in duty ought first to bee performed by the Apostles and their successours let the holy Apostle or the Spirite of God by his mouth speake and determine Let euery soule saith he be subiect to the higher powers which himself in that place expounds to bee those seculare Kinges and Princes who beare the Sword and to whom tribute is due Now this precept was directed and giuen to the whole Church of Rome euen at that time also when Saint Peter by their Doctrine was Bishop of Rome and therefore the spirit of GOD commaunding euery Soule particularly in that Church to bee subiect to the secular powers and Princes without all doubt inioynes obedience and subiection euen to S. Peter himselfe and to all his successours yea much rather vnto them who were to be Ensamples to the rest both in word and in conuersation A truth so cleare that Claudius Espenseus one of their owne and a learned Bishoppe not onely confesseth thus much but confirmes it further out of Theodoret Theophilact Oecumenius and others specially out of Saint Chrysostome who expresly mentions the Apostles themselues to be included in that precept Etiam si Apostolus sis though you bee an Apostle though an Euangelist though a Prophet and which I thinke will reach to the Pope Etiam si quiuis alius fueris or what else soeuer you bee euery Soule must be subiect to those higher and secular powers Or if any notwithstanding this euidence of truth and such a Cloud of witnesses wil yet exempt either the Pope or any other from this duty it may most iustly be replyed vnto him with the wordes of Saint Barnard in his 42. Epist Si omnis anima et vestra If euery Soule bee subiect then must yours Who hath exempted you from this vniuersality Si quis tentat excipere conatur decipere If any goe about to exempt you he goeth about to deceiue tempt you And again do ye despice seculare powers Seculiarior nemo Pilato none was more secular then Pilot before whō Christ himselfe stood to be Iudged and of whom he confessed Potestatem super sefuisse caelitus ordinatam That Pilate had power ouer him and that giuen from God What in duty then ought to bee done for the whole time of the New Testament by this example of Christ and precept of Gods Spirit is most euident And as subiection is commaunded by God so was it practised and performed by the Apostles by the primitiue Bishops yea euen by the Popes themselues for many hundreths of years together For the first three hundreth yeares after Christ while Kings and Emperours were Paganes and Persequutors of the Church it is confessed both by Bellarmine and Carerius that for all that time the Apostles and Bishops of Rome were subiect tō Emperours as all other Christians were and this subiection was both De iure de facto both indeede performed and in right to be performed What And shall wee thinke which they without all shame would perswade that their conuersion to the faith was the ouerthrow and aeuersion of their temporall dominions And that the gaine of Christ was the losse of all their Crownes and Kingdomes Nor onely so but that of Soueraignes they became subiects euen to those who before while they were Paganes were de iure facto subiect vnto them I will not say what an effectuall dissuasion this might haue beene vnto them and others also neuer to haue embraced the Fayth What a motiue it may yet bee to turne Heathen and Paganes againe I will not enforce that true Maxime approoued both by Bellarmine and Carerius Lex Christiana neminem suo iure et dominio priuat Christianity depriues no man of his right nor of his dominion as is confessed in that Hymne of Se◅lius Non cripit mortalia qui regna dat caelestia O wicked King Herod why art thou affraid of Christ He giues an heauenly Kingdome he takes not away an earthly he perfects vs in that want he depriues vs not of that we had Consider of many but some few examples those euen of the Popes themselues who haue testified and recorded their subiection to Christian Emperors With what lowlinesse and humility did Pope Leo the first foure hundreth and odde yeares after Christ sue vnto the Emperor Theodosius the younger that he would call a generall counsell in Italy and yet preuailed not How submissiuely did hee againe entreate the like of Marcianus the Emperour I beseech our Lord Iesus Qui regni vestri est author rector Who is the Author and Ruler of your kingdome that ye would not suffer the ancient Faith Quasi dubiam retractari To be called into doubt and question againe Illudque potius iubeatis and that ye would rather commaund the decrees of the Nicene Counsell to be kept How religiouslie doth he professe his subiection and obedience to the same Emperour I haue willingly saith the Pope added my consent or sentence Quia omnibus modis obediendum est pietati vestrae religiosissimaeque voluntati Because by all means we must obey your sacred and religious will Pope Gregory the great is euen admirable in this point Who am I that speake to my Lord but Dust and Ashes said he to the Emperor Mauritius It well beseemes a religious Prince Vt ista sacerdotibus praeciperet to commaund Bishops in such matters And that particular was an Ecclesiasticall cause also betwixt Pope Gregory himselfe and Iohn Bishop of Constantinople in which the Pope confesseth that it well beseemed a Christian Prince to command not onely other Bishops but euen the Bishop of Rome himselfe And as it was fit for the Emperour to commaund so the same Pope iudged it his duty and fit for him to obey Vobis obedientiam praebere desidero I am desirous to yeald obedience vnto you I am subiect to your commaund Ego dominorum iussionibus obedientiam praebens I am obedient to the commaunds of my Lord and of the Emperour How often and vsually doth he giue the Emperour those Titles which are witnesses of his loyalty and subiection vnto him My Lord my gratious Lord my sacred Lord and the like And such were Popes sixe hundereth yeares after Christ at which time this Pope Gregory liued To these I wil adioyne but one more Leo the fourth who liued aboue eight hundreth yeares after Christ. Whose loyall subiection to two Emperors Lotharius and Lewes his Son their own Canon Law hath for euer recorded First to the Father Lotharius this Pope most solemnly promised that as much as in him lay he would for euer euery way be obedient to his and his predecessors Imperiall praecepts Afterwards when complaint was made to Lewes the sonne of some disorders in the Popes gouernment this Leo the fourth writ vnto him in this manner If we haue done ought amisse
and to doe homage and fealty for their Crownes and Kingdomes And to whom else thinke you but to the vtter enemie of God to that man of sinne and sonne of perdition who exalts himselfe indeed as the Apostle saith and whom they also haue exalted aboue all Exalting him first from a Christian Byshop to an Antichristian Pope and then from a Pope or Pastor to a Temporall King supreame Monarch of all whose Soueraignty must be ouer al Kings and people and his Dominion ouer all Lands goods and possessions in the whole world Euen of this man of sinne must all Kings hold their Crownes and Kingdomes and that in the most base seruile tenure that can be deuised holding theÌ„ as Tenants at will Ex Pontificis mero fauore gratia by the meere fauor good wil of the Pope as the vaine Triumpher affirmes of the Kingdome of France These to be their resolued positions you may cleerely perceiue by Franciscus Bozius who professedly sets down and vndertakes by the helpe of God and Saint Peter to proue thus much Supremam iurisdictioneÌ„ temporalem esse penes Petri. successores ita vt idem sit Hierarcha et Monarcha in omnibus that the supreame temporall iurisdiction belongs to the Pope so that hee is both an Hierarch and a Monarch in all things affirming againe his Arguments to shew that to the Pope belonges indeede the Supreame temporall Monarchy for which he entitles his Booke De Temporali Ecclesiae Monarchio By Rodulphus Cupers who saith that the Pope is deseruedly esteemed and is indeed Rex regum Dominus Dominantium the King of Kings and Lord of Lordes and that the direct Dominion of the Empire belongs to God and consequently to the Pope as being Gods Vicar who permits as he saith the power of the sworde Cui libeat to whom hee listeth By Aug. Steuchus who not onely challengeth Soueraignty and Dominion in many Kingdomes as in right belonging to the Pope particularly of Spaine Arragon Portugall England France Italy Denmarke Hungaria Croatia Dalmatia Russia Bohemia Suâ—…tia Norwegia and in a word of all the Westerne Kingdomes and Countries but as if all this were too small a Patrimony for the Pope he addes that this as he cals it most ancient and almost Omnipotent power is extended ouer all Kinges and Kingdomes and that the Pope rules the whole worlde and holdes the raignes of al kingdoms suffring other Kings and Emperors to raigne Modo Dominam ac reginam agnoscant fateantur but with this condition that they acknowledge and confesse an higher power or Soueraignty to bee in the Pope By the Romish Thâ—…asonicall Triumpher before mentioned who bragges that all Kingdomes in the world are beholden to the Pope because all do or ought to sweare to defend his Sea And to omit others you may see this most largely in Alexander Carerius the late controuler of Cardinall Bellarmine in the second of those his Bookes De Potestate Romani pontificis intituled by him against impious Polliticians and Haeretickes of this time but of purpose and at large refuting and that not without scorne their owne great Cardinall his position and Reasons Carerius there tels vs that as God so the Pope may be called a Temporall Lord and Monarch of the world that the Pope as Pope is such a Prince in whom is the top of Temporall Authority and therefore that as Pope hee may make ciuill lawes and may chaunge and correct thy Imperiall lawes Further out of Saucius one of their Byshops he affirmes that this is cum recta side tenendum to be held as an Article of the right faith Principaâ—…um Romani pontificis esse verum vnicum immediatum principatum totius orbis nedum quoad spiritualia sed quoad temporalia that the kingdome of the Pope is the true and the onely immediate principality or kingdome of the whole world that not onely in Spirituall but in Temporall causes In regard whereof he somewhat pleasantly cals the Pope Orbis viruÌ„ the husband or good man of the world which you may well thinke is indeed a fit wife for his holinesse As for Kings and Emperors they teach that their Authority is but Ministerial deriued from the Pope and dependant of him as the light of the starres depends of the Sun or as the body depends of the soule which receiues being vertue and all operation from it and out of Saucius he affirmes it to be Adiussum principâ—…tus Papalis nobileÌ„ reuocabilem corrigilem et punibilem the Kingly and Imperiall authority to be at the Popes pleasure and command moueable reuocable corrigible punishable they further to this purpose teach that Kings Emperors are but the Popes Ministers the Popes Commissioners or Deputies yea the Popes men or vassals swearing fealty to him as the Pope himselfe hath defined receiuing Crownes and holding their kingdomes from him and by his donation and being to vse their Temporall sword and Authority Ad nutum Pontificis at the Popes pleasure and sufferance as not onely Bozius but Pope Boniface the eight before him affirmeth In a word that other powers and Authorities à prima summi pontificis regiâ potestate pendent doe depend of that first Kingly Authoritie of the Popes But tell vs I pray you Is the Pope Lord onely ouer the persons or is he not Lord also of the goodes and posessions in the whole world Yes the Pope he is Lord of al. As the Dominion of the whole world was in Christ Ita in Papa idem esse fatendnm est so must it be confessed that the same Dominion is in the Pope saith Carerius And againe seeing the earth is the Lords all that is therein Et per consequens Papae sui vicaâ—…ij by consequent also this belongs vnto the Popes who is Gods Vicar and so the earth is the Popes and all that is therein The same teacheth Bozius seeing in Christ according to his humain nature by the Doctrine of Saint Thomas there was an absolute power of all things Erit itaque Pontifex omnium regionum iure potestate Dominus seu mauis dicere totius orbis therefore the Pope shall be the Lord both in right and in power of all Countries or if ye will rather say so of the whole world Whereupon it followeth that neither Constantine nor any other did neither can any man possible giue ought vnto the Pope for all is his owne already but they may restore vnto him what they vniustly do withhold and so did Constantine the great From this Soueraignty of Dominion and as the Triumpher truly cals it vnlimited power for so it is indeed by his description thereof as extending it selfe aboue the heauens and as low againe
towardes those that are vnder vs Vestro admissorum nostrorum cuncta volumus emendare iudicio Wee will amend all our faults not by your aduice or admonitiō but Vestro iudicio by your Iudgement beseeching the clemency of your highnes to send such as may narrowly sift all thinges and that not onely these but all matters Siue minora siue etiam maiora both greater and smaller that all may be iudged and ended by them Thus were Popes in all matters greater and smaller yea euen in Ecclesiastical causes as by these you doe perceiue how much more in ciuill subiect to the Emperors as to their Lords to their Iudges to their Soueraignes almost for nine hundreth yeares after Christ. As yet was not knowne this new found Monarchy and Soueraignety ouer all Kings and Kingdomes as yet had neuer bin seen his authority in deposing Kings and disposing their Kingdomes and Empires Nor long after this vntill about two hundereth yeares after Leo the fourth Pope Hildebrand the very fire-brand of Christendome though they haue Sainted him in their Calendare first of all tooke vppon him to put in practise that transcendent and most extrauagant authority deposing the Emperour Henry the 4. and giuing his Empire to Duke Rodulph Of which act of his Otho Frisingensis a worthy Historian near to those times thus writeth Lego et relego I read and read ouer againe the acts of the Romain Kings and Emperours and I no where finde any of them to haue been excommunicated or depriued of his kingdome by the Pope before this Henry This was the first time and that was more then a thousand yeares after Christ when the Popes Buls began to push at Kings and Kingdomes But with such vnhappy successe both to the giuer and receiuer as might iustly haue affrayed all others eyther to giue or take the like againe Hildebrand the vniust Doner of the Empire by a general consent being put from the Popedome died in banishment at Sal◅ in Normandie and at his death as Sigebert relateth confessed to God and the whole Church that hee had grieuously offended in his pastorall Office Et suadente diabolo contra human◅m genus odium et iram con◅ asset and that by the perswasion of the deuill he had stirred vp strife and hatred against mankind and withall sent his confessor to the Church to the Emperor vt optaret ei iudulge◅iā to aske forgiuenesse in his behalfe This was the end of the Pope Hildebrand In quē clamat sanguis Ecclesiae against whom saith Cardinal Benno the bloud of the church crieth vnto God for vengeance Rodulph the vniust receiuer of the Empire some three yeares after he had got the same in a battel against the deposed Emperor had his right hand cut off at his death gaue a memorable warning reported in Abbas Vespergensis to all violators of theyr oaths and alleigiance and to all vsurpers of Kingdomes vpon any such Title for being in Extremts at the point of death looking vpon the stump of his maimed arme and fetching a deepe sigh This quoth he is the hand wherewith I sware alleigiance to my Lord the Emperor Henry and behold I now leaue both his kingdome and with it my owne life Thus you see how Sathan who as the Apostle foretold Apoc. 20. 2. was chained bound for a thousand yeares as soone as he got loose at the end of those years began shortly after in Pope Hildebrand to bestirre himselfe and prepare a way for this papall Monarchy And indeede he onely made way vnto it laying as it were the foundation thereof though I confesse he layed that low enough euen as low as is the pit of Hell But for the stately building of his Monarchy it was not erected diuers hundereths of yeares after Hildebrand In the daies of Pope Eugenu◅s the thirde almost an hundreth years after Hildebrand when some were exceeding busie in this building Saint Barnard with great courage and constancy opposed himselfe vnto them and oppugned this papall Monarchy Disce sarculo tibi opus esse non sceptro said he to Pope Eugenius A Shepheards staffe is fit for you not a Kinges Scepter S. Peter could not giue you Dominion or Soueraignety hee had it not Quod habuit hoc dedit That which he had he gaue you sollicitude and care ouer the Church not Dominion Nay this is the very forme and order of the Apostle Dominatio interdicitur indicitur ministratio Domination and Soueraignety is forbidden ministration and seruice is inioyned And again Dispensation is committed vnto you not the possession of the world Si pergis vsurpare hanc contradicit tibi qui dicit Meus est orbis If you go forward to vsurp or claime this dominion of the world God himselfe wil controule you The earth is mine and al that is therein Thus and much more to this ende writ Saint Barnard in those daies aboue eleauen hundreth yeares after Christ. In the dayes of Lewes the 4. Duke of Bauare the Emperour who liued almost three hundred yeares after Hildebrand it was adiudged high Treason by the Imperiall Lawes as before I declared and little lesse in this our Kingdome in the daies of King Richard the second either to affirme or to assent to others affirming either of these imperiall kingdomes to bee helde of the Pope which were then declared to be immediately held of God and of none other which part of those imperiall Lawes beeing in truth most sacred and diuine when by whom by what i◅st authority it was euer repealed or adnulled wil be very hard I suppose to declare and this was about foureteene hundreth years after Christ. Let me now discend but one step lower euen to our owne times and to these daies wherein though the workmen and maister builders of Babylon incessantly labour night and day to raze this Papall Monarchy like the Tower of Babylon that the top thereof may reach vnto Heauen yet to this day is it not erected God by his vnsearchable wisedome and goodnesse so infatuates and confounds the builders thereof as he did of old that what some of them by their craft and great cunning erect and set vppe others of their owne sect with might and maine doe pull downe the same diuers of their chiefe men among whom is Cardinall Bellarmine with many euident demonstrations confirming that the Pope is neither the Lord of the whole world neither so much as Lord of the Christian world yea further directe or iure diuino non habere vllam temporalem iurisdictionē that directly or by the Law of God the Pope hath no temporall iurisdiction of any place in the world So that notwithstanding the common iudgment of their greatest Diuines the cōsent of their Canonists the sentence of their holy Mother the Church the decrees and determinations of the Popes in which Bozius and Carerius