first Church The Calumnies against the Primitive Christians The Politick Reasons of the Romans against it The first Church Government What persuasions arise thence Constantine could not quite alter the former State of the Church Of making Bishops Of Presiding in Councils Abuses in the Councilâ— Of the Episcopal Jurisdiction Concerning Marriages Concerning Excommunication The Origin of the Authority of the Popes Barbarity and Ignorance contributed to it The Causes of this ignorance S. Hierom's Dream The Pedantry introduced into the Schools The Greek and Roman Polititians prejudicial to Monarchy Why Rome was made the place of Residence of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy Metropolitans Patriarchs Of the Popes Power Further Increase of the Ecclesiastical Sovereignty What contributed to it The Popes Confirmation of Bishops Of the Monk Winifred Annals Riches of the Church The Policies of the Popes in the Croisade Multitude of Ecclesiasticks Fryars and Nuâ—â— Mendicants The Motives to embrace this manner of Life Prejudicial to the regular Clergy How the Church was freed from all Power over it How the Popes withdrew themselves from their subjction to the Emperours The Pope seeks for Protection in France The Pope withdraws himself from the Obedience of the Emperours and establishes an Ecclesiastical Sovereignty Pope Gregory excommunicates Hen IV. The Pope endeavours to subject the Emperour 1122. Disputes in England about the investiture of Bâ—shops 1107. The Pope prâ—tends to a Power over Princes even to depose them How they colour over this Power The Papal Authority opposed The Schisms much weakned their Power 1433. Hence an occasion taken to bridle the Popes Power by general Councils Concerning the Seat of the Popes being transferred to Avignon Luther gives a great blow to the Grandeur of the Pope The Vertues and Faults of Leo. Luther opposes Indulgences Afterwards the Popes Power The Circumstances of these times The Ignorance of Luther's Adversaries Erasmus favoured Luther The Princes of Germany dissatisfied with the Pope The ill Conduct of Leo and Cardinal Cajetan Why the Doctrine of Luther was not spread farther Divisions among the Protestants The Licenciousness of some Protestants The University of Paris Zwinglius and Calvin The Popish Sovereignty recovered The Bishops Priests and Monks more Regular and Learn'd than heretofore How they make Converts The House of Austria most Zealous for Popery The Temporal State of the Pope His Dominions His Forces How he stands with relation to Germany Spain and France Particular Constitution of the Popish Monarchy as Spiritual Why the Popish Sovereignty was to be exercised in the Form of a Monarchy Way it must be an elective Monarchy Why the Pope was to live in a State of Celibacy The Conclave What Qualifications are necessary for one that is to be chosen Pope College of the Cardinals The Popes enrich thâ—ir Kindred Cardinal Patroon Concerning the Celibacy of the Popish Clergy Their Number The Popish Doctrine suted to the Sâ—â—e As that of the Popâ—â—s Power The prohibition of the Laietya reading the Scripturea Traditions Venial and Mortal Sins Penance Merit of good Works Ceremonies Half Communion Marriage made a Sacrament Extreme Unction Purgatory Reliques Prayers to Saints The Universities have promoted the Popish Sovereignty Why the Jesuits have taken upon them the Education of the Youth Licensing of Books Excommunication and Inquisition Some Reasons why the People remain in the Communion of the Church of Rome What States are tied by a particular Interest to the Church of Rome Italy Poland Portugal Germany Spain France Formalities observed by the Nuncio ' s in France The main Pillar of the Popish Monarchy The Pope's Inâ—lination towards the Protestants No Peace is to be exspected betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Protestants Strength of the Protestants and Papists Divisions of the Protestants Other Inconveniencies The Hugonoâ—s of France to Protestants of Poland Of Germany The best way to preserve the Reformed Religion Whether the Lutherans and those of the Reformed Religion are likely to agree Socinians and Anabaptists Sweden the most antient Kingdom in Europe First Founders of the Gothick Nation Othin or Woden Frotho Battel fought near Brovalla Ingellus Bero. A. C. 829. The Christian Doctrine first taught in Sweden Amund Olaus A. C. 853. Ingo A. C. 890. Erick Erick Seghersell Stenchill the Mild. Olaus The Swedes and Gothes united in one Kingdom Amund Amund Slemme Haquin the Red. Stenchill Ingo the Pious Halstan A. C. 1086. Philip. Ingo A. C. 1138. Ragwold Knaphofde Swercher II. Erick the Holy A. C. 1154. 1160. Charles the Son of Swercher 1168. Cnut Erickson Swercher III. 1207. 1208. 1210. Erick Cnutson 1219. Erick Lespe Celibacy of Clergy introduced in Sweden 1250. Waldemar 1251. 1263. 1266. 1275. Magnus 1279. 1288. 1290. Birger II. 1292. 1298. 1303. 1305. 1308. 1317. 1319. Magnus Smocck 1357. 1361. 1363. Albert Duke of Mecklenburgh 1364. 1365. 1371. 1376. Margaret 12. Sept. 1388. The Battel of Talâ—oping 1394. 1395. Erick Duke of Pomerania Union made at Calmar betwixt Sweden Denmark and Norway 1396. 1410. 1412. Charles Cnutson 1436. 1437. Christopher Duke of Bavaria 1439. 1448. Charles Cnutson Christian I. 1458. 1464. Erick Axelson 1466. 1468. 1470. 1471. 1481. John II. 1497. 1503. 1504. 1511. Steen Sture the younger 1512. 1513. 1520. Gustavus I. 1523. Reformation begun in Sweden First Translation of the New Testament into Swedish 1527. Church Lands reduced in Sweden 1528. The Protestant Religion Established in Sweden 1533. 1542. 1544. The Kingdom of Sweden made Hereditary and the Popish Religion abolished 1556. 1559. Eriâ—k XIV 1561. The Titles of Earls and Barons introduced John III. 1568. 1571. War with the Moscovites 1577. New Liturgy introduced 1582. 1587. 1592. Sigismund 1594. 1598. 1599. 1600. Sigismund deposed 1604. Charles IX Warbetwixt the Swedes and Poles in Livonia 1611. Gustavus Adolphus 1613. Peace with the Muscovites 1617. 1617. 1620. 1626. The War carried on against the Poles in Prussia 1627. 1629. Truce with Poland German War 1626. 1623. 1630. Charles Gustave lands with his Forces in Germany 1631. Alliance made with France The City of Magdeburgh taken by the Imperialists 10 May. Battel near Leipzick 7. Sept. 1637. Battel near Lutzen Nov. 6. King Gustave Adolfe killed Christina 1633. 1634. Aug. 27. Battel of Nordlingen Truce prolonged with the Poles War betwixt the Swedes and Elector of Saxony 1637. 1638. Alliance with France 1641. May 10. 1642. Battel fought near Leipzick Oct. 23. War with Denmark 1644. 1645. Peace with Denmark 1643. July 16. Peace made at Munster and Osnabrug 1654. Jun. 6. Charles Gustave The War with Poland renewed 1656. War with Denmark 1658. Siege of Copenhagen Battel in Tuhnen 1666. Charles IX Peace made with the Poles May 3. May 23. Peace made with Denmark 1674. The Swedes routed by the Elector of Brandenburgh 1678. The nature and qualification of the Swedish Nation Condition of the Country and its Strength Neighbours of Sweden Muscovites Poles Germany Denmark France Holland England Spain and Portugal
all the rest viz. The Archbishops of Rome Constantinople Antioch and Alexandria these being then the four principal Cities of the Roman Empire and the Archbishop of Jerusalem was added to their number because of the Antient Holiness of that City And tho the Emperor Phocas out of a spite against the Patriarch of Constantinople who who would not approve of the Murther committed upon Mauritius did grant the precedency to Boniface III. the then Bishop of Rome who did thereupon take upon him the Title of Oecumenical Bishop yet this Prerogative did not extend any further than to bare Precedency nor did imply any Power or Jurisdiction over the rest which the other Patriarchs never acknowledged And a considerable time before when the Bishop of Rome pretended to put his Commands upon the Bishops of Africa and for that purpose alledged a Canon of the Council of Oliva which was falsified they sent him back a very smart Answer And in the whole business there is no footsteps of a Divine Institution to be met withal the same being purely Human nor can any reason be alledged why the Bishop of Rome possesses the first Rank other than why he of Antioch has the third among them And because one State cannot prescribe Laws to another therefore if any Prerogatives have been granted to the Bishop of Rome by the Roman Emperors or the Antient Councils which were nothing formerly but an Assembly of the Clergy of the Roman Empire the same do not oblige any other State nor can they extend beyond the Bounds and Jurisdiction of the antient Roman Empire But if we put the Case that some Christian Princes or States have afterwards allowed to the Pope a certain power over the Church in their Dominions this was either done because they either understood not the true nature of this Power or because they were deceived by the Popes In the first Case the same is to be deemed nothing else but a Treaty or Alliance with the Pope the better to Administer the Church Affairs with the Pope's Direction Such a Treaty or Alliance as it Originally proceeds from the Consent of that State so the same may be Annulled again in the same manner as other Alliances are whenever it proves prejudicial to the State or the Pope begins to abuse the Authority granted him by the State But if the Pope has either by Fraud or Imposition obtained his Power over other States these so misguided and thus surprised States have a right as soon as they have discovered the Fraud and are convinced of their Error to shake off such an unjust Usurpation and besides may demand satisfaction for the dammages sustained by these impostures § 16. Neither could the Bishops of Rome extend their Power over the Western parts all at once but it was introduced from time to time by degrees and by various Artifices and under several pretences For when they had once fastened their Paws they did not retreat till they had obtained their pretensions tho they were several times denied admittance They did very wisely take hold of that opportunity which presented itself and was the chiefest of all in my jugdment when the Emperors began to choose other places of Residence besides Rome since by their constant presence there they might easily have kept under the ambitious designs of the Bishops For the Bishops of Constantinople who questionless were no less proud and ambitious than those of Rome could never gain this Point The next thing which mainly contributed to this Power was that afterwards the Western Empire was divided into several new Kingdoms erected by barbarous and Pagan Nations and these having been converted to the Christian Faith with the assistance of the Romish Church thought themselves obliged to pay to her a profound respect and to honor her as the most antient and the principal of the Western parts To recite all the particulars here is not for our purpose it will be sufficient to touch upon some of the main Points it is therefore to be remarked that since the Fifth Century the Bishops which lived on this side of the Alpes used to go to Rome to visit the Sepulchres of S. Peter and S. Paul out of a Superstition or a Devotion very common in those days or because they thereby intended to testifie their firm adherency to the Christian Faith This voluntary Devotion was afterwards by degrees changed into a necessity and such as neglected it used to receive severe rebukes From hence it was easie for the Popes afterwards to pretend that the Bishops ought to receive their Confirmation from Rome Some other Bishops and Churches also that were Novices in comparison of the antient Roman Church used to refer themselves to and ask the advice of the Church of Rome concerning some Matters of great Consequence and the true use and interpretation of the Canons And when they once perceived at Rome that their answers were taken as decisions they began to send their Decrees before they were demanded under pretence that Rome being the first Seat of the Christian Bishops it ought to take effectual care that the Canons and Ecclesiastical Laws were duely put in Execution Under the same pretence they made themselves immediate Judges over the Differences arisen betwixt the Bishops and incroaching upon the Right and Jurisdiction of the Metropolitans used to depose such Bishops as according to their Opinion had not a right Ordination or such as were accused of some enormous Crimes they obliged to appear before them at Rome to defend their Cause And if there were some that pretended to a Prerogative or to obtain an Exemption from the Canons they did Travel to Rome where they were kindly received and incouraged in their demands whereby the Staple of Dispensations and Favours to be granted was establish'd at Rome And if any one had lost his Cause before the ordinary Judge he used to Appeal to Rome where he was kindly received and incouraged The French Historians relate that because the Emperor Henry had made the City of Arles the Capital City over seven Provinces the Pope Constituted the Archbishop of the said City his Vicar in France for fear lest the said Archbishop might by degrees attempt to make himself Patriarch of France And this Archbishop chose rather to have the inspection tho precariously over seventeen Provinces into which France was divided at that time than to be the Head only of seven in his own right This Man to add the more Authority to his Commision did as much as in him was endeavour to Establish the Popes Authority there Afterwards in the Eighth Century when great Disorders and Debaucheries were become frequent among the Monks and Clergy an English Frier whose name was Winifred and who afterwards called himself Boniface did out of a particular Zeal take upon himself the Reformation of the Manners and Lives of the Clergy and did endeavour to Establish the Christian Religion in several parts
the mean while to have found out an expedient to appease Luther And Cardinal Cajetan did in the year 1519. act a very imprudent Part at Augsburgh when he dealt so very rudely with Luther and refused to accept of his Proposal viz. that he would be silent provided his Adversaries would do the same For by this refusal made to so resolute a Man whom he would have obliged to make a Recantation he forced him to do his utmost and to fall directly upon the Pope himself It would have been no difficult matter to have granted him that some corrupted Manners were crept into the Church to keep him from meddling with the Reformation of the Doctrines But on the contrary the Pope making continual instances at the Elector of Saxony's Court to have Luther delivered up to him Luther was thereby obliged to show the unreasonableness of the Pope and to demonstrate that his own Doctrine was built upon a very solid and good Foundation And the Pope rendred his Cause very suspicious that he when Luther appeal'd to a Council did by making a great many evasions protract to call one From hence it was evident that he did not trust much to the goodness of his Cause if it were to be debated before impartial Judges It was also an unlucky hit for the Pope when he fell out with Henry VIII who to spite the Pope did open the Door for the Protestant Religion to be settled in England Likewise did those of the House of Navarre propagate and protect the Protestant Religion in France out of a hatred as some say against the Pope who had shown the way to Ferdinand the Catholick into that Kingdom Besides this there were abundance of good Men of the Roman Catholick Religion who were glad to see that Luther did wash the scabby Heads of the Monks with so strong a Lye as he did So that every thing seemed to concur to promote the Decree of God Almighty § 27. But why the Doctrine of Luther was not spread farther and the Ecclesiastical Monarchy was not quite overturned several Reasons may be alledged First it is to be considered that in those States where Luther's Doctrine was received the Supreme Direction in Ecclesiastical Affairs became necessarily to be devolved on the Civil Magistrates For if any one of these States would have pretended to this Direction over the others of the same Communion these who would have thought themselves no less capable would never have acknowledged the same Which did not a little weaken their Union and Strength and was the main occasion that they could not act so unanimously and vigorously against the Pope as he against them It is also to be considered that this Reformation was not undertaken after mature deliberation and as it were on purpose to form or set up a new State but this great Revolution happened upon a sudden and unexpectedly so that the whole Work was carried on as occasion offer'd and by degrees And tho Luther was the first that gave the Alarm yet the rest did not think themselves obliged to follow precisely his Opinion but were also ambitious of having contributed something towards the Reformation This occasioned Disputes among themselves and because no body had an Authority among them to decide these Controversies each Party persisted obstinately in their Opinion from whence arose such a Schism that they became neglectful of the Common Enemy and fell upon one another This furnished the Popish Party with a very probable Argument who cry'd out aloud the Hereticks were faln into Confusion among themselves as not knowing what to believe and since they had left the Church of Rome they were brought into an endless Labyrinth There were also a great many of the Protestants who under pretext of the Gospel did lead an impious and scandalous life as if by the Liberty of the Gospel they had obtained a License to abandon themselves to all sorts of Vices This gave also occasion to the Papists to defame the Doctrine of Luther especially since he had with great severity reproved the licenciousness of the Clergy and had been generally applauded for it It also proved very mischievous to Luther's Doctrine that immediately after whole swarms of Fanaticks Anabaptists and the like appear'd in the World and that the Boors in Germany run as it were mad and made a most dangerous Insurrection When some Princes took this Point into Consideration the Doctrine of Luther began to become suspicious to them as if thereby the licenciousness of the Common People was Taught and Authorised which they looking upon as a greater Evil than what oppression they were likely to suffer from the Clergy did with all their Power oppose the Doctrine of Luther There are some who will have it that the University of Paris also had a share in this For Luther having persuaded himself that this University was dissatisfied at Leo X. because he had abolished the Pragmatick Sanction concerning the Elections of Bishops and that therefore the Members thereof would be glad of an opportunity to revenge themselves he submitted his Disputation with Eckius to their Judgment but these gave their Judgment against him and that in very hard words The Kings of Spain also did afterwards consider that it was for their purpose to take upon them the protection of the Roman Chair wherefore they opposed the Protestant Doctrine with all their might and so powerfully assisted the League in France that Henry IV. if he would maintain his Crown was obliged to leave the Protestant Religion Some also have observed that when Zwinglius and afterwards Calvin began all upon a sudden to introduce too great a Reformation not only as to the inferiour but also the Essential parts of the Church and thereby fell from one extreme to another this proved a main obstacle to the increase of the Protestant Religion For Luther had hitherto made very little alteration in outward Matters He had left in the Churches the Ornaments Clocks Organs Candles and such like he had retained the greatest part of the Mass but had added some Prayers in the Native Tongue so that he was looked upon by most as a Reformer of the Abuses only But when it seem'd that this Revolution was likely to become Universal Zwinglius appear'd in Switzerland as did Calvin afterwards in France these instead of following the footsteps of Luther began to Preach against the Presence of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper abolish'd all sorts of Ceremonies and Ornaments destroyed all Reliques broke the Altars and Images abolish'd all order of the Hierarchy and despoiled Religion of all such things as did most affect the Eyes and exteriour Senses of the People This caused an aversion and animosity in the Common People against them and increased its Zeal for that Religion which it had received from its Ancestors The Riches of the Church did partly promote Luther's Doctrine a great many having thereby taken
had been given to them since the year 1454. but also several other Church Lands and precious moveables all which he annexed to the Crown In the mean while the Bishops and their party were not idle but were contriving all manner of mischief against the King though with small success For the Dalekerls who had made an Insurrection were frightened by the King to comply with his commands and to send away their Leader the supposititious Sâ—ure and Sigismund King of Poland unto whom the dissatisfied party had proffered the Crown did not think fit to accept of it so that Bishop Brask despairing at last of the Roman Catholick Cause under pretence of a Journey retired to Dantzick The King having surmounted all these difficulties thought convenient not to defer any longer his Coronation which having been solemnized at Vpsal with the usual Solemnity he summoned the Rebellious Dalekerls to appear before him at Thuana threatning them with Fire and Sword if they did not appear at the appointed time The Rebels being throughly frightened by the King's severity appeared without Arms at the appointed place where he caused several of the Ringleaders to be Executed and dismissed the rest after having promised to be obedient for the future In Helsingland he appeased the tumultuous multitude with threats and fined their Leaders and having called together a Synod of the Clergy at Orebro where the King's Chancellour was President the chiefest Points of the Popish Doctrine were there abolished and in their stead the Protestant Religion introduced where it was also ordered that a Protestant Professor of Divinity should be Constituted in each Cathedral This wrought in a manner Miracles among the Inferiour Clergy and Monks who left their Monasteries were married and became Ministers in the Protestant Churches But the Bishops and their party entred into an Association with some of the dissatisfied Lords in West Gothland who accused the King of Heresie and other Crimes renouncing their Allegiance to him These were Headed by Thuro Johanson the Rix Marshal who raised an Insurrection among the Dalekerls and endeavoured also to stir up the West and East Gothes whom he persuaded to make Magnus Brynteson a Man in great Authority among them their King But the King having again appeased this tumult by granting his Pardon to them Magnus the Bishop of Skara and Thuro Johnson fled into Denmark but Magnus Bayteson Nils Olofson and Thuro Erickson having been Convicted of High Treason at the Dyet held at Strâ—ngness the two first were Executed and the third paid a considerable Fine The King then to settle the minds of his Subjects having renewed his Pardon caused the superfluous Bells to be taken out of the Steeples the same being granted to him by the Estates towards the payment of a Debt due to the Lubeckers Which proved a new Subject for an Insurrection for the Dalekerls not only seised upon some of these Bells but also pretended to hold an Assembly at Arboga to consult about the Deposing of King Gustave which obliged the King to call together the Estates at Vpsal whither he came in person with a good Army and meeting with great opposition from the mutinous People ordered his Soldiers to fire among them which so terrified them that upon their Knees they begged his Pardon promising to be more Obedient for the future Things being thus pretty well settled the King married Catharine the Daughter of Magnus Duke of Saxen Lauenburgh and having received intelligence that King Christian was landed in Norway with a considerable Force he sent some Troops under the Command of Lars Sigeson the Rix Marshal to the Frontiers of Norway who having been joined by some Danes forced King Christian to raise the Siege of Banus who at last surrendring himself to the Danes was by Frederick King of Denmark committed to Prison where he died after twenty seven years imprisonment But no sooner was this storm over but the Lubeckers raised another against Sweden For they having demanded from the King to grant them the whole Trade on his Northern Sea Coasts which he refused to consent to peremptorily demanded their Debt and having joyned with a great many Refugies of King Christian's party and made John Earl of Hoya who had married King Gustave's Sister their Head did propose to themselves no less than the Conquest of the Northern Kingdoms having inticed some Citizens of Stockholm under pretext of making that City a free Hanse Town to lay violent hands on the King And after the death of Frederick King of Denmark when that Kingdom was divided into several Factions persuaded the Senate of Copenhagen and Malmoe to enter into the Confederacy of the Hanse Towns Being thus strengthened by a considerable party within that Kingdom they had great success against the Danes till these having declared Christian III. their King and being assisted with Mony Ships and Forces by King Gustave beat the Lubeckers near Heâ—sinburgh and afterwards in a Sea-Fight defeated their whole Fleet and carried a great many of their Ships into Denmark Soon after King Gustave to strengthen himself the better at Home married Margaret the Daughter of Abraham Erickson Governor of West Gothland which Alliance stood afterwards his Son Duke John in great stead against King Erick King Gustave having also conceived a jealousie against the Emperour Charles V. whom he suspected to be for making Palls Grave Frederick Son in Law of the imprisoned King Christian King over the Northern Kingdoms took a resolution to strengthen himself with the Alliance of France To put this design in execution he sent his Secretary into France who having first made a Treaty of Commerce betwixt these two Crowns did also afterwards conclude a defensive Alliance betwixt them Gustave having thus settled his Affairs called a Dyet to be held at Westeraas where the Estates of the Kingdom declared the Succession Hereditary for the future Constituting Erick Gustaveson who was then but eleven years old his Father's Successor At the same Dyet the Popish Religion was quite abolished and the Lutheran Religion Established in Sweden the King and the Estates having obliged themselves by a Solemn Oath to maintain the same with all their power In the year 1551. King Gustave after the death of his Queen Margaret married Catharine the Daughter of Gustave Olufson and ruled the Kingdom of Sweden with great Tranquility except that the Russians had faln into Livonia and Finland with whom having made a Peace and being now grown very old he by his Testament gave to John his second Son the Dukedom of Finland to the third Son Magnus the Dukedom of East Gothland and to Charles the youngest of all the Dukedom of Sudermanland Nericke and Wermeland which Countries they were to hold in Fief from the Crown But his eldest Son Erick who was â—o succeed him in the Kingdom having been persuaded by his Tutor Dionysius Burraeus a Frenchman to make his Addresses to Elizabeth Queen of