Augustine thus resolves Sicut terreni Imperatoris auctoritas currit per omnes ut in omnibus ejus sit reverentia Ita Deus instituit ut ab ipso Rege Dei auctoritas incipint et currat per cunctos Quamvis frequenter mundus hoc non intelligit alii se subjiciat in potestate positus quam debet tamen institutio est ut unus sit qui timeatur Ubi ergo haec institutio non est ibi Cathedra pestilentiae reperitur as it is at Rome Nusquam enim unius Dei auctoritas abjicitur nisi apud eos qui multorum Deorum praedicant metum From hence our Thomas Waldensis thus concludes Ecce ab ipso Rege incipit auctoritas currit per cunctos executores justitiae hoc instituit Deus non ergo instituit Deus ut inciperet à Summo Sacerdote sola executio potestatis manaret in Principem Ecce inde est Imperator unde homo antequam Imperator unde homo antequam Imperator nisi à Deo Quamvis a Deo per Sacerdote Christianus homo tamen nec homo nec Christianus homo nisi a Deo Ita nec Imperator nec Christianus Imperator nisi a Deo quamvis per Pontificem fidelis sit Imperator a Christo et inde potestas illi unde et spiritus et nunquid spiritus illi a Pontifice Tertullianus intendi Quod non sed a Deo profecto ergo non potestas illi a Sacerdotio provenit a cujus dono animam non accepit Potestatis Regiae primum initium in ipso Rege a Deo et ab ipsius auctoritate manat in subditas potestates as well Ecclesiastical as Civil as I shall here demonstrate against all Papal or Pontifical pretences to the contrary For methods sake I shall digest the sum of my First Book into these 5. Propositions 1. That from Adams creation till the Law given by God to Moses and by him unto the Israelites his peculiar people the Supreme Paternal Regal Magistratical with that now stiled Spiritual Pontifical Ecclesiastical Authority or Jurisdiction both in and over the Family State Church Militant was by Divine and Natural Right vested united in one person not many to wit First in Adam himself but after his decease in the First-born unlesse disinherited by God for sin or in the Patriarch or Master of the Family Tribe who was both King and Priest having the Priesthood annexed to his Paternal or Regal Office not these to his Priestship 2ly That God after the Israelites deliverance from the Aegyptian bondage when he first new-modelled them into a Commonwealth and afterwards into a Kingdom setled both their State and Church-government dividing the Priesthood from the Supreme Civil Magistracy Kingship vesting the one in Moses Josuah David Solomon and their Royal Successors the other in Aaron his Sons and Tribe of Levi left the Soveraign Ecclesiastical Power Jurisdiction over all persons causes still annexed to the Kingly or Supreme Magistratical Office and residing in the King or chief Civil Officer as before transferring to Priests only the Ministerial Priestly Offices not the Soveraign Spiritual Jurisdiction the same in kind with a real part of and various dispensation only from the Civil Supremacy 3ly That the Supreme Government of the Church Militant after Christs Incarnation under the Gospel was vested in Jesus Christ himself God and Man only as he is the King not Priest or Prophet of the Church his Priestly and Prophetical Offices being united to his Kingly as the first highest in dignity and order not his Regal to his Pontifical or Prophetical Offices 4ly That Jesus Christ as Supreme King Lord Head of his Kingdom the Church whilst on Earth never claimed nor exercised any Temporal Regal Jurisdiction or Magistratical Authority over any of his Subjects much less over Emperors Kings Kingdoms Nations or Soveraign Civil Powers nor ever deprived any of them of their Crowns nor absolved their Subjects from their Allegiance nor cast down pulled or rooted up their Kingdoms nor gave them to whomsoever he pleased Neither did he either before at or after his Passion Resurrection or Ascension derive any such Superlative Power to St. Peter as his sole universal Vicar or Viceroy nor to any other Apostle Bishop Priest or Pope whatsoever Nor yet delegate to them his supreme Spiritual Jurisdiction over his Kingdom in this world the Church Militant and all the Members of it but only the Ministerial part of his Prophetical Office his High Priesthood being personal untransferrable incommunicable to any other to wit preaching the Gospel publickly to all Nations administring the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper according to his Institution and Command feeding his sheep with the sincere milk of his Word teaching them as his Apostles Ministers Servants to obey whatsoever he hath commanded them beseeching intreating them as his Ambassadors in his stead to be reconciled unto God to declare pronounce them absolved from their sins by God himself upon their sincere Repentance and to denounce damnation against them in case they do not repent and believe in Christ 5ly That Gods principal end and intention in ordaining Kings and supreme Civil Magistrates in the world was not the bare external administration of Justice between man and man the protection of their Subjects from violence oppression the preservation of them in worldly peace plenty prosperity the punishment of Malefactors the rewarding of Well-doers encouragement of Arts Vertue Trade Industry or fighting their Battels in times of War against Invading Enemies though considerable parts of their Regal Office and Soveraign Authority But the advancement of Gods honour worship service glory and spiritual Kingdom whose Viceroys they are the suppression of all Idolatry Blasphemy Heresie schisme sin wickednesse the promotion of the eternal salvation felicity of their people and to be Kings for the Lord their God by advancing his interest all they can Upon which ground in order to effect these ends God himself as well under the Gospel as Law hath delegated the supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction only to Kings and other Soveraign Temporal Potentates not to Popes Bishops Priests who are subordinate to them as their Subjects Ministers not Copartners with them in their Soveraign Ecclesiastical Authority in point of Interest nor yet in its actual execution no further then they are pleased by their Laws or Commissions to delegate it to them as their Substitutes When I have Chronologically evidenced and fully demonstrated the truth of these five Conclusions in so many distinct Chapters in this First Book I shall then wholly addresse my self to my intended Chronological History in relation to the Kings and Crown of England from Lucius our first Christian King Anno Dom. 183. till the Popes extirpation concluding my First Tome thereof with the reign of King Henry the third Anno 1273. THE FIRST BOOK CHAP. I. Proposition 1. That from Adams Creation till the Law given by God to Moses and by
him unto the Israelites his peculiar people the Supreme Paternal Regal Magistratical together with that now stiled Spiritual Pontifical Ecclesiastical Authority or Jurisdiction both in and over the Family State Church Militant was by Divine and Natural Right vested united in one person not divers to wit First in Adam himself but after his decease in the First-born unlesse disinherited by God for some crime or cause or in the Patriarch or Master of the Family Tribe who was both King and Priest having the Priesthood annexed to his Paternal or Regal Office not these to his Priestship _â—O evidence the truth of this Proposition so far as the light of Scripture or Nature in the first remote obscure age of the world have revealed it for the Readers satisfaction I find it generally acknowledged by all or most Divines and Christian Authors who have written of the Church or the Original of Republikes Jurisdictions or Chronologies 1. That as God the Original of all power at the very Creation gave Adam a Soveraign Dominion over the fish of the sea over the foul of the ayr and over all the earth the cattle and every creeping thing therin to which he gave their several names as a badge of his Soveraignty over them by Gods own direction So he likewise ordained him as well after as before his fall to be both a King and Priest over the little world his family posterity issuing from him during his life not only to govern correct them when they transgressed but to offer sacrifices prayers to God for and instruct them in his Worship Laws fear Hence Cedren makes Adam the first KING Governor and that with reason enough as Mr. Selden notes because he governed and commanded all mankind as long as he lived who by the Law of Nature and Fifth Commandement are enjoyned To honor and obey their Father in the flesh and he not only obliged to provide for protect defend and correct as a Father but likewise to * instruct and educate them in the fear and admonition of the Lord as a Priest Now Adam being a King and Lord not only over all Creatures but Eve his wife before he was a Father and over his Posterity by his Paternal right before they were capable of instruction And the Title of King being alwaies prefixed before that of Priest as most honourable and first in order when ever mentioned and meeting together in one person as in Melchisedec Christ Others who were both Kings and Priests and the High Priests alwayes inferiour subordinate to the Chief Civil Governors and Kings of Judah and in Heathen Nations It thence most clearly follows that the Priesthood and Spiritual Jurisdiction in Adam was at first united and subordinate to his Kingly Soveraign Magistratical Office and Authority and so continued whiles residing in one person from the Creation till the Law given in mount Sinâ—i 2ly That Cain Adams first-born having forfeited his birthright and life too by the murther of his Brother Abel and thereby Seth becomming his first-born when Adam deceased his Kingship and Priesthood descended first to Seth and after him successively to the Patriarchs who were not only the Princes and Chief Governers of their Families Tribes to rule protect and correct them when they offended but likewise their Priests to erect Altars and Houses to God for his publique worship to offer Sacrifices prayers vows to God for them to blesse them in his Name to teach them his Lawes Fear and the Covenants made by God to them and their seed and commanded them to put away their strange gods and idols as Jacob did All which is evident by the examples of Noah Gen. 8. 20 21. c. 9. 25 26 27. Abraham Gen. 12. 7. c. 13. 4 18. c. 17. 1 2 8 c. 23 to 27. c. 18. 19 23 c. c. 20. 7. 17. c. 21. 23. c. 22. c. Melchisedec both King of Salem and Priest of the most High God Gen. 14. 18 19. Heb. 7. 1. Isaac Gen. 26. 23 24 25. â— 27. 21 28 to 41. of Jacob Gen. 28. 8. to the end c. 31. 54. c. 32. 9 to 13. c. 33. 20. c. 35. 1. to 16. c. 43. 14. c. 46. 1. c. 47. 7. 10. c. 48. 3. to the end c. 49. 1. to 33. Heb. 11. 21. and affirmed by St. Jerom the Ordinary Glosse with most other Commentators on these Texts Alexander Alensis and other Schoolmen Bishop Jewel Dr. Field Jacobus Bouldoc De Ecclesia a Mundi principio usque ad Mosen Salianus in his Annales Ecclesiasticae and other Annalists in the times before the Law 3ly Upon this account after the Law given and Priesthood vested in Aaron and the Tribe of Levi the firstborn though they lost this priviledge of exercising the Priests Office as before yet they were still the Lords to redeem themselves with an oblation of five shekels by the poll for their exemption from the Priesthood because God had taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel which redemption was given to Aaron and his Sonnes who officiated in their steads 4ly That upon this original right priviledge of Primogeniture Christ himself as Gods firstborn was not only made Higher then the Kings of the Earth King of Kings Lord of Lords but likewise Head over all the Church that in all things he might have the Preeminence And had like the First-born before the Law the Supream Priestly Office and Power united to his Kingly Yea in some sence Christ hath fully restored this antient Right to all who are spiritually Gods First-born and the First-fruits of his Creatures as the Gospel stileth them having the First-fruits of the Spirit growing in them whom he hath MADE KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTO GOD HIS FATHER as the Marginal Texts resolve 5ly That the very Gentiles and Pagan Nations by the Law and Light of Nature vested the Supream Ecclesiastical Authority and oft times the Priesthood it self in their Kings and chief Temporal Magistrates who erected consecrated Temples Altars Groves constituted by their particular Lawes the several Orders Offices of Priests the Number Worship Services of their Gods and the Sacrifices Ceremonies and whole manner of their Worship To instance in some particulars Fanus the antientest of the Kings in Italy was the first who brought in thither the form of Religion He cousecrated Groves erected Temples from whom they were called Fana ordained Priests and Sacrifices Evander his next Successor introduced many other Ceremonies in the Worship of the Gods Anius as Virgil relates was at once REX IDEM HOMINUM PHAEBIQUE SACERDOS After Rome was built Romulus the first King thereof and Numa Pompilius who succeeded him made several Lawes concerning the whole Worship Service Holy-dayes Ceremonies of their Gods instituted their distinct Orders of Priests as highest Priest
High Priest during Moses his absence in the Mount had at the peoples request made erected a golden calf who committed idolatry with it Moses calls him to a strict account for it to whom he made an excuse with this memorable preface Let not the anger of MY LORD wax hot which stile he likewise gave him Nu. 12 11. Yea Moses not he Pronounced the Judgment and punishment upon the people for this Sin of Idolatry as likewise on him that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day the manner of whose punishment he inquired not Aaron and received from God 9ly When the Tables of stone formerly broken were renewed redelivered by God to the people it was alwayes done even after Aarons consecration by the hand mouth ministry of Moses who with his own mouth alwayes spake and delivered Gods Laws Messages to all the Congregation Elders people during all his Government and gave them a special charge of things future and a blessing at his death 10thly God made choice of Moses a Lay-man and Civil Magistrate to be the firâ—â— pâ—â—man and Register of all his sacred Laws and first Five Books of holy Scripture not Aaron or any other Priest And to shew that Kings and Temporal Magistrates were the principal keepers of both Tables God particularly enjoyned when the Israelites came into the Land of Canaan and had set a King over them that the King when he sate upon the Throne of his Kingdom shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites that it may be well with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to â—o them That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he turn not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that he may prolong his dayes in his kingdom he and his children in the midst of Israel All which particulars laid together relating to and acted by the very first Supream Civil Magistrat that God himself set up over his own peculiar people Church when he first instituted modelled both their Magistrates and Priests with their distinct Offices and powers will infallibly clear the Superiour Jurisdiction of the Supream Civil Magistrate in and over all Ecclesiastical persons and causes by Gods own institution and that the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction is united to the Temporal The reason why God reserved the Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to Moses the Chief Civil Magistrate and afterwards to Kings when he transferred the Priesthood to Aaron and his Sons and severed it from the Kingship was because it would be inconsistent with Monarchie and the Peace Unitie of the Republike Kingdom Church to erect two distinct Supream Powers independent on unsubordinate to each other in one and the same Body Politick Nation Kingdom united under one Supream Civil Head and a Cause of perpetual Wars Schismes Contentions between these different powers by reason of mens Natural ambition and desire to enlarge their Juriisdictions to the prejudice of each other This we find experimentally verified in the Israelites themselves immediatly upon their division into two independent kings kingdoms of equal power unsubordinate to each other which produced not only perpetual Warres between them all their dayes in their Realms as sacred Story oft records but a more sad division in their Religion Worship Church Jeroboam erecting two Calves and a new idolatrous worship with suitable Priests to promote it and a new place of worship contrary to that prescribed by God himself to keep his Subjects from Gods true worship at Jerusalem and returning to their allegiance and obedience to their rightfull Kings of the seed of David which all his Successors persevered in till their final captivity and utter desolation for their idolatry And it is infallibly evidenced by the manifold sad Divisions Schismes Wars Rebellions in most Christian Empires kingdoms ever since the ambitious Popes of Rome and other Prelates have claimed by a pretended divine independent right and usurped to themselves the Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over all Persons Causes inseparably united by God himself to the Crowns of Christian Emperonrs and Kings As God therefore out of his infinit Wisdom at the very Creation constituted but one natural head over every natural body of Men Beasts Fowls Fishes and creeping living creatures though they consisted of two different substances Soul and Body not two distinct heads the one corporal the other spiritual to govern each body because two Supream headâ— would have destroyed the unity harmony operations of these Creatures in their respective orbes and made a Schisme in their bodies So he at first united the Supream Spiritual and Temporal Jurisdiction over Men at the Creation in one person Adam the first sole Monarch of the World And afterwards when his Church and people multiplyed into such a vast dispersed multitude that one person could not possibly execute or discharge the Kingly and Priestly Offices as at first he conveniently might did whiles all united in one Tribe and Family so that there was an absolute necessity to divide them into several Hands Tribes God did even then reserve the Supream Ecclesiastical Government and Jurisdiction as absolutely necessary for inseparable from the Supream Civil Head and Governor of his people to prevent Schismes Confusions and preserve Unity Tranquillity both in Church and State not transferr it from Moses to Aaron the Church with all its Officers Members being included in branches of the Kingdom Republike not divided from it as a distinct independent spiritual corporation Therefore still to remain under the sole Government and protection of the Supream Politick Head This is most clearly and significantly expressed by Ezechiels uniting the two divided sticks into one rod in one hand typifying the uniting of the two divided Kingdomes of Israel and Iudah into one Kingdom Church PEOPLE under one King and Shepheard Jesus Christ and making them all but ONE in their Government and true Worship of God according to his Statutes Hence it is most apparent that the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers Authorities or Jurisdictions are not thus denominated because they are vested in different persons hands or flow from various fountains or distinct in their natures as the Pontificians and others generally assert and mistake but meerly because they are exercised upon or about different things or objects the persons wherein they originally and supreamly reside and from whence they flow and the very Powers Authorities Jurisdictions themselves in their nature being but one and the same only the objects matters in upon or about which they are exercised various and distinct from whence they have these different Epithites To evidence this truth past all contradiction being the surest Oracle to resolve all future Controversies concerning these Jurisdictions yea keenest axe
came to Samuel complaining against them and peremptorily desired him o TO MAKE THEM A KING OVER THEM to judge them like all the Nations not a Priest being so weary of Priests supreme Government that they would never permit him nor his sons to judge and govern them any longer and were never satisfied till they had a King which he made them by Gods direct on and Election much against his own will 5ly All the Priestly Offices and Jurisdiction he used towards them and Saul was but to pray without ceasing for them giving them good instructions and reprehending them for their sins telling them But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both you and your King his declaring Saul King by Gods election and the people 's doubled peremptory demand of a King and approbation of Saul when presented to them and his anointing David when a privat person with oyl King after Sauls rejection by God they were only Acts of Ministry not of Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in the High Priest above the King as I shall prove in its due place more largely in the cloze of this Chapter 4ly When God setled the Kingdom of Israel upon David and his posterity in performance of his promises to Abraham Sarah and Iacob that KINGS should come out of their loynes he translated the Supream Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Jurisdiction to them which they enjoyed exercised by Gods approbation not the high Priest Priests or Levites as the Scripture Annals attest 1. Davia a man after Gods own heart which fulfilled all his will not long after he was anointed King over Israel and Iudah assembled all the whole Congregation Priests Levites of Israel and went and removed the Ark of God from Gibeah with great triumph joy and shouting to the House of Obed-Edom and afterwards into the place tabernacle in the City of David which David had there chosen pitched for it and offered there burnt-offerings peace-offerings before the Lord and he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 2ly At the second removal of the Ark he assembled not only the Elders but the chief Priest and Levites informing them of their error in carrying the Ark in a cart at its first removal contrary to Moses command for which God made a breach upon them and that None ought to carry the Ark of the Lord but the Levites for them had the Lord chosen to carry the Ark of God and to minister unto him for ever For violating which precept Uzza was smitten to death before the Lord Hereupon David commanded the Priests and Levites to sanctify themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel upon their shoulders as Moses commanded and to appoint Singers with instruments of musick and lifting up their voices to sing before it when they removed it to the City of David which command they punctually obeyed 3ly He appointed ordained certain of the Priests and Levits to minister by turns before the Ark of the Lord and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel continually prescribing them what instruments of musick they should use what Psalms and Praises they should sing most or all of them compiled by himself what burnt-offerings they should offer upon the altar of the Lord morning and eveing continually according to the Law of the Lord and to minister before the Ark continually as every dayes work required And appointed others of the Priests and Levites to minister continually in like manner before the Tabernacle of the Lord that was in the high place at Gibeon 4ly He purposed contrived propounded to Nathan and ordained the building of a standing House and Temple instead of a moving Tabernacle and Tent for the Ark and worship of God and intended himself to build it had not God inhibited him because he was a man of Warre and had shed much blood and appointed Solomon his Son and successor to build it he provided all sorts of materials for the building and exhorted all the Princes and Elders of the people to a liberal contribution towards it 5ly The Angel of the Lord commanded David to go and set up an Altar to the Lord in the threshing-floor of Ornan who accordingly went up at the saying of the Lord and build there an Altar and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings and called upon the Lord who answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering 6ly When he was old and had made Solomon King he gathered together all the Princes Priests and Levites and when he had numbred the Priests and Levites he appointed them their several Courses Services Offices Duties they should perform before the Lord from time to time as well before as after the Temple was built all which he set down in writing 7ly He as Moses assembled all the Princes of Israel and before all the Congregation in the audience of God gave Solomon them charge to serve and fear God and build the Temple Which done he gave to Solomon the pattern of the Temple and of the Houses thereof and of the Treasures thereof and of the upper chambers thereof and of the inner parlours thereof and of the Mercy-seat and the pattern of all that he had BY THE SPIRIT of the courts of the House of the Lord and of all the chambers round about of the Treasuries of the house of God and of the dedicated things AND FOR THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES and for all the work of the Service of the House of the Lord and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord. And David said unto Solomon Be strong and of a good courage and do it fear not nor be dismayed for the Lord God even my God will be with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee untill thou hast finished all the work for the service of the House of the Lord And BEHOLD THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES FOR ALL THE SERVICE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD and there shall be with thee for all manner of wâ—rkmanship every willing skilfull man for any manner of service and ALL THE PEOPLE WILL BE WHOLLY AT THY COMMAND 7ly David as King not the Priests compiled all or most of the Psalms and Prayers afterwards sung or used in the Temple recorded in the Books of Samuel the Chronicles and compiled together her in the Book of Psalms continually read sung used not only in the Temple and elsewhere by the Jewish but in all Christian Churches generally and more frequently read sung commented upon then any other Book of Canonical Scripture By all which memorable particulars and command to the Priests to annoint Solomon King it is most evident that the whole Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over persons causes things relating to Gods Worship remained intirely in David as King and no part of it in the Priests 5ly King Solomon his Sonne succeeding David
all their tithes offerings first-fruits for the maintenance of Gods worship Priests and Levites whom he set in their courses and respective offices as is recorded at large in Neh. cap. 5. to the end of the Book penned by himself as is conceived though a Layman and no Priest 5ly Mordecai the Jew who was next to King Ahashuerus and Esther the Queen by this Kings consent instituted and by their own Decrees confirmed the dayes and feast of Purim wherein God gave them rest and deliverance from their Enemies to be dayes of feasting and gladnesse and of sending portions to one another and gifts to the poor and that these dayes should be remembred and kept through every generation every family every province and every City and that these dayes of Purim should not fail from among the Jews nor the memorial of them from their seed And many conceive Mordecai was the penman of this Canonical History though no Priest 6ly King Nebuchadnezzer as he exercised the Supream Ecclesiastical Authority within his Empire in Erecting a golden image and commanding all his Subjects of what condition or Nation soever to fall down and worship it under pain of being cast into the fiery furnace which Decree all but Shadrac Mesac and Abednago obeyed he commanding them to be cast into this furnace for disobeying his Decree So after their miraculous preservation in and deliverance out of this furnace without any touch or smell of fire he made this memorable pious Decree That every people Nation and Language that spake any thing amisse against the God of Shadrac Mesac and Abednago shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a Dunghill because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort 7ly The King of Nineveh when he heard tydings of Jonah his Message from God which he cryed in the streets thereof by Gods command Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be overthrown to prevent this denounced Judgement caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh BY THE DECREE OF THE KING AND HIS NOBLES not Priests saying Let neither man nor beast herd nor flock taste anything let them not feed nor drink waeer but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God yea let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hand who can tell if God will turn and repent from his fierce anger that we perish not whereupon they fasted and put on sackcloth from the greatest unto the least and the King himself was covered with sackcloth and ashes and they turned from their evil way and God pented of the evil he said he would do unto them and did it not By all these presidents recorded by the Spirit of God in Canonical Scripture it is infallibly evident That from Moses till the last King of Judah and Israel and during their Captivity yea from the very first chapter in Genesis till the last of Malachi the Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in and over all persons things causes in and over the Church and people of God resided totally in and was executed by the Supream Temporal Magistrates Kings Governours and so in Pagan kingdomes too and was never so much as once seated in claimed usurped or managed by any one High Priest Priest Levite or other Ecclesiastical person whatsoever no not in divine and sacred affairs much lesse is there the least shadow of any such transcendent Jurisdiction in them over Kings and Civil Magistrates or their Subjects as all Popes and most Popish Prelates Priests too of inferiour rank now claim usurp exercise by a pretended Divine Right not to be found out or really grounded in the least on any place or president in the Old Testament from Adam till our Saviours incarnation 7ly After the Jewes return from the Babylonish Captivity though the High Priests during their unsetled estate frequent warrs with and captivity to the Romans and others usurped exercised some kind of Ecclesiastical and Civil Jurisdiction too which God never transferred to them by divine Authority nor any of their predecessors exercised under their Judges or Kings yet the Supream Civil and Ecclesiastical Authority which they frequently annexed to the Civil remained alwayes in their Chief Temporal Princes Kings whom they made their High Priests too or they made themselves both Princes Kings and High Priests by usurpation fraud and bloodshed After the extinction of the whole linage of Aaron the Kings of Syria translated the high Priestood to Simon and his family of the Asmoneans in which there were 20. high Priests as Paul Eber and others observe whereof 5. were likewise Princes and Chief Temporal Governours to wit Matthias Judas Maccabeus his Son Jonathan his Brother Simon and Hyrcanus six usurped the Crown styling themselves both Kings and High Priests as Aristobulus the 1. and 2. Alexander 1. 2. Hyrcanus and Antigonus After their Conquest by the Romans the Roman Emperours and their Deputies had the Soveraign power even in Ecclesiastical things and causes though the high Priests Princes Elders and Rulers of the people assembled in a Council in imitation of their Sanhedrim usurped to themselves both a Civil and Ecclesiastical power in religious matters having a Captain of the Temple Officers and Souldiers under them whom they sent forcibly to apprehend our Saviour Jesus Christ and bring him before them Prisoner in their Council where they examined and accused him first of blasphemy and then delivered him to Pontius Pilate the Roman Governour where he was accused by them in the Judgement hall before Pilate and at last condemned to be crucified as the Evangelists record at large By which it is evident that Pilate had the Soveraign power they having no power to put any man to death but only to put men out of the Synagogue scourge beat imprison them at their discretion After Christs death this Conventicle of Chief Priests Elders Priests Pharises and Scribes twice apprehended examined the Apostles for preaching in the Temple commanding them to preach no more in the name of the Lord Jesus which they refused to do whereupon they only threatned and let them go at first but when brought before them the second time for preaching openly in the Temple and filling Jerusalem with their doctrine notwithstanding their threats and inhibitions they then beat and let them go charging them not to speak any more in the name of Jesus Yet they were so farr from obeying their commands as Legal or them as the Supream Ecclesiastical power to which they were bound in conscence to submit that on the contrary they daily in the Temple and in every house ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Soon after Stephen was brought before this Council and there accused of blasphemy and in the midst of his Apology stoned to death by the rude multitude Yea Paul by Letters and Authority from the High Priest made
all the Commandements of the first as well as of the second Table and punish all violations of them by Bishops Priests or Deacons as well as others of their subjects 3ly Though not to intrude like Vzziah on the Priests Ministers Bishops office in administring the Sacraments or constant publike Preaching the Gospel yet strictly to command all Bishops Clergy-men of what degree soever within their Realms diligently faithfully constantly to discharge their Pastoral duties by frequent preaching Catechising Administring the Sacraments living answerably to their professions And to enjoyn all other their Subjects to frequent Gods publike Ordinances embrace the true Religion lives as becomes the Gospel and to punish all their negligences extravagances and scandalous offences against their respective trusts and Christian profession 4. To summon General National Provincial Councils Synods to make ratifie Ecclesiastical Lawes Canons and constitute Courts Commissions Officers under them for the examination suppression of Errors Heresies Schisms and better Government of the Church and Church affairs when and where there is occasion 5. To erect new Churches Parishes Bishopricks divide or unite old place godly Bishops Pastors in them for Gods publike worship the better edification instruction salvation of the souls of their subjects and to provide competent maintenance for them 6. To receive Complaints decide Controversies Differences in Religious or Ecclesiastical matters by way of final Appeal to them to restrain redress all Incroachments exactions usurpations of Popes Bishops or other Clergymen upon their Ecclesiastical or Civil Jurisdictions Courts Rights or Subjects Liberties by Prohibitions or other means and promote as much as in them lies as well the spiritual and eternal as temporal felicity of all their subjects This Supream Jurisdiction of Emperors Kings in and over all Ecclesiastical causes persons as well as Secular for their spiritual good together with Christians professed acknowledgement of and submission to it as well under Pagan as Christian Emperors Kings Governors I shall evidence by these ensuing Authorities Aristaeas ad Philocratem fratrem informs us That King Ptolomeus Philadelphus before Christs Nativity demanding of Eleazar and other of the 70. Interpreters Quonam pacto regnum incolumè in finem usque à Rege conservetur Et quemadmodum singula juste perficere possit quomodo recte omnia servans illaesa cundem filiis salvum tradat c. Received these answers Si Dei mansuetudinem Rex in omnibus imitatur Si considerat omnem sensum à Deo esse proponatque ante omniae Dei timorem Si non potentiae suae fidat sed Deum semper imploret ut juste sibi agendi consilia dirigat Si Deum assidue imploraverit ut rectos sibi sensus ad ea quae in posterum peragenda sunt tribuat filiis imperaverit ne gloria divitiisque superbiant sed arbitrentur Dei benignitate sua sermonis sui pulchritudinem principium a Deo deducat And to this question Quid sit in gloria Regis potissimum He received this answer Deum venerari non sacris neque muneribus at cum animi puritate ac fide candida ejus voluntutem sequi All this they must do not only in their own private persons as men but as Kings and Soveraign Rulers by inducing commanding their subjects to imitate their piety examples that they may both arrive at the same ends temporal and eternal felicity Ignatius Bishop of Antioch St. Johns disciple and contemporary with the Apostles writes thus Honorare oportet et Regem nec enim Rege quisquam praestantior nec quisquam similis ei in rebus omnibus creatis therefore not the Pope or Bishops being creatures nec Episcopo qui Deo consecratus est pro totius mundi salute quicquam majus in Ecclesia The Emperors being then Pagans Nec inter Principes quisquam similis Regi qui in pace optimis legibus subditos moderatur Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and all the Elders with him in their Epistle to the Philippians thus exhort them Orate pro Regibus Potestatibus Principibus as supream Governours though then enemies to the crosse of Christ ut fructus vester manifestus sit in omnibus sitis in illo perfecti Justin Martyr in his Apologia secunda pro Christianis as well Bishops and Presbyters as believers ad Antoninum Pium Imperatorem stiles him and the Senate Ii quae praesunt qui non vi vel tyrannide sed religione sapientia ducti ferant sententiam of Christians and their Religion the grounds principles and summary whereof he relates and refers unto his and the Senates judgements consciences Subjoyning Tributa verò census iis qui a vobis constituti sunt Vbique in primis conamur pendere quemadmodum a Christo instituti sumus c. Deum solum adoranus vobis autem in aliis rebus laeti servimus Regesque vos et Principes hominum esse profitemur rogamusque ut vos cum Regali potestate sanam bonamque mentem habere inveniamini And he concludes his second Apology in defence of the Christians and their Religion which he submits to the Emperors and Senates Judgements thus Haec vobis queque consideranda permittimus ac si vobis rationi vertitatique consentanea videntur comprobate sin nugae vobis videntur ut verba nugarum plena contemnite non in eos qui nullam injuriam inferunt nec scelus admittunt ut in hostes mortem statuite And ends his first Apology with these words Qua◠vestrum quoque erit pro Religionis Philosophiaeque dignitate quod jus aequum est secundum nos Christianos judicare Theophilus Patriarch of Antioch living about the year 180. under the Empeperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus writes thus of himself and all Christians too in that age Contra Christianae Religionis calumniatores Simulacra Dii Gentium opera sunt quae confecit manus humana daemonia impurissima c. Quae cum ita sint magis honorabo Regem sive Caesarem non tamen eum adorabo verum pro eo orabo Deum qui verè Deus est adorabo sciens Caesarem ab ipso esse ordinatum Dicas ergo Quare Regem sive Caesarem adorare recusas Quia non ad id institutus est ut adoretur sed ut legitimo qui ipsi congruit honoretur honore Rex enim sive Caesar Deus non est sed meminerit se esse hominem a Deo in hanc dignitatem promotum non ut adoretur sed ut juste quemadmodum justitia exigit judicet Nam Regnum sive Imperium rerumque administratio ipsi a Deo commissa et demandata est Hinc Caesar sive Rex neminem subjectorum aut Regem aut Caesarem appellari vult Regium enim sive Caesareum nomen ipsi soli competit nec alius id vendicare audet Ita adorandi cultus nemini nisi Deo soli deferendus est Regem quidem sive Caesarem
That the Power of summoning Councils even in Rome it self appertained to this King of Italy not to the Pope 3ly That the King upon the complaints exhibited to him against the Pope suspended him both from his temporalties benefices and Papal office by his Regal authority before the Council summoned till he had purged himself from the Crimes objected 4ly That though most of the Synod held it just this Pope should not answer the Articles against him till he was first restored to his Patrimony benefice and office yet they would determine nothing therein till this Kings approbation pleasure first known 5ly That the King would not take off this Popes Suspension till he answered his Articles and purged himself notwithstanding the Synods request and opinion to the contrary 6ly That thereupon they received and read the Articles against him 7ly That the Pope appeared by this Kings summons before this Council to answer the crimes against him where at his appearance he denies to answer in point of Law till his Suspension first released and his restitution which the Emperor overruled against him After which he appeared the second time upon Summons to answer the Articles and purge himself but was interrupted by the tumultuous force and assaults of his accusers made upon him and his followers who were wounded and had been slain by them had not the Kings Great Officers rescued them from their fury and guarded them back to their lodgings That after this upon new Summons the Pope was willing to answer and purge himself before the Synod but that he was informed he could not do it without danger of being slain by his tumultuous opposites 8ly That the Synod thereupon repaired to the King as the Supream Judge to direct them how to proceed in this cause by reason of these Tumults 9ly That thereupon the King referred the whole businesse to them to proceed therein as they should think best for the Peace of the Church and of all Christians in the City of Rome 10ly That they hereupon by vertue of this Kings regal authority and command not their own inherent Episcopal or Synodal Jurisdiction referred the merits of the cause being secret and difficult to Gods judgement and restored the Pope to his Ecclesiastical Rights and exercise of his Ministry within the City of Rome and perswaded an amicable Christian peace and agreement between him his adversaries the Senate and Citizens of Rome Where then is that transcendent Jurisdiction of Popes over Kings Councils all other Bishops and his absolute exemption from their Judicatures for any scandalous sins or heresies which succeeding Popes and their Parasites boast of in the premised Chapters To evade this undeniable president Ennodius and other flatterers of Popes pretend That Pope Symmachus out of meer humility and of his own accord submitted himself to this Kings and Councils Judgement But the premises evidence the contrary that most of these proceedings especially his Suspension overruling of his demurrer c. were much against his will and that he had no real desire to purge himself what ever he pretended And John Gerson Chancellor of Paris one of the learnedest profoundest Pontificians in his notable Book De Auferibilitate Papae resolves That Symmachus and other Popes did undergo the judgements of Councils nequaquam ex humili condescentione sicut nonnulli fingunt sed ex debito et obligatione Yea this Pope himself in his Apology to Anastatius the Emperor stiles him Principem rerum humanarum adding Thou O Emperor governest human and secular affairs Bishops dispence the divine Mysteries without any addition that Bishops govern all Ecclesiastical affairs which this King and the Emperor then did in Italy not Popes nor Bishops This Theodoricus King of Italy made and published divers Ecclesiastical Lawes intermixed with his Temporal concerning Clergy-men Churches Sanctuaries Pagan Sacrifices Sepulchers and burials in Rome it self Marriages Espousals Jews the observation of the Lords day c. commanding them to be generally observed by his Edictum Theodorice Regis Lex 26. 70. 71. 92. 93. 108. 110. 111. 125 126. and that as well by the Romans as Barbarians and Goths under pain of banishment if violated Quia quod pro omnium provincialium securitate provisum est universitatis debet servare devotio Cassiodorus a Noble learned Roman Senator tutor to this King Theodoricus in his Exposition in Psal 50. Tibi soli peccavi hath this passage De populo si quis erraverit Deo peccat Regi Nam quando Rex delinquit soli Deo reus est quia hominem non habet qui eius facta diâ—udicet Merito ergo Rer Deo dicit se solum peccasse quia solus erat qui eius potuisset admissa discutere Therefore not the Pope or any other Conclave of Prelates In his other works he registers the Epistle of Theodohardus to Justinian the Emperor wherein he recites In toto orbe simile nihil habet as supream for power and dignity Pope Hormisda the 1. having condemned the Eutychians in a Council at Rome by the exhortation and command of King Theodoricus by his Letters and Messengers exhorted John then Patriarch of Constantinople and Anastatius the Emperor to renounce this Heresy and believe the two natures in Christ But they taking this message in high indignation and scorn put the messengers into an old leaking Ship and Anastatius commanded them to return directly into Italy and not to touch upon the shoare of Grece enjoyning them to return this answer to the Pope Scire se Augustorum or Imperatoris proprium esse non Pontificis imperare nec Imperata Pontificis accpiere et si quid foret in quo hunc cui divina curae sunt jubere oporteat se eum esse a quo alii multo melius sua jussa expectent quam sua proponant exequenda Nos jubere volumus non Nobis juberi This Pope Hormisda after Anastatius his death in his Epistle to the Emperor Justinus adversus Nestorii Eutychetis blasphemias informs him Inter eq quae ad unitatem Ecclesiae pertinent propter quam Deus Clementiae vestrae elegit Imperiam hoc quoque venerabilis Imperator Cura fidei cui multipliciter vos studere declarastis adiecit Making the care of the Christian faith and Peace of the Church by establishing the Orthodox faith and suppressing heresies by his Imperial authority the principal cause of Gods advancing him to the Empire In pursuance whereof this Emperor Justinus by his Letters Decrees endeavoured to reconcile the differences between the Bishops Churches of Rome and Constantinople ut unitatem individuae Trinitatis ipsi quoque colant in unitate mentium Quid enim gratius reperiri potest quid justius quid illustrius quam quos idem Regnum continet idemque fidei cultus irradiat eos non diversa contendere sed collectis in eisdem sensibus instituta venerari non humana mente
illata sed in divinae providentiae spiritu This Pope in his Epistle to Epiphanius Bishop of Constantinople hath this memorable passage Hinc enim supernae misericordiae documentum perdocetur quoniam et mundeni Principes causas fidei cum reipublicae ordinatione conjungunt as a principal part of their care and best means of their safety and prosperity in all their secular affairs And he with all the Bishops Clergy Abbots Inhabitants of Jerusalem Antioch and Syria exlubited a joynt Supplicatio and Confession of their faith Deo amabili et piissimo Imperatori ex Deo Augusto et Principi Iustino Christianissimo sollicitudinem de perfecta unione sanctarum Ecclesiarum habere debere ut unitas quae cum Dei facta fuerit juvamine nulla deinceps rationabili aut irrationabili occasionis fomite inquietari possit who thereupon banished the Arrians disturbing the Churches peace Fulgentius Ruspensis Episcopus writes thus to Thrasimundus That he as King hath received Apicem terreni Principatus as well over all Bishops and Clergy-men as others he banishing no lesse then 220 Orthodox Bishops by the instigation of the Arrians whereof Fulgentius was one whom he recalled from exile and yet after banished again upon which occasion he writ thus of Emperors and Kings Supremacy duty trust in and towards the Church of God Clementissimus quoque Imperator non ideo est vas misericordiae praeparatum in gloriam quia apicem terreni potestatis accepit sed si Imperiali culmine recta fide vivat et vera cordis humilitate praeditus culmen Regiae dignitatis sanctae religioni et se subjiciat simagis in timore servire Deo quam in tumore dominari populo delectatur Si in eo lenitas iracundiam mitiget ornet benignitas potestatem Si se magis diligendum quam metuendum cunctis exhibeat si subjectis salubriter consulat si justitiam sic teneat ut misericordiam non relinquat si prae omnibus ita se sanctae matris Ecclesiae meminerit filium ut ejus paci atque tranquillitati per universum mundum prodesse suum faciat principatum Magis enim Christianum regitur atque propagatur Imperium dum Ecclesiastico statui per omnem terram consulitur by the Emperors care and diligence therefore the principal part of his office quam cum in parte quacunque terrarum pro temporali securitate pugnatur Pope Agapetus the 1. Missus est a Theodoto Rege Gothorum ad Dominum Justinianum Augustum in legationem quia eodem tempore indignatus est Theodoto Regi eo quod occidisset Reginam Amalaâ—intham filiam Theodorici Regis sibi commendatam qui eum Regem fecerat An infallible argument of this Popes subjection to this King and Emperor who undertaking the Embassy intreated the Emperour to recall his Army out of Italy sed Imperator supplicationes Papae noluit audire as Liberatus relates The godly Emperor Justinian both claimed and exercised Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in and over all Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Persons and Causes whatsoever and over Popes themselves as is most evident 1. By causing his general Belisarius at the instigation of Theodora his Empresse to deprive banish Pope Silverius who by armed force mony and symony made himself Pope and to make Vigilius Pope in his stead who degraded Silverius from his Ministry by causing Pope Vigilius himself to be seised and brought Prisoner to Constantinople and afterwards questioned deprived banished for Heresy and unsoundnesse in the Catholick faith 2ly By collecting confirming all old Lawes made by former Christian Emperors concerning the Orthodox faith the holy Scriptures publike Prayers Trinity Creeds made by General Councils Divine Service Sacraments Hereticks of all sorts Aposâ—ats Jews concerning Bishops Priests Monks and their respective Offices qualifications Ordinations the Jurisdictions Diocesse of Popes Patriarchs Bishops Holy-dayes Churches Church-lands goods Sacrilege Simony Non-residence of Bishops Priests Episcopal audience Churchyards Oaths Marriages Tithes Excommunications and all other Ecclesiastical matters which he backed with new Ecclesiastical Laws Edicts of his own in some of which he declares Maxima quidem in omnibus sunt dona Dei a superna collata clementia Sacerdotium Imperium Illud quidem divinis ministrans not praesidens hoc autem humanis praesidens ac diligentiam exhibens uno eodemque principio utraque proce lentia humanam exornant vitam Ideoque nihil sic erit studiosum Imperatoribus sicut sacerdotum honestas cum utique pro illis ipsi semper Deo supplicent nam si hoc quidem inculpabile sit undique et apud Deum fiducia plenum imperium autem recte competenter exornet traditam sibi Rempublicam erit consonantia quaedam bona omne quicquid utile et humano conferens generi Nos igitur maximam habemus sollicitudinem circa vera Dei dogmata et circa Sacerdotum honestatem quoniam illis obtinentibus credimus quod per eam maxima nobis dona dabuntur a Deo et ea quae sunt firma habebimus et quae nondum hactenus venerunt acquiremus Bene autem universa geruntur et competenter si rei principum fiat decens et amabile Deo Hoc autem futurum esse credimus si sacrarum rerum observatio custodiatur quam juste laudandi et adorandi inspectores et Ministri Dei verbi tradiderunt Apostoli et sancti Patres custodierunt et explicuerunt Sancimus igitur sacras per omnia sequentes Regulas dum quispiam sequenti omni tempore ad ordinationem Episcoporum adducitur c. Prescribing all the qualifications of Bishops Priests Abbots Monks and their respective duties with penalties for non-performance in a most exquisite manner 4ly By granting equal authority jurisdiction to the Patriarch of Constantinople as to the Bishop of Rome Limiting the Jurisdictions Diocesse Proceedings of Patriarchs Metropolitans Bishops and prohibiting any Appeals but to the proper Metropolitan By prohibiting under penalties of suspension and imprisonment in some Monasteries all Bishops Priests Deacons Clergy-men proprias reâ—inquere Ecclesias et ad alias venire religiones ad tabulas ludere aut aliis iudentibus participes aut spectatores fieri aut ad quodlibet spectaculum spectandi gratia venire Omnibus autem Episcopis Presbyteris interdicimus segregare aliquem asacra communione antequam causa ministretur quam sanctae regulae hoc fieri jubent Jubemus unumquemque Archiâ—piscopum Patriarcham Metropolitam sanctissimos Episcopos sub se constitutos c. in eadem provincia semel aut sicundo per singulos annos ad se convocare omnes causas â—ubtiliter examinare quas Episcopi aut Clerici aut Monachi ad invicem habeant eosque disponere super hoc quicquid extra regulas a quacunque persona delinquitur emendari which they could not do before but by this his Law and Indulgence Episcopum aut Clericos non
chief Priests and lesser Priests Vestals Salii distinguishing and limiting all their respective Offices Jurisdictions habits by special Laws recorded by Dionysius Halicarnasseus Plutarch Livy and others Yea Godwin observes That it was A CUSTOME among the Graecians as likewise afterwards among the Romans THAT THEIR KINGS SHOULD PERFORM AS WELL THE CEREMONIES AND HOLY RITES OF RELIGION as Civil businesses being BOTH KINGS AND PRIESTS till Numa perceiving that foreign wars did often occasion the Kings absence whereby the service of the Gods was neglected thereupon ordained several Orders of Priests as their Vicars generals or Curates to discharge their priestly function Yet after this institution their Consuls Censors and some of their Pagan Emperors as Tiberius Veâ—â—atian Trajan were created PONTIFEX MAXIMUS their Highest Priest or POPE and managed the Supream Civil and Pontifical affairs and that by election of the Senate and the people only without the Priests as Alexander ab Alexandro and the Roman Histories record I shall close this Chapter with that of the Roman Historian PRINCIPIO RERUM GENTIUMque IMPERIUM PENES REGES ERAT populus nullis legibus tenebatur arbitria Principum pro legibus erant and that as well in all Sacred Religious as Civil and Military affairs BOOK I. CHAP. II. 2. My Second Proposition is That God after the Israelites deliverance from the Egyptian bondage when he first new modelled them into a Commonwealth and afterwards into a Kingdom setled their State and Church government and divided the Priesthood from the Supream Civil Magistracy and Kingship vesting the one in Moses Josuah David Solomon and their Royal Successors the other in Aaron his Sons and the Tribe of Levi did even then leave the Soveraign Ecclesiastical Power and Jurisdiction over all persons and causes still annexed to and residing in the Supream Civil Magistratical Office and Officers transferring only the Ministerial Priestly Offices to the Priests not the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction being not different in kind from but the very same with the Civil varyed only by the Object not Subject of it THis I shall evidence as clear as the noon-day Sunne 1. By Ten memorable particulars recorded in Sacred History concerning Moses the first Supream Temporal Governor in the Israelites Commonwealth demonstrating his Soveraign Jurisdiction in all Sacred Religious Church affairs 1. God himself by the Ministry of Moses not Aaron instituted described celebrated the feast and Sacrament of the Passeover and sanctified all the firstborn of the children of Israel unto God and was to Aaron INSTEAD OF GOD Exod. 4. 16. 2ly Moses not Aaron penned and prescribed that memorable Song of Praise which all the Israelites sang unto the Lord immediately after their deliverance out of Egypt and drowning of the Egyptians â—n the Red Sea 3dly Moses not Aaron gave them instructions concerning the gathering and for reserving of an Omer of Manna to be kept before the Lord as a Type of Christ the true Manna 4ly God himself immediately appeared unto Moses in Mount Sinai and by his Mouth and Ministry alone not Aarons delivered the first Covenant and the Moral Ceremonial and Iudicial Law unto his people Israel the only rule of their Worship Obedience Government Sacred and Civil 5ly That when Moses Aaron Nadab Abihu and seventy of the Elders were afterwards called up into Mount Sinai by God Moses alone was called to come near to God and Aaron left behind That Moses alone wrote all the words of the Lord built an Altar for the 12 Tribes of Israel read the Book of the Covenant to them sprinkled the blood of the Covenant both on the Altar Book all the people received the Tables of stone and Law written therein by God himself and the pattern of the Tabernacle Mercy-seat Altar and all the furniture and utensils thereof the garments of Aaron and the Priests the manner and ceremonies of their respective Consecrations and all the oblations sacrifices and parts of Gods worship to be therein performed both by the Priests and people from God Hence it is specially recorded both in the Old Testament and New That these precepts concerning the Sanctuary of God Let them make me a Sanctuary that I may dwell amongst them according to all that I shew thee after the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of the instruments thereof even so shall ye make it And look that thou make them after the pattern which was shewed thee in the Mount were given only to Moses the Chief Temporal Magistrate Not to Aaron nor the Priests or Levites who alone directed all things to be made accordingly And when all the work of the Tabernacle with the Curtains and the Priests Garments were finished by the Workmen Moses not Aaron survayed and looked upon all the work and behold they had done it as the Lord commanded even so had they done it and Moses not Aaron blessed them 6ly After all the work was thus finished Moses not Aaron was particularly commanded to rear up the Tabernacle with all its furniture and to anoint and consecrate them unto God 7ly Which is most observable Aaron and his Sonnes did not anoint Moses to be the Supream Civil Magistrate but on the contrary God by Moses not only prescribed all the spiritual Offices duties qualifications vestments wives marriages maintenance and appurtenances belonging to Aaron and his sons but also specially designed and commanded Moses to anoint and consecrate them to their Priesthood recorded in these words Exod. 40. 12 to 17. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying THOV shalt bring Aaron and his sonnes to the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and wash them with water and THOU shalt put upon Aaron the holy Garments and anoint him and sanctifie him that he may Minister unto me in the Priests Office And Thou shalt bring his Sonnes and cloath them with coats and Thou shalt anoint them as Thou didst their Father that they may Minister unto me in the Priests Office For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting Priesthood throughout their generations Thus did Moses according to all that the Lord commanded him so did he So Moses finished the Work without Aarons or his Sonnes assistance Never did Aaron nor his Sons consecrate or anoint any part of the Tabernacle Ark or utensils thereof their own garments oyntment nor any one High Priest or Levite of their Tribe but Moses the Supreame Temporal Magistrate only by Gods own special command whose consecration alone for ever sanctified all their Successors to the High Priests and Priests respective offices which I desire all Popes and Romish Prelates who now appropriate all consecrations whatsoever of persons or things to themselves alone by a pretended Divine right excluding the Civil Magistrate seriously to consider and from thence argue a superiority over Kings Emperors as well as Priests and exact Canonical obedience from them 8ly When Aaron the
14. If she have brought up children I will therefore that the young women marry bear children guide the house all used in a proper litteral sense in the same Epistle Therefore children must be thus interpreted in these Texts too not in a strained Metaphorical sense or construction 5ly If by this one Wife be only meant one Bishoprick or Benefice then why do Popes or Popish Prelates dispense with their having Pluralities against sundry Councils and their own Canons Decrees Constitutions prohibiting Pluralities of benefices as contrary to the Apostles institution in the Primitive Church instituting many Bishops Elders Deacons in and over one particular Church Diocess not one over many as is evident by Acts 11. 30. c. 13. 1 2. c. 14. 23. c. 15. 2. 4 6 22 23. c. 16. 4. c. 20. 17 28. c. 21. 18. c. 22. 5. Rom. 16. 3 9 12. Phil. 1. 1. Col. 1. 7. c. 4 9 12 27. 1 Cor. 14. 29 30 31. 1 Thess 5. 12. 15. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Tit. 1. 5. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. James 5. 14. Hebr. 13. 17. See my Unbishoping of Timothy and Titus p. 35 36 37. c. Which Pluralities have been frequently complained written against as not only scandalous but pernicious to the Church of God the peoples souls and occasions of manifold inconventences grievances as well by conscientious Popish as Protestant Writers in most ages by sundry Notable Petitions even in Popish Parliaments yea why do they authorize Cardinals Archbishops Bishops Priests Deacons to hold Pluralities of Bishopricks Benefices Abbeys Priories and Ecclesiastical Dignines by way of Commendams notwithstanding these expresse prohibitions to Timothy and Titus yet will not dispense with them to hold one lawfull wife upon any termes which God himself expresly allowes them though they dispense with them for money to keep as many Concubines as they have Livings enforcing Priests to pay annual Pensions to their uses for every Living they enjoy which they must duly pay though they keep no Concubine at all because they have license to do it if they please as the German Princes in their Diet at Norimberg Anno 1522. in Gravamina Germaniae Cornelius Agrippa and others complain and publish to the world 6ly A Layman is utterly uncapable of any Bishoprick Benefice or Ecclesiastical preferment before he be in Orders And if the husband of one wife that is of one Bishoprick or Benefice be a previous qualification to his ordination a Lay-man shall then be capable of a Bishoprick or Benefice before he is in Orders so as this Text remains unanswerable to justifie the Lawfulnesse of Bishops Priests Deacons Marriages notwithstanding Pope Hildebrauds or others Decrees as Claudius Espencaeus a learned Popish Bishop acknowledgeth in his Commentaries on 1 Tim. 3. 2. Tit. 1. 5 6. 12ly God himself by a prophetical Spirit not only predicted but in precise terms pre-condemned in this very Epistle of Paul where he permits prescribes Bishops Priests Deacons to be the Husband of one wife the forbidding of Priests wives mariage as unlawfull as the very doctrine of Devils and seducing spirits speaking lies in hypocrisie having their consciences scared with an hot iron commanding Timothy to put the brethren in minde of these things as a good Minister of Jesus Christ Which compared with Hildebrands fore-alledged confession at his death that suadente Diabolo he had raised up Gods wrath and hatred amongst Christians by his prohibiting of Priests Marriages as well as receiving investitures from Laymens hands is a sufficient motive eternally to explode it 13ly The Glosses on Gratian resolve Matrimonium est res sacratissima yea the Church Popes Bishops Priests of Rome have enrolled Marriage in the very list of of their 7. Sacraments as a Sacrament and most sacred Ordinance of divine institution by this device they have made Popes Bishops Priests in their Ecclesiastical Consistories the sole and only competent Judges of aell causes questions concerning matrimony which no Kings nor other Laymen may any wayes examine or determine Moreover they have canonized Orders for another of their Sacraments and joyned it and Marriage to each other in the Catalogue of their Sacraments It seems therefore very strange irrational contradictory that this their Sacrament of Marriage should so defile their Popes Bishops Priests and all other persons admitted to their Sacrament of Orders as to render them utterly uncapable of executing or enjoying their Orders That these 2. Sacraments should be so incompatible inconsistent adverse to each other as to null destroy one another that the sole Judges solemnizers of all Marriages between other men and women should be only uncapable of this Sacrament of Marriage yea that it should more pollute disable them to receive retain execute their Sacrament of Orders then professed single fornication whoredom or adultery which they generally connive at tolerate dispence with in their Prelats Priests and other Votaries of single life They must therefore either henceforth disclaim both Marriage and Orders from being Sacraments of their Church which thus destroy pollute each other the rather because Marriage was instituted at the creation not under the Gospel is common to all Pagâ—n Nations out of the Church as well as to Christians in it yea to many Birds and Beasts as Doves Swallows c. which couple and live together by Pairs as well as man and wife by a divine natural instinct precept given equally to both at the very creation Be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth Or else admit marriage to be not only lawfull but most proper for Bishops and persons in holy Orders because it is a Sacrament of which they are as capable as any Laymen or of any other of their seven Sacraments to which they freely admit them without restraint 3ly I shall cloze up the History of Hildebrands Papacy with these memorable Censures of his Antichristian proceedings against the Emperor Henry the 4th written by learned Bishops of that age in justification and defence of the Emperors Soveraignty against his New Usurpations Valtramus Naumbergensis Episcopus shall lead the Van who in his Notable Treatise De Unitate Ecclesiae written about the year 1077. asserts from Scripture and other Evidences Papam non habere politicum gladium multo minus aliquod Dominium super Imperatorem Nullo jure posse eum subditos Imperatoris aut aliorum Dominorum a juramento fidelitatis absolvere Quod omnis anima sit subjecta superioribus potestatibus atque ideo etiam Spirituales summos infimos politicis Magistratibus obedire debere Papas Episcopos non tantum nullas justas causas habere quod Caesarem Henricum 4. persequantur sed etiam in ipsa persecutione adeo modum excellere ut plane scelerate et impie contra omnia divina et humana jura fecerant His arguments against the Popes Supremacy from Scripture are principally these Nolite plures Magistri fieri fratres
their power of consecration on Aarons and his Sons but likewise their Papal Monarchy Jurisdiction over other Bishops Ministers and Kings too on Aarons high Priesthood and imaginary Vniversal Supremacy which quite subverts their pretences Aaron the High Priest being inforior to Moses and he greater then Aaron in administration and in instruction and correction of the people though not in consecration wherein they were both equal as Bartholomeus Buxiensis Joannes Thierry and other Canonists in their approved Glosses on Gratian resolve Whereupon to prop up the Popes tottering Supremacy as founded upon Aarons Priestood Pope Anacletus with others of his Successors have bottomed the Popes Soveraign Jurisdiction in Spiritual and Temporal affairs too upon Moses and Aaron joyntly affirming Moses to be a Chief Priest as well as Aaron from Psal 99. 6. Moses and Aaron among HIS PRIESTS Whence they inferr That as Moses and Aaron were the chief among the Priests in the Old Testament So Peter was ordained head of the Apostles and Original of the Apostleship in the New and the Pope as his Successor And as Moses was constituted a God unto Pharoah and judged the people of Israel So the Pope is the God of the Emperor the First Priest the Vicar of Christ the High Priest and the Cardinals assisting him are Priests of the Levitical kinde by whose assistance he Iudgeth all Criminal causes not only Ecclesiastical but likewise Civil and mixt Moses as a Priest being only a Type of the Pope as were Melchisedec and all those that were Kings as well as Priests before the Law given as Alvarus Pelagius and other Pontificians conclude with very great confidence To which I answer 1. That Moses neither before his flight out of Aegypt nor during his absence before his return thither nor whiles he abode there to deliver the Israelites from their bondage nor after their deliverance was ever made or constituted a Priest much less an High Priest by God for ought we read but only Aaron with his sonnes and Levites 2ly Had Moses been an high Priest as well as Aaron as these assert there had then been two high Priests at once and so two Supream heads of the Church not one and so the high Priest could not be a proper Type of Christ the sole high Priest and head of his Church nor of St. Peter or the Pope his pretended Vicar General by divine Right 3ly The Scripture is expresse that Aaron only was the chief Priest not Moses and that there neither was nor ought to be any more high Priests but one at a time Therefore Moses could be no high Priest 4ly Moses in the 99 Psalm and all other Texts where he and Aaron are mentioned is put and named in the first place before Aaron and asserted by Bartholomeus Buxiensis Thierry and other Glossers to be greater then Aaron in two respects in the very Priesthood it self Therefore he not Aaron was the chief high Priest and so all Popes pretences for their Supremacy drawn from Aarons high Priesthood must vanish into smoak The rather because we frequently read in Scripture that Moses not only COMMANDED AARON but likewise stripped him of his garments and girt them on Eleazer his Sonne and successor a little before his death 5ly Psalm 99. doth not evince Moses to be a chief Priest as well as Aaron no more then the rest of the people as is evident by the coherence with verse 5 6. Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his foot-stool for he is holy Moses and Aaron among his Priests and Samuel among them that call upon his Name these called upon the Name of the Lord and he heard them this passage relates to Numb 25. 6. when Moses and Aaron and all the Congregation were all weeping and worshipping God together promiscuously intermixed with Phinehas and the other Priests as also in Joel 2. 16 17. So as the sole argument hence is this Moses and Aaron worshipped and called upon the name of the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle mixed promiscuously with the other Priests as Samuel did with the people when they called on Gods name Ergo Moses and by consequence all the people too were high Priests as well as Aaron So that the Popes absolute Soveraign Monarchy as well in Temporal as Civil things being thus grounded on Moses his mistaken Priesthood must needs fall to the ground and be for ever exploded upon the premised considerations and because his Successor no high Priest nor Priest at all enjoyed exercised the Soveraign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as well as Temporal in the Israelites Church and State 2ly I shall demonstrate this Propositions truth by Joshua who succeeded Moses in the Supream Civil Authority to whom the Israelites not only promised the self same obedience in all Spiritual as well as civil things which they yeelded to Moses but he likewise exercised the same Soveraign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as Moses had done as these Ten instances irrefragably prove 1. He commanded the people to sanctify themselves to morrow and commanded directed the Priests when to take up and how to carry and dispose of the Ark of the Covenant and declared the words to the people which God himself immediately spake unto him 2. He circumcised all the uncircumcised Israelites with sharp knives and kept the Passeover formerly omitted by special directions given to him from God not to the Priests 3. By Gods special direction He commanded the Priests to compasse Jericho bearing the Ark round about it seven dayes one after another which they obeyed executed without dispute marching seven times round about it the last day 4. He not the Priests Ordained a publike fast sanctified the people when he discovered Gods wrath against them for Achans taking of the accursed thing against his command and examined punished with stoning to death even that which Popes and Canonists stile Sacriledge appropriated by them to their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Tribunals 5ly He built an Altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal according to the Law of Moses and he not the Priests there writ upon stones a Copy of the Law of Moses and read all the words of the Law of Moses the Blessings and the Curses before all the congregation of Israel with their women little ones and strangers conversant among them there was not a word of all that Moses commanded which he read not unto them and that in presence of the Priests and Levites who there stood on both sides of the Ark and bore it 6ly He and the Princes not Priests descided a case of conscience touching the Oath and Covenant made with the Gibeonites by fraud and circumvention to spare their lives against Gods positive precept and gave sentence against them to be Hewâ—rs of wood and drawers of water for the Altar of the Lord. 7ly The Sunne stood still and the Moon stayed till the
havock of the Church and apprehended those that professed Christ whether men or women and haled them to prison persecuting them even to strange Cities and left them in bonds Yet when he was converted and preached Christ himself was apprehended and brought before the Council and Ananias the High Priest who commanded him to be smitten on the face when he began to speak and he was 5. times beaten with rods receiving 40. stripes save one as a penal punishment Yet neither the high Priest nor the Council were the Supream Judges in Causes Ecclesiastical but the Roman Governours Rulers and Caesar Hence the high Priest with the Elders and Council by Tertullus their Orator accused Paul first before Felix the Governor for being a stirrer up of sedition among all the Jewes in the world and ringleader of the sect of the Nazarens before whom Paul made his defence Afterwards he was accused by them before Portius Festus the succeeding Governour who demanded of him Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and THERE BE JUDGED BEFORE ME not the High Priest or Council of those things whereof he was accused Whereupon Paul doubting his justice made this Appeal to Caesar himself as Supreamest Judge in all Ecclesiastical causes I STAND AT CAESARS JUDGEMENT SEAT WHERE I OUGHT TO BE JUDGED c. No man may deliver me to the Jews I APPEAL UNTO CAESAR Then Festus when he had consulted with the Council answered Hast thou appealed unto Caesar UNTO CAESAR SHALT THOU GO Festus soon after informing King Agrippa that Paul had referred himself to the hearing and Judgement of Augustus heard him again the second time before King Agrippa who resolved This man might have been set at liberty had he not appealed unto Caesar to whose Tribunal he was thereupon sent a prisoner to Rome to Caesar himself as the Soveraign Judge as well in Religious as Civil causes persons though a Pagan Moreover Saint Paul having cast a spirit of divination out of a Damsel at Philippi the chief City of that part of Macedonia it is specially recorded When her Masters saw that the hope of their Gains was gon they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the market-place unto the Rulers and brought them to the Magistrates saying These men being Jews do exceedingly trouble our City and teach customes which are not lawfull for us to receive neither to observe being Romans And the multitude rose up together against them and the Magistrates rent off their cloathes and commanded to beat them And when they had laid many stripes upon them they cast them into prison charging the Jaylor to keep them safely who having received such a charge thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the flocks But the next morning upon Pauls message the Magistrates released and brought them out of prison themselves In fine our Saviour foretold his Apostles They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into Prisons being brought before KINGS RULERS for my name sake for a testimony against them compared with Christs prohibition to his Disciples The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors But ye shall not be so and with the forecited Texts are a most clear convincing Evidence that although the Jewish high Priests and Priests usurped rather a Temporal then Ecclesiastical power to fetch the Apostles before and scourge them in their Synagogues to apprehend them by their Officers Souldiers drag and cast men and women into prison for preaching and professing Christ and that not severally by themselves but in a mixt Councel of Elders Scribes and Pharises who were no Priests sitting advising and voting with them Yet the Supream power in matters of Doctrine and Religion even amongst the Jews during our Saviours abode with them and after his Ascension continued in the Roman Deputies Kings Emperors and chief Civil Magistrates alone as they did by divine institution in Moses Joshua David Solomon and other their own forementioned Kings and Supream Temporal Governours As for the Jewish Supream Court generally stiled their Sanhedrim consisting of 71. persons of the Elders Heads and Princes of Israel as the Jewish Rabbins and those who write of the Jewish Courts collect from Numb 11. 16. where they hold it was first erected and conceive it was like our Parliaments having conusance of all highest affairs I confesse I could never yet be satisfied by any Text of Scripture or solid Antiquity 1. That this Court of 71. or Sanhedrim was a setled standing Court sitting usually at Jerusalem and that during the Judges Kings and inter-regnums too till Herod put it down 2ly That the high Priests or any Levites were antiently Members of it which Godwin and others utterly deny 3ly That they intermedled with any Ecclesiastical causes as Supream Judges of them as some alleadge they did in the case of the Prophet Jeremiah where when the malicious Priests Prophets and all the people pronounced him I conceive only by way of accusation as in the case of Christ before Pilate when they cryed out Let him be crucified not vote or Judgement to be worthy of death the Princes of Judah who heard tydings thereof came up from the Kings house and sate down in the Porch of the house of the Lord and when they had heard Jeremiah his Apology and their clamours adjudged voted the contrary that he was not worthy to die and saved his life which proves the Princes only not the Priests or Prophets to be Judges paramount even in Ecclesiastical causes persons not the Priests in their imaginary Consistory Church Council 4ly It is granted by Sigonius Dr. Field most Jewish Rabbies Antiquaries that the Princes of Judah and Israel before the Babilonish captivity sat Chief Presidents in this high Court as they do in our Parliaments and that nothing was there passed but by their assents thereto till the high Priest after that restitution by usurpation not right sat Chief therein Therefore if we admit any such Soveraign standing Court erected and continuing so long as some pretend to erect such a Presbytery in themselves having conusance of Ecclesiastical persons or causes as well as Temporal or a kind of Ecclesiastical Consistory stiled a Council which some would difference from it though I hold them both one and the same erected devised by their Elders Princes Priests after their return from the Babilonish captivity it will no wayes enervate but ratifie my second Proposition That the Soveraign Ecclesiastical Authority in the Israelitish Church of God under the Law remained alwayes setled by Divine and Natural Right in their Kings and chief Civil Magistrates Princes Councils not in their High Priest Priests or Levites separated or conjoyned and that the Civil and Ecclesiastical power are but one and the same in nature distinguished only by the Civil or Ecclesiastical
and your King Because thou Saul hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected thee from being King thou hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee therefore thy kingdom shall not continue the Lord not I hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee The Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart and the Lord hath commanded him to be Captain over his people because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded This was that rooting up pulling down rending removing of Kings kingdoms Nations used by all the Prophets and Prophecies in the Old Testament and particularly by Gods own denunciation against Niniveh by Jonah Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed which the Kings and peoples joynt humiliation and repentance upon his preaching in turning from their evil wayes prevented 7ly S. Bernard when Pope Eugenius like his Predecessors insisted on this Text as giving him and them a transcendent power Dominion over Kings and kingdoms returned this answer thereunto That it gave them no Dominion at all over their Persons Crowns possessions but only to extirpate their Vices Non est quod blanditur Celsitudo Sollicitudo major Quale est hoc de paupere abjecto levari super Gentes et regna Non ad dominandum opinor Nam Propheta cum similiter levaretur audivit Ut evellas destruas disperdes dissipes aedifices plantes Quid horum fastum sonat Rusticani magis sudoris schemate quodam labor spiritualis expressus est Et nos igitur ut multum sentiamus de nobis impositum senserimus Ministerum non dominium datum Non sum ego major Propheta si fortè potestate sed meritorum non est comparatio Haec loquere tibi doce teipsum qui alias doces Puta te velut unum aliquem de Prophetis An non satis ad te et â—mium Sed gratia Dei es quod es Quid Esto quod Propheta nunquid plus quam propheta Si sapis eris contentus mensura quam tibi mensus est Deus nam quod amplius est a malo est Disce exemplo Prophetico praesidere non tam ad imperitandum quam ad sactitandum quod tempus requirit disce sarculo tibi opus esse non sceptro ut opus facias prophetae Et quidem Ille non regnaturus ascendit sed extirpaturus Putas ne et tu invenias aliquid elaborandum in agro Domini tui Et plurimum Non planè totum quivere emundare Prophetae aliquid filiis suis Apostolis quod agerent reliquerunt aliquid ipsi Parentes tui tibi Sed nec tu ad omne sufficiens Aliquod profecto tuo relicturus es Suecessori ille aliis alii aliis usque in finem This was St. Bernards sence of this Text and severe check to the Pope himself for abusing it against the true scope and meaning 8ly It is Gods incommunicable Prerogative which no meer mortal is authoritativly capable of To loose the bond of Kings and gird them with a girdle to lead Princes away spoiled overthrow the mighty and powr contempt upon Princes To strike through Kings in the day of his wrath and break Kingdoms in pieces like a Potters vessel To bind Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of iron for their crying Rebellions against his Soveraign Majesty as he did Hoshea Zedekiah Manasseh Jehoiakim others thus bound and carried away captive to Aegypt and Babilon by their invading Kings He removeth Kings and setteth up Kings The most high King of heaven only ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and those Kings that walk in pride against him he is able to abate and translate their kingdoms to others as he did Nebuchadnezzer and Belshazzer who recognised this Soveraign Empire to be peculiar to him alone Let Popes therefore beware how they usurp or intrench upon this Prerogative of the most high to the prejudice of any anointed Christian Kings who sit upon his throne as his Viceroyes and highest affront to the Soveraign Jurisdiction of Christ himself the King of Kings The Fourth and most colourable pretext is from the president of Azariah the Chief Priest and other Priests withstanding King Uzziah to burn incense upon the altar and thrusting him out of the Temple the only example in the Old Testament of any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction exercised by the Jewish high Priest and Priests on Prince or Subject Whence Bellarmin and others conclude That it is Lawful for Popes Bishops and Priests by their own inherent Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to excommunicate dethrone Kings and Emperors too and absolve their Subjects from their allegiance for disobeying their Papal commands and injunctions I answer 1. That all this president warrants is That Chief Priests may lawfully diswade ambitious wilfull Kings from doing any unlawfull actions against the expresse will of God and perchance resist them too when they attempt to offer sacrifices or act ought belonging peculiarly to their own office in their own Churches But that they may either excommunicate resist or thrust them forth of the Temple for any other Offence especially for violating or not obeying their own Papal or Pontifical Orders Injunctions Mandares not expresly grounded on Gods word this president will no wayes warrant 2ly They did not thrust King Uzziah out of the Temple where he actually invaded their function against Gods word till God himself the King of Kings whose Law he had violated had first miraculously passed sentence upon and smitten him with the plague of Leprosie in the forehead which they all visibly beheld Therefore Popes and Priests may not thrust any King or Prince out of the Church for any Crime till God himself the only King and Judge of Kings hath first given visible sentence against him by some signal Judgement 3ly They thus thrust him out of the Temple not principally because he attempted to burn incense but because God had thus miraculously smitten him with Leprosie in his forehead and so by Gods expresse command he was to be shut out of the Congregation and Church by the Law and dwell in a house alone that he might not infect others this the Text renders to be the sole or main cause of his thrusting out of the Temple dwelling in a several house and of his Sonnes judging the people in his stead not by the Priests but his own appointment 4ly This King himself when God had thus smitten him as the Text precisely records hasted to go out of the Temple of his own accord voluntarily dwelt in a house alone and delegated the government of his house and people to his Sonne So as there was only a voluntary expulsion of him out of the Temple by the Priests with his own consent not against it but no sequestring or deposing of him by them from his throne he
is but one God incommutable so there is but one his Vicar General upon Earth Cui omnes Angeli i. homines debent esse subjecti in omnibus obedire to whom all Angels that is Men ought to be subject and to obey in all things whose Ship is stable and immutable For thus the inferiour Hierarchy accords with the superiour when all men serve and obey his Vicar in earth as all Angels serve and obey God in heaven but when they grow proud and resist the inferior is disturbed and the superiour Hierarch is offended Gratian caus x. qu. 3. All things are put under the Popes feet except God alone who hath put all things under him 1 Cor. 15. In another article he asserts That the Pope is King of Kings of the Emperor and Spiritual Kings and every Member of the Church Militant who ought Iure Divino to be subject to him That he hath a plentitude of all Temporal and Spiritual power in him in several respects 1. Because it is a universal power No person in the Militant Church nor Infidel in some sense being exempted from but subject to it 2ly Because all temporal and spiritual power whatsoever ordained by God for the government of christians or men is comprehended in his power 3ly Because all power in the Church is derived from his and ordained for it and he is the beginning and end of any power whatsoever Therefore every human power is DE JURE subject to him 4ly Because it is not exceeded nor overcome by any other human power but overcomes and exceeds all other powers 5ly Because it is limited or ordained or judged by no other power but it limiteth ordaineth judgeth all other powers 6ly Because it is not restrained nor bound by any Lawes made by the Pope himself for it may act mediately by other powers or immediately by it self whatsoever it shall think sit It may likewise act both according to the Lawes it sets down and besides them when it shall judge convenient And for this cause his Power is said to be Sine Numero Pondere et Mensura Without number because it extends to innumerable persons even all men in the world whether Beleevers or Infidels Without weight because it is not confined to one place but extends it self to all Churches throughout the world And without measure as to the act and manner of acting because it is after a sort Immense both in acting and in the manner of acting For as the Spirit was given to Christ man without measure John 3. and to others it is given only according to the measure of the gift of Christ 1 Cor 12. Eph. 4. Rom 12. So to Christs Vicar the Pope is given a Power without measure to wit in a certain Immensity Exâ—rav de Major Obedientia Solita c. Nos autem But to others is given a power according to their measure of participation of this Immense Power And although this Power of Christs Vicar is without Number Weight or Measure yet notwithstanding it determinates to other powers Number Weight and Measure Causa xv qu. 1. pervenit 13. qu. 1. c. 1. Therefore this power is deservedly called FULL proper quod multum veneranda metuenda est wherefore it is much to be Reverenced and Feared And indeed all Kings Princes Kingdoms Churches of the World had need to fear yea to keep watch and ward against it and for ever to abandon it as our and other Kings Kingdoms Churches have both justly and prudently done and more are now about to do For haec plenitudo potestatis est plentitudo potestatis est plenitudo tempestatis I omit his other Passages to the same effect in above 30. Articles more Upon these pretences of the Popes transcendent plentitude of power Pope Gregory the 7. that impious Hildebrand and pest of the world in his generation in his ratification of the Emperor Henry the seconds Excommunication presumed to make this most impious Antichristian appeal to Peter and Paul themselves Go to now O ye blessed Apostles do you confirm what I have done that all men may know that if you being in heaven can bind and loose that I also here on Earth can give and take away Empires Kingdomes Principalities quicquid habere mortales possunt and what ever Mortals can possess And two of his late Successors new-named Paul when crowned Popes with their Parasites are of the same judgment with their predecessors point-blank against Saint Pauls doctrin evidencing them to be the very Antichrist man of Sin decyphered by him 2 Thess 2. which they demonstrated by their two late Portraitures cut and printed in Brasse-pieces prefixed to two Books dedicated to them printed in Italy it self Permissu Superiorum to wit Benedicti à Benedictis Jacula Ecclesiae Catholicae Bononiae 1608. Caraffae Theses Neapoli 1609. in one of which as the Noble Lord Morney observes Pope Paul the 3d is Pourrayed with this blasphemous Inscription Paulo 3. Opt. Max. in terris Deo And in the other Pope Paul the V. with this Motto Paulo V. Vicedeo Christianae Reipublicae Monarchae Invictissimo et Pontificiae Omnipotentiae Conservatori acerrimo In both which Pourtraitures under their respective Papal feet the Scepters Crowns of Kings and Emperors are prostrated and Princes Kings Emperors themselves stand pourtrayed by them bare-headed excommunicated astonied and adoring these Pontifs One of them having this inscription over his head Vultu Imperium portendit Besides these sacred Texts are engraven round about them Jer 27. intended only of King Nebuchadnezzer the great subverter persecuter of Gods Church Kings Kingdoms whom the Pope it seems will now succeed as his Vicar General rather then Christs That Nation and Kingdom which will not serve him will I punish saith the Lord with the sword and with the pestilence untill I have consumed them by his hand Dan 7. 14. The Lord hath given to him Power and a kingdom and all people shall serve him his power is an everlasting power which shall not be taken away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed Isay 49. 23. Kings and Queens shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet The two last texts pertain to Christ alone as King of his Church You have seen a pretty full View of Popes and their parasites blasphemous claims of an unlimited Universal Supremacy in all causes and over all persons whatsoever throughout the world yea over the Persons Crowns Scepters Kingdoms Empires of all Kings Princes Emperors vested in Christs pretended Vicar General S. Peters Successors the Pope enough to awaken alarum all Monarchs Realms Churches throughout the Universe as well Papal as Pagan to keep watch and ward against and for ever to exterminate such Antichristian Antimonarchical Usurpers out of their Dominions as all Protestant Kingdoms Churches have done upon very good grounds without the least guilt of Schisme wherewith they
Submit your selves therefore Regi praecellenti as this Innocent would have Peter vary it it would have extended only to one King alone then most eminent or to Christ whereas now it relates to all Kings and Governours too who have Regal or supream Authority and the addition after it as Supream is so far from extenuating the Kings Supremacy that it more fully emphatically asserts it not with a forsitan as he mistakes which would have made the Supremacy disputable but with a quasi or sicut supereminenti which puts it out of question like that of Rom. 1. 21. Because when they knew God they glorified him not sicut Deus as God which last clause as God adds lustre yea Divine Glory to his Deity which it identically not comparatively sets forth and asserts His 4th evasion that this precept extends only to Lay-christians as to Kings and Governours civil power not to Bishops Priests especially to Popes exempt from above all human judicature is most false For this Epistle is general to all the elect of God to whom he directs it whereof some no doubt were Elders and Ministers of the Church as himself informs us c. 5. 1 2 3. 2ly He gives this command in precise terms To all who came unto Christ the living and precious stone and were built up on him not Peter as lively stones a spiritual house an Holy and Royal Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto God I hope Popes Popish Prelates and Masse-priests dare not assert that Lay-Christians only are this Holy and Royal Priesthood since they wholly appropriate it to themselves as no wayes belonging to the Laity though St. Peter equally extends it to both without distinction Therefore this precept most belongs to them 4ly They of all others have in all ages most invaded oppugned the temporal magistratical Supremacy of Kings and Emperors Therefore they were principally intended by Saint Peter who would not presse that submission only on the Laity from which himself all Bishops and Clergymen their guides and presidents of obedience were totally exempted 3dly St. Peter makes no such distinction as Popes now do between Lay-Christians and Clergy-men yea he defines those now stiled the Laity to be Cleri the Lords Clergy or Heritage 1 Pet 5. 3. not the Elders nor between himself Popes Prelates and other Presbyters as Popes and others since make yea such a distinction would have not only verified but aggravated the calumnies accusations of the Pagans against the Christians For had he informed those to whom he writes and the Roman Pagan Emperors Kings Governors then ruling that all Lay Christians ought to be subject to them as Supream in all temporal things held of them but that himself and all Christian Bishops Elders Ministers were totally exempted from their power and had the sole Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction originally in themselves by virtue whereof they could root up and pull down build up and plant them their Empires Kingdoms Nations at their pleasures and were set over them for that very purpose as Jeremiah was in this Popes sence not Gods This certainly would have incensed all Emperors Kings and Governours against them to their total and final extirpation as the archest Traytors Rebels that ever the world produced This Popes distinction therefore was as farr from St. Peters meaning as he was from his humility 6ly St. Peter in this very Epistle as he stiles himself only an Elder yea fellow Elder not Christs Vicar Viceroy Head of his Church c. as Popes since have done so he exhorts the Elders of the Church only as his fellows not commands them as their Lord to feed the flock of Christ which is amongst them neither as being Lords over Gods heritage as Popes now make themselves but being ensamples to the flock Therefore those Kings and Governors to whom he enjoyned them to submit themselves not Peter nor these Elders as Supream were Supream over them in all temporal and ecclesiastical Causes as well as over their flocks to whom they were to be examples herein as well as in other particulars 7ly Bellarmin affirms Saint Peters first Universal Epistle to be written from Rome from this salutation in the cloze thereof The Church which is at Babylon saluteth you affirming this Babylon to be Rome to prove Peters being Bishop thereof and his Universal Supremacy as Christs Vicar since devolved unto Popes Wherein he makes the Church of Rome a true Antichristian Babylon and mother of confusion in perverting this Epistle from Rome so pregnant for the Temporal and Ecclesiastical Supremacy of Kings and Temporal Magistrates over all their Christian subjects as well of the Clergy as Laity so far as to give the Pope an absolute Supremacy over Kings and Emperors themselves which never entred into St. Peters heart nor was ever claimed or exercised but abominated by him and thus Decreed against in his unerring chair Yet Alvarus Pelagius concludes with Pope Innocent from this very Text of Peter ex praedictis clarè patet Papa est Universalis Monarcha totius populi christiani denuo totius mundi ita quod velit nolit quicunque viator Papae de jure subjicitur ut Praelato 6ly Saint Peter in his second Vniversal Epistle chap 2. gives a most lively character of Popes Apostacy ambition covetousnesse uncleannesse injustice and presumption more especially in despising all Dominion over them by Emperors Kings and Magistrates in speaking evil of Dignities without fear of God or Man in defiance of his first Epistle and bringing many railing accusations against them as they do in their Epistles Decrees Bulls Books against their Supremacies whereas Angels who are greater in power and might dare not do it Yet these as natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed speak evil of those Dignities they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own corruption and receive the reward of unrighteousnesse as many Popes Popish Prelates Rebels Regicides have done both in the field and Courts of Justice for maintaining the Popes Unchristian Usurpations over the Crowns kingdomes persons lives of their Lawfull Emperors Kings and Princes Therefore Popes must henceforth either for ever renounce their Universal Vicarship Soveraignty as neither enjoyed exercised owned but professedly and eternally subverted by St. Peter himself from whom alone they derive it or else St. Peter will eternally disclaim them by these General Texts and Universal Epistles to be either his Successors or Christs Vicars but meer Antichristian Impostors 7ly St. Paul the first real Apostle and sole Bishop of Rome to whom he only writ if any Apostle was so at least joynt Bishop with Peter if ever Bishop there as Epiphanius Eusebius and others attest even in his very Epistle to the Saints and Church of Rome it self hath put in an eternal Bar against the pretended Supremacy of Popes as St. Peter did in his Epistles from it Rom 13. 1 to 3. where he gives a
fratres erant nondum Presbyterii gradu potiti ac verisimile est illud idem in aliis locis fieri quamvis nobis obscurum et minime cognitum Not long after this Aedesius and Frumentius two godly Christian Merchants trading among the Indians occasionally preached the Gospel to them and converting them to the Christian faith exhorted them to meet together and celebrate divine Mysteries which they exhibited to them Upon their return from thence and reporting the Indians conversion to the faith by their means Athanasius thought sit to give them Orders make them Bishops and send them again to the Indians for their further instruction and conversion to compleat that work which God had so happily began by them Neither can Popes nor Popish Prelats decry this for Bart. Buxiensis Dr. Thierry with other Glossers upon Gratian Panormitan Angelus de Clavasio and most Canonists resolve That the Pope Bishops yea and Priests too may license a meer Lay-man to preach to the people and excommunicate Priests themselves yea authorize women to preach against Saint Paul resolution 1 Cor 14. 33 34. 1 Tim. 2. 11 12 13. Upon which ground about the year 1620. there sprang up a new order of Iesuitesses or She-Iesuites in Italy Germany and other places who took upon them to preach publikely and privately to others of their sex and under pretext of promoting the salvation of souls alia opera permulta sexus et ingenii imbecillitati modestiae muliebri virginali praesertim pâ—dori minime convenientia aggrediantur The scandal whereof grew so great that Pope Vrban the 8. by his Bull dated in Ianuary 1630. was enforced utterly to suppress their Congregation Order Houses Pope * Gregory the 13. Anno Domini 1584. by a speciall Bull granted this special Priviledge to the whole Society of the Jesuites and their Emissaries to preach in all places without interruption though not in Orders Explaining and ratifying the Bull of Pope Paul the 8th which as Gregories Bull recites had granted them this Priviledge Ex illo concessionis hujusmodi tempore etiam Scholares alii Religiosi vestri sacris Ordinibus nondum initiati alias tamen idonei ad praedicandum verbum Dei passim ubique mittuntur Verum quia nonnullis dubitatio curiosius incessit anâ—dictum privilegium praedicandi etiam eos comprehendat qui ad Ordines ipsos nondum ascenderunt Nos quemcunque hoc scrupulo eximere volentes praesentium authoritate declaramus ac etiam decernimus vestrum unicuique etiam ad sacros Ordines praedictos non promoto praedicationis munus in vim privilegii hujusmodi exercere potuisse posse Vobis insuper concedentes ut etiam Clerici vestri prima tantum tonsura insigniti prout hucusque fecerunt valeant deinceps ipsum Dei verbum ubique populo praedicare Districtius inhibentes universis singulis locorum Ordinariis quibusvis aliis quacunque dignitate Authoritate fungentibus quemquam vestrum quovis pretextu praemissorum occasione impedire vel molestare audeant quoquo modo Non obstantibus Apostolicis ac in generalibus provincialibus Conciliis edâ—ctis generalibus vel specialibus constitutionibus ordinationibus caeterisque contrariis quibuscunque Therefore this Title of an Evangelist or Preacher can derive no supream Jurisdiction power to the Pope who seldom preacheth or any other in and over the Church of God since every Jesuit though not in Orders may preach This Liberty of preaching indulged by this Popes Bull to Lay-Jesuits in all places without controll hath been one cause of the growth of such Preachers during our late Confusions many of these disguised Jesuits having bin preachers among us of the prodigious increase of the Jesuites beyond all other Orders of the Roman Church through the extraordinary favours assistances of the Pope and King of Spain they being the most active Instruments to promote the Popes Vniversal Monarchy over the Church and Spaniards Universal Monarchy over the whole world worthy our special Observation Their Order Society by Ignatius Loyola his sollicitation the Founder thereof was first ratified by the Bull of Pope Paul the 3d. October 5. 1540. their Number at first not being above 15. or 16. increasing by Degrees was ordered not to exceed 60. at most but 3. years after the Pope left it free to Ignatius and his successors to admit so many as they pleased into their Society Whereupon they increased so exceedingly that Petrus Rabadeniera Anno 1608. and Aubertus Myraeus Anno 1620. published a Catalogue of the Number of their Colleges Houses Cells in all quarters of the world and of the fellowes of their Society therein besides their Novices and Scholars Their Domus Professae then within the compasse of 80. years announted to 21. their Colledges to 371. their Domus professae separatae to 43. their Houses and Residentiaries to 103. in all 538. and their Socii or Patres societatis in them to 13010. The Numbers of these Locusts being then so augmented that Claudius Aquaviva their General boasted That he could raise an Army sooner then any Christian King and in the time of the Venetian Interdict when Pope Paul the 8th was in some danger covenanted to raise him an Army of forty thousand men upon this condition that whosoever was slain in that war should be reputed a martyr In the year 1640. being their Jubile or 100. year from their Societies institution they published in print new Tables of their Houses Colleges Cells then printed at Antwerp with additions to the former wherein Ignatius was pourtrayed lying along on the ground with an olive-tree springing out of his Loyns as the root of Jesse spreading it self over all parts of the world Europe Asia Africa and America with the names of every Colledge House Cell in every leaf of this tree in the Province whether its branches extended they then amounting in the total to 935. Houses Colledges Cells and their Socii societatis in them to no lesse then 15591 their Scholars Novices and others admitted into their Society being ten times more in number Amongst these they enumerated no lesse then 15 private Houses Colledges Cells in Provincia Anglicana in the Province of England wherein they had then 267. Socii sociâ—tatis besides 4. Colledges of English Jesuites in forreign parts one of them in Rome it self another at Lovain another at Audomar in the Netherlands and the fourth at Valladolid in the Kingdom of Castel in Spain Moreover they had then in Ireland and elsewhere 8. Colledges of Irish Jesuites two of them at Salmantica and Compostella in Spain in Scotland some Residences of Scotish Jesuites who had besides two Colledges in forraign parts the one of them in Rome it self being so many seminaries or professed Traytors against our Kings Church State Ribadeneira a Spanish Jesuit informs us Collegia Seminaria Jesuitarum esse Hoereticorum exitia Apostolicae sedis
hominis et hominem sua causa Deum fecisse quam quod ex omnibus animantibus solus ita formatus est ut oculi ejus ad coelum directi facies ad Deum spectans vultus cum suo parente communis sit quasi porrecta manu allevatum ex humo ad contemplationem sui excitasse Propterea igitur coli se Deus expetit honorari ab homine tanquam Pater ut virtutem et sapientiam teneat quae sola immortalitatem parit Idcirco mundus factus est ut nascamur ideo nascimur ut agnoscamus factorem mundi ac nostri Deum ideo agnoscimus ut colamus ideo colimus ut immortalitatem pro mercede capiamus quoniam maximis laboribus cultus constat ideo praemio immortalitatis afficimur ut similes Angelis effecti summo Patri ac Domino in perpetuum serviamus et simus aternum Deo Regnum Haec summa rerum est hoc arcanum Dei hoc mysterium mundi Yea this is the sum mysterie of all the Kings and kingdoms in the world instituted by God for these only ends that all the kingdoms of the world might thereby become the temporal kingdoms of God and of his Christ on earth and his eternal kingdom in heaven All these recited Fathers lived under Heathen not Christian Emperors Kings to whom they Addressed their Apologies Appeals Defences of the substance truth of the Christian Religion they professed under them as the highest powers on earth the properest Judges of Religion and bound in duty to protest both it and them in the true profession thereof When the Roman Emperors and other Kings became Professors Protectors and Propagators of Christianity the Fathers Councils Bishops Clergy and Christians under them thus set forth their Supremacy in and over all Ecclesiastical and Religious affairs persons as well as temporal To pretermit the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction attributed to and exercised by Constantine the Great the first Christian Emperor which I shall insist on in the First Chapter of the 2d Book Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria as he constantly prayed to God in publike for Constantius the Emperor though an Arrian with all expressions of Loyalty duty and dedicated a special Apology to him in Justification both of his faith and loyalty useth this expression therein If I were accused to others I would appeal to your Majesty as Paul did to Cesar but seeing they accuse me unto you ad quem a te appellare potero nisi ad Deum There being none paramount the Emperour to Appeal to neither Pope nor Council but God alone How this Emperor Constantius twice removed and banished Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria and Paulus Bishop of Constantinople from their Bishopricks and placed Gregory and George two Arrian Bishops in their Sees and how upon their Complaints and Appeals to his Brother the Emperor Constans reigning in the West who summoned their accusers to appear before him which they did they were restored to their Bishopricks by the advice and decree of the Council of Sardis Anno 350 summoned by both these Emperors Edicts at the requests of Athanasius and Paulus to hear and decide their cause referred to them by the Emperors and the special Letters of Constantius sent to Athanasius What Creeds or forms of Christian faith both the Arrian and Orthodox Bishops compiled in the Councils of Antioch Sardis Jerusalem Smyrna Millain Arimino and Seleucia all summoned by the Emperors Edicts presented to the Emperors for their approbations and ratifications as Supreme Judges Moderators in such cases are at large recorded in Socrates Scholasticus Ecclesiast Hist l. 2. cap. 7 to 44. Nicephorus Calixtus Eccles Hist l. 9. c. 20. to 44. Sozomen Eccles hist l. 2. Cent. Magd. 4. cap. 8. and sundry others to whom I referr the Readers for brevity sake Only I shall recite the memorable requests of the Orthodox Bishops in the Council of Arimino to the Emperor Constantius in their second Epistle to him Wherefore we humbly request your Majesty of your gracious Favour and wonted Clemency to accept this our Message That you admit no novelty to creep into the Church of God to the contumely of such as are already departed this life but that you grant us your license and lawfull favor firmly to persevere in those things which our Ancestors have decreed in as much as it is evident to all men that whatsoever they did it was through well advised counsel prudent consideration and the aid of the holy Ghost Also We humbly request that the exiled Bishops which wander in farre and foraign Regions grievously afflicted by reason of great years and the misery of want and necessity may by your safe conduct return home from exile to the end the Churches remain not desolate and desolate of their Bishops being thus farr asunder Last of all Our humble sute is to your Majesty that nothing may be diminished from or added to the Old and Antient Decrees but that all whatsoever have been observed unto this day through the godly procurement of your Father may henceforth be of force strength and virtue and that hereafter there may arise no molestation to us about those things and that you suffer us not to be banished our Churches c. Saint Hillary Bishop of Poictiers wrote thus to this Arrian Emperour Constantius not long after At hanasius in the Orthodox Christians behalf We beseech your Clemency to permit that the people may have such teachers as they like such as they think well of such as they chuse and let them solemnize the divine mysteries and make prayers for your safety and prosperity In which Book to this Emperor he acknowledgeth his Supremacy in and over all Ecclesiastical persons causes though he justly censures his force imposed on them in their Councils to make them vote against their wills and the Orthodox faith in behalf of the Arrian Hereticks The Godly Western Bishops assembled by this Arrian Emperor Constantius his Edict to the Council of Ariminum and there long detained by him from their Cures wrote two supplicatory Epistles to him from thence to dismisse them to their Bishopricks before the cold Winter approached In the first they thus petitioned them We beseech your Majesty that you cause us not to be banished nor stayed from our Churches but that the Bishops together with the people may live in peace and tranquillity and may humbly pray for your health kingdom and safety in which the Divine Majesty long preserve you Pro tua salute Imperio prolixo So Nicephorus renders it but others thus Supplicantes Deo pro pace tui Imperii pariter et salutis quam tibi Dominus in perpetuum largiatur They concluded their second Letter to him with this Supplication For this cause we beseech your Clemency the second time most religious Lord and Emperor that you command us to depart to our Churches if it so please your Godlinesse before the sharpnesse of Winter come That we
reverentiam primum Ecclesiae Catholicae deinde etiam legibus vestris deferre jubeatis ut vos Deo praestante triumphetis qui paci Ecclesiarum quietique consulatis S. Chrysostom writes of the Emperor that he is Summitas et Caput omnium hominum super terram Therefore of the Pope and Bishops Parem non habet ullum super terram That the Church powred out prayers morning and evening to God for Kings and Emperers by Gods command 1 Tim. 2. In his Lyturgy he hath special Collects Pro Augustissimis et Deo-deditis Regibus nostris And he gives us this account of the duty of a King Nam is demum vere Rex est qui iram qui invidiam qui voluptatem cohibens omnia sub Dei Lege agit mentem liberam servans neque patiens voluptatum dominationem animo suo imperitare Talem equidem Regem libens viderem et populis et terrae et mari et Civitatibus et exercitibus jura dantem Quisquis enim animi affectibus rationem Magistram praefecerit is parvo admodum negotio ex hominibus una cum divinis legibus praefeci possit ut eundem patris loco subditi habeant cum omni mansuetudine Civitatibus consuetudinis suae copiam facientem Qui vero hominibus imperare quum videatur irae tamen avaritiae voluptibus servit hic primum subditis suis ridiculus videri possit hoc ipso quod Coronam quidem gestat gemmis auroque intertextam temperantiae vero corona minime insignis est purpureo quidem paludamento toto corpore fulget animum autem inornatum habet Synesius in his Book De Regno dedicated to Arcadius the Emperor Resolves Religio autem et pietas firma imperatoris et regis hasis subjiciatur in qua stabile atque inconcussum simulacrum perstet nec unquam basi firmiter insidens ulla vis tempestatis excutiat Illa vero una et ascendet et pluribus in locis apparebit potissimumque in vertice residebit Inde sermonem exorsus primum omnium Regem duce et principe Deo ipsum sui ipsius Regem censeo esse oportere Rex autem id experatum habet Deum sibi sufficere Regia dignitas Monarchiam amabilem fecit eamque divinum inter homines bonum Plato appellat Idem autem ipse quod divinae sortis est particeps omni fastu docet arrogantiaque vacare oportere Neque enim Deus quasi scena seipsum ostentans aut prodigiis monstrosus editis sed tacita quasi via gradatim intendens juste humanas res moderatur iisque omnibus adesse paratus quae natura sunt ad participandum idonea Hoc modo Regem sentio commune omnibus bonum nec insolentem esse debere St. Augustin Bishop of Hippo records That the Donatists being condemned by an Assembly of Bishops in Africa appealed for relief to the Emperor Constantine who by special Commission appointed Miltiades then Bishop of Rome and others to be Judges of the Controversy Who being condemned before the Pope and other Delegates they appealed again from their sentence to the Emperor who thereupon turned them over to be judged by the Bishop of Arle in France with others Who passing sentence of condemnation against them likewise they thereupon appealed in the last place to the Emperors own person complaining of the partiality of the Bishop of Rome and of Arle in their former sentences at whose hands they could find no Iustice In the end they were heard and condemned by the Emperor himself then found themselves also grieved with his definitive Imperial sentence condemning his judgement as they had done the former Hereupon St. Augustine thus replyed upon and answered them An forte de Religione non est ut dicat Imperator vel quos miserit Imperator Cur ergo ad Imperatorem Legati Vestri venerunt Iudex eligitur Imperator Iudicans contemnitur Imperator Therefore St. Augustine condemned them as did the Emperor and all others for impudent perverse Wranglers who would not submit to any Judgement or order crying out against them Quid amplius vultis homines quid vultis amplius In which passages there are sundry memorable particulars 1. That the schismatical Donatists themselves appealed to the Emperor Constantine against the sentence of an whole Assembly and Council of African Bishops as paramount them 2ly That the Emperor by his Commission made Pope Miltiades not alone but with other Bishops joynt Commissioners to hear and judge this Cause by vertue of his Commission only not of his Papal or their Episcopal Jurisdiction which they accordingly pursued 3ly That they appealed against the sentence of the Pope himself and these Bishops as unjust to the Emperor as paramount them 4ly That he on the 2d Appeal delegateâ— the Examination of this Popes and his Colleagues Judgement to the Bishop of Arie and others which they confirmed 5ly That thereupon they appealed to the Temperors own personal and final Judicature who passed Judgement against them 6ly That though they disliked his Judgement yet they appealed not from it there being no Superior Judge in Ecclesiastical causes above the Emperor but God himself 7ly That both St. Augustine and the Donatists by their appeal reputed the Emperor the properest yea highest Judge in all Ecclesiastical causes controversies St. Aug. further relates That Felix Bishop of Aptingita a Donatist ad Constantini iussionem Proconsularibus gestis fuisse purgatum whereupon ait quidam of the Donatist Hereticks non debuit Episcopus Proconsulario judicio purgari quasi vero ipse hoc comparaverit ac non Imperator ita quaeri jusserat ad cujus Curiam de qua rationem Deo redditurus esset res ea maxime pertinebat To which St. Augustin replyed Si criminis non est provocare ad Imperatorem non est criminis audiri ab Imperatore Ergo nec ab illo cui causam delegaverit Imperator c. His resolution therefore was that the purgation of a Bishop belonged specially to the Emperors charge though a meer Ecclesiastical matter The same Father informs us That this Emperor made severe Lawes against these heretical and schismatical Donatists to suppresse their errors schisms meetings which being duly executed reclaimed many of them from their heresie and schism Upon which experience S. Augustin altered his opinion concerning the unlawfulness of punishing Hereticks with corporal punishments or death to reclaim them In his Enarratio in Psal 134. He resolves Rex in omni gente prior est quoniam Rex ducit populus sequitur De Civitate Dei lib. 19. c. 26. Ad Paulinum Episcopum lib. Enarratio in Psal 118. He proves at large from Mat. 22 17. Luke 13. 1. Tim. 2. That all Christian whatsoever ought to be subject to Kings to pay tribute to and pray for them though heathens and persecutors In his Enarratio in Psal 137. on these words Confiteantur tibi Domine omnes Reges terrae
inquisitionem haberi c. assumpta sibi authoritate propria neque a Canonibus neque vestris edictis sibi concessa convertit ad omne deordinationis et iniquitatis genus c. Proinde obsecramus et oramus ut vestra Majestas quamprimum religioni quae impugnatur subsidium ferat et celerem correctionem imponat illorum insaniae et tyrannidi quae quasi turbo ad Haereticam perfidiam audaciores corripit Iustum enim est ut vestra pietas Persidis et earum quae inter Barbaros sunt Ecclesiarum curam gerens Ecclesias etiam quae sub Romanorum principatu turbantur non despiciat The Orthodox Bishops on the contrary writ for the restitution vindication of St. Cyril and Memnon to these Emperors Supplicamus igitur Regiae vestrae Deoque dicatae Majestati ut sanctissimos et Deo dilectissimos Episcopos Cyrillum Memnonem Sanctae Synodo restituatis nequaquam a Canonibus condemnatos c. et ut patrocinium orthodoxae fidei quam hactenus et semper custodire sategistis So that both the Orthodox and Heretical Bishops in this Council acknowledged this Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction by all these passages to be in the Emperors and Kings not them In the year 433. Pope Sixtus the 3d. was accused to the Emperor Valentinian for defiling Chrysogonia a consecrated Virgin by one Bassus a Presbyter who thereupon commanded a Synod to be summoned to examine the accusation where this Pope appearing cum coram Synodo 56. Presbyterorum causam dixissset cum magna examinatione in the presence of Valentinian judicio Synodico purgatus est et condemnatus Bassus a Synodo Bassus Valentiniani jussu in exilium pulsus est Lo here this Pope himself is 1. accused to the Emperor for Ecclesiastical offences by a Priest as the Supream Ecclesiastical Judge 2. The Emperor causeth a Synod to be summoned to hear and examine the cause which he referrs unto them 3ly This Pope thereupon appears before this Synod and in the Emperors presence pleads his cause purgeth himself and is acquitted by their Sentence 4ly His accuser is condemned and banished by the Emperor who approved their Sentence I find in Surius De purgatione Sixti Papae 3. this Narrative That when the businesse was fully examined in the Synod Levavit se Augustus ac dedit in arbitrio Sexti Episcopi judicare judicium suum Et discesserunt cum Augusto omnes An Argument of his Supream Judicature even in Synods There is extant a Letter of this Popes in Gratian directed Omnibus Episcopis requiring an account of this difference and the proceedings therein to whom he returned this answer Mandastis ut scriberem c. Scitote me criminari a quodam Basso injustè me prosequi quod audiens Valentinianus Augustus nostra instead of sua authoritate Synodum congregari jussit et facto Concilio cum magna examinatione satisfaciens omnibus licet evadere aliter satis potuissemus suspicionem tamen fugiens coram omnibus me purgavi scilicet a suspicione et aemulatione me liberans Sed non aliis qui noluerint aut sponte hoc non eligerint faciendi formam dans On which Bartholmeus Buxiensis and Dr. Thierry to extenuate the matter and exempt Popes from all Judicatures make this Glosse Valentinianus Synodum congregavit in qua Papa sponte se purgavit non dans formam caeteris successoribus suis sic se purgandi si noluerint Mandastis Mandat his minor majori nam praecarium verbum est Potuissem aliter evadere Quia Papa a nulo potest judicari nec etiam ab universali Concilio preterquam in haeresi But whether these proceedings and Historians do not directly contradict this Gloss and Popes extenuation of his trial let all men judge Finally these very Glossers propound this question Nunquid Papa potest Imperatori potestatem dare ut deponeret ipsum Resolving it affirmatively Sic in Haeresi de consensu Cardinaliam imo in omnibus se potest subiicere se And if the Pope himself may give the Emperor such a power why may not the Emperor exercise it without his gift by his inherent Imperial Jurisdiction as Gods Supream Vicegerent upon earth as here he did especially in case of heresie into which some Popes have fallen It is storied that Pope Liberius was summoned to come from Rome and appear at Constantinople before the Emperor Constantius for defending Athanasius condemned and excommunicated by the Council of Tyre and the whole world who thereupon appearing accordingly after a large discourse Liberius refusing to renounce his communion and justifying Athanasius his cause was by the Emperors sentence banished to Berea in Thrace after three dayes respite given him to advise Whether he would subscribe against his communion and so return to Rome or go into exile In this conference he used these expressions to the Emperour Judicia quidem Ecclesiastica O Imperator summa cum aequitate fieri debent Quapropter si tuae Clementiae ita visum sit Iudicium haberiiubeto c. Then speaking for the Orthodox Bishops that were deprived he added Quapropter si placet iube Episcopos ad proprias sedes restitui though deprived by the Arrian Bishops in three Councils hereby acknowledging the Supream Ecclesiastical Judicature and power of depriving restoring Bishops for matters of Faith to be in the Emperor Liberius after two years exile upon the Petition of the Roman Matrons to this Emperor was restored to his See of Rome which Felix governed during his absence but with this direction in this Emperors Letters Vtrosque communiter inter se Ecclesiam illam regere Itaque lectis Imperatoris in Circo lit eris plebs clamat aequam esse Imperatoris sententiam Hereupon Ambobus porro Felici Liberio permissum est communiter sacra curare et munus Apostolicum administrare Qui quidem concordes fuere quicquid medio tempore accederat rerum adversarum tristium per amnestiam oblivionem absoluêre Sed paulo post Felix mortuus est solus Liberius Episcopatum administravit Quod sic Deus recte providit Ecclesiae ita ut decebat rebus consulens ne primaria Apostolorum sedes foedam illam et incommodam a duobus gubernata ducibus contraheret notam quae res ab Ecclesiae constitutionibus est aliena discordiamque ut plurimum conciliare solet write Nicephorus Sozomen and others This Pope Liberius before his return to Rome taedio exilii fractus et Imperatoris beneficio illectus Arrianis subscripsit et in omnibus cum Arrianus sensit praeterquam quod cum Catholicis sentiret haereticos ad fidem redeuntes non esse rebaptizandos which Baronius in vain denyes This Pope no doubt might be more justly removed banished deposed for his Heresie by the Emperor after his subscription and Apostacy than he was at first for his orthodoxy and friendship to Athanasius unlesse the
ut mei providentiam fieri et causam meam examinari praecipiatis Ego enim a puero eram in Monasterio dispensator omnium rerum nihil de Episcopatu cogitans neque rogans quemquam hujus gratia dignitatis Dum ergo essem in Monachorum providentia constitutus adstitit mihi repentè illius temporis Metropolitanus Episcopus cum provincialibus Episcopis me Paros ordinavit Episcopum de qua in scriptis dejectus est Athanasius ex gravissim is capitibus accusatus nec volens pro illatis sibi criminibus reddere rationem qui aliquando quidem Episcopatum repudiabat Frequenter vero citationes vocantium cum ad Synodorum judicium declinabat Is enim in Ephesina Synodo ex praecepto Alexandrini praesulis in meam Ecclesiam superingressus est ego praeter voluntatem meam ordinatus expulsus sum Et haec quidem ecta sunt habitatoribus illius civitatis dolentibus lugentibus meam expulsionem Supplico igitur et vestrae potentiae ut jubeatis meam causam sub praesentia vestrae pietatis examinari et placitum terminum dari ut et ego cum cunctis aliis consuetas orationes pro perpetua vestra potentia semper exolvam Piissimi atque victores Principes Salvianus Episcopus dictata et subscripsi et offero vestrae pietati Baeronicianus vir devotissimus Secretarius divini Consistorii legit This Cause and all the proceedings in it in two former Councils of Ephesus and Antioch were fully heard read and considered and at last referred by the Judges themselves to Maximus Bishop of Antioch to settle Salvianus in the mean time being to enjoy the Title of the Bishop of Paros and receive maintenance out of it I find in Evagrius but not in the Acts of this Council a like Petition from Eusebius Bishop of Dorileum beginning thus It behoveth your Majesties most noble and puissant Emperors to provide carefully for the quieting of all your loving Subjects and to defend from injuries all other men but especially the sacred Senate of Priesthood And herein the divine Godhead which hath granted unto you the rule and domination of the whole world is truly honored wherefore seeing the Christian faith and we our selves also have been oppressed and unjustly molested by extreme wrong by Dioscorus the most Reverend Bishop of the most Noble City of Alexandria we are now come unto your wonted Clemency to crave Iustice at your hands Then complaining of his and Flavianus Bishops of Constantinoples unjust depositions from their Bishopricks in the Council of Ephesus by the power and unjust practises of Dioscorus and accusing him of Blasphemy and Heresie he Petitions the Emperors on his bended knees that his Petition might by his Letters be referred to the Council that both their doings might therein by justly examined and indifferently heard before them and then certified to their Imperial Majesties to do them right By all which Petitions even of these Bishops themselves the Soveraign Authority of Christian Emperors and Kings in and over all Ecclesiastical causes persons and in matters of faith religion and final Right of Appeals to them from unjust Judgements given not only by Bishops but General Councils in the very case of deprivation of Bishops for Heresie and Ecclesiastical offences is so clearly set forth by words and actions that nothing can be more full and satisfactory The Emperor Leo by his Letters to all Metropolitans in the very beginning of his reign confirmed the Orthodox faith professed heretofore by his Predecessors yet notwithstanding the Heretical faction at Alexandria in the absence of Dionysius Captain of the Garrison elected Timotheus Aelius an heretick and oppugner of the Council of Chalcedon for their Bishop and barbarously slew Proterius their orthodox Bishop thrusting Timotheus into his place whereupon all the Bishops of Aegypt and Clergy of Alexandria by a supplicatory Epistle complained to this Emperor Leo the 1. of this outrage desiring Justice and redresse wherein they relate A superna gratia modo divinitus condonatus justè non cessas pro communi utilitate cogitare post Deum cunctorum venerabilis Imperator Quapropter omnis fortitudo verborum tuis vincitur actibus Nuper enim electus a Deo et purpura exornatus optimum judicasti propositum tuum magnum ostendere quem ipse omnium Creator elegit benignius initiis largitatem remunerando bonorum quando repentè in ipso principio voce vestra ex scripto procedente piissimo ad Sanctissimos Metropolitanos Episcopos inerumpibilem Ecclesiae Catholicae crepidinem roborasti et priorum omnium piiss imorumque Principum constituta pro Orthodora religione firmasti Insuper ea quae nuper a sanctae memoriae Martiano Principe nostro sancita sunt consona decernente nihil 〈◊〉 estis mercati quam pacem omnium stabilitatem reipublicae fraenantes linguas eorum qui adversus Ecclesias consurgunt et blasphemant Deum aut in cum quecunque modo delinquunt Injuria namque Dei manifesta est haereticorum alscindentium semetipsos à recta â—ide licentia Quapropter hoc optime sciens venâ—rabilis Imperator maligni prolem existere insidiantes quieti sanctarum Christi semper Ecclesiarum earumque immutilatam pacem consistere non scientes recte proviâ—â—â—â—rum tuam studuisti mox adhiberi ei per omnia resistentem QUOD EST OPUS PIISSIMORUM PRINCIPUM let Popes and Prelates observe it pro orthodoâ—a wfide pugnantium et resistentium 〈◊〉 malis extrinsecus venientibus ET ANIMABUS FIDELIUMADVERSANTIBUS Hunc igitur animum te possidente religiosum et tutorem humani generis tantumque circa Christum studium demonstrantem adimus ex nos importabilia mala passi licet peccatores Christi Pontifices Then relating their grievances the election of Timotheus the murder of Proterius the growth of heresie opposing the orthodox faith and violent thrusting them out of their Churches at large to the Emperor thus pray redresse from him as their only Supream Ecclesiastical Judge and Protector Sanciri praecipite ut expulsi sine calumnia ad suas Ecclesias in pace celebrantes pro vestra pietate solennes orationes cum quiete servari urbemque pariter et in ea sanctas Ecclesias constitutas ad Christi gloriam et salutem et perpetuitatem vestrae Christianissimae pietatis Literas dirigentes pro his quae poscimus ad magnificentissimum Dionysium Ducem necnon ad singularum provinciarum Iudices not to the Pope or any Clergy-men quatenus ea quae a vestra mansuetudine sunt sancita et servantur et effectui contradantur Hereupon this pious Emperor presently sent abroad his Letters to all the Cities Bishops and Churches under his Empire wherein he declares Votum quidem mei pietatis fuit universas orthodoxorum sanctas Ecclesias necnon et Civitates sub Romano Imperio constitutas maxima frui quiete nihilque contingere quod possit earum statum tranquillitatemque turbare c. Then
beata quiete dignatur oft stiling him holy blessed divine happy semper eum qui in sanctis est Justinianum dicunt 17ly Learned Dr. Crakenthorp gives this testimony of him There cannot be found in all Scripture more fair evidence nor a more authentick Charter for the happy estate of any one in particular that lived since the Apostles times then is for this Justinian For what were the works which did accompany and follow him Truly the works of sincere faith of fervent zeal to God of love to the Church and children of God the works of piety of prudence of justice of fortitude of munificence of many other heroical vertues with these as with a garment and chain of pure gold Justinian being decked was brought unto the bridegroom Every Decree made or ratified by him for confirming the truth every Anathema against Heresies and hereticks particularly those against Vigilius and all that defend him that is against Baronius and all that defend the Popes infallibility in defining matters of faith every Temple or Church every Monastery and Hospital every City and Town every Bridge Haven and Highway every Castle Fort and Munition whether made or repaired by him tending either immediately to the advancing of Gods service in strengthening the Empire against his and Gods enemies Every Book in the Digest Code and Authenticks every Title yea every Law in every Title whereby the Christian faith or Religion or preaceable order and tranquillity have been either planted or propagated or continued in the Church or Commonwealth all these and every one of them and many other the like which I cannot either remember or recount are like so many Rubies Chrysolites and Diamonds in the costly Garment or so many links in the golden chain of his faith and virtues Seeing they who offer but one mite into the Treasury of the Lord or give but one cup of cold water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall not want a reward O what a weight of eternity and glory shall that Troop of Vertues and Train of Good works obtain at his hands who rewardeth indeed every man according to their works but withall rewardeth them infinitely above all the dignity or condignity of their works I have the longer insisted in clearing Justinians Ecclesiastical Supremacy in matters of faith worship over all Ecclesiastical persons and Popes themselves with his piety as well as Regality in making collecting the forecited Ecclesiastical Laws because they are most punctual to my present Theam and most oppugned by Baronius Agapetus a famous learned Deacon of Constantinople in his Admonitorium to the Emperor Justinian hath these memorable passages Honore quolibet sublimiorem quanto habeas dignitatem O Imperator honora supra omnes qui hoc te dignatus est Deum quoniam juxta similitudinem caelestis Regni tradidit tibi sceptrum terrenae potestatis ut homines doceas justi custodiam Super omnia praeclara quae regnum habet pietatis cultusque divini corona regem exornat Sceptrum Imperii quam a Deo susceperis cogitato quibusnam modis placebis ei qui id tibi dedit quumque omnibus hominibus ab eo sis praelatus therefore above the Pope and all other Prelates magis omnibus eum honestare festina porro id ipse honestamentum arbitratur maximum si quasi te factos a se tuearis atque ut debiti solutionem benefaciendi munus adimpleas c. And he positively asserts Essentia corporis aequalis cuilibet homini Imperator potestate autem dignitatis cunctorum praesidi Deo nec enim habet in terris se quenquam altiorem oportet igitur ipsum ut Deum non irasci ut mortalem non efferri c. His Imperator non habet in terris se quenquam altiorem making much against the Popes Supremacy recited by Antonius Abbas in his Melissa the Roman Censurers in their Index Expurgatorius Romae excus Anno 1607. p. 200. and the Spanish Inquisitors in their Index librorum prohibitorum expurgand excus Madreti Anno 1612. in Agapeto p. 797. not deeming it expedient totally to expunge it are contented to yield the Emperors Supremacy in Temporals by adding this exposition of them in the Margin of future Impressions Intellige de Potestate politica seculari enough to subvert the Popes Secular Monarchy asserted by them and their flatteres when as Agapetus meant it of his Supremacy in Spirituals as well as Temporals as his precedent and subsequent words assure us against this false new marginal Glosse He adds Imperator ut est omnium Dominus therefore the Popes ita cum omnibus Dei servus existat his whole Admonitorium tends to prove that the advancement of Piety Religion and Gods Worship is and ought to be all Kings Emperors chiefest study care as well as honor and safety Pope Pelagius the 1. in his Epistle to King Childebert writes We must endeavour to declare the obedience of our succession unto Kings quibus nos even us who are Popes as well as others etiam subditos esse sanctae Scripturae praecipiunt to wit Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Chilpericus King of France accused Pretextatus Bishop of Rhoan for Theft Treason against him and divers other crimes for which he declared se de jure in eum agere potuisse but yet he summoned a Synod to examin and hear the cause because he would not seem to crosse the Canons whereupon a Synod being called at Paris Gregorius Turonensis Episcopus though a great favourer of Pretextatus thus ingenuously professed and told the King Si quis de nobis Episcopis O Rex Justitiae tramitem transcendere voluerit a te corrigi potest but if you transgresse them who shall punish you We speak unto you If you be willing you obey but if you be unwilling who can condemn you but he only who hath pronounced that he is iust Not the Pope nor a whole Synod of Bishops as this Bishop confesseth Pretextatus being convicted of the crimes by his own confession was thereupon apprehended imprisoned and afterwards banished by this King but recalled and restored by King Gunthram his Successor This King Gunthram summoned a Synod at Lyons against Salonius Ebredunensis Episcopus and Sagittarius Vaxiensis Episcopus who being complained against for drunkennesse whoredom and other crimes and convicted thereof were deprived of their Bishopricks and thrust into a Monastery as Prisoners by the King for a time Afterwards complaining to the King that they were unjustly injured by the Synod they petitioned him sibi tribui licentiam ut ad Papam urbis Romae accedere debeant Whereupon Rex annuens petitionibus eorum datis Epistolis eos abire permisit When they came to Rome and compâ—â—ined to Pope John of their misery and unjust removal he writ to the King desiring him to restore them which he did After which they falling into new crimes by bearing arms murdering and oppressing
ara vestri pectoris ejus invisibili Majestati mactatis Haec de piissimi animi vestri proposito Christianissime Augustorum efficaciter dici Dei gratia operante confidimus qua sola error omnis evictus est rectitudo Evangelicae atque Apostolicae fidei cum syncera charitatis copula apud cunctos Ecclesiarum Christi praesules obtinetur Then at large declaring his approbation of this general Synods Confession of Faith he thus closeth his Epistle Vicit novus David constantissimus Augustorum non in millibus solum nec enim generalem Evangelicae praeâ—icationis victoriam numerorum vinculis quisquam poterit comprehendere sed ipsum Principem hostem Ducem ac incentorem omnium malorum errorum Diabolum cum suis legionibus atque fautoribus per arma verae atque Orthodoxae Apostolicae traditionis confessionis extinxit Exulta nunc secura Sancta Mater Ecclesia de liberatate tua saepius impugnata sed non derelicta Suscitavit Rex tuus invictissimus Christianorum Principem propugnatorem tuum benefactorem tuum atque opulentissimum largitorem cujus studio Orthodoxa fides recollecto splendore toto orbe irradiat fideles omnes gratiam referentes exultant infideles maeror atque dejectio comprimit et confundit Ecclesiae Christi de cunctis oppressionibus liberatae respirant donis imperialibus confoventur principali praesidio muniuntur quibus et domesticis verbis augusta vestra benignitas Christum imitando pollicetur Ecce ego vobiscum sum usque ad consummationem saeculi ut Domini nostri Jesu Christi cujus exemplis utitur aterna ejus Regni perenni gloria patiatur in orbem terrarum generaliter atque perenniter ejus imperium dilatetur Piissimum Domini Imperium gratia superna custodiat et ei omnium gentium colla substernat Data Nonis Maiis indictione Decima As Pope Leo thus acknowledgeth applaudeth this Emperors care zeal to promote protect propagate the Orthodox Faith and professors thereof suppresse all Heresies and his supremacy in and over all Ecclesiastical persons and causes so likewise Mansuetus Archbishop of Millain with all his Clergy thus acknowledged the Emperors Ecclesiastical supremacy Hereditary descent and right to summon general Councils Domino Serenissimo atque Tranquillissimo a Deo Coronato Religiosissimo Constantino Imperatori Mansuetus Mediolanensis Metropolitanae Ecclesiae indignus Episcopus vel universa Sanâ—la Episcoporum fraternitas quae in hac magna Regia Vrbe convenit aeternam in Domino salutem Si apicem Imperialis fastigii et infulas sacratissimae potestatis avis et proavis vestris caelitus attributum cognovimus et pro meritorum actibus ad vos propagatum scimus dignum est his vos aequiperare vestigiis quorum et celsitudinem obtinetis Nec disparilia debent esse instrumenta coelestia ubi paria possidentur Sceptra Regalia Aemulari ergo oportet eorum Magisterium quorum documenta permanent salutaria c. Habes quippe probatissime Imperator specula in quibus tuas actiones imaginari debeas Then reciting the acts and piety of Constantine the Great in summoning the Council of Nice against the Arrians of Theodosius in convening the Council of Constantinople against Macedonius of Martianus Justinian the Emperors in calling the Councils of Ephesus Chalcedon and Constantinople against Eutiches Dioscorus and other Hereticks they subjoyn Haec Gloriosissime Princeps antiquorum Patrum statuta una cum consensu Piissimorum Imperatorum definita quae convelli vel infirmari nulla ratione pietas vestra permittat c. This godly Emperor Constantine deceasing before this Synod ended Justinianus the 2d his son succeeding him confirmed the confession of the Faith and resolutions of this general Council by his Divine Decree directed to Pope John the 5th wherein are these observable passages displaying his Ecclesiastical supremacy care of Religion the Orthodox Faith and his peoples souls and enjoyning not only the Patriarchs Archbishops Bishops Clergy but all his Military Officers Commanders Curators and civil Magistrates throughout all parts of his Empire to subscribe the confession of Faith therein accorded which were read before then subscribed by them in the Emperors presence Magnum studium magnam sollicitudinem nos habentes pro stabilitate immaculatae Christianorum fidei dehinc namque Clementissimum nostrum Deum adjutorem et susceptorem nostrae serenitatis esse confidimus adversus omnem inimicum Christo dilectae nostrae Reipublicae dum cognitum est nobis quia Synodalia gesta eorumque definitionem quam et instituere noscitur Sanctum Sextum Concilium quod congregatum est in tempore Sanctae memoriae nostri Patris in hanc a Deo conservandam Regiam Vrbem apud quosdam nostros Iudices remiserunt Neque enim omnino praevidimus alterum aliquem apud se detinere ea sine nostra piissima serenitate eo quod nos copiosos misericordia noster Deus custodes constituit ejusdem immaculatae Christianorum fidei sed mox addurimus nostros Patres Sanctissimos ac Beatissimos Patriarchas cum vesâ—rae Beatitudinis apocrisario et Sacratissimum senatum verum etiam Deo amabiies metropolitas et Episcopos qui hic in Regia Vrbe commorantur et deinceps militantes incolas Sancti Palatii necnon et ex collegiis popularibus et ab excubitoribus insuper etiam quosdam de Christo dilectis exercitibus tam ab a Deo conservando Imperiali obsequio quamque ab Orientali Thraciano similiter et ab Armeniano etiam ab excercitu Italiae deinde ex Cabarisianis et Septensianis seu de Sardinia atque de Africano exercitu qui ad nostram pietatem ingressi sunt et Iussimus praefatas Synodalium gestorum Chartas in medium adduci et coram supradictis omnibus lectionem eorum fieri omnesque diligenter audientes signare ipsas fecimus eorum auditorum universitas in nostris manibus eas praebuit Chartas ut debeamus nos tenendo inviolatas conservare ipsas ut non licentia fuerit in quolibet tempore his qui timorem Dâ—i nolunt habere aliquid corrumpere aut submutare ab his quae inserta sunt in praenominatis Synodalibus gestis quas totas Chartas bene definitas in temporibus Sanctae memoriae nostri Patris ex probabilibus Sanctis Patribus qui propriae linguae et manuum fidem apud Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum verumque Deum existentem confirmasse dinoscitur et confitentes eam docuisse nos speramus Clementissimum nostrum Deum quia usque dum noster spiritus statutus est ex Deo esse in nobis ipsas Chartas illibaâ—as et incommutabiles semper conservabimus This whole General Synod in their Oration to Justinian inprimis pium Imperatorem use these expressions to him evidencing that God had specially raised him up to defend preserve propagate the Orthodox saith and that it was yea ought to be his first and principal
librariorum imperitia lectorum oscitantia interpretum inscitia incuria temporum depravatos ad amussim et veritatem fontis correxit Extat publicum Decretum ut Canonici libri tantum legantur in Ecclesia nec sinit in divinis Lectionibus templisque inter sacra officia inconditos solae cismos barbarismo que inconcinnos obstrepere in quibus quidam religiosuli nostra memoria sanctitatem collocant as Joannes Aventinus informs us All these particulars abundantly evidence the Supremacy of Charles the Great and Ludovicus his sonne both as Kings and Emperors in and over all Ecclesiastical persons causes and Popes themselves during their reigns and that the care protection propagation of Religion the Church and their peoples salvation belonged principally to and were managed by them as the chief branch of their Kingly office This Emperor Ludovicus Pius collected published sundry Ecclesiastical Lawes and Constitutions which he thus prefaced Omnibus vobis aut visu aut auditu notum esse non dubitamus quia genitor noster progenitores postquam a Deo ad hoc electi sunt in hoc praecipue studuerunt ut honor Sanctae Dei Ecclesiae et status Regni decens maneret Nos etiam juxta modum nostrum eorum sequentes Exemplum saepe vestram devotionem de his admonere curavimus et Deo miserante multa jam emendata et correcta videmus Vnde et Deo justas laudes persolvere vestrae bonae intentioni multimodas debemus gratias referre Sed quoniam complacuit divinae providentiae nostram mediocritatem ad hoc constituere ut sanctae suae Ecclesiae et regni huius curam gereremus observe it ad hoc certare et nos et filios ac socios nostros diebus vitae nostrae optamus ut tria specialiter Capitula et a nobis et a vobis Deo opem ferente in hujus regni administratione specialiter conserventur id est ut defensio et exaltatio vel honor sanctae Dei Ecclesiae et servorum illius congruus maneat et pax et Iustitia in omni generalitate populi nostri conservetur In his quippe maxime studere et de his in omnibus placitis quae vobiscum Deo auxiliante habituri sumus vos admonere optamus sicut debitores sumus Sed quanquam summa hujus ministerii in nostra persona consistere videatur tamen divina authoritate humana or sinatione ita per partes divisum esse cogoscitur Vnde apparet quod ego omnium vestrum admonitor esse debeo et omnes vos nostri adiutores esse debetis Nec enim ignoramus quid unicuique vestrum in sibi commissa portione conveniat ideo praetermittere non possumus quin unumquemque juxta suum ordinem admoneamus Sed quoniam scimus quod specialiter pertineat ad Episcopos ut primum ad sacrum ministerium suscipiendum justè accedant in eodem Ministerio religiose vivant tam bene vivendo quam recte praedicando populis sibi commissis it er vitae praebeant ut in Monasteriis in suis Parochiis constitutis sancta religio observata fiat unusquisque juxta suam professionem veraciter vivat curam impendant Omnes vos in hoc sacro ordine constitutos et officio Pastorali functos monemus atque rogamus ut in hoc maxime elaborare studeatis et per vosmetipsos et per vobis subjectos quantum ad vestrum ministerium pertinet nobis veri adjutores in administratione ministerii nobis commissi existatis ut in judicio non condemnari pro nostra vestra negligentia sed potius pro utrorumque bono studio remunerari mereamur Et ubicunque per negligentiam Abbatis aut Abbatissae vel Comitis sive vassi nostri aut alicujus cujuslibet personae aliquod vobis difficultatis in hoc apparuerit obstaculum nostrae dignoscentiae id ad tempus insinuare non differatis ut nostro aurilio suffulti quod vestra auctoritas exposcit famulante ut decet potestate nostra facilius perficere valeatis This pious King and Emperor employed Abbot Ansegisus to collect all his own his Fathers King Charls the Great and other his Predecessors Ecclesiastical Lawes made by the advice of their Nobles as well as Bishops scattered in divers Schedules into one Volume and to present them to him for the honour and good of the Church who accordingly collected digested them into several Books Chapters intituled Capitularia Caroli Magni Ludovici consisting of 7. Books and near 1600 brief Chapters or Constitutions besides 4. Books of Additions to them printed all together in Fridericus Lindebrogus his Codex Legum Antiquarum wherein are comprised all sorts of Laws Canons Constitutions relating to the Orthodox faith worship service of God Scriptures Sacraments all Ecclesiastical persons duties matters Christians whatsoever to whom he prescribed these Laws by his Royal authority corrected augmented by advice of his Nobles as the Titles to each Book declare and sundry penalties as having the principal care of the Church and people of God committed to him for which trust he was to give a strict account at the day of Judgement In his 7th Book cap 375 376. he thus ratified all the precedent Lawes Has omnes Constitutiones quas summatim breviterque perstrinximus sicut plenius in Canone continentur manere perenni stabilitate sancimus Si quis ergo Clericus aut Laicus harum sanctionum obediens esse noluerit si Clericus fuerit excommunicationi subjaceat Si vero Laicus fuerit honestioris loci persona medietatem facultatum suarum amittat fisci juribus profuturam si vero majoris loci persona est amissione rerum suarum multatus in exilio deputetur Quaecunque a Parentibus nostris diversis sunt statuta temporibus manere invâ—olata et incorrupta circa sacrosanctas Ecclesias praecipimus Nihil igitur a privilegiis immutetur omnibus qui Ecclesiis serviunt tuitio deferatur Quia temporibus nostris addi potius reverentiae cupimus quam ex his quae olim praestituta sunt immutari About the year 824. Lotharius both Emperor and King of Italy in the time of Pope Eugenius the 2d appointed Magistrates in Rome and through all Italy qui jus Romano populo dicerent eo quod libertate qua sub Carolo Magno Ludovico usi essent abuterentur statuit etiam juxta antiquum morem ut ex latere Imp. miterentur qui judiciariam exercentes potestatem justitiaÌ„ omni populo facerent tempore quo visum foret Impâ—ratori aequa lance penderent Yea he made this Law to prevent the tumults about elections of Popes Volumus ut ad electionem Pontificis nemo audeat venire neque liber neque servus qui aliquod impedimentuÌ„ inferat exceptis illis tantuÌ„ Romanis quibus antiqua fuit consuetudo per constitutionem Sanctorum Patrum concessa eligendi Pontificem Quod si
himself but upon all the Clergy Nunc quia Religionis amore studio Serenissimi Regis nostri Domini Hugonis congregati sumus quaerendum est quomed tanta infamia tacere possumus si frater coepiscopus noster Arnulphus illata crimina diluere queat vel crimen laesae Majestatis propulsare Scitis enim omnes nos insimulari probo infidelitatis perfidiae causa unius Si inquiunt justis Episcopi utuatur legibas si lissimique suis Regibus sunt cur hominem impurissimum suis legibus non puniunt nimirum aliorum flagitia adeo moliuntur celare ut impune liccat eis peccare Absit hoc ab hoc sanctissimo coetu vestro absit ut contra divinas ac humanas leges quenquam moliamur defendere vel 〈◊〉 re c. After which Siguinus said Non patiar discussionem fieri ejus quid citur Majestatis obnâ—xius nisi forte convicto Episcopo supplicii indulgentia promittatur citing 31. capur Toletani Concilii to this purpose who being seconded by Daibertus thereupon Herveus Episcopus replyed Si hoc periculosum est for Bishops to judge and condemn a Bishop as guilty of High Treason videte ne sit periculosius judicia Ecclesiastica deinceps a Secularibus non expectari Consequens enim est ad forensia Iura nos pertrahi si divinis legibus videmur in aliquo obniti At quomodo sine judicio relinquetur quod commissum esse constiterit vel cur contrae Principem nostrum causabimur si quod attingere non audebinus iudiciaria potestate conceditur After some debates pro contra Arnulphus his Oath of Algiance to the King which he had apparently violated was produced and publickly read in these words Ego Arnulphus gratia Dei praeveniente Remorum Archiepiscopus promitto Regibus Francorum Hugoni Roberto me fidem purissimam servaturum consilium duxilium secundum meum scire posse in omnibus negotiis praebiturum inimicos eorum nec consilio nec auxilio ad eorum infidelitatem scienter adjuturum Haec in confectu divinae Majestatis Beatorum Spirituum totius Ecclesiae assistens promitto pro bene servatis laturus praemia aeternae benedictionis Si vero quod nolo quod absit ab his deviavero omnis benedictio mea convertatur in maledictionem fiant dies mei pauci et Episcopatum meum accipiat alter Recedant a me amici mei sintque perpetuo inimici Huic vero chirographo a meâ— edito in testimonium benedictionis vel maledictionis meae subscribo fratresque filios meos ut subscribant rogo Ego Arnulphus Archiepiscopus After much debate Arnulphus his Advocates were called into the Synod to make his defence who principally insisted on the Decrees of Pope Damasus Pope Stephen Sixtus Iulius Symmachus Eusebius Adrian Fabian and Anacletus which were all read to this effect Quod Episcoporum judicia non aliter quam authoritate sedis Apostolicae sunt terminanda and that no Clerk ought to accuse or be heard against his own Bishop To which was answered That Hildemannus Beluacensis Episcopus Ebo Remorum Archiepiscopus were imprisoned in Monasteries by Ludovicus the Emperor and deposed by a Synod without the Popes privity consent or leave first obtained That King Huge and his Bishops of the Province of Rhemes had voluntarily complained to Pope Iohn of Arnulphus his treasons demanding his advice how to proceed against him in this new case who delayed or refused to return his resolution therein therfore they might justly proceed against him without the Popes advice That Popes were now so infamous scandalous ignorant c. That they were unfit to be Judges in any case and other inferiour Bishops of greater knowledge and holinesse fitter to be their Judges and all Bishops their equals I shall recite King Hughs Letter to the Pope desiring him only to inform him being ignorant how to proceed and what Judgement to pronounce against Arnulphus his treasons therein recited Beatissimo Papae Iohanni Hugo gratia Dei Francorum Rex Novis atque inusitatis rebus permoti summo studio summaque cura vestra consilia expetenda decrevimus quippe cum sciamus vos omne tempus in divinis ac humanis studiis exigisse Considerate ergo quae facta sunt facienda praescribite ut sacis legibus suâ—â— honor reddatur regalis potestas non annulletur Arnulfus Regis Lotharii ut dicunt filius post graves inimicitias ac scelera quae in regnum nostrum exercuit loco parentis adoptatus est a nobis ac Metropoli Remorum gratis donatus jusjurandum praebuit quod contra praeterita futura valeret Sacramenta Libellum Chirographi conscripsit recitavit corroboravit corroborarique fecit Milites ac omnes Cives jurare coegit ut in nostra persisterent Fide si ipse aliquando in potestatem hostium deveniret Contra haec omnia ut certissimi testes sunt ipse portas hostibus patefecit Clerum ac populum suae fidei creditum captivitati praedae distribuit Sed esto eum esse addictum alienae potestati ut ipse videri vult â—ur Cives Milites pejerare cogit Cur arma contra nos comparat Cur urbem ac Castra contra nos munit Si Captus est cur non patitur liberari Si vi hostium oppressus quare non vult sibi subveniri Et si liberatus est cur ad nos non redit Vocatur ad Palatium venire contemnit Invitatur ab Archiepiscopis nihil se eis debere respondet Ergo qui vices Apostolorum tenetis statuite quid de altero Iuda fieri debeat ne nomen Dei per nos blasphemetur ne forte justo dolore permoti ac vestra taciturnitate urbis excidium totiusque provinciae moliamur incendium nec judici Deo excusationem praetendetis si nobis quaerentibus atque ignorantibus formam Iudicii dare nolueritis This Letter makes not the Pope the sole Judge of this Archbishop or his cause but only craves his advice how this King might proceed against him in this new case So did the French Bishops Letter to him sent along with it to this effect Domino Reverendissimo Papae Iohanni Episcopi Remorum Diaeceseos Non sumus nescii Beatissime Pater jamdudum opportuisse nos expetere consulta sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae pro ruina atque occasu sacerdotalis ordinis sed multitudine tyrannorum pressi longitudine terrarum semoti desideria nostra hactenus implere nequivimus Nunc itaque vestro examini non sine magno dolore perferimus novum atque inusitatum crimen Arnulfi Remorum Archiescopi qui famosus Apostate factus locum Iudae traditoris olim in Ecclesia tenet qui filius quondam Ecclesiae Laudunensis cum Episcopum suum dolo fraude ceperit Ecclesiam ejus pervaserit ad cumulum suae damnationis Remensem Ecclesiam sibi creditam cum Clero populo captivavit
Imperatorum et in quorum tutela essent metu et reverentia in officio manserunt Wherefore it was very necessary at least expedient for the good government reformation of Popes Prelates and the Church of God that Christian Kings and Emperors should have a Superintendent coercive power over them to keep them all in good order to restrain correct their detestable Enormities and exorbitances especially since Wernerus a Carthuâ—â—an Monk writing of this degenerate age and Popes therein pronounceth Sanctitatem Papam dimisisse ac ad Imperatores accessisse hoc tempore sicut Clare apparet and Genebrardus records Hoc seculum uno infelix quod per annos fâ—re 150. Pontifices circiter 50. a virtute majorum prorsus defecerint Apotactici Apostaticive potius quam Apostolici And could such Monsters of men and Apostates from the life and faith of Christ be his Universal Vicars over his Church on earth and not rather those pious Christian Kings Emperors who punished their excesses Pope John the 19. adjutore Diabolo cujus tum erat Papatum dare Sylvestro mago ac Satanico monstro successit in Romana sede but with some contest Certamen enim fuit as Benno Cardinalis and others record inter ipsius Sylvestri discipulos necromantes dum quisque anhelaret ad rapiendum sibi Papatum This Pope by the perswasion of his Clergy Romanum populum Pontificis electione privavit adjectis his clausulis Docendus Ducendus est populus non sequendus Major est dignitas legis quae regitur Spiritu sancto whereby these Popes were not ruled but by the unclean Spirit the Devil quam legis secularis Leges Imperatorias nihil esse dicebat But by a divine retalation his Papal authority was so much slighted that Veneno a suis domesticis sublatus est within 5. moneths after his consecration to make way for his successor Iohn the 20. qui prodig iosis artibus Satanici Papatus sellam occupavit A praedicto enim Sylvestro qui Magus diabolicus erat usque ad Gregorium septimum sceleratissimum nebulonem ac praestigiatorem iniquissimum famosi fuerunt incantatores Romani Pontifices omnes Jannem Jambrem Aegyptos Magos longe superantes as Benno Cardinalis Balaeus and others inform us This Pope totum se voluptatibus dedit during all his Papacy till at last by the practice of such who aspired after his Papal See non sine veneni suspitione expiravit Anno 1009. Earl Rodulph a near neighbour to Fulbertus Bishop of Carnotum about the year 1007. res Ecclesia Carnotensis per injustam occasionem invasit unum de Clericis suis manibus interfecit duos alios captos Sacramento illigavit Et de his omnibus appellatus in Curia Regis upon the frequent complaints of Fulbertus coram plena Ecclesia saepe vocatus nec propter hominem nec propter Deum ad justitiam venire dignatus he was at last excommunicated by Fulbertus whereupon appealing to Pope John the 20. ad limina Sancti Petri contendit tanquam ibi possit accipere de peccaâ—â— absolutionem unde venire non vult ad emendationem Fulbertus on this occasion writ an Epistle to Pope John ut eum de sanguine filiorum tuorum ita arguere castigare memineris sic ut meritum esse tua prudentia novit Nec tua sanctitas injuste in communionem recipiat quem divina authoritas sicut Ethnicum alienat Unde bone pastor evigila evigila super nos ne per incuriam tuam grex Domini detrimentum sustineat Moreover Gaufridus Vicecomes building a Castle at Iseras within the Lands of St. Mary belonging to his Bishoprick bestowed on him by Robert King of France he appealed to this King by Messengers and Letters for advice and relief against these injuries to command them vestra regali auctoritate vivaciter imperando to redresse these injuries ne apud extraneum Regem vel Imperatorem quod absit compellamur a vobis exules noluisse vos vel non valuisse Sponsam Christi sanctam Ecclesiam vobis regere commissam intueri acknowledging the chief Government of the Church as well as protection to belong to the King not Pope within his Kingdom and that the conferring of Bishopricks and placing confirming Bishops in vacant Sces appertained to the King not Pope or Clergy as sundry of his Epistles evidence The Emperor Henry the 2d who ob eximium religionis studium Pii nomen sortitus est by his Imperial power about the year 1007. summoned two Synods not only of his Bishops and Clergy but likewise of his Nobles wherein himself was present sharply reprehending the Bishops in publick Orations to them for neglecting their duties and not rooting out and cutting off putrid Members with the sword of the Spirit lest they should corrupt the sound After which about the year 1016. Conventum Aquisgrani indicit ubi Episcopis et Principibus congregatis de republica quaedam tractata sunt after which certain Masses Fasts and Aâ—ms were prescribed to prevent Gods judgments then hanging over and inflicted on them for their sins to appease his wrath Anno 1017. Idem Imperator Naviomagi et Politicorum et Ecclesiasticorum coegit Senatum ubi inter caetera quaedam de restauranda religione quae jam ad interitum inclmabat deliberata constituta sunt Anno 1023. the same Emperor called another Synod at Salegunstat Selgenstat to compose the manifold differences and varieties of divine Offices Canons Customs in the German Churches which caused manifold dissentions and reduce them into one which they endeavoured to effect by 20. Constitutions whereof the 16. was this Vt nullus Romam eat nisi cum licentia sui Episcopi vel ejus Vicarii A sufficient evidence of this Emperors Supremacy in calling Synods and over all Ecclesiastical persons causes and in reforming corruptions in the Church and Clergy Pope Benedict the 8. a meer Layman magicis artibus ad Papatum pervenit by the assistance of Theophylact his Nephew He demanded no lesse them 100 marks annual rent cum equo albo phalerato to be reserved to the Church of Rome for consecrating the Cathedral Church of Bamberg from Henry the Emperor who built it After whose death ab aemulis Cardinalibus sede pellitur alius surrogatus factumque inde fuit schisma gravissimum Postea tamen per aureos nummos inita cum adversariis concordia pulso adulterino Pontifice in sedem restituebatur John the 21. Theophylacti Nepotis arte nefaria nullis adhuc initiatus ordinibus sacris Pontificatum est adeptus Hujus Theophylacti et aliorum Pseudo-sacrificulorum incantationibus maleficiis omnia tunc Romae ad Satanae nutum regebantur Theophylactus enim Sacrificiis Daemoniorum in sylvis et montibus deditus mulieres post se currere faeiebat quas magicis artibus ad sui amorem coegerat This Pope was so vexed
hic c. Christi Ministri sciant Apostolatum non esse Dominium sed summae Humilitatis Ministerium ut ponant animas pro fratribus suis And if this be not sufficient he thus quite subverts the foundation of Peters and the Popes Supremacy Christus super seipsum videlicet firmam petram suam aedificat Ecclesiam Et mutato nomine Petrus à petra denominatum per quod significatum est quia cunctis super illud fundamentum quod est Christus aedificantur juxta Prophetam vocandum sit nomen novum quod os Domini nunciavit And what that name is St. Peter himself defines 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. Ad quem accedentes quasi ad lapidem vivum ipsi tanquam lapides vivi the same with Peter superaedificamini domus spiritualis c. This Antichristian Pontiff dying of a feaver Anno Domini 1125. Lampertus Bishop of Hostia ambitione quorundam potius quam bonorum consensu arte magis astutia Leonis Frangepanis potentissimi Civis quà m cordatorum hominum suffragiis magna equidem contentione in Pontificem electus erat à populo the Cardinals electing creating Theobald Cardinal of St. Anastatia Pope calling him Coelestine against whom Lambert prevailing by Leo his power took upon him the name of Honorius the 2. cum potissimorum in Curia Romana judicio tanto censeretur dignus honore omnibus ejus superbissimis regni titulis insignitus His Papacy was more peaceable them his predecessors Omnibus enim terribiles erant Romani Pontifices excommunicationâ—s fulminae qui sibi adversantes ipso etiam Imperatores egregie compescere poterant But yet though the Emperor having quitted the right of Investitures as aforesaid durst not to claim or assert yet the Kings of England and France did strenuously exercise assert Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over Bishops and their Churches and collated to all Ecclesiastical Dignities notwithstanding Calixtus Decrees as is evident by these memorable Passages in the Epistles of Hildebertus Caenomanensis Episcopus flourishing in that age who thus complained of H. 1. King of England Epist 19. Longum est enarrare quà m constanti tyrannide Rex Angliae in nos faevierit qui temperantia Regis abjecta decrevit non prius Pontifici parendum quà m Pontificem compelleret in sacrilegium quia etenim turres Ecclesiae nostrae dejicere nolumus transmarinis subjiciendi judiciis coacti sumus injurias pelagi sustinere singularem scilicet molestiam itineris atque unicam totius humanae compaginis dissolutionem Tantis igitur agitati turbinibus ad Apostolorum limina decrevimus proficisci magnum novae tribulationis arbitrati remedium si Romanus Pontifex nobis consilio subvenerit auxilio After which he being made Archbishop of Towers and taking upon him to dispose of the Deanery Archdeaconry Prebendaries thereof without and against the King of France his assent in obedience to Pope Paschals and Calixtus forecited Decrees the King thereupon confiscated his Churches temporalties whereof he thus complained in his 67. Epistle to this new Pope Honorius the 2. Quantis tribulationum turbinibus Turonensis agitatur Ecclesia vestram venerande Pater latere non credo sanctitatem Adhuc enim Francorum Rex innocentiam meam tantum persequitur odio ut traducar in gravamen Ecclesiae quod constate esse Sanctuarii fisco ascripsit Tota quoque terra ipsius ita mihi his qui mecum sunt in Domino suspecta est clausa ut nec ego nec illorum aliquis in ea pedem ponere audeant His aliisque permor angustiis quia zelo zelatus sum legem Domini Dei quia non sum transgressus terminos quos patres nostri posuerunt quia dignitates Ecclesiasticas nec ex Regis praecepto disposui nec ei disponendi facultatem indulsi Sciens enim quia Oportet magis Domino obedire quam hominibus personas elegi quae in exequendis Ecclesiae negotiiis Pondus diei portant aestus Alteri igitur Archidiaconatum alteri Decaniam dedi c. Haec idcirco vobis Pater sancte scripsi quatenus si quis aliud Sanctitati vestrae de praefato retulint negotio vos ipsam cognoscatis veritatem Not by way of Appeal And in his 75 Epistle he complains That not so much as one of his Friends defended his or his Churches cause with the King of France to procure their peace Silent amici silent Sacerdotes Jesu Christi denique silent illi quorum suffragio credidi Regem mecum in gratiam rediturum c. ne sagittas suas in sene compleret Sacerdote ne sanctiones Canonicas evacuaret ne persequeretur cineres Ecclesiae jam sepultae c. Although this Bishop complained thus of these Kings to this Pope and others yet he declaimed more bitterly against the Corruptions of the Pope and Court of Rome in one of his Epistles omitted in the Jesuites Edition of their Bibliotheca Patrum Romani sunt quos timent qui timentur Hi sunt quos haec peculiariter provincia manet inferre calumnias deferre personas afferre minas auferre substantias Hi sunt quorum laudari audis in otio occupationes in pace praedas inter arma fugas inter vina victorias Hi sunt qui causas morantur adhibiti impediunt praetermissi fastidiunt admoniti obliviscuntur locupletati Hi sunt qui emunt lites vendunt intercessiones deputant arbitros judicanda dictant dictata convellunt attrahunt litigaturos protrahunt audiendos trahunt addictos retrahunt transigentes Hi sunt quod si petas nullo adulante beneficium promittunt pudet negare paenitet praestitisse Hi sunt qui negant reverentiam Clericis originem Nobilibus consessum prioribus congressum aequalibus cunctis jura Nullum illis genus hominum ordinum temporum cordi est In foro Scythae in cubiculo viperae in convivio scurrae in exactionibus harpyae in collocutionibus statuae in questionibus bestiae in tractatibus cochleae in contratibus trapezitae Ad intelligendum saxei ad judicandum lignei ad succensendum flammei ad ignoscendum ferrei ad amicitias pardi ad facetias Vrsi ad fallendum Vulpes ad superbiendum Tauri ad consumendum Minotauri Spes firmas in rerum motibus habent dubia tempora certius amant ignavia pariter conscientiaque trepidantes Cum sint in praetoriis Leones in castris lepores timent foedera ne discutiantur bella ne pugnent Quorum si nares afflaverit rubiginosi aura marsupii confestim videbis illic occulos Argi manus Briarei ingenium Sphyngis In his 82 Epistle to Pope Honorius the 2. he thus declaimes against Appeales to Rome Honorio Deigratiâ Excellentissimo Reverendissimo Patri suo Sanctaeque Romanae Ecclesiae Summo Pontifici H. humilis Turonum Minister debitae integritatem obedientiae Philosophus ait colere officis non exasperare verbis oportet potestatem
est jam dicere ut populus sic sacerdos quia nec sic populus ut sacerdos Heu heu Domine Deus quia ipsi sunt in persecutione tua primi qui videntur in Ecclesia tua Primatum diligere gerere Principatum Arcem Syon apprehenderunt munitiones universam deinceps libere potestativè tradunt incendio Civitatem He alludes to Pope Calixtus conquest of the Emperor and wresting Investitures and Ecclesiastical preferment out of his hands under pretext of Simony that he and his successors might bestow them gratis on the best deserving Clergymen but it fell out quite contrary as his next words import Misera eorum conversatio plebis tuae miserabilis subversio est atque utinam hac parte sola nocerent Esset fortè qui Dominica praemonitus praemunitus exhortatione daret operam ipsorum non exempla imitari sed observare praecepta juxta illud Quae dicunt facite ad opera eorum nolite respicere Nunc autem dati sunt sacri Gradus in occasionem turpis lucri et quaestum aestimant pietatem Copiosissimae si quidem pietatis inveniuntur in suscipienda immo accipienda magis animarum Cura sed haec apud eos cura minor et de animarum salute novissima cogitatio est An vero Salvatori animarum gravior ulla esse poterat persecutio Inique agunt caeteri contra Christum multique sunt nostris temporidus Antichristi Meriâ—ò tamea crudeliorem eam censct persecutionem pro acceptis beneficiis graviorem sentit pro potestate quà m propriis sustinet à Ministris licet alii quoque multi contra proximorum salutem multiphariè multisque modis variis occasionibus agere videantur Agnoscite dilectissimi expavescite consortia eorum qui suggestione maligna exemplo pernicioso scandali occasione salutem impediunt animarum Horrendum penitus Sacrilegium quod ipsorum videtur excedere facinus quo Domino Majestatis manus Sacrilegos injecerunt Haec videt Christus silet Haec Salvator patitur dissimulat Proptereâ— dissimulemus nos quoque necesse est sileamus interim maximeque de Praelatis nostris magistris Ecclesiarum Sic nimirum sic placet et impiis ut evadant nunc humana judicia veniatque semel ejudicium grave his qui praesunt et potentes patiantur tormenta potenter How corrupt unjust and dishonourable this Pope Honorius and the Court of Rome were in their proceedings St. Bernard thus informed both himself and the world in several of his Epistles to him and Haimericus Chancellor of the Roman See Summo Pontifici Honorio pauperum Christi Abbates Hugo de Pontiniaco Bernardus de Claravalle quicquid potest peccatorum oratio Lachrymabilem Episcoporum imo totius Ecclesiae querimoniam nos quoque ejus filii si tamen digni dissimulare non possumus Quae vidimus loquimur magna siquidem nos necessitas de claustris ad publicum traxit ubi quod loquimur vidimus Tristes vidimus tristes eloquimur honorem Ecclesiae Honorii tempore non minime laesum Jam Regis flexerat iram humilitas vel potius constantia Episcoporum cum ecce a Summo Pontifice summa superveniens auctoritas heu dejecit constantiam superbiam statuit Scimus quidem id vobis per mendacium fuisse surreptum quod ex vestris literis palam datur adverti ut everti tam justum tamque necessarium interdictum juberetis Sed nunquid non vel tandem deprehenso mendacio mentitum se sentiret iniquitas sibi non tantae utique Majestati Est autem quod miramur qua nam ratione judicatum sit de parte abjudicatum absenti Quod tamen non temeraria praesumptione reprehendimus sed filiali amore paterno cordi suggerimus quantum ex hoc et superbit impius et incenditur pauper Caeterum quamdiu illum pati quantumve huic compati debeatis non est nostrum praescribere vobis Vos vestra hinc potius dulcissime Pater viscera consulite Valete The cause of which complaint is thus related in his next Epistle to this Pope written ex persona Gaufridi Carnotensis King Lewes of France for some pretended misdemeanor or just cause had seised the Temporalties of the Bishop of Paris who complaining thereof to the Archbishop of Sienna and his Suffragans excepta siquidem tam modesta praedicti Episcopi querimonia Senonensis Diocesis universi Episcopi una cum venerabili Metropolitano nostro ascitis etiam nobiscum quibusdam aliis Religiosis personis Regem super gravi injuria per nosipsos humiliter prout debuimus convenimus ut Episcopo nil quidem tale merito suâ— quae tulerat restitueret rogavimus nec impetravimus Sentiens tandem nos ad arma Ecclesiae pro Ecclesia velle confugere they interdicting his Land and threatning to excommunicate him timuit annuitque se omnia redditurum Sed in eadem forte hora supervenientibus Literis vestris quibus ejus terram ab interdicto absolvi praecepistis male in maium confortatus quod bene promiserat minime executus est Die tamen nominata qua id se rursum promisit executurum ejus nobis conspectui praesentantes sustinuimus pacem non venit quae sivimus bona ecce turbatio Hoc denique literis vestris factam est ut male ablata pejus teneantur et reliqua passim indies rapiantur eo utique secure quo impune illa retinentur Soluto nempe ad vestrum imperium Episcopi justo ut putamus interdicto nostroque quando parabamus quo sperabamus pacem consequi vestro aeque timore uspenso interim facti sumus opprobrium vicinis nostris Quousque vestrae viderit pietatis compassio In two other Epistles he complains how much he was slandered misrepresented to this Pope and his Court at Rome yea persecuted for writing truth to them and doing well Etiamne pauperi inopi veritas odium parit ne ipsa quidem miseria declinare invidiam potest Sed hoc viderint fratres vestri qui contra legem maledicunt surdo maledictum propheticum non verentes dicunt bonum malum malum bonum Quid in me ô boni viri displicuit Paternitati vestrae c. Quousque durat illa sententia Omnes qui piè volunt vivere in Christo persecutionem patiuntur Quousque relinquitur virga peccatoris super sortem justorum Vtinam nuper non esâ—em ubi vidiisem adversum Ecclesiam Apostolica proh dolor auctoritate violentam armari tyrannidem quasi non satis per se insanisset Tuns demum sensi juxta Prophetam adhaerescere linguam meam palato meo cum subito pondus superjectum est nostris cervicibus atque irrefragabilis auctoritas literarum Obmutui humiliatus sum dolor meus renovatus est quoniam vidi repente ad illas literas impleri facies innocentium ignominia et laetari
ut resipiscant ab infidelitate et transeant ad fidem Hoc enim est bonum coram salvatori nostro Deo qui vult omnes homines salvos fieri ad agnitionem veritatis venire Especially Kings and Princes the principal instruments to draw others to salvation and the knowledge of the truth by their Examples and Edicts Pope Symnachus being accused of Adultery and other horrid facts to Theodoricus King of Italy Sancta Synodus apud urbent Romanam ex praecepto Gloriosissimi Regis Theodorici diversis â—â—regionibus congregata in Christi nomine est this King not the Pope summoning this Council even in Rome it self Cum ex diversis Provinciis ad urbem Romam convenire Sacerdotes Regia praecepisset authoritas ut de his quae de venerabili Papa Symmacho Apostolici sedis praesul ab adversariis ejus dicebantur impingi sanctum Concilium judicaret â—egitime Liguriae Aemiliae vel Venetiarum Episcopis consulendi Regem incubuit necessitas concerning this accusation Who coming into the Kings presence respondit praefatus Rer piissimus bonae conversationis affectu plura ad se de Papae Symmachi actibus horrenda fuisse perlata et in Synodo oportere si vera esset inimicorum ejus objectio judicatione constare Whereupon the Examination of his crimes being referred to this 4th some reckon it the 3d. Synod held at Rome and that by the Popes desire to purge himself as well as by the Kings precept the Pope entred into the Synod et de evocatione Synodali â—lementissimo Regi gratias retulit et rem desiderii sui evenisse testatus est Upon his accusation to the King he was suspended ab officio beneficio by this King untill he had purged himself At his first appearance before the Council he complained of this his suspension as illegal being not made by the Council but out of it and prayed to be readmitted and restored by the Council et ut omnia quae per suggestiones inimicorum suorum a parte Cleri vel aliquibus laicis amiserat potestati ejus legaliter ab honorabili Concilio redintegrarentur seu redderenter et tanti loci Praesul regulariter prius statui pristino redderetur et tunc non ante veniret ad causam et si ita recte videretur accusantium propositionibus responderet Digna res visa est maximo sacerdotum numero quae mereretur effectum decernere tamen aliquid Synodus sine Regia notitia non praesumpsit Whereupon the Synod sent to the King to know his pleasure herein Sed suggestionibus per legatorum negligentiam non meruit secundum vota responsum But contrary to the Synods desire and opinion Iussus est Regis praeceptionibus Papa Symmachus ante Patrimonii vel Ecclesiarum quas amiserat receptionem cum impugnatoribus suis in disceptatione confligere qui potestatis suae privilegia et quae pro conscientiae quantum juste aestimamus emendatione submiserat nec hac voluit vice resumere Whereupon it was thought meet that the Libel prepared against the Pope by his accusers qui quotidie seditionibus appellabant should be received by the Synod Which being received accordingly and read there appeared two things in it which seemed either false or repugnant to their Ecclesiastical power The one that his Crimes whereof he stood accused apud Regiam constitit notitiam were pending before the Kings own conusans which was false he having referred him to the Council The second that they could prove him guilty of the Crimes objected by his servants addentes ut ipse mancipia traderet quibus quantum illi disserebant posset in judicatione superari Quae res Canonibus ipsis publicis erat legibus inimica c. Et dam inter ista quae essent facienda tractabatur praefatus Papa ut causam diceret occurrebat Qui veniens abirruentibus turbis aemulorum suorum ita tractatus est ut multis Presbyteris qui cum ipso erant per cadem ipsam mortis fuisset occasio quod probat recentium adhuc vestigia vulnerum nisi illustris vir Comes Alegerius sublimes viri Gutela Vedecelsus Majores domus Regiae perspexissent quos secum unde egressus fuerat ad beati Petri Apostoli septa convexerat Upon these tumults and confusions the Synod reported the whole series of their proceedings to the King as Supream Judge iterum Nos ad Iustitiam contulimus principalem scientes vivinitare propitia regere Dominum quem ad gubernacula Itaâ—iae ipse providerat They informed the King Saepe nominatum Papam post caedem cui subjacuerat cum suis si voluntatem rursus haberet ereundi ad judicium fuisse commonitum but that he could not canonically purge himself without great dangers and that by reason of the tumults of his accusers who resisted justice he could not be compelled to answer against his will Ad haec serenissimus Rex taliter Deo adspirante respondit in Synodali esse arbitrio in tanto negotia sequenda praescribere nec aliquid ad se praeter reverentiam de Ecclesiasticis negotiis pertinere committens etiam potestati Pontificum ut sive propositum vellent audire negotium sive nollent quod magis putarent utile deliberarent dummodo venerandi provisione Concilii par in Civitate Romana Christianis omnibus redderetur Whereupon the Synod by vertue of this reference from the King thought best to proceed no further in the examination of the fact but to referre the cause to Gods judgement acquainting the Roman Senate with their resolutions and desiring them to consider quanta inconvenienter et praejudicialiter in hujus negotii principio contigissent That all men are sinners and have need of Gods mercy and that the examining of this cause would do more prejudice and dishonor then good to the Church Wherefore juxta mandatum Principis non discuterent but referr the whole cause to God the Judge of secret things and so acquitted him from the Articles exhibited against him as to men Vnde secundum Principalia praecepta quae nostrae hoc tribuunt potestati quicquid Ecclesiastici inter sacram Vrbem Romae vel foris Iuris est reformamus totamque causam Dei judicio reservantes universos hortamur ut sacram communionem sicut res postulat ab eo percipiant Dei animarum suarum meminerint quia ipse amator pacis est ipse Pax est qui monet Pacem meam do vobis c. From these memorable proceedings against this Pope it is most evident 1. That the Pope in this age was subject and submitted himself to the Judicature not only of the Emperor but of Thedoricus the Gothish King of Italy who removed Symmachus and Laurentius from the Papacie contending for it and placed Peter Altinat therin to appease the Schism till the cause between them was heard and to a Council of Bishops even for scandalous crimes objected against him 2ly