the Clergy and the people elected Gregory the firste called afterwardes the great But the custome was saithe Sabellicus which is declared in an other place that the Emperours should ratifie by their consent the election of him that is chosen Pope And to stay the Emperours approbation saith Platina he sente his messengers with his letters to beseeche the Emperour Mauritius that he woulde not suffer the election of the people and clergy to take effecte in the choyse of him c. So muche did this good man saithe Sabellicus seekinge after heauenly thinges contemne earthly and refused that honour for the whiche other did contende so ambiciously But the Emperour beynge desirous to plante so good a man in that place woulde not condescende to his request but sent his Embassadours to ratifie and confirme the election Richaredus Kyng of Spaine rightly taught and instructed in the Christian faithe by the godly and Catholique Bishoppe Leander Bishop of Hispalis did not onely bringe to passe that the whole nation shoulde forsake the Arianisme and receyue the true faithe but also did carefully study howe to continue his people in the true Religion by his meanes newely receiued And therefore commaunded all the Bishoppes within his Dominions to assemble togeather at Toletum in the fourth yéere of his reigne and there to consulte about stayinge and confirminge of his people in true faithe and Religion of Christe by godly discipline Whan the Bishoppes were assembled in the conuocation house at the kinges commaundement the king commeth in amongst them he maketh a short but a pithy and most Christian oration vnto the whole Synode Wherein he sheweth that the cause wherfore he called them together into the Synode was To repaire and make a newe fourme of Churche discipline by common consultation in Synode whiche had béene letted longe time before by the Hereticall Arianisme the whiche stay and let of the Arians haeresies it hath pleased God saithe he to remoue and put away by my meanes He willeth them to be ioyfull and gladde that the auncient manner to make Ecclesiasticall constitutions for the well ordering of the Churche is now thorough Gods prouidence reduced and brought againe to the boundes of the Fathers by his honorable industry And laste of all he doth admonishe and exhorte them before they beginne their consultation to faste and pray vnto the Almighty that he will vouchesaulfe to open and shewe vnto them a true order of discipline whiche that age knewe not the senses of the Clergie were so muche benūmed with longe forgetfulnes Whereuppon there was a three dayes faste appointed That doone the Synode assembleth the kinge commeth in and sitteth amongst them he deliuereth in writinge to bée openly redde amongest them the confession of his Faithe in whiche he protesteth with what endeuour and care beyng their king he ought not onely to study for him selfe to be rightly geuen to serue and please God with a right Faithe in true Religion but also to prouide for his subiectes that they be thoroughly instructed in the Christian Faithe He affirmeth and thereto taketh them to witnes that the Lorde hath styrred him vp enflamed with the heate of Faithe both to remooue and put away the furious and obstinate Heresies and Schismes and also by his vigilaunt endeuour and care to call and bringe home againe the people vnto the confession of the true faith and the communion of the Catholique Churche Further alludinge to the place of S. Paule where he saith that thorough his mynistery in the Ghospell he offreth vp the Gentiles vnto God to be an acceptable Sacrifice he saithe to the Bishoppes That he offreth by their mynisterie this noble people as an holy and acceptable Sacrifice to God And laste of all with the rehersall of his faithe he declareth vnto the Bishoppes That as it hath pleased God by his care and industry to winne this people to the faith and vnite them to the Catholique Churche so he chardgeth them now to see them staide and confirmed by their diligent teachinge and instructinge them in the trueth After this confession was redde and that he him selfe and also his Quéene Badda had confirmed and testified the same with their handes subscripcion the whole Synode gaue thankes to God with many and sundry acclamacions saying That the Catholique Kinge Richaredus is to be crowned of God with an euerlastinge crowne for he is the gatherer togeather of newe people into the Churche This Kinge truely ought to haue the Apostolique rewarde who hath perfourmed the Apostolique office This done after the Noble menne and Bishoppes of Spaine whome the woorthy Kinge had conuerted and brought to the vnitie of Faithe in the Communion of Christes Churche had also geuen their confession openly and testified the same with subscription the Kinge willinge the Synode to goe in hande to repayre and establishe some Ecclesiasticall discipline saithe to the Synode alludinge to S. Paules saying to the Ephesians to this effect That the care of a kinge ought to stretch foorth it selfe and not to cease till he haue brought the subiectes to a ful knowledge and perfect age in Christ and as a kinge ought to bende all his power and authoritie to represse the insolence of the euill and to nouris he the common peace and tranquilitie Euen so ought he muche more to study labour and be carefull not onely to bring his subiectes from errours and false Religion but also to see them instructed taught and trained vp in the trueth of the cleere light And for this purpose he dooth there decree of his owne authoritie commaunding the Bishoppes to see it obserued that at euery Communion time before the receipt of the same all the people with a loude voice together doo recite distinctly the Symbole or Crede set foorth by the Nicen councell When the Synode had consulted about the discipline and had agreed vpon suche rules and orders as was thought moste mete for that time and Churche and the kinge had considered of them he doth by his assent and authoritie confirme and ratifie the same and first subscribeth to them and then after him all the Synode This zelous care and carefull study of this and the other aboue named princes prouiding ruling gouerning and by their princely power and authouritie directing their whole Clergy in causes or matters Ecclesiasticall was neuer disallowed or misliked of the auncient fathers nor of the Bishoppes of Rome till nowe in the latter dayes the insaciable ambicion of the Clergy and the ouermuche negligence and wantones of the Princes with the grosse ignorance of y e whole Laity gaue your holy father the childe of perdicion the full sway to make perfect the mystery of iniquitie Yea it may appéere by an Epistle that Gregorius surnamed great Bishop of Rome writeth vnto this worthy king Richaredus that the Bishop of Rome did much cōmende this carefull gouernement of Princes in causes of Religion For he moste highly commendeth the doinges of
contrariwyse godlynes can not be had without peace and tranquilite of mynde and conscience This would be noted with good aduisement that S. Paule him selfe sheweth playnely prosperitie amongest Gods people and true Religion to be the benefites and fruites in generall that by Goddes ordinance springeth from the rule and gouernement of kynges and Magistrates vnto the weale of the people The whiche two although dyuers in them selues yet are so combyned and knyt together as it were incorporated in this one office of the Magistrate that the nouryshinge of the one is the feeding of y e other the decay of the one destroyeth or at the least deadly weakeneth them both So that one can not be in perfect good estate without the other The whiche knot and fastening together of Religion prosperitie in common weales the moste Christian and godly Emperours Theodosius and Valentinianus dyd wysely ses as appeareth in this that they wrote vnto Cyrill saiyng The suertie of our common weale dependeth vpon Goddes Religion and there is great kinred and societie betwixt these tweyne for they cleane together and the one groweth with the increase of the other in suche sorte that true Religion holpen with the indeuour of Iustice and the common weale holpen of them bothe flourisheth â—eing therefore that we are constituted of God to be the kinges and are the knitting together or ioynture of godlines and prosperitie in the subiectes we kepe the societie of these tweyne neuer to be sondred and so farre forth as by our forsight we procure peace vnto our subiectes we minister vnto the augmenting of the common weale but as we might say being seruauntes to our subiectes in all thinges that they may liue godly and be of a Religious conuersation as it becommeth godly ones we garnis he the common weale with honour hauing care as it is conuenient for them bothe for it can not be that diligently prouiding for the one we should not care in like sorte also for the other But we trauayle earnestly in this thing aboue the rest that the Ecclesiastical state may remaine sure bothe in suche sorte as is seemely for Goddes honour and fit for our tymes that it may continue in tranquilitie by common consent without variaÌ„ce that it may be quiete through agreement in Ecclesiasticall matters that the godly Religion may be preserued vnreprouable and that the life of suche as are chosen into the Clergie and the great priesthood may be cleere from al fault Hitherto I haue proued playnely by the holy Scriptures and by some suche Doctours as from age to age haue wytnessed the order of Ecclesiasticall gouernement in the Churche of Christe yea by the confession testimony and example of some of the moste godly Emperours them selues that suche lyke gouernement in Churche causes as the Queenes maiestie taketh vpon her doth of dutie belonge vnto the cyuill Magistrates and Rulers and therfore they may yea they oughte to clayme and take vpon them the same Nowe remayneth that I proue this same by the continuall practise of the lyke gouernenement in some one parte of Christendome and by the generall counsayles wherein as ye affirme the right order of Ecclesiasticall gouernemeÌ„t in Christ his Church hath been moste faithfully declared and shewed from tyme to tyme. The gouernement that the Queenes maiestie taketh moste iustly vpon her in Ecclesiasticall causes is the guydyng caringe prouidyng orderyng dyrectynge and ayding the Ecclesiasticall state within her dominions to the furtheraunce mayntenaunce and settyng foorth of the true Religion vnitie quietnes of Christes Churche ouerseyng vysiting refourmyng restrayninge amendinge and correctyng all maner persones with al manner errours superstitions Heresies Schismes abuses offences contemptes and enormities in or about Christes Religion whatsoeuer This same authoritie rule and gouernement was practised in the catholique Churche by the most Christian kynges and Emperours approued confirmed commended by the best counsailes both generall and nationall Constantinus of whose carefull gouernement in Churche causes I haue spoken somewhat before tooke vpon him and did exercise the supreme rule â–ª aund gouernement in repressing all maner Idolatry and false Religion in reforming and promoting the true Religion and in restreining correcting al maner Errours Schismes Heresies and other enormities in or about Religion and was moued hereunto of dutie euen by Gods worde as he him selfe reporteth in a vehement prayer that he maketh vnto God saying I haue taken vpon mee and haue broughte to passe healthfull thinges meanyng reformation of Religion Being persuaded therunto by thy worde And publishing to all Churches after the councell at Nice what was there doone He professeth that in his iudgement the chiefest ende and purpose of his Imperiall gouernement oughte to be the preseruation of true Religion and godly quietnes in all Churches I haue iudged saieth this godly Emperour this ought before all other thinges to be the ende or purpose whereunto I should addresse my power and authoritie in gouernemeÌ„t that the vnitie of faithe pure loue and agreemeÌ„t of Religion towards the almighty God myght be kepte and mainteined amongest all Congregations of the catholique Churche He did not only abolishe al superstitions and false Religions whiche had been amongest the gentiles but also he repressed by his authoritie Lawes Decrees all such Heresies as sprong vp amongest the Christians sharpely reprouing and correcting the authours or mainteinours of hereticall doctrines as the Nouatians Valentinians Paulianes and CataphrygiaÌ„s as Eusebius saith of him And Theodoret us dooth recite a part of an Epistle that Constantine wrote vnto the Nicomedians wherein the Emperour hath this saiyng If we haue chast Byshops of right opinioÌ„ of curteous behauiour we reioyce But if any be enflamed rashly and vnaduisedly to continue the memory and commendation of those pestilent Heresies his foolebardy presumtion shal forthwith be corrected and kept vnder by my correctioÌ„ which am gods minister CoÌ„stantinus also gaue Iniuctions to the chiefe mynisters of the churches that they should make speciall supplication to God for him He enioyned all his subiectes that they should keepe holy certaine daies dedicated to Christ and the Saturday He gaue a Lawe vnto the Rulers of the nations that they should celebrate the Sonday in like sort after the appointment of the Emperour And so the daies dedicated to the memory of martyrs and other festiual times c. And al suche thinges sayth Eusebius were done according to the ordinance of the Emperour He coÌ„maunded Eusebius the bishop to draw certein Instructions lessons as it wer Homelies forth of the holy scriptures y t they might be red in y e churches Which was done incoÌ„tineÌ„t according to TheÌ„perours coÌ„mauÌ„dement When the Emperour herde of the great schisme mooued betwixt Arius and Alexander the Bishop of Alexandria wherwith the Churche was piteously tormented and as it were rente in sondre he tooke vpon him as one that had the care and authoritie ouer all to sende
the Emperour as a wyse moderatour and Ruler would discourage none but myldely caulmed such as he saw ouer hasty with wilde wordes cooling their heate and commended such as reasoned deepely with grauitie When they had agreed of the chiefe pointes wherefore they were assembled the Emperour him self calleth forth Acesius a Byshop at Constantinople of the Nouatians Religion and examineth him openly touchyng these articles wherunto the whole counsaile had agreed and subscribed He wryteth his lettres to the Churche at Alexandria where the controuersy touchynge the diuinitie of Christ began declaring that he him selfe together with the Byshops in the counsayl had taken vpō him the searchinge foorth of the truthe and therefore assureth them that all thinges were diligently examined to auoyde all ambiguitie and doubtfulnes wherefore he exhorteth and willeth them al that no man make any doubt or delases but y e cherefully they retourne againe into the moste true waye He writeth an other to al Byshops people where so euer wherein he commaundeth that no wryting of Arius or monument conteining Arius doctrine be kepte openly or secretly but be burnt vnder payn of death After that all the matters were concluded and signed with their handes subscription the Emperour dissolueth the counsaile and licenseth euery one of them to retourne home to his own Byshoprike with this exhortation that they continue in vnitie of fayth that they preserue peace and concorde amongest them selues that from thence forth they abyde no more in contentions and last of al after he had made a long oration vnto them touchynge these matters he commaundeth them that they make prayer continually for hym his children and the whole Empyre Arius counterfeyting a false and feyned confession of beliefe like an hypocrite pretending to the Emperour that it was agreable vnto the faithe of the Nicen counsayl humbly beseching the Emperour That he would vnitie and restore him to the mother Churche and therefore hauinge friendes in the Emperours Courte as suche shall neuer want fautours about the best Princes was brought into his presence whom the Emperour him selfe examined diligently and perceyuing no disagrement as he thought from the agreement made in Nicene councell absolued restored him againe whereunto Athanasius who knew Arius throughly would not agrée and being accused therfore vnto the Emperour was charged by lettres from hym that he should receiue Arius with these threates that if he would not he would depose him from his Byshoprike and commy◠him to an other place The Arians heaped vp many and horrible accusations and slaunders vpon Athanasius whereupon the Emperour dooth sommon a counsaill at Tyre and sendeth cōmaundement by his letters to Athanasius that without al excuse he shuld appeare there for otherwyse he should be brought whether he would or no. He writeth to the coūcell his letters wherein he declareth the causes why he called that councell He shewed what he would haue and they ought to doo and prescribeth vnto them the fourme and rule wherby they shall iudge and determine in that Synode Athanasius appeared appealed fled to the Emperour and declared the iniuries offered against him in that councell The Emperour tooke vpon him the hearing of the cause sent his letters to the whole Synode commaūding them without all excuse or delay to appeare before hym in his palayce and there to shewe how vprightly and sincerely they had iudged in their Synode as I haue shewed before Wherein obserue diligently that the Emperour taketh vpon him and no fault found therewith to examine and iudge of the doinges of the whole councell Thus farre of Constantine and his doynges in the execution of his ministerie and especially in perfourming that part whiche he calleth the best part that is his gouernement and rule in Ecclesiasticall matters wherein it is manifest that by the practise of the catholique Churche for his time approued commended by al the catholique priestes and Bishoppes in the Nicen counsaile the supreme gouernement authoritie and rule in all maner causes both Ecclesiastical and Temporall were claimed and exercised by the Emperour as to whom of right suche like power and authoritie belonged and apperteined Constantines sonnes claymed and tooke vpon them the same authoritie that their father had doon before thē and as Zozomen reporteth of them did not only vpholde mainteine the ordinances made by their father Constātine in Churche matters but did also make newe of their owne as occasiō serued the necessitie of y e time required Constantinus after the death of his father restored Athanasius whom his father had deposed to his Bishoprike againe writing honourable and louing letters to the churche of Alexandria for his restitution Constantius deposed Liberius the Bishop of Rome for that he would not consent to the condemnation of Athanasius in whose place Foelix was chosen whome also the Emperour deposed for the like cause restored againe Liberius vnto his Bishoprike who beinge moued with Themperous kindnes as some write or rather ouercome with ambition became an Arian This Emperour deposed diuerse Bishops appointing others in their places He called a Synode at Millayn as Socrates witnesseth saiyng The Emperour commaunded by his edict that there should be a Synode holden at Millayn There came to this coūsaile aboue 300. Bishopppes out of the West countreis After this he mynded to cal a general councel of al the East West Bishops to one place whiche coulde not conueniently be brought to passe by reason of the great distaunce of y e places therefore he commaunded the councell to be kept in two places at Ariminum in Italy at Nicomedia in Bythinia Valentinianus the Emperour after the death of Auxentius an Arian byshop of Millayn calleth a Synode of bishops at Millayn to consult about the ordering of a new bishop He prescribeth vnto them in a graue oration in what maner a man qualified ought to be who shuld take vpō him the office of a bishop They passe to the electiō the people were diuided til at the last they al crye with one consent to haue Ambrose whom although he did refuse the Emperour commaunded to be baptized to be consecrate byshop He called an other Synode in Illirico to appeace the dissentiōs in Asia Phrygia about certein necessary articles of the christian faith and did not onely confirme the true faith by his royal assent but made also many godly and sharpe Lawes as well for the maintenance of the truthe in doctrine as also touching many other causes or matters Ecclesiastical Theodosius was nothing inferiour to Cōstantine the great neither in zeale care or furtherāce of Christes Religion He bent his whole power and authoritie to the vtter ouerthrowe of superstition false Religion some what crept in againe in the times of Iulianus Valens the wicked Emperours And for the sure continuance of Religion refourmed he made many godly Lawes he defended the godly
at the humble sute of Bonifacius by chaunce againste righte be chosen thorough the vndiscreete contention of the Electours wee permitte neither of them to be Prieste or Pope but wee iudge him to remaine in the Apostolique sea whome the diuine iudgement and the common consente dothe appointe from amongest the Clergy in a newe Election Vppon this woorde where the Emperour saithe wee permitte the Glosar saith and so the Emperour dothe not onely abrogate the clayme of bothe those that be chosen in the contention but dothe make them bothe for that time vnable and dothe decree an other to be taken out of the Clergie for that time Againe the Glosar interpretinge this the diuine iudgement saithe this is the meaninge that the Emperours will and election muste stande the Clergy and the whole people acceptinge with thankefull minde whome the Emperour doth choose For the Emperours were called in those daies holy and their rescriptes and iudgementes Diuine Here you sée by the Popes decrées and Glosars that the Emperour had the supreme rule and gouernement in Churche causes and this was the continuall practise of the Churche for the most parte yea euen the Bishoppes of Rome before they were ordered and consecrated had their election ratified and confirmed by the Emperours their Lieutenaunt or other Princes Sabellicus speakinge of the contentious entraunce of Damasus the first into the Papacy whiche was not without great bloudshed as Volateranus saith dothe note the ambition of the Prelates to be the cause of suche contention about their atteininge of such roumes For now saith he the ambicious desire of honour had by litle and litle begon to entre into the mindes of the Bishoppes The whiche was proued ouer true not onely in the elections of the Bishoppes of old Rome but also in many Bishoppes of other Cities especially of newe Rome These diseases in the Churche mynisters and the disorders thereout springyng the Emperours from time to time studied to cure and refourme wherefore Theodosius and Valentinianus when they sawe the great hoouing and shoouinge at Constantinople about the election of a Bishop after the death of Sismius some speakinge to preferre Philippus other some Proclus both beinge mynisters of that Churche did prouide a remedy for this mischiefe to witte they them selues made a decrée that none of that Churche shoulde be Bishop there but some straunger from an other Churche and so the Emperours sent to Antioche for Nestorius who as yet was thought both for his doctrine and life to be a fitte pastor for the flocke and made him Bishop of Constantinople As Constantinus and Theodosius the elder euen so Theodosius the seconde a very godly Emperour hauing practisinge the supreme gouernment in Ecclesiasticall causes séeinge the horrible Heresies spronge vp deuidinge the Church but specially by Nestorius did by his authoritie call the thirde generall councell at Ephesus named the firste Ephesine councell geuinge streight commaundement to all Bishops wheresoeuer that they shoulde not faile to appeare at the time appointed and further vsed the same power and authoritie in the orderinge and gouerninge thereof by his Lieutenaunt Ioannes Comes Sacrensis that other Godly Emperours had béene accustomed to vse before him accordinge to the continuall practise of the Churche as it is plainely set foorth in the booke of generall Councelles In this councell there happened so gréeuous contention betwixt Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria and Iohn Bishop of Antioche bothe beynge otherwise godly and learned men that the councell was deuided thereby into twoo partes the occasion of this Schisme was partely that Cyrillus and certaine other with him had procéeded to the condemnation of Nestorius before that Ioannes with his company coulde come and partely for that Ioannes of Antioche suspected Cyrillus of certaine Heresies misdéeminge that Cyrill had made the more haste to confirme them before his comminge He therefore with his associates complaineth and laieth to Cyrilles chardge that he did not tarie accordinge to the commaundement of the Emperour for the comminge of the Bishoppes of other Prouinces whiche were called thither from all partes by the commaundement of the Emperour That whan the noble Erle Candidianus commaunded him by writinge and without writinge that he shoulde presume no suche matter but that he and those that were with him shoulde abide the comminge of the other Bishoppes neuerthelesse he procéeded that he and his companie were the authours of dissention and discorde in the Churche and that they had geuen the occasion that the rules of the Fathers and the decrées of the Emperours were broken and troden vnder foote wherefore they iudge Cyrill of Alexandria with Memnon Bishop of Ephesus to be deposed frō their Bishoprikes and Ecclesiasticall mynistery the other their associates to be excommunicate The whiche their doynges they signifie to the Emperour Theodosius by their Sydonical letters to vnderstande his pleasure in allowing or disallowyng of their Synodicall actes After this came the Bishoppe of Romes legates before whome in the councell Cyrillus and Memnon offered vp their libelles deposinge a contestation againste Iohn and his partie to haue them cited and render the cause of their deposition The Bishoppe of Romes legates with the consent of the councel on that parte sendeth for Ioannes and his parties who returneth this answeare Neither sende you to vs nor wee to you bicause wee looke for an answeare from the Prince touchinge you Therefore saith Liberatus Cyrill and Memnon seekinge to reuenge them selues did condemne Iohn and all those that stoode with him who suffered many displeasures at Ephesus thorough the pride of these twaine The Emperour sendeth to the whole Councell his answeare in writinge on this sorte Wee allowe the condemnation of Nestorius Cyrillus and Memnon the other actes and condemnations whiche you haue made ▪ wee disallowe obseruinge the Christian Faithe and vprightnes whiche wee haue receiued of our Fathers and progenitours c. Certaine of the Bishoppes did satisfie the Emperour whome he commaunded to enter into the Churche and to ordeine an other Bishop for Constantinople in the place of Nestorius These thinges thus doone the Emperour dissolued the Councell and commaunded the Byshoppes to departe euery man to his owne countrey Within a while after the Emperour perceiuinge the dissention betwixte Cyrill and Iohn to continewe whiche he thought was not to be suffered called Maximianus and many other Bishoppes that were then at Constantinople with whome he consulted howe this Schisme of the Churches might be taken away Whose aduise had the Emperour sente a noble man named Aristolaus with his letters to Cyrill and Iohn commaundinge them to come to an agreement and vnitie betwixte them selues otherwise he woulde depose and banishe them bothe Whereuppon followed a reconciliation betwéene the twoo Bishops and muche quietnes to the Churches Eutyches stirred vp muche trouble in these daies wherefore he was cited to appeare before Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople and other Bishoppes assembled in a Synode
shewe muche that the Princes had no small entermedlinge and authority in Synodes Church matters This Synode was summoned to be kepte in Rome by the commaundement of the moste honorable Kinge Theodoriche He declareth that many and gréeuous complaintes were brought vnto him againste Symachus Bishoppe of Rome Symachus commeth into the Synode to answeare for him selfe geueth thankes to the Kinge for callinge the Synode requireth that he may be restored to suche thinges as he had loste by the suggestion of his enemies and to his former state and then to come to the cause and to answeare the accusers The more parte in the Synode thought this his demaunde reasonable Decernere tamen aliquid Synodus sine regia notitia non praesumpsit Yeat the Synode praesumed not to decreâ— any thinge without the Kinges knowledge Neyther came it to passe as they wished for the Kinge commaunded Symachus the Bishoppe of Rome to answeare his aduersaries before he shoulde resume any thinge And so the kinge committed the whole debatinge and iudginge of the matter to the Synode whiche concludeth the sentence with these woordes VVherefore accordinge to the Kinges will or commaundement who hath committed this cause to vs wee refourme or restore vnto him to Symachus what right so euer he ought to haue within the Citie of Rome or without As it is and shalbe most manifestly prooued and testified by the oecumenicall or general councelles wherin the order of the ecclesiastical gouernment in Christs Church hath béene most faithfully declared and shewed from time to time as you your selfe affirme that suche like gouernement as the Quéenes Maiestie doth claime and take vppon her in Ecclesiasticall causes was practised continually by the Emperours and approued praysed and highly commended by thousandes of the beste Bishoppes most godly Fathers that hath béene in Christes Church from time to time euen so shall I prooue by your owne booke of generall councelles mangled maymed and set foorth by papishe Donatistes them selues and other suche like Churche writers that this kinde and suche like gouernment as the Quéenes Maiestie doth vse in Churche causes was by continuall practise not in some one onely Churche or parte of Christendome whereof you craue proufe as though not possible to be shewed but in the notablest Kingdomes of al Christendome as Fraunce and Spaine put in vre whereby your wilfull and malicious ignorance shalbe made so plaine that it shalbe palpable to them whose eyes you haue so bleared that they cannot sée the trueth Clodoueus about this time the firste Christian kinge of Fraunce baptized by Remigius and taught the Christian faith perceyuinge that thorough the troublesome times of warres the Churche discipline had béene neglected and muche corruption crepte in doth for reformacion hereof call a nationall councell or Synode at Aurelia and commaundeth the Bishoppes to assemble there together to consult of suche necessary matters as were fitte and as he deliuered vnto them to consulte of The Bishoppes doo accordinge as the Kinge coÌ„maundeth they assemble they commende the kinges zeale and great care for the catholique faith and Religion they conclude accordinge to the Kinges minde and doth referre their decrées to the iudgement of the Kinge whome they confesse to haue the superioritie to be approoued by his assent Clodoueus also called a Synode named Concilium CabiloneuÌ„ and commaunded the Bishoppes to consider if any thing were amisse in the discipline of the Churche and to consulte for the reformation therof and this saith the Bishoppes he did of zeale to Religion and true faith Other fower Synodes were summoned afterwarde in the same Citie at sondry times by the commaundemeÌ„t of the king named Childebert moued of the loue care he had for the holy fayth and furtheraunce of Christian Religion to the same effect and purpose that the first was sommoned for This kyng Childebert caused a Synode of Bishoppes to assemble at Parys and commaunded them to take order for the reformation of that Churche and also to declare whom they thought to be a prouident Pastor to take the care ouer the Lordes flocke the Bishop Saphoracus beinge deposed for his iust demerites Theodobertus king of Fraunce calleth a Synode at Aruerna in Fraunce for the restoring and establyshing the Churche discipline Gunthranus the king calleth a Synode named Matisconens 2. to refourme the Eclesiasticall discipline and to confirme certeine orders and ceremonies in the Churche whiche he declareth plainely in the Edict that he setteth foorth for that purpose Wherein he declareth his vigilant and studious carefulnes to haue his people trained brought vp vnder the feare of God in true Religion and godly discipline for otherwise saith this Christian king I to whom God hath committed this charge shall not escape his vengeaunce He sheweth the Bishops that their office is to teach comfort exhort to reproue rebuke and correct by preaching the worde of God He commauÌ„deth the elders of the Churche and also others of authoritie in the common weale to iudge and punishe that thei asiste the Bishoppes and sharpely punishe by bodely punishement such as will not amende by the rebuke and correction of the worde and churche discipline And concludeth that he hath caused the Decrees in the councell touching discipline and certeine ceremonies to be defined the whiche be doth publishe and confirme by the authoritie of this edict After the death of Anastasius the Emperour Iustinus reigned alone a right catholique Prince who immediatly sent messengers vnto the Bishop of Rome who should both confirme the authoritie of the sea and also shoulde prouide peace for all Churches so muche as might be with whiche doinges of the Emperour Hormisda the Bishop of Rome being moued sent vnto the Emperour with consent of Theodoriche Legates Martinus Pâ—â—nitentiarâ—us telleth the cause of this legacy was to entreate the Emperour to restore those Bishoppes which the wicked Anastasius had deposed This godly Emperour Iustinus saieth Martyn did make a Lawe that the Churches of the Heretiques shuld be consecrated to the catholique Religion but this Decree was made in Iohn the next Popes daies The whiche edict when the kyng Theoderiche being an Arian saieth the same Martyn and kinge of Italy herde he sent Pope Iohn saith Sabellicus with others in embassage vnto the Emperour to purchase libertie for the Arians Iustinus receyued these Embassadours honourably saith Platina and the Emperour at the lengthe ouercome with the humble suite of the Pope whiche was sauced with teares graunted to him and his associates that the Arians shoulde bee restored and suffered to lyue after their orders In this history this is not vnworthy the noting that the Pope did not onely shewe his obedience and subiectioÌ„ to the godly Emperour but also that the secular Princes ordeyned Lawes Ecclesiastical with the which the Pope could not dispence For all this busynes arose about the decree whiche the Emperour had made in an Ecclesiasticall cause or matter If the Popes
your order and praecept wherein for the Seruice and Mynisterie sake that yee owe to God you had the chiefe rule and gouernmēt hath in all pointes followed the doctrine of the Apostles and approued Fathers I doo detest therefore and curse all Heretiques yea Honorius also late Bishop of this sea who laboured prophanely to betray and subuerte the immaculate faithe O holy Churche the mother of the faithfull arise put of thy mourninge weede and clothe thy selfe with ioyefull apparaile beholde thy Sonne the moste constant Constantine of all Princes thy defendour thy helper be not afraide hath girded him selfe with the swoorde of Goddes woorde wherewith he deuideth the miscreauntes from the Faithfull hath armed him selfe in the coate armour of Faithe and for his helmet the hope of Saluation This newe Dauid and Constantine hath vanquished the great Goliath thy boastinge enemy the very Prince and chieftaine of all mischiefe and errours the Deuill and by his carefull trauaile the right faith hath recouered her brightnes and shineth thorough the whole worlde Bamba Kinge of Spaine commaunded a Synode to be had at Toletum in the fourthe yéere of his reigne the occasion was this There had béene no Synode by the space of 18. yéeres before as it is saide in the preface to this Councell by meanes whereof the woorde of God was despised the Churche discipline neglected all Godly order distourbed and the Churche toste and tumbled as a shippe without a rower and sterne meaninge a Kinge to call them togeather in Synode By the carefull zeale of this Kinge beyng called togeather they consulte how to refourme errours about Faithe corruption of discipline and other disorders againste godlines and Religion And at the ende they doo geue great thankes vnto the noble and vertuous Kinge by whose ordinaunce and carefull endeuour they were commaunded to this consultacion who as they affirme of him comminge as a newe repayrer of the Ecclesiasticall discipline in these times not onely intended to restore the orders of the Councelles before this time omitted but also hath decreed and appoincted yeerely Synodes to bée kepts hereafter Eringius kinge of Spaine commaundeth the Bishopps and other of his Clergie to assemble togeather at Toletum in one Synode the first yere of his reigne And called an other to the same place the fourth yeere of his reigne to consulte about reformation of the Churche discipline When the Bishoppes and the residue of the Cleargie were assembled in their conuocation at the commaundemente of the kinge he him selfe with many of his nobilitie and counsailours commeth in to them he declareth the cause wherefore he summoned this Synode he sheweth the miseries the whole countrey hath susteined and the plagues he declareth the cause to be Goddes wrathe kindled by meanes of the contempte of Goddes woorde and commaundement And be exhorteth them that they will with Godly zeale studie to purge the lande from prauitie by preachinge and exercise of godly discipline and that zealeouflye He doth exhorte his nobles that were there presente that they also woulde care diligently for the furtherance hereof he deliuereth vnto the Synode a booke conteininge the principall matter wherof they shoulde consulte And last of all he promiseth by his hande subscription that he will confirme and ratifie what the cleargie and nobilitie shall conclude touchinge these articles for the furtherance of godlinesse Churche Discipline Egita Kinge of Spayne caused in his time also three Councelles to be hadde and celebrated at Toletum for the preseruation of Religion with the Churche Discipline in sinceritie and puritie who also confirmed and ratisied the same with his Royall assent and authoritie Although aboute this time the Popes deuised horrible practises whereby to winne them selues from vnder the ouersight and controlment of the Emperour or any other and to haue the onely and supreame authoritie in them selues ouer al as thei had already obteined to their church the Supreme title to be head of other Churches Yeat the Emperoures had not altogeather surrendred from them selues to the Popes their authoritie and iurisdictions in Church matters For whan the Churche was gréeuously vexed with the controuersie about Images there were diuers great Synodes or Councelles called for the deciding of that troublesome matter by the Emperours and at the laste that whiche is called the seuenth generall or oecumenicall Conncell was called and summoned to be holden at Nice in Bithynia by Constantine and Irene the Emperesse his Mother who was the supreme worker and gouernour although but an ignoraunt and very superstitious woman I will say no worse in this matter For her Sonne was but aboute tenne yéeres olde as Zonoras affirmeth and she had the whole rule although he bare the name After the deathe of Paule the Emperour appointeth Tarasius the Secretary to be Patriarche at Constantinople the people lyked well thereof But Tarasius the Emperours Secretarie refused the office and woulde not take it vppon him till the Emperour had promised to call a generall Councell to quiete the brawles in the Churche aboute Images The Emperour writeth to the Patriarche of olde Rome and to the other Patriarches willinge them to sende their Legates vnto a Councell to bée holden at Nice in Bithynia The Bishoppes assemble at Nice by the commaundement and decrée of the Emperour as they confesse in diuerse places of this Councell Whan the Bishoppes were sette in Councell and many Laye persones of the nobilitie with them the holy Ghospelles were brought foorth as the maner was although the holy Ghospelles were not made Iudges in this councell as they ought to haue been and were in al the forenamed generall councels Tarasius commendeth the vigilant care and feruent zeale of the Emperours about Churche matters for ordering and pacifiyng wherof they haue called saith he this councell The Emperour sendeth vnto the Synode certeine counsailours with the Emperours letters patentes to this effect Constantinus and Irene to the Bishoppes assembled in the second Nicene Synode by Gods grace our fauour and the commaundement of our Emperiall outhoritie He sheweth that it apperteineth to the emperial office io mainteine the peace concorde and vnitie of the whole Romayne Empire but especially to preserue the estate of Gods holy Churches with all possible care and councell For this cause he hath with paine gathered this councel together geueth licence also and libertie to euery man without al feare to vtter his minde and iudgemont frankely to the ende the truthe may the better appeare He sheweth the order he obserued in making Tarasius Bishop He prescribeth vnto the Bishoppes what is their office and what they should doo propoundinge vnto them the holy Ghospelles as the right onely true rule they should folowe After this he mencioneth letters brought from the Bishop of Rome by his Legates the whiche he commaundeth to be openly redde in the councell and so appointeth also other thinges that they should reade There was nothing attempted or done in this councel
without the authoritie of the Emperours as in all the former generall councels And so at the ende the whole councell put vp a supplication to the Emperour for the ratifiyng of all their doynges The which when the Emperour had heard openly recited and redde vnto them they forthwith alowed signed and sealed Gregorius 3. sent into Fraunce for succour to Charles Martell yelding surrendring vp vnto him that whiche the Pope had so longe sought by all subtile and mischieuous meanes to spoile the Emperour the Princes of This same Gregory the third saith Martinus Poenitentiarius VVhan Rome was besieged by the king of Lombardy sent by Shippe vnto Charles Martell Pipines father the keyes of saint Peters confession beseching him to deliuer the Churche of Rome from the Lombardes By the keies of S. Peters confession he meaneth all the preheminence dignitie and iurisdiction that the Popes claime to them selues more and besides that whiche all other Churche ministers haue ouer and aboue all maner persons Ecclesiasticall or Temporall as geuen of Christe onely to S. Peter for his confession and so from him to the Popes of Rome by lineal successioÌ„ Seing that this Pope who was passingly well learned both in diuine and prophane learning and no lesse godly stoute and constant if you wil beleue Platina yeldeth and committeth all this iurisdiction and clayme that he hath ouer all persones Ecclesiasticall and Temporall so well in thinges or causes Ecclesiasticall as Temporall vnto Charles Martel a Lay Prince great maister of FrauÌ„ce it appeareth that Princes may Lawfully haue the rule gouernement and charge in Churche matters The heires and successours of this Charles Martell did keepe these keyes from rusting They exercised the same iurisdiction gouernement in Ecclesiastical causes y t the Emperours and kinges had doon from the time of Constantine the great vntill their time which was almost 400. yeres For Carolomanus sonne to kyng Pepin and nephew to Charles Martell no lesse Princelike than Christianly exercised this his Supreme authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes and made notable reformation of the Ecclesiasticall state He sommoned a councell of his Clergie bothe Bishoppes and Priestes 742. yere from the incarnation of Christe wherein also he him selfe sate with many of his nobles and counsailours He sheweth the cause why he called this Synode That they should geue aduise saith he howe the Lawe of God and the Churche religion meaning the order and discipline may be restored againe whiche in the time of my praedecessours being broken in sonder fell cleane away Also by what meanes the Christian people may attaine to the saluation of their soules and peris he not being deceiued by false priestes He declareth what ordinaunces and decrees were made by his authoritie in that Synode VVe did ordeine Bisshoppes through the Cities saith he by the councell of the Priestes and my nobles and did constitute Bonifacius to be the Archebissop ouer them VVe haue also decreed a Synode to be called together euery yere that the decrees of the Canons and the Lawes of the Churche may be repaired in our presence and the Christian Religion amended c. That the money whereof the Churches haue been defrauded be restored VVe haue degraded the false Priestes Deacons and Clerkes being adulterers and fornicatours and haue driuen them to penaunce We haue vtterly forbidden all maner hunting and haukinge to the Clergie We decree also that euery priest dwelling in y e diocesse be subiect vnto his own bishop that always in Lent he make an accompt shew to the bishop the maner order of his ministery touching baptisme the catholique faith praiers the order of Masses And whaÌ„soeuer the Bishop shal go his circuite to confirme the people the priest shalve ready to receiue him with a collection helpe of the people That y e priest seke for new chrysme always on Maundy thursday at the Bishops hand that y e Bishop may be a witnes of his chast life of his faith and doctrine We decree further that no vnknowen Bishop or Priest be admitted into the church ministery before he be allowed by the Synode He maketh many suche like for the reformation of y â— Clergy in what sort they shalbe punished if thei coÌ„mit whordome likewise against sorcery wytchcraft diuinacions incantations all kinde of prophane superstitioÌ„s If there were no more exaÌ„ples of any church history but this of Caroloman it woulde suffice to make playne that to the Princes authoritie apperteineth to make Lawes and to the Clergy to geue him counsaile out of Gods worde howe to frame the discipline to the edifiyng of Goddes Churche About this time was one Bonifacius not Pope but as they call him the great Apostle of the Germaines the like for all the worlde to our Apostle here in Englande Augustinus Anglorum Apostolus Either of them might be called the Popes Apostles whose great champions they were And euen suche Ecclesiasticall matters as our Apostle treateth of hath this Apostle in his Epistles to the Pope as this He asketh his holines when fatte bakon should be eaten The Pope aunswereth when it is well smoke dried or resty and then sodden Likewise he asketh whether we shall eate Dawes Crowes Hares and wilde Horses The Pope biddeth him to beware of them in any wise Also he asketh him howe if Horses haue the fallinge sicknesse what we shall doo to them The Pope aunswereth hurle them into a ditche He asketh what we shall doo with Beastes bitten with a madde dogge the Pope biddeth him kepe them close or hurle them into a pitte He asketh if one Nonne may was he an others feete as men may the Pope aunswereth yea on Goddes name Also he asketh howe many Crosses and where aboutes in his body a man shoulde make them These and a great many suche like are the Popes and his Apostles Ecclesiasticall matters But leauyng these tryfles note that in those Ecclesiasticall mattâ—â—s whyche he dyd to any purpose the lay Princes had the entermedling as appeareth by the Pope Zacharias Epistle to this Boniface It is no marueile though this kinge Charloman as also Charles the great and other noble Princes after their time established by their authoritie in Synodes many superstitions and idolatrous obseruances as of Masses Chrysmes and suche like abuses beinge moued with the zeale that all Princes ought to haue But wanting the pure knowledge that good and faithful Bishops should haue instructed them withall seinge suche blynde bussardes as this Boniface had the teachinge of them who like blynde guydes ledde them in the bottomles pit of all supersticions and false Religion Adrianus the first Pope beinge muche vexed through his owne furious pryde by Desiderius kynge of Lombardy sendeth to Carolus Magnus and requireth him of his ayde against the Lombardes promysing to make him therfore Emperour of Rome Charles commeth vanquisheth Desiderius and so passeth into Rome whom the Pope receiued with great honour geuing to him in
again vnto Therâ—e the tenour wherof foloweth after Gratianus reporte I haue red your letters wherin you require me to consecrate the newly elect Bishop of Reatin chosen by the consent of the Clergie and people least the Churche should be long destitute of a propre pastour I am sory for the death of the other but I haue defered the confecration of this for that he brought not with him the Emperours licence vt mos est as the maner is I haue not satisfied youre minde herein least that the Emperour shuld be displeased at my doing Therfore I require you for otherwise I ought not to medle to purchase the Emperours liceÌ„ce directed vnto me by his letters vt prisca consuetudo dictat as the auncient custome doth will and then I will accomplis he your desier I pray you take not this my doing in euill parte Wherof it is manifest inough saith Nauclerus that of the Emperours at that time the Bisshops had their inuestitures although Anto. doth glosse otherwise saiynge that perhaps this electe Bisshoppe was belonging to the Court who ought not to be ordered Not only the textes of many decrees in this destinctioÌ„ doth confirme this to be true but also Gratian himselfe and the glossars do in many places affirme that this was the auncient custome and constituion in the Churche that the elections of the Bisshops of Rome and of other Bishops also should be presented to the Emperours and Princes before they might be cosecrated Immediatly after the death of Stephen Paschalis 1. was chosen Pope He being encouraged by al likelihood by his predecessours like entrance thinking to entreate the Emperour so easely as Stephen had done And boldened with a late made Canon by Stephen suffred him self to be enstalled consecrate without Themperours inuesturing leaue authoritie Neuertheles being better aduised mistrusting his presuÌ„pteous disobedieÌ„t fact wolde displease TheÌ„perour as it did in dede he sent by by his Legates to Themperour to excuse him self laieth all the fault on the people Clergy TheÌ„perour accepting this excuse for that time warneth the people and Clergy of Rome that they take good hede that they do no more offende against his maiestie but that hereafter they doo warely obserue and kepe the old orders and constitutions He calleth this attempt plain treason This Emperour called a councel at Frankforth he bestowed Spiritual promocions and instituted his brother Drogo the chiefe mynister or Bishop at Mettes In the meane whyle dieth Pope Paschalis next to whom folowed Eugenius but elected not without contention and liued but a while after whom succeded ValeÌ„tinus who liued in the papacy but fourty days Next vnto him was chosen Gregory the fourth who was of so great modestie saieth Platina that being elected Pope of the Clergy and people of Rome he would not take vpon him the office before he had his confirmation of the Emperours Embassadours whom the Emperour had sent to Rome for that purpose and to examen diligently that election And Lodouicus the Emperour did this not of pride but that he woulde not loose the priuileges and rightes of the Empire Note all these thinges well the Pope on the one part whaÌ„ he was chosen without any contention yet would he not be consecrate without the Emperours confirmation otherwise he thought it an vnmodest part The Emperour on the other side not onely sendeth his Embassadours to confirme but or euer they confirme him to examyn and diligently to discusse after what sorte he came in and whether he were elected lawfully or no. And this he did not of a pryde saye they muche lesse of any vsurpation but bicause he woulde not loose or diminishe the right herein that belonged to the Emperiall maiestie Here say they he did it of purpose bicause he would not lose his right and not his onely but the right of the Empire But least it should séeme he did tyrannously herein and oppressed the Churche or enfringed her liberties it foloweth all most worde for worde in both these writers Platina and Nauclerus For he was a milde merciful and most gentle Prince of nature and one that did alwayes mainteine the right and dignitie of the Churche Loo howe great clemency this is compted in him and the defence of the dignities and rightes of the Churche the whiche afterwardes and nowe of the Popes is compted the greatest tyranny and oppression of the Churche that can be But further to approue this deede of Lodouike the foresayde authours recite many Canons decrees constitutions that this Emperour made in Ecclesiasticall causes and thinges and especially for the reformation of the disordered behauiours of the Bishoppes and Clergie In so muche that Platina comparinge the dissolutenesse of the Churchemen in his time crieth out Woulde God O Lodouike thou were aliue in these our times for nowe the Churche wanteth thy moste holy ordinaunces and thy discipline The selfe same Lodouicus saith Platina called a councell of many Bisshoppes at Aquisgrane to Goddes honour and the profite of the Church dignitie The Prelates in the preface to this Sinode doo declare what was the care authoritie of the Godly Emperour in this Sinode They affirme that the moste Christian Emperour had called an holy and general congregation or Councell at Aquisgrane He beganne therein thoroughly to handle the mater with wisedome voide of curiositie He counsailed yea warned the holie Synode assembled what was néedefull to be doone touching certaine chiefe ministees of the Churches He warned them further to drawe out of the Holie Canons and the saiynges of the holie Fathers a fourme of institution for the simple soÌ„rte of Ministers whereby they might more easilie learne to walke in theyr duties without offence The Synode geueth God thankes that he had praeferred so holie wise and deuout a Prince to haue the chardge and ouersight of his Churche and the Churches needefull businesse or matters The Synode accordinge to the kinges aduertisement furthered also with his helpe otherwise collecteth a fourme of Institution wherein is conteined at large after what sorte the Prelates oughte to frame their liues rule or gouerne the people committed to their cures c. This done they bring to the Prince their fourme of institution whiche they had deuised This Emperour called an other Councel at Ticinum in Italy for the causes hereafter expressed The matters or causes which the honorable Emperour Lodouicus did commaunde his Bishoppes to consider of are these touching the state of his kingedome of the conuersation of the Bishoppes Priestes and other Churchmen of the doctrine and preachinge to the people of writinge out of Bookes of restoring of Churches of ordering the people and hospitalles for strangers of Monasteries both for men and wemen What so euer is out of order in these forenamed states eyther thorough the negligeÌ„ce of the guides or the slouthfulnesse of the inferiours I am saide he verie muche desirous to knowe and I coueite to amende or refourme
Churche commaunded that no Legate of the Churche of Rome shoulde be suffred to entre into Germany with out he were called or hyred of the Emperour nor woulde suffer that any man vnder the maner of appellation shoulde goo vnto the Courte of Rome After the death of Adrian the fowrth the Cardinals fel out amongest them selues for the Election of a newe Pope some stryuinge to haue Rowlande other some coÌ„tendinge to haue Octauian a man saith Vrspurg in all pointes honest and Religious Herevpon sprange an horrible Schisme and greate discorde Rowlande sent his Legates to the Emperour Fredericus 1. and desired him that he woulde take vp and ende this contention by his authoritie The Emperour commaundeth them both to come vnto him at Ticinum where foorthwith he sommoned a couÌ„cell to be holden about this matter mindinge to examine bothe their causes and by searchinge to trye whose cause was the more honest Rowlande beynge afraide to haue the matter come to this tryall getteth him to William of Sicilia the Emperours mortall enemie and within twelue daies putteth on his Cope and nameth him selfe Alexander for he purposed béelyke to make a conquest of the matter He alleaged his ellection to be good out of al doubte and that he sente for the Emperours ayde and not for his arbytrement and therefore thought not good to bringe his case into doubtfull question The Emperour beynge offended with him for that he woulde not obey his appoinctement sente twoo Bishops to cite him to come vnto the Councell by the name of Cardinall and not Pope But Rowlande refused confutinge their Citacion with this Maxime or Principle Romanum Pontificem a nemine iudicari debere the Pope ought not to be iudged of any man But wheÌ„ these Legates from the Emperour came to OctauiaÌ„ he straight ways obeied theybrought him to Papia Vrspur saith that Rowlande was oftentimes monished to come and did contemne all those monitions The Emperour satte in the Councell as Radeuicus Frisingensis who wrote his actes witnesseth and made an oration vnto the Bishoppes wherein he declareth and that by the example of his auncestours Constantinus Theodosius Iustinianus and of later time of Carolus Magnus and other that the power and authoritie to call Councelles where the Churche is troubled with any schismes or other perillous distourbance belongth to the Emperour Notwithstandinge he committed the difininge of the controuersie to their wisedome and gaue them thereunto authoritie The councell debateth the cause consulteth with men learned in the lawe and so concludeth that Octauians election was good and adiudgeth him to be the right Bishop of Rome When they had thus tryed out the matter â—redericus the Emperour saith Platina Confirmat Octauianum Pontificem Confirmed Octauian Pope The Emperour within a while after sente Octauianus new confirmed Pope towardes Rome who dyed in the iourney After whose death the Emperour called an other councel at Wirtzberge as Auentinus writeth wherein were a greate number of Archebishoppes and other Bishoppes and also may of the nobles and states of the Empyre In this Councell a statute or Decree was made by common consente That from hencefoorth none shoulde be Pope onelesse he were created by the consent of the Emperour accordinge as the custome had bene of longe and auncient time This worthy Emperour whom the Chroniclers call Christianissimum moste Christian for his zeale towardes Goddes Churche endeuored not without great perill to him selfe and his estate to reteine the iurisdiction due to the Princes and thereby to refourme the horrible disorders that were growen so highe that they ouerwhelmed the Churche as in lyke sorte diuers other Emperours and Kinges bothe before and after had attempted but in vayne for the wealthy pride the fierce power and trayterous treachery of the Pope and his Prelates was so mighty violent and subtile that there was no earthly power able to withstande or matche with them And therfore Erasmus compteth the Popes of this time and those that folowed to be the Vicars and successours of Iulius Caesar of Alexander the the great of Croesus the ryche and of â—erxes the mighty rather then of Christe the onely Emperour gouernour of the Churche Bernarde calleth Eugenius 3. in his great pompe and pride rather the successour of Constantinus the highe Emperour then of Peter the humble Apostle And Abbas Vrspurg who lyued at this time when the Popes had spoyled the Emperour and other Princes welnighe of all iurisdiction rulinge all by theyr owne Decretalles nowe aboute this time set foorth as they listed maketh a lamentable complainte of the horrible pryde and couetousnesse of the whole clergie and concludeth with these woordes Gaude mater nostra Roma c. Reioyce O our mother Rome bycause the scluses of the hidden treasures in the earthe are opened that riuers and heapes of money maye flowe vnto thee in great abundance Be glad of the iniquitie of the sonnes of men bicause money is geuen to thee for the recompence of so great euilles Be mery and iocund for discordes sake which is thy helper bicause she is rushte out of the infernal pit that pleÌ„tiful rewardes of money might be heaped vpoÌ„ the thou hast that which thou hast alwaies thyrsted after synge pleasant balades for through mennes malitiousnesse not by thy Godlinesse thou hastouercome the worlde About this time the kinge of Cicilia and Apulia had a dispensation from the Pope for money to Inuesture Archebishoppes or Bishoppes with staffe or crosier rynge palle myter sandalles â—r slippers and that the Pope mighte sende into his dominions no Legate onlesse the kinge shoulde sende for him Our Englishe Chroniclers make report that the Kynges of this Realme hadde not altogeather leafte of their dealinge in Churche matters but continued in parte their Iurisdiction aboute Ecclesiastical causes although not without some trouble The Popes Legate came into Englande and made a councell by the assent of kinge William the Conquerour And after that in an other Councell at Winchester * were put downe many Bisshops Abbottes and Priours by the meanes and procurement of the Kinge The kinge gaue to Lanfranke the Archbisshoprike of Cantorb and on our Lady day the Assumption made him Archebishop On whit Sonday he gaue the Archbishoprike of Yorke vnto Thomas a Canon of Bayon When Thomas should haue béene consecrated of Lanfranke there fell a strife betwixt them about the liberties of the church of Yorke The controuersie beinge about Churche matters was brought and referred to the Kinges iudgement and Thomas by the Kinges commaundement was faine to come againe to Lanfranke to be sacred And afterwarde when there grew greater contention betwixt these twaine about Churche matters the Bishop of Rome remitted the matter to be determined before the Kinge and the Bisshoppes of Englande and so at Windesour before kinge VVilliam and the Cleargy the cause was treated Also an other cause was mooued before
ElectioÌ„s reseruations expectatiues Annates vnfit pastours pardons tythes the spiritual courtes c. beseching him to haue some redresse herein Who being moued with the admonitions aduisementes and exhortatioÌ„s of the learned Clergy the godly Princes at the length called a councel at Triers Colayn for the redresse of these and other enormities in the yere of the Lorde 1512. whiche was the fourth yere of the reigne of the moste renoumed kinge of England king Henry the eight In this councel amongest other thinges bicause there was a suspicion of a Schisme breedinge and of greuaunces in the Church it was necessarily decreed that the Emperour and Princes electours with other Princes and states of Thempire should loke about them and wel consult by what meanes these greeues might be taken away most commodiously and the Schisme remoued and euill thinges reformed to edification It was decreed also against blasphemours to paie either a somme of money limited or to suffer death And that all men should know this decree it was thought good to the Princes and states of the Empire that al preachers and persones should at all high feastes preache vnto the people thereof faithfully This being doon Maximilian set forth a decrée for y e takinge away of the forsaid Ecclesiastical greuaunces wherein he declareth that though of clemency he haue suffered the Pope the Clergy herein as did his father Frederik Yet not withstanding sith that by his liberalitie the worshippe and seruice of God hath fallen to decaie it apperteineth vnto his dutie whome God hath chosen vnto the Emperial throne of Rome that amongest all other moste great businesses of peace and warres that he also looke about him vigilantly that the Churche perishe not that Religion decaie not that the worship of the seruice of God be not diminished c. In consideration wherof he prouideth that a man hauing in any citie a Canonship or Vicarship enioy not any prehende of an other Churche in the same citie c. making other decrées against suing in the Ecclesiasticall courtes for benefices for defence of Lay mens patronages for pensions against bulles and cloked Symony c. After this the Emperour Lewes the French king concluded together to call a general couÌ„cel at Pise to the whiche also agreed a great part of the Popes Cardinals Many saith Sabellicus began to abhorre the Popes Courtes saying that all thinges were there defiled with filthy lucre with monstruous and wicked lustes with poysoninges Sacrileges murders and Symoniacall fayers and that Pope Iulius him selfe was a Symoniake a dronkarde a beaste a worldling and vnworthely occupied the place to the distruction of Christendome and that there was no remedy but a generall Councell to be called to helpe these mischiefes to the whiche his Cardinalles accordinge to his othe desired him but they coulde not obteyne it of hym Maximilian the Emperour being the authour of it with Lewes the Frenche king bicause the histories doo beare recorde that in times past the Emperours of Rome had wont to appointe councels they appointe a councell to be holden at Pyse Maximilian the Emperour Lewes the French king and other Princes beyonde the seas were not more carefully bent and moued by their learned men to refourme by their authoritie the abuses about Church matters thaÌ„ was king Henry the eight at the same time king of Englande of most famous memory who following the huÌ„ble suites and petitions of his learned Clergy agreynge thereupon by vniforme confent in their conuocation toke vpon him that authoritie and gouernement in all maner matters or causes Ecclesiasticall which they assured him to belonge vnto his estate both by the worde of God and by the auncient Lawes of the Churche and therfore promised vnto him in verbo sacerdotii by their priesthood not to do any thing in their councelles wiehout his assent c. And this Clergie was not onely of Diuines but also of the wysest moste expert and best learned in the Ciuil and Canon Lawes that was than or hath been sence as D. Tonstal Bishop of Duresme D. Stokesley B. of LondoÌ„ D. Gardiner Bishop of Wynton D. Thirleby Bishop of Westminster and after of Norwiche your olde maister D. Bonner who succeded Stokesley in the sea of LondoÌ„ and many others by whose aduise consent there was at that time also a learnâ—d booke made published De vera differentia Regiae potestatis Ecclesiasticae whiche I doubt not but yée haue séen longe sythen Neither was this a newe deuise of theirs to please the king with al or their opinion onely but it was and is the iudgement of the moste learned Cyuilians and Canonystes that when the Cleargie are faultie or negligent it apperteyneth to the Emperour to call generall councelles for the reformation of the Churche causes as Philippus Decius a famous Lawyer affirmeth And the Glossator vppon this Canon Principes affirmeth that the Princes haue iurisdiction in diuers sortes within the Churche ouer the Cleargie when they be stubbourne ambitious subuerters of the faith falsaries makers of Schismes contemners of excommunication yea also wherein so euer the Ecclesiasticall power faileth or is to weake as in this Decree He meaneth where the power of the Churche by the woorde of doctrine preuaileth not therein must the Princes authoritie and iurisdiction take order for that is the plaine prouiso in the decrée The woordes of the decree are as followe The seculer Princes haue oftentimes within the Churche the highest authoritie that they may fence by that power the Ecclesiasticall discipline But within the Churche the powers of Princes shoulde not be necessary sauinge that that thinge whiche the Priestes are not able to dooe by the woorde of doctrine the power of the Prince may commaunde or obtaine that by the terrour of discipline The heauenly kingedome dooth oftentimes preuaile or goo forwarde by the earthly kingedome that those whiche beinge within the Churche doo against the faith and discipline may be brought vnder by the rigour of Princes and that the power of the Princes may lay vppon the neckes of the proude that same discipline whiche the profite of the Churche is not hable to exercise and that he bestowe the force of his authoritie whereby to deserue woorship Let the Princes of the worlde well knowe that they of duety shall rendre an accompte to God for the Churche whiche they haue taken of Christe to preserue For whether the peace and discipline of the Churche be encreased by faithfull Princes or it be loosed He doth exact of them an accompt who hath deliuered his Churche to be committed to their power To this effect also writeth Petrus Ferrariensis a notable learned man in y e Lawes saying Thou ignorant man thou oughtest to know that the Empire the Emperour ones in times past had bothe the swoordes to witte bothe the Temporall and Spirituall in so much that the Emperours then bestowed all the Ecclesiasticall
permitted to speake That is as your owne doctour Nicol. de Lyra expoundeth it Women muste not teache and preache the doctrine in the Churche neyther dispute openly Therefore our Sauiour Christe did not committe to Kinges Quéenes and Princes the authoritie to haue and take vpon them any parte of gouernement in Ecclesiasticall causes As though a younge Nouice of your Munkishe order shoulde haue argued Nunnes muste kéepe silence and maye not speake in the Cloysture nor yet at dinner time in the fraytry therefore your deceyuer the Pope did not committe authoritie to his Prouincialles Abbottes Priors and Prioresses to haue and take vppon them the gouernement vnder him selfe in Munkishe and Nunnishe causes and matters What man woulde haue thought Maister Feckenham to haue had so litle consideration although vnlearned as to vouche the silence of women in the Churche for a reason to improue the authority of Princes in Churche causes M. Fekenham The thirde chiefe pointe is that I must not onely svveare vppon the Euangelistes that no forayne personne state or potentate hath or ought to haue any povver or authority Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall vvithin this Realme but also by vertue of the same Othe I must renounce all forrayne povver and authorities vvhiche for a Christian man to doo is directly againste these tvvoo Articles of our Crede Credo sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam I doo beleeue the holy catholique Churche Credo Sanctorum Communionem I doo beleeue the Communion of Sainctes And that there is a participation and communion amongest all the beleeuers of Christes Churche vvhiche of the Apostle Paule are called Sainctes Adiuro vos per Dominum vt legatur haec Epistola omnibus sanctis fratribus And herin I doo ioyne this issue vvith your L. that vvhan your L. shalbe hable to proue by Scripture Doctour Generall councell or by the continuall practise of any one Churche or parte of all Christendome that by the firste article I beleeue the holy catholique Churche is meante onely that there is a Catholique Churche of Christe and not so that by the same Article euery Christian man is bounde to be subiect and obedient to the catholique Churche like as euery member ought to haue obedience vnto the vvhole mysticall Body of Christe And further vvhen you shalbe hable to proue by the seconde Article I doo beleeue the Communion of Sainctes is not so meante that a Christian man ought to beleeue suche attonement such a participation and communion to be amongest all beleeuers and members of Christes catholique Churche in doctrine in Faithe in Religion and Sacramentes but that it is lavvfull for vs of this Realme therein to dissent froÌ„ the catholique Church of Christe dispersed in all other Realmes and that by a corporall Othe it is lavvfull for vs to renounce and refuse to haue communion vvith the catholique Churche so dispersed bicause it is a forrayne authoritie and povver out of this Realme vvhen so euer your L. shalbe hable to proue this â–ª by Scripture Doctour Generall councell or yet by continuall practise of any one Churche or parte of all Christendome Than shall I in like manner yelde in this thirde pointe and vvith moste humble thankes shall thinke my seife very vvell satisfied therein The B. of Wynchester This thirde chiefe point is nothing els but a misshapened lumpe of woordes conteininge firste an argument grounded vpon a kinde of Opposition that no wise or learned man euer redde of but is newly forged and hammered out of your owne braine Then an issue to haue me prooue that thinge whiche beinge rightly vnderstanded no Christian doth doubt of or will denie And last of all an huge heape of flatte and manifest Lies against the whole Realme to set a good face vpon an euill fauoured cause whiche can finde no helpe or ease by plain and simple truth The weighty burden that you are loden with can not beare is that you must by othe renounce all forreine power and authoritie the cause that maketh you fainte and feble is that it is directly against two articles of our Creede So that your feble reason is grounded after your simple skill vpon the place ab apositis pugnantibus Before I aunswere to the argument I will put the Reader in remembraunce of the deuision whiche you make chopping chaunging one article into twaine to make some shewe of an heinous matter Surely it were ouermuche detestable if you were moued to sweare but against one article of our Crede as yee were neuer moued by me either to or fro to sweare any thing at all There be three symboles or Credes whiche haue been allowed and receiued of Christes catholique Churche The symbole of the Apostles of the Nicen councell and of Athanasius The Apostolicall is so called bicause it was collected as some saye by the twelue Apostles and therefore conteineth as the coÌ„monly receiued opinion is in Christê Churche according to the nomber of the. xtj. Apostles but twelue articles whiche are called in the vsuall speche of the catholique ChristiaÌ„s the twelue articles of our Crede or beliefe If this I beleue the communion of sainctes be a seuerall article from this I beleue the holy catholique Churche as you doo phantasie then there must needes be at the least thirtene articles of the Crede contrary to the vniuersally receiued opinion of the catholique Churche You were wont to staye your selfe much vpon the custome of the catholike Churche and woulde vrge stifly although not so truely the vniuersally receiued opinion of the catholique Churche as a matter that might not bee reiected or denied and howe chaunceth it nowe that you are become suche a chaungeling that cleane contrary to the vse of the catholique Churche whiche acknowledged but twelue you wil make thirtene articles of the Créede at the least Besides this the catholique Churche in the time of Cyprian and Augustine and before also did not reken or iudge these to be twoo seuerall articles but did coumpte them one article concludinge these woordes the communion of Sainctes in this sentence I beleue a catholique Churche of Christe recyting the Symbole without rehersall or mentioning the communion of Sainctes as it is plainely set foorth by S. Cyprian and Augustine in their exposicions of the Apostolicall Créede The mattier meant by the communion of Sainctes is vttered in these woordes I beleue an holy catholike Churche of Christ Whereunto hath been added sence these auncient fathers times as it may séeme by the way of explication a communion of Sainctes to expresse in plainesse of speche that Christes catholique Churche is nothing els but a felowshippe and communion of faithfull ones whiche are sainctes Nowe let vs see howe to sweare as this thirde chiefe point of the othe setteth foorth is directly against this article of our Créede I beleaue the holy catholique Churche the communion of Sainctes All true subiectes ought and must renounce and forsake all forraine iurisdictions powers superioritie preheminences and authorities
of euery forraine Prince and Prelate state or Potentate This is the proposition of that part of the othe to the whiche adioyne this proposition all true subiectes ought and must beleaue an holy catholique Churche of Christe the communion of Sainctes Espy nowe what opposition is betwixt these two propositioÌ„s y â— they may not both matche together and be verified in one true and faithful subiecte The one say you is directly against the other Then saye I there is a direct opposition repugnancy betwixt them by due examination we shall finde out the oppositioÌ„ Trie the partes of these propositions seuerally without the verbe that coupleth them together and you shall not find any opposition either contrary relatiue priuatiue or disparate ioyne them together with the verbe that coupleth being propositions they are not one against the other contrary subcontrary subalterne nor contradictory and therfore vntruly no lesse vnskilfully babled of you that the one is directly against the other when a yong scholer that hath red but the rudimentes of his Logike could haue séen iudged that there is in them no opposition or repugnancy at all To renounce and forsake Antechrist his Churche by othe or otherwise and to beleue in Christe and rightfully to acknowledge his holy catholique Churche by all maner of wayes staÌ„deth neither directly nor indirectly one against the other but are matched together agreeth iumpe one with the other Surely your eies were not matches neither were your wittes at home whan you spied cut this repugnancy if you had not published this learned piece of worke your friendes should neuer haue knoweÌ„ what an huge heape of conning knowledge is hidden in that litle head of yours The demaunde in your issue is easely proued by the description or definition of Christes true Catholique Churche The catholique Churche of Christe is a multitude societie and communion of Sainctes and faithfull ones that haue been shalbe and are nowe on liue in the earth how and wheresoeuer they be deuided and dispersed in time and place the whiche multitude of Sainctes haue a participation in common amongst them selues of all good thinges geuen graunted and growing from God through Christ of spirite faith Sacramentes prayer remission of sinnes and heauenly blisse and are vnited to Christ their head by faith and fastened togeather amongest them selues as members of one body with the bond of loue To this catholike church euery ChristiaÌ„ man is bounde to bee subiecte and obedient as a member ought and may be subiect and obedient to the body And we doo teache and confesse in this Churche suche an attonemeÌ„t participation and communion among all the members in doctrine faith Religion and SacrameÌ„ts that neither this nor any other Realme may lawfully dissent from this Churche or renounce and refuse to haue communion therewith as God be praised we of this Realme doo nowe shewe our selues by al Christian meanes neuer more at any time to agree and consent in the vnitie of this catholike Churche in necessary doctrine right faith true Religion and the right vse of Christes Sacramentes The foule lies that you heape together wherewith shamefully to defoyle your owne neast and natiue countrey neadeth none other confutation than onely to make them playne to be seen and iudged of all men that the Realme may be sory that euer it nestled so vnnatural and filthy a byrde and your friendes ashamed of so malicious and impudent a Lâ—ar This is a lewde Lie that this Realme dissenteth from the catholike Church in the forenamed pointes This is a shameful Lie that by corporal othe or any other wayes we renounce and refuse to haue communion with the catholike Churche of Christe And this is a monsterous Lye that the catholike Churche is a foraine authoritie and power out of this Realme Who was euer so madde as ones to thinke or so doltishe as to speake any thing against the catholike Churche but specially to forsake it and that bicause it is a foraine power and authoritie The Othe maketh no mention in any one woorde of the Catholique Churche it speaketh of a foraigne Prince Prelate and Potentate and so of the foraigne Power and Authoritie of suche a foraigne state Wherevpon M. Fekenham concludeth as it were by Reuelation in a Monkishe dreame without rime or reason that therfore the catholike Church is forsaken as though there were no difference betwixt a foreine Prince or prelate and the Catholique Churche or that the Catholique Churche might be called a foreine Power or a forine authoritie to a Christian Realme This is suche a newe kinde of Diuinitie as was neuer hearde or redde of in any writer no not in the Legende of Golden Lyes M. Fekenham The fourth and laste pointe is that I must svveare to the obseruation of this Othe not onely to the Queenes highnes and our soueraigne Lady that novv is but also vnto her heyers and successours Kinges and Queenes of this Realme And bicause euery Christian man ought to be carefull to auoide periury therein I vvoulde right gladly knovve that if any her highnes successours shoulde by the refusall of the saide title of supremacy binde her subiectes by the like statute lavve vnto the cleane contrary experience vvhereof vvas of late made here in this Realme that it is yet freshe in the memories of al men In this case I vvoulde right gladly knovve vvhat authoritie is hable to dispence againe vvith this Othe And if there be none at all then the subiectes of this Realme in this case are bounde and that by booke Othe to liue in a continuall disobedience to the Lavves of their soueraigne Lorde or Lady Kinge or Queene the case vvherof is very LameÌ„table And Christian charitie vvoulde that it should be foreseene and prouided for And for mine ovvne paâ—te being further touched herein than I haue yet expressed my very trust and hope is that the charity of this our nevv refourmed church here in this realme shal not be fouÌ„de so colde and short as in prouiding so sharpe lavves â—nd paines of death to force men to take this Othe of the Q. Highnes Supremacie but that it vvil prouide also such meanes and vvaies vvhereby the subiectes may receiue the same vvith salfe conscience and vvithout all perâ—ury And in so doynge I shall moste vvillingly submitte my selfe and receiue also that parte of the Othe And shall further thereupon set foorth the Q. Highnesse Supremacy vvith all Titles and Praerogaâ—iues bothe by penne and vvoorde of mouth and that vvith as desirous harte and glad vvil as any subiect that is this day liuinge in hir highnesse Realme So that of the premises ye may vvell vnderstande that there is in me no other cause of staâ—e touchinge the later parte of this Othe then very Conscience And that I vvoulde before right gladly knovve touching these forenamed pointes hovve I mighte svveare vnto them and not committee periury therein The B. of Wynchester As euery Christian
man ought to be carefull to auoide Periury both in this al other matters euen so wise men may wel knowe what you meane by the conditional case ye put of the refusal by hir highnesse Successours of this Title whereto the Holy Ghost maketh you this plaine answere Spes Hypocritae peribit The Hypocrites hope shall perish You sprinkle this doubtful case with a powder of late experience which seasoneth your matter De facto non de Iure For it is not lawful for any christiā Prince to refuse this Supremacy which is the hest part of his princely Ministery seruice vnto God Neither may he more binde his subiectes by lawe to become sworne to the Pope and Popery than to the great Turke and Turkery For that the Pope is a more perillous ennemie vnto Christe than the Turke and Popery much more Idolatrous then Turkery And therfore there is no humaine authoritie that can dispēce with the violation of this lawful Othe made of duety vnto the Christian Prince This is a lamētable case I graunt that subiectes should lyue in cōtinual disobedience to the Lawes of the Prince whether it happen for that the Lawes be so vngodly that a Christian subiecte may not with good conscience obeye them experience whereof was of late made here in this Realme Or for that the stubbornesse of the subiect mainteyned with a wicked and yet a vaine hope be so stiffe that wilfully he lyueth in a continuall disobedience to the Godlye lawes of his soueraigne whereof experience is made nowe at this time in you and a fewe others of your conspiracy There is good cause why yee shoulde haue your very trust and hope as you say yee haue howe vngratiousely so euer yee thinke assured of the charitie of our Churche newly refourmed after the rule of Goddes woorde wherat yee Popishe swyne grunte groyne For you in your owne selfe haue perfecte experience that the Supreame gouernour vnder Christe of this Realme folowinge the example of hir heauenly Father dooth bountifully of hir goodnesse with muche more pacience and longe sufferinge allure you to dutifull repentance And hath further prouided sundry meanes and wayes whereby to remoue your wilfull ignorance and to endue you with sufficient knowledge of the trueth howe ye mighte with salfe conscience receiue this dutifull Othe of a true subiecte without all periury M. Fekenham HERE folovveth the Resolutions of the aforesaide Scruples made by my L. Bishop of VVinchester For a resolute ansvvere to all the saide Scruples expressed in the forenamed poinctes his L. saide that he did muche lamente that the right meaninge of the Othe had not beene in season opened and declared vnto me vvhan the onely lacke of the right vnderstandinge thereof hath beene the cause of such staies and distourbaunce of conscience VVhereas the Q. Maiesties meaninge in that Othe is farre othervvise than the expresse vvoordes are as they Lie Verbatim like as it doth vvell appeare by her Highnes interpretacion made thereof in her Iniunctions Thereunto my obiection vvas that vndoubtedly her Highnes did fully meane and minde to clayme and take all spirituall gouernement vppon her for besides the expresse vvoordes of the Othe vvherunto al men be bounde to svveare Verbatim ▪ as they Lie vvithout all chaunge and alteracion makinge of any vvoorde or sense thereof her highnes in the Interpretacion set foorth in her Iniunctions doth by very plaine vvoordes clayme the same spirituall gouernement here in this Realme of the Church of Englande that her Highnes Father Kinge Henry and her brother Kinge Edvvarde did enioye and clayme before her in the vvhiche Iniunctions and in the late Acte of Parliament also her Highnes dooth clayme no more spirituall gouernement nor no lesse but so muche in euery pointe as they had vvithout all exception For ansvveare his L. did still continue in the deniall thereof and that her highnes meaninge vvas not to take so muche of Spirituall authoritie and povver vppon her as they did vvith affirmacion that he did moste certainely and assuredly knovve her Highnes minde therein Then for some issue to be had of this matter seeynge that the meaninge of the Othe is not as the expresse vvoordes doo purport And seeynge that his L. did so vvell vnderstande her Highnes meaninge therein and thereby the very right sence thereof I besought him that his L. vvoulde take some paines for truethes sake to penne the same vvhereuppon his L. did penne and vvrite the interpretation of the saide Othe as hereafter follovveth I. A. B. do vtterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the Q. Highnes is the onely Supreme gouernour of this Realme and of all other her Highnes dominions and countreis asvvell in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall thinges or causes as Temporall That is to haue the soueraignty and rule ouer all manner personnes borne vvithin her Realmes dominions and countreys of vvhat estate either Ecclesiastical or Tēporal so euer they be And to haue authority and povver to visit the Ecclesiasticall estate and personnes to refourme order and correct the same and al maner errours heresies schismes abuses offences contemptes and enormities Yet neuertheles in no vvise meaning that the kings and Queenes of this Realme possessours of this crovvne may challēge authoritie or povver of ministerie of diuine offices as to preache the vvord of God to minister Sacramentes or rytes of the Churche appointed by Christ to the office of Church ministers to excōmunicate or to binde or lose Of the vvhich fovver pointes three belong only to the Ecclesiastical ministers the fourth is commen to them vvith the congregation namely to excōmunicate And that no forain Prince Persone Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to haue any Iurisdiction Povver Superioritie preheminence or authoritie Eclesiastical or Spiritual vvithin this Realme And therefore I doo vtterly renounce al forein iurisdictions povvers superiorities proheminences and authorities That is as no Secular or Laie Prince other than the kings or Queenes possessours of the crovvne of this Realme of vvhat title or dignitie so euer they be hath or ought to haue any authoritie soueraintie or povver ouer this realme ouer the Prince or subiectes thereof Euen so no maner of forein Prelate or persone Ecclesiastical of vvhat titlie name so euer they be neither the sea of Rome neither any other sea hath or ought to haue vse enioy or exercise any maner of povver iurisdiction authoritie superioritie preheminence or priuilege Spiritual or Ecclesiastical vvithin this Realme or vvithin any the Q. Highnes dominions or coūtreis And therfore al such forein povver vtterly is to be renounced and I doo promise c. Vt sequitur in forma iuramenti The B. of Wynchester These that ye terme Resolutions are none of mine they are lyke him that forged them false feigned malitious They be your owne either ye could not or yée were ashamed to adioine my answeres to your séely obiections and therfore ye feigned me to vtter for resolutions your
to mine assertion to be committed by Christe to Bishops priestes as proprely apperteyning to their office and calling without further commission or authoritie from Princes or any other power The distinction that I made of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction I wil first repete and than put mine answeare to your argumentes Spiritual Iurisdiction is deuided into twoo sortes the one is called Cohibityue the other not Cohibityue That whiche is called not Cohibityue is that iurisdiction or power that is exercised and woorketh in the inwarde and secrete courte of conscience that is the preachinge of the Ghospell mynistration of the Sacramentes and the absoluinge and reteininge of sinnes by the woorde of God in the publique mynistery This therfore they call not Cohibityue bicause in the Court of conscience no man is bound or lowsed vnwillingly or against his will To exercise this kinde of Iurisdiction neither kinges nor ciuill Magistrates neither any other persone may challendge or take vppon him onlesse he be lawfully called thereunto Iurisdiction Cohibitiue hath twoo partes the one consisteth in the exercise of excommunication and circumstaunces thereunto required by Christes institution the whiche power or Iurisdiction belongeth to the Churche onely and not to the Prince Bishoppe or Priest for noman hath authoritie to excommunicate but onely the Churche and those who receiue authoritie there vnto by commission from the Churche The other kinde of Cohibitiue Jurisdiction is a power or authoritie that consisteth and is exercised in foro causarum in the courte of causes and apperteineth ad externum publicum forum to the externall and publike Courte and is defined to be saith Antonius an authoritie or power to declare the Law geue sentence and to iudge in all controuersies pertayninge to the Courte what is euery mans right and in summe to doo those thinges that iustice dooth require accordinge to the Lawes Ioannes Quintinus defineth Iurisdiction to the same effect but openeth the nature thereof more plainely sayinge Iurisdiction is an office and authoritie to declare the Lawe that is to admynister iustice and equity◠and to gouerne the people with right and Lawes VVhan I name an office saith he I meane that iurisdiction hath in it selfe a necessity to declare the Lawe for office is that whiche euery man is bounde to doo to declare the lawe is to exercise iudgementes whereuppon commeth iurisdiction he meaneth that iurisdiction hath the name and is so called of exercisinge iudgementes iudgementes are exercised onely of them that haue iurisdiction that is power to iudge Iurisdiction consisteth onely in the contentions or debatinge of matters in Courte or iudgementes This authoritie to iudge dooth discende nowe from the Prince alone in whome onely is all power By vertue of this iurisdiction saith Antonius the Churche mynisters accordinge to their offices rightly enioyned vnto them may lawfully visit enquire of mens manners punishe the faulty send foorth apparitours or sommoners cyte the sturdy and stubborne represse their malepartnes call and sommon meete personnes to the Synode prouinciall or generall confirme the matters decreed in the Synode or Councell pardon faultes chaunge or mytigate the penaunce enioyned for confessed faultes condemne Heretiques and their writinges examine all mens writinges who so euer before they be set foorth or published and after due examination iudge whether they conteyne sounde or pestilent doctrine ordeine Decrees Lawes caeremonies and rytes constitute Bisshoppes and other Churche mynisters also depose degrade make them irreguler and vnhable to haue holy orders determine illegitimation in personnes for maryage bestowe Ecclesiasticall benefices and exact tythes and annates These and many other thinges may be lawfully doone by those that haue the power of this Cohibytiue Iurisdiction whiche is not saithe he properly signified by the name of the keyes for although it may be named in some respecte a Churche keye yet it differeth very muche from the keyes of the firste Courte that is of the Courte of Conscience For the vse of those keyes that are occupied in the Courte of conscience belongeth onely to the Euangelicall Priestes But this Iurisdiction may lawfully be exercised of those that are not mynisters of the woorde and Sacramentes and are not Priestes As the twoo former partes of Ecclesiastical iurisdiction haue their vertue power and institution of Christe immediatly euen so this third part whiche is saide to consiste in foro causarum with those thinges which may be vsed or exercised by vertue thereof dothe depende vppon the positiue Lawes of Christian Magistrates or where suche wanteth vppon the positiue rules and orders of that Churche where suche orders muste be practised and not immediatly vppon the Lawe of God You tooke vppon you to proue that this seconde kinde of Cohibityue Iurisdiction with the appurtenances thereof as I haue rehersed was appointed by the expresse woorde of God immediatly to Bishoppes and Priestes without further commission of Princes or other power whiche I denied Nowe let vs consider the force of your proufes and sée how they conclude your cause Firste yée say that the woordes of the first parte of the Othe doo by expresse woordes of the Acte geue vnto the Q. highnes all manner of iurisdictions priuileges and preheminences in any wise touchinge and concerninge any Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction within the realme with an expresse debarre and flat deniall made of al spirituall iurisdiction vnto the Bisshoppes thereof to be exercised ouer their flockes and cures without her highnes speciall commission to be graunted thereunto they hauinge by the expresse woorde of God commission of spirituall gouernement ouer them Your euill dealing with the woordes of the Acte and the Othe expresseth an vnkindely meaninge to the Prince and the state for that either the Acts or the Othe debarreth or denieth expressely or couertly y e Bishopes of this realme to exercise ouer their flockes and cures without her highnes speciall commission graunted therto any spirituall iurisdiction assigned to a Bishop by the woorde of God is altogether vntrue The Statute geueth or rather restoreth to the Prince Iurisdiction and authoritie to enquire after what sorte the Ecclesiasticall state and personnes behaue them selues in their cures and chardges to refourme and correct the disorders negligencies and enormities risinge amongest them to the hinderaunce of their office in their cures and chardges and in summe to order and prouide that they doo execute their office accordinge to their callinge in their cures chardges This is not to debarre or denie them the exercise of their office without a speciall licence Neither doo the expresse woordes of the Statute geue to the Prince all manner of iurisdictions in suche absolute wise as you reporte in any wise and any spirituall iurisdiction within the realme For these termes all manner in any wise and any spirituall iurisdiction whiche you enforce so muche are not founde in the gifte or restitucion of spirituall iurisdiction made by the acte vnto the Prince But in that parte where the acte geueth afterwarde
had no ChristiaÌ„ Prince or Magistrate Constantinus as I haue saide was not the first Christian king But he was the very first Emperour as your owne writers doo witnesse that gaue Bishoppes authoritie to iudge and exercise iurisdictioÌ„ ouer their Clergie and that gaue to the Bishop of Rome power and authoritie ouer other Bishoppes as Iudges haue the king ouer them and that gaue to him power and iurisdiction ouer all other Churches if that Donacon be not forged whiche Gratian citeth And Petrus Bertrandus a Bishop a Cardinal and one of your best learned in the Canon and Ciuill lawes in his treatise De origine iurisdictionum affirmeth that Theodosius and Carolus Magnus did graunte vnto the Churche all iudgementes For the proufe whereof he auoucheth diuerse decrées and addeth That such grauÌ„tes were afterwardes abrogated M. Fekenham At the first councel holden at Hierusalem for the reformation of the controuersy that vvas than at Antioche touchinge CircumcisioÌ„ and the obseruation of Moses Lavve decree vvas made there by the Apostles and Priestes vnto the beleuers at Antioche that they shoulde absteine from these fovvre chiefe and necessary thinges viz ab immolatis simulachrorum à sanguine suffocato à fornicatione à quib custodientes vos bene agetis The vvhiche first councell vvas there assembled by the Apostles of Christ The Decrees and Lavves vvere made there by them The controuersy at Antioche vvas by them reformed ordered and corrected vvithout all commission of any temporal Magistrate King or Prince The B. of Wynchester God be thanked that S. Luke maketh to vs a sufficient report of this councell who maketh no mencion of any Priest there present as you vntruely report onles ye will thinke he meant the order of Priestes whan he named the faction of the Pharisées Whether the Apostles called this councell or not or that the Congregation being assembled together in their ordinary sort for praier preaching and breaking of bread Paulus and Barnabas with the others sent to Hierusalem did declare the cause of their message before the whole Churche which is more likely I will not determine bicause S. Luke maketh no mention thereof But if it be true that ye affirme that the Apostles called or assembled this Councell Then was it not the authoritie or Acte of one Apostle alone Besides this if the Apostles called this councell they called they Layte so wel as the Clergie to the councell yea as may séeme probable mo of the Laytie than of the Clergie The decrées were not made by the Apostles alone as you falsely feyne For S. Luke saith the decrée was made by the Apostles Elders and the whole Congregation The Apostles I graunt as was moste conuenient with the Elders had the debating arguing and discussing of the question in coÌ„trouersie They declared out of the holy Scriptures what was the truthe And I doubt not but they declared to the Church what they thought most conuenieÌ„t to be determined But the determination and decrée was by the common consent both of the Apostles Elders and people Therfore this controuersy was reformed ordered and corrected not by the authoritie of the Apostles alone without the Elders neither they togeaher did it without the assent of the Churche and so this allegation maketh no deale for your purpose but rather cleane against it M. Fekenham The Apostles also hearinge at Hierusalem that Samaria had reciued the vvoorde of God they did sende Peter and Iohn to visite them to confirme them in faythe and that they might receiue the holy ghost by the imposition of their hands Paule and Barnabas did agree betvvixt them selues to visite al those Cities and bretheren vvhiche they had conuerted to the faithe The vvoordes of the Scripture are these Dixit ad Barnabam Paulus reuertentes visitemus fratres per vniuersas Ciuitates in quibus praedicauimus verbum Domini quomodo se habeant In the vvhiche visitation the Apostle Paule Electo Sila per ambulabat Siriam Cilâ—â—iam confirmans Ecclesias praecipiens custodire praecepta Apostolorum seniorum By the vvhiche vvoordes it right vvell appeareth hovve the Apostles and Priestes at Hierusalem ouer and besides the Ghospell vvhiche they taught they did make certeine Decrees Lavves and ordinaunces the vvhiche the Apostle Paule in his visitation gaue commaundement to the Syrians and Silicians to obserue and keepe VVhat Lavves and orders did the Apostle make and appoint vnto the CorinthiaÌ„s that men should neither praie nor preache in the Churche vvith their heades couered VVhat reformation and order did he make and appoint vnto them for the more honourable receiuing of the Sacrament and that partly by vvriting and partly by vvoorde of mouthe saying Caetera cum Venero disponam and in his seconde Epistle to the Thessalonians he saith Fratres state tenete traditiones quas didicistis siue per fermonem siue per Epistolam nostram VVhat orders and Decrees did the Apostle Paule make touching praiyng and preaching vnto the people in tongues vnknovven and that al vvomen should keepe silence in the Churche and Congregation These and many suche other like Lavves orders and Decrees vvere made for the reformation of the people in the Churche of Christ by Christes Apostles by Bishops and priestes as the successours of them and that vvithout all commission of any Temporal Magistrate Emperour King or Prince Constantinus being the first Christian Emperour like as I haue saide The B. of Wynchester Your whole drifte in this parte is to proue that Bishoppes and Priestes may visite geue the holy Ghoste by the imposition of their handes and make lawes orders and decrees to their flockes and cures Your proufe consisteth in the example of the Apostles and this is your argument The Apostles visited gaue the holy Ghost and made Lawes orders and decrees vnto their flockes and cures Ergo Bishoppes and Priestes haue authoritie and may make Lawes visit geue the holy ghost to their flockes and cures The insufficiency of this consequent doth easely appeare to those that doo consider the state and condicion of the Apostleship and compare therwith the office of a Bishop or Priest The Apostles did might and could doo many thinges that Bishoppes and Priestes neither may nor can doo The matter is more plaine than that needeth any proufe But as the sequele faileth in forme so let vs consider the matter wherupon ye grounde the sequele that your friendes may see what foule shiftes ye are driuen to make for the maintenaunce of an vniust claime That the Apostles did visite their cures and flockes you proue by two places of the Actes in the first place ye feine the Scriptures to saie that it sayeth not for in the eight of the Actes there is no mencion made of any visitation the other place speaketh only of a Scripturely visitation and nothing at al of your Forinsecall or Canon Lawe visitation The Canon Lawes visitatioÌ„ is to be exercised by a great nomber of such persons
do any thinge not so muche as toll a bell to seruice or sweepe the Church but onely the Bishop must dooe all alone Whiche conclusion some of your complices would so litle allowe as those whom yee would ouerburden and yee your selfe might go play you as one that had naught to doo in any thinge perteining to the Churche But to helpe the matter and to make Ignatius woordes plaine without absurditie you must take with you the residue of the sentence that followeth which yee leaue out of The Sacrament of Thankesgeuinge and Celebratinge the Diuine Seruice and then it shall easily appeare that Ignatius talketh of suche dooinges of a Bishop as in déede declare his function office yet furthereth no whit the Conclusion of your obiection So that your Conclusion beynge yet as insufficient as the rest you are faine to adioyne an other péece thereunto Wherein although yee shewe howe euill a ioygner you bee to adioygne those two péeces of sentences togeather in one Conclusion that are of cleane sundry matters yet in one poynte yee haue made them bothe agree that as yee wrested the one so ye not onely wrest but flatly falsifie the other and yet neither of them bothe stande you in any steade to helpe your obiection muche lesse to conclude the same For fyrst how dooth this followe S. Augustine saith say you of the Doctours of the Churche That they beleeue I beleeue that they holde I holde that they teache I teache that they preache I preache yeelde to them and thou shalte yelde to me Ergo Bishoppes and Priestes haue power and authoritie to make lawes orders and Decrees and to vse all cohibitiue iurisdiction ouer their flockes and cures Nowe if your freendes that haue beleeued hitherto as you beleeue haue helde as you holde taught as you teache preache as you preache and beleeuinge the vpright dealinge and conscience that you pretende haue yelded vnto you herein do but a litle examine your false dealing with those Fathers whom you would seeme so wholy to folowe I thinke they woulde no longer beleeue you holde with you nor yelde vnto you but suspecte you as a deepe dissembler or rather abhorre you as an open sclaunderer and belyer not onely of me but of the auncient Fathers them selues For firste I woulde learne of you where S. Augustine hath those woordes in all his sixe bookes against Iulian Istis cede mihi cedes if he haue them shewe where if he haue them not then howe dooe ye followe S. Augustine Howe dare you impudently saye ye preache and teache that he did when ye manifestly mangle alter peruert and corrupt the saiynge that he did teache In deede for fashions sake ye cite a péece of S. Augustines sentence that they beleue I beleeue c. but for that which followeth istis cede me non caedes yelde to them and thou shalt not strike or whippe me you haue put in these woordes istis cede mihi cedes yelde to them and thou shalt yelde to me and yet this corrupting of the sentence maketh it serue no whit the more for your purpose but vttereth your falshood that belike will not spare to corrupt that whiche maketh flat against you that thus vse to corrupt this which maketh neither to nor fro with you nor against me But as S. Augustine writinge in y e same matter against Iulian a Disciple of Pelagius an Englishe Monke dealing with S. Augustine as ye haue doon with me saide to Iulian so saye I to you Ye feine me to saie that I saie not to conclude that I conclude not to graunte that I graunte not and you conclude to your selfe that whiche I denie c. In deede you haue laboured more to finde out those reasons whiche ye might better vtter against your selfe than against me But in suche a cause ye should not neede to take suche peines if you had any shame in you S. Augustine in these bookes against Iulian as in his other against the Donatistes as I haue declared before did attribute vnto the Emperours and Princes the Bishoppes and Priestes suche Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction as I haue doone Of the same mynde that hee was herein were also these fathers that he cyteth Wherefore you wyll nowe I truste accordinge to your promyse yelde and relente If not to me for stubborne harte yeat accordynge to your conclusion to S. Augustine and the auncient Fathers to beleeue herein that they beleeue to holde that they holde to teache that they teache to Preache that they preache and no moare to wrynge mayhem slaunder and belye them And than bothe I and all other faithful Christians wil both better beleeue you and geue God thankes for you M. Fekenham After longe expectation and many promises his L. final ansvveare to the saide obiections vvas as hereafter folovveth For as muche as I doo perceiue that you are not to be resolued in this matter I shall here staie and proceede no further vvith you in the same and like as you haue bene so you shalbe vnto me most hartely vvelcome You shall lacke nothinge that is in my house to pleasure you And from hencefoorth I shal leaue to haue any further talke or conferēce vvith you in these controuersies of Religion And for all suche talke and vvrytinge as hath passed already bitvveene vs I shall perfourme this my promise bothe firste and last made vnto you that you shalbe vvel assured not to suffer any hurte or damage therby The B. of Wynchester You deliuered this obiection vnto me in writinge betwixte Easter and Whitsontide about the ende of April within two daies folowinge when I had redde the same I tould you that in the collection of your common places you were muche abused for that you had mistaken them and obserued no iuste circumstances of the authorities whereby to haue knowen the authours meaninge And so wée continued in debatinge and reasoninge from time to time about this matter of Iurisdiction and others vntill the beginning of September folowinge before which time your obstinacy grewe so muche that I was forced through your vnorderly behauiour to restreigne you of your licentious talke and sequester you from conference with any hauinge so muche before abused your selfe and especially in mine absence and I was the rather moued so to doo for that I perceiued all that I did was but in vaine as at diuerse times and often I repeated that vnto you obstinately bente to the contrary meaninge by suche stoutenesse to recouer your credite which through your inconstancie was so empaired amongest your friendes I saide at your firste comminge and many times after you beynge sente by the Honourable Councell that you were welcome whiche by good proufe although vtterly without any your good deserte yée founde true I did say that I woulde leaue to haue any further talke or conference with you touchinge matters of Religion or any other but you shoulde haue shewed the time and place where and when
and vsed in the same sort his princely authoritie in refourming all abuses in all maner causes ecclesiastical These godly kynges claymed and toke vpon theim the supreme gouernement ouer the ecclesiasticall persons of al degrees and did rule gouerne and direct them in all their functions and in all maner causes belonging to Religion and receyued this witnes of their doinges to wyt that they did acceptable seruice and nothing but that whiche was ryght in Gods sight Therfore it foloweth well by good consequent that Kynges or Queenes may clayme and take vpon them suche gouernement in thynges or causes ecclesiasticall For that is ryght sayth the holy ghost they should than do wrong if they did it not You suppose that ye haue escaped the force of all these and such lyke godly kynges which do marueilously shake your holde and that they may not bee alledged against you neither any testimony out of the olde testament for that ye haue restreignes the proufe for your cōtentation to suche order of gouernement as Christ hath assigned in the Ghospell to be in the tyme of the newe Testament wherin you haue sought a subtyle shift For whyles ye seeke to cloke your errour vnder the shadowe of Christes Ghospel you bewray your secrete heresies turnyng your selfe naked to be seen of all men and your cause notwithstandyng left in the state it was before nothyng holpen by this your poore shift of restreynt So that where your friendes toke you before but only for a Papist now haue you shewed your selfe to them playnly herein to be a Donatist also When the Donatistes troubled the peace of Christes catholique Churche and deuided them selues frō the vnitie thereof as now you do The godly fathers trauailed to confute their heresies by the Scriptures both of the olde and newe Testament and also craued ayde and assistaunce of the Magistrates and Rulers to refourme them to reduce them to the vnitie of the Churche to represse their heresies with their authoritie godly lawes made for that purpose to whome it belonged of dutie and whose especial seruice to Christe is to see care and prouyde that their subiectes be gouerned defended mainteined in the true and sincere Religion of Christ without all errours superstitions and heresies as S. Augustine proueth at large in his epistle against Vincentius a Rogatiste in his epistle to Bonifacins and in his bookes against Petilian and Gaudentius letters Against this catholique doctrine your auncestours the Donatistes aryse vp and desende them selues with this colour or pretence that they be of the catholique fayth and that their churche is the catholique church Which shifte for their defence against Gods truthe the Popishe sectaries do vse in this our tyme being no more of the one or of the other than were the Donatistes and suche lyke of whom they learned to couer their horrible heresies vnder the same fayre cloke that the seculer Princes haue not to medle in matters of Religion or causes ecclesiasticall That God committed not the teaching of his people to kynges but to Prophetes Christe sent not souldiours but fishers to bring in and further his Religion that there is no example of such ordre founde in the Gospel or new Testamēt wherby it may appeare that to secular Princes it belongeth to haue care in matters of Religion And that as it semeth by that S. Augustine by preuention obiecteth against them they subtilly refused all proufes or examples auouched out of the olde Testament as ye craftely do also in bynding me onely to the new Testament which S. Augustine calleth an odious and wicked guyle of the Donatistes Let your friendes nowe whom ye wil seeme to please so muche when you beguyle them moste of all weigh with aduisement what was the erronious opinion thouching the authoritie of Princes in causes ecclesiasticall of the Donatistes as it is here rightly gathered forth of S. Augustine and let them consider wysely these foule shiftes they make for their defence And then compare your opinion and guylefull defences thereof to theirs and they must needds clappe you on the backe say to you Patrisas ▪ if there be any vpright iudgement in them demyng you so lyke your great grandsier Donatus as though he had spit you out of his owne mouth But for that S. Augustines iudgement and myne in this controuesie is alone as your opinion herein differeth nothyng at all from the Donatistes I wyll vse no other confirmation of my proufes alledged forth of the olde Testament for the reproufe of your guylful restraint thē Christes catholique Church vttered by that catholique Doctour S. Augustin against al the sectes of Donatistes whether they be Gaudentians Petilians Rogatistes Papistes or any other petit sectes sprong out of his loynes what name so euer they haue S. Augustine against Gaudentius his second epistle affirmeth saiyng I haue saith he already heretofore made it manifest that it apperteined to the kinges charge that the Niniuites should pacifie Goddes wrath whiche the Prophet had denounced vnto them The kinges whiche are of Christes Churche doo iudge moste rightly that it apperteineth vnto their cure that you Donatistes rebell not without punishement against the same c. God dooth inspire into kinges that they shoulde procure the commaundement of their Lorde to be perfourmed or kept in their kingdome For they to whom it is said and now ye kinges vnderstande be ye learned ye Iudges of the earth ferue the Lorde in feare doo perceiue that their authoritie ought so to serue the Lorde that suche as will not obey his will shuld be punished of that authoritie c. Yea saith y e same S. Aug. Let the kings of the earth serue Christ euē in making lawes for Christ meaning for the furtherance of Christes religiō How then doth kinges saith S. Aug. to Bonifacius against y e Donatistes serue the lord with reuerēce but in forbidding and punishing with a religious seueritie such thinges as are done against the Lordes cōmaundemētes For a king serueth one way in that he is a man an other way in respect that he is a king Bicause in respect that he is but ◠man he serueth the Lorde in liuing faithfully but in that he is also a kinge he serueth in makinge Lawes of conuenient force to commaunde iust thinges and to forbidde the contrary c. In this therfore kinges serue the Lorde when they doo those thinges to serue him which they could not doo were they not kinges c. But after that this began to be fulfilled which is written and all the kinges of the earth shall worship him all the Nations shall serue him what man being in his right wittes may say to kinges Care not you in your kingdomes who defendeth or oppugneth the Churche of your Lorde Let it not apperteine or be any part of your care who is religious in your kingdome or a wicked deprauer of Religion This was the iudgement of S.
Augustine or rather of Christes catholique Churche vttered by hym againste the Donatistes touching the Seruice authoritie power and care that kynges haue or ought to haue in causes spirituall or ecclesiasticall the whiche is also the iudgement of Christes catholique Church now in these dayes mainteined and defended by the true mynisters of the same catholique Churche againste all Popishe Donatistes with the force of Gods holy woorde bothe of the olde and new Testament euen as S. Augustine did before Who to prooue and confirme this his assertion to bee true against the Donatistes did auouche many mo examples than I haue cited out of the olde Testament As of the kyng of Niniue of Darius Nabuchodonozor others affirmyng that the histories and other testimonies cited for this matter out of the olde Testament are partly figures and partly prophecies of the power duety and seruice that kynges should owe and perfourme in like sorte to the furtherance of Christes Religion in the time of the new Testament The Donatistes in the defence of their heresy restrayned S. Augustine to the example and testimony of such like order of Princes Seruice in matters of Religion to be founde in the Scriptures of the new Testament meanyng that it could not be found in any order that Christe lefte behynde hym as you also fantasied when you wrote the same in your booke folowyng yea going euen cheeke by cheeke with them But S. Augustine maketh aunswere to you all for hym and me bothe Who rehcarsing the actes of the godly kynges of the olde Testament taketh this for a thyng not to be denied to wytte That the auncient actes of the godly kinges mentioned in the Propheticall bookes were figures of the like factes to be doon by the godly Princes in the time of the newe Testament And although there was not in the tyme of the Apostles nor of long tyme after any kynges or princes that put the same ordinaunce of Christ in practise all beynge infideles for the most part Yeat the seruice of kinges was figured as S. Augustine saieth in Nabuchodonozor and others to be put in practice when this of 71. Psalme should be fulfilled and all the kinges of the earth shall worshippe Christ and all nations shall serue him c. As yet in the Apostles time this prophecy sayth he was not fulfilled and now ye kinges vnderstande be learned ye that iudge the earth and serue the Lorde in feare with reuerence VVhen the christian Emperours and Princes saieth this catholique father shall heare that Nabuchodonozor after he had seen the marueilous power of almighty God in sauing the three younge men from the violence of the fire walking therin without hurt was so astonied at the miracle that he him selfe being before this but a cruell Idolatour began forthwith vpon this wonderous sight to vnderstande and serue the Lorde with reuerent feare Doo not they vnderstande that these thinges are therefore writen and recited in the Christian assemblies that these shoulde be examples to them selues of faith in God to the furtherance of Religion These Christian rulers therfore minding according to the admonition of the Psalme to vnderstande to be learned and to serue the Lord with reuerent feare do very atteÌ„tiuely giue eare and marke what Nabuchodonozor after said for he saieth the Prophet made a decree or statute for all the people that were vnder his â—beissance that who so euer shuld after the publicatioÌ„ thereof speake any blasphemy against the almighty they should suffer death and their Goodes be confiscate Now if the Christian Emperours and kinges doo know that Nabuchodonozor made this decree against the blasphemers of God surely they cast in their myndes what they are bounde to decree in their kingdomes to witte that the selfe same God and his Sacramentes be not lightly set by and contemned Thus farre S. Augustin By whose iudgement being also the iudgement of the catholique church it is manifest y t the order rule and gouernement in Ecclesiasticall causes practised by the kynges of the olde Testament beynge figures and prophesies of the lyke gouernement and seruice to be in the kynges vnder the newe Testament is the order of gouernment that Christ left behynde him in the Ghospell and newe Testament and so directlye confuteth your erronious opinion Nowe I wyll conclude on this sorte that whiche I affirmed namely that kynges and Princes ought to take vpon them gouernement in Ecclesiasticall causes What gouernement orde and dutifulnes so euer belongyng to any God hath figured and promysed before hande by his Prophetes in the holy Scriptures of the old Testament to be perfourmed by Christe and those of his kyngdome that is the gouernement order and dutifulnes set foorth and required in the Ghospel or newe Testament But that faithfull Emperours Kynges and Rulers ought of dutie as belongynge to their office to claime and take vpon them the gouernement authoritie power care and seruice of God their Lorde in matters of Religion or causes Ecclesiasticall was an order and dutifulnes for them prefigured and fore promysed of God by his Prophetes in the Scriptures of the olde Testament as S. Augustine hath sufficieÌ„tly witnessed Ergo. Christian Emperours Kynges and Rulers owe of dutie as belonging to their office to clayme and take vpon them the gouernement authoritie power care and seruice of God their Lorde in matters of Religion or Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall causes is the gouernement order and dutifulnes set forth and required in the Ghospell or newe Testament This that hath been already sayd myght satisfie any man that erreth of simple ignoraunce But for that your wilfulnes is suche that you delight only in wranglinge against the truthe appeare it to you neuer so playne and that no weyght of good proufes can presse you you are so slippery I wyll loade you with heapes euen of suche proufes as ye wyll seeme desirous to haue The holy Ghost describing by the Prophete Esay what shalbe the state of Christes Church in the time of the new Testament yea now in these our daies for this our time is the time that the Prophet speaketh of as S. Paule witnesseth to the Corinthians addeth many comfortable promises amongest other maketh this to Christes Catholique Church to witte Kinges shalbe Nourshing Fathers and Quéenes shalbe thy nources Nourishing Fathers saith the glose enterlined In lacte verbi In the mylke of the woorde meaninge Goddes woorde Lyra addeth This prophecy is manifestly fulfilled in many Kinges and Queenes who receiuing the Catholique Faith did feede the poore faithfull ones c. And this reuerence to be done by Kinges saith Lyra was fulfilled in the time of Constantine and other Christian Kinges Certainely Constantine the Emperour shewed him selfe to vnderstaÌ„d his owne duety of nourishing Christes Church appointed by God in his Prophecy for he like a good tender and faithful Nourcefather did kéepe defende mainteine vpholde and féede the poore faithfull ones of Christ he hare them beinge
as it were almost weried forhayed with the great persecutions of Goddes enemies and maruelously shaken with the controuersies and contentions amongest them selues euen as a nource Father in his owne bosome he procured that they should be fedde with the swéete milke of Goddes woorde Yea he him selfe with his publique proclamations did exhorte and allure his subiectes to the Christian Faith As Gusebius doth reporte in many places writinge the life of Constantine He caused the Idolatrous religion to be suppressed and vtterly banisshed and the true knowledge and Religion of Christe to be brought in and planted amonge his people He made many holsome lawes and godly constitutions wherewith be restrained the people with threates forbiddinge them the Sacrificinge to Idolles to seeke after the Deuelish and superstitious sothsaiynges to set vp Images that they should not make any priuie Sacrifices and to be briefe he refourmed all manner of abuses about Gods seruice and prouided that the Churche shoulde be fedde with Goddes woorde Yea his diligent care in furtheringe and settinge foorth the true knowledge of Christe wherewith he fedde the people was so watcheful that Eusebius doth affirme him to be appointed of God as it were the common or Vneuersall Bisshop And so Constantine tooke him selfe to be and therefore saide to the Bishoppes assembled together with him at a feast that God had appointed him to be a Bissoppe But of this moste honorable Bishop nourshinge father more shalbe saide hereafter as of other also suche like Our sauiour Christ meante not to forbidde or destroy touchinge the rule seruice and chardge of Princes in Churche causes that whiche was figured in the Lawe or prophecied by the Prophetes For he came to fulfill or accomplis he the Lawe and the Prophetes by remoouinge the shadowe and Figure and establishing the Body and Substance to be séene to appeare cléerely without any miste or darke couer yea as the power and authoritie of Princes was appointed in the Lawe and Prophetes as it is prooued to stretche it selfe not onely to ciuill causes but also to the ouer sight maintenaunce settinge foorth and furtherance of Religion and matters Ecclesiasticall Euen so Christe our Sauiour confirmed this their authoritie commaunding all men to attribute and geue vnto Caesar that which belongeth to him admonishinge notwithstandinge all Princes people that Caesars authoritie is not infinite or without limites for suche authoritie belongeth onely to the Kinge of all Kinges but bounded and circumscribed within the boundes assigned in Goddes woorde and so will I my woordes to be vnderstanded when so euer I speake of the power of Princes And this to be Christes order and meaninge that the Kinges of the nations should be the supreme gouernours ouer their people not onely in Temporall but also in Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall causes the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule doo plainely declare The supremacy of Princes they set foorth when they coÌ„maunde euery soule that is euery man whether he be as Chrysostome saith an Apostle Euangelist Prophete Priest Monke or of what so euer callinge he be to be subiect obey the higher powers as Kinges and their Lieutenauntes or gouernours vnder them And thei declare that this supreme gouernment is occupied and exercised in or about the praysinge furthering and aduauncinge of vertue or vertuous actions and contrary wise in correctinge stayinge and repressinge all manner of vice or vicious actions which are the propre obiect or mattier hereof Thus doth Basilius take the meaninge of the Apostles sayinge This seemeth to me to be the office of a Prince to ayde vertue and to impugne vice Neither S. Paule neither the best learned amongest the auncient Fathers did restreine this power of Princes onely to vertues and vices bidden or forbidden in the seconde table of Goddes commaundementes wherein are conteined the dueties one man oweth to an other But also did plainely declare them selues to meane that the authoritie of Princes ought to stretche it selfe to the maintenaunce praise and furtherance of the vertues of the first Table and the suppression of the contrary wherein onely consisteth the true Religion and spirituall Seruice that is due from man to God S. Paule in his epistle to Timothe teacheth the Ephesians that Kinges and rulers are constituted of God for these twoo purposes that their people may liue a peaceable life thorough their gouernment and ministery both in godlines which is as S. Augustine interpreteth it the true and chiefe or propre worship of God and also in honesty or séemelines in whiche twoo woordes godlines and honestie he conteined what so euer is commaunded either in the firste or seconde Table S. Augustine also sheweth this to be his minde when describing the true vertues which shall cause princes to be blessed nowe in Hope and afterwarde in déede addeth this as one especiall condicion required by reason of their chardge and callinge If that saithe he they make theyr power whiche they haue a seruaunt vnto Goddes Maiestie to enlardge moste wide his woorship Seruice or Religion To this purpose also serue all those testimonies which I haue cited before out of S. Augustine against the Donatistes who in his booke De. 12. abusionum gradibus teacheth that a Prince or ruler must labour to be had in awe of his subiectes for his seueritie against the transgressours of Gods Lawe Not meaninge onely the transgressours of the seconde table in Temporal matters But also against the offendours of the first table in Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall causes or matters Whiche his meaning he declareth playnely in an other place where he auoucheth the saying of S. Paule The Prince beareth not the Sworde in vaine to proue therewith against Petilian the Donatiste that the power or authoritie of Prynces whiche the Apostle speaketh of in that senteÌ„ce is gyuen vnto them to make sharp Lawes to further true Religion and so suppresse Heresies and Schismes and therfore in the same place he calleth the catholique Churche that hath suche Princes to gouerne to this effecte A Churche made strong whole or fasâ—ened together with catholique Princes meanyng that the church is weake rent and parted in sonder where catholique Gouernours are not to maynteine the vnitie thereof in Churche matters by their authoritie and power Gaudentius the Donatist founde him selfe agreeued that Emperours should entremedle and vse their power in matters of Religion affirmyng that this was to restreyne men of that freedome that God had set men in That this was a great iniury to God if he meaning his Religion should be defended by men And that this was nothing els but to esteeme God to be one that is not able to reuenge the iniuries doon against him selfe S. Augustine doth answere and refute his obiections with the authoritie of S. Paules saiyng to the Romaynes Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers c. For he is Goddes mynister to take vengeance on him
Hosius a great learned and godly Bishop of Spaine to take order and to appeace the contention writinge to Alexander and to Arius a graue also a sharpe letter chardging Alexander with vanitie Arius with want of circumspection shewing them both that it was vnséemely for the one to moue suche a question and for the other to answeare therein vndiscreetly doone of them both And therfore commaundeth them to cease of from suche contentious disputatioÌ„s to agree betwixt them selues to lay aside from thencefoorth such vaine and trifeling questions He pacified also the Schisme at Antioche begonne about the choosinge of their Bishop to whome for that purpose he sente honorable Embassadours with his letters to a great number of Bishoppes that than were at Antioche about that busines and to the people exhortinge them to quietnes and teachinge them saith Eusebius to studie after godlines in a decent manner declaringe vnto the Bishoppes as one that had authoritie ouer theÌ„ euen in suche matters what thinges apperteined and were séemely for them to doo in suche cases and noteth vnto them a direction which they should followe And after he had saith Eusebius geuen suche thinges in coÌ„maundement vnto the Bisshoppes or chiefe mynisters of the Churches he exhorted them that they woulde doo all thinges to the prayse and furtheraunce of Goddes Woorde This supreme authoritie of the Emperour in Church causes is moste liuely expressed by S. Augustine Eusebius where they make mencion of the horrible Schisme stirred by the Donatistes against Cecilianus Bishop of Carthage whose election and orderinge to be Bishoppe of Carthage Donatus and others of his companions misliked and therefore made a Schisme in that Churche The question in controuersie was whether Cecilianus beyng ordered Bishop hauinge the imposicion of handes by Felix were Lawfully consecrated and ordred or not This controuersie made a lamentable trouble amongest the Churches in Aphrike At the length the Donatistes accused Cecilian vnto the Emperour desired the Emperour to appointe some Delegates to iudge of this controuersie And for that all the Churches in Aphrique were banded either to the one party or the other and for that Fraunce was frée from this contention they require iudges to be appointed by his authoritie from amongest the Frenche Bishoppes The Emperour muche grieued y e the Church was thus torne in sundre with this schisme doth appoint Melciades Bishop of Rome and Marcus to be his delegates commissaries in this controuersie with certaine other Bishoppes of Fraunce Melciades colleages or fellowe Bishoppes whom the Emperour had coÌ„maunded to be there with them for that purpose These commissioners with certaine other Bishoppes accordinge to the Emperours commauÌ„dement met at Rome and after due examinacion had doe condemne the Donatistes and pronounce Cecilianus cause to be good From this sentence of the Bishop of Rome and other Bishoppes his colleages being the Emperours delegates the Donatistes appeale vnto the Emperour not onely accusinge Cecilianus but also Melciades the Bishop of Rome and the other Commissaries Wherfore the Emperour causeth a Synode to be had at Arclatum committinge the cause to the Bishop thereof and other Bishoppes assembled there by his commaundement to be herde and discussed Whereunto he calleth Crestus the Bishoppe of Syracufe a Citie in Sicily by his letters Wherein he declareth in plaine termes that it belongeth to his imperiall cure to sée these controuersies in Church causes to be determined and ended Donatus his companions beinge condemned also by these Bishoppes in the Synode at Arclatum and Cecilianus cléered doo againe appeale vnto the Emperour from their sentence besechinge him to take the hearinge discussinge of the controuersie Who called both the parties together before him selfe at Millayne and after he had herde the whole matter what was to be saide on both sides he gauÌ„e finall sentence with Cecilianus coÌ„demning y e Donatistes Who after all these thinges thus done as S. Augustine faithe made a very sharpe Lawe against the Donatistes the whiche also his Sonnes after him commaunded to be obserued Athanasius also that moste godly Bishop being ouer muche wronged in the Councell at Tyre did â—lie and à ppeale from the iudgement of that Synode vnto Constantine the Emperour declaringe vnto him his griefes beséechinge him to take the hearinge of the matter before him selfe whiche the Emperour assented vnto writinge vnto the Synode assembled at Tyre commaunding them without delaie to come vnto his Courte and there to declare before me saithe this moste Christian Emperour whome yee shall not denie to be Goddes syncere mynister howe sincerely and rightly yee haue iudged in your Synode When this Synode was assembled at Tyre the Catholique Bishoppes of Egipt wrote vnto the honorable Flauius Dionysius whome the Emperour had made his Lieutenaunt to sée al things well ordered in that Councell and did desire him that he would reserue the examinacion and iudgemeÌ„t to the Emperour him selfe yea they doo adiure him that he doo not medle with their matter but referre the iudgement therof to the Emperour who they â—â—ne we well woulde iudge rightly accordinge to the right order of the Churche There were no Churche mattiers or Ecclesiasticall causes wherein the continuall practise of the Churche of Christe in this Emperours time yea and many hundreth yéeres after did not attribute the supreme rule order and authoritie vnto Emperours and Kinges vppon whome all Churche mattiers did depende as witnesseth Socrates who sheweth this reason of that he doth thoroughout his Eccesiasticall History mention so much the Emperours Bicause that of the Emperours saith he after they beganne to be Christians the Churche matters doo depende yea the greatest Councelles haue beene and are called together accordinge to their appointment Eusebius commendeth the great bountifulnes of Constantine towardes al estates But saithe he this Emperour had a singuler care ouer Coddes Churche for as one appointed of God to be a common or vniuersall Bysshop he called Synodes or conuocations of Goddes mynisters together into one place that thereby he might appeace the contentious striainges that were amonge them in sundry places He disdayned not to be present with them in their Synodes and to sit in the middest of them as it had beene a meaner personnage commendinge and approuinge those that bente themselues of good meaninge to godly vnitie and shewed him selfe to mistike on the other side and to set naught by suche as were of contrary disposition The Ecclesiasticall histories make mention of many Synodes or councelles called or assembled at the appointment and order of this Emperour But the most famous and notable was the Nicene councell about the whiche consider and marke what was the occasion by whose authoritie it was summoned and called together and what was the dooynges of the Emperour from the beginninge vnto the dissolueion thereof and yée shall sée plainely as in a Glasse that by the order and practise of the
Catholique Churche notified in the order of this general Councell the supreme gouernment in Ecclesiasticall causes is in the Emperour and ciuill Magistrates your opinion condemned by the vniforme agreement of 318. of the most Catholique Bishoppes in the worlde commendinge and allowynge for moste godly what so euer the Emperour did in or about this councell The occasion of this famous and moste godly councell was the great dissention kindled partly about a necessary Article of our beliefe partly about a ceremony of the Churche Arius incensed with ambitious enuie againste Alexander his Bishop at Alexandria who disputed in one of his lessons or treatises more subtily of the diuinitie than aduisedly as the Emperour layeth to his chardge quarelled Sophistically against him and mainteined an horrible Heresie Besides this the Churches were also deuided amongest them selues aboute the order or ceremony of kéepinge the Easter daie The Emperour sente Hosius with his letters as I saide before into the Easte parties to appeace the furious dissention about bothe these matters and to reconcile the parties dissentynge But when this duetifull seruice of the Emperour tooke not that effect whiche he wisshed and hoped for then as Sozomenus writeth he summoned a councell to be holden at Nice in Bythinia and wrote to all the chiefe Mynisters of the Churches euery where commaundinge them that they shoulde not fayle to bée there at the day appoynted The selfe same also dothe Theodoretus affirme bothe touchynge the occasion and also the summons made by the Emperour Eusebius also writinge the life of Constantine sheweth with what carefulnes the godly Emperour endeuoured to quenche these fiers And when the Emperour saieth Eusebius sawe that he preuailed nothing by sending of Hosius with his letters Considering this matter with him selfe saide that this warre against the obscure enemy troubling the Churche must be vanquished by an other meaning hym selfe Therefore as the capitaines of Goddes armie towardes his voyage he gathered together a Synode oecumenical and he called the Byshoppes together by his honorable letters and that they should hasten themselues from euery place These thinges touching the occasion and calling of this generall counsaile by the Emperour are affirmed to be true also by Nicephorus the Ecclesiasticall historian Yea the whole counsayll in their letters to the Churches in Aegipt and the East partes doo testifie the same Synode to be called by the Emperour saiyng The great and holy Synode was gathered together at Nice by the grace of God and the moste religious Emperour Constantine c. The Bishoppes as I said before when they thought them selues or their Churche iniuried by others were wont to appeale and flie vnto the Emperour as the supreme gouernour in al matters and causes Temporall or Spirituall the whiche appeareth moste playne to be the practise of the Church by these Bishops called vnto the Nicene counsaill For when they came to Nice supposing them selues to haue nowe good oportunitie beyng nighe vnto the Emperour to reuenge their priuate quarelles and to haue redresse at the Emperours handes of suche iniuries as they thought them selues to susteyne at others byshops handes eche of them gaue vnto the Emperour a Libell of accūsatiōs signifiyng what wronges he had susteyned of his felowe Bishoppes and prayed ayde and redresse by his iudgement The Emperour forseyng that these pryuate quarelings if they were not by some policy and wyse deuise sequestred and layde aside would muche hynder the common cause tooke deliberation appointing a day against the which they shuld be in a readines and commaunded them to prepare and bring vnto him all their libelles and quarelling accusations one against an other Marke by the waie the craft and practise of Sathan to stay and ouerthrow good purposes that euen the godly fathers and Bishoppes wanted not their great infirmities preferring their own priuate trifles before the weighty causes of Gods Churche And the wisdome zeale and humblenes of this moste christiā Emperour who so litle estemed his own honour and authoritie that he wold rather seeme to be inferiour or for the time no more than equall with his subiectes to the ende he might by his humbling of him selfe aduance and exalt Gods glory to the edifiyng and quietnes of his Churche The day came whiche was the day before the first Session should be in the councell as Socrates saith the Bishoppes did not sleape their owne matters but had their billes in a readines and deliuered them vnto the Emperour This vigilant noursefather vnto Gods Churche had cared and deuised so diligently for the common cause as the Bishoppes had doon for their priuate quarelles and therefore when he had receiued their Libelles very politiquely saieth bicause he woulde irritate none of them for that tyme That the daie of generall iudgement should be a fitte time for these accusations and Christe the Iudge then woulde iudge all men As for me it is not leafull to take vpon me the iudgement of suche Priestes accused and accusing one an other Whereunto neuertheles he added this priuy nippe to pynche them withall For of all other thinges saith he this is least seemely that Bishoppes shoulde shewe them selues suche as ought to be iudged of others And so caused the Libelles to be cast into the fire giuing them an earnest exhortation to peace and quietnes The next daye after after they assembled at the Emperours palayce he commaunded them to go into the councell house to consult of the matter the councell house was within Themperours pallayce trimly furnished with seates aptly ordred for suche purpose as it were in rowes They entred in and wayted without any doinges till the comming of the Emperour whose seate was of gold placed at the first beginning of the rowes who being entred and placed in his feate maketh an oration vnto them declaring the contētions sprong vp amongest them selues to be the occasion wherfore he called them togither and the ende is saith he that this disease might be healed through my ministery After this he maketh an earnest exhortatiō mouing them to quietnes forgiuing one an other for Christ commaundeth saieth he that who will receiue pardon at his hande shall also forgiue his brethren After this moste graue exhortation to vnitie and concorde in truthe he giueth them leaue to consult of the matters in hande prescribeth vnto them a rule whereby they muste measure trie and discusse these and all other suche disputations and controuersies in matters of Religion to witte Sanctissimi spiritus doctrinam praescriptam The doctrine of the moste holy spirite before writen For saieth he the bookes of the Euangelistes and of the Apostles and also the prophecies of the olde Prophetes doo euidently teache vs of Goddes meaning VVherefore laiyng a syde al discorde of enemitie let vs take the explications of our questions out of the saiyngs of the holy Ghost When the parties waxed warme in the disputations and the contention somwhat sharp then
bishop of Antioche Flauianus against the bishop of Rome and other byshoppes of the Weste who did falsely accuse him of many crymes and at the lengthe by his carefull endeuour in Churche matters and his Supreme authoritie therein this moste faythfull Emperour sayeth Thedoretus sette peace and quietnes amongest the Bishoppes and in the Churches He called a conuocation of the Bishops to the ende that by common consent all should agree in vnytie of doctrine confessed by the Nicen councell to reconcile the Macedodians vnto the catholique Churche and to electe and order a Byshop in the sea of Constantinople whiche was than vacant When the twoo fyrste pointes coulde not be brought to passe as the Emperour wished they went in hande with the third to consult amongest them selues touching a fitte Bishop for Constantinople The Emperour to whose iudgement many of the Synode consented thought Gregory of Nazianzene moste fit to be Byshop but he did vtterly refuse that charge Than the Emperour commaundeth them to make diligent inquisition for some godly man that myght be appointed to that rowme But when the Byshoppes could not agree vpon any one the Emperour commaundeth them to bringe to him the names of all suche as euery one of them thought moste apt to be Bishop wryten in a paper together He referued to him selfe saith Zozomenus to choose whome he lyked best When he had redde ouer once or twyse the sedule of names whiche was brought vnto hym after good deliberation had with him selfe he chose Nectarius although as yet he was not christened the Bishops maruailing at his iudgemeÌ„t in y e choise could not remoue him And so was Nectarius baptized made bishop of Constantinople who proued so godly a bishop that al meÌ„ déemed this election to be made by Themperour not w tout some miraculous inspiratioÌ„ of y e holy ghost This emperour perceiuing y t the church had ben long time molested draweÌ„ into partes by the Arianisme like to be more greuously torne in sonder w t the heresy of Mâ—cedonius a B. of CoÌ„stantinople knowing y t his supreme gouernemeÌ„t empire was geuen him of God to mainteine the coÌ„mon peace of the Church confirmacion of the true faith summoneth a Synode at Constantinople in the thirde yéere of his reigne whiche is the seconde greate and generall councell of the fower notable and famous oecumenicall councelles and when all the Bishoppes whome he had cited were assembled he cometh into the councell house amongest them he made vnto them a graue exhortation to consulte diligently like graue Fathers of the matters propounded vnto them The Macedonians departe out of the Citie the Catholique Fathers agrée conclude a trueth sende the canons of their conclusion to the Emperour to be confirmed writinge vnto him in these woordes The holy counsaile of Bishops assembled at ConstaÌ„tinople to Theodosius Emperour the most reuerent obseruer of godlines Religion and loue towardes God VVee geue God thankes who hath appointed your Emperiall gouernment for the common tranquillitie of his Churches and to establishe the sounde faithe Sithe the time of our assembly at Constantinople by your godly commaundement wee haue renewed concorde amongest our selues and haue prescribed certaine Canons or rules whiche wee haue annexed vnto this our writinge wee beseche therefore your clemency to commaunde the Decree of the Counsaile to be stablished by the letters of your holines and that yee will confirme it and as you haue honoured the Churche by the letters where with you called vs together euen so that you will strengthen also the finall conclusion of the Decrees with your owne sentence and seale After this he calleth an other Councell of Bishoppes to Constantinople of what Religion so euer thinkinge that if they might assemble together in his presence and before him conferre touchinge the matters of Religion wherein they disagreed that thei might be reconciled and brought to vnitie of Faith He consulteth with Nectarius and sitteth downe in the councell house amongest them al and examineth those that were in Heresie in such sort that the Heretiques were not onely astonied at his questions but also beganne to fall out amongst them selues some likinge some mislikinge the Emperours purpose This done he coÌ„maundeth eche sect to declare their faithe in writinge and to bringe it vnto him he appointeth to them a day whereat thei came as the Emperour coÌ„maunded and deliuered vnto him the fourmes of their faithe in writinge when the Emperour had the sedules in his handes he maketh an ernest praier vnto God for the assistaunce of his holy spirite y t he may discerne the trueth iudge rightly And after he had redde them all he condemneth the Heresies of the Arians Eunomians rentinge their sedules in sundre alloweth onely and confirmeth the faithe of the Homousians and so the Heretiques departed ashamed and dasht out of countenaunce Theodosius left his twoo sonnes Emperours of the which I will say but litle yet wherein it may moste manifestly appeare that the supreme gouernment in causes Ecclesiasticall belonged to the Emperours Archadius the Emperour when Nectarius the Bishop of Constantinople was dead and so the sea vacant was certified thereof he causeth Iohn Chrysostome to be called from Antioche he commaundeth the other Bishoppes collected into a Synode y t they admonishe Chrysostome of Goddes graces and what belongeth to suche a chardge and that they choose and order him to be the Bishop of Constantinople In whiche dooinge saith Theodoretus the Emperour declared what carefull endeuour he had about the holy Churche matters But this supreme authoritie to care appoint and procure woorthy and good Pastours or Bishoppes when the seas were vacant appeareth more plainly in Honorius the Emperour brother to Archadius whome the Bishop of Rome him selfe in his decrées and his Glosars on the same confesse and acknowledge to haue the ouersight rule and gouernment in the elections orderinge of Bishops yea ouer the Bishoppe of Rome him selfe After the death of Pope Sozimus were twoo Popes choosen at ones in a great Schisme the one Bonifacius primus the other Eulalius whereof when the Emperour Honorius had notice beinge at Millayne he caused them bothe to be banished Rome But after seuen monethes Bonifacius was by the Emperours commaundement called againe and confirmed by his authoritie in the Apostolicall sea This Bonifacius beinge nowe settled in the Papacy by humble suite to y e Emperour prouideth a remedie against suche mischiefes in time to come The case was this saith the Glosator Boniface the firste did beseeche Honorius the Emperour to make a Lawe whereby it might appeare what were to be done when twoo Popes were chosen at ones by the vndiscreetnes of the Electours contendinge amongest them selues Honorius did than constitute that neither of those twaine shoulde be Pope but that in a newe Election a thirde shoulde be chosen by common consente If twoo saithe the Emperour in his Lawe made
the Iudges and Senate had duely examined the causes they gaue sentence to depose Dioscorus and others So that this their iudgement seemed good to the Emperour to whome they referred the whole matter In the next action the Iudges and Senate after rehersal made what was done before do propounde vnto the Synode what matters were nowe to be consulted of and willeth them to make a pure exposition of the faith that without any sinister affectiō declaring that the Emperour and they did firmely kepe and beleue according to the faith receyued in the Nicen councell whereunto the Bishoppes also accorde and saieth that no man maketh or may attempt to make any other exposition Certeine of the Synode desired to heare the Symbol of the Nicen councell recited whiche the Senate and Iudges graunted vnto them After that it was agreed vpon by the whole Synode that Dioscorus should be deposed the Synode wryteth vnto the Emperous Valentinianus and Martianus saiynge in this fourme Greuous diseases neadeth both a stronge medicine and also a wise Physition For this cause therefore the Lorde oueral hath appointed your goodlines as the best and chiefe Physicion ouer the diseases of the whole worlde that you shoulde heale them with fitte medicines And you moste Christian Emperours receiuinge commaundement from God aboue other men haue geuen competent diligence for the Churches framing a medicine of concorde vnto the Byshoppes This thus in waie of Preface saide they declare what they haue done touchinge Dioscorus they shewe the cause and reasons that moued them therunto both that the Emperour shoulde consider his wickednes and also the sinceritie of their sentence In the fourth Action when the rehersal of all thinges passed before was done the Iudges and Senate asketh if all the Bishoppes agree whereunto they answered yea yea The Synode had requested the Iudges and the Senate to make suite to Themperour for fiue bishops which otherwise must be deposed as was Dioscorus whiche they did and made this relation vnto the Sinode That the Emperour perceiuinge the humble suite of the Synode dooth licence them to determine touchinge the fiue what they thought good admonisshinge them notwithstandinge to geue good heede what they did for that they must make an accompte to god of their dooinges In the fifth Action the Iudges willed the Synode to reade those thinges whiche were agreed vpon touchinge the Faith whereabout began a great contention one parte of them allowinge an other sorte disallowing that was redde amongst them The Iudges séeinge the exclamations and confusion that was amongst them appointeth a Committy choosinge foorth of sundry partes a certaine number to goe aside with the Iudges to make a resolution When they preuailed nothinge they threatened the whole Synode that they would signifie these disordered clamours vnto the Emperour whiche they did The Emperour immediatly of his Supreme authoritie appoincted the order of Committies whiche the Iudges had deuised before geuing them in commandement that goinge aside by them selues they should consult and conclude a trueth in Faith with suche plainnesse that there might no more doubtes arise thereof whereunto al shoulde agrée The Synode obeyed and folowed the Emperours directiō the Committies with the Iudges goeth aside into a secrete place maketh conference concludeth and commeth againe into the Synode reciteth their determination whereunto the whole Synode gaue their consent and so the Iudges commaundeth that this their definition should be shewed vnto Themperour The Emperour commeth into the Synode place in his owne persone with Pulcheria his nobles and Senatours and maketh vnto the Synode an Oration of this effect He careth for nothing so muche as to haue all men rightly perswaded in the true Christian faith He declareth the occasions why he sommoned the Synode He cōmaundeth that no man be so hardy hereafter to hold opinion or dispute of the Christian faithe otherwyse than was decreed in the first Nicen councell he chargeth them therefore that all partaking contention and couetousnes laide apart the onely truthe may appeare to al men He declareth his cōming into the Synode to be for none other cause then to confirme the fayth and to remoue from the people in tyme to come all dissention in Religion And last of all he protesteth this to be his whole care and study that all people may be brought into an vnitie and vnifourme agreement in pure Religion by true and holy doctrine The chiefe Notarie humbly asketh of the Emperour if it will please him to heare their definition redde The Emperour willeth that it should be recited openly he enquireth of them all if euery man consented thereunto they answere that it is agreed vpon by all their consentes Whereunto they adde many acclamations commending the worthines of his Emperiall gouernement concluding By thee O woorthy Emperour the right faith is confirmed haeresies banished peace restored and the Churche refourmed After these acclamations the Emperour doth openly declare vnto the Synode a statute whiche he maketh to cut of and put away from thencefoorth al maner occasion of contention about the true faithe and holy Religion The whole Synode desireth the Emperour to dissolue the councell and to giue them leaue to departe whereunto the Emperour woulde not consent but commaundeth that none of them depart Bassianus of late the Bishop at Ephesus complaineth vnto the Emperour to directe his letters to the Synode to haue his cause hearde The Emperour commaundeth the Synode to heare the matter The Iudges commaundeth Stephanus Byshop of Ephesus to make aunswere vnto Bassianus his complaint After due examination had by the Iudges openly in the Synode in this controuersie the Iudges asked of the Synode what they iudged to be doone The Bishops adiudged Bassianus to be restored But the Iudges appointed by the Emperour woulde not alowe that sentence but deemed neither of them bothe worthy to occupy that Byshoprike and that there should be a thirde chosen and admitted to that sea to the whiche iudgement the whole Synode did accorde After the ende of this councell the Emperour doth confirme the determination thereof by his publique Decree This Synode being finished the Emperour banished Dioscorus into the Cytie of Gangren Whiche thyng doon The Nobles of the Cytie sayth Liberatus assembled together to chose one bothe for life and learning worthy of the Byshoprike for this was commaunded by the Emperours Decrees At the length Proterus was made Bishop against whom the sedicious people raysed one Timotheus Hellurus or Aelurus who in conclusion murthered Proterius The catholique Bishoppes whiche mainteined the Chalcedon councell made humble supplication vnto Leo the Emperour both to reuenge the death of Proterius and also to depose Timotheus Hellurus as one not Lawfully instituted in the Bishoprike on the cōtrary parte other Bishoppes make supplication vnto him in the defence of Timotheus and against the Chalcedon councell When Leo the Emperour had considered the matter of both their supplications for good
godly considerations he wrote his letters to the Bishops of euery city declaring both these causes willing them to sende him their aduise what was best to be doon from whome he receiued answere that the Chalcedon councel is to bee mainteined euen vnto death whereupon the Emperour writeth to Stila his Lieutenant of Alexandrea that he shuld mainteine the Chalcedon councell Stila did as the Emperour commaunded he expelled Timotheus Hellurus and placed another in his roume named Timotheus Sale facialius or Albus who liued quietly all the reigne of Leo and Zeno the Emperous till Basilicus gat the Empire who restored Timotheus the Heretique But when Zeno recouered the Empire this Timotheus poysoned him selfe in whose place the Heretiques chose one Peter Mogge After that Zeno the Emperour knew of the crafty dealing of y e heretiques he wrote to his Lieutenaunt Anthemius that he should depriue Peter Mogge and restore Timotheus to the Byshoprike and further that he should punishe those that were the authors to enstall Peter Mogge Anthemius receyuinge the Emperours mandate did depose Peter Mogge as one that was but a counterfayte made Bishop contrary to the Lawes of the catholique Churche and restored Timotheus Salefacialius who beinge restored sent certayne of his Clergie to the Emperour to render him thankes After this Timotheus Ioannes de Talaida was chosen wherof when Acatius Bishop of Constantinople hearde he being offended with Iohn for that he had not sent vnto him synodical letters to signifie of his electiō as y e maner was he ioyned him selfe with the fautours of Peter Mogge accused Iohn vnto the Emperour as one not sounde in Religion nor fit for the Byshoprike Peter Mogge espying this oportuniti edissembleth an vnitie and reconciliation and by his friendes wynneth Acatius who breaketh the matter to the Emperour and perswadeth him to depose Ioannes de Talaida and to restore Peter Mogge so that the same Peter would first receiue and professe the Henoticon that is the confession of the vnitie in faith whiche the Prince had set foorth wherof this is the effect Zeno the Emperour to al Bishops and people throughout Alexandry and Aegipt Lybia and Pentepolis For so much as we knowe that the right and true faith alone is the beginning cōtinuance strength and inuincible shylde of oure Empyre vve labour night and day in praier study and with Lawes to encrease the Catholique and Apostolique Churche by that faith All people next after God shall bowe downe their neckes vnder our power Seing therfore that the pure faith doth on this wise preserue vs and the Romain cōmon wealth many godly fathers haue hūbly beseched vs to cause an vnitie to be had in the holy Churche that the members displaced and seperated through the malice of the enemy may be coupled and knit together And after this declaringe his faith to agree with the Nicen councel and those that condemned Nestorius and Eutyches he saith vve curse those that thinke the contrary After whiche curse declaring al the articles of his faith he concludeth with an earnest exhortatiō vnto the vnitie of faith The Emperour saith Liberatus supposing that Ioannes de Talaida had not ment rightly of y e Chalcedun coūcel but had doon al things fainedly wrote his letters by the perswasion of Acatius to Pergamius Appolonius his Lieutenantes to depose Iohn and enstall Peter Mogge Iohn being thus thrust out repaired to the B. of Antioche with whose letters of cōmendacion he went to Simplicius Bishop of Rome and desired him to write in his behalfe vnto Acatius Bishoppe of Constantinople who did so and with in a while after died This Pope Simplicius consideringe the great contentions that were accustomably about the election of Popes did prouide by decrée that no Pope shoulde hereafter be chosen without the authoritie of the Prince which decrée although it be not extant yet it is manifest inough by the Epistle of kinge Odoacer put into the Actes of the thirde Synode that Simmachus the Pope did kéepe at Rome wherin the Kinge doth not onely auouche the decree of Simplicius but also addeth Wee maruaile that without vs any thinge was attempted seynge that whiles our Prieste meaninge the Bishop of Rome Simplicius was on liue nothinge ought to haue beene taken in hande without vs Nexte after Simplicius was Foelix 3. chosen who after his confirmacion sent many letters aswell to the Emperour as to Acatius Bishop of Constantinople aboute the matter betwixt Iohn and Peter but when he coulde not preuaile in his suite he made Iohn Bishop of Nola in Campania One of the letters that Pope Foelix wrote vnto Zenon the Emperour about this matter is put into the fifth Synode of Constantinople wherin the Pope after the salutation doth most humbly beseche the Emperour to take his hūble suite in good parte He sheweth that the holy Churche maketh this suite that he will vouchesaulfe to mainteine the vnitie of the Churche that he will destroy Heresies that breaketh the bonde of vnitie that he will expell Peter Mogge bothe out of the Citie and also from Churche regiment that he would not suffer Peter being deposed to be admitted to the Cōmunion of the Churche but that by his honorable letters he would banishe him out of the boundes of Antioche And saith this Bishoppe of Rome Foelix vnto the Emperour In his place appoint you one that shall bewtifie the Priesthood by his woorkes Anastasius the Emperour deposed Macedoniue Bishoppe of Constantinople as one that falsified the Ghospels as Liberatus saithe About the election of Symachus Platina mentioneth what great diuision and sedition arose in so much y t the parties were faine to agrée to haue a councell holden for the determination of the matter And there was a councell appointed at Rauenna saith Sabellicus to the ende that the controuersie might be decided accordinge to righte before the Kinge Theodoriche before whome the matter was so discussed that at the last this Pope Symachus was cōfirmed Neuerthelesse this fyre was not thus so quite quenched but that fower yéeres after it blased out sorer againe VVhereat the Kinge saith Platina beinge displeased sent Peter the Bishop of Altine to Rome to enioy the sea and both the other to be deposed Whereupon an other Synode was called of 120. Bishoppes wherein saith Sabellicus the Pope him selfe defended his owne cause so stoutely and cunningly and confuted saith Platina all the obiections laide against him that by the verdict of them all he was acquited and all the faulte laide to Laurence and Peter But to the intent it may the better appeare what was the Kinges authoritie about these matters marke the fourth Romaine Synode holden in the time of this Symachus about the same matter of his whiche although it be mangled and confusedly set foorth in the Booke of generall Councelles bicause as it may séeme that they woulde not haue the whole trueth of this dissention appeare yet will it
▪ Venetiae and Histria whiche woulde not obey him puttinge their affiaunce in the authoritie of the firste Councell of Constantinople In whiche Epistle amongest other thinges he writeth on this wise Your honour muste remember what God wrought by you at that time when as Totyla the tiraunt possessinge Histriam and Venetias the Frenche also wastinge all thinges you woulde not neuerthelesse suffer a Bisshoppe of Myllaine to bee made vntill yee had sente woorde from thence to the moste milde Prince meaninge the Emperour and had receiued answeare againe from him by writinge what shoulde be done and so bothe he that was ordeined Bisshoppe and he that was to be ordeined were broughte to Raūenna at the appointement of your highe authoritie Not longe after Pelagius 2. bicause he was chosen Iniussu Principis without the Emperours commaundement and coulde not sende vnto him by reason the Town was besieged and the huge risinge of the waters stopped the passage as soone as he mighte beynge elected Pope he sente Gregorie to craue the Emperours perdone and to obteyne his good will For in those daies saithe Platina the Clergy did nothinge in the Popes election except the election had beene allowed by the Emperour Aboute the time of Pelagius the firste his Papacy was there a Councell holden at Towers in Fraunce by the licence and consente of Arithbertus the Kinge for the reformacion of the Churche discipline wherein appeareth that the Kinges authoritie was necessarily required to confirme and strengthen the discipline For where they decrée of the maydes or widdowes that shall not be maried without the consent of the parentes which is an especiall matter Ecclesiasticall they declare the strength thereof to depende vppon the commaundement of the Prince Not onely say they the Kinges Childebert and Clotharius of honourable memory kepte and preserued the constitution of the Lawes touchinge this matter the whiche nowe the kinge Charibert their successour hath confirmed or strengthened by his praecept The Emperour Iustinianus calleth the Bishoppes of all Churches vnto a generall Councell at Constantinople the whiche is called the fifte oecumenicall Synode to represse the insolence of certayne Heretiques who taught and mainteined Heresies and Schismes to the great disquieting of the Churche against the doctrine established in the foure forenamed generall Councelles In the time of this councell Menna the Bishop of Constantinople departed out of this life in whose rowme the Emperour placed Eutychius The Emperour gouerneth and directeth all thinges in this Councell as the Emperours before him had doone in the other generall Synodes as appeareth by the writinge whiche he sente vnto the Bishoppes wherein he sheweth that the right beléeuinge godly Emperours his auncestours did alwaies labour to cut of the Heresies spronge vp in their time by callinge together into Synode the most religious Bishoppes and to preserue the holy Churche in peace and the right faithe to be sincerely preached and taught He alledgeth the examples of Constantinus Magnus Theodosius the elder Theodosius the yonger and Martianus the Emperours who saith he called the former generall councelles were present them selues in their owne persones did ayde and helpe the true confessours and tooke great trauaile vppon them that the right faith shoulde preuaile and be preached Our forenamed auncestours of godly memory saith he did strengthen and cōfirme by their Lawes those thinges which were decided in euery of those councelles and did expulse the Heretiques whiche wente about to gainesaie the determinations of the fower forenamed generall councelles and to vnquiet the Churches He protesteth that from his firste entraunce he made these the beginninges foundacion of his emperiall gouernment to wit the vnitie in Faith agreable to the fowre generall councelles amongest the churche ministers from the east to the weast the restraigninge of schismes and contentions stirred vp by the fautours of Eutyches and Nestorius against the Chalcedon councell the satisfiynge of many that gainesaide the holy Chalcedon councell and the expulsion of others that perseuered in their errours out of the holie Churches and Monasteries To the ende that concorde and peace of the holie Churches and their Priestes beinge firmely kepte one and the selfe same faithe whiche the fowre holie Synodes did confesse might be preached throughout Goddes holie Churches He declareth howe he had consulted with them by his letters and messengers aboute these matters and how they declared their iudgements vnto him by theyr writinges notwithstandinge séeinge certaine Heretiques continue in their heresies Therefore I haue called you saith he to the royall Citie meaninge Constantinople exhortinge you beynge assembled togeather to declare once againe your mindes touching these matters He showeth that he opened these controuersies to Vigilius the Pope at his beyng with him at Constantinople And we asked him saith he his opinion herein and he not once nor twise but oftentimes in writinge and without writinge did curse the three wicked articles c. VVe commaunded him also by our Iudges and by some of you to come vnto the Synode with you and to debate these three articles togeather with you to the ende that an agreeable fourme of the right faith might be set foorth and that we asked both of him and you in writinge touchinge this matter that eyther as wicked articles they mighte be condemned of all or elles if he thought them right he shoulde shewe his minde openly But he answeared vnto vs that he woulde dooe seuerly by him selfe concerninge these three pointes and deliuer it vnto vs He declareth his owne iudgement and beliefe to be agreeable with the faith set foorth in the fowre generall Councelles He prescribeth vnto them the speciall matters that they shoulde debate and decyde in this Synode whereof the finall ende is saithe he That the trueth in euery thinge maye be confirmed and wicked opinions condemned And at the laste he concludeth with an earnest and godly exhortacion to seeke Goddes glory onely to delare their iudgementes agréeable to the holye gospell touching the matters he propoundeth and to doe that with conuenient spéede Dat. 3. Nonas Maias Constant inopoli The Title prefixed to the first generall councell sommoned by the commandement of Iustinian telleth in effect generally both the matter and also who had the chiefe authoritie in the orderinge thereof for it is intituled The diuine ordinaunce and constitution of Iustinian the Emperour against Anthymus Seuerus Petrus and Zoaras Mennas the vniuersall Archebishop and Patriarche of Constantinople was present in this Councell who had adioyned vnto him placed on his right hande certaine Bishops coadiutours named and appoincted by the cōmaundement of the Emperour sent out of Italy from the sea of Rome When they were set thus in councell Themperour sent Theodorus one of the Maisters of the Requestes or his Secretarie a wise man vnto the Synode Bishoppes Abbottes many other of the cleargy with theyr billes of supplications whiche they had put vp vnto the Emperour for redresse of certaine matters Ecclesiasticall
Theodorus maketh relacion vnto the Synode hereof deliuereth the Billes of supplication to be considered on presenteth the parties to the Synode and sheweth that this is the Emperours pleasure that they shoulde dispatche and ende these matters Paulus the Bishoppe of Apamea in his bill of supplication offred to the most godly Emperour in the name of all his acknowlegeth him to be the highest Potentate in the worlde next vnto God who hath magnified his Empire and throwen his aduersaris vnder him bicause he mainteineth the onely and pure Faith offreth vnto god pure Leuen that is to saie true doctrine as incense and burneth the chaffe meaning false Religion with vnquencheable fier And after the Declaration of their Faith talkinge of the Eutychian or counterfaite catholique He desireth the Emperour to whom God hath reserued the full authoritie to directe to cut him from the Churche and to expulse him out of his Dominions In like sorte the Religious men and the Monasteries of Secunda Syrta doo offer vp a booke of supplication vnto the Emperour beséechinge him that he wil commaund the Archebishoppe Mennas president of the councel to receiue their booke to consider of it according to the Ecclesiastical Canons The Emperour maketh a lawe and constitution to ratifie confirme the iudgemēt of y e Sinode against Anthymus other heretiques wherein also he decreeth touchinge many other ecclesiastical matters or causes as No man to Rebaptize to prophane the holie Communion to call Conuenticles to dispute further in those matters concluded on to publishe or set foorth the Hereticall bookes to communicate with them And so knitteth vp all with this conclusion Wee haue decreed these thinges for the common peace of the moste holie Churches these thinges haue we determined by sentence All thinges beinge thus doone by the commaundement of the Emperour in the first Action so foorth in the seconde thyrde and fowrth after many acclamations the Presidente of the Councell Mennas concludeth saiynge to the Synode That they are not ignorant of the zeale and minde of the Godly Emperour towardes the right Faith and that nothinge of those that are moued in the Churche ought to be doone without his will and commaundement Suche is the aucthoritie of Princes in matters Ecclesiasticall that the Godly auncient Fathers did not onely confesse that nothinge moued in Church matters ought to be done without their aucthoritie but also did submitte them selues willingly with humble obedience to the direction of the Godly Emperours by their lawes in all matters or causes Ecclesiasticall whiche they woulde not haue doone if they hadde thoughte that Princes oughte not to haue gouerned in Ecclesiastical causes The same zelous Emperour doth declare that the authoritie of the Princes lawes doth rightly dispose and kepe in good order both spirituall and temporal matters and driueth away all iniquitie wherefore he did not onely gather togeather as it were into one heape the lawes that he him selfe had made and other Emperours before him touchinge ciuill or temporall matters but also many of those lawes and constitutions whiche his auncestours had made in Ecclesiastical causes Yea there was nothinge perteininge to the Churche gouernmente whiche he did not prouide for order and diricte by his lawes and constitutions wherein maie euidently appeare the aucthoritie of Princes not onely ouer the persons but also in the causes Ecclesiasticall He made a common and generall lawe to all the Patriarches touchinge the orderinge of Bishoppes and all other of the clergie Church ministers prescribinge the number of them to be suche as the reuenues of the Churches may well susteine affirminge that the care ouer the Churches and other Religious houses perteine to his ouersight And dooth further inhibite that the ministers doo passe foorth of one Church to an other without the licence of the Emperour or the Byshoppe the whiche ordinaunce he gaue also to those that were in Monasteries He geueth authoritie to the Patriarche or Byshoppe to refuse and reiecte although greate suite by men of muche authoritie be made He prescribeth in what sorte to what ende the churche goodes shoulde be bestowed and threatneth the appointed paynes to the Byshop and the other ministers if they transgresse this his constitution He prescribeth in what sorte the Bishop shall dedicate a Monastery he giueth rules and fourmes of examination and trial of those that shalbe admitted into a Monastery before they be professed in what sort and order they shall liue together He prescribeth an order and rule wherby to choose and ordeyne the Abbot He requireth in a Monastical persone diuinorum eloquiorum eruditionem conuersationis integritatem Learning in Gods woorde and integritie of life And last of all he chargeth the Archebishoppes Bishops other Church ministers with the publishing and obseruing of this his constitution Yea his Temporall officers and Iudges also threatening to them both that if they do not see this his Lawe executed and take the effecte they shall not escape condigne punishement He protesteth that Emperours ought not to be careful for nothing so muche as to haue the mynistery faithfull towardes God and of honest behauiour towardes the worlde whiche he saith will easely be brought to passe if the holy rules whiche the Apostles gaue and the holy fathers kept and made plaine be obserued and put in vre Therefore saith he we folowing in al thinges the sacred rules meaning of the Apostles doo ordeine and decree c. and so maketh a constitution and Law touching the qualities and condicion that one to bee chosen and ordred a Bishop ought to haue and prescribeth a fourme of triall and examinacion of the party before be be ordered adding that if any be ordered a Bishop not qualified according to this constitution both he that ordereth and he that is ordered shall lose their Bishoprikes He addeth furthermore that if he come to his bishoprike by giftes or rewardes or if he be absent from his Bishoprike aboue a time limited without the commaundement of the Emperour that he shall incurre the same penalties The like orders and rules he prescribeth in the same constitucion for Deacons Diaconisses Subdeacons and Readers cōmaunding y e Patriarches Archbishops Bishops to promulgate this cōstitution to see it obserued vnder a pain He affirmeth that this hath been an auncient Lawe and doth by his authoritie renue and confirme the same that no man haue priuate chappels in their houses wherin to celebrate the diuine misteries whereunto he addeth this warning to Mennas the Archebishop that if he knewe any suche to be and doo not forbidde and refourme that abuse but suffer this constitution of the Emperour to be neglected add broken he him selfe shall forfait to the Emperour fifty poundes of golde Also that the mynisters keepe continuall residence on their benefices otherwise the Bishop to place others in their rowmes and they neuer to be restored Whan this Emperour vnderstode by the
this moste Christian king He affirmeth that he is ashamed of hym selfe and of his owne slacknes when he doth consider the trauaill of kinges in gathering of soules to the celestial agayn Yea what shall I sayeth this Byshop of Rome to the king answer at the dreadfull doome when your excellencie shall leade after your selfe flockes of faithfull ones whiche you haue brought into the true faith by carefull and continuall preaching c. Although I haue medled and done nothing at all with you doing this altogether without me yet am I partaker of the ioye therof with you Neither doth Gregory blame this kyng as one medlyng in Churche causes wherin he is not Ruler but he prayseth God for him that he maketh godly constitutions against the vnfaithfulnes of miscreantes for no worldly respect wilbe perswaded to se thē violated Next after Sabinianus an obscure Pope enemy and successour to this Gregory succeded Bonifacius 3. Who although he durst not in playne dealing denie or take from the Emperours the authoritie iurisdiction in the Popes election and other Churche matters yet he was the first that opened the gappe thereunto for as Sabell testifieth with whom agree all other writers for the moste parte This Bonifacius immediatly vpon the entraunce into his Papacy dealte with Phocas to winne that the Churche of Rome might be head of al other Churches the which he hardely obteined bicause the Grecians did chalenge that prerogatiue for Constantinople After he had obteyned this glorious ambicious title of the bloudy tyrant Phocas and that with no smal bribes like vnto one that hauing a beame in his owne eie went about to pul the mote out of his brothers he made a decree that euery one should be accursed that prepared to himselfe a way into the Papacy or any other Ecclesiastical dignitie with frendship or bribery Also that the Bishops in euery city should be chosen by the people and Clergy and that the election should be good so that the Prince of the City did approue the party by them chosen and the Pope adding his authoritie therto had ones saide volumus iubemus we will and commaunde But saith Sabell both these decrees are abolished Nowe began this matter to brue by litle and litle first he obteined to be the chiefe ouer all the Bishoppes then to couer vice with vertue and to hide his ambicion he condemned all ambicion in labouring Spirituall promocion and in the election of Bishoppes where the confirmation before was in the Emperours bicause the Emperour gaue him an Inche he toke an elle bicause he had giuen him a foote he would thrust in the whole body and tourne the right owner out For leuing out y e Emperour he putteth in the Princes of the Cities from whome he might as easely afterwardes take away as for a shew he gaue falsely that vnto them that was none of his to giue graunting vnto them the allowance of the electiō but to him selfe y e authoritie of ratifiyng or infringing the same choose them whether they would allowe it or no. And to shewe what authoritie he would reserue to him selfe borowing of the tyrant speaking in the singuler nōbre Sic volo sic iubeo So wil I so do I cōmaunde for the more magnificence in the plural nombre he princely lappeth vp all the matter with volumus iubemus we wil and cōmaūde Which wordes like the Lawe of the Medes Persians y t may not be reuoked if they once passe through the Popes holy lippes must nedes stand allowe or not allowe who so list with ful authoritie the matter is quite dashed But thākes be to God for al this the decree is abolished foloweth immediatly For shortly after Isacius y e Emperours Lieutenant in Italy did confirme ratifie the election of Seuerinus the first of that name for saith Platina The election of the Pope made by the Clergie and people in those daies was but a vaine thing onles the Emperour or his Lieutenant had confirmed the same ▪ Sisenandus the king of Spain calleth forth of al partes of his dominions the Bishops to a City in Spaine called Toletum The purpose and maner of the kynges doynges in that councell the Bishoppes them selues set forth first as they affirme They assemble together by the praeceptes and commaundement of the king to consult of certeine orders of discipline for the Churche to refourme the abuses that were crept in about the sacramentes and the maners of the Clergie The king with his nobles commeth into the councell house He exhorteth them to carefull diligence that thereby all errours and abuses may be wypt away cleare out of the Churches in Spayn They folowe the kinges direction and agree vpon many holsome rules When they haue concluded they beseche the king to continue his regiment to gouerne his people with iustice and godlines And when the king had geuen his assent to the rules of discipline which they had agreed vpon they subscribed the same with their owne handes The like Synode Chintillanus kyng of Spayne did conuocate at Toletum for certein ceremonies orders and discipline whiche was confirmed by his precept and decree in the first yere of his reigne And an other also by the same king and in the same place and for the like purpose was called and kept the second yere of his reigne Chindasuindus king of Spaine no lesse careful for Church matters and Religion than his predecessours appointeth his Bishoppes to assemble at Toletum in conuocation and there to consult for the stablishing of the faith Churche discipline whiche they did Reccessiunthus kinge of Spaine commaunded his Bishops to assemble at Toletum in the first yere of his reigne and there appointed a Synode wherein besides the Bishops and Abbottes there sate a great company of the noble men of Spayne The king him selfe came in amongst them he maketh a graue and very godly exhortation vnto the whole Synode he professed how carefull he is that his subiectes should be rightly instructed in the true faith and Religion He propoundeth the fourme of an Othe whiche the clergy and others of his subiectes were wonte to receiue for the assurance of the Kinges saulfty He exhorteth them to ordeine sufficiently for the maintenāce of godlines and iustice He mooueth his nobles that they will assist and further the good and godly ordinaunces of the Synode He promiseth that he will by his princely authoritie ratifie and maineteine what so euer they shal decree to the furtherance of true Godlinesse Religion The Synode maketh ordinaunces the clergie and nobilitie there assembled subscribeth them and the kinge confirmeth the same with his royal assent and authoritie He called twoo other Synodes in the same place for such like purpose in the seuenth eyght yéeres of his reigne Vitalianus beinge chosen Pope sente his messengers with Synodicall letters according to the Custome saith Gratian to fignifie vnto
the Emperour of his election In this Popes time saith the Pontificall came Constantinus the Emperour to Rome whom this Pope with his cleargie met sixe myles out of the Citie and did humbly receiue him It is wonderful to consider althoughe the Historians beyng Papistes for the most parte couer the mater so muche as may be what practises the Popes vsed to catche from the Emperours to them selues the superioritie in gouerninge of Churche matters When they sawe that by stowte and braue presumption theyr ambitious appetites coulde not be satisfyed they turned ouer an other leafe and coueringe their ambitious meaninge with a patched cloke of humilitie lowlinesse they wan muche of that whiche with pride and presumption they had so often before this time attempted in vaine With this wily lowlinesse Donus the nexte sauing one to Vitalianus brought vnder his obedience the Archebyshop of Rauenna There had been an olde and continuall dissension betwixt the Archebishop of Rome and the Archebishop of Rauenna for the superioritie The Rauennates accompting their sea equall in dignitie and to owe none obedience to the sea of Rome for they were not subiect thereunto To finishe this matter and to wynne the superioritie Donus first practised with Reparatus the Archebishop of Rauenna to giue ouer vnto hym the superioritie and become his obedientiary and that as it mays appeare by the sequele wythout the consente of hys Churche After the death of Reparatus whiche was within a whyle Theodorus a familiar friende to Agatho the Pope and a stoute man whome Agatho did honour with his Legacy vnto the syxth generall councell at Constantinople bicause his Clergie woulde not wayte on hym on Christmas daye so solempnely conductinge him vnto the Churche as the manner had been did giue ouer the title and made his sea subiecte to the Pope for enuie and despite of his Clergie saith Sabellicus wherewith the Rauennates were not content but beinge ouercomme by the authoritie of the Emperour Constantine who muche fauoured Agatho they bare it as paciently as they myght And Leo the seconde successour to Agatho made an ende hereof causing the Emperour Iustinian to shewe great crueltie vnto the whole Citie of Rauenna and to Foelix their Bishoppe bicause they would haue recouered their olde lybertie And so this Pope Leo by the commandement and power of the Emperour Iustinian brought Rauenna vnder his obeisaunce as the Pontificall reporteth These Popes through their feyned humilitie and obedience vnto the Emperours whiche was but dutie wan both muche fauour and ayde at the Emperours handes to achieue their purpose muche desiered But Benedictus the seconde who succeded next to Leo the seconde went in this point beyonde all his predecessours for Constantine being moued with his humanitie pietie and fauourablenes towardes al men when he sent to the Emperour for his cōfirmation the Emperour sent saith Platina a decree that from henceforth loke whom the Clergie the people and the Romain army should chose to be Pope all men without delay should beleue him to be Christes true vicar abiding for no confirmation by the Emperour or his Lieutenant as it had been wonted to be doon c. For that was wont to be allowed in the Popes creation that was confirmed by the Prince hym selfe or his vicegerent in Italy Here first of al it appeareth if this story be true how this interest of the Prince in this Ecclesiasticall matter thus continuing long tyme although many wayes assailed and many attemptes made by the Popes to shake it of was at the lengthe through their flattery whiche their Parasites call humilitie geuen vnto them of the Emperours to whom it apperteined But whether this story be true or not or if it were geuen how it was geuē or howe long the giftes toke place or howe it was taken away and retourned to the former right may well be called into question for there is good tokens to shewe that it was not geuen in this sort For these two Popes who sate in the Papal seate but. 10. moneths a peece or there abouts were in no such fauour with Themperour as was their predecessor Agatho who made great suite vnto the Emperour for such like thinges obteined his suite but with a speciall Prouiso for the reseruation of this authoritie still to remaine vnto the Emperours as wytnesseth the Pontificall and Gratian. He receiued from the Emperour letters saye they accordinge to his petition whereby the somme of money was releassed that was wonte to bee geuen to the Emperour for the Popes Consecration but so that if there happen after his death any election the Bisshop elect be not consecrated before the election be signified to the Emperour by the generall decree he meaneth the Synodicall letters according to the auncient custome that the orderinge of the Pope may goe forwarde by the Emperours knowledge or consent and commaundement The Glossar vpon Gratian noteth vpon these woordes vvhich summe was wonte to be geuen For euery Bisshop was wonte to geue somethinge to the Emperour at his election But did not the Emperour committe Symonie in releasinge this right vnder this condition that his consent should be required in the election answeare no◠bicause both these belonged to him of right before wherefore he might nowe remitte the one But as I saide let it be true that Constantine gaue ouer this iurisdiction yet Volateranus addeth to this suspected donacion this clause founde true by experience which donation saith he was not longe after obserued And in déede it was kept so small a while that within one yéere after or litle more when the electours after longe altercation had agreed on Conon Theodorus the Emperours Lieutenaunt as saith Sabellicus gaue his assent and Platina sheweth the same although not so plainely So that by this also it appeareth that if still it apperteined to the Emperours Lieutenaunt to geue his assent to the Popes electiō that than this gifte is either fained of the Papistes and that the rather vnder the name of Constantinus to bleare therewith the ignorauntes eies as though it were the graunt of Constātine the great as they doo about Images with the name of the Nicene Councell or bylike the gifte was not so authentically ratified as it was vnaduisedly promised but how so euer it was it helde not longe the Pope him selfe solempnely with the consent and decrée of whole Councell resigning al the foresaide graunt vnto the Emperour for euermore But I returne againe to Agatho who as I saide beinge in great fauour with Constantine the Emperour Determined saith Platina to haue a councell to decide the errour of the Monothelites But bicause he coulde not him selfe by his owne authoritie call a general councell for that belonged to the Emperour who in that time was busie in the warres against the Saracens He waited saith Platina for the returne of the Emperour This Constantinus surnamed Pogonatus about the yéere of the Lorde 680. calleth the Bishoppes out of all
part of recompence the title of most Christian king and further to augmēt his beneuolence towardes Charles desired him to sende for his Bishops into Fraunce to celebrate a Synode at Rome wherein were gathered together of Bishops Abbottes and other Prelates about 154. In whiche councell also Carolus him selfe was present as saith Martinus Gratianus maketh report hereof out of the Churche history on this wise Charles after he had vanquished Desiderius came to Rome and appointed a Synode to be holden there with Adrian the Pope Adrian with the whole Synode deliuered vnto Charles the right and power to elect the Pope and to dispose the Apostolique sea They graunted also vnto him the dignitie of the aunciēt bloud of Rome wherby he was made a Patrician so capable of y e emperial dignitie Furthermore he decreed that the Archbisshops and Bishops in euery prouince should receiue their inuestiture of him so that none should be consecrate onlesse he were cōmended and inuestured Bishop of the Kinge VVhoso euer woulde doo contrary to this decree shoulde be accursed and except he repented his goodes also shoulde be confiscate Platina addeth Charles and the Pope the Romaines and the Frenche sweare the one to the other to keepe a perpetuall amitie and that those should be enemies to them both that anoyed the one Not longe after Charles perceiuing the Churches to be muche molested and drawne into partes with the Heresie of Foelix calleth a councell of all the Bishoppes vnder his dominions in Italy Fraunce and Germany to consulte and conclude a truthe and to bring the Churches to an vnitie therein as he him selfe affirmeth in his Epistle written to Elepandus Bishop of Tolet and the other Bishoppes of Spaine VVee haue commaunded saith Charles a Synodall councell to be had of deuout Fathers from all the Churches thoroughout our signiouryes to the ende that with one accorde it might be decreed what is to be beleeued touching the opiniō wee know that you haue brought in with newe assertions suche as the holy Catholique Churche in olde time neuer herde of Sabellicus also maketh mention of this Synode whiche was conuocated to Frankeforth ad Caroli aedictum at the commaundement of Charles Carolus Magnus calleth by his commaundement the Bishoppes of Fraunce to a Synode at Arelatum appointeth the Archebishops of Arelatum and Narbon to be chiefe there They declare to the Synode assembled that Carolus Magnus of feruent zeale and loue towardes Christe doth vigilantly care to establishe good orders in Goddes Churche and therefore exhorte them in his name that they diligently instructe the people with godly doctrine and examples of life When this Synode had consulted and agreed of suche matters as they thought fit for that time They decree that their dooinges should be presented vnto Carolus Magnus beseching him that where any defectes are in their decrees that he supply the same by his wisedome Yf any thinge be otherwise than well that he will amende it by his iudgement And that which is well that he wil ratifie ayde and assist by his authoritie By his cōmaundement also was an other Synode celebrated at Cabellinum whereunto he called many Bishops Abbottes who as they confesse in the Preface did consult collect many matters thought fit and necessary for that time the whiche they agreed neuertheles to present vnto Charles to be examined by his iudgemēt to be allowed confirmed amended or disallowed As this councell referreth al y e Ecclesiastical matters to y e iudgement correctiō disallowinge or confirminge of the Prince so amongst other matters this is to be noted that it prohibiteth the couetousnes and cauteles wherewith the Cleargy enriched them selues persuadinge the simple people to geue their landes and goodes to the Churche for their soules health The Fathers in this Synode complaine that the auncient Churche order of excommunicacion dooing penaunce reconciliation is quite out of vse Therfore they agrée to craue y e Princes order after what sort he y t doth cōmitte a publique offence may be punished by publique penance This councell also enueigheth against condēpneth gaddinge on pilgremage in Churche Mynisters Laye men great men beggers all whiche abuses saith the Synode after what sorte thei may be amēded the Princes minde must be knowē The same Charles calleth an other councell at Moguntia In y ◠beginning of their preface to the councel they salute Charles the moste Christian Emperour the authour of true Religion and mainteinour of Gods holy Church c. Shewyng vnto him y t they his most hūble seruauntes are come thyther according to his commaūdement that they geue God thankes Quia sanctae Ecclesia suae piū ac deuotum in seruitio suo concessit habere rectorē Bicause he hath geuen vnto his holy Churche a gouernour godly and deuoute in his seruice who in his times openinge the fountaine of godly wisedome doth cōtinually feede Christes sheepe with holy foode and instructeth thē with diuine knowledge farre passinge thorough his holy wisedome in moste deuout endeuour the other kinges of the earth c. And after they haue appointed in what order they deuide y e states in the councell the Bishops secular Priestes by them selues y e Abbottes religious by them selues the Lay nobilitie Iustices by them selues assigninge due honour to euery persone it followeth in their petition to y e Prince They desire his assistaunce ayde and cōfirmation of suche Articles as they haue agreed vppon so that he iudge them woorthy beseching him to cause that to be amended which is founde woorthy of amendement In like sorte did the Synode congregated at Rhemes by Charles more priscorū Imperatorū as the auncient Emperours were wonte to doo diuers other which he in his time called I would haue you to note besides y e authoritie of this noble Prince Charles y e great in these Church matters which was none other but the selfe same y e other Princes frō Constantine the great had vsed that the holy councell of Moguntia doth acknowledge confesse in plaine speach him to be the ruler of the Church in these Ecclesiasticall causes further that in all these councelles next to the confession of their faith to God without makinge any mention of the Pope they pray commaunde praier to be made for the Prince Pope Leo. 3. as the French Chronicles Nauclerus witnesseth sente foorth with after he was made Pope Peters keyes the Banner of the Citie and many other giftes vnto Charles requiring him y t he wold cause y e people of Rome to become subiect vnto the Pope that by Othe Charles mindinge to gratifie and pleasure Pope Leo there was a cause wherfore sente an Abbot on this busines assured the people of Rome to the Pope by othe This Leo his streight dealinges with the Romaynes was so hatefull vnto them was brought shortly into muche daungier of his life but farre more of his
honesty Certaine of Rome came to Charles to accuse this Pope Charles putteth of the examinacion of the matter till an other time promisinge that he woulde within a while come to Rome himselfe whiche he did after he had finished his warres He was honorably receiued of the Pope The eight day after his cominge into Rome he commaunded all the people and the Cleargy to be called togeather into S. Peters churche appointing to here and examine the Pope touchynge that he was accused of in the open assembly When the Cleargie and the people were assembled the Kinge examineth them of the Popes life and conuersacion and the whole company beinge willed to saie their mindes answeare that the manner hath béene that the Popes shoulde be iudged of no man but of them selues Charles beinge mooued with so sore gréeuous an answeare gaue ouer further examinacion Leo the Pope saith Piatina who did earnestly desire that kinde of iudgement to geue sentence he meaneth in his owne cause wente vp into the pulpit and holdinge the Ghospels in his handes affirmed by his Othe y t he was guiltes of all those matters wherewith he was chardged Whereunto Sabellicus addeth the Popes owne testimonie of him selfe was so waighty as if it had beene geuen on him by other so muche auaileth a mans owne good reporte made of himselfe in due season for wante of good neighbours This matter if it were as the Popes flatterers write thus subtily compassed although Martinus saith flatly that he was driuen to purge him selfe of certaine crimes laide to his chardge yet not withstanding the kinge toke vpon him both to examine the matter to determine therein and as appeareth tooke their answeare no lesse insufficient than gréeuous although he winked at it bicause he looked for a greatter pleasure to be shewed him againe in consecratinge him Emperour promised longe before whiche this Pope perfourmed and solemply with great acclamations of the people crowned him Emperour of Rome For saithe Platina The Pope did this to shewe some thankefulnes againe to him who had well deserued of the Churche Ansegisus Abbas gathereth together the decrées that this Charles and his sonne Lodouicus had made in their times for the reformation of the Church causes Amongst other these The Canonicall Scriptures onely to be redde in the Churches For the office of Bisshops in diligēt preaching and that onely out of the holy Scriptures that the communion shoulde be receiued three times in the yeere The abrogatinge and taking away a great number of holy daies besides sondaies and that childrē before ripe yeeres should not be thrust into religious houses And that no man shoulde be professed a Monke except licence were first asked and obteined of the King He decreed also and straightly cōmaunded that Mōkes being Priestes should studie diligently should write rightly shoulde teache children in their Abbayes and in Bisshops houses That Priestes should eschue couetousnes glotony ale houses or tauernes seculer or prophane busines familiaritie of women vnder paine of depriuation or degradation He prouided to haue and placed fit pastours for the Bishoprikes and cures to feede the people He ordeined learned Scholemaisters for the youth and made deuout abbottes to rule those that were enclosed in Cloisters saith Nauclerus As it is saide of kinge Dauid y t he set in order the Priestes Leuites singers porters ordered all the offices officers required to be in the house of the Lorde for the settyng foorth of his seruice and Religion Euen so this noble Charles lefte no officer belonginge to Goddes Churche no not so much as the singer porter or Sexten vnapointed taught his office duety as Nauclerus telleth Besides the authoritie of this noble Prince in gouerning directing al Church matters his zeale care therfore in such sort as the knowledge of y t superstitious time would suffer is plainely shewed in an Iniunction that he gaue to al estates both of the Layty Cleargie to this effect I Charles by the grace of God Kinge and gouernour of the Kingdome of Fraūce a deuout and humble maintainour and ayder of the Churche To al estates both of the Layty and the Cleargy wishe saluatiō in Christ Considering the exceeding goodnes of God towardes vs and our people I thinke it very necessary wee rendre thankes vnto him not onely in harte and woorde but also in continuall exercise and practise of well doing to his glory to the ende that he who hath hitherto bestowed so great honour vpon this kingdome may vouchesaulfe to preserue vs and our people with his protectiō VVherfore it hath seemed good for vs to mooue you ô yee pastours of Christes Churches leaders of his flocke and the bright lightes of the worlde that yee will trauaile with vigilant care and diligent admonition to guide Goddes people thorough the pastures of eternall life c. Bringinge the stray sheepe into the foulde least the wolfe deuoure them c. Therfore they are with earnest zeale to be admonished and exhorted yea to be cōpelled to keepe them selues in a sure faith and reasonable continuaūce within and vnder the rules of the Fathers In the which woorke and trauaile know yee right wel that our industrie shall woorke with you For whiche cause also wee haue addressed our messengers vnto you who with you by our authoritie shall amende and correct those thinges that are to be amended And therefore also haue wee added such Canonicall constitutions as seemed to vs most necessarie Let no man iudge this to be praesumptiō in vs that we take vppon vs to amende that is amisse to cut of that is superfluous For wee reade in the bookes of Kinges howe the holy Kinge Iosias trauailed goynge the circuytes of his kingedome or visitinge correctinge and admonishinge his people to reduce the whole kingedome vnto the true Religion and Seruice of God I speake not this as to make my selfe equall to him in holines but for that wee ought alwaies to follow the exāples of the holy kinges and so much as we can we are bounde of necessitie to bring the people to follow vertuous life to the praise and glory of our Lorde Iesus Christ c. And anon after amongst the rules that he prescribeth vnto them this followeth First of al that all the Bisshoppes and Priestes reade diligently the Catholique Faith and preache the same to all the people For this is the first precept of God the Lorde in his Lawe Heare ô Israel c. It belongeth to your offices ô yee pastours and guydes of Goddes Churches to sende forth thorough your Diocesses Priestes to preache vnto the people and to see that they preache rightly and honestly That yee doo not suffer newe thinges not Canonycall of their owne minde forged and not after the holy Scriptures to be preached vnto the people Yea you your owne selues preache profitable honest and true thinges whiche doo leade vnto eternall life And
enstructe you others also that they doo the same Firste of all euery preacher muste preache in generall that they beleeue the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste to be an omnipotent God c. And so learnedly procéedeth thorough all the articles of our Faithe after whiche he commeth to the conuersacion of life c. And wee doo therfore more diligently enioine vnto you this thing bicause wee knowe that in the latter daies shall come false teachers as the Lorde him selfe hath forwarned and the Apostle Paule to Timothe doth witnes Therfore beloued let vs furnishe our selues in harte and minde with the knowledge of the trueth that wee may be able to withstande the aduersaries to trueth and that thorough Goddes grace Goddes woorde may encrease passe thorough and be multiplied to the profite of Goddes holy Churche the Saluation of our soules and the glory of the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe Peace to the preachers grace to the obedient hearers and glory to our Lorde Iesus Christe Amen This noble Prince was mooued to take vpon him this gouernment in Ecclesiastical matters causes not of presumption but by the woorde of God for the dischardge of his princely duety as he had learned y e same both in the examples of godly kings coÌ„meÌ„ded therfore of the holy ghost also by the instructions of the best learned teachers of his time whereof he had great stoare especially Alcuinus an Englisheman of greate learninge who was his chiefe Scholemaister and teacher whome as Martinus telleth Charles made Abbot of Towers Amongst other many notable volumes this Alcuinus writeth one entituled De Fide Sanctae in diuiduae Trinitatis whiche as moste méete for him to know he dedicateth to Charles the Emperour He beginneth his epistle dedicatory after the salutation superscription thus Seeinge that the Emperial dignitie ordeined of God seemeth to be exalted for none other thinge then to gouerne and profite the people Therfore God doth geue vnto theÌ„ that are choosen to that dignitie power and wisedome Power to suppresse the proude and to defende the humble against the euill disposed wisedome to gouerne and teache the subiectes with a godly carefulnes VVith these twoo giftes O holy Emperour Gods fauour hath honoured and exalted you incoÌ„parably aboue your auÌ„cestours of the same name and authoritie c. VVhat than what must your carefulnes most deuoutly dedicated to God bringe forth in the time of peace the warres beinge finished when as the people hasteneth to assemble togeather at the proclamation of your coÌ„maundement he meaneth that he expresseth afterwarde by this assembly or concourse the councell that was nowe in hande assembled as he saith Imperiali praecepto by the Emperours precept And waiteth attentiuely before the throne of your grace what you will commaunde to euery persone by your authoritie what I say ought you to doo but to determine with all dignitie iuste thinges whiche beinge ratified to set them foorth by coÌ„maundement and to geue holy admonitions that euery man may retourne home mery and gladde with the precept of eternall Saluation c. And least I should seeme not to helpe and further your preachinge of the Faithe I haue directed and dedicated this booke vnto you thinkinge no gifte so conuenient and woorthy to be presented vnto you seeinge that all men knowe this moste plainely that the Prince of the people ought of necessitie to knowe all thinges and to preache those thinges that please God neither belongeth it to any man to knowe better or mâ—e things than to an Emperour whose doctrine ought to profit all the subiectes c. All the faithful hath great cause to reioyce of your godlines seing that you haue the priestly power as it is mete so to bee in the preaching of the worde of God perfect knowledge in the Catholique faith and a most holy deuotion to the saluation of men This doctrine of Alcuinus whiche no doubte was the doctrine of all the catholique and learned fathers in that time coÌ„firmeth wel the doinges of Charles and other Princes in calling councelles in making decrees in geuing Iniunctions to Ecclesiastical persons and in ruling and gouerning them in all Ecclesiasticall thinges and causes If the gouernement of this most Christian Prince in Ecclesiastical matters be well considered it shall well appeare that this Charles the great whom the Popes doo extolle as an other great Constantine patron vnto them as he was in deede by enriching the Churche with great reuenues and riches was no whit greater for his martial Prince-like affaires in the politique gouernaunce than for his godly ordering disposing the Churche causes although that in some thinges he is to be borne with consideringe the blindnes and superstition of the time Although herein Lodouicus Charles his sonne were somwhat inferiour to his father Yet not withstanding he reserued these Ecclesiasticall causes to him selfe with no lesse care he ordred the same although in some things being a very milde Prince he winked and bare ouermuch with the ambition of the Popes Shortly after whan as the foresaid Leo was departed was Stephen next elected Pope and without the confirmation of the Emperour tooke the Papacy vpon him All the histories agree that he came shortly after into Fraunce to the Emperour but wherfore most of them leaue vncertaine Platina thinketh to auoyde the hurley burley in the Citie that was after the death of Leo. Sabellicus thinketh the Emperours coronation to be the cause Nauclerus saith he went in his owne persone vnto the Emperour Lodouike about or for the Churche matters whiche proueth that the Emperour had chiefe authoritie in ordering the Churche busines But our English Chronicles as some writers affirme doo plainly declare that his comming into Fraunce was to make an excuse of his vnlauful consecration against the decrees made to Charles by his predecessours Adrian and Leo fearing therefore the fequele of the matter he first sent his Legates before him to be a preparatiue to his purgation and afterwards came him self to craue his pardoÌ„ And the rather to please Themperour brought a most beautiful crown of gold for him and an other for the Empresse wherof folowed as Nauclerus saith Omnia quae petiit à pio Imperatore obtinuit he obteined whatsoeuer he asked of the godly Emperour Nowe when Stephen had dispatched all his matters he retourned home and shortly after an other Ecclesiastical cause happened for within a while the Bishop of Reatina died and there was an other chosen And when the sea of Reatina saith Nauclerus was voide the Pope would not consecrate the elect Bisshop onles he had first liceÌ„ce therto of the Emperour The circumstances of this story make the matter more plaine The erle Guido had writen vnto Pope Stephen to consecrate that Bishop whom the Clergy and the people had elect but the Pope durst not enterprice the matter till he were certified of y e Emperours pleasure therupon wryteth
at Moguntia the other at Triburum Of these Popes and those that followed as Formosus Stephanus Romanus Benedictus Leo Christophorus Sergius and a great company moa the Historians geue but an homely testimonie and Naeuclerus saith that to satisfie their voluptuous lustes they dyd maliciously malice one another as most cruel Tyrantes and he added this reason Cum non extarent qui eorum vitia coercerent bicause there was none to correcte and chasten them for their euill doinges For so long as the Princes exercised their authoritie in ouerseing carefully the Churche matters and the mynisters so well the Popes as other Bishoppes there grewe no suche intollerable disorders neither were there suche monsters for so Nauclerus termeth these Popes that continued any space But were by the Princes authoritie suppressed and therfore Nauclerus citeth out of Platina and affirmeth it to be true that the cause of these monstrous Rebelles in the Churche was Quod Resp ignauos desides principes habeat Bycause the common wealth had improfitable and slouthfull Princes Thus these writers burdeine and charge the Princes with the disorders and enormities in Christes Churche wherein they doo them wronge if they thought not that it apperteined to the Princely authoritie to ouersee care and prouide for the good order of Christes Churche and to redresse punishe and remoue the inordinate euilles therein Yea Sabellicus so wondereth at these tragicall examples of the Bishoppes of this time and their horrible obliuion of Godly Religion that he ascribeth the good and godly moderation that was in the Bishops and the dutifull execution of their office from Charles the great till the ende of the Frenche Empire whiche was an whole age to be not so muche of them selues and their owne good wills as of thē awe and feare they had of the Princes kinges and Emperours who were their guardians And therfore cōcludeth that it may be truely said that this was the calamitie of Fraunce Italy and of the Churche of Rome Quod in ea gente desitum esset imperari bicause there was no king nor Emperour to beare rule meaning that although there were kinges and Emperours yeat did they not execute their Princely office and authoritie in ouerseing correcting and reforming the Churche matters and her mynisters and therefore the state was miserable In this cōfusion were al thinges but especially in the Churche of Rome till God stirred vp the wyse and mighty Prince Otho the first whose zeale stoutnes trauayle in reforming Religion and the disordred Churche no tongue is able to expresse saith Nauclerus At this time was Iohn 13. Pope a man replete lodē with all dishonestie and villany against whom twoo of the chiefest amōgest the Clergie the one was a Cardinall saith Luithprādus the other maister of the Rolles made cōplaint vnto Otho most hūbly beseching him to haue some cōpassion on the Church which if it were not speedely reformed must néedes come to vtter decay After whō came the B. of Millain so one after another a great many mo making the same sute vnto Otho who being moued of his own zeale to gods glory but now enflamed by y e lamentable suplicatiōs of these Bishops Rex pijssimus saith Luithp non quae sua sunt sed quae Iesu Christi cogitans The moste religious king hauing carefull cogitations not for his owne thinges but for Iesus Christes matters addressed him selfe with all conuenient spede into Italy to refourme Rome from whence all the mischiefe sprange When the Pope vnderstoode of his comming he prepared to receiue him in most honorable wise and with suche humilitie behaued him selfe towardes the Emperour and shewed such faire face of repentaunce that the well meaning Emperour thought he had meant as he pretended sware the Pope to obedience and loyaltie against Berēgarius and Adalbertus as Luithprandus writeth and so retourned into his countrey This Luithprand is the more to be credited for that he was liuing a famous writer and Deacon Cardinall euen in the same time The Pope immediatly against both othe and honestie practised with Adalbertus to depose this godly Emperour and promised him by othe his aide The reason or cause why Iohn the Pope should hate this most Godly Emperour who had deliuered him out of the handes of Adalbert his enemy and wherfore the Deuil should hate God his creatour semeth not to be vnlike For the Emperour as we haue had good experience vnderstandeth thinges pertaining to God he worketh he loueth them he mainteineth with maine and might the Ecclesiasticall and Temporall matters he decketh them with manners and amendeth them by Lawes but Iohn the Pope is against all these thinges The Emperour seeketh by diuerse waies to reconcile this Pope and to bring him from his filthy life to some honestie regarde of his office Whan by no persuasions he can winne him he determineth to depose him and for that purpose he calleth a councell of the Bishops of Italy to the ende he may seeke the reformation whiche he mindeth and sawe to be ouermuch◠needefull by their aduise Pope Iohn seyng him selfe to be tried by a Synode runneth away when all the people sawe their Pope was runne away from them they sware fidelitie to the Emperour promisinge by their Othes that they woulde neuer hereafter elect or make any Pope without the consent of y e Emperour Within thrée days after there was a great assembly in S. Peters Churche at the requestes of the Bishoppes and people In whiche councell sat the Emperour with many Archebishops and others to whome the godly Emperour propoundeth the cause of their assembly exhorteth them to doo al things with vpright iudgement and the Bishoppes Deacons Cleargy and all the people make solempne protestation and obtestation of their iust and vpright dealing in the cause propounded And bicause the chiefe matter touched the Pope that was rūne away the holy Synode saide if it séeme so good to the godly Emperour let letters be sente to the Pope and cyte him to come and purge him selfe the Letters were directed in this fourme Otho by Goddes grace Emperour with the Archebishoppes of Liguria Tuscia Saxonia and Fraunce sende greeting in the Lorde to Iohn the Pope wee comminge to Rome for our Seruice to God and enquiringe the cause of your absence from your churche were enfourmed by the Bishops Cardinalles Priestes Deacons and the whole people of suche shamefull dooinges by you as wee are ashamed to rehearse whereof these are parte they chardge you with Murder periury sacrilege inceste with twaine of your owne sisters that in your banquettes whiche is horrible to be rehersed yee drinke wine in the loue of the Deuill in your play at dice you craue the helpe of Iupiter Venus and other Deuilles wherefore wee pray you to repaier vnto vs your selfe To this the Pope writeth this answeare I here say yee will make an other Pope whiche if yee attempt I excommunicate you all that yee may haue
no licence or power to order any c. To this short answeare the Emperour with the Synode replieâ—h tellinge him they had writen to let him vnderstande of the crimes wherewith he was chardged and that he had sent them suche an answeare as rather became the folie of a childe then the grauitie of a Bishop as for the power of bindinge and losinge they say he once had as Iudas had to whome it was saide Quaecunque ligaueritis super terram c. VVhat so euer yee binde on earth shalbe bounde in Heauen c. But nowe he hath no more power against the Emperour and the Synode then Iudas had when he went about to betray Christe his maister These letters were sente vnto him by twoo Cardinalles who returned not findinge him and therefore the Synode procéedeth to his Deposition They beséech the Emperour to remoue Monstrum illud That Monster and to place some woorthy Bishop in his roome Tunc Imperator placet inquit quod dicitis Your request pleaseth me saith The Emperour The Clergie and the people saith Nauclerus dooth make humble supplication vnto the Emperour to prouide for them a woorthy Bishoppe to whom the Emperour answeareth Choose you your selues one whom hauinge God before your eyes yee maie iudge woorthy and I wil confirme him The Emperour had no sooner spoken this saith Luithpr than they all with one assent named Leo The Emperour gaue his consent Et Ottho Imperator Leonem creat Pontificem And Ottho the Emperour created Leo Pope as Sabellicus Platina saith Here Luithprandus telleth at large how after this creation of Leo y e Emperour dissolued y e Synode what mischiefe y e monstrous Pope Iohn wrought afterwarde For by his fréendes in Rome Pope Leo was driuen away And after this monster was dead the Romaines elected Benedictus in his place requireth the Emperour who was than at Spolet to coÌ„firme him the Emperour woulde not but compelled them to receiue Leo againe And here the Emperour summoned againe a newâ— Synode wherein he sat him selfe for the canonicall depoficion of Benedictus not withstandinge this saith Nauclerus Leo being weary of the inconstancy of the Romaines did constitute by their consent in the Synode holdeÌ„ at Rome that the whole authoritie of chosinge the Bishop shoulde remaine in the Emperour as it is rehersed in the decrees in these woordes Being in the Synode at Rome in the Church of the holy Sauiour like as Adrianus Bisshop of Rome grauÌ„ted to Charles the great the dignitie of patricians hip the ordering of the Apostolical sea and the inuesturing of Bissops So I also Leo Bisshop of Rome seruaunt of Goddes seruauntes with the consent of all the Cleargy and people of Rome doo coÌ„stitute confirme and corroborate and by our Apostolical authoritie wee doo graunt and geue vnto the Lord Ottho the first King of Dutchmen and to his successours in this kingdome of Italy for euer the autoritie to elect after vs and to ordeine the Bisshop of Rome and so Archbisshops and Bisshops that they receiue of him as they ought the inuesturing and consecratioÌ„ excepting those whom the Emperour hath graunted to the Popes and Archbisshops And that noman hereafter of what dignitie or ReligioÌ„ soeuer haue power to elect one to the dignity of consulles Bloud or to be Bisshop of the Appostolique sea or to make any other Bisshop without the Emperours consent And if any be chosen Bisshop without he be commended and inuested by the Kinge that in no wise he be consecrated vnder paine of excommunication As Sabellicus noteth this for a renowmed matter y e the right of creatinge the Pope was now restored to the Emperial dignitie euen so Nauclerus affirmeth this godly Imperour Ottho to be borne In totius Ecclesiae consolationem for the consolation of the whole Churche When this godly Prince was dead whilest his sonne Ottho 2. was busied in the warres against the Sarazens and after him his Sonne Ottho 3. was yet in noneage the Popes beganne to waxe so euill and the state of Christes Churche to decaie asmuche as euer it did before So daungerous a mater it is to want godly Princes to gouerne Goddes Churche and to ouersée the Mynisters thereof About this time Hugh Capet the French king looked better to his Cleargie in Fraunce and callinge a Councell at Rhemes of all the Prelates of Fraunce deposed Arnucphus whome Charles had made Bishop there and made Gilbert the Philosopher Bishoppe whome afterwardes Ottho 3. made Archebishoppe of Rauenna After Hugh Robert his sonne succeded a Prince very wel learned and a diligent labourer about diuine or Churche matters whiche is the propre parte of a righte kinge saithe Sabellicus When Ottho 3. surnamed for his excellent vertues in that vitious age Mirabilia mundi the maruailes of the worlde herde of the great misorder in Rome for the reformation therof he came into Italy but or euer he entred into Rome Pope Iohn 17. died and there fell no contention saith Nauclerus in the Popes Election bicause the Prince appointed by his commaundement Bruno to be pronounced Pope who was called Gregory 5. So soone as the Emperour departed from Italy the Romaines thrust out Gregory and placed one Placentinus whome thei call Iohn 18. The Emperour hearinge hereof came to Rome hanged vp the Consul and put out Iohns eyes restored Gregory into his sea againe I maruaile that the historians saithe Platina doo reken this Iohn amongest the Popes which vndoubtedly was in his Papacy a theefe and a robber for he entred not in by the doore as of right he shoulde haue doone for he came in by a faction corruptinge with money and large giftes Crescentius the Consull a most couetous wretch and no lesse ambicious Wherby the sharpe iudgement of the Emperour is declared to be but vpright iustice So that Platina makinge Gregory to be the true Pope and to haue entred in by the doore of whome he saith Ottonis 3. authoritate pontifex creatur he is created Pope by the Emperours authoritie declaring the other that came in without y e Emperours consent to be a théefe a robber seemeth to be of this opinion although to flatter the Popes withall he durste not so plainely open his minde y â— without the Pope be creat with the Emperours confirmation authoritie he is but a théefe and a robber Next vnto him saith Nauclerus was Syluester the second placed by the Emperous appointment Who being a Coniurer had solde his soule to the Deuill for this promotion Neuertheles he was saith he so witty so learned and seemed so holy that he not onely deceiued the Emperour that made him Pope but all the worlde besides In which Otho the Emperour remaining at Rome did deliberate after what sort and by what meanes he might reforme not onely the Empire but also handeling Ecclesiasticall matters howe he might reforme the Lawes of the Churche and bring them into the
auncient estate Suche was the carefull trauell of the Godly Princes in gouerning not onely in Temporall but also in Ecclesiasticall thinges and causes Benedictus the ninth solde the Papacy to Gregory the sixt Syluester the thirde thrust in amongest them by frendship and bribery To this case was the Papacy brought nowe saith Platina that onely he that was most mighty in ambition and bribery obteined this dignitie there was no roume for good men Henricus the third surnamed Pius came to Rome to thrust out these three monsters saith Sabellicus and to bring this to passe in better order he calleth a Synode wherein he deposeth these three monstrous beastes and dooth create Clement the second The whiche doon he sweareth the Romaines that they shall neuer after be present at the election of any Pope onles they be compelled thereunto by the Emperour But after the Emperours departure from the citie Stephan perceiuing the people to grudge somwhat at Clementes election despatched him out of the the way with a medicine for a Pope Venenum illi miscuit he poisoned him saith Sabellicus and immediatly after his death entruded himself into the Papacy without consent either of the Emperour people or priest and called himself Damasus 2. But with in a while he died also In y e meane time the Romaines sent to the Emperour besechinge him to appointe them some good man to be their Bisshop who made Bauno Pope and was named Leo 9. After this Leo whom Hildebrand ridde out of the waye saith Benno Cardinalis was Victor the seconde made Pope by the Emperours authoritie or priuilege Shortly after this Godly Emperour died beinge greatly praised surnamed Pius Henricus for his dealinge in the reformation of Churche matters This Emperour had called two councels the one at Constance wherin he was him self present after y e another at Moguntia wherin both the Emperour the Pope sat in Synod This Pope saith Nauclerus came into Germany about the church matters and ordered al thinges therin saith Abbas Vspurg by the aduise and counsaile of the Emperour and other seculer Princes and the Bisshoppes And as this Emperour had yeat this interest in the councelles and in the creatiō of the Pope him self so had he the placing and displacing allowing disallowing in other spiritual promotions as at large appeareth in Nauclerus Stephen 9. was chosen Pope after that Victor had dronken of Hildebrandes cuppe But this Stephen liued not long for saith Benno If any other than Hildebrand were chosen Pope Gerardus Brazutus Hildebrandes familiar friend would soone dispatche him out of the way with poyson Alexander 2. was chosen without the Emperours authoritie or knowledge with whose election the whole Clergy of Lombardy was muche offended refused to owe vnto him any obedience beseching the Emperour that he would geue them licence to choose one of their owne persuading him that there ought none to be electe without the consent of the king of Italy After they had licence they chose Cadolus the Bishop of Parma whom all the Clergy of Lombardy obeied as their lawful Pope The Cardinals saith Benno knowing well Hildebrandes ambition did winne with muche sute the Emperours fauour and aide to their newe elected Pope Cadolus the which did so deepely perce the harte of Hildebrande that he became a deadly enemy to the Emperour for euer after contrary to the faithfull dutie that he had sworne vnto him Hard holde there was betwixt these two Popes so wel with strokes as with woordes they bothe gathered great armies and with their armies came into the fielde in their owne persones and fought twoo cruell and bloudy battailes and so ruled the Schismaticall Churche with Paules swoorde Peters keyes beinge fast locked from them bothe in Christes Churche til the Emperour sent Otto the Archebishop of Collein geuing him full authoritie as he should see cause to set in order the Churche matters Whan Otto came to Rome with this large commission he did sharpely reproue Alexander at the firste Bicause he had taken vpon him the Papacy without the Emperours commaundement and contrary to that order whiche the Lawe it self and the longe custome also hath praescribed Whose wordes Nauclerus telleth thus How commeth this to passe saith he my brother Alexander that contrary to the maner of olde time hitherto obserued and against the law praescribed to the Romain Bisshops many yeres agoo thou hast taken vpon thee the Romaine Papacy without the commaundement of the king and my Lorde Henry and so beginning from Charles the great he nameth many Princes by whose authoritie the Popes were either chosen cōfirmed or had their electiō ratified whan he was going forward in his oration Hildebrand Tharchdeacō taketh y e tale out of his mouth saiyng in great heat O Archbishop Otto the Emperours and kinges had neuer any right at al or rule in the electiō of the Romain Bishops Tharchbishop gaue place to Maister Archedeacon by and by For Hildebrand knewe well inough saith Sabellicus that Otto woulde relent easely and agree with him In suche sorte also haue other godly Princes been beguyled trustinge ouermuche popish Prelates with their embassages Within a while after whan the Emperour heard of these doinges he sent streight to Pope Alexander to gather together the Prelates promising that he him selfe would come to the coūcel to set an order in the Churche matters that all thinges might be doon in his owne presence who vsed Alexander very gently friendly wherwith the Pope afterwardes was so moued and saw how he him self had been abused by Hildebrands instigations against so gentle a Prince y t he was greatly sory that he had attēpted to be Pope without his assent Whereupon saith Benno whan Alexander vnderstoode that he was elected and enstalled by fraude and craft of Hildebrande and other the Emperours enemies in his sermone to the people he plainly declared that he would not sit in the Apostolike sea without the licence and fauour of the Emperour and further said openly in the pulpit that he would sende foorthwith his letters vnto the Emperour for this purpose so greatly he repented him of his vsurpation without the Emperours authoritie Hildebrande who had long awayted and practised to be Pope impacient of any longer tariaunce immediadly after the death of Alexander gatte to be made Pope was called Gregory the seuenth of whose election Abbas Vrspurgens faith next to Alexander succeded Hildebrande vnder whom the Romain cōmon weale and the whole Church was endaūgered and brought in a great peril with new errours and sehismes such as haue not been heard of who climbed vp to this high dignitie with out the consent of the Prince and therfore there be that affirme him to haue vsurped the Papacy by tyranny and not Canonically instituted for whiche cause also many did refuse him to be Pope In this election Hildebrande made poste haste for feare he had come shorte of his purpose In
Councell vnto whome they be lawfully sworne and of whome they haue receiued their dignities They all answeare that they are all the beneficiaries of him alone and that mindefull of their Faith and the Kinges estate they woulde suffer death for his glory power and saulfegarde Thereuppon he setteth foorth a pragmaticall sanction or forceable lawe to diminis he the dignitie of the Pope Many other Ecclesiasticall Lawes he made againste the Iewes againste the Templars against adulterie c. He made also Clement the fifth Pope and swore him to certaine cōdicions before hande by whose importune meanes also the Generall councell of Vienna was holden In whiche Councell he laboured to haue Pope Boniface condemned for an Heretique affirminge that he woulde proue him so But the mater was taken vp and to satisfie the kinge it was decreed that all the processes of Bonifacius against the kinge were vniust and the kinges doinges in any point against the Pope should not be preiudicial to him or to his heyers About the time of this Councell at Vienna the famous schooleman Durandus setteth foorth a booke wherein as he rekeneth vp diuerse and great enormities in Church matters so for the reformacion of them he alwaies ioyneth the kinge and secular Princes and the Prelases and to this purpose citeth the fourme of the auncient Councelles and many times enueigheth against and complaineth vppon the vsurped authoritie of the Romaine Bishop warninge men to beware how they yéelde vnto him and prescribeth a rule for the Princes and the Prelates to refourme all these enormities not by custome were it neuer so auncient but by the woorde of God About this time also the Emperour Henry the. 7. came into Italy with great power to reduce the Empyre to the olde estate and glory of the auncient Emperours in this behalfe And on the day of his coronation at Rome accordinge to the maner of other Romaine Emperours he set foorth a Lawe or newe authentique of the most high Trinitie and the Catholique faith Nexte to Henry 7. was Lewes 4. Emperour who had no lesse but rather greater conflictes with the Popes in his time about the reformation of abuses than any had before him the Pope nowe claiminge for an Ecclesiastical matter the confirminge of the Emperour as before the Emperours were wonte to confirme the Popes About whiche question the Emperour sent and called many learned Clerkes in Diuinitie in the Ciuill and Canon Lawe from Italy Fraunce Germany Paris and Bononia whiche all aunswered that the Popes attemptes were erronious and derogating from the simplicitie of the Christian Religion Whereupon the Emperour willed them to searche out the matter diligently and to dispute vpon it and to gather into bookes their mindes therein whiche diuers did as Marsilius Patauinus Ockam Dantes Petrarche c. By whome whan the Emperour vnderstoode the Popes vsurpation he came to Rome called a councell and deposed the Pope placed an other in his rowme In whiche councell the Romaines desired to haue their olde order in the Popes election ratified by the Emperour to be renewed This Emperour also called avery great coūcell at Frākeforth where besides the Spirituall and Secular Princes of Germany the kinge of Englande and the king of Beame were present where by the greater and sounder part the Popes aforesaid vsurpation was abolished Which sentence the Emperour confirmed and published writing therof that his authoritie dependeth not of the Pope but of God immediatly and that it is a vaine thinge that is wont to be saide the Pope hath no superiour The Actes of this councell against the Popes processe were ratified by the Emperour as appeareth by his letters patentes thereupon beginning thus Lodouike the fourth by the grace of God c. To all Patriarches Archebisshoppes Bisshoppes and Priestes c. and ending thus VVherfore by the councell and consent of the Prelates and Princes c. VVe denounce and determine that all suche processes be of no force or moment and straightly charge and commaunde to all that liue in our Empire of what estate or condition so euer they be that they presume not to obserue the said sentences and curses of the Popes interdiction c. An other Councell he called afterwardes at the same place about the same matter bicause Pope Clement called it Heresy To saie that the Emperour had authoritie to depose the Pope whiche heresy as principal he laide first to the Emperours charge Item that the Emperour affirmed that Christ and his Apostles were but poore Item the. 3. heresy that he made and deposed Bysshops Item that he neglected the Popes interdightmēt c. Item that he ioyned certaine in mariage in degrees forbidde he meaneth forbidden by the Popes Lawes and deuorceth them that were maried in the face of the Churche Whiche in deede was nothing els but that amōgest other Ecclesiastical lawes that the Emperour set forth were some for mariages and deuorcementes contrary to the Popes decrees In Fraunce king Charles denied the Pope the tenthes of his Clergie But Philip de Valoys that followed reformed and tooke away many late vpstart Ecclesiasticall abuses in the Clergy and Prelates in his Realme of the whiche diuerse complaintes being made vnto the king he called a councel at Paris and sommoned thither the Bishoppes as appeareth by his letters wherein he complaineth that they haue enchroched from him and his officers a great many of rightes bringing in their nouelties not due and vnwonted grieues vnder the pretence of Ecclesiastical causes whereby they haue broken the concorde of the Clergie and the Laity and therfore willing to prouide so muche as he can by Goddes helpe an healthfull remedy He requireth and neuerthelesse commaundeth them to appeare before him at Parys personally c. The Prelates appearing at the daye assigned before the kinge in his Palayce Archebisshoppes Bisshoppes and makinge reuerence to the kinges maiestie being set downe with his councell and certeine Barons assisting him a certeine knight of the kinges councell spake publykely for the kinge in the presence of them all takinge for his theme this texte Geue that vnto Caesar that belongeth to Caesar and that vnto God that is due vnto God c. The kinges admonition being made a great many complaintes were put vp vnto the king by his nobles and officers against the Clergies vsurpation in medling with contractes of mariages in their priuileges of Clerkes In citations to their Courtes in their excommunicatiōs in willes and hereditamentes in callinge of prouinciall councelles in making synodall Decrees and statutes in medling with realties in perēptory writes in examinations of mens beleues in enioyning of money penances In shauing of children and vnlauful persons making thē Clerkes in whoordome and fornication in wyddowes goodes in bloudshead in the Churcheyarde in inuentories c. and in a great many mo matters whiche ye call Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall causes the
Frenche kynge prouing them to be as in deede they were no other but temporall neuerthelesse not standinge muche about the name nor taking them all away from their iurisdiction he onely said he would reforme them Neuerthels for certeine daies there was muche disputing to and fro whether they belonged to the kinge to reforme or no till the king by his foresaide procuratour gaue them the kinges determinat aunswere declaring vnto them howe that they ought not to be troubled bicause the kinges intention was to keepe those rightes and customes of the Churche and Prelates which were good and reasonable but by reason of their faults the iudgement whiche were good and reasonable apperteined not vnto thē to determine but to the king Bicause the Decree Nouit c. saieth that the kinge of Fraunce in matters de Facto hath not his superiour c. VVhereuppon hee concluded that the kinge woulde heare all the informations And those Customes of the whiche he shoulde be fully enfourmed that they were good and reasonable he woulde make onely to bee obserued In cōclusion the Prelates made such importune labour that the forsaide attourney aunswered them for the kinge that if the Prelates themselues would amende those thinges that were to be amended and corrected the king would abide till the feaste of the Natiuitie next to come within whiche terme he woulde innouate nothing but if within the saide terme the Prelates had not amended those thinges that were to be amended and corrected that then the kinge would put to suche remedy as should be acceptable to God and the people Whiche in conclusion the king was faine to do by a sharpe seuere Lawe whan he sawe howe the Prelates dallied him of with faire wordes and therefore he him selfe Composuit rem sacerdotum did set in order the matters of the Priestes In England at this time many abuses about Ecclesiasticall causes were reformed although the Pope his Clergie did earnestly mainteine them by king Edwarde the. 3. who wrote his letters to y ◠Pope admonishing him to leue of his disordered doinges whan that woulde not serue he redressed them by act of parliament and as Nauclerus saith he commaunded that from thenceforth no body shoulde bring into the Realme any kinde of the Popes letters vnder the paine of drowning and expelled all persones out of his kingdom that weare by the Pope promoted to any benefice Next to Lewes was Charles the. 4. chosen Emperour who helde a councel at Mentze with y e Prelates Princes in the yere of the Lorde 1359. wherein he much reproued the Popes Legate for his disorders and commaunded the Archbishop of Mentze to reforme his Clergie and the disorders amongest them for otherwise he woulde see to it him selfe The Popes Legate seyng howe the Emperour tooke vpon him gate him to his shippe and saylled to Colayn as one that fledde awaye With whiche doynges the Emperour became very famouse for he was a man of great workes who dyd lyghten the kyngdome of Boheme bothe with the the settinge foorth of Religion and with the discipline of Lawes and good manners At this time wrote Nilus the Bishoppe of Thessalonica declaringe the onely cause of the diuision betwéene the Gréeke and the Latine Churche to be for that the Pope will not suffer frée and generall Councelles to be called by the Emperours accordinge to the auncient custome that his authoritie is not by the Lawe of God but by the positiue Lawes of Princes graunted onely because that than Rome was the greatest Citie in the worlde and hath no prerogatiue of Christ or Peter more than any other Bishoprike Kinge Richarde the. 2. called a Councell at VVestminster saith Polydore wherein it was thought good to the Kinge and the Princes for the weale of his realme of Englande if a parte of the Popes authoritie were bounded within the limites of the Occean sea he meaneth that it were driuen out of the Isle of Britaine wherfore it was decreed that hereafter it shoulde be lawfull to no man to trie any cause before the Bishop of Rome nor that any man be publikly pronounced wicked or enemy of Religion that is to wit as the common people terme it be excommunicate by his authoritie nor that if any man haue any suche commaundement from him they execute the same The penaltie ordeined to those that violate this lawe was that losinge all his goodes he shoulde be caste into perpetuall pryson The Churche of Rome at this time was maruailously torne in sunder with an horrible Schisme whiche continued about xl yéeres hauinge at ones thrée heades callinge them selues Popes euery one of them in moste despitefull wise calling the other Antichrist Schismatique Heretique tiraunt thiefe traytour the sonne of perditiō sower of Cockle the childe of Belial c. diuerse learned men of that time inueighed against them all thrée as Henricus de Hassia 10. Cerson Theodorych Nyem secretary before this to Pope Boniface who prooueth at lardge by good reasons by the woorde of God and by the Popes decrées that the refourmation of these horrible disorders in the Churche belonge to the Emperour and the secular Princes Sigismunde the noble Emperour vnderstandinge his duetie herein amongest other his notable actes called a Councell togeather at Constantia and brought againe to vnitie the Churche deuided in three partes whiche Councell saithe Nauclerus beganne by the Emperours commaundement and industry in the yeere 1414. To the whiche Councell came Pope Iohn before the Emperours comminge thinkinge to haue outfaced the Councell with his pretensed authoritie till the Emperour came who geuinge to all men in the Councell free libertie to speake their mindes a great companie of horrible vices were laide streight way to his chardge To the whiche when he was not hable to answeare he was deposed and the other twoo Popes also and an other chosen chiefly by the Emperours meanes called Martyn the. 5. After these thinges finished they entred into the communication of a reformation bothe of the Cleargie and the Layty to whiche purpose the Emperour had deuised a booke of Constitucions and also willed certaine learned Fathers there but specially the Bishoppe of Camera a Cardinall there presente to deuise what faultes they coulde finde and how they shoulde be redressed not sparinge any dégrée neither of the Prelates nor of the Princes them selues Whiche the Bishoppe did and compiled a litle booke or Libell entituled a Libell for reformation of the Churche gathered by Peter de Aliaco c. and offered to the Churche rulers gathered togeather in Constaunce Councell by the commaundement of the Emperour Sigismonde c. In this Libell of reformation after he hath touched the notable enormities in the Pope in the Courte of Rome in the Cardinalles in the Prelates in Religious personnes and in Priestes in exaction in Canons and Decretalles incollations of benefices in fastinges in the diuine seruice in Piaures in
the kingdome whose kinge is a childe and whose Princes banquet earely a kinge I name not for his smale and tender age but for folly and wickednes and madnes according to the Prophet king bloudthirsty and deceitful men shal not liue out halfe their daies By banqueting we vnderstand glotonie through glottony riotousnes through riotousnes all filthy and euill thinges according to kinge Salomon wisedome shall not enter into a froward soule nor dwel in the body that is subdued vnto sinne A king is named of ruling and not of a kingdome so long as thou rulest wel thou shalt be kinge whiche vnlesse thou doo the name of a king shal not coÌ„siste in thee and thou shalt lese the name of a king whiche God forbidde Almightie God geue vnto you so to rule your kingdome of Brytany that ye may reigne with him for euer whose vicar ye are in the kingdome aforesaide VVho with the father c. Thus it is made manifest that bothe your argument faileth in truthe of matter and you your selfe were beguiled through ignorance by wante of reading But put the case that your antecedent were true yet is it a faulty fallax made à dicto secundum quid ad simpliciter and the consequent followeth not for that there is more conteined in the conclusion than the antecedent doth comprehende whiche is suche an euill fauoured forme of argument that yonge studentes in the scholes would be ashamed thereof The Donatistes made the like obiection against the catholique fathers wherto S. Augustine maketh this answere The state of the Apostles time is otherwise to be thought of than this time al thinges must be doon in their time In the Apostles time this prophecie was yet in fulfilling wherfore do the Heathen rage and the people muse vpon vaine thinges The kinges of the earth set them selues and the Princes consult together against the Lorde and his Christ As yet that was not in hande whiche is spoken a litle after in the same psalme and nowe ye kings vnderstand be learned ye Iudges on the earth serue the Lorde in feare and ioy in him with reuerence Therfore seyng that as yet in the Apostles time kinges serued not the Lorde but still did deuise vaine thinges against God and his Christ that all the foresayinges of the Prophete might be fulfilled than truely impieties coulde not be inhibited by princes Lawes but rather be mainteyned For suche was the order of the times that both the Iewes shoulde kill the preachers of Christe thinkinge to doo God good seruice therein as Christ had forspoken and also the gentiles shoulde rage against the Christians that the martirs might winne the victory thorough pacience But after that this began to be fulfilled whiche is writen And al the kinges of the earth shall woorship him and all the nations shal serue him what man onlesse he be not well in his wittes will say that Kinges ought not to haue a speciall regarde for the Churche of Christe and all manner godlines amongst their subiectes You frame an other reason vpon S. Paules woordes vnto the Bishops of Ephesus whereby to prooue that all gouernement in spirituall or ecclesiastical causes belongeth to Bishoppes and Priestes and not to Princes and Ciuill Magistrates thus you argue The holy ghost appointed all spirituall gouernement of Christes flocke vnto Bishops Priestes as the woordes spoken by S. Paule doo make full and perfecte declaration Ergo Kinges Quéenes and Princes may not claime or take vpon them any parte of Spirituall gouernement much lesse take the supremacie and chiefe parte of spirituall gouernement from them For answeare I denie this argument for it is a naughty and deceiptfull Sophistication called Fallacia aequiuocationis There is equiuocacion in this woorde Priestes and also in these woordes to gouerne and rule the Church of God This woorde Priest hath diuerse significacions which are to be obserued least the simple readers be confirmed or brought into errour thorough the equiuocation therein The Scripture speaketh of a priesthood after the order of Aâ—ron after whiche order you will not confesse the Apostles and the Bishoppes their successours to be Priestes an other kinde of Priesthoode is after the order of Melchisedech and Christe onely without any successour in y â— Priesthood was the alone Priest of that order The thirde kinde is an holy and princely Priesthood of the which order not onely the Apostles and their true successours but also Kinges Quéenes Princes al manner of faithfull Christians are Priestes There is in coÌ„mon opinion amongst the Papistes a fourth kinde which is a massinge sacrificing priesthood after which order Christes Apostles the true mynisters of his Church were neuer priests for y e order belongeth onely to y e Apostolical Clergy of y e Romishe Antichrist Yf your meaning therfore be y e Christ left any kinde of gouernment or rule of his Churche to Bishops Priestes after this popishe order your opinion is hereticall your assertion vtterly false Therfore where I shall afterwardes in my speaking cal the mynisters of Christes Churche Priestes I geue you to vnderstande y t I doo therin but follow y e vsuall accustomed kinde of speache which is impropre although in longe vse Likewise to gouerne and rule the Church of God is of twoo kindes sortes the one is by y â— supreme authority power of the swoorde to guide care prouide direct ayde Gods Church to further mainteine setfoorth the true Religion vnitie quietnes of Goddes Churche to ouersée visit refourme restraine amende correct all manner persones with all manner errours superstitions heresies schismes abuses offences conteÌ„ptes enormities in or about Gods Churche Which gouernment rule apperteineth onely to Kinges Quéenes and Princes and not to the Apostles Bishops and Priestes wherof S. Paule speaketh nothinge at al in this sentence by you alledged to the Bishops of Ephesus The other sorte is to féede the flocke of Christ with the Spirituall foode of Goddes woorde which is the onely rule and gouernment that belongeth to the Apostles Bishops Mynisters of Christes Churche of none other manner rule speaketh S. Paule to the Bishops of Ephesus which he maketh most plaine both by y t expresse woordes of y e sentence auouched also by the whole circumstaunce of the same place The woorde y e S. Paule vseth doth proprely signifie to féede as the sheapeherde féedeth his shéepe by a figuratiue speach to guide gouerne or rule therefore if you would haue dealt plainly and haue vttered S. Paules meaning according to his propre speache where you say To gouerne and rule doubling the woordes as it were to amplifie the matter that the truth might lesse appeare you ought to haue saide to feede the Churche of God for that is the Apostles propre saying so the olde translatour of Chrysostome doth translate it vpon the Epistle to y e Ephesians also expouÌ„ding this same
not vse this Forinsecall or courtly without the Princes commission M. Fekenham VVhereunto I do adioyne this obiection follovving First for the time of the olde lavve vvhiche as Paule saide vvas a very figure of the nevve Moses Aaron Eleazarus being Priestes they had by the expresse vvoorde of God this iurisdiction ouer the people of God as to sit in iudgement vppon them and that not onely in Ecclesiasticall but also in ▪ Politike and ciuill matters and causes they did visit them they did refourme them they did order correct and punish them so oft as cause required and vvithout all commission of any cyuill Magistrate gouernour King or Prince Besides that for the vvhole time of the old Lavve there vvas an expresse lavve made vvhereby all Cyuill magistrates and iudges vvere cōmaunded in all doubtfull matters to repayre to the Bishoppes and Priestes and to stay vppon their determinacions and iudgementes vvithout declinyng on the right hande or the left And if that any man should disobeye the determinacion once geuen of the Priest morietur homo ille like as appeareth Deut. 17. The B. of Wynchester This adiunct will not serue your turne for it is not possible to stretche it without burstinge to ioyne with that you must cōclude You beginne to ioyne your woorke togeather with a saying of S. Paule which he neuer said you should haue noted the place where S. Paule saithe that the olde Lawe was a very figure of the newe There is no suche saying S. Paule saith to the Hebrewes that the Lawe hath the shadowe of good thinges to come c. where he speaketh not generally of the whole Lawe but of the ceremoniall parte and sacrifices whiche were shadowes of Christe and his sacrifice and not of the Bishoppes Iurisdiction after Christ vnder the Law of the Ghospell Thus aptly also doo your allegations out of the olde Testament serue your purpose for one of the thrée to wit 29. of Exod. hath no woorde of this Iurisdiction onely it sheweth the manner of consecratinge the Priest and the ceremonies thereabout In the. 24. of Exod. it is saide that when Moses wente vp into the Mount he saide vnto the Elders Tary vs here vntill wee retourne vnto you Beholde Aaron and Hur are here with you if any man haue ought to doo let him come to them that is if any matter of controuersie arise in mine absence let Aaron Hur haue the hearinge and decidinge of it as I shoulde haue if I were present By this place Aaron had no authority geuen vnto him but for a time in the absence of Moses by commission from Moses the chiefe ruler and gouernour of Goddes people and that not alone but hauinge Hur one of the Elders an auncient and a wise man ioyned in commission with him This allegation maketh directly against your conclusion for it sheweth y t Aaron had this authority but by commission from Moses the Prince of the people In the thirde place Num. 27. where God shewed vnto Moses that Iosue shoulde gouerne the people after him it is saide that Iosue shoulde stande before Eleazar the Priest who shall aske Councell for him by the iudgement of Vrim before the Lord and at his woorde they shal goe out and in both he and the people of Israell that is whan Iosue standeth in doubte what to doo for the better gouernement of the people either in the time of peace or warre he shall vnderstande Goddes will therein by the high Priest to whome the Lorde will miraculously declare his will and pleasure by the light or shininge of the Vrim and Thumin and accordinge to Gods will shewed in the Vrim to the high Priest and by him to Iosue he muste direct and order his gooyng in and out Ergo say you The Bishoppes and Priestes now in the time of the Ghospell haue Iurisdiction by the expresse woorde of God to kéepe Courtes to cal Councels to make Lawes forinsecally to visit refourme order correct their flockes cures The most simple can iudge of this sequele After like sorte it is writen Deut. 17. That whan harde and doubtfull cases come before the iudges or inferiour Magistrates whiche cannot easely be tried or founde out by them than the inferiour Magistrates shall goo to the high Priest and to the chiefe iudge at Hierusalem for the time beinge who shall shewe what is to be doone whose sentence iudgement must not be disobeyed vnder the paine of death Doo you not aptly conclude thinke you that the Bishops in the time of the Ghospell ought to haue this Courtly iurisdiction bicause the high Priest and the Temporall iudge did determine doubtfull cases in y e time of the olde Testament for the Priest alone did not determine all causes as you séeme to alledge the texte M. Fekenham Seconde in the Nevve Testament like as our Sauiour Christe did committe and leaue the vvhole Spirituall gouernmente of his people and Churche vnto his Apostles and to the Bishoppes and Priestes and the successours of them So they did practise all Spirituall gouernement ouer them they did execute and geue iudgement in the Churche of Christe they did refourme order and correcte all disorder therein and that vvithout all commission ayde or authority of any Temporall Magistrate Kinge or Prince for the space of three hundreth yeeres in the prymatiue Churche of Christe vnto the time of Constantine he beynge the firste Christian Kinge and Emperour vvhiche did ioyne his svvoorde to the mayntenaunce of Goddes vvoorde The B. of Wynchester Like as the Apostles had in commission power from Christe our Sauiour to whom al power was geuen both in heauen and in earth so faithfully they executed the authoritie and charge cōmitted vnto them not seeking their owne honour by vsurpation but the glory of Christ by the abasing them seles euen vnto the death Their commission regestred by S. Mathew appeareth in these wordes Go and teache al the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost teaching thē to kepe all thinges whiche I haue commaunded you Howe faithfully they exercised this authoritie according to the commissiō S Luke sheweth in his Chronicle called the Actes of the Apostles and setteth foorth one notable example hereof in Paules oration made to the Elders of Ephesus called to Miletum He taketh them to witnesse that he kept nothinge back from them that might be for their profit but shewed them all the councell of God It is much maruaill that Paul shewed al Gods councel vnto them yet made no mention of any Forinsecall iurisdiction as geuen them by the commission of Gods worde The godly Bishops that succeded the Apostles for many yeres after followed the doctrine and examples of the Apostles yet neuer exercising iurisdiction Forinsecal neither iudging reforming ordering or correctinge otherwise than by preaching publikely or priuately without especiall consent and commission of their Churches during the time thei
Emperours wordes for as Sozomenus one of y e Tripartite Ecclesiasticall historians affirmeth this suite to be made by catholike Bishops of HellespoÌ„tus Bithinia vnto ValentiniaÌ„ and that this was his answere to their peticion Euen so Socrates an other of the same tripartite historiaÌ„s affirmeth that this suite was made by the Macedonians vnto Valens the Emperour who graunted them their petition the rather supposing that the mater should haue ben determined in that councel after the mindes of Eudoxius Acatius And it is not from the purpose to note which of these Emperours caused this councel to be called for the one of theÌ„ ValentiniaÌ„ was a catholique Emperour the other Valens an Arian Secondly you do falsely report the story for the Bishops of Hellespontus Bithinia did not make suite vnto Themperour Valentinian that he would be praesent in the councel but by their messenger did humbly beseche him that he would coÌ„maunde al the Bisshops as Nicephorus reporteth it or y t he wold suffer and geue leue vnto the Bishops to haue a Synode or councell which they held after liceÌ„ce obteined at Lampsacum as Socrates and Sozomenus the Tripertite Historians make relation Thirdly the Emperour dooth not simply refuse or denie the searche and diligent enquyrie of these matters as thinges nothing apperteining to his office or not lawfull for him to enquire of as ye woulde haue it seeme but excuseth himselfe by his earnest busines and want of leysure saiyng It is not lawfull meaning that his leisure from the waighty matters of the common weale and iust oportunitie woulde not easely nowe suffer him to trauaile in those causes and therefore referreth the exact sifting of those thinges to them whose offices and charge was properly to be occupied in those matters That this is the true purporte of his wordes in his right sense and meaning appereth plainly by the due circumstances set foorth in the story and also by Nicephorus an Ecclesiastical historiaÌ„ who rightly vnderstode his meaning and reporteth it in these wordes Mihi negotijs occupato reip curis distento res eiusmodi inquirere noÌ„ facile est It is no light or easy matter for me that am nowe occupied with businesses and filled so ful as I may be with the cares ef the coÌ„mon weale to enquire or searche suche matters Last of al whether the catholique Bishops of Helespontus and Bithynia required the Emperours presence in the councell as ye affirme or they required therwith his labour and trauaile in the debating or searchinge the truthe of matter whiche may seeme at the first by the bare woordes of his aunswere or they desiered onely licence of him and permission to asseÌ„ble togeather in Synode or councell to defermine and decrée with the truthe against the Arianismes whiche the moste and best parte of the Historians agree vnto Their sute and humble peticion maketh plainly against your presumpteous assertion in that they acknoweledged thereby the iurisdiction to call councelles to be in the Emperour and not in Bishoppes or Priestes without speciall leaue licence commission from the Prince For if the power and iurisdiction to call councels had ben in them selues without the Emperours coÌ„mission what neaded them to haue craued licence of the Emperour And if it had not béene lawfull for the Emperour to haue béene present in the Councell and to haue dealte in the diligent searche and debating of matters in ReligioÌ„ then these Catholique Bishoppes did wickedly who as you say mooued him thereunto Although yée vntruely report the story of Theodosius the Emperour and Ambrose the Bishop of Myllaine yet can you not by any meanes wraste it to serue your purpose any whit at all For if it were true that Ambrose forbadde Theodosius the Emperour the entraunce into the Chauncell or that the Emperour had said to him that he had learned the difference betwixt an Emperour a Priest yet can you not conclude therof therfore Bishoppes and Priestes haue power authoritie to make lawes orders and decrées to their flockes and cures and to exercise the seconde kinde of Cohibytiue Iurisdiction ouer them Theodosius as the authour writeth came into the Chauncell to offer his oblacion whereat S. Ambrose founde no fault But when he stayed there still to receiue there the holy Mysteries S. Ambrose sent him woorde to goo foorth and abide with the other of the Church for that place was onely for the Priestes For which monicion the Emperour was returned to Constantinople and came on a time into the inwarde place or Chauncell to offer his oblation and went foorth againe so soone as he had offred Nectarius the Bishop demaunded of him wherefore he taried not still within meaninge to receiue the holy mysteries To whom the Emperour maketh answeare saying I haue scarcely learned the difference betwixt an Emperour and a Priest Fekenham M. Iohn Caluyne intreatinge of the Histories betvvixte these Emperours Valentianus Theodosius and S. Ambrose after alonge processe vvherein he maketh good proufe that all Spirituall iurisdiction doth apperteine vnto the Churche and not vnto the Empyre he hath these vvoordes follovvinge Qui vt magistratum ornent Ecclesiam spoliant hac potestate non modo falsa interpretatione Christi sententiaÌ„ corrumpunt sed sanctos omnes Episcopos qui â—am multi à tempore Apostolorum extiterunt non leuiter damnant Quod honorem officiumque Magistratus falso praetextu fibi vsurpauerint How they doo spoyle the Churche of that authority thereby to adorne temporall Magistrates not onely by corruptinge Christ his appointment and meaninge therein But also they lightly condemne and set at naught all those holy Bishops which in so great number haue continued from the time of the Apostles hitherto which honour and office of Spirituall gouernement they haue saith Iohn Caluin vsurped and taken vppon them by a false pretext and title made thereof And againe Iohn Caluin saith Qui in initio tantopere extulerunt Henricum regem Angliae certe fuerunt homines inconsiderati Dederunt illi summam omnium potestatem Et hoc me semper grauiter vulnerauit erant enim blasphemi cum vocarent ipsum summum caput Ecclesiae sub Christo They whiche in the beginnyng did so much extoll Henry kinge of England and which did geue vnto him the highest authority in the Churche they were men whiche lacked circumspection and of small confideration whiche thing saith Iohn Caluin did at all times offende me very muche for they did commit blasphemy and were blasphemets when thei did call him the Supreme head of the Churche The B. of Wynchester The collectour of your coÌ„mon places did beguile you which you would haue perceiued if you had redde M. Caluin with your owne eyes He entreateth not in that place of the Histories betwixt the Emperours Valentinianus Theodosius and S. Ambrose He confuteth the opinion of such as thinke the Iurisdiction that Christ gaue vnto his church to be but for a time whilest the
Magistrates were as yet vnfaithfull and proueth that the Iurisdiction of the Churche was geuen of Christe to remaine till his seconde comminge and belongeth onely to the Churche and not to the Prince Bishoppe or Priest without speciall commission from the Church The which Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction I comprehended vnder the firste kinde of Cohibytiue Iurisdiction You doo M. Caluin not double but quadruple yée muche more wronge about the citinge of his sentence for as yée haue vntruely reported the circumstaunce of his sentence so haue you hackte from the beginninge thereof one materiall woorde parte of it you haue obscurely translated the other parte falsely and by altering his woordes and sense yée haue belied him slaundered the auncient Bishops and haue auouched M. Caluin if those were his woordes and meaning which you in your translation father vppon him directly against your selfe which you meant not for yée thought as I suppose you had so cunningly handeled him y t he should haue serued your turne If this your euil dealing with M. Caluin procéeded of ignoraunce for y â— his Latine was to fine for your grosse vnderstanding yée are somewhat to be borne withall but if you haue thus dealt of purpose than your malice is ouer great and yée shewe your selfe shameles to deale so vnhonestly that in the sight of all men After y t M. Caluin hath proued that our sauiour Christ gaue the discipline of excoÌ„munication vnto the Church to be exercised continually by y e same to y e censure wherof al estates ought to submitte them selues for if he be an Emperour he is within or vnder not aboue the Church He concludeth with this sentence Quare illi qui vt MagistratuÌ„ ornent c. VVherefore they whiche to adorne the Magistrate doo spoyle the Church of this power to exercise y e discipline of excoÌ„municatioÌ„ doo not onely corrupt Christes sentence with a false interpretation but doo also not lightly condemne all the holy Bishoppes whiche were so many from the Apostles time for so muche as they all the holy Bishoppes haue vsurped to them selues the honour and office of the ciuill Magistrate vnder a false pretense or coullour The first woorde of the sentence which knitteth the same as a conclusion to that that goeth before yée haue left out How darkely yée haue translated the first parte of the periode may appeare by confereÌ„ce of your translation with the Authours woordes The last part ye haue falsely translated tourninge the Coniunction into a Pronoume relatiue and translatinge this woorde Magistratus whereby Caluine meaneth the ciuill Magistrate by these woordes spirituall gouernement and so haue cleane altered bothe the woordes and sence of M. Caluine and yet shame not to belie him saying Iohn Caluin saithe whiche he saith not But it is M. Feckenham that saith and so belieth Caluin and slaundereth the auncient Bishoppes as though they for to them this they hath relacion had taken vpon them the office of the Magistrate as they had done in déede if all manner correction iudgement had belonged to the Magistrate and none at al to the Churche by whose commission they exercised this iurisdiction Yf this were M. Caluines saying as ye translate him that they all the holy Bishoppes from the Apostles time haue vsurped and taken vpon them the honour office of Spirituall gouernement by a false pretext and title made thereof than haue you alledged M. Caluin against your selfe for this senteÌ„ce if it were true ouerthroweth your purpose nothing more And againe Iohn Caluin writing vppon Amos the Prophet is by you alledged to as little purpose For be it that they whiche attributed to King Henry of famous memory so muche authority whiche greeued Caluin were men not well aduised in so dooinge and that they were blasphemours that called him the supreme head of the Churche yée know who they were that first gaue to him that title and authoritie yet your conclusion followeth not hereof Therfore Bishops and Priestes haue authoritie to make Lawes orders and decrees c. to their flockes and cures no more than of his former saiyng Christ gaue to his Churche this authoritie to excommunicate to binde and to lowse Therfore Bishops Priests may make Lawes orders and decrees to their flockes and cures M. Fekenham Hosius Episcopus Cordubensis qui Synodo Nicence primae interfuit Sic habet sicut testatur D. Athanasius aduersus Constantium Imp. Si istud est iudicium Episcoporum quid commune cum eo habet Imperator Sin contra ista minis Caesaris conflantur quid opus est hominibus titulo Episcopis Quando à condito aeuo auditum quando iudicium Ecclesiae authoritatem suam ab Imperatore accepit aut quando vnquaÌ„ pro iudicio agnitum Plurimae ante hac Synodi fuerunt multa iudicia Ecclesiae habita sunt Sed neque patres istiusmodâ—res principi persuadere conati sunt nec princeps se in rebus Ecclesiasticis curiosum praebuitnune autem nouum quoddam spectaculum ab Ariana heresi editur coÌ„uenerunt enim Haeretici Constantius Imperator vt ille quidem sub praetextu Episcoporum sua potestate aduersos cos quos vult vtatur The B. of Wynchester As it is very true that Hosius Bishoppe of Corduba in Spaine was in the first councell of Nice so is it as vntrue that these be his woordes which you haue cited in his name for they be the saiynges of Athanasius and not of Hosius Wherein ye haue done Athanasius thréefolde wronge first to attribute his writinges to an other then also to cause him therein to beare false witnesse against him self and thirdly in that ye haue left out the first woorde of his sentence whiche is a materiall woorde and bringeth in this his saiyng as a reason of that whiche goeth before Athanasius â—â—ndeth him selfe gréeued that both he and many other Godly Bishops for the truthe it selfe suffered much crueltie and were wrongfully condemned not according to the order of the Ecclesiasticall iudgement but by the cruell threathes of the Emperour Constantius beinge an Arian and a fierce mainteinour of the Arianisme Who notwithstanding subtilly couered his vngodly dealinge vnder the pretence of a iudgement or sentence past by Bishops in Synode or conuocation whiche he called Episcopale iudicium a Bisshoply iudgement But saith Athanasius Constantius can not so hide him selfe seeing that there is at hand that can plainly bewray his wilines for if this be the iudgement of Bisshoppes what hath the Emperour to doo therewith But if on the contrary side these things be brought to passe through Caesars threates what neadeth men that haue but the name of Bisshoppes c. There are two thinges necessarily to be considered for to vnderstande rightly the true meaning of Athanasius in this place by you alledged first what was required to that whiche he calleth the iudgement belonging to Bishoppes or the Bishoply iudgement Than what was the dooinges of Constantius pretending a iudgement
nunquid iustum videtur si cedat spiritus carni si à terrenis caelestia superentur si diuinis praeferantur humana Sed patienter quaeso accipite libertatem nostram Scio te ouem esse gregis mei scio te intra sacra altaria cum veneratione subijci manibus sacerdotis c. And by this Prophete Ezechiel almighty God saith Ve pastoribus Israel quod infirmum fuit non consolidastis quod aegrotum non sanastis quod confractum non alligastis quod abiectum non reduxistis quod perierat non quaesistis Into the vvhiche maledictions and curses the Bishoppes and Priestes muste needes encurre if they haue no Iurisdiction ouer their flocke if they may not visit them if they may not refourme them if they may not order and correct them at all times as they shall see cause Chrysostomus Homil. 5. de verbis Esaiae vbi sacerdotem astâ—uit esse medium inter Deum Hominem nullumque honorem in terris illius honori posse conferri And therefore here to conclude this my obiection vnto your L. aunsvveare I shall here finishe the same sayinge vvith the blessed martyr Ignatius S. Iohn the Euangelistes disciple Quod nemo praeter Episcopum aliquid agat eorum quae ad Ecclesiam pertinent And so to adioyne hereunto the sayinge of S. Augustine vvho in speaking Contra IulianuÌ„ ait de doctoribus Ecclesiae quod credunt credo quod tenent teneo quod docent doceo quod praedicant praedico istis cede mihi cedes c. The B. of Wynchester In all this parte there is not one sentence that can be drawen by any force to helpe your cause It suffised you to heape vp a sorte of testimonies togeather to make a shew although nothing to the purpose Yea the woordes spoken to the Prophet Hieremy maketh plainely against you For they shew that the mynisters in Gods Church haue authoritie to plucke vp by the rootes and to destroy euilles and the kingedome of Satan to plante good thinges and to edifie the Churche as the glose enterlined hath it or all maner wicked and false doctrine and what so euer the heauenly Father hath not planted as the glose ordinary expoundeth it But the meanes whereby this iurisdiction and authority is exercised is limited and appointed in these woordes Beholde I haue put my woordes in thy mouth saithe God to Hieremy So that other iurisdiction ouer people kingdomes than the preachinge of Goddes woorde Hieremy had not Hieremyes mouth is touched saith y â— glose ordinary and the Lordes woordes are geuen to him that he shoulde receiue boldenes to preache Of this holdenes to preache the woorde of God speaketh Gregory Nazianz. in the place by you alledged After he had comforted his hearers he tourneth his speache to the Princes and suche as were in authority muste wee spare you saithe he bicause of your power as though we feared or were ashamed of the libertie geuen vs of Christe Christes lawe hath made you subiect to my power and to my iudgement seate He speaketh of a spirituall subiection by faith obedience to the mynister exhortinge comfortinge and edifiyng to eternall life by the woorde of God And he addeth more expressedly what maner of rule or empyre he challendgeth namely suche as bringeth the fleashe to be subiect to the spyrite suche as maketh earthly thinges subiect to Heauenly And the subiection he requireth is none other than such as the spiritual shéepe oweth to the spiritual pastour whose rule and subiection Christe vttereth in this sentence My sheepe heare my voice and follow me I know saith Nazianzene to the Emperour that thou arte a sheepe of my flocke and thereupon he concludeth that he muste boldely preache the woorde to the Emperour that he on the other side is subiect therto ought to obey And this is the propre Iurisdiction that belongeth to the Bishoppes Priestes the whiche if they exercise with all possible diligence faithfulnes they shall escape the curses that the Prophete Ezechiel menasseth As coÌ„trarywise if they vse neuer so princely your popish or rather pompous Canon Lawe iurisdiction whiche consisteth in Courtly consistories Forinsecall iudgements farre disagreynge from the right iurisdiction of true and Christianlike Prelates they shal not in y e ende escape the deserued maledictions and curses threatned to such by the Prophet Ezechiel Chrysostome in the homily by you cited condemning the presumptuousnes of the kinge Ozias in enterprising to offer incense whiche belonged by Gods coÌ„maundement onely to the Priest doth compare the obiect or matter of bothe their Mynisteries togeather affirminge that the Priestly dignity respectinge the matter whereabout it is exercised whiche is heauenly and spirituall doth farre excéede the other for y t the matter thereof is but earthly and outwarde His woordes maketh his meaninge plaine The kingly throne saith he hath the administration of earthly thinges and hath not beyoÌ„de this power any further authority But the throne of the Priest is placed in heauen and he hath authority to pronounce of heauenly businesses who saithe these thinges the kinge of heauen him selfe what so euer yee binde vppon earthe shalbe bounde in heaueÌ„ also and what so euer ye lowse on earth shalbe lowsed in heauen also what may be coÌ„pared with this honour Heauen taketh of the earth principall authority to iudge For the iudge sitteth in the earthe the Lorde Christe followeth the seruaunt and what so euer this seruaunt iudgeth in the inferiour partes that same he Christ approueth in Heauen Therefore the Priest standeth a meane or mediatour betwixt God and mans nature bringyng vnto vs the benefites that comme from thense from Heauen c. These woordes of Chrysostome if they haue not an indifferent interpretour that will make his woordes by iuste circumstaunce to serue his meaninge and not to binde his meaninge to his bare woordes will make Heauen to receiue authoritie of the Earth will proue Christe to be inferiour to the Prieste and the Priest to haue the mediation betwixt God and man by meanes whereof wee may receiue the Graces that cummeth from Heauen whiche mediation belongeth onely to Christe Now sith in al these obiections hitherto ye haue brought foorthe nothinge at all that eyther made not againste your selfe or that maketh any whitte for you it is more then time yée drawe to Conclusion and bycause no good Conclusion can followe of euill premisses yée were dryuen to conclude finishe vp your obiection with the like patchinge wrestinge and falsifiynge your Authours as yee did before and therefore in the Conclusion like to him that hauinge no right to any claymed all to obteine somewhat at the least Euen so you to prooue that your Bishops and priestes haue al iurisdiction Ecclesiastical alleage a peece of a seÌ„tence out of Ignatius which barely by it selfe recited géeueth not onely all that vnto the Bishop but al thinges belonginge to the Church besides and that no man may
place of the Actes of y e Apostles vt pascatis EcclesiaÌ„ to feede the Church S. Peter making the like exhortation to this of S. Paule to the Bishops dispersed vseth y e selfe same woorde saying Pascite quantuÌ„ in vobis est gregem Christi Feede so muche as you may the flocke of Christ Christ him selfe also teachinge Peter all other Bishops what manner of rule gouernment as properly geuen them by Gods woorde they should haue in y e Church doth expresse it with y e selfe same woorde saying Pasce agnos meos feede my LaÌ„bes To rule gouerne the L. household faithfully and prudently Christ expouÌ„deth to be nothing els in general thaÌ„ to geue meate vnto his family in due season Neither did our sauiour Christ geue other power authority or coÌ„missioÌ„ vnto his Apostels so to al other Bishops as properly belonginge and onely to the Bishoply office then this As my Father sente me so I sende you receiue the holy ghost whose sinnes yee remit they are remitted whose sinnes yee retaine they are reteyned goo therefore and teache all nations Baptizinge them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost teachinge them to obserue all thinges that I haue commaunded you So that the Bishoply rule and gouernment of Gods Church consisteth in these thrée pointes to feade the Church with Goddes woorde to Mynister Christes Sacramentes and to binde and lose all whiche thrée partes Christ comprehendeth vnder this one saying to geue meate to the Lordes family in due season And S. Paule in these woordes to feede the Churche of God The circumstaunce of the sentence whiche you alledged foorth of the Actes doth also shewe in the example of Paule him selfe who was inferiour to none of the Apostles and Churche mynisters in any point that he claimed or tooke vppon him none other rule or gouernment than of féedinge Goddes Church with the spiritual foode of the Ghospell He setteth foorth the execution of his owne office and by that example moueth the Bishoppes of Ephesus to the like sayinge I haue serued the Lorde with all humblenes of minde I haue leaft nothinge vndoone that might be profitable to you but I haue declared and taught you openly and priuely the repeÌ„taunce and faith in God and Iesus Christe I receyued an office of mynistery from the Lorde Iesus to testifie the ghospell of Gods grace and to preach the kingdome of God I haue hidden nothinge of Goddes councell from you Take heede therfore to your selues and to Christes flocke as I haue doone whereof the holy Ghost hath appointed you Bisshoppes as he did me to feede the Churche of God as you knowe and sée that I haue done This that you call to gouerne and rule was with Paule to serue with lowlines to mynister with watchefulnes to preache teache and testifie the Ghospell and the kingedome of God publikely and priuately and to shewe to the flocke all the Councell of God touchinge their saluation keepinge nothinge thereof backe from them To gouerne the Churche of God after this sorte belongeth to the onely office of Bishoppes and Churche mynisters and not to Kinges Quéenes and Princes who may not neither doo clayme or take vppon them this kinde of spirituall gouernment and rule or any part thereof with the Bishops neither doo they take the supremacy and chiefe parte of this spirituall gouernement from the Churche mynisters As contrary wise the Churche mynisters ought not to claime and take vppon them the supremacy of gouernement as the Papistes of longe time haue doone from Kinges Quéenes and Princes M. Fekenham And vvhan your L. shalbe hable to prooue that these vvoordes of the Apostle Paule and by him vvriten in his Epistle vnto the Hebrevves Obedite praepositis vestris subiacete eis ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri vt cum gaudio hoc faciant non gementes Doo yee obey your spirituall gouernours and submitte your selues vnto them for they watche as men whiche muste geue accompt for your soules that they may doo it with ioye and not with griefe VVhan your L. shalbe hable to proue that these vvoordes vvere not vvriten of the Apostle Paule asvvell for all Christian Emperours Kinges and Queenes as for the inferiour sort of people than shall I in like maner yelde touchinge that text of Paule and thinke my selfe very vvell satisfied The B. of Wynchester No man hath or dooth denie that the Churche mynisters hath to gouerne the flocke by preachinge and feedinge with the woorde which is the rule or gouernment that Paule speaketh of in this place also whereto all Princes are and ought to be subiecte and obedient For this subiection and obedieÌ„ce to the woorde of the Ghospel taught and preached by the Bishoppes sittinge in Christes chayre whiche is the whole rule and gouernement they haue or ought to clayme as propre to their callinge is commaunded so well to Princes as to the inferiour sorte of the people as you say truely although your cause is no deale holpen nor my assertion any whit improued thereby M. Fekenham And vvhen your L. shalbe hable to proue that these vvoordes of Paule Mulieres in Ecclesijs taceant c. Let the wemen keepe silence in the Churche for it is not permitted vnto them there to speake but let them liue vnder obedience lyke as the Lawe of God appointeth them and if they be desirous to learne any thing let them aske their husbandes at home for it is a shamefull and rebukefull thinge for a woman to speake in the Churche of Christe VVhan your L. shalbe hable to proue that these vvoordes of Paule vvere not asvvell spoken of Queenes Duchesses and of noble VVomen as of the meane and inferiour sorte of vvomen Like as these vvoordes of almighty God spoken in the plague and punishment first vnto our mother Eue for her offence and secondarily by her vnto all vvomen vvithout exception vidêª Multiplicabo aerumnas c. I shall encrease thy dolours sorowes and conceyuinges and in payne and trauayle thou shalt bringe foorth thy children and thou shalt lyue vnder the authority and power of thy husbande and he shall haue the gouernement and dominion ouer thee VVhan your L. shalbe hable to proue any exception to be made either in these vvoordes spoken in the olde Lavve by the mouth of God either in the vvoordes before spoken of the Apostle Paule in the nevv than I shall in like manner yelde and vvith moste humble thankes thinke my selfe very vvell satisfied in conscience not onely touchinge all the afore alleadged testimonies but also in this seconde chiefe pointe The B. of Wynchester I doo graunt the woordes of the holy Scriptures in bothe these places to be spoken to all states of wemen without exception But what make they for your purpose how doo they conclude and confirme your cause Women muste be silent in the Churche and are not