his highnesse he commeth to this It is therefore an excellent thing for your Maiestie for that a crowne is added to your Diadem by the hand of the Lord yea to your faith that so you may triumph over your enemies of the Church because if it be commendable for you to wage war against the nations how great will your Glory bee if you deliver the Church of Alexandria The Emperour must deliver the Church frō a tyrant in whose sorrow the wrong of all Christians rests frō a grievous tyrant Going on and making mention of the advertisement of other matters he commeth to this Sacerdotalem namque Apostolicum tuae pietatis animum etiam hoc malum ad iustitiam ultionis debet accendere The Emperour had a priestly apostolical mind For even this mischiefe also ought to kindle your Priestly and Apostolike minde to the equitie of revenge which evil doth grievously darken the puritie of the Church of Constantinople in which there are found some Clerks agreeing with the heretiks even in the bowels of the Catholiks aiding by their assertiōs the parts of the heretiks In thrusting out of whome if my brother Anatolius If the Bishoppe neglect his duty the Emperour must reform him and settle the Church who spareth thē too favorably be found slowe vouchsafe you with your authority to adhibit a medicin to that Church that such may not only be put frō the order of Clerks but also throwne out of the citty that so the holy people of God be no more polluted with the poison of perverse men Iulianus the Bishop and Etius the Priest who honor your godly affection I commend with my petition beseeching you to heare their informations gently for defence of the Catholike faith because truly they are things of that nature that they may bee founde profitable for your defence The 78. Epistle directed to the same Emperour Epist 78. Leo Episc Leoni Augusto beginneth thus My mind reioiceth in the Lord with much ioy and great reason haue I of reioicing since I know that the most excellēt faith of your clemencie is increased in all things with the gifts of the heavenly grace and by the groath of your diligence The Emperour had a priestly mind Much good toward the church wrought in Italy by the Emperours meanes I finde the devotion of a Priestlie minde in you for in all the speaches of your godlines it doth very plainely appeare what good the holy ghost hath wrought in Italy by your meanes and howe much it is desired by the praiers of all the faithfull that your Empire may bee inlarged in all glory who aboue the care of your temporall busines doth bestow the service of your wisdome very constantly in disposing of holy and heavēly things that so the catholike faith which only quickneth mankind and only sanctifieth may abide in one confession and that dissentions which are bred out of the diversity of humane opinions may be driven away by the soundnesse of that Rocke vpon which the citty of God is built The city of God is built vpon a strong rocke A litle after speaking of his owne agreement with the church of God against heretikes in the councels of Nice Chalcedon hee saith thus If I build againe those things which I haue destroied I shewe my selfe an offender as the Apostle saith and bring vpō my selfe all those punishments which not only the authority of Martianus a prince of blessed memory Martianus the Emperour boūded in the decrees of councels with imperiall lawes penalties to which the Pope was subiect The Emperour hath a perfect iudgement to discern the truth established against such but those also that I haue confirmed with mine owne consent After this giving the Emperor his ordinary due praises he saith Now since I know reverend Prince that you are