Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	christian_a	church_n	unite_v	1,404	5	10.2542	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

THE HISTORY OF Popedom Containing the RISE PROGRESS AND DECAY Thereof c. Written in High Dutch BY SAMUEL PUFFENDORFF Translated into English by J. C. LONDON Printed for Joseph Hindmarsh at the Golden Ball over against the Royal Exchange 1691. Imprimatur C. Alston October 2 d. 1690. To the Right Reverend Father in God HENRY Lord Bishop of LONDON Dean of the Chappel Royal and one of the Lords of His Majesties most Honorable Privy Council This TREATISE is most humbly Dedicated By John Chamberlayne CONTENTS Paragraph 1. POlitic Reflections on the Spiritual Monarchy of the Pope Par. 2. Of the Blindness of the Heathens in Matters of Divinity what they proposed to themselves by choosing the Paths of Virtue wherein their Religion consisted Par. 3. Of the Jewish Religion why other Nations did not embrace the Religion of the Jews Par. 4. That the Christian Religion is adapted to the humours of all People that it admits no Respect of Persons that it is not contrary to Civil Government that there is no other sort of Religion or Philosophy that can equal it why many of our Christians live like Heathens Par. 5. Of the External Government of Religion what is here to be understood by the External Government of the Christian Religion of the Ministry of the Church of the calling of the Apostles Par. 6. The Division of this Question that this necessity does not proceed from the nature of every Religion in general how the External Government of Religion was transmitted from the Fathers of the Family to the Sovereigns of each State Par. 7. That it is not inconsistent with the Christian Religion for the Sovereign to have the direction of it as to its External Government Par. 8. The First Progress of the Christian Religion the Divine Conduct in the Establishment of this Religion how the Jesuits Preach the Gospel to the Chineses why God called the Ignorant rather than the Wise and Learned Men. Par. 9. The Persecution of the Primitive Church the New Christians Slandered and Calumniated the Romans upon Reasons of State oppose their Religion the Roman Persecution condemn'd Par. 10. Of the Ancient Government of the Christian Religion Differences arising about Religion Terminated by Assemblies why the Authority of these Assemblies ought to be permitted under Heathen Emperours Par. 11. That the External Government of the Church by being lodged in the hands of the Primitive Christians has produced strange disorders that from hence some have supposed two Powers in the State that Ecclesiastics ought to receive their Call from the Sovereign of each State Par. 12. That it was not in Constantin's Power wholly to change the State of the Church how the Bishops and other the Ecclesiastics came to Vsurp the Sovereign Power that the Sovereign may preside in the Assemblies where Controversies are treated of the abuse of Councils Par. 13. The Jurisdiction of Bishops abused other Abuses concerning Marriages Ecclesiastical Discipline abused the Popes misuse the Power of Excommunication Par. 14. The Rise of the Popes Authority that Ignorance and the Barbarity of the Age contributed much thereto the causes of this Ignorance that ignorance help'd much to the Establishing of the Popedom the Introduction of Pedantry into the Schools that the Politiques of the Greeks and Romans were contrary to Monarchy two dangerous effects of the ignorance of Politiques Par. 15. Why the Monarch of the Romish Church has chosen Rome for the place of his Residence how the Pope Establish'd his Hierarchy of the Metropolitan Bishops how the Bishops of RomeVsurp'd the Preheminence Reflections on the Popes Power Par. 16. How the Pope came to Domineer o'er all the Western Part of the World of the Confirmation of Bishops by the Pope Decisions of the Pope Dispensations of the Popes Vicar in France of the Monk Winifred the Pope makes him his Vicar he advances the Grandeur of the Popes of the Annates the Popes annul the Decisions of Provincial Synods they force the Bishops to swear Fidelity to them Par. 17. The Riches of the Church and how first gotten the Avarice of the Church-men and divers effects thereof the Institution of the Crusado a stratagem of Popes Par. 18. Of the great number of Ecclesiastics the Original of Monks and other Religious Orders of the Multitude of Monasteries of the Order of Begging Friars why they chose that sort of Life the Reasons that induce men now adays to choose a Monastic Life that Monks have been very prejudicial to other Church-men that they alone hinder the Bishops from opposing the Pope 's Authority that a great many Bishops would be glad to shake off the Yoke of Rome that it is the Interest of Bishops to submit to the Pope Par. 19. How the Church has shaken off all Temporal Jurisdiction how the Bishops of Rome slipt their Neck out of the Emperours Collar Par. 20. The Pope implores the French Kings Protection against the Lumbards the French enter Italy they bestow the Exarchat on the Pope that the Popes did heretofore hold those Countries under them of the Emperour Par. 21. The Popes Establish an Ecclesiastical Sovereignty Pope Gregory Excommunicates the Emperour Henry the Fourth the Pope endeavours to Domineer o'er the Emperour a quarrel between the King of England and his Bishops that succeeding Emperours have in vain endeavoured to regain their lost Authority Par 22. The Pope exalts himself above all Temporal Powers the use he made of his Excommunicating Power how the Pope colour'd his usurpations the Pope takes upon him the cognisance of Matrimonial Affairs that the Pope allur'd the most knowing Men into his service the unbounded Ambition of Pope Boniface the Eighth Par. 23. The Popes find their Authority oppos'd that the great Schisms in the Church have much weakened their Authority the first Schism the second Schism the third Schism the fourth and last Schism that the Pope has not been able to Lord it over Councils the Confession of several Popes concerning the Authority of Councils that Popes have been Depos'd by Councils Par. 24. The removal of the Popes Seat from Rome to Avignon that it was prejudicial to the Pope 's Authority the Pope reduces to his Obedience the City of Rome the History of Caesar Borgia natural Son of Alexander the Sixth the Ecclesiastical State reunited to the Popedom Par. 25. That the Papal Authority receiv'd a terrible blow by the Doctrine of Luther the Virtues and Vices of Leon the Tenth of Indulgences Luther Preaches against them and against the Power of the Pope Par. 26. That Luther's opposition met with a seasonable juncture of the times the miserable State of Christendom at that time the ignorance of Luther's adversaries Erasmus favours Luther that his silence alone was very prejudicial to Luther's adversaries that the Princes of Germany were unsatisfied with the Pope why Charles the Fifth was willing that Luther's Doctrine should make some progress the Popes ill conduct in the Business of Luther the imprudence of Cardinal Cajetan

no man by submitting himself to any Civil Government does renounce the Care of his Body and Soul For otherwise if it had pleas'd God to have begun the propagation of his Religion from the Conversion of Kings and Emperors without doubt they would have seconded by their Edicts the Preaching of the Apostles abolish'd the Temples of their Heathenish Gods prohibited the Exercise of Paganism and by the Apostles Advice they would have assum'd and manag'd the external Direction of Religious Affairs and forever afterward have reserv'd it in their own hands as we find it put in practice in some Countries where the Christian Religion was first embraced by the Princes thereof Sect. 11. In the mean while the external Government and Disposition of Holy Things by the negligence of the Civil Magistrate being devolv'd upon the Primitive Christians was found too late to be of a very dangerous Consequence for from hence some have pretended to infer that the Election of fit Ministers and the Management of Church-Affairs does naturally and originally belong to the common People as they are understood in opposition to their Soveraign or Rulers 'T is true one ought not to force upon the vulgar a Minister whom they extreamly dislike especially if they have any probable reason of their aversion against him for such a man with all the Preaching in the World can never Edify his unwilling Auditors yet it does not follow from hence that the Mob have any original right thereto because they once enjoy'd it by provision whilest the Soveraign omitted the performance of his Duty and Function herein For otherwise it would have been as little in their Power to call and appoint Ministers in their Churches as it ever was to dispose of Civil Offices and Employs in the State Therefore if it happens that in this Country or another the common People have any Right or Privilege therein 't is to be understood that they enjoy it by the permission and connivence of their Soveraign whom we presuppose to be an Orthodox Christian There are some also who would from hence conclude That the external Government of the Church must necessarily be consider'd as something separate and distinct from the Supreme Civil Government and therefore ought to be Soveraignly Administred by the united Body of the Clergy or by some one chose from amongst them and that so in every Christian State there must needs be two Different and Independent Bodies of which one was be named the Body Politick and t'other the Body Ecclesiastick and both Soveraign and Independent of each other But this is absolutely false and it is most certain that that Power and Authority which was provisionally usurp'd by the People when that negligence of the Prince by which it was forfeited ceases does justly devolve again upon the lawful Soveraign nor does it follow that the Power which the Apostles had in the establishing the Church can be challeng'd by the Ministers of the Church now established for the Apostolary Function was something particular and different from the ordinary Church-Ministery as this is from the external Direction of the Church and therefore as one that is chosen for a Minister is not strait an Apostle so neither does a King in assuming the Government and Protection of the Church immediately become a Priest thereof Now tho' the Christian Religion is originally Divine and therefore not to be comprehended by weak Humane Intellects yet that does not hinder the King or whosoever is Supreme from the Direction and Administration thereof provided that he make use of the Counsel and Assistance of those men who are best vers'd in such Affairs From what has been now said we may likewise draw this conclusion that we are not oblig'd precisely to follow the Praxis of the Primitive Churches in relation to the external Direction of the Church or to observe it as a general Rule for Church-Government in those States where the Soveraign is an Orthodox Christian For that Praxis is wholly founded on the Circumstances of those times which can have no place in those States where both the Supreme Magistrates and the Common People are united in one Faith Why therefore should we make a Schism in the State when there is none in the Religion Sect. 12. Now tho' by the conversion of Constantine the Great to the Christian Religion the Church assum'd a New Form for as much as the Soveraign was then capable of Administring the Function of external Governour of the Church yet this could not be done so easily or commodiously as if the Soveraign had always from the beginning been Head of the Christian Church but there remain'd so many Relicks of the preceeding Provisional-Government that they afterwards occasion'd innumerable errours and abuses in the Western or Latin Churches Besides the People could not be brought to consent that the Emperours whom they as then look'd upon to be meer Novices in Matters of Religion should immediately acquire the Supreme Direction of Ecclesiastick Affairs in prejudice of the Bishops and Clergy who could not see themselves without a great deal of unwillingness and regret dispoil'd of so considerable an Authority Whereas the Emperours on the contrary their Subjects being mostly Christians were forced to depend on their Priests and caress them continually if they desir'd to have their Throne settled and themselves secure from falling To which Reason we may add That the first Christian Emperours having as yet in their Service a great many Heathenish Officers it was not reasonable that the Government of the Church and the Affairs thereof should be taken into consideration or deliberated of in the Imperial Councils where Pagans were always present From thence it came that in the Institution of Bishops and other Ecclesiasticks the customs and manners introduced in the times of the Heathen Emperours were generally observ'd and that not only the decision of Controversies in Matters of Faith but also all Laws serving to the external Direction and Government of the Church as also all other Differences arising amongst the Chiefest of the Clergy were deliberated of in Synods and General Assemblies where the Prelates pretended that they alone had right to Preside and give their Suffrages Whereas the right of calling Synods or other Assemblies together was the Prerogative of Soveraigns alone and in all other times did indisputably belong to them besides that that it was but reasonable that they should preside and have the Direction of such Assemblies let the matter be what it would that was there Treated of where their Consent was absolutely necessary to the ratification and passing into a Law of what was there determined 'T is true in those Conventions neither the Soveraign nor the whole Body of the Clergy have any Power or Right to form new Articles of our Belief or to interpret the Scriptures after their own Fancy but since the whole Duty of a Christian what he ought to do and what he ought to believe is contain'd in the Holy

Subjects of the same State And altho' among Gods People the Jews the publick Administration of Divine Service was become hereditary and tied to one certain Family yet the Soveraign inspection and care of the Priests did only belong to them who had the Soveraign Authority in the Civil Government The same thing has likewise been observ'd by almost all the other Nations Sect. 7. Nor can we perceive that such a Direction must necessarily belong to any other than the Soveraign of each State or the necessity thereof be prov'd from any Identity or particular quality of the Christian Religion as far as it does comprehend in its self something more than is suggested to us by the Light of Nature concerning the Divine Worship Whilest we always take it for granted That the Soveraign by Virtue of that external Direction neither can nor will introduce any thing contrary to God's Holy Word nor hinder the Ministers from the performance of their Office according to the Divine Precepts Besides There can no reason be given why the Supreme Powers should be incapable of ever attaining those Qualifications which are requir'd to this external Care and Direction of the Church or at least that they should not be able to commit this Direction to some of their Subjects that are beyond exception qualifi'd for such an employ After the same manner as other parts of the Soveraignty are often Administred by the Subjects So no body presumes to deprive the Soveraign of his Legislative Faculty or pretends a better Right tho' 't is certain that every Doctor and Professor of Law ought to be infinitely better vers'd therein than any King can be who as in all other Important Affairs ought also herein to make use of their Counsel and profit himself of the Fruits of their long Study and Experience For a Brave and Wise King far from making it his Interest that his Subjects should acquit themselves ill of those Offices he has entrusted 'em with may rather conformably to his Duty extract incredible Advantages from the good and faithful management of what he has committed to them For the more Diligent and Zealous he is in the Maintenance and Support of the Christian Religion the more capable his Subjects are of serving him and the more assur'd is he of God's Help and Assistance Besides caeteris paribus 't is impossible to give any Reason why God Almighty should not grant his Grace and Assistance to an Orthodox Christian King as well as to any other in the good and laudable Administration of such a Direction Lastly Whilest the Christian Religion in no other point does encroach upon the Civil Laws and Ordinances so far as they fall in with the Law of Nature we ought not to believe that it breaks its bounds in this unless we had a formal and positive assurance thereof from God himself Those therefore that will persist in the Defence of such an Absurdity are oblig'd to demonstrate where the Holy Scripture in express Terms deprives the Supreme Civil Magistrate of this Direction to bestow it on another independent and not acknowledging any Earthly Superiour In the mean while we will proceed to examine how and by what steps such a Spiritual Soveraignty has attain'd to so monstrous a Degree in the Western Churches Sect. 8. When the Apostles after our Saviour's Ascention had begun to Preach the Holy Gospel to all People being appointed thereto by their Master 's immediate Commands they did in a short time gain an incredible number of Proselytes as well amongst the Jews as Gentiles and especially of the common People then oppress'd with a miserable Ignorance and leading a wretched and beastly Life They therefore embraced this Doctrine with a great deal of Joy wherein they found unspeakable Comforts against the inconveniences and desperate Sorrows of this temporary Life Besides The Apostles being themselves of low Birth and as to outward appearance making a very inconsiderable figure found an easier Access and could better insinuate their Opinions into the minds of their equals Whereas the great Men and the most Learn'd slighted this upstart Religion in the beginning nor thought it worth their while to make any exact inquiry into the Mysteries thereof If men may presume to examine the Reasons of the Divine Wisdom and why it was pleas'd to make use of such means in the first Introduction of the Christian Religion the most probable seems to be that God forbore to make use of Power or the Authority of the Supreme Magistrate lest the Purity of the Gospel might be mistaken for a Politick Device or a Philosophical Speculation Whereas if a man compares the inconsiderable beginning with the wonderful Progress he will easily observe that there is something more than Humane in it especially considering that the most Learned among the Heathens with all their Subtilties with all their Helps of Art and Nature could but slightly and superficially penetrate into the Reason and Causes of Divine Things and that the Great Socrates amongst the rest tho' he clearly discover'd the blind Superstition and Ignorance of his Age yet had not Power enough to introduce a better but as a Reward for his good Design suffer'd Death as an Heretick and Innovator of the Establish'd Religion Whereby we are given to understand That the Wisdom of the World is but Folly with God who could perfect a work by the means of poor ignorant Fishermen which all the united Wits of the greatest Philosophers were not able to set on foot Besides The Apostles manner of acting seem'd very odd to the more rational sort of People they thought it strange to hear a Crucified Jesus the greatest Subject of their Sermons and that they should name him the Son of God and Saviour of the World who was born among a People derided and despised as the scum of the Earth and the abject of all Nations nor was this Jesus in any great Repute in the World nor had he signaliz'd himself by any Famous Heroical Actions or by a great many Years Preaching and Teaching spread his Name abroad among the People but on the contrary was cut off in the Flower of his Age by a most scandalous and shameful Death Wherefore the Jesuits in their endeavours of planting the Gospel amongst the cunning Chineses do not begin it from the Passions of Christ but do first Reason and Discourse upon Natural Religion and then after a long round about fall upon the Articles of the Christian Faith which whether they can by these devices and politick Methods better insinuate into those unbelievers than the Apostles I shall not now examine One may also add That it seem'd good to God to deliver first the most simple and the meanest of the People out of that Heathenish Blindness since they were maintain'd and kept under in a continual Superstition by the great ones who tho' they easily perceiv'd the cheat and vanity of Paganism yet with-held by their Interest and Worldly Considerations did

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