Circuites Precincts appointed in such sort as one of them should not meddle within anothers Iurisdiction to confound their authorities The cause why the Fathers assembled in Councell gaue the first place to the See of olde Rome was not for that either Christ or his Apostle Peter had so appointed but that the Citie of Rome was the most noble Citie and of greatest renowne in all the World as appeareth in the Councell of Calcedon which writeth That the Fathers in the Councell of Nice did worthily giue the chiefetie to the See of olde Rome because that Citie had the Soueraignetie ouer others Saint Ambrose speaking of himselfe and other Bishops which were at the Councell of Aquileia saith thus Wee are met together at Aquileia by the commaundement of the Emperour About the yeare of our Lord. 383 In the Councell of Constantinople the Bishops wrote thus vnto Theodosius the Emperour Wee are come to Constantinople by your Maiesties Commission And afterward at the end of that Councell We beseech your Maiestie that as you haue honoured the Church by your Letters wherewith you haue called vs together so it may please you to Confirme the finall Conclusion of our Decrees with your sentence and with your Seale About 420 To the Councell of Carthage where S. Augustine was present Sozimus B. of Rome sendeth Legats Faustinus Philippus and Asellus in fauour of Apiarius a Priest that fled to Rome for ayde against Vrbanus his Diocesan who had depriued him both of his function the Cōmunion for his lewdnesse To these Legates the Pope gaue charge to claime this Priuiledge for him his See That if anie Bishoppes were accused or deposed which appealed to Rome the Bishoppe of Rome might eyther write to the next Prouince to determine the matter or send some to represent his Person and to sit in iudgement with the Bishoppes And to proue his desire lawfull he alleaged in writing vnder his hand a Canon of the Councell of Nice tending to that purpose The godly Fathers assembling themselues out of all Affricke to the number of 217 finding no such Canon in their Bookes either Greeke or Latin writ to the Patriaches of Alexandria Constantinople Antioch for true and authenticke Copies of the Nicene Councell finding their owne Copies agree word for word with those that were brought and no such prerogatiue to bee seene in anie Canon there First by their Decree they cut off all appeales to Rome viz. That Priests Deacons and inferior Clerkes if they complained of the iudgement of their Diocesians should be heard by the Bishops adioyning and if they thinke to appeale from them also let them not appeale but to the Councells of Africa or to the Primates of their owne Prouince and hee that aduentureth to appeale ouer the Sea let him be receiued of no man within Africa vnto the Communion After this Decree with which they had withstood three Bishops of Rome Sozimus Boniface and Celestinus to the last when the Bishops of Affrica had gotten Copies of the Nicene Councell they writ on this wise Wee writ earnestly prayed you that hereafter you would not lightly giue audience to those that come from hence to you neither any more receiue such to the Communion as wee haue excommunicated because your Reuerence shall easily perceiue the order taken by the Nicene Councell For if there appeare a prouiso for inferior Clerks or Laymen how much more would the Synode haue the same obserued in Bishops that being excommunicated in their owne Prouince they should not sodainely hastily or vnduly be restored to the Communion by your holinesse And likewise your holynesse must repell these wicked refuges of Priests and other Cleargie men as becommeth you for that by no determination of the Fathers this is derogated from the Church of Africa and the Nicene Canons doe most euidently commit both inferior Clergie men and the Bishops themselues to their owne Metropolitans No doubt they most wisely and rightly prouided that all matters should bee ended in the places where they did first arise Neither will the graces of the Holy Ghost bee wanting to any Prouince by which equitie may bee grauely weighed and stoutly followed by the Priests of Christ especially where euerie man hath libertie if he mislike the iudgement of those that heare his cause to appeale to the iudgement of his own Prouince or to a generall Councell Or how can the iudgements ouer Seas bee good whereto the necessary persons of witnesses either for sexe or for age or sundrie other impediments cannot be brought For that any should bee sent from your Holinesse side wee finde decreed by no Synod of the Fathers That which you sent vs hither by Faustinus as a part of the Nicene Councell in the truer Copies which wee haue receiued from holy Cirill B. of Alexandria and Reuerend Atticus Bishop of Constantinople taken out of the Originalls which also we sent to Boniface your predecessor Jn them we say we could finde no such thing As for your Agents or Messengers send them not at euery mans request least wee seeme to bring the smokie pride of the world into the Church of Christ c. Marke how many wayes the Bishops of Affrica withstood the Bishop of Rome Appeales to Rome which Sozimus claimed by the Councell of Nice they cōfute by the same Councell impugne them by other graue pithie reasons Legates à latere they reiect as neuer spoken of in any Coūcell though hee claimed them Running to Rome they call a wicked refuge and sending Messengers from Rome a smokie pride of the World The corrupting of the Nicene Canons by Sozimus they disproue by Copies that were true authenticke Appiarius whom the B. of Rome had harboured to the Church the second time they banished from the Church of Christ What would those men haue done if Sozimus had claimed to be head of the Church or Vice-God vpon Earth by Christs appointment If any Scripture had sounded that way neither the B. of Rome would haue left that certaine proofe trusted only to the testimonie of a Canon in a Councell which could not bee found but in his owne Librarie nor yet Augustine with his holy learned companie would haue resisted this demaund if it had either been grounded vpon Scripture or determined in the Nicene or other Councell or had stood with equitie good order or reason So the Church of Affrica continued vntill Boniface the second came to bee Bishop of Rome Hee by communications threatnings and allurements brought Eulalius the. Metropolitane of Carthage certaine other Bishops of Affrica to submit themselues to the Bishop of Rome and to anathematise the sixt Councell of Carthage where S. Augustine was present A.D. 440 Polychronius Bishop of Jerusalem would haue had his See first greatest because it was the holy Citie which God had chosen of olde because Christ taught there suffered there rose againe there gaue the Holy Ghost there Peter
to the Jewes Paul to the Gentiles neither had Primacy or vniversall charge of the whole Church What shall wee say of the Primatiue times Then euery Church was gouerned by their owne Canons little respect was had of the Church of Rome to the great Councell of Nyce that appointed three other Patriarckes besides the B. of Rome to gouerne the Churches that were contiguous to the first Councell of Constantinople that gaue the B. of that See equall priuiledges with the B. of Rome to the Councell of Calcedon that confirmed them to the learned Fathers that vnderstood nothing of this Primacie for diuers hundreth yeares after CHRIST vntill the Church of Rome began to swell with the Dropsie of this Contention Then indeede men that were willing to serue such turnes found this liquor out of the places that I haue alledged to quench their mothers thirst But they beare witnesse to themselues and are not to be heard in their own cause vnlesse they compasse such a Decree as Stratocles did for Demetrius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer Demetrius will commaund shall bee holy before God and iust amongst men Therefore leauing Stratocles and his Bishop together to court the World for this Decree I returne to the occasion of the Apostles strife The neerest occasion of this Text seemes to bee taken from the death of CHRIST mentioned in the wordes precedent After his death they imagined he would set vp an earthly kingdome and so consequently enter in strife which of them should haue administration of it When Mariners fall out in a tempest at Sea which of them shall first cast himselfe ouer-board euerie one findeth their Contention absurd dangerous because an agreement in their seruice is most necessarie at such a time for preseruation of the Ship euen so is this difference of the Apostles What was the affectation of a Masterie but a renunciation to their Ministerie And that could neuer haue beene at a more vnseasonable time by reason of CHRIST his death being then imminent When the Sheepheard was to bee smitten the sheepe had occasion to runne together into an holy Concord either to preuent or to adiourne the scattering and dissipation to come When the Bridegrome was readie to be taken away teares and lamentations would haue suted well with the Children of the marriage chamber To haue no apprehension of sorrow at his death by whose life they had receiued the sweetnes of Comfort no concussion of feare when their Master should be taken from their heads but euen then to deuise of their owne affaires to attend and to meditate of their future power was certainely an vntimely fruite of ambition which is like the Bitch if I may speake it with your reuerence that for hast throwes out her puppies blinde Is this the kindnesse that they shew to their Master O worthy Elizeus how affectionat were thine obsequies in the like case you may remember That hee could neither be perswaded nor beguiled nor forced from Elijah when he should haue beene taken from him but left all other thoughts did cleaue to his Masters side with an inseparable resolution As the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth I will not leaue thee And did the sonne of God deserue lesse respect from his Apostles then the Tishbite had from the sonne of Shaphat verily no. Where then is their zeale where is their retaliation where is the desire of Peters deuoted affection Lord to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life Forsooth a strong imagination of a kingdome hath suppressed them all Graunt all that they expected that CHRIST would leaue them an earthly kingdome Yet pretenders should stay till things were readie and not burie their predecessors aliue But their hopes of such a kingdome were verie fantasies and great thoughts of heart How should he leaue that to them which hee had not himselfe The confession he made before Pontius Pilate is an indefesible euidence That his kingdome is not of this World therefore hee could not leaue them an earthly kingdome They had promise of an eternall kingdome and there can bee no eternitie but in that which is spirituall All corporal things haue their fatall periods and spirituall things onely are permanent in eternitie The Prophets describe the kingdome of Christ with wordes of externall Maiestie but then they adde the doctrine of his Passion and imply an other kind of Maiestie then the world affordeth Heere Kings must be suffered they must not suffer To be short Christ left not his glorification and kingdome vnmentioned yet confesseth plainely enough by washing his Disciples feete that his kingdome consisteth in a Ministerie not in any outward Soueraignetie command The Sonne of man came not to bee ministred vnto but to minister Marke therefore the vanitie of this Contention they striue for precedencie in Christs corporall kingdome but seeing there is no such corporall kingdome as I haue alreadie proued neither can there bee any such greatnesse as they imagine so their Contention comes to a matter of nothing conceaued of winde and ends with winde Indeede Contentions Kingdomes greatnesse in such great places are nothing belonging to the Apostles and Ministers of Christ as appeareth in his Censure following But he said vnto them the kings of the Gentiles raigne ouer them c. I doubt not but you see that the Apostles came into a iust reprehension and deserued sharpe reproofe yet because they offended not of malice but of ignorance and were carried along with the current of that time which reduced all the promises of Christ his gouernment to an earthly kingdome therefore their sweete and milde Master instructeth them friendly without bitternesse reserueth the thunderboults of his seueritie for the obstinate and incorrigible Hee exhibiteth the disposition that Esay foretold Heere is no Contention no Clamour no contumelius insultation but a graue and quiet instructiō He breaketh not a brused Reed he quencheth not smoking flaxe For hee considereth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust I can compare the kindnesse of his facilitie to nothing more aptly then to the bowells of the Euangelicall sheepheards how affectionately did they yearne after the lost Sheepe He contemned it not though it were but one Hee neglected it not through slouth giues not ouer his loue when it was gone he seeketh it finding it deales not roughly nor frowardly but fairely and tenderly with it leaues it not when it was wearie but layes it vpon his shouldiers O good Sheepeheard that paines himselfe to giue ease to a poore wearie sheepe Can ye tell me whether was greater his care and endeuour when the sheepe was lost or his compassionate intreaty sweet indulgence when it was found againe was he more carefull in the former or gracious in the latter or incomparable in both Such are the bowells of our Sheepeheard I serue him for the one loue him for the other And though
may keepe alwaies as for example he that prayseth God with his tongue cannot do it euer that member must haue rest as well as the other parts of the bodie but hee that praiseth God with his life conuersation may euer do it Euen so do I commend the words works of peace vnto you or if you think me vnworthie to commend such a diuine blessing looke if it be not the word of a Great mighty King that is far aboue all exception He cōmandeth it vnto vs from the Author of peace Beati pacifici not pacidici but pacifici blessed are not the praysors but the practisers of peace Let the Mountaines bring peace the little Hills righteousnesse vnto thy people O thou Prince of peace And so The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus the great shepheard of the sheep thorough the blood of the euerlasting Couenant make you perfect in all good workes working in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be praise for euer euer Amen FINIS AN ADDITION To the former Treatise of SOVERAIGNETIE SHEWING THAT THE POSSESSION THEREOF HATH NOT beene in Popes saue by Vsurpation and Practises but in Emperours and Kings by a continued or perpetuall Descent DVBLIN Printed by the Societie of Stationers 1. Cor. Chap. 3. Vers 21.22.23 Therefore let no man glorie in men for all things are yours Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours And yee are Christs and Christ is Gods TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE GERALD Earle of KILDARE and the rest of the Nobles or Gentrie in Jreland CHRISTOPHER by the mercie of God Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all IRELAND wisheth much happinesse heere and full in the world to come HOnoured Lords and esteemed Gentlemen I haue published aswell the former Treatise as this addition of Soueraignetie for your sakes whom J am bound to informe by the dutie of my place and in retribution of the respects you giue vnto me otherwayes that since the sound of my voice cannot reach to the eares of euerie one now it is grown low with yeares and infirmities the Meditations of my heart may neuerthelesse be offered to the eyes and iudgement of all which J desire you to peruse and examine by the weights or standard of Truth without preiudice or forestalled opinion ⸫ ⸫ AN ADDITION To the former Treatise of SOVRAIGNETIE AT the first institution of the Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall authoritie in the Church God saith to Moses Thou shalt speake to Aaron and put the wordes in his mouth and J will bee with thy mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you ought to doe And hee shall be thy spokesman vnto the people and he shall be euen he shall be as the mouth and thou shalt bee to him as God Aaron obeyed Moses and Moses called for an account of Aaron Salomon being King according to his Fathers appointment ordained the Offices of Priests in their Ministeries Leuits in their orders that they might giue thankes and minister before the Priest after the order of euery day For so commanded Dauid the man of God neither did the Priests or Leuits omit any thing of all that hee had commanded So it is written of King Iehosaphat that hee appointed the Leuites and Priests And of King Iosias likewise that he appointed Priests to minister in their seuerall Offices In the New Testament our Sauiour Christ at his birth acknowledged subiection to Augustus the Emperor being borne vnder his tribute and setting the example of his owne subiection before his Disciples asketh Who is Superior hee that sitteth at the Table or hee that serueth Js not he Superior that sitteth but J am among you as hee that ministreth and serueth Before Pilate he disauowed to haue any earthly kingdome and acknowledged that the Roman Empire had authoritie ouer his body life for both were then in question and for blasphemy too which is a spiritual crime After the death of Christ his Apostle Paul appealed from the Iewes to Cesars iudgement and saith in expresse termes That there he ought to be iudged And his cause was for preaching the Gospel Peter likewise patiently endured Nero his Swoord for teaching the truth This was the condition of Christ and his Apostles they professed themselues subiects to the Romane Emperour Eleutherius B. of Rome did write vnto Lucius then king of the Britans to take Lawes for the Gouernement of his kingdome out of the Olde Testament and the New which were then in the Kings hands giueth this reason of his aduise Yee are Gods Vicar within your owne kingdome A.D. 220 Tertullian Wee Christians worship the Emperour as man next vnto God inferior onely to God For so is the Emperour greater then all men when hee is lesse then the onely true God A.D. 225 Cyprian would not giue way to Cornelius Bishop of Rome to absolue any of Africk excommunicated there A.D. 340 Before the Councell of Nice there was small or no regard had of the Church of Rome but euery Church was ruled by their owne Canons or by the common aduise of Bishops vntill the Emperors became Christians Then Socrates testifieth in his Ecclesiasticall Historie in this wise We haue also herein comprised the Emperours liues for that since the Emperours were first Christened the affaires of the Church hath hanged on them and the greatest Councells both haue bin are kept by their aduise Eusebius writeth Constantine the Emperour appointed Councells of Bishops to assemble together disdained not to sit in the middest amongst them to be pertaker of their doings This great Constantine about the yeare of our Lord 340. called a generall Councell at Nice So Theodoret writeth A great and holy Councell was gathered to Nice by the grace of God by the godly Emperor So Eusebius also testifieth that Constantine gathered a generall Councell and by honourable Writs called the Bishops of all Countries to repaire together And the same Author witnesseth that the Emperor Constantine confirmed the determinations of the Councell of Nice More also The whole Councell sate in Reuerend comely order quietly in silence looking for the Princes comming and when the watchword was giuen that the Emperor was come the Bishops stood vp from their places and his Maiestie passed a long through the middest of them as if hee had beene an Angel of God In that Councell of Nice the whole bodie of Christendome was deuided into foure Patriarcheships whereof the first place was giuen to the Bishop of Rome the second to the Bishop of Alexandria the third to the Bishop of Antioch the fourth to the Bishop of Ierusalem afterward came in the B. of Constantinople in the place of the B. of Antioch these foure Patriarches had their peculiar
that hee should rule and defend the Kingdome and the people of the Lorde and aboue all things the holy Church And when the Popes eyes were fixed vpon the Bishopricks of England to bring them all spirituall promotions to his owne donation his Holinesse receiued admonition from the same Conqueror that hee should goe against the most auncient Lawes of his kingdome if he did admit or acknowledge the power of any forreiner as the Pope was A.D. 1088 So William Rufus sonne to the Conqueror did strictly forbid Anselm Archbishop of Canterburie and charged all other Bishops to haue no respect to Rome or to the Pope saying J cannot endure any equall in my kingdome so long as J liue A.D. 1114 Henry the first by his Atturney did forbid Anselm returning from Rome to enter his land vnlesse he would faithfully promise to keep all the customs both of William the Conqueror his Father and of William Rufus his brother A.D. 1164 Henrie the second made all the Bishops c. sweare in a generall assembly at Cloredon that these liberties of the Crown amongst which one was That no Archbishop Bishop or any other person should goe out of the Realme without the King his leaue Another did direct Appeales That if any were made they should come from the Archdeacon to the Bishop from the Bishop to the Archbishop and if the Archbishop fayled in doing Justice it shall bee lawfull at the last to come vnto the King that by his commaundement the matter may bee ended in the Archbishop his Court So that no person shall presume to appeale further without the King his consent And hee writ letters to all his Shiriffes Lieutenants in England in this manner I commaund you that if any Cleargie man or Lay man in your Countie appeale to the Court of Rome you attach him hold him fast-ward till Our pleasure bee known Henrie the third when it was propounded in Parliament whether one borne before Matrimonie may inherit in like maner as they that are born after And the Bishops intreating the temporall Lords to consent to the affirmatiue because the Canons Decrees of the Church of Rome are so all the Earles and Barons answered with one voyce That they would not haue the Lawes of England changed and so the statute passed with the Lords temporall against the orders of Rome The same King writeth in this wise to the Bishops seuerally to euerie one in his Diocesse Henry the third by the Grace of God to the Reuerend in Christ B. of N. Whereas Wee haue heretofore written vnto you once twise thrise as well by Our priuie Seales as also by Our Letters Patents that you should not exact or collect for the Popes behalfe anie tallage or other helpe of Our Subiectes either of the Cleargie or of the Layetie for that no such tallage or helpe either can or is vsed to bee exacted in Our Realme without the great preiudice of Our Princely dignitie which Wee neither can nor will suffer or sustaine Yet you contemning and vilipending Our Commaundement and contrarie to the Prouision made in Our last Councell at London graunted agreed vpon by Our Prelates Earles and Barons haue that notwithstanding proceeded in collecting the same your taxes and tallages Whereupon Wee doe greatly maruaile are moued especially seeing you are not ashamed to doe contrarie to your owne Decrees whereas you and other Prelates in the said Councell in this did all agree and graunt that no such exactions should bee heereafter vntill the returne of Our and your ambassadors frō the Court of Rome sent thither purposely of Vs and in the name of the whole Realme for the same to prouide for redresse against these oppressions Wherefore Wee straightly will and commaund you that from henceforth you doe not proceede any more in collecting exacting such tallages or helpes as you will enioy Our fauour and such possessions of yours as within this Our kingdome you haue and hold And if you haue alreadie procured or gathered any such thing yet that you suffer it not to bee transported out of Our Realme but cause it to bee kept in safe custody till the return of the said Ambassadors vnder the paine of Our displeasure in doing of the contrarie and also of prouoking Vs to extend Our hand vpon your possessions further thē you will thinke or beleeue Moreouer willing charging you that you participate make knowen this Our Inhibition with your Archdeacōs Officials which We here haue set forth for the liberties of the Cleargie and of the people as knoweth God c. A.D. 1212 When King John had refused the disordered election of Stephen Langton to the Archbishopricke and See of Canterburie Jnnocent the third forced the King to resigne his kingdome and to take it of him againe the said Pope at the yearely rent of 1000. Markes But the Barons the Bishops were so much displeased therewith that in plaine contempt of the Popes keyes curses they did choose them another King and chased King Iohn the Popes fermor in dispite of all his new Landlord could doe A.D. 1291 King Edward the first made a Statute at Carlile that the Pope should exercise no Iurisdiction in England and in his time one bringing an excommunication from Rome against a Subiect of England and the same being brought by complaint before the King and his Councell the fact was adiudged high Treason the offendor had suffred death but by the mediation of the Chauncellor Treasurer the King was content with his banishment Edward the second would not suffer the Peter-penie to bee collected otherwise then had been accustomed A.D. 1360 Edward the third reuiued the Statute of Premunire made by Edward the first Pope Gregorie the eleuenth writ to him that this Law might bee abrogated but preuailed not Shortly after this time Richard fitz Ralfe liued was made Archbishop of Armagh a holy learned man as appeareth by his labours and disputations against the begging Friers A.D. 1413 Henry the fourth made a Law that no Popes Collector thenceforth should leuie any money within the Realme for first fruites of any Ecclesiasticall liuing vnder pain of incurring the Statute of Prouisions or Premunire An. 5. Henr. 5. Act. 17. It was enacted in a Parliament That the Church all estates should enioy all their liberties which were not repealed or repealeable by the common Law meaning the excluding of the Popes forreine power which hath alwayes beene excluded by the common Law A.D. 1428 As King Henry the sixt with Duke Humfrey Lord Protector the rest of the Councell were in the Dukes house in the Parish of S. Bennets by Pauls Wharfe one Richard Candray Procurator in the Kings name behalfe did protest denounce by this publike instrument That whereas the king and all his Progenitors Kings before him of this Realme of England haue beene heretofore possessed time out of minde with speciall priuiledge custom vsed and