so much as his Beard in his own power in which nature hath given him a propriety How much more might the Pope then command all mens purses 4. May way we not see here on what weighty reasons these men condemn God's word of insufficiency and plead for traditions and a necessity of their additional Laws When Scripture hath left out the shaving of mens Beards and we had never had such a Law if such power as the Papal had not made it O what discord and disorder would there be in the Church if we had not so necessary a government and what confusion would toleration introduce if mens Beards were left at liberty But if Paul called the heathen Phylosophy Vain and Science falsly so named 1 Tim. 6. 20. as befooling the world with pedantick trifling and calling them off from their great concernes may we not say then that this is vain Government and Order falsly so named which thus calleth the Church from its primitive purity simplicity and unity when Christians were known by loving one another to these childish games that the Prelates and Priests of the Catholick Church must be known by their being without Beards One would suspect this had its original from Pope Ioane if there were indeed such a person and that it is a Symbol of the Churches sex as it is called Our Mother or at least that Marozia or Theodora instituted it 5. And do you know which were the more inexcusable for silencing and persecuting the preachers of the Gospel The Iews that did it because they thought it took down Gods Law and would bring the Roman Power on them Or the Roman heathens that thought the Gospel destroyed the worship of their forefathers Gods or the Roman Papists that silenced and persecuted men for wearing Beards 1 Thes. 2. 16. § 56. Epist. 11. When some French Preachers had revived Religion in Sweden the Pope desirous to reap where they had sowed sends to the King of Sweden to tell him his joy and that what the French taught them they recieved from Rome and to desire him to send one of his Bishops to Rome to acquaint him with their customs and to receive his Laws and Mandates You see by what means Rome was raised Epist. 15. A Bishop gave up his Bishoprick The Pope chides him and commands him to a Monastery Rather than do so he returneth to his seat again The Pope chargeth him with the Idololatriae scelus the Crime of Idolatry for not obeying him and writes to them not to recieve him or be ruled by him as ever they loved the Grace of God and St. Peter The like he doth Epist. 16. by the disobedient Bishop of Narbon and Epist. 17. by the disobedient Arch Bishop of Rhemes and Epist. 18. 19 20. of the same and all this in St. Peter's name Yea Epist. 20. he requireth the King of France Philip to joyn against the Arch-bishop of Rhemes as excommunicate as ever he would have St. Peter's Grace because his Kingdom and his Soul were in St. Peter's power And it is no wonder that they that believe that the Pope is St. Peter's Vicar and Secretary and that their souls are in his power will give him all their Lands or Kingdoms to save their souls § 57. When the Pope sentenced the Emperor Henry to be excommunicate and deposed and was charged to have done this without authority he wrote his 21 Epist. l. 8. to the Bishop of Metz to prove that he had power to do it and to absolve his Subjects from their Oaths of fidelity saying that the Scriptures were full of certain documents to prove it And his certain documents are Tibi dabo Claves c. and Feed my Sheep And Kings are not excepted They are St. Peter ' s Sheep Bin. p. 1262. he saith that the Head of Priests is at the right hand of God but who knoweth not that Kings and Dukes had their beginning from them that knew not God and affected by blind lust and intolerable presumption to domineer over others the Devil the Prince of the world acting them in Pride Rapines Perfidiousness Murders and all wickedness who while they would have the Priests of the LORD to stoop to their footsteps are rightlyest compared to him who is head of all the Sons of pride who said even to Christ All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Who doubteth but that the Priests of Christ are the Fathers and Masters of Kings and Princes and of all the faithful And is it not notorious miserable madness for a Scholar to endeavour to subjugate his Master and a Son his Father and by wrongful obligations to subject him to his power by whom he believeth that he may be bound or loosed both in Earth and Heaven Did not Pope Innocent excommunicate Arcadius the Emperor and Pope Zachary depose from his Kingdom the King of France not so much for his iniquities as because he was not meet for so great power placed Pepin in his stead and absolved all the French from the Oath of fidelity Ambrose sheweth that Gold is not so much more pretious than Lead as the Priestly Dignity is higher than the Kingly Power Pag. 1263. Yea even the exorcists have power over Devils How much more over those that are Subject to the Devils and are his members And if the exorcist excel so much how much more the Priests And every King when he cometh to his end doth humbly and pitifully beg the Priests help that he may scape the prison of Hell and Darkness and at the judgment of God be found absolved But is there either Priest or Lay-man that when he is dying begs help of the King for the saving of his soul What King or Emperor can by his Office take a soul by baptism from the power of the Devil and number him with the Sons of God and fortifie him with holy Chrism And which is the greatest thing in the Christian Religion can with his own mouth make Christs body and blood Or which of them can bind and loose in Heaven and earth By all which it may be plainly gathered by how great power the sacerdot al dignity excelleth Which of them can ordain one Clerk in the holy Church How much less can they depose him for any fault For in orders exclesiastical to depose is an act of greater power than to ordain For Bishops may ordain Bishops but in no wise depose them without the authority of the Apostolick seat Who then that hath any knowledg can doubt but that Priests are preferred before Kings In a word we must know that all good Christians are more fitly Kings than evil Princes For these by seeking the Glory of God do strenuously rule themselves But the other seeking their own and being enemies to themselves do tyrannically oppress others These good Christians are the body of Christ. The other bad Princes are the body of the Devil These so rule themselves as that they shall
And now Sir I am sorry that you are not content with meer Christianity and to be a Member of the Catholick Church and hold the Communion of Saints but that you must needs also be of a Sect and have some other Name And how shall I know that your Sect is better than another Were not the Papists Sectaries and Schismaticks damning most of Christs Body on Earth for not being subject to their Pope I should not be so much against them I find promises of Salvation in Scriptures to Believers that is Christians as such if such sincerely but none of the salvation of men as Papists Diocesans Grecians Nestorians Eutychians c. I would say also nor as Protestants did I not take the Religion called Protestant a Name which I am not fond of to be nothing but simple Christianity with opposition to Popery and other such corruption And now you know your own designs your tongue is your own and who can controul you whatever you will call us but I and such others call our selves MEER CHRISTIANS or CATHOLICK CHRISTIANS against all Sects and Sectarian names and haters both of true Heresie Schisme and proud unrighteous hereticating and Anathematizing Psal. 4. O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame how long will ye love vanity and seek after lying But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Psal. 12. 1 2 3 4 5. Help Lord for the godly man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the children of men They speak vanity every one with his Neighboâ—r c. See the rest I will add that if to be serious in the belief of the Christian Faith and the Life to come and in seeking it above this world and in constant endeavours to please God whoever be displeased by it is it that maketh a man a Puritan because he is not a formal Hypocrite then I would I were worthy of the Titles which your Pseudo Tilenus and his Brother give 〈◊〉 who say I am Purus Putus Puritanus and one qui totum Puritanismum totus spirat Alas I am nor so good and happy But Readers when this soâ— of men have described the Puritâ—ns as the most â—â—toverable Villains you that knew them not may concludâ— that they were men no more erroneous or worse than I how much better soever for Bishop Morley saith of me Ab uno disce omnes And of my Doctrine I â—ave left the world a full account and must shortly be accountable for it and my life to God whose pardon and grace through Christ I daily beg and trust to A Notice concerning Mr. Henry Dodwell MR. Dodwell having written a copious Discourse asserting that we have no right to salvation but by Gods Covenant validly sealed by the Sacrament and that the Sacrament is not valid unless delivered by one that hath Ordination by such a Bishop as hath his Ordination by another Bishop and so on by an uninterrupted succession from the Apostles with much more such Schismatical stuff which I fully confuted in my Books called The true and only terms of the Concord of all the Christian Churches and I aggravated his Schismatical condemnation of the Reformed Churches and most others as having no true Ministry Sacraments nor Covenant-title to salvation and as sinning against the Holy Ghost because he professeth himself a Protestant The said Mr. Dodwell saith that these words would perswade men that I take him for a Papist and expecteth that I therein right him Be it therefore known to all men that I never meant by that word to accuse Mr. Dodwell of being a Papist but to aggravate his abuse of Protestants and that I take my self bound to charge no man to be of a Religion which he denieth And what his Religion really is his Books may best inform him that would know THE CONTENTS Chap. 1. WHat Order and Government Christ and his Spirit settled in the Churches and what was the appointed work of Bishops That particular Churches that had every one a Bishop were associated for personal Communion of neighbours That none on earth for about two hundred years and none but Rome and Alexandria for longer time can be proved to be more numerous than our greater Parishes no nor half so big The Case even of Rome and Alexandria examined and the like proved even of them against the contrary arguments How the change was made and what change it is How Prelacy became the diseasing tumour of the Church Many Reasons against an ill use of the History of Councils and Prelates usurpations that no man thence dishonour Christ Christianity the Ministry or Church Chap. 2. Of Heresies What Errors are not damning and what are How the most Erroneous come to cry out against Errors Instanced in all wicked Men and in Papists Arrians Nestorius Dioscorus c. What horrid Work blind Zeal against Error hath made many instances even good Men as Hillary and Popes and Councils The History of all the Councils begun The first Councils about Easter contrary to each other The second being at Carthage erroneous and Tertullian Novatus and Novatian The Roman Presbiters govern the Church and call a Council having no Bishop and are said by Binius to have the care of the universal Church Cyprians Council condemneth a dead man Victor for making Faustinus a Presbiâ—iter Guardian of his Sons and so entangling him in worldly business The Council Iconieâ—se is said to erre and all those Oriental Bishops excommunicated by the Pope about Hereticks Baptism Many other Councils for rebaptizing with Cyprian's pleading Tradition Bishops of Bishops there censured Cyprian's Conversion A sad Hereticating Council at Cirta against Traditions The Concilium Eliber Novatiani And against Images in Churches c. approved by Pope Innocent The beginning of the Donatists Schism for a Bishop Constantines reproof of Alexander and Arius silencing their disputes Concil Laodic Silvesters strange Roman Council Chap. 3. The Council of Nice Constantine keepeth them in peace The strange Schism between Peter Alex. and Meletius Two Bishops and Churches in the same Cities The sad story of Alexanders troubling the Meletians and driving them to seek help of the Arrians and so to strengthen them Epiphanius good character of Constantius and Valens His notable Character of Audius and how the violence of dissolute Bishops forced him to separate and of Alexander and of Crescentius's strife and of some Confessours and Martyrs great faults Audius banished converteth the Gothes The Slander of Eustathius Antioch Notes of the Nicene decrees The ordination of scandalous uncapable men nullified by them Concil Rom. the people united at the making of Bishops and Priests Arius's Creed and restoration at a Council Jerusil Marcel Ancyr â—oudemned at Const. as denying Christs Godhead by the Arrians whom he was for the same cause against A Concil Antioch deposed Athanasius and made Canons for Conformity Anno 344 a fourth Creed reconciling at Antioch The General Council of Sardica
Feed the Flock of God which is among you not out of your reach and hearing in a vast Diocess taking the oversight not by constraint but willingly and on willing men not for filthy lucre but of a ready wind neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage but being Examples to the Flock and when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away § 11. Nothing is more certain than that the Church for above 300 years had no power of the Sword that is forcibly to meddle with and hurt mens Bodies or Estates except what the Apostles had by miracle And to this day no Protestants and not most Papists claim any such Power as of Divine Institution but only plead that the Secular Powers are bound by the Sword to destroy such as are judged Hereticks by the Bishops and to punish such as contemn the censures of the Church § 12. He that would see more for the Power of Princes vindicated from the Clergies Claim and Usurpation may find much in many old Treatises written for the Emperours against the Pope collected by Goldastus de Monarch and in Will. Barclay but much better in Bishop Bilson of Obedience and in Bishop Andrew's Tortura Torti and in Bishop Buckridge Roffensis of the Power of Kings and much in Spalatensis de Repub. § 13. The Vniversality of Christians is the Catholick Church of which Christ is the only Head or Soveraign but it is the duty of these to worship God in solemn Assemblies and to live in a holy Conversation together and to join in striving against sin and to help each other in the way to life therefore Societies united for these ends are called Particular Churches § 14. When the Apostles had converted a competent number of Christians they gather'd them into such Assemblies and as a Politick Society set over them such Ministers of Christ as are afore described to be their Guides § 15. These Officers are in Scripture called sometime Elders and sometimes Bishops to whom Deacons were added to serve them and the Church subordinately Dr. Hammond hath well described their Office in in his Annotat. which was to preach constantly in publick and private to administer both Sacraments to pray and praise God with the People to Catechize to visit and pray with the sick to comfort troubled Souls to admonish the unruly to reject the impenitent to restore the penitent to take care of the poor and in a word of all the Flock § 16. The Apostles set usually more than one of these Elders or Bishops in every Church not as if one might not rule the Flook where no more was necessary but according to their needs that the work might not be undone for want of Ministers § 17. They planted their Churches usually in Cities because Christians comparatively to the rest were few as Sects are among us and no where else usually enough for a Society and because the Neighbour-scattered Villages might best come to the Cities near them not but that it was lawful to plant Churches in the Country where there were enough to constitute them and sometimes they did so as by Clemens Roman ad Corinth by History appeareth § 18. Grotius thinketh that one City at first had divers Churches and Bishops and that they were gathered after the manner of the Synagogues and Dr. Hammond thinketh that for some time there were two Churches and Bishops in many Cities one of Jews and one of Gentiles and that in Rome Paul and Peter had two Churches whom Linus and Cletus did succeed till they were united in Clemens § 19. There is great evidence of History that a particular Church of the Apostles setling was essentially only a Company of Christians Pastors and People associated for personal holy communion and mutual help in holy Doctrine Worship Conversation and Order Therefore it never consisted of so few or so many or so distant as to be uncapable of such personal help and Communion But was ever distinguished as from accidental Meetings so from the Communion of many Churches or distant Christians which was held but by Delegates Synods of Pastors or Letters and not by personal help in presence Not that all these must needs always meet in the same place but that usually they did so or at due times at least and were no more nor more distant than could so meet Sometimes Persecution hindred them somtimes the Room might be too small Even Independent Churches among us sometimes meet in divers places and one Parish hath divers Chappels for the aged and weak that are unfit for travel § 20. Scotus began the opinion as Davenport Fr. a Santa Clara intimateth and Dion Petavius improved it and Dr. Hammond hath largely asserted it that the Apostles at first planted a single Bishop in each Church with one or more Deacons and that he had power in time to ordain Elders of a different Order Species or Office and that the word Elder and Bishop and Pastor in Scripture never signifie these subject Elders but the Bishops only and saith he there is no evidence that there were any of the subject sort of Presbyters in Scripture-times Which concession is very kindly accepted by the Presbyterians but they call for proof that ever these Bishops were authorised to make a new Species of Presbyters which were never made in Scripture-times and indeed they vehemently deny it and may well despair of such a proof § 21. But for my part I believe the foundation unproved that then there was but one Elder in a Church and think many Texts of Scripture fully prove the contrary But I join with Dr. Hammond in believing that in Scripture-times there was no particular Church that had more stated meetings for publick Communion than one For if there was so long but one Elder there could be but one such Assembly at once for they had no such Assemblies which were not guided by a Presbyter or Bishop in Doctrine Worship Sacraments and Discipline And they used to have the Eucharist every Lords day at least and often much more And one man can be at once but in one place § 22. I have elsewhere fully proved that the ancient Churches that had Bishops were no bigger than our Parishes and few a quarter so big as the greatest of them and consisted of no more than might have such present personal Communion as is before described the proofs are too large to be here recited Ignatius is the plainest who saith that this was the note of a Churches Unity that To every Church there was one Altar and one Bishop with his Fellow Presbyters and Deacons And elsewhere chargeth the Bishop to take account of his Flock whether they all come to Church even Servant-men and Maids Clemens Romanus before him intimateth the like mentioning even Country Bishops Martyr's Description of the Christian Assemblies plainly proveth it Tertullian's Description of them and many other passages in him prove it more fully He professeth that
out as is aforesaid by an Army § 34. CCCXLIX In a Council at Barcelon the Spaniards abrogated their old Gothish Laws and made new ones but would not change the Gothish Church rites Here also Alexander was owned § 35. An. 1065. A Council was at Rome against incest § 36. Another for the same the former not prevailing § 37. In a Synod at Winchester William the Conqueror puts down and imprisons Bishops and sets up others for his own interest § 38. CCCL A Council at Mentz was to have separated the young Emperor and his Queen but the Popes Legate hindred it § 39. CCCLI In a Council at Mentz the Bishop of Constance is cast out for Simony and many crimes the Emperor being for him § 40. An. 1072. They say an English Council subjected York to Canterbury and owned Wolstan Bishop of Worcester accused for being unlearned as he was § 41. CCCLII. An. 1073. In a Council at Ersord the Emperor got the Bishops to fulfil his will about some Tythes threatening them that appealed to Rome § 42. Now cometh in the Foundation of the new Church of Rome Hildebrand called Gregory 7th An. 1073. a man of Great wit and for ought I find in the most probable History not guilty of the gross immoralities or sensuality of many of his predecessors but it 's like blinded with the opinion which the Papists Fifth-monarchy men have received and Campâ—nelia de regno Dei opened and pleaded for viz. that Christs Kingdom on earth consisteth in the Saints judging the world that is the Pope and Prelates ruling the Kings and Kingdoms of the earth he did with greatest animosity set himself to execute his opinions And withal the factions of Rome and tyranny of their petty Princes and Whores and debauched Citizens having long made the Papacy the scorn of the world and the lamentation of all sober Christians constrained the better part to beg help from the Emperors against debauched monstrous Popes and their upholders And by this means sometimes the choice fell into the Emperors hands and sometimes when they were far off the City-prevailing-part rebelled and chose without them or pulled down them that the Emperors set up And then the Emperors came and pulled down the Anti-Popes and chastised the City faction and thus between the Italian and the German powers the City was a field of war and the richer by bribes and the stronger by the sword how monstrous villanies soever were set up It was no wonder then if Hildebrand first by Pope Nicholas 2. and Alexander and then by himself did resolve to run a desperate hazard when he had two such great works at once to do as first to recover the debauched and shattered shamed Papacy from this confusion and then to subdue all Kings and Kingdoms within their reach to such a Priest-King as was then under so great disgrace And tibi dabo claves must do all this § 43. Hildebrand however had the wit to settle himself at first by seeking the Emperor's consent And being settled he got Agnes the Emperor's mother and Guardian mostly on his side He then began to claim presentations and investitures and to take the power over the Bishops out of the Emperor's hands and to threaten him as Simoniacal and for communicating with the excommunicate The Emperor after some treaty submitted and was reconciled to the Pope but the Pope said he did not amend The Pope calls a Council at Rome where he excommunicated Simoniacks openly saying that he would excommunicate the Emperor unless he amended Guibert Arch-Bishop of Ravenna being there accuseth the Pope for such threats against the Emperor and got Cincius the Prefect's Son to apprehend him and imprison him The People rise up in arms and deliver the Pope and pull down Cincius's house to the ground and cutting off their noses banish his family out of the City Cincius got to the Emperor Guibert Arch-Bishop of Ravenna Theobald Arch-Bishop of Milan and most of all the other Bishops on that side the Alpes conspire against the Pope And yet they say that all the world were his subjects He calls another Synod of his own Bishops for Synods were still the great executioners where Gibert and Hugo one of his Cardinals that was against him are deposed and curst from Christ. This Emperor also calls a Council at Wormes where by the means of Sigifred Arch-Bishop of Mentz it is decreed that no man in any thing obey the Pope of Rome Roland a Clerk is sent to Rome to command the Pope to meddle with the government no more and the Cardinals are commanded to forsake Gregory and seek for another Pope Now the War began between the Sword and the Keys Gregory by sentence deposed the Arch-Bishop of Mentz and the other Clergy that were for the Emperor and he Anathematized the Emperor himself having first deprived him of all Regal Power and administration as far as his decree would do it The form of his curse and deposition Platina reciteth where are these words I cast him down from his Imperial and Regal Administration And I absolve all Christians Subject to the Empire from that Oath by which they have used to swear Fidelity to true Kings For it is meet that he be deprived of dignity who endeavoureth to diminish the Majesty of the Church Mark O ye Kings and be wise Some told the Pope that the Emperor should not be so hastily Anathematized To whom he answered Did Christ except Kings when he said to Peter Feed my Sheep when he gave him the Power of binding and looseing he excepted none from his power The Emperor wrote Letters to many Christian Princes and States to acquaint them with the Papal Injuries and the Pope wrote his accusations of the Emperor and his own Justification The Empire was presently all in Division One part was for the Emperor and another for the Pope Most of the Bishops of Germany obeyed the Emperor and some were against him as excommunicate Some Councils were for him and some against him And as Abbas Vrspurgensis said they did so often swear and forswear according as Power and Interest moved one time for the Emperor and another against him that Perjury was become a common thing both with the Bishops and the Laity He that will see the many treatises that Learned men then wrote for the power of Princes against the Papal tyranny and rebellion may find them in the Voluminous Collections of Michael Goldastus de Monarchia The party that obeyed the Pope chose another to be Emperor Rodulph Duke of Suevia The Emperor requireth the Pope to Excommunicate Rodulph He refuseth The Emperor calleth a Council of Bishops at Brixia They depose the Pope and make Gibert of Ravenna Pope called Clement the 3d. who saith Onuphrius sate 21 years so long had they two Popes at this 23d Schism or doubling But did the Emperor nothing to prevent all this Yes at the motion of the German Princes to avoid
Church of Rome and for hindering his Legates from gathering a Council and refusing to come to Rome to answer it Epist. 32. He calls the King of France a ravening Wolf and unjust Tyrant Many great persons he forced to separate after Marriage because they were in the fourth degree of Consanguinity Epist. 51. He tells the King of Denmark that not far from Rome there was a Province possest by vile and sluggish Hereticks and desireth him to send his Son with an Army to conquer them What Province he meaneth I am not certain unless it was the Waldenses § 44. Reader we are greatly beholden to Binnius who hath recorded as Oracles 27 sentences called THE POPES DICTATES by which you may partly know what Popery is 1. That the Roman Church was founded only by our Lord. 2. That only the Bishop of Rome is rightly called Universal 3. That only the Pope can depose Bishops and reconcile them 4. That his Legates must preside in Councils though they be of inferior degree before all Bishops and may pass on them the sentence of deposition 5. That the Pope may depose those that are absent 6. That with those that are excommunicated by him among other things we may not dwell in the same house 7. That to him only it is lawful to make new Laws for the necessity of the time and to congregate new people of Canonical to make an Abbaty and contrarily to divide a rich Bishoprick and unite poor ones 8. That only he may use Imperial Ensigns or Escucheons 9. That all Princes must kiss the feet of the Pope only 10. That only his name may be recited in the Churches 11. That it is the one only name in the World 12. That it is lawful for him to depose Emperors 13. That it is lawful for him in case of necessity to remove Bishops from seat to seat 14. That he may ordain a Clerk from any Church whither he will 15. That one ordained by him may govern another Church and must not take a superior degree from another Bishop 16. That no Synod without his command may be called Universal 17. That no Chapter nor no Book may be accounted Canonical without his authority 18. That his sentence may be retracted by none and he alone may retract all mens 19. That he ought to be judged of no man 20. That no man must dare to condemn any one that appealeth to the Apostolick Seat 21. That the Greater causes of all Churches must be referred to him 22. That the Roman Church never erred nor as the Scripture witnesseth will ever err 23. That the Bishop of Rome if he be Canonically ordained is undoubtedly made Holy by the merits of St. Peter as St. Ennodius Bishop of Papia witnesseth and many holy Fathers confess as is contained in the Decrees of Pope Symmachus 24. That it is lawful for subjects to accuse by his Command and licence 25. That he may depose and reconcile Bishops without Synodal meetings 26. That he is not to be accounted a Catholick who agreeth not with the Roman Church 27. That he may absolve the Subjects of unjust men from fidelity These are put by Bin. among Gregory's Epistles p. 1196. as the Popes Dictates If I had not translated them from such an unquestioned Author that followeth Baronius some would have thought they had been but the forgeries of some Protestant accuser and that the Popes have no such tenents What one is here that is not false and how many of them are horridly arrogant The reading of them would tempt a doubting man to think that the Pope is the Eldest Son of the Prince of Pride exalting himself above all that is called God and arrogating Christ's prerogatives and therefore Antichrist If any would know what Popery is A great part of the description is here given you by their greatest Pope himself and by their chief Historians § 45. Much of his 4th Book of Epistles is to require Princes Prelates and People to forsake the Emperor and choose another and to excommunicate all that will communicate with him yet in his 11th Epist. he reciteth himself how lamentably with tears three dayes in the frost barefoot he begged for pardon and how the compassionate People thought the Pope hard-hearted and tyrannical for not yielding and that at last two Ladyes and an Abbot overcame him to absolve him § 46. Lib. 4. Epist. 28. He tells the Spaniards also that their Kingdom was St. Peter's property But why did he trouble himself to lay claim to particular Kingdoms Would not his claim to all the world serve turn for the particulars Lib. 5. Epist. 4. He clameth the Isle of Corsica § 47. That it may appear that the presumptuous usurpations of the Pope were not consented to by many Bishops he oft complaineth that many Bishops of France Italy and Germany were against him He abundantly chideth and threatneth several particular Bishops for resisting and disobeying him Lib. 6. Epist. 4. he writeth thus to the Bishop of Liege Having read the Letters of your Brotherhood we did not a little wonder that you wrote that which became you not in reverence of the Apostolick seat but that you did with biting invective reprehend me for absolving your Parishioner that lately came to us as if the Apostolick seat had not authority to bind and absolve whomsoever we will and wheresoever we will Know therefore that we are greatly moved against your temerity Indeed one of the tricks of the Papal ambition was to be the Asylum of all wicked fugitives that fled from Church justice in all Countries near them to shew favour to all condemned sinners that would but fly to Rome and appeal to them from the Justice of their Pastors yea and of their Princes too which made their friends to be rather many than good § 48. And the Church of Rome was not yet rich enough with all the Principalities it had got They still kept on the trade of enriching the Pope to save their souls Binnius p. 1233. honoureth us with a record among Gregory 7th Epistles viz. In the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the 6th year of the Pontificate of Gregory 7th I Marro Son of Gisler dwelling in the Dukedom of Spoletane for the Redemption of my own and my Parents souls do give deliver and offer to St. Peter Prince of the Apostles and on his Altar all that belongeth to me of the Castle called Moricicla c. Did Christ think how easily Rich men might be saved by giving to the Pope in the name of St. Peter when he said It was harder for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven than for a Camel to go through a Needle 's Eye § 49. Lib. 7. Epist. 3. He saith They that are Latines do all of them except a very few praise the cause of Henry and defend it and charge me with too much obstinacy and impiety against him And if the Latines did so what did the
reputed taken for believers so they publickly take an oath for the defence of the faith that they will study in good earnest to exterminate to their utmost power from the lands subject to their jurisdiction all Hereticks denoted by the Church so that every one that is henceforth taken into any power either spiritual or temporal shall be bound to confirm this Chapter by his oath But if the temporal Lord required and warned by the Church shall neglect to purge his countrey of this Heretical filth let him by the Metropolitane and other Comprovincial Bishops be tyed by the bond of excommunication And if he contemn to satisfie within a year let that be signified to the Pope that he may denounce his vassals thenceforth absolved from his fidelity or allegiance and may expose his countrey to be seized on by Catholicks who exterminating the Hereticks may possess it without any contradiction and may keep it in the purity of faith saving the right of the principal Lord sobeit he himself put no obstacle hereto nor oppose any impediment The same Law notwithstanding being kept about them that have no principal Lords And the Catholicks that taking the badge of the Cross shall gird themselves for the extermining of Hereticks shall enjoy that indulgence and be fortified with that holy priviledge which is granted to them that go to the help of the holy land And we decree to subject to excommunication the believers and receivers defenders and favourers of Hereticks firmly ordaining that when any such an one is noted by excommunication if he contemn to satisfie within a year let him thenceforth be ipso jure made infamous and not be admitted to any publick Offices or Councils nor to chose any to such nor to be a witness and let him not have power to make a Will nor to witness nor have succession to any inheritance And no man shall be compelled to answer him in any business or suit but he shall be compelled to answer others And if he be a judge his sentence shall be void and no Causes shall be brought to his hearing If he be an Advocate his plea or defence shall not be admitted If a Register the instruments made by him shall be of no moment at all but be damned with the damned Author And the like we will have observed in the like cases But if he be a Clergyman let him be deposed from all office and benefice that as he is in the greater fault the greater vengeance may be exercised on him And if any after such are marked by the Church shall contemn to avoid them let them be smitten with the sentence of excommunication till he give due satisfaction And let no Clergyman give such pestilent persons the ecclesiastical Sacraments nor presume to give them Christian burial nor receive their alms or offerings otherwise let them be deprived of their offices and never be thereto restored without the especial indulgence of the Apostolick seat And so the Regulars on whom this shall be inflicted that their priviledges be not kept in that Diocess in which they presume to commit such excesses And because some under pretence or form of Piety denying as the Apostle saith the virtue or power thereof challenge to themselves the authority to preach when the same Apostle saith how shall they preach unless they be sent Let all those be tyed with the bond of excommunication who being prohibited or not sent do presume publickly or privately to usurp the office of preaching without authority received from the seat Apostolick or the Catholick Bishop of the Place And if they speedily repent not let them be punished with other competent punishment And we moreover add that every Arch-bishop or Bishop by himself or his Arch-Deacon or fit honest persons shall twice or once in a year go about his parish where Fame saith that Hereticks dwell and shall there compel two or three men of good testimony or if he see fit the whole neighbourhood to swear that if they know any Hereticks there or any that seek secret conventicles or that differ in life or manners from the common conversation of the faithful he will study to tell them to the Bishop And let the Bishop himself call the accused to his presence who unless they purge themselves of the guilt objected or if after purgation made they relapse into the former perfidie shall be Canonically punished And if any of them refusing by damnable obstinacy the bond of an oath will not swear let them be for this very thing reputed Hereticks We will therefore and command and stritcly command in the vertue of obedience that the Bishop do watch diligently through their Diocess for the effectual execution of these things if they will Escape Canonical revenge And if any Bishop be found negligent and remiss in purging his Diocess from the leaven of Heretical pravity when this appeareth by certain signs let him be deposed from his Episcopal office and another fit man be substituted in his place who will and can confound heretical pravity The 4th Chap. is against the Greeks for rejecting the Roman Pope and and so far abhorring the Latines that if Latine Priests did but celebrate at their Altars the Greeks would not use them again till they had washed them as being defiled yea they rebaptized those that the Latine Priests baptized the world did not then obey the Pope how insolently soever be trod on the divided Princes of the West by the conspiracy of their Prelates And here he was used in his kind and hereticated and excommunicated and cursed as he did by others The 5th Chap. was to confirm the old Patriarchate on condition they receive the Pall from the Pope and swear fidelity and obedience to him and make those under them to do the like O daring challenge and innovation And yet Chap. the 9th they grant that diversity of Rites by Bishops of their own languages and customs be used so they will but be the sworn vassals of the Pope And yet Cap. 8 in their direction for inquisition even this Council decreed that the accused be admitted to speak for himself and not only the words of the witnesses but their names also to be told him and published and the exception and replyes admitted lest by suppressing their names men be emboldned to defame and by excluding exceptions emboldned to swear falsly Because the supposed Hereticks got ground by preaching the Cap. 10. decreed the setting up of Preachers instead of the Bishops or to help them because they wanted ability or time The 13. Cap. was to forbid making any more new Religions there were so many made in their Church before The 17. Cap. was against Bishops that sate up feasting drinking or prating till after midnight and lie in bed the next morning and come not four times in a year to Mass and then talk with Lay-men at the time of worship Cap. 43. forbids all Clergy men that have
them what good they had done the City For when they came thither they found three or four bawdy houses but at their departure they left but one But this one reached from the East Gate of the City to the West gate § 194. The Pope returneth into Italy and seeketh to get men to ruine Conrade the late Emperor Fridericks Son The King of Englands brother Richard is first invited but deniâ—d due help and refuseth King Henry the third himself at last is drawn in and furnisheth the Pope with a great deal of money and the Croisado Soldiours are turned against Conrade from the relief of Palestine Bitter accusations against him are published by the Pope which Conrade answereth He and Robert Grosthead the famous Learned holy Bishop of Lincoln dying near together the Pope biddeth all that belong to the Church of Rome to rejoyce with him because these two their greatest enemies are gone And if such wise and holy men as this Bishop were numbered with the enemies of the Pope we may conjecture what he was and did and whether all the Christian World were then his Subjects and whether Rome then needed reformation § 195. But though the King of England had so far served him it was not enough Nothing less than all would serve as Matth. Paris tells us when the King would yet be King and did not fully obey the Pope which he manifested in his rant against this rare and excellent Bishop of Lincoln the occasion of which I think well worthy of our recital as it is in Matth. Paris Anno 1453. pag. 87â— 872. A credible Monk though oft reviled by Baron and Bin for telling truth This Bishop was one of the famousest men in the whole world for knowledge piety and justice The Pope had sent him an order as saith Matth. Paris he often did to him and other English Bishops to do somewhat which the Bishop judged to be unjust It was not so bad as an interdict to silence Christs Ministers but whether it was the promoting of bad Ministers or hindering or excommunicating good men some such thing it was as you may see by what followeth The Bishop writeth a Letter to the Pope and Cardinals in which he tells them That he would obey the Apostolical precepts but that was not Apostolical which was contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles Christ saying he that is not with us is against us And that cannot be Apostolical that is against Christ as the Tenour of the Popes Letters were His non obstante so often repeated shewed his inconstancy and his blotting the purity of the Christian Religion and perturbing the peace and quiet of Societies a torrent of audaciousness procacity immodesty lying deceiving hardly believing or trusting any one on which innumerable vices follow And next after the sin of Lucifer which in the end of time will be that also of Antichrist the son of perdition whom the Lord will destroy with the Spirit of his mouth there neither is nor can be any other sort of sin so adverse and contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles and the Gospel and so hateful detestable and abominable as to kill and destroy souls by defrauding men of the care of the Pastoral office and Ministry which sin those men are known by the most evident testimonies of the sacred Scripture to commit who being placed in power of pastoral care do get the salary of the pastoral office and ministry out of the milk and the fleece of the sheep of Christ who are to be quickened and saved but administer not to them their dues For the very not administring of the Pastoral ministeries is by the testimony of Scripture the killing and destroying of the sheep And that these two sorts of sins though unexpectedly are the very worst and beyond all comparison exceed all other sort of sin is manifest by this that they are in the two existent foreâ—aid things though with disparity and dissimilitudes directly contrary to the best things And that is the worst which is contrary to the best And as for these sins as much as in them lieth one of them is the destruction of the Godhead it self which is superessentially and supernaturally best and the other is the destruction of that conformity and deiâ—ication of souls by the gracious participation of the Divine beams which is the best thing essentially and naturally And as in good things the cause of good is better than the effect so in evils the cause of evil is worse than the effect is manifest that the introducers in the Church of God of such most mischievous destroyers of holy formation and deification in the sheep of Christ are worse than the destroyers or murderers themselves the nearer to Lucifer and Antichrist and in the greater degree of mischief or priority by how much the more superexcelling and by the greater and diviner power given by God for edification and not for destruction they were the more bound to exclude and extirpate such most mischievous murderers or destroyers from the Church of God It cannot be therefore that a holy Apostolick Seat to which all power is given by our Lord Iesus Christ the holy of holies for Edification and not for destruction as the Apostle testified should command or require any thing that bordereth on or tendeth towards so hateful detestable aud abominable a thing to Iesus Christ and so utterly pernitious to mankind or by any way endeavour any thing that tendeth thereunto For this were either a defection or a corruption or an abuse of Christs own power which is evidently most holy and most full or it were an absolute elongation from the Throne of the Glory of our Lord Iesus Christ and the next sitting together of the two foresaid Princes of darkness and of hellish punishments in the chair of pestilence Nor can any one with unspotted and sincere obedience who is a subject and faithful to that same Seat and not by schism cut off from Christ and that holy Seat obey the said mandates and precepts or any endeavours whatever and whensoever they come yea though it were from the highest order of Angels but must necessarily contradict them and rebel with all his strength or power And therefore Reverend Lords from the duty of obedience and fidelity in which I am bound to both the parents of the holy Apostolick Seat and from the Love which I have to Vnion in the body of Christ with it I do only filially and obediently disobey contradict and rebel to the things which in the foresaid Letter are contained and specially because as is before touched they do most evidently tend to that sin which is most abominable to our Lord Iesus Christ and most pernitious to mankind and which are altogether adverse to the Sanctity of the holy Apostolick Seat and are contrary to the Catholick Faith Nor can you discretion for this hint conclude or decree any hard thing against me because all my
contradiction and action in this matter is neither contradiction nor rebellion but the filial honour due to the Divine Father and of you Briefly recollecting all I say the sanctity of the Apostick Seat can do nothing but what tendeth to edification and not to destruction For this is the plenitude of power to be able to do all to edification But these things which they call provisions are not to edification but to most manifest destruction Therefore the blessed Seat of the Apostle cannot accept them because flesh and blood hath revealed them which possess not the things that are of God and not the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is in Heaven § 196. When the Pope heard this Letter saith Mat. Paris p. 872. Not containing himself through wrath and indignation with a writhin aspect and a proud mind he saith who is this doting old man deaf and absurd who boldly and rashly judgeth my doings By St. Peter and St. Paul if our innate ingenuity did not move us I would precipitate him into so great confusion that he should be to the whole World a Fable a Stupor an example and a prodigy IS NOT THE KING OF ENGLAND OVR VASSAL AND I SAY MORE OVR SLAVE WHO CAN WITH OVR NOD IMPâ—RISON HIM AND ENSLAVE HIM TO REPROACH These things being recited among the Cardinal brethren with much ado asswaging the rage of the Pope they said to him It is not expedient O Lord that we decree any hard thing against this Bishop himself For that we may confess the truth the things are true which he speaketh We cannot condemn him He is a Catholick Yea a most holy man more religious than we are more holy and excellent than we and of a more excellent life so that it is believed that there is not among all the Prelates a greater no nor any equal to him This is known to the whole Clergy of France and England Our contradiction will not prevail The truth of this Epistle which perhaps is already known to many may stir up many against us For he is esteemed a great Philosopher fully learned in Greek and Latine a man zealous for justice a Reader of Theology in the Schools a Preacher to the people a Lover of chastity a persecutor of Simonists These words said the Lord Aegidius a Spanish Cardinal and others whom their own Consciences did touch They counselled the Pope to wink at all this and pass it by with dissimulation lest tumults should be raised about it especially for this reason that IT IS KNOWN THAT A DEPARTVRE WILL SOMETIME COME so far Mat. Paris § 197. Yet neither this Bishop nor the Historian flattered Princes but both of them sadly lament the oppression and other sins of King Henry And the Bishop commanded his Presbyters to denounce excommunication against all that should break the Magna Charta the Charters heretofore granted foreseeing saith Mat. Paris what the King would do And he sharply reprehended the Fryar Minors that would not tell Great men of their sin when they had nothing to lose Cantabit Vacuus c. having chosen poverty that they might be freer from hindering temptations § 198. When he lay on his death bed at Bugden in Huntingtonshire he told Ioh. Aegidius his learned friend that he took them for manifest Hereticks that did not boldly detect and reprove the sins of great men and thereupon reprehended and lamented the sins of Prelates but especially the Roman reciting their putting unworthy and bad men into the Pastoral office for kindred or friendship sake The third day before his death he called to him many of his Clergie and lamenting the loss of souls by Papal avarice groaning he said Christ came into the world to win souls Is not he then deservedly to be called Antichrist who feareth not to destroy souls God made all the World in six dayes but to repair man he laboured above thirty years And is not a destroyer of souls then judged an enemy of God and Antichrist c. Next he goeth on to shew how sinfully the Pope by his non obstante overthrew even the rights that his Predecessors had granted vainly pretending that they bind nothing because par in parem non habet potestatem and what evils to the Churches he had done and addeth I saw a Letter of the Popes in which I found inserted that they that make their Wills or that undertake the Crâ—isado and to help the holy land shall receive just so much indulgence as they give money c. And so goeth on naming his imposing men that cannot preach or strangers of other languages as Pastors on the people and his covetous and greedy devouring all the wealth he could get concluding Ejus avaritiae totus non sufficit orbis Ejus luxuriae Meretrix non sufficit omnis And that he drew Kings in for his own ends making them partakers of the prey Prophecying that the 〈◊〉 will not be freed from Egyptian servitude but by the mouth of 〈…〉 These things are small but worse will follow within three years sighing and weeping out these words his speech failed him and he died And ibid. Mat. Paris saith that the same night that he died wonderful Musical sounds and Ringings were heard near in the Air by several friars and by Fulk Bishop of London then not far off who said when he heard it that he was confident their reverend Father Brother and Master the Venerable Bishop of Lincoln was passing out of the World to Heaven The Bishop being dead the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln fell out in striving who in the vacancy had the power of giving Prebends wherein the Arch-Bishop by Power utterly oppressed them And M. Paris p. 880. affirmeth that Miracles were done after the death of this Bishop by his virtues at Lincoln and yet confesseth some of his faults and his sharp thundring against Monks and Nuns c. § 199. The same Author tells us p. 883. anno 1254. that the Pope was so unmeasureabley wrathful against this holy Learned Bishop that when he was dead he would have taken up his bones and cast them out of the Church and purposed to precipitate him into so great infamy that he should be proclaimed a Heathen a rebel and disobedient to the whole world and he commanded a Letter to that purpose to be written to the King of England knowing that the King would be mad enough against him and ready enough to prey upon the Church But the next night the said Bishop of Lincoln appeared to him in his episcopal attire with a severe countenance an austere look and terrible voice he came and spake to the Pope that was restless in his bed pricking him in the side with a violent thrust with the point of his pastoral staffe which he carried and said miserable Pope Senebald Dost thou purpose in disgrace of me and the Church of Lincoln to cast my bones out of the
limina Apostolorum that is himself A terrible Earthquake made him for fear set up a hut of boards in an open Meadow lest the houses should fall on him He digg'd up the body of one Hermane that had twenty years been honoured as a Saint and burnt it as a Hereticks He sent a Bishop to Philipâ— King of France to intreat him to go fight in Palestine and threatened him when he could not intreat him The King imprisoned the Bishop The Pope sent to require him to release him saying openly that the Kingdome of France was divolved to the Church for the contumacy of Phillip and his violating the Law of Nations and bid him Anathematize him and absolve all Frenchmen from the Kings Oath The King let go the Bishop but forbad all his Subjects going to Rome or sending any money thither and not enduring his insolency he assembled his Nobles and declared the Popedome void by Usurpation and unjust enterance of Boniface and appealed to a Council He Coyned money with this Inscription Perdam Babilonis nomen The Pope called a General Council where he gave the Kingdom of France to Albert the Emperour Anathematizing the King The King would not play with him but sends Sciarra and Nogarete to Italy to proclaim his Appeal But Sciarra in a mean habitâ— gets together many friends that the Pope had oppressed and surprizeth him in his Fathers house breaketh open the doors carrieth him from Avignia to Rome a Prisoner where the thirtieth day he died of grief of whom saith Platina Thus died Boniface who endeavoured more to put terrour than Religion into Emperours Kings Princes Nations and People and to give Kingdomes and take them away to expel men and reduce them at his pleasure unspeakably thirsting for gold which way ever to be gotten Let all Princes Ecclesiastical and Secular saith he learn by this mans example to go before the Clergy and people not proudly and contumaciously as he did but holily and modestly as Christ and his disciples and true imitators and choose rather to be loved than feared from whence the ruine of Tyrants deservedly cometh § 235. Anno 1297. CCCCLII Bin. saith a Council Lugdunense decreed that Princes should not tax their Clergy nor the Clergy pay them without the Popes Consent § 236. Anno 1302 CCCCLIII The Popes General Council at Rome excommunicateth the King of France as aforesaid His Army follow their Captain Pope § 237. Benedict the 11th alias the 10th alias the 9th is next chosen Pope much praised who excommunicated Sciarra and absolved King Philip and died before nine Moneths § 238. Anno 305. Entreth Clemens the 5th the Bishop of Bourdeaux who called the Cardinals to France and setled the Popes Court there where it continued seventy years till the Church and great buildings at Rome were desolate and ruinous saith Platina In his time Albert the Emperour was kill'd by his Nephew Italy confounded by Wars The Pope curseth and interdicteth the Venetians the Florentines the Lucenses Requireth the new chosen Emperor of Luxemburge to come to Rome for Coronation He entereth Italy some Cities fight against him some yield At Rome demanding money they resist and it cometh to force and he is driven back After many bickerings and Cities taken he dieth as is said saith Plat. Poysoned in the Eucharist by a Monk Two fight for the Empire Lodovic Bavour and Frederec Austriae Lodovicus conquereth and maketh himself Emperour Clement burneth two as Hereticks maketh P. Caelestine the 5th a Saint writeth his Clementinus and dieth and again there was no Pope for two years three months and seventeen dayes § 239. CCCCLIV A Council at Saltzburge to get money Tenths for the Pope § 240. CCCCLV Another there Anno 1310. declaring some penalties § 241. CCCCLVI Another at Mentz to extirpate the Templats where some of them rusht in and appealed to the next Pope protesting they were killed and burnt wrongfully without being heard speak for themselves § 242. CCCCLVII But the great Council called by them the 15th General Council approved was at Vienna near France on this occasion King Philip having got the Popedome for Clem. the 5th made him promise to condemn Pope Bonif. the 8th and all his Acts When he had possession he found himself in a streight and Nicholas Cardinal Pratensis advised him to please the King with the hopes that a General Council would do it most effectually and to get the Council out of his Country and power which being done the Council frustrated the Kings expectations The King accused Pope Boniface of Simony Heresie and Perjury in forty Articles His crimes were not denyed but they justified him to be a true Pope and found him not an Heretick In this Council the Templars were condemned and put down and their Lands given to the Ierusalem Hospitalers or Knights of Rhodes which they say King Philip thought to have got some say the Templars were falsly accused of Heresies and the Masters and others burnt Others say truely The most probable is that some particular Men of them no new thing among Soldiers committed many Villainies and the rest suffered for their sakes In this Council the Heresies of Petrus Ioanâ—is a Disciple of Abbot Ioachim were condemned which were three 1. That the rational Soul as rational is not the form of humane bodies 2. That habitual grace is not infused in Baptism that is alwayes and to Infants 3. That Christs side was pierced with the Launce before he was dead In this Council the Fratricelli and Dulcinists were Condemned and also eight Heresies of the Beguines and Beguards which were these all for perfection which Quakers and some Fryars now seem to be too much for in profession as we all are in desire 1. That man in this life may get such a degree of perfection as that he may become impeccable or sinless and so to rise to no higher a degree of grace Else say they if one might still increase he might grow better than Christ. 2. That when one hath atteined that degree he ought not to fast or pray Because then sensuality is perfectly subject to the Spirit and reason so that a man may then freely grant his body what pleaseth him 3. That they that have got this degree of perfection and the Spirit of liberty are not subject to humane obedience nor bound to any precepts of the Church for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 4. That thus a man may get final beatitude in all degrees in this life as well as in that to come 5. That every intellectual nature is naturally blessed in it self and the soul needeth not the light of glory for the seeing and enjoying of God 6. That to exercise virtues is a note of imperfection 7. That to kisse a Woman is sin because nature needs it not but copulation is not because nature requireth it when one is tempted 8. That one ought not to rise and to reverence at the elevation of
both to summon a Council they cunningly would not agree of the place and so forced the doing it without them § 265. CCCCLXVII To put a shew on the business Greg. calleth a Council at Aquileia whether by long delays he creepeth with a few to do nothing § 266. CCCCLXVIII And the other Pope Bened. 13. Anno 1409 also calleth his Council in Arragone of his Subjects which calleth it self a General Council and pronounce him the true Pope and no Schismatick or Heretick and Greg. to be the Usurper but exhort him to endeavour Unity § 267. CCCCLXIX The two Popes giving no better hopes some of the Cardinals of both sides slipt from them and by the Countenance of the Florentines and King Ladislaus chose Pisa for a General Council where they met and summoned both the Popes who scorned them and they deposed them both as Hereticks and Schismaticks saith Binius forbidding all Christians to obey them and they chose a third Alexander 5. and the two old ones kept up still and so there were three Popes at once § 268. An. 1409. Alex. 5. is chosen much commended but died in eighteen Months some say saith Antoninus poysoned by a Clyster But to shew himself a Pope in that little time he deposed King Ladislaus and gave his Kingdome to Lewis Duke of Anjou § 269. Balthasar Cossa is next chosen called by some Ioh. 21. by others 22. by others 23. and by Platina Ioh. 24. so little are they agreed of their succession Platina saith the Cardinals of Greg. were yet poor and he hired them with Money to Create him He got Sigismund King of Bohemia chosen Emperour and would have had the Council to be at Rome Italy continued still in blood the Popes having parcelled it into so many small Principalities to secure it against the Emperours no part of the whole World lived from Age to Age in such continual War and confusion This Pope saith Onuphrius Panvinus viz. fuit bello armis quam Religioni aptior utpote qui neque fidem norat neque Religionem rebus profanis magis quam Divino cultu accommodatus How he was accused deposed imprisoned how the other two Popes Greg. 12. and Bened. 13. were all deposed with him and Martin 5. chosen the next Chapter sheweth CHAP. XIII The Council of Constance Basil and some others § 1. CCCCLXX AN. 1414. the Council of Constance was called by the means of the Emperour Sigismund and the consent of Pope Iohn who the more trusted the Emperour because he had promoted him There were then three Popes Bened. 13. in France whom the Kingdomes of France Spain Arragon England and Scotland followed and Greg. 12. and Iohn 23. at Rome that divided the rest of the Papalines It was not certainly to represent the Trinity but to profane the Name and abuse the Kingdome of the blessed Trinity Oct. 28. P. Iohn called by them Sanctissimus Dominus Noster entereth the City Nov. 5. The Pope began the Council Nov. 16. was the first Session the Pope speaking to them and his Bull being read shewing that he would have had the Council at Rome but the miserable case of Rome by contention and confusion hindering it was agreed with the Emperour to be at Constance commanding to be there for the peace of the Church and appointing a Weekly Mass to be said for obtaining Gods blessing and pardoning a years penance for every Mass to every Mass-Priest that said it exhorting all to fasting and prayer for good success charging them to look after Errours especially those that rose from one Iohn Wickliff and also to reform the Church c. March 2. 1415. The Pope took an Oath for the peace of the Church to lay down his Popedome if the other two Popes would do the same and the Emperour kist his feet The Cardinal of Florence read these Decrees 1. That the Council was lawfully called 2. That it will not be dissolved by the departure of the Pope or other Prelates 3. That it be not dissolved till the present Schisme be healed and the Church reformed in Faith and Manners in Head and Members 4. That it be not removed but on just cause 5. That the Bishops depart not § 2. In the fourth Session they decreed that the general Council representing the militant Catholick Church hath its power immediately from Christ to which every man of what State or dignity soever though it be Papal is bound to obey in the things that belong to Faith and the extirpation of the said Schism and the general reformation of the Church in head and members 2. That the Pope withdraw not himself or the Officers and if he should or should thunder out Church censures against them or any adhering to the Council they are void 3. That no Translations Promotions or Cardinals be made to the prejudice of the Council 4. That three of each Nations be chosen to judge of departures c. But the Pope fled and sent them word that it was not for fears but for his health § 3. Sess. 5. The Emperor being among them they decreed again the Power of the Council as immediately from Christ which the Pope and all must obey and that the Pope is punishable if he disobey that he is bound to surrender in any case of great and evident profit to the Church that he unlawfully departed that if he will return and perform his promise he shall be safe Next they proceeded to condemn the Books of Iohn Wickliff and to prosecute Iohn Huss Next they applied themselves to the Emperour to reduce the Pope who told them he was in the hands of the Duke of Austria but if they pleased he would write to him or try to fetch him by force c. § 4. Sess. 6. They order the Procuration for the Popes Resignation to be demanded and Process to be made against Iohn Huss and Hierome of Prague A Letter is read from the University of Paris to the Pope to submit to the Council § 5. Sess. 7. They accused Hierome of Prague for not appearing and summoned the Pope promising him safe Conduct sed salvâ Iustitiâ c. § 6. Sess. 8 They condemned Wickliff's Bones to be dig'd up upon 45 Articles instead of 260 which they had gathered Art 1. was 1. That the substance material of Bread and Wine remain in the Sacrament of the Altar 2. The Accidents of Bread remain not without the substance 3. Christ is not identically and really in his proper bodily presence in the Sacrament 4. If a Bishop or Priest live in mortal sin he Ordaineth not Baptizeth not Consecrateth not 5. The Gospel saith not that Christ instituted the Mass. 6. God ought to obey the Devil 7. If a man be contrite aright outward confession is needless and unprofitable 8. If the Pope be a Reprobate and wicked and so a Member of the Devil he hath no power over the faithful given him by any but Caesar. 9. Since Vrban the
right ends 5. And if he be called to be the Pastor of a particular Church he moveth the people to consent or accept him And thus God according to his appointed Order doth call his Ministers Besides which he afterward 1. Helps them in his work 2. And procureth them liberty and often furtherance from Christian Magistrates 3. And giveth them success Proposition 5. The faithful Pastors of the Reformed Churches are these ordinary Ministers of Christ approved by him and given in great mercy to his people who are bound to know honour and obey them in the Lord. I exclude not all others but I now prove that these are true Ministers Argument 1. They that have all that is essential to true Ministers are true Ministers But such are these Pastors of the Reformed Churches as I prove thus If the Office it self be of Gods Institution and their Qualifications competent and their entrance right in every point of flat Necessity then they have all that is essential to true Ministers But the former is true as I shall prove in the three several parts 1. That the Office it self is of Gods appointment is proved fully before and confessed by all Christians that ever I knew Acts 14. 23. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. 1 Thes. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 7 17 24. Acts 20. 28. 2. For Qualifications they have 1. competent Knowledge 2. and Vtterance 3. and Godliness and these are the Qualifications that God accepteth 1 Cor. 12. 8. 1 Tim. 2. 15. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Mark the Canons of the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 2. 2. They must be 1. Faithful men 2. Able to teach others But such are those in question 1 Tim. 3. A Bishop must be blameless that is not scandalous the husband of one Wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous one that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity To which is added Tit. 1. 8 9. A lover of good men sober just holy temperate holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Let all here note 1. That here is not only the mention of the Vertues necessary to the Being but to the well-being also of a Minister 2. And yet through the great mercy of God all these are the qualifications of multitudes of the Pastors of the Reformed Churches as malice it self must be forced to confess But if any deny it of any particular men as that is nothing to the rest so an unproved accusation is not by honest men to be believed The world knows that the Act for rejecting scandalous insufficient negligent Ministers is very strict and Commissioners in each County forward to execute it and Ministers have enemies enough to search out their faults and yet none are more forward than Ministers themselves to have the Act put in execution so that their standing justifies them before the world Or if any will yet deny them the necessary Qualifications I here challenge and provoke them to accuse all that are guilty and cast them out or else to confess themselves meer slanderers and back-biters and learn more truth and modesty hereafter 3. And for the third point their entrance into the Office They have all that God hath made necessary to a just entrance as I prove They that have a true Ordination and the Peoples consent and the Magistrates allowance have all that God hath made necessary to a just entrance and more than all But the said Pastors of the Reformed Churches have true Ordination and the Peoples consent and the Magistrates allowance That they have true Ordination I shall shew anone in answering all that can be said against it The Peoples consent by Electing or Accepting is known by the fact and so is the Magistrates by Law and fact I put in all this though more than necessary that all Objections may be satisfied at once So that the Enumerations being unquestionable the Conclusion is so to In short All those are true Ministers that are in an Office of Gods own Institution and are competently fitted for that Office by Knowledge Godliness and Vtterance and have all and more than all that God hath made necessary to a right entrance or admission even true Ordination consent of the Flock and the Magistrates allowance But such are the said Pastors of the Reformed Churches therefore they are true Ministers of Christ. Argument 2. Those that have not only the Essentials but excel all other Ministers on Earth that are known to the world are certainly the true Ministers of Christ. But such are the Ministers before-mentioned of the Reformed Churches Ergo. This will be proved at once with the next which is Argument 3. Either these Pastors of the Reformed Churches are the true Ministers of Christ or else there are none such visible in the world But there are such visibly and certainly in the world as was proved else there is no Church no Ordinances no Christianity no Christ For he can be no King without Subjects and Laws no Master without a School and Scholars no Physitian without Patients no Husband without his Spouse no Head without a Body no Intercessor without a Church to intercede for And to believe the holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints is part of our Belief and therefore the Christian Faith is gone if these be gone And that either we or None are Christs true Ministers I prove thus 1. We challenge the Adversary to name us the true Church and Ministry if these be none of them where be they and who are they speak out or give up your wicked Cause If you know not who they be or where then how know you that there are any such True Ministers are like a light that shineth to all the house even the lights of the world and like a City on a Hill that cannot be hid Mat. 5. 14 15 16. 2. But let us try the particulars 1. The Seekers have no Church or Ministry 2. The Quakers have no Ordination that we know of and are every way so unworthy and had no being in the world till a few years ago that he is either no Christian or of a crazed brain that thinks Christ hath no Church or Ministry but them 3. The Anabaptists Socinians Swenlfeldians Familists Paracelsians Weigelians and such like have no more to shew for their Ministry and Churches than we but their Errours and are so few and so lately sprung up that of them also I may say that he that takes them for the only Church or Ministers is either out of the Faith or much out of his wits 4. The Eastern and Southern Churches have no more to shew for their Ministry and Churches than we but are incomparably more ignorant and erroneous few of them doing more