Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	pope_n	rome_n	4,587	5	6.8117	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56252	The history of popedom, containing the rise, progress, and decay thereof, &c. written in High Dutch by Samuel Puffendorff ; translated into English by J.C.	Pufendorf, Samuel, Freiherr von, 1632-1694.; Chamberlayne, John, 1666-1723.	1691 (1691)	Wing P4176; ESTC R5058	76,002	238

the effects thereof Luther appeals to a Council Par 27. Why Luther's Doctrine did not make greater advances a Schism among the Protestants the Protestants abuse the liberty of the Gospel of the Academy of Paris of Zwinglius and Calvin that Luther took a great many of the Romish Ceremonies that the riches of the Church have been one cause of the progress of Protestant Religion Par. 28. The Pope recovers from the fright which Luther had put him into that he now acts more cautiously than heretofore that Priests and Monks live more regularly at present of the reestablishing of Learning in the Church of Rome the ways of enticing Protestants to that Church that the House of Austria has mightily contributed to the Papal Grandeur Par. 29. Of the Temporal Dominions of the Pope of the Countries that are under his Jurisdiction of the Popes Militia of the Popes Interest in relation to Germany France and Spain that the Pope need not fear the Power of the other States in Italy Par. 30. Of the Popes Spiritual Dominions that the Pope has different Interests from those of other Princes the Foundation of the Papal Monarchy that the absolute Power of Popes can't be prov'd from Scripture nor from the example of the Apostles in General nor from that of St. Peter in particular how the Papists Answer these Objections Par. 31. Why the Sovereignty of the Roman Church could not well admit of any other Form than a Monarchical that there could not be invented a more regular Monarchy than that of the Popes why this Monarchy ought to be Elective why the Popes don't Marry of the Conclave why the Popes are generally Italians why they usually chuse an old Man for Pope why they don't chuse one of kin to the last Pope nor one that is too much devoted to the French or Spanish Interest of the Colledg of Cardinals of the Dignity of Cardinals of their Number of their Election that the Popes always endeavour to enrich their Kindred with the spoils of the Church of the Cardinal Patroon why the chief Ministers of the Pope are his Nephews Par. 32. Of the Celibacy of the Ecclesiastics of their great number the several sorts of Ecclesiastics Par. 33. That the Doctrine of the Church of Rome does very well square with the Popes Interests that it prohibits the reading the Holy Scriptures of Traditions of Venial and Mortal Sins of the Remission of Sins of Works of satisfaction of the merit of good Works of Works of Superrogation of Ceremonies and Feasts of forbidding the Cup of the Sacrament of Marriage of the forbidden Degrees of extreme Vnction of Purgatory of the Adoration of Relicks of the Invocations of Saints and of Canonisation other means that the Clergy uses to drain the Purses of ignorant People Par. 34. That Vniversities have been no small means of supporting the Papal Authority that the Professors were the Popes Creatures that the Philosophers were his Slaves of the Scholastic Divinity and Philosophy that the same Pedantry is yet in vogue Par. 35. Why Jesuits intrude themselves into the Government of Schools and Colleges the service they render thereby to the See of Rome that they have insinuated themselves into the Courts of Princes of the Censuring Books that the Romish Priests inspire their auditors with an ill opinion against Protestants of the false rumors they spread to their own advantage Par. 36. That the Excommunication of the Popes is not so terrible as it used to be Par. 37. The Reasons that oblige these People to stick to the Romish Religion that a great many of them do it for Interest others through ignorance why some of them are guilty of Atheism that there is Preferment in the Roman Church for all sort of People why the Princes of the Roman Religion do not abandon it Par. 38. Of those States whose Interest it is to maintain the Authority of the See of Rome of Italy of Poland of Portugal of Germany that Charles the Fifth neglected the occasion of making a Reformation in Germany what had probably happened if Charles had turned Protestant of Spain of France of the Formalities that the Nuncioes are oblig'd to observe in France a project of making a Patriarch in France that the Pope has an aversion for the French Monarchy of the principal support of the Popes of their conduct heretofore in respect of the Spaniards and also in respect of the French Par. 39. How the Popes stand dispos'd towards Protestants why they have favour'd them upon certain occasions Par. 40. If there are any hopes of an accommodation between the Pope and Protestants the Reasons of the Impossibility that such propositions are chimerical and dangerous of the strength of Protestants and Catholicks of the Protestant States Divisions between the Protestants other inconvenients of the Jealousie that reigns between the Protestant States of the Huguenots of France of Poland how strong the Protestants are in Germany if they are able alone to defend themselves without the aid of France and Swedeland that the security of the Protestant States does not depend on Treaties of the Sovereign States of the Protestant Religion of the means of maintaining the Protestant Religion whether the Lutherans and Reformed may be brought to any accommodation of the Socinians and Anabaptists THE HISTORY OF Popedom THE POPEDOM may be consider'd Two ways First As it's Doctrine which is singular and different from that of other Christians does fall in with the Holy Scripture and does either impede or promote the means of our Salvation the consideration thereof as 't is taken in this Sence we leave to the Divines And Secondly As the Pope does not only make a very considerable Figure amongst the rest of the Italian Princes but does also pretend to the Soveraignty of Christendom at least in all Spiritual Affairs and does in effect Exercise such a Supreme Authority over all the States of Europe that have the same Sentiments in Religion with him 'T is this second Consideration which particularly and immediately belongs to the Politicians since such a spiritual Soveraignty does not only bridle the Supreme Power of every State but is altogether absurd and inconsistent with the nature of such a Power Hence is it That Religion is so confounded and intangled with the politick Interests of Rome that he who will understand the latter must be perfectly inform'd of the Rise of that spiritual Monarchy and by what means it is Arriv'd to so prodigious a Growth and what Intrigues are used to preserve its usurped Greatness For thereby will likewise appear what relation it has with the Controversies so rife at present among the Western Christians and how far one may attribute those disagreeing Sentiments of Religion either to different Interpretations of the Scriptures or to the prospect of Temporal Interests After a strict Examination of which we will leave it to the Judgment of Wise and Impartial Men to determine whether there can be any hopes of a

the pretext of establishing the Affairs of the Church and setting them in good order to which end the Bishops began to Lord it over the ordinary Priests and to observe even a kind of Subordination amongst themselves and to such as were Bishops of the Capital Cities in each Province they appointed the Care and Inspection over the rest of the same Province and nam'd them Metropolitans who about Eight Ages afterward took upon themselves the Name and Title of Arch-Bishops amongst these there were four that had the preheminence above all the rest namely the Bishop of Rome Constantinople Antioch and Alexandria those being the most considerable Cities of the Roman Empire to which we may add Jerusalem Famous for its ancient Holiness And altho' the Emperor Phocas out of the hatred he bore to the Bishop of Constantinople who had refus'd to approve of the Murder of the Emperor Maurice had given the preheminence to Boniface the Third Bishop of Rome who thereupon took the Name of Oecumenical or Universal Bishop yet this Prerogative did only consist in a simple preference and did not carry along with it any Power or Jurisdiction which none of the other Patriarchs would ever yield to him And we read that the Bishops in Africa when he of Rome would have oblig'd them to truckle to his Power alledging to that intent a falsifi'd Canon of the Nicene Council did very vigorously resist and baffle that his design Besides in the whole frame of the Papal Supremacy we find nothing Divine but all built upon Humane Institutions and there is no more reason to be given why the Bishop of Rome has the first place than he of Antioch the third And forasmuch as one State has no power to prescribe Laws to another wholly independent of it therefore those privileges which have been granted to the Popes by the Roman Emperors and the ancient Councils which were nothing else but a Congregation of the Clergy of the Roman Empire cannot oblige any other State to obedience nor extend themselves farther than the bounds of the ancient Empire And if perhaps in succeeding times some few Christian States have given the Pope any Authority in Ecclesiastical Matters within their Dominions they did it without doubt either because they knew upon what grounds that pretended Power was founded or else they were surpriz'd and cheated into obedience If it be the first there is no other probable reason to be given for it than that it originally proceeding from some Covenant or Agreement made betwixt those States and the Bishops of Rome whilest the former imagin'd that their Churches could not be well govern'd till they abandoned the Care and Direction of 'em to the latter Now such an Agreement primarily depending on the free will and consent of any Republick according to the nature of all other obligations is ipso facto void and of no effect when it turns to the extream disadvantage of the Republick or when the Popes abuse that Power which is granted to them But if this Papal Supremacy be introduc'd dolo malo by the tricks and cheats of the knavish Priests then the abus'd and miss-led States as soon as they can discover how they have been impos'd on may lawfully cast off so unjust a yoke and have right to pursue the cheater and oblige him to refund all the Damages they have sustain'd by his usurpations Sect. 16. But it was not all at once that the Bishop of Rome was able to lay so heavy a yoke on all the Western Churches on the contrary he found himself oblig'd to insinuate this his usurp'd Authority by little and little and steal it insensibly by divers Slights and Artifices and where once he happen'd to fasten his Claws 't was impossible to make him lose his hold till he had carried away a good share of the prey Besides the Bishops of Rome never were wanting to serve themselves very advantageously of a good occasion of which the most advantageous to 'em in my opinion was the Emperours leaving Rome and chusing other Cities for their Residence whereas if they had always continued to have maintain'd their Authority in that place the Bishops thereof would have never had the confidence to have erected themselves into Soveraigns as we see that the Bishop of Constantinople who perhaps had no less vanity and itching after Gevernment than he of Rome was never able to raise his Authority to so high a flight The division of the Roman Empire into several new Kingdoms founded by the Heathen and unlearn'd People did no less contribute to the aggrandizing the Bishop of Rome for these People being all converted by the Prelates of the Romish Church thought themselves therefore very much oblig'd to honour and respect them and paid a deference to them as the most ancient and most considerable Christians of the West It is not our design here to deduce all circumstances at length 't is enough that we represent the most remarkable in haste as it were and en-passant but one thing we can't let slip unobserv'd that the Bishops beyond the Alps after the Fifth Century were us'd to go in Pilgrimage to Rome to visit there the Graves of St. Peter and St. Paul either out of Superstition and Biggottry or else in sign of their approving and following those Apostles Doctrine which voluntary piece of Devotion was afterwards chang'd into an act of necessity so that as many as afterwards neglected that Voyage were excommunicated from which Custom without doubt the Popes have pretended to oblige all Bishops to receive their Confirmation from Rome The other Bishops too and Churches had often recourse to that of Rome as Novices to their Superiours in all weighty Affairs consulting their advice in the use and explication of the Canons now when the Bishops of Rome perceiv'd that their answers were receiv'd as absolute Decisions they began to make Decrees and Orders before e'er they were desir'd to do it under the pretence that Rome being the first and chiefest Seat of Christendom it was the Right and Office of the Bishop thereof to see that the Canons and Ecclesiastical Laws were put in execution thereupon they constituted immediate Judges of the Differences amongst the other Bishops encroached upon the Jurisdiction of the Metropolitans depos'd the Bishops which were either not rightly Ordain'd or that were accused of any great Crime and forced them to come to Rome to plead their cause in person after which all such as desir'd to enjoy any prerogative or exemption from the ordinary Canons went to Rome where they were always well receiv'd and gratifi'd in their request that so the Popes might there erect a general Office of all sort of Dispensations Those also that had lost their Cause before the ordinary Magistrates were wont out of spite to appeal to Rome where they were always welcome and seldom fail'd of a good exit Thus the French Historians tell us that when the Emperor Honorius had erected the City of

Bible which God has equally given to all men and not as the Oracles of the Sybils committed only to the Care of the Priests and that all other men as well as the Ecclesiasticks can understand as much thereof as is necessary for Salvation it does not therefore in the least seem unreasonable that the Soveraign should preside in all such Conventions where they debate and dispute about the apparent Contradictions and different Interpretations of the Holy Scriptures where the Presence and Authority of the Prince might serve to moderate those Heats and Passions which usually arise from disagreeing Opinions in things of that nature where he might hinder all Calumnies and Reflections upon Persons spightful and malicious Interpretation of Words and finally awe them from pronouncing Anathema's without a very just reason against innocent and well meaning Persons But whilest the first Christian Emperors neglected this their right or could not conveniently maintain it from hence it came that things were very confusedly deliberated of and determined by Councils and that afterwards the Popes usurping a Power above all the other Western Bishops and Councils themselves pretended a right of determining in all Matters of Faith and of introducing Canons or Ecclesiastical Laws wherein their own Profit and Advantage was their chiefest prospect and have at last assum'd the Supreme Jurisdiction in all Spiritual Matters and thereby have withdrawn themselves from that obedience which they ow'd to their lawful Soveraigns the Roman Emperors Sect. 13. Besides It was the Custom in the ancient Churches that the Primitive Christians according to the Advice of St. Paul would very rarely plead their causes before the Gentile Tribunals but when any Controversy arose amongst them they referr'd it to the decision of the Bishop least the Heathens should be scandaliz'd thereat and take occasion to revile the Name of Christ Besides it would have a very ill grace to see them so greedily plead for temporal things which they pretended so much to slight and contemn Now this in it self and at that time was a very laudable and useful design but at last whilest the Christian Emperors far from abolishing this Custom confirm'd it more and more and the Tribunals were fill'd with Christian Judges the Bishops usurp'd a formal Jurisdiction which did not alone encroach upon the rights of the Civil Magistrates but did also distract the Bishops themselves from the exercise of that Charge which did peculiarly belong to them 'T was likewise the Custom of the Primitive Christians when in their Marriages any scruple arose concerning the Proximity or nearness of Blood to refer themselves to the Priest and acquiesce in his Sentiments who also in all quarrels between Man and Wife interpos'd his Authority to which we may add his Assisting always in the Celebration of Marriages with his Prayers and Blessings from all which Customs tho' as we said before naturally innocent and good in themselves very pernicious Errors and Abuses have been deriv'd since the Pope has from hence taken occasion to draw all Affairs of Matrimony which occur circa statum hominum Divortia nullitates Matrimoniorum Sucessiones Haereditates and all others of the like Importance into his Forum or Tribunal and to colour his abuses the better he has made a New Sacrament of Matrimony The Primitive Christians by the Innocence and Holiness of their Lives endeavour'd to stir up a desire in the Heathens of embracing so laudable a Religion and therefore they very severely punished those Calumnies and Slanders which the Civil Laws of the Gentiles did not reach so that in their Churches when any by a notorious ill Life had given Scandal and a bad Example to the Brethren there was some publick Ecclesiastical Pennance or other enjoin'd him which never exceeded a temporal or total Exclusion from the Congregation which Custom could not but be very profitable in the present Christian States provided that the Direction thereof resided wholly in the Soveraign's hands whose Duty it would be to prevent that such Ecclesiastical Censures be not the effects of malice private passions and self-interests especially when such Censures operate so effectually in foro vita civ li as in the Eighth Century when no man would converse with an excommunicated Person Now the Soveraign Exercise of such a Power can reasonably belong to none but the Supreme Magistrate in every State without making a division in the Government But how the Popes in following times have abus'd and how far they have extended these Censures is plainly enough laid open by all Historians when they neither spar'd Emperors Kings or Common-wealths that refus'd to Dance after their Pipes but in excommunicating them they forbid them to assist at Divine Service dispens'd their Subjects of their due Allegiance gave away their Kingdoms to others and finally oblig'd them to consent to the most disadvantageous and unreasonable things in the World In the mean while these Abuses have not spread themselves so wide in the Eastern Churches whilest the Emperours of Constantinople did at least keep up their Authority so far that the Clergy there durst never incroach upon it nor had any of the Eastern Bishops that opportunity of lifting himself above his Colleagues and assuming the Title of Head of the Church for the Bishop of Constantinople himself had only the first place and privilege of preceding all those that were not of his Diocess but had no Jurisdiction over them Sect. 14. But in the Western Churches the different circumstances of things altered quite the Scene whilest the Bishops of Rome had projected and begun to exercise a peculiar sort of Government and Supremacy and which at the last they have brought to its highest point and perfection A Soveraignty that in all the World cannot finds its parallel being built upon quite different Foundations and maintained by ways extreamly disagreeing from the policy of all other States Therefore after having made an exact enquiry into its rise and constitution we will lay open its Intrigues and describe the influences it has had the Power it has usurp'd and maintain'd for so many Ages in all the Affairs of Europe and with what zeal and fierceness this up start Soveraignty has been attacked by some and defended by others to which we will add the reasons of that cruel blow was given to it in the last Age and how it has recover'd its almost lost credit in this Age and is like to keep up it self in a very good posture From which the Wise may judge what hopes there remain of any accommodation or union of the Protestants with the Papists One of the Causes tho' something remote which has not a little contributed to the monstrous growth of a Power so pernicious to all the other Soveraigns of Europe was the Barbarity and Ignorance of Sciences after the decay of the Western Empire for counterfeit Wares are best sold and put off by dim weak Lights and an ignorant man is easier impos'd on with bagatelles and

Arles into a Metropolis over seven Provinces the Pope made the Arch-Bishop thereof his Vicar General in France out of fear that the said Bishop might take an occasion to make himself Patriarch of the whole Kingdom and he was very well contented to enjoy such a precarious Power over the seventeen Provinces into which France was at that time divided rather than have the right in himself and an independent Authority over seven Provinces alone And to render the charge committed to him more awful and respected he omitted no opportunity of enlarging and extending the Papal Jurisdiction Afterwards in the eighth Century when the Ecclesiasticks and Monks were become very infamous for their exorbitant and irregular Lives one Winefred an English Monk afterwards nam'd Boniface being mov'd with an extraordinary zeal took upon him to reform the manners of the Clergy as also the introduction and plantation of the Christian Religion in some parts of Germany and more especially in Turinge and Freezland this man to give a greater lustre and credit to his Work devoted himself entirely to the Seat of Rome from whence he first receiv'd a Bishop's Mantle and afterwards was qualifi'd with the Title of Arch-Bishop of Mentz and by Gregory the Third was constituted his Vicar who gave him a plenary Authority of assembling Councils and making Bishops in those Countries which he had converted with Recommendations to the People and to Charles Martel Great Master of France that they should take him under their protection which they did with a very good will And when Charlemain his Son signifi'd to Boniface that he was very desirous of establishing the Church-Discipline he readily took that employ upon him to the no small advantage of the Romish Chair to gratify the same Charlemain he held a Council in Germany and several Synods in France at the request of King Pepin and presided in all those Assemblies tanquam Legatus Sedis Romanae And in the first Council the Clergy sign'd a Confession of Faith whereby they oblig'd themselves not only to persist in the Catholick Faith but they join'd themselves as Members to the Church of Rome and vow'd an eternal respect and obedience to St. Peter's Successours 'T was this same Boniface too that perswaded the Bishops of Germany to accept of the Pallium from the Pope who afterwards sent the same into France to bind them thereby the faster to his Interests and so soon as he had once accustom'd them to serve themselves of that sort of Robe he afterwards made it a necessary obligation and forbad them the exercise of any Episcopal Function before they should receive that Garment from Rome The Popes likewise pretended That they only had the Power of removing a Bishop from one See to another and oblig'd all the Western Bishops to receive their Confirmation from them for which they must pay some little Gratification that was afterwards converted into the Annates Besides this they took away the Authority of the Provincial Synods and annull'd their Decrees which at last was the occasion that no more were call'd when they perceiv'd that it was all in vain whilest the Pope abrogated all their constitutions according to his fancy without hearing their Reasons and Justifications At last Gregory the Seventh forced all the Bishops to swear Allegiance and Fidelity to the Romish Chair and made a Decree that no Prince or Soveraign should presume to condemn any man that made his Appeal to the Pope They forgot not likewise to send their Nuncio's or Legates in all Countries who exercis'd in the Pope's Name that Power and Authority which they had ravished from the Arch-Bishops and Provincial Synods and were double diligent in the advancement of their Master's Interests Sect. 17. This Ecclesiastical Supremacy daily increasing was extreamly prejudicial to the Civil Powers whilest the Clergy by their tricks and devices attracted infinite Riches and by their Riches a great number of idle Priests and lazy Monks 'T is true the Church ow'd the greatest part of its Riches to the Charity and pious Intentions of Kings Princes and others who were wheedled into a belief That to bestow great Largises and Donations on the Church was a most pleasing and acceptable Sacrifice to God and this their liberality was afterwards much more promoted when the people were perswaded That by good Works amongst which the Donationes ad pias Causas held the first rank Heaven and Happiness were to be purchased And whereas the Avarice of the Clergy increasing with their Riches could not be satiated by the free and generous liberality of the people they practised all sort of inventions to squeeze Money out of 'em upon which account they instituted a great number of Fopperies and unnecessary Ceremonies for which the Laity must dearly pay 'T was this their cursed Avarice that was the occasion of Masses without number to be said and sung as well for the living as the dead of Purgatory Indulgences Dispensations Pilgrimages Jubilees and a thousand other Bagatelles Besides they took a special care to insinuate themselves into the good wills of dying persons who were so much the less sollicitous how they dispos'd of their temporal Goods the desire of which did oftentimes make their Heirs think them too long liv'd and ante diem Patrios inquirere in Annos And at last if all means fail'd they were not asham'd to fall to down-right begging Amongst other devices to get Money the Popes serv'd themselves very advantageously in the eleventh and twelfth Century of the Crusado when the People mov'd with a godly itch of reconquering the Holy Land let themselves be mark'd with a Holy Cross for the Popes challeng'd to themselves the management and oversight of such sort of Ghostly expeditions and receiv'd into their more peculiar protection the Goods and Persons of all those Zealots that took the Cross upon them so that they could not be proceeded against neither Civilly nor Criminally until their return from the Holy Land whereby they had an occasion of promoting the commerce of their Indulgences and Dispensations more than ever Their Legates had the administration of all the Alms Collections and Legacies which were given to that end and from hence they took a pretext of obliging all the Clergy to pay them Tenths nay they very imperiously forced Kings Princes and great Lords to take upon them the Crusado which Arms they afterwards turn'd against all such as they accus'd condemn'd for Schism and Heresy declaring their Goods confiscated and void of all lawful Possessors distributing and dividing them to such as had rendred them any considerable Service and this Authority they exercis'd without asking the leave of Princes and States under whose Civil Jurisdiction they were who werel likewise aw'd into so slavish an obedience that they durst not oppose themselves against these Investitures tho' they easily perceiv'd the injustice of ' em Sect. 18. The Riches of the Church increasing the number of the Ecclesiasticks was likewise