spirituall punishment of excommunicatiō will preuaile the other because to excommunicate him and not to depriue him were to irritate him and prouoke him to furie and yet not to take his sword and power from him 43. And therefore in the Canon Lawe Temporall punishment followeth and accompanieth excommunication as Cap. No◠sanctorum 15. q. 6. Pope GREGORIE the seuenth holding as he sayth the statutes of his Predecessoures absolueth all those who are obliged by faith or fidelitie to excommunicated persons from their fidelitie And in the next Chapter which beginneth with the word Iuratos Pope VRBANE absolueth souldiours from their fidelitie to Count HVGO excommunicated And in the Decretalles Cap. Ad abolendum de Haereticis Countes Barons Rectors and Consulles of Cities who will not ayde the Church against heretickes are excommunicated and depriued or to be depriued of their former tēporall honour made vnable and vncapable of all future dignities and their Landes are Interdicted And in the next Chapter Vergentes INNOCENTIVS the Third confiscateth the goods of Heretickes And in the Chapter Si aduersus all Aduocates and Notaries who fauour Heretickes are made infamous and are depriued of their office Likewise in the Chapter Excommunicamus before cited all Heretickes are excommunicated and after the condemnatorie sentence are to be chastised with due punishment by the Secular Iudge and their goods are confiscated in which Chapter also is to be seene the Decree of the Great Councell of Lateran which aboue I haue alleaged And in the same Chapter beleeuers receiuers defendours and fauourers of Heretickes are excommunicated declared infamous and vnable to beare office to make a Testament or last will and if he be a Iudge his sentence is disanulled c. And in the last Chapter of this Title de Haereticis GREGORIE the Ninth concludeth with these wordes whosoeuer by any promise howsoeuer confirmed were obliged to those who are manifestlie fallen into Heresie let them know that they are absolued from the duetie of sidelitie homage and seruice And Cap. Cum secundum leges de Haereticis in 6. The Pope sayth that if by the Ciuill Lawe diuers transgressours which he nameth be iustlie depriued of their goods bona Haereticorum qui grauius horribilius ac detestabilius quam praedicti delinquunt ipso iure de fratrum nostrorum consilio decernimus confiscata the goods of Heretickes who more grieuouslie more horriblie and detestablie then the aforesayd delinquents do offend we decree ipso iure to be confiscated Wherfore although that Excommunication may be separated from all temporall punishment and that the Pope may excommunicate a Prince and yet not depose him as INNOCENTIVS the first did excommunicate ARCADIVS whome yet he deposed not yet seing that in the Common law Temporall punishment as confiscation of goods infamie and euen absolution from fidelitie to Princes are annexed to Excommunication and proceede from the power of Excommunication and ordinarilie follow the acte of Excommunication I might well say that depriuation of Regall authoritie is an effect which ordirilie followeth Excommunication of Kings and yet say no more then the learned Suarez aboue alleaged nor then S. 2.2 q. 12 art 2. THOMAS of AQVIN where he sayth that the Prince who hath made an Apostasie and reuolt from the true Christian faith receaued at least in Baptisme is conuenientlie depriued of rule ouer his subiects and that quam citò aliquis per sententiam denuntiatur Excommunicatus propter Apostasiam a fide ipso facto eius subditi sunt absoluti a dominio eius Iuramento fidelitatis so soone as any one by sentence is denounced Excommunicated for Apostasie from faith ipso facto at the same instant his subiects are absolued from his Dominion or Soueraigntie and from their oath of fidelitie Where it is manifest that he maketh absolution of the subiects from their fidelitie an effect in some sort of the acte of Excommunication 44. Put then all this together to wit first that depriuation of Regall authoritie is an acte though secondarie yet necessarilie appertaining to the Chiefe Pastours spirituall power by which he Excommunicateth he that denyeth him power to depriue denyeth necessarilie his power to excommunicate it being one and the selfe same power as aboue is prooued Secondlie seing that depriuation and other temporall punishments aboue related do ordinarilie follow the acte of excommunication though by a secondarie acte of the Popes spirituall power as is aboue explicated he that denyeth the Pope power to depriue denyeth him also power to excommunicate depriuation being at least a morall effect euen of the acte of excommunication This I explicate by homo and risibilis not that I auerre as necessarie a coniunction betwixt the acte of excommunication and depriuation as is betwixt homo and risibilis no example holding in all thinges but for that as because there is a necessarie and physicall connexion betwixt homo and risibilis he that denyeth a man to be risibilis doth necessarilie deny him to be homo so because there is a necessarie connexion betwixt the power of excommunication and depriuation both actes appertaining necessarilie to that power he that denyeth the Pope authoritie to depriue a Prince necessarilie denyeth him power to excommunicate the denyall of a necessarie effect implying vertuallie a denyall of the cause and because there is a morall coniunction at least betwixt the acte of excommunication depriuation this as before following ordinarilie that he that denyeth the Pope authoritie to depriue morallie at least denyeth him power to excōmunicate which is sufficiēt to make any timorous consciēce feare to sweare that the Pope can not depriue a Prince especiallie if thereunto be added that depriuation is a secondarie acte necessarilie appertaining to the Popes supremacie and power of excommunicating because the denyall of an acte and effect though secōdarie if it necessarilie belonge to a cause importeth a denyall of the cause and therfore not onlie he who denyeth that fier can burne or heate which is the first acte and effect of fier but also he that denyeth that fier can harden and rarefie which are secondarie actes of fier denyeth it to be fier And in this sence Lessius or his Recapitulatour cited by VViddrington sayd and whatsoeuer VViddrington sayth trulie sayd that Absolutio subditorum a vinculo fidelitatis est effectus qui sententiam Excommunicationis necessariò consequitur Widdr. in Disp Theol. c. 4. n. 4. 7. Ecclesiaepraxis per mille ducentorum amplius annorum spatium commonstrat Absolution of subiects from the bond of fidelitie is an effect which necessarilie followeth the sentence of Excommunication as the practise of more then twelue hundred yeares doth shew because this Absolution of subiectes from fidelitie is an acte necessarilie appertaining to the power of Excommunicating and morallie and ordinarilie it followeth euen the acte of excommunication as we haue sayd and prooued and in the same sence the Angelicall Doctour S. THOMAS of AQVIN sayth 2.2 q.
12 art 2. that so soone as one is denounced by sentence Excommunicated for Apostasie from faith ipso facto by the verie facte of Excommunication denounced his subiects are sreed from his Dominion Rule or Soueraigntie By which wordes S. THOMAS maketh depriuation an effect of the sentence of Excommunication as much as I did and therfore either meaneth that excommunication is a cause of depriuation immediatlie by it selfe or that Depriuation followeth it in manner aforesayd And so the acte of Depriuation being at least a secondarie acte of the Popes spirituall Supremacie to deny that he hath power to depriue is to deny that he hath power to excommunicate it being all one power and consequentlie it is to deny couertlie his spirituall Supremacie 45. But besides this all the Argumentes which I haue alleadged to prooue that the Pope can depose Princes and all which I haue sayd against the former two Clauses do manifestly prooue that this Clause wanteth the three companions of an Oath and so can not lawfullie be sworne That Iudgement wanteth it may appeare by that which I haue sayd in the verie beginning of my examination of this Oath That it wanteth Veritie it is as euident as it is that the Pope can depose Princes And though it were but probable that the Pope could degrade Princes yet to sweare absolutely that he can not were to expose the swearer to daunger of periurie yea it were to sweare a falsehood and so to committ actuall periurie For as it is periurie to sweare as true that which is false so is it to sweare a thing to be vndoubtedly and assuredly true which is but probable because it is false that that which is but probable is absolutely and assuredly true Wherefore seing that it is false that the Pope cannot in some case depose Princes Widdr. disp Th. c. 6. sec 3 n. 15. seqq and by VViddringtons frequent confession is at least probable that he can for he sayth that the Popes who deposed Princes followed a probable opinion and he confesseth that he contendeth not to shew that it is an hereticall or false opinion Disp Th. in praef n. 2. 3. but onely that it is not de fide tenenda to be held as a matter of faith it followeth that this Clause can not besworne it absolutely and with great asseueration denying the Pope Authority to depose And although if the Pope should excommuntcate and depose a Prince a subiect in some case might yet obey in lawfull thinges because feare of death or losse of liuings would excuse him when otherwise it is no scandall nor no absolute frustration of the Censure to obey him in particular yet to sweare this in so generall termes can not be lawfull as not only my former Arguments but also euen that which out of Victoria I haue alleaged doth manifestlie prooue 46. That this Clause wanteth also the third companion condition of a lawfull oath which is Iustice is as manifest because it derogateth from the Authoritie which the Pope iustlie claymeth and hath of long time not only possessed but also practised and so to sweare this Clause is to sweare and promise by oath an act of iniustice The Fourth Clause And I do further sweare that I do from my heart abhorre detest and abiure as impious and hereticall this damnable doctrine and position that Princes which be excommunicated or depriued by the Pope may be deposed or murthered by their subiects or any other what soeuer c. 40. This Clause as it is more plaine so can it with lesse shew be taken because the common opinion which holdeth that the Pope can depriue and depose Princes is most certaine as I aboue haue prooued and at least it is the more common and being confirmed by so many Argumentes and such Authoritie and practise of holy and auncient Popes and at least euen by VViddrington his owne confession holden as probable how can any that haue any conscience sweare that it is impious and how especially can he sweare that it is hereticall and damnable it neuer hauing beene conby the Church and defined by Generall Councels Widdr. in Disp Th. ca. 6. sect 2. n. 9. â—tseqq as aboue is declared 47 Widdrington answereth that to make the position here abiured as hereticall it is sufficient that one part of it be hereticall to witt that Princes excommunicated by the Pope may be murthered And therefore although it be not heresie to say that Princes excommunicated or depriued by the Pope may be deposed yet seing that at least it is hereticall to say that they may be killed it being flat against Scripture which forbiddeth absolutely to kill Exod. 20 1. Reg. 26. especiallie Kings for who shall extend his hand against the Anointed of our Lord and shall be innocent the positioÌ„ abiured must needs be hereticall 48. That it is sufficient to make the position here abiured hereticall that the last part thereof be hereticall WIDDRINGTON prooueth because sayth he the word May when it goeth before the Coniunction or signifieth that it is in our free choice and election to do the one or the other and therefore sayth he though the propositton seeme to be disiunctiue yet it is not an absolute but a conditionall disiunctiue aequiualent to a Copulatiue And so to sweare that it is hereticall doctrine to say that Princes excommunicated and depriued by the Pope may by their subiects or any others be deposed or murdered is to sweare that it is hereticall doctrine to say that after the Prince is excommunicated and depriued by the Pope it is in the free election of his subiects or others to depose him or kill him as they will which is hereticall because at least they cannot kill him as is prooned And to prooue that this is the meaning of that Clause he alleageth many examples and manners of speeches which haue the same sense as if one should say You may eate or drinke You may go by horse or on soote The meaning is you may do of these which you will 49. But this his Answer by his leaue is not sufficient to satisfie anie timorous or rightely fearefull conscience For first although sometimes the Coniunction Or when it followeth the verbe may be taken in the meaning that Widdrington affirmeth yet not alwaies yea ordinarily it is taken disiunctiuelie And so as to verifie a disiunctiue proposition it is sufficient that one part of it be true so to make it false both parts must be false As for example if one should lay a wager that to morrow it will either raine or snowe to winne the wager it is sufficient that it do either but to make the proposition false and to cause him to loose his wager neither must happen that is it must neither raine not snowe Wherefore seeing that the Coniunction or is ordinarily taken disiunctiuelie and many times also when may goeth before it it remaineth yet to be prooued by VViddrington that
hath Authoritie ouer Clergie men as Clergie men he can command euen Churchmen in Ecclesiasticall matters and can call Synodes determine controuersies of faith in them enact Ecclesiasticall lawes and bestowe Ecclesiasticall Benefices and so he shall haue Authoritie not onlie ouer the persons but also ouer the things of the Church And therfore as he that should say that the King for the necessarie good of the Common VVealth cannot dispose of the Temporalities of the Realme should in effect make him no King so BILSON in saying that the King hath no Authoritie ouer the spirituall things and graces of the Church makes him no Head of the Church nor superiour ouer Church men as Church men For if the King be Head of the persons of the Church he can command them as his subiects And then I demand of BILSON in what things he can command them If in temporall thinges onlie as to paie Tribute to go to warre c. then is he King only of the Common wealth but no Head of the Church If in Spirituall things as administration of Sacraments decisions of matters of faith in Councels c. then hath he the administration of spirituall things and hath authority not only ouer the persons but also ouer the things of the Church But I neede not wrest this frō BILSON by force of Argument for he no lesse plainely confesseth that the King is no Head of the Church Bilson par 2 pag. 240 These are his wordes VVe confesse Princes to be supreme Gouernours that is as we haue often told you supreme bearers of the sword which was first ordained from aboue to defend and preserue as wel godlines and honestie as peace and tranquillitie amongst men We giue Princes no power to deuise or inuēt newe Religions to alter or chaunge sacraments to decide or debate doubtes of faith to disturbe or infringe the Canons of the Church Thus he VVherby we see first how he derogateth from that authority which King HENRIE the 8 and Queene ELIZABETH challēged and the former Parlament approoued for by that authoritie King HENRIE the 8. exiled all the Popes authoritie forbad all Appeales to Rome contrary to the ancient Canons disposed of Abbaies and Churches without the Popes authority c. And by the same authoritie Q. ELIZABETH chaūged the sacraments and all the whole face and hew of religion and forbad Councels to be called or any thing in them to be decided without her consent Secondlie we may see also herby how BILSON maketh the King no supreme Head yea no head at all of the Church but only a Protectour and defender therof which Title all Catholikes graunt to Kinges acknowledging that the King is to defēd the Church to assist her by his temporall sword and Authoritie that shee bee not hindred in calling Councels and administration of the Church yea and to punish heretikes condemned by her and deliuered vp to secular power And no more doth BILSON graunt And so he denying the Prince to be head of the Church and graunting him to be only a protectour and defender is guiltie of high treason 22. D. Field lib. 5. de Eccles cap. 53. Doctour FIELD also in effect denieth this authority to the King for he distinguisheth things merelie Spirituall in this manner Either sayth he the power in these things is of order or of iurisdiction the power of order consisteth in preaching the worde in ministring Sacramēts and ordaining ministers and in these things saith he Princes haue no Authoritie at all much lesse supreme authority The power of iurisdiction standeth in prescribing lawes in hearing examining and iudging of opinion in matters of saith and things pertaining to Ecclesiasticall order and Ministerie and due performing of Gods seruice and in these the King can only by direction of the Clergie make penall and tempor all lawes for the Execution of Bishops lawes and Canons Thus he But to omitt how aptlie D. FIELD annexeth preaching to the power of order Vide Sairum lib. 4. de Censuris cap. 16. num 21 which may be exercised with licence of the Bishop by one that hath no Orders at all to omitt also how he can possiblie distinguish the powers of order ād Iurisdiction he and his Doctours denying all Caracters and making ordination nothing else but a meere deputation to such an office I auerre that D. FIELD in this contradicteth the former authority which was giuen by Parlament to King HENRIE the Eight and King EDWARD his sonne and Queene ELIZABETH his Daughter as may appeare plainlie by the actes of Parlament aboue alleadged and he maketh the King no Supreme Head of the Church but onlie an Assistant Protectour and Defendour therof as I haue shewed against D. BILSON 23. Wherfore the Catholicks of England haue iust cause to complaine of seuere dealing towards them who many of them haue bene condemned to Premuniries and cruell deathes for denying the snpremacie of the Prince in Spirituall causes of which notwithstanding the leardnest of the Ministerie make such doubt and question as we haue seene yea denie it in plaine termes For if that care had bin had of the Kings Catholick subiects which their number antiquitie and loyaltie seemed to require this question of the Supremacie should haue bene better discussed and more maturely resolued before the Ministers should haue preached it as necessarie to be beleeued and before Catholicks should haue been so seuerelie handled for denying it their own Doctours now varying so much as we haue seene about the very name and thing it self and some of the leardnest amongst them denying it as flatly as any Catholick can do 24. Remember then O Kinges Princes and Potentates of the earth what is belonging to your so high an office Psal 2. An exhortation to Princes Et nunc Reges intelligite erudimini qui iudicatis terram And now ô Kings vnderstand your office informe your selues ô you that iudge the earth what belongeth vnto you You are Iudges of the earth and Common wealth you are not to meddle with the Church which is called Regnum Coelorum Mat. 13 the Kingdome of Heauen You are Isa 49. as Esaye calleth you Nurcing Fathers but no Gouernours of the Church you are Protectours and Defendours and Assistants obliged by scepter and sword to assist her and to punish her Rebelles at her direction You are subiects no Superiours sheepe no Pastours Inferiour members no Heads and your greatest honour and safetie is to serue not to rule the Church to defend not to inuade her rightes Harken ô Princes to that holsome counsell which AZARIAS the High Priest gaue to King OZIAS 2. Paral. 26. Ioseph l. 9. Ant. cap. 11. who would be medling with the Priests office For when he being puffed vp with pride of hart tooke vppon him to offer Incense in the Temple and on the Altar of Incense AZARIAS matching his Kinglie pride with a Priestlie Zeale followed him at his heeles accompanied with fourescore Priests and
3. which S. AVGVSTINE sayth is a greater euill then to be killed by a sword consumed by fier or cast vnto wild beastes to be deuoured who doubteth but that he should be called the principall cause of the deposition he compelling the subiectes therunto by so great a punishment 40. Likewise as a forreine Prince may and is bound sometimes to defend Innocents so the Pope may licence and authorize yea and commaund him so to do he hauing authoritie as VViddrington auoucheth to commaund a Prince in tēporall matters and if at the Popes commaundement this Prince make warre vpon the Prince that intolerably molesteth Innocents in their faith and Religion as Victoria in the place before alleaged saith he may that which the Prince shall doe against the other tyrannizing Prince in the pursewing of his iust warre the Pope shal be said to do hee being the commaunder and consequently the principall agent And yet by this Clause of the Oath the subiects are commaunded to sweare that the Pope hath no authoritie to authorize any forreine Prince to anoy the King of England or to inuade his countries which is to abiure at least a probable opinion as certainely false which how it can be done with a good conscience I report me euen to VViddringtons large conscience But be this spoken to shew the daunger of swearing this Clause not to giue any scope against Kings or Princes whome I honour as God his Images and his Vicegerents in Earth The Third Clause Also I sweare from my heart that notwithstanding any declaration or sentence of excōmunication or depriuation made or graunted or to be made or graunted by the Pope or his successours or by any authoritie deriued or pretended to be deriued from him or his Sea against the said King his Heires or successours or any Absolution of the sayd subiects from their obedience I will beare faith and true alleageance to his Maiesti◠his Heires and successours and him and them will defend to the vttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts what soeuer which shal be made against his or their persons their crowne and dignitie by reason or colour of any such sentence or declaration or otherwise and will do my best endeuour to disclose and make knowne vnto his Maiestie his heires and successours all Treasons and Trayterous conspiracies which I shall knowe or heare of to be against him or any of them 41. Widdr. in Disp Theol. ca. 4. sect 1. n. 1. seqq Here VVIDDRINGTON insulteth against the learned Cardinall Bellarmine though the Phoenix for controuersies of this our age Cardinall Bellarmine sayth he Gretserus and Lessius contend that by this Clause is denyed to the Pope power to excommunicate which yet sayth he this Clause seemeth to suppose and the King professeth he had not the intention to denie But although this Clause seeme to suppose and the King in wordes seemeth to confesse or at least not to denie the Pope Authoritie to excommunicate yet in effect they denie it For depriuation of Regall Authority being an effect of excommunicating which ordinarily followeth excommunication of Kings and Princes in the deniall of the effect the cause is denied For as if you should say A man is not risibilis you should denie him to be homo so in denying that the Pope can depriue Princes of their Kingdomes you denie in effect tha he can excommunicate 42. Here WIDDRINGTON in his Newyearesgift insulteth against me for saying as he makes me to say that depriuation of Regall Authoritie is an effect of Excommunication as necessarilie following Excommunication as risibile followeth homo But if we looke into the matter narrowlie we shall finde he triumpheth before the victorie and counteth his chickins before they be hacht For first if we speake of the power of Excommunication and depriuation of which I speake but two lines before these wordes at which VViddrington carpeth I had shewed in the seauenth Chapter before that the power to excōmunicate which the cbiefe visible Pastour hath is one and the selfe same power with the power of depriuation and deposition which one power hath two actes and effectes the one principall and first intended called actus primarius and this is Excommunication or such like spirituall Censure and punishment the second is depriuation deposition and such like Temporall chastisement and correction which is actus secundarius a secundarie acte of the Chiefe Pastours spirituall power secondarilie intended when the first will not preuaile And these two actes are necessarilie belonging to the Popes spirituall power of Supremacie not that this power must needes alwayes exercise both or either of them but because the Pope can not haue this power but he must haue facultie to exercise them when a iust cause requireth it and so these two actes being necessarilie belonging to the Popes Supremacie he that denyeth him power to depriue or depose a Prince denyeth in effecte that he hath power to Excommunicate it being one and the selfe same power because the denyall of an effect necessarilie belonging to a cause is a virtuall denyall of the cause euen as to deny that fier can heate or rarifie is to deny it to be fier and to deny a man to be risibilis is to deny him to be man Secondlie if we speake of these two actes of this power although WIDDRNIGTON knoweth that the learned SVAREZ alleaged by him 2. p. Append contra Suarem sec 4. affirmeth that the suspension of Kinglie Authoritie is an effect of the acte of Excommunication I did not say that depriuation is alwayes an effect of the acte of Excommunication well knowing that although both these are so necessarilie belonging to the Popes power of Supremacie that it can not be without possibilitie of exercising them yet it is in his free choise to exercise either both or either of them and so he may excommunicate and not depriue and he may depriue as he did King CHILDERIC See Cap. Alius 15. q. 6. alleaged by me pag. 250. and not excommunicate And therfore I sayd onlie that depriuation of Regall Authoritie being aneffect of excommunication which ordinarilie followeth Excommunication of Kinges and Princes in the denyall of the effect the cause is denyed c. where WIDDRINGTON leaueth out those wordes which ordinarilie followeth because those wordes would haue made it plaine that I say not that depriuation is an effect of Excommunication in all Excommunicate persons but in Kinges and Princes nor alwayes in excommunicated Princes because a Kinge may be excommunicated and not deposed and he may be deposed as CHILDERIC King of Fraunce was and not Excommunicated but oftentimes and ordinarelie Cap. Alius 15. q. 6. because the Chiefe visible Pastour vseth not by name to excommunicere a Prince but he also ordinarilie especiallie in these later Ages deposeth him and for two reasons also the one because he ought not ordinatilie to proceede to so seuere a temporall punishment before he haue tryed whether the
as God preuented the Iewes and whereas they by lawe of Nature had permission to choose their Kinges yet for their greater good he chose thē one him selue immediatelie so although by the lawe of Nature men otherwise might haue prescribed the manner of worshipping God and the worship had been lawfull so that it had been the worship of the true God and had been free from superstition yet because God hath ordained vs to a supernaturall end and would haue our Ecclesiasticall gouernment free from all superstition he hath himselfe appointed the manner of gouernment and hath giuen the Authoritie So in the lawe of Moyses he chose the Tribe of LEVI to serue in the Tabernacle and Temple and to menage Ecclesiasticall matters he instituted also sacrifices sacramentes and Ceremonies in like sort in the new lawe of Grace vnder which we liue he committed the gouernment of his Church to the Apostles and Disciples only and their successours he instituted seuen Sacramentes and a sacrifice he gaue vs a lawe and beleefe which first he deliuered by preaching then by the written Ghospelles and Epistles of his Apostles and other thinges he committed to the Church which he had instituted and established 5. So that as there is a Ciuill and Temporall Power residing in the Common wealth by which the Prince or Magistrate can gouerne and rule and cōmaund for the conseruation and promotion of the Temporall good of the same so is there a spirituall and Ecclesiasticall Power residing in the Church by which the Pastours haue Authoritie to preach teach administer Sacraments determine of matters of Religion to call Councelles for the better clearing of matters and enacte lawes which shall be thought expedient vnto the honour of God the spirituall good of the Church and euerie ones saluation And this is called Ecclesiasticall power which is distinct from the Temporall in many pointes 6. First in respect of the end and finall cause for Temporall power of it selfe aymeth only at Temporali Iustice peace and conseruation of the Temporall state of the Kingdome or Common wealth Ecclesiasticall power intendeth in this life the spirituall health of the soule and eternall rest and peace in the next Secondlie these powers haue diuers Actes and seing that powers are distinct by their Actes it followeth that Temporall and Ecclesiasticall or spirituall power are distinct That they haue distinct Actes it is manifest for the Temporall power maketh lawes for this corporall life and Temporalle state but the spirituall and Ecclesiasticall power maketh lawes for the soule and her direction the Temporall power remitteth the paines only of sinnes but the spirituall Power remitteth the sinne it self according to that Ioan. 20 Quorum remiseritis peccata c. VVhose sinnes you shall forgiue c. The Temporall power inflicteth and remitteth only Ciuill and Temporall punishments as imprisonment banishment temporall death but the spirituall power as now it is for in the old law there was not Potestas Clauium excommunicateth suspendeth interdicteth which are spiritual punishments and bonds of the soule and remitteth not only these paines but also eternall death and paine of Hell for when the Priest remitteth mortall sinnes he chaūgeth eternall paine into temporall yea some times when the Penitent cometh with a great contrition he remitteth both Eternall and Temporall Thirdly they differ in their obiectes for the spirituall power disposeth not of Temporall thinges but only as they are necessary to the spirituall The Temporall meddleth not with spirituall nor Ecclesiasticall matters according to that of S. AMBROSE S. Ambr. lib. 5. ep 33. ad Marcel soror Ad Impetatorem Palatia pertinent ad sacerdotem Ecclesiae Publicorum tibi maenium ius commissum est non sacrorum To the Emperour Pallaces appertaine to the Priest Churches to thee Emperour the right of common Walles is committed not of Churches And NICHOLAS Pope in an Epistle to MICHAEL the Emperour Ca. Cum ad verū dist 96. Vide etiā ca. Quoniam d. 10. Nec Imperator iura Pontificum arripuit nec Pontifex nomen Imperatoris vsurpauit quoniam Christus sic actibus propriis dignitatibus distinctis officia potestatis vtriusque discreuit Neither hath the Emperour taken to him the rights of Bishops neither hath the Bishop vsurped the name of the Emperour because Christ hath distinguished the offices of both by their distinct actes and dignities Fourthlie they differ in respect of the subiect and materiall cause for although it be not impossible for these two Powers to consort in the same subiect for we see they did in Melchisedech and in the first begotten of the Iewes in the law of Nature and in the Machabees who were Priests and Princes and consequentlie had temporall and spirituall power yet as in other thinges these powers are distinct so God not only in the law of Grace but also in the law written of Moyses would haue these powers placed in distinct subiectes and Persons 2. Paral◠19. For in the law of Moyses AMARIAS menaged matters of the Church law ZABADIAS gouerned the affaires of the Kingdome the Kinges and Princes of the Iewes were of the Tribe of IVDA the Priests of the Tribe of LEVI and those gouerned onely the Common VVealth enacted Temporall lawes waged battaile c. whereas the Priests ruled it matters of the Tabernacle and Temple offered sacrifice and gouerned the Synagogue And now in the law of Grace Christ gaue all spirituall power to the Apostles and their successours and not to Princes for to the Apostles and their successours it was saied VVhatsoeuer you shall bynd vpon earth Mat. 18. shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer you shall losse vpon earth shal be loosed in heauen To Princes it was neuer sayd so To the Apostles and their successours it was sayd Ioan. 20. Whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose you shall retaine they are retained To Princes neuer To S. PETER an Apostle and Priest it was sayed Mat. 16 Thou art Peter and vppon this Rock will I build my Church To no Prince was it euer sayd in that sort To Apostles and Priests Christ sayed Matth. vlt. Goinge therefore teach ye all Nations baptising them in the name of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost To Princes neuer To Apostles and Priests Christ said Ioan. 6. As my liuing father hath sent me so I send you that is to preach to minister Sacramentes and to gouerne the Church Ephes 4. To Princes neuer To the Apostles Doctours Pastours Prophets Christ committed his Church to be gouerned Act. 28. to Princes neuer To Priests S. Paul gaue this admonition Attendite vobis vniuerso gregi in quo vos Spiritus Sanctus posuit Episcopos regere Ecclesiam Dei quam acquisiuit sanguine suo Take heede to your selues and to the whole flocke wherin the holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased
who shall haue care of the spirituall and eternall life But let the one not encroache vpon the other let both helpe one another and both are stronger as was excellently obserued by NICHOLAS the Pope Nichol. epist ad Michael Imp. cap. Gum ad verum ventum est d. 96. Cum ad verum ventum est neque Imperator Iura Pontificatus arripuit nec Pontifex nomen Imperatoris vsurpauit quoniaem idem Mediator Dei hominum homo CHRISTVS IESVS sic propriis actibus dignitatibus distinctis officia Potestatis vtriusque difcreuit vt Christiani Imperatores pro aeternâ vitâ Pontificibus indigerent Pontifices pro cursu temporalium tantummodo rerum Imperialibus legibus vterentur VVhen it came to the vnderstanding of the truth neither the Emperour did take vnto him the rightes of Bishop-like authorotitie nor the Bishop did vsurp the name of the Emperour because the same Mediatour of God and men man Christ Iesus hath distinguished the offices of both powers by their proper actes and distinct dignities as that Christian Emperours for attaining eternall life should neede Bishops and Bishops should vse the Imperiall lawes for the cause only of temporall thinges 3. But as both are necessarie so both are not equall but the one inferiour to the other the one subordinate to the other else the one would be an hindraÌ„ce to the other and both would cause confusion And certes if we will not preferre the bodie before the soule heauen before earth temporall before eternall life VVe must preferre the spirituall and Ecclesiastieall power before the Temporall and consequentlie the Church before the Common VVealth 4. These two powers and the preemineÌ„ce of the spirituall before the Temporall were prefigured as Turrecremata hath well remarked by the two brazen Pillars in the Porch of Salomons Temple The Porch was a figure of the Church Militant Turrecr lib. 4. cap. 87. 3. Reg. 7. the Inner Temple of the Church Triumphant because as by the Porch the Iewes entred into the Temple so by the Church Militant and by no other way Christians haue entrance into the Church Triumphant The two brazen Pillars that sustained the Porch signified the Power Temporall spirituall which support the Church Militant and the pillar on the right hand signified the spirituall power the Pillar on the left hand the Temporall power whence it is that that must take the precedence of this and this must be subordinate to that 5. And truly that the spirituall and Ecclesiasticall power is superiour to the Temporall and more eminent then it I prooue First by those thinges by which I haue prooued them in the former Chapter to be distinct For the end and finall cause of the temporall power is temporall and naturall to witt temporall peace the end of the spirituall Authoritie is eternall and supernaturall peace the immediat cause efficient of the Temporall is the people the immediat cause of the spirituall is God The matters in which the temporall power is occupied are temporall the affaires which the spirituall gouerneth are Ecclesiasticall and spirituall the functions of the temporall are all temporall the functions of the spirituall power are all spirituall and supernaturall as absoluing from sinnes ministring Sacraments offering of sacrifices enacting lawes for the soules health excommunicating absoluing c. The temporall ruleth especially the bodies the spirituall the soules that ruleth the Kingdome or Common Wealth this the Church To the King the Keyes of Cities are offered to the Priest and Pastour the Keyes of heauen He remitteth temporall Mulctes and paynes no sinnes at all The Priest and Pastour remitteth sinnes and absolueth from all paynes He can cast out of his Kingdome by banishement the Pastour out of the Church by Excommunication And therfore looke how farre eternall felicitie excelleth temporall God the People supernaturall and diuine thinges naturall and humane spirituall functions temporall soules bodies the Church the Common VVealth the Keyes of heauen the Keyes of cities sinnes ciuill penalties eternall temporall punishment excommunication banishement so farre the Ecclesiasticall and spirituall excelleth the Ciuill and Temporall Authoritie By this Argument S. CHRYSOSTOM as alwaies very excellentlie proueth the Priests to be greater then the King Chrysost homil 4. de verbis Isaiae tom 5. Mane intra tuos terminos ô Rex alij sunt termini Regni alij sacerdotij hoc Regnum illo maius est Rex ea quae sunt in terris sortitus est administranda caeterùm ius sacerdotij è supernis descendit Regi corpora commissa sunt sacerdoti animae Maior hic Principatus propterea Rex caput submittit manui sacerdotis vbique in scripturâ sacordotes inungebant Reges Remaine within thy boundes O King others are the limites of the Kingdome others of Priesthood this Kingdome is greater then that The King hath the administration of the things of the earth but the right of Priesthood defcendeth from aboue To the King bodies are coÌ„mitted to the Priest soules greater is this principalitie and therfore the King inclineth his head to the hand of the Priest and euerie where â—n Scripture Priests did anoint Kings Secondlie there is no Christian can denie but that since God hath ordained vs to a supernaturall end to witt the cleate vision and fruition of him selfe as all Scripture witnesseth that he hath all our goods also and states are ordained to the same end and are not well vsed but rather abused when they are vsed to serue our pleasures contrarie to that end whence followeth that all temporall thinges since the former Institution and ordination of God are Media meanes in respect not only of out supernaturall end but also of supernaturall meanes as Sacraments Grace and supernaturall functions which are more proportionate and more neere meanes to that end and consequentlie temporall power which ordaineth of these meanes is subiect to spirituall power which principally considereth the supernaturall meanes and end For as the art of ryding is more noble Arist li. 1. Eth. c. 1. then the art of making bridles as Aristotle to a like purpose reasoneth because this is ordained to that so the spirituall power which disposeth of supernaturall thinges is nobler then the Temporall this being ordained to that and the end being more noble then the meanes 6. Thirdlie Philosophers affirme that all habites and faculties are specified and dignified by their actes obiectes and endes and so Morall Philosophie which hath vertue and manners the health of the soule for its obiect is more noble then the art of Phisicke which teacheth only to cure the diseases of the bodie and to restore corporall health Seeing therefore that the obiects of spirituall power are supernaturall and heauenlie the obiects of Temporall power are naturall and earthlie the end also of spirituall power is eternall beatitude the end of temporall power temporall felicitie the actes also and functions of that power spirituall and supernaturall the actes of this naturall and