others all which were found in the Popes Librarie Now therefore let vs see what answere the Bishops of the East made to those letters of Pope Iulius They tooke sayth Socrates his reproofes in scorne Socrat. lib. 2. c. 11. edit lat Greca cap. 13. and calling a Synod at Antioch by common aduise and consent they returned his imputations backe vpon himselfe with all bitternesse telling him That he was no more to controll them if they thought fit to depriue anie man in their Churches than they intermedled at what time Nouatus was cast out of the Church at Rome Sozomene addeth Sozom. edit lat l. 3. c. 7. Graec. c. 8. That their answere was full of scoffes and threats For sayth he they attributed indeed verie much to the Church of Rome as the mother Citie and schole of pietie and of religion though so it were that their first instructors in Christian religion came vnto them out of the East yet for all this disdained they to be reckoned their inferiors as they who made it not their glorie to excell in pompe and riches but in vertue pietie Socrat. l. 2. edit lat c. 13. Graec. c. 17. and Christian resolution c. offering peace and communion vnto Iulius but still vpon condition that he should put out of his protection those Bishops of theirs which were fled vnto him This answere sayth Socrates much offended Iulius and it seemeth that it wrought vpon him for in his next letter he complaineth onely That they called him not to their Synod whereas before he pretended that they might not call a Councell without his authoritie he alledgeth now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Canon of the Church forbad to impose anie Law vpon the Churches without the aduise of the Bishop of Rome whereas before he pretended a right absolutely to dispose of all which was the thing which moued them to replie that they would not be ordered nor concluded by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which it appeareth that that answere of Iulius to the Easterne Bishops which we find in the Councels is meerely counterfeit seeing he is there made to speake worse than in the former euen to alledge That in the Councell of Nice there is a Canon which forbiddeth to call a Councell or to condemne anie man without the aduice of the Bishop of Rome though there be there no such word to be found witnesse the Glosse vpon that verie Epistle where he confesseth that there is no such thing there said apertè sed reducibilitèr i. not in plaine tearmes but onely by collection And thus we see how vnder colour of protecting Athanasius the Pope made way to his owne ambition Neither is Baronius his cause anie jot furthered and aduanced all this while He brought in Syluester who good man as he was neuer dreamt of anie such gay clothes attyred like an Emperour as we saw before and now he telleth vs that his successor Marcus began first to giue the Pall to other Bishops Pallium We read sayth he in the life of Marcus Baron an 336. art 62. to 3. that he ordained that the Bishop of Ostia whose office it was to consecrate the Bishop of Rome should at the time of consecration vse a Pall whereupon sayth he non inficias imus we denie not that he gaue him the Pall. Had Baronius beleeued it himselfe he would no doubt haue spoken it more roundly But let that passe this I aske when he sayth That this is the first place where the Pall is mentioned doth he not thereby acknowledge it to be a noueltie When he giueth it to the Bishop of Ostia at Rome gates is it not an argument that he sent it not at that time to the Metropolitans and Archbishops of farther countries Neither indeed is there anie mention made of this weed in all this age nor in manie succeeding ages after neither in the East neither in the West nor yet in Italie it selfe and must we then stand vnto a Legend as to a sufficient proofe For whereas he would proue it out of Isidore Pelusiota Baron an 216. vol. 2. art 15. 16. Isidor Pelusio l. 1. ep 136. a scholer of Chrysostomes it maketh cleane against him for it is there said that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Baronius interpreteth to be Pallium was worne by euerie Bishop in time of celebration and consequently no priuiledge of Metropolitanes or prerogatiue of certaine Bishops much lesse a present to be receiued or a commoditie to be bought for readie money at the Bishop of Rome his warehouse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his words are these The garment which the Bishop weareth vpon his shoulders made of wooll and not of linnen signifieth vnto vs the skin of the lost sheepe which the Lord sought and hauing found him layed him vpon his shoulders For the Bishop bearing a type and figure of Christ must also performe his office So farre is he from deriuing it from the High Priests of the Iewes to appropriat it to the Pope and to such as he for a fauour is pleased to impart it We haue alreadie shewed what maine opposition was made against the attempts of Pope Iulius yet doth Baronius vpon that attempt onely without effect ground an absolute and soueraigne power of the Bishops of Rome in generall He called saith he a Councell at Rome Baron an 340. art 1. sequ requested thereunto by the Arrians themselues who being cast out of the East hoped to find reliefe and succour in the West For answer we say that this was no Generall but a Nationall Councell such as euery Metropolitan might and the Bishops of Alexandria Antioch Hierusalem and Constantinople often did call in their seuerall dioces such as did Athanasius himselfe in this verie cause of Arrius Athanas Apologes 2. But this we affirme that no one of the generall Councels was euer called by other than the Emperour himselfe though at the request of Bishops so oft as cause required An euident argument that there was not at that time anie one Bishop acknowledged as soueraigne ouer all the rest by occasion whereof they were forced to haue recourse to a supreme secular power whensoeuer there was cause for Metropolitans and Patriarchs for the Clergie of sundrie Prouinces for the Bishops of the East and West Churches to assemble and meet together for the ordering of matters in the Church whence also it came to passe that during the space of three hundred yeares vntill the reigne of Constantine we neuer read of any Generall Councell and but of few Nationall yet were there in all that time Bishops of Rome neither during that eclipse of Christian Emperours in the reigne of Iulian could anie Councell be assembled how great soeuer the necessitie of the Church at that time was and yet the Bishops of Rome were at that time growne to some jolitie and began to looke somewhat big vpon the matter and
Iulius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which onely permitteth him to take knowledge of the cause anew which in the fift Canon is qualified with this Particle as if say they the Bishop deposed As appealing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall flie for refuge to the Bishop of Rome and as the third Canon so this in the decision concludeth onely for a reuiew of the former sentence so little was this matter of formall Appeales meant or vnderstood in this Councell And this fellow which standeth so much vpon his knowledge of Antiquitie and hath written so manie volumes of it should in all reason haue produced some Canon of the Apostles some Constitution of Clement or of some precedent Councell or some example out of the Historie of the Church and not haue grounded himselfe wholly vpon a certaine Appeale made de facto by Martian Valentinian Fortunatus or some such like heretike and make that his onely title to claime by especially considering that the Councell of Nice setteth downe another order in expresse tearmes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Nicen. can 4. Concil Antioch can 4. sequ namely this that the power of ratifying for so doth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there vsed signifie in good Greeke should belong to the Metropolitan in euerie Prouince where there is no superiour appointed ouer the Metropolitan no not the Patriarch himselfe at that time and yet was the question at that time properly concerning the ordination of Bishops And the Councell of Antioch which was held but a little before that of Sardica giueth to a Bishop deposed by his own Synod no other remedie but onely a reuiew in another Synod And farther all Antiquitie forbiddeth euerie Bishop or Metropolitan to receiue anie Bishop or Priest deposed without those solemne letters certificatorie called Formatae from his owne Metropolitan or Bishop which absolute and generall Law were to little purpose if this Law of Appeales did stand in force And hence came the vse of those Formata which were of so great weight and moment and were neuer granted forth but vpon mature aduise and long deliberation Fifthly here may we see how Baronius abuseth a certaine place of Theodoret Theodor. l. 5. c. 9. where he sayth That Iulius hauing receiued letters from Eusebius the Arrian of Nicomedia who made him Iudge following the Law or Ordinance of the Church commaunded him to come to Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cited Athanasius to appeare there also that is saith Baronius a Canon of the Nicene Councell now lost whereby it was enacted that men might from all parts appeale to Rome so small a piece of ground will serue their turne to found the tyrannie of the Pope vpon for what likelyhood thereof doe they find in anie Historie Wherefore it is more probable to say that seeing this was before that Canon of the Councell of Sardica it was meant rather of the common practise of the Church in those dayes when one Bishop oppressed was wont to flie for reliefe to some other of greater dignitie to cleare himselfe before him who thereupon vsed to call his aduersarie and to heare the cause betweene them according to that vniuersall Bishopricke whereof as sayth S. Cyprian euerie one did administer his portion by himselfe yet so as that no man neglected the whole Bodie or any particular member thereof the Church being a Bodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozom. l. 8. c. 13. i. which liued but by one and the selfesame breath As appeareth in the example of Ammonius and Isidore who finding themselues wronged by Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria fled to Chrysostome who receiued them and examined their cause and finding them to haue a right and Orthodox opinion concerning the Deitie wrote to Theophilus to receiue them to Communion if not and that he would yet draw the cause to a farther hearing that then he should send some one or other to make himselfe a partie in it The like was in Athanasius flying to Pope Iulius And yet did not Chrysostome hereupon ground anie pretence either ouer Theophilus in person or ouer the dioces of Alexandria The like was also in Liberius whom the Churches of the East assembled in the Syrmian Councell recommended to Pope Felix and to the Clergie of Rome requiring them to admit him as Collegue in that See which also they obtained And thus you see what that pretended Appeale was Baron an 349. art 6. vnlesse yet perhaps some man may thinke that foolerie of Baronius worth the answering where he sayth that Athanasius calleth the Church of Rome The Church Athanas Apolog 2. idem ad solitarios by excellencie without addition The words of Athanasius are these The Emperour sayth he sent me letters hauing receiued them I went vp to Rome with purpose to visit the Bishop and Church there Who seeth not that this word Rome was omitted in this last place onely to auoid an vnnecessarie repetition of what was necessarily implied Now if we would vrge a saying of the same Father where he calleth Milan the Metropolis of all Italie what rejoinder would he make Nay we may say farther that this Councell had beene ill aduised to draw all to one mans authoritie seeing that Hosius the proposer of this Canon a while after fell away from the true and Orthodox doctrine and that Liberius next successor to Iulius fell vnto Arrianisme excommunicating Athanasius and being therefore himselfe without regard to his pretended supremacie excommunicated by our S. Hilarie Baron an 347. art 25. an 352. art 14. to 3. Baronius seeing the consequence which this Historie draweth with it would faine make it trauersable and sometimes flatly denieth it to be true and which is more enrolleth him in the Catalogue of Saints as he did afterwards the good Hildebrand called Gregorie the seuenth But leaue we him to debate this question with Athanasius and Hilarie with Liberius himselfe whose Epistles Nicholas Faber his trustie friend lately published with the fragments of Hilarie with Bellarmine who as hath beene alreadie shewed so clearely condemneth him and lastly with himselfe for as much as he vseth these fragments of Hilarie so farre forth as they serue his own turne for from thence taketh he a Synodicall Epistle Baron an 357. art 26. written to Iulius from the Councell of Sardica and therefore ought in reason to admit also of that Epistle of Liberius found in the same volume but we need no argument in a thing which himselfe affirmeth so plainely as he doth Baron vol. 4. an 365. art 1 2 3 4 5 sequent By all these things saith he taken partly out of histories partly out of the writing of the Fathers partly out of his owne letters it is impossible to free Liberius from that imputation of communicating with Arrius and of ratifying the sentence by them giuen against Athanasius And if saith he there were no other proofe his owne letters are sufficient to put
of thy venerable Father meaning the Bishop There is but one faith and consent of all we may not oppose against thy Father our Collegue and fellow Minister Bellarmine yet instanceth againe in the case of Felix and Fortunatus a couple of schismatikes of Afrike who would haue had their cause new hammered before Cornelius Bishop of Rome But we haue alreadie declared what was the opinion of S. Cyprian thereupon Cyprian edit Pamel epist 55. 68. protesting that if such courses taken may be allowed all discipline would come to naught And Stephen who succeeded Cornelius when he attempted to vndertake the patronage of Basilides and Martialis Basil in Epist ad Occident whom the Churches of Spaine had deposed from their Chaires preuailed as little as his predecessor had done before him As for Liberius his bad hap was to take vpon him the protection of that hypocrit Eustathius Bishop of Sebasta Nazian in ep ad Caledon and Damasus of Vitalis a Bishop of the East whom afterwards vpon better aduise he excommunicated neither doth Baronius denie but that Syricius himselfe Baron to 5. an 397. art 17. sequ an 399. had he not beene forewarned by Marcella had beene as almost he was ouertaken by the Origenists so easie a matter was it by faire words and low crouchings to come ouer these men blinded with ambition and with desire of soueraigne authoritie But to come to this age and matter now in hand we read that Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria assembled a Synod and therein absolutely condemned the Origenists wherein he neuer expected either authoritie or aduice from Rome nay Rome her selfe was content to follow his example namely Anastasius the yere following Hieron ep 78. ad Pammach Marcell witnesse S. Hierosme who writing of this subject sayth Him whom Demetrius chased out of Alexandria Theophilus vanquished ouer all the world c. He boldly proclaimed Origen for an heretike Let the Chaire of S. Peter by her preaching confirme what the Chaire of Marc the Euangelist hath taught adding afterwards That indeed Anastasius had now condemned in the West what formerly had been condemned in the East not that Theophilus had need of confirmation from him for his sentence was absolute and carried execution with it But as Hierosme saith They both did it with the same zeale as led by the same spirit because they had both drunke out of the same fountaine of the Scriptures But there arose at this time a certaine difference betweene Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople and this Theophilus of Alexandria whereof they would sucke no small aduantage the case was this Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople being dead question arose about the choice of a successor The Bishops of the prouince assembled in Synod by common consent of Clergie and People elected Chrysostome Socrat. l. 6. c. 2. Sozom. l. 8. c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and called him from Antioch to be their Bishop Here Baronius groundeth his argument for sayth he it is euident that Theophilus opposed himselfe against his election and would haue brought in one Isidorus a Priest of his dioces if therefore sayth he that Canon of the Councell of Constantinople had bin of force Baron to 5. an 397. art 63. which equalleth Constantinople with Rome how could Theophilus haue medled in this election and thence concludeth that it is a forged Canon in despight of all Histories whatsoeuer But let this Annalist read the Historie once more To giue the greater credit and lustre to this election sayth Socrates there were also manie other Bishops there assembled by order from the Emperour and among the rest Theophilus of Alexandria who did what he could to staine the credit and reputation of Chrysostome Whence it appeareth that he was not there but by speciall order from the Emperor Arcadius and therefore his argument concludeth not And here began the quarrell betweene these two Theophilus a man of an implacable spirit tooke the other to taske the reason was for that Theophilus had not long before excommunicated certaine Origenists who presently fled to Chrysostome whom yet Chrysostome would not receiue to his Communion vntill he might heare the reasons of Theophilus either by himselfe or by some others from him concerning their excommunication Theophilus also had this aduantage ouer him that through his libertie of speech in pulpit he had drawne the hatred of the great ones of the Court and of the Emperour himselfe but aboue all of the Empresse vpon his head Wherefore Theophilus was sent for to sit vpon him who comming to Constantinople assembled a Synod but for feare of the people held it without the citie the Synod consisting for the most part of those Bishops whom Chrysostome for their demerits had formerly deposed Pallad in vita Chrysost an 403 Thither he cited Chrysostome to appeare before him and them who had to the open view of all men combined themselues against him Chrysostome on the contrarie held another Synod within the walls whither he also cited Theophilus to appeare before him and farther by three Bishops and two Priests admonished him and his adherents not to peruert or trouble the orders of the Church especially not to violate the Canon of Nice by medling in other mens iurisdictions Pallad in vita Chrysost Socrat. l. 2. c. 4. Sozom. l. 8. c. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he in his Synod had the greater number of Bishops and assembled out of diuers Prouinces that yet he refused not to put himselfe vpon the triall of him and of his Synod prouided that his professed enemies were first remoued if not that then he appealed to a Generall Councell These are the words of Palladius in the life of Chrysostome likewise of Socrates and Sozomene in their Histories And why then did he not appeale to Rome or can they shew anie such authoritie as this for the maintenance of Appeales to the See of Rome Which notwithstanding they proceeded to his deposition and cast him into exile hauing no other cause against him but that he refused to appeare before them But why then sayth Baronius had not be rather relieued himselfe vpon that third Canon of Constantinople if anie such had beene in force I answere because the Canon of the Nicene Councell was more proper for his purpose the question not being properly of jurisdiction but of the integritie of his person By which Canon of Nice Theophilus who was set ouer the Churches of Egypt had nothing to doe with the Churches of Thracia But hereupon the people began to repine and mutinie till in the end Chrysostome was restored to his Chaire Shortly after he drew more anger vpon him by like Pulpit libertie as before and his aduersaries taking hold of this occasion condemned him a second time alledging that he had returned to his Chaire without restitution first had and obtained from them And thereupon the displeasure of the Empresse joyned with the implacable hatred of
Theophilus they cast him into banishment more grieuous than before which while some of his friends sought to mitigate they made it worse till in the end he died in exile through griefe of heart True it is that in this second conflict he tryed all his friends whereupon Baronius is bold Baron to 5. an 404. art 20. seq and sayth That he had recourse by way of Appeale to the Church of Rome as vnto her which was onely able to correct all other Churches and that he appealed to Innocent Bishop of Rome in person Which he reporteth with that confidence as a man would thinke himselfe almost bound in conscience to beleeue him adding farther That all this fell out by the wonderful prouidence of God to shew men how they ought vpon like occasions to flie to the Pope of Rome But let vs see what proofes for our part we are content to stand to his owne allegations and namely to that Epistle of Chrysostome vnto Innocent which Epistle by his leaue is not directed to Innocent alone but jointly to all the Bishops of the West as appeareth in that the whole Epistle runneth in tearmes of the plurall number neither in six whole pages which that Epistle taketh vp is the word of Appeale so much as once named but we find there manie other things which make against them as first that he declareth vnto them the cause of his exile to haue beene onely that he would haue appealed to a Councell meaning a Generall Councell as we said before and consequently not to the Bishop of Rome Secondly that he prayeth their charitie to awake and to helpe to put some end to these his miseries and therefore not their pretended omnipotencie Thirdly I humbly beseech you sayth he my most reuerend Lords to preuent this ruine and therefore not Innocent or his See alone and what ruine was it For if saith he this custome take place and it may be lawfull for one to enterprise vpon anothers Prouince all is lost His meaning was that they should helpe to order this matter by a Councell in execution of that Canon of Nice and therefore he entreateth them to retract and to disannull all that which had beene practised or attempted against him so farre was he from requesting Innocent who dwelt farther off than the other to interpose his authoritie in the cause Fourthly in that he telleth them That he had written the same things to Venerius Bishop of Milan and to Chromatius Bishop of Aquileia and so indeed had he also written to Aurelius Bishop of Carthage By which appeareth that he wrote to sundrie other Bishops which then were of esteeme and authoritie in the Church as well as to Innocentius whom he could not omit in regard that he was Bishop of the first See but he appealed not to one more than to another The like also may appeare by the resolution which Innocentius tooke in this businesse for hauing receiued the letters and heard the embassages of both parties in good discretion he admitted them both to his Communion thereby declaring that the sentence which was giuen against Chrysostome was vnjust Theodor. Romā apud Pallad in Dialog adding farther That it was fit in this case to call a sincere Synod as well of the Easterne as of the Westerne Bishops where neither opposites nor partisans of either of them should be present and there giue iudgement according to the Canons of Nice which was nothing else in effect but only to giue way to the Appeale which Chrysostome had from the beginning put in to a Generall Councell which he requested Innocentius and others according to the practise of the Church in those times to procure from the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius especially from Arcadius who being offended with Chrysostome would neuer haue graunted it but at their intreatie Which plainely appeareth in Sozomene by the letters of Innocent sent to the Clergie of Constantinople Sozom. l. 8. c. 28. It is needfull sayth he that a Synod haue the hearing of this matter for it onely is able to represse these troubles and in the meane time it is meet to referre the cure of this maladie to the will of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. And a little after We are verie carefull saith he to find the meanes to assemble a Generall Councell which he needed not to haue beene had things beene in his owne disposition Now that which ensued hereupon was that the yere following which was the yere 405 An. 405. there was assembled a Synod of the Westerne Bishops at Rome where they entreated the Emperor Honorius to write to his brother Arcadius requesting him that he would cause a Synod to be assembled at Thessalonica to the end that the Bishops both of the East and also of the West might there meet as in a more conuenient place for the finall hearing and sentencing of this cause Whereupon Honorius sent vnto him and the more to shew him the good opinion which the Bishops of the West had of Chrysostome of manie letters which he had in his hands to that effect he sent him principally two the one of Innocentius Bishop of Rome the other of Chromatius Bishop of Aquileia And the author himselfe noteth that the embassadors sent vnto Arcadius from his brother Honorius deliuered him letters from the Emperour his brother from Innocentius of Rome from Chromatius of Aquileia from Venerius of Milan and from sundrie others all which joyned in this embassage the end whereof was to reestablish Chrysostome in his place for the present vntill a Generall Councell might be assembled In the meane time Chrysostome died in banishment and the rest of this Historie concerneth not this matter What reason therefore hath Baronius so confidently to report that Chrysostome did appeale to Rome For when a Prince oppressed by one neighbour flyeth for helpe and succour to another doth he thereby make him his Lord and himselfe his vassall To flie to his courtesie or fauour is it to be interpreted for an acknowledgement of his jurisdiction or that he confesseth himselfe his tributarie One lye more of Baronius and so an end of this discourse This grand Annalist telleth vs Baron to 5. an 407. art 20. an 408. art 33. Theodor. l. 5. c. 33. 34. that Innocent would neuer communicat with the Easterne Churches no not after the death of Chrysostome till his name was restored to the catalogue of the Bishops of that See and thereupon voucheth Theodoret lib. 5. cap. 33. Whosoeuer will take the paine to read that place shall find no mention there made of Innocentius It is said there I confesse that the Doctor of this Vniuerse being dead the Bishops of the West would not communicat with the Bishops of the East of Egypt and of Thrace vntill they had enrolled him among the Bishops deceased of Constantinople not vouchsafing so much as to congratulat his successor Arsacius Why then should he appropriat that to one
away all cause of doubt Because said he In Commonit ad Can. 1. pa. 306. we cannot find that Canon which is alledged by Faustus in the behalfe of Boniface Bishop of Rome which Boniface during this Councell had succeeded Zozimus And farther they required Boniface himselfe to doe the like to the end that these things passing in his presence might be void of suspition and so find the greater credit with him Which copies being after a time sent vnto them in due forme from Cyril Bishop of Alexandria and from Atticus of Constantinople together with their letters which we find recited in the Councell followed that decree which we there read and withall a Synodal letter from them to Caelestin Bishop of Rome who during this pursuit had succeeded Boniface and this Epistle closeth vp that Councell Neither is it vnworthie our obseruation that the copie which Cyril sent taken out of the Archiues of Alexandria came from Rome being long before sent from Marcus Bishop of Rome to Athanasius and to the other Bishops of Aegypt vpon complaint which they had made vnto him That the Arrians had burned all the copies of the Nicene Councel which were to be found in Alexandria In to 1. Cōcil pa. 299. pa. 300. Epist Aegypt ad Marcum Marci ad Aegyptios and we haue the letters of Marcus to testifie as much The decree therefore of that Councell made in confirmation of the Canon of the Mileuitan Councell passed there by generall consent in manner and forme following That Priests Deacons and other inferiour Clerkes appeale not beyond the sea but to the Primats of their Prouince as it hath often beene decided and commaunded in case of Bishops As for those which shall appeale beyond the sea that is as Balsamon expoundeth it to Rome that no man in Africke receiue them to communion Which clause is set downe in as generall tearmes as could be deuised and the letter sent to Caelestin maketh their meaning yet more plaine which letter we find registred in the Councell of Africke according to the old Roman copie it selfe We earnestly intreat you say they Concil African Can. 105. Codex Canonum Vetus Ecclesiae Romanae in Concil African 105. that hereafter you giue no care to those which flie vnto you from hence and that you admit not to your communion such as we haue excommunicated for your Venerablenesse knoweth well that it is so ordered by the Councell of Nice which though it seeme to dispose onely in case of inferiour Clerkes and lay persons yet in reason their mind was that it should be so obserued much more in case of Bishops that those which had beene iustly censured and put from the communion of their owne Church should not ouer hastily be restored by your Holinesse And farther we request your Holinesse that you would repell those Priests and other Clerkes which make you their refuge both because there is no constitution of the Fathers which hath at any time so much derogated from the authoritie of our Churches as also because the Councell of Nice hath apparently left the ordering of all inferiours whether Priests or Bishops to the iudgement of their Metropolitan and with great wisedome and equitie haue they prouided that all matters of controuersie should receiue their finall determination in the place where they began and that the grace of the holie Spirit would not bee so wanting to any Prouince but that the Priests of Christ which word compriseth also Bishops by the helpe thereof wil be able at all times wisely and discreetly to enter into the full knowledge and vnderstanding of causes and according to right and equitie to iudge of them especially considering that euerie man which findeth himselfe aggrieued with the sentence of his Diocesan may if he will forthwith appeale to the Synods of his owne Prouince or if him list to a Generall Councell vnlesse peraduenture anie thinke that God will inspire with this gift of examining causes some one particular man Vni cuilibet and that he will denie the same to an infinite number of Bishops and Priests assembled in a Councell Innumerabilibus sacerdotibus and how can a iudgement giuen beyond the seas be good where witnesses necessarily required in such cases cannot be present either in regard of their sex or of their age or by reason of some other impediment As for your sending of a Legat à Latere A tuae sanctitatis latere we find no such ordinance in anie Councell neither yet in the writings of the Fathers And as touching that which you sent vs by Faustinus our fellow Bishop as a Canon of the Nicene Councell we let you to vnderstand that there is no such Canon to be found in the true and vncorrupt copies of that Councell which haue beene sent vnto vs taken out of the Originals by Cyrill our fellow Bishop of Alexandria and by the reuerend Atticus of Constantinople which copies we also heretofore sent vnto Boniface your predecessor of worthie memorie by Innocentius the Priest and Marcellus a Subdeacon wherein there was no such Canon to be found Now in the whole narration of this Epistle there are manie things worthie our obseruation as first the inscription To our louing and venerable brother Caelestin Secondly that the Popes Legat brought back againe and presented before them Apiarias a Priest whom Vrban Bishop of Sicea had condemned to purge himselfe before the Councell notwithstanding he had fled to Rome Thirdly that it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your Holinesse beleeued that he had appealed vnto you that is your Holinesse was made to beleeue that he had right to appeale vnto you which yet you were not able to proue and therefore his appeale auailed him not as one which was conuicted by his owne confession notwithstanding the sleights and practises of the Legat. Fourthly that Celestin here is fairely entreated no more to protect or receiue their Priests or Bishops as you say they shall find ordained in the Councell of Nice whereas that which you pretend is not there to be found so that the lie was put vpon those three Popes as plainely and as mannerly withall as possibly could be deuised Fifthly that whereas they talke so much of that fountaine of Gods spirit flowing so plentifully at Rome in the person of their Bishop by farre greater reason it is to be presumed that it will not wax drie and faile among so manie holie persons assembled in their owne Prouince Sixtly that they will not heare of anie Legats à Latere that they know not what they meane nor found they anie such officer mentioned in the Canons of the Church as also that they neuer heard of anie such clerkes as lately came by strong hand to put his decrees in execution by which attempts of theirs it appeareth how much ground their ambitious violence had alreadie gotten through the breach which was made in their liberties by those rebell Bishops
which fled vnto them for protection And this is that which the Fathers call Typhum seculi in Ecclesiam Christi inducere Typho isto to bring in worldlie pride and arrogancie into the Church of Christ which they doubted not to speake vnto Boniface himselfe saying We beleeue that seeing thou sittest in the Romane Church we shall no longer be oppressed with this vaine pride calling him alwaies Domine frater For whereas they triumph in this word Sanctitati vestrae i. your Holinesse they must vnderstand that the Popes themselues vsed the same stile and gaue the same title to them and to all other Bishops as Zozimus writing to these verie Africans We are persuaded sayth he that your Holinesse hath beene informed touching the proofe and triall which we haue made of Caelestius his absolute and sound faith and so likewise to others Against this maine wall of truth and veritie Baronius opposeth the brittle glasse of his owne fancie seeking to darken this cleare light with the smoake of his vaine discourse howbeit like a bird in a net the more he striueth the more he is intangled and the reader may easily obserue that he spendeth himselfe in vaine talke and sophistrie And first it much offendeth his patience that we say that those three Popes produced the Canon of Sardica vnder the name of the Councell of Nice for if it were done by error where is their infallibilitie if of malice where is then their sanctitie But saith he it may be that the text was corrupted Baron vol. 5. an 419. art 70. sequ and this word Nicene put for Sardican and I am forced to beleeue that these acts are not reported truly and as they ought to be Tell me reader whosoeuer thou art will such a shift serue in a matter of this importance Idem ib. art 87. Secondly saith he what aduantage was there to be gotten in alledging the one for the other for was not the Sardican Councell as good as the Nicene or are they not both Generall Councels and we haue alreadie proued that the Sardican Synod was neuer reckoned among the Generall neither did Innocent euer plead for himselfe other than the Canon of Nice vnder colour of this glorious name to dazzle the eyes of men and to abuse the world Thirdly saith he what likelihood that the Africans would withstand these Appeales seeing they had beene vsed from all antiquitie the onely thing which they misliked was the forme What need of answere to this argument more than the bare recitall of the argument it selfe and who doubteth of their presumption and arrogancie Or who knoweth not that euill manners giue commonly occasion of good lawes that vsurpations cause orderings and that if injustice were not we should not need the knowledge of the lawes Thou tellest vs that Celestius a companion and an abettor of the heretike Pelagius was condemned in Afrike August contra duas Pelagij ep l. 2. c. 3. Epistola Zosim ad Aurel. Carthag episcop that he appealed from this sentence to Zozimus Bishop of Rome that he admitted of the appeale and that this was but the yeare before true and Baronius you may perceiue that this proceeded of that Papall humor to admit of all plaintifes suffering themselues with flatterie and faire words to be abused oft times by the most dangerous heretikes But say I pray you what followeth Is it not that the Africanes complained of these wrongs that Zozimus carried it not farre that he was regulated and ordered the next yere following Augustin epist 261. edit Plantin Yea but saith he Doe you not see so and so manie examples of these Appeales mentioned in S. Augustine and thereupon alledgeth his 261 Epistle all at large Annalist would be as he is Doth he not see that all these examples were before the law was made and that they were the proper occasion and cause of this Decree and doe men in Commonwealths matters ground themselues vpon abuses or rather vpon Lawes vpon that which de facto is done or rather vpon that which of right ought to be done The truth of the cause is this Anthonie Bishop of Foussall in Afrike being deposed by the Bishops of his owne Prouince got letters of commendation from the Primat of Nicomedia to Zozimus Bishop of Rome by meanes whereof he found accesse to Zozimus and after him to his successor Celestin who bad man as he was went about to restore him by force of armes Whereupon S. Augustine who was present at his condemnation wrote to Celestin in this manner We are threatened saith he with a Posse comitatus and force of armes to put the sentence of the Apostolike See in execution and so shall we poore Christians stand in greater feare of a Catholike Bishop than the heretikes themselues doe of a Catholike Emperour Let not these things so be I doe coniure thee by the blood of Christ and by the memorie of the Apostle S. Peter who warneth those which are set ouer the Christian assemblies not to dominiere with violence ouer their brethren What could this holie Bishop doe more to stay the course of his rage and madnesse but in that great Synod of Carthage he with a multitude of other worthie persons layed the axe to the verie root of his pretended soueraignetie by their sentence there pronounced against him Now tell me whereas Baronius in this cause of Antonie Bishop of Foussall crieth out O admirabilem Dei prouidentiam c. O the wonderfull prouidence of God Ib. art 76. in matters concerning the Catholike Church at that verie time when controuersie was betweene the Fathers of Afrike concerning the Canon of Nice God would haue it that a cause should fall out by occasion whereof Saint Augustine himselfe who was present at that Councell was euen compelled to record vnto posteritie so manie examples of those who had recourse and did appeale to the Church of Rome Tell me I say whether we haue not farre greater cause to prayse his goodnesse in that out of these enormities and abuses he was pleased to direct this Councell to set downe a rule and a certaine order by which the Churches of Afrike might from that time forward for euer be directed Baron vol. 5. an 419. art 92. Fourthly will you see saith he how much they attribute and yeeld to the Church of Rome When they went about to set downe a certaine Canon of the Bible they consulted Boniface thereupon requesting him to confirme it and what likelyhood that they would not vse the like submission in the rest of their Canons But the verie reading of that Canon is a refuting of this assertion Concil Carthag Can. 47. It seemeth good vnto vs say the Fathers in that Canon that nothing be read in the Churches but onely the holie Scriptures which are these Genesis Exodus Leuiticus c. Wherefore their resolution and decree was absolute without anie reseruation both that the Scriptures onely should
of his mouth water after the woman like a floud that shee might be carried away of the floud But there were then giuen to the woman two wings of a great Eagle that shee might flie into the wildernesse And of a flight in the ayre there remaines no trace In such sort that we are not bound to search after it much lesse to shew it accounting it sufficient that we beleeue the Scriptues That God knoweth who are his That the Church is knowne vnto God as in the time of Eliah though vnknowne to the Prophet whereof after so many ages past there is no reason why any account should be demaunded of vs. But I will not deale so rigorously with you will you know where and what manner of Church ours was in all your time Our Church was that Primitiue Apostolike Church inspired with the holie Ghost grounded vpon the word of God which hath left vnto vs the Canon of the holie Scriptures the rule of our faith and life the Symboll of the Apostles the badge of our Christian warfare To vs therefore that embrace all these and to hold and defend them reject all humane inuentions stoppe our eares against the voice of a stranger the societie of this Church spread farre and wide through the world and as our Sauiour saith continuing to the last day of the world cannot be denied But on the other side against you is that curse threatened by S. Paule who besides and against this preach another Gospell If we or any angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise let him be accursed Our Church is that which hath continued with this Gal. 1. v. 7.8.9 yea hath been euer ioyned vnto it shining with so manie and so great miracles made red with so many and glorious martyres For these are the miracles that witnesse the truth of this Gospell Martyrdomes that gaue testimonie to Christ the onely begotten sonne of God the onely redeemer of mankind Mediator Sauiour the only true Priest of the new Couenant which we onely vrge refusing all other and are readie to seale it with our bloud Ours therefore are these miracles and these Martyrdomes since we are incorporated with them by one and the same faith into one and the same Church Now tell me I pray haue your traditions beene confirmed by these miracles Can you or dare you affirme that any of your martyres haue suffered for the Papacie for the Popish doctrine for the adoration of Images the worship of Saints the traffike of Purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse Transubstantiation By what right then doe you arrogate vnto your selues the miracles and martyrdomes of that Church by what right nay rather what wrong doe you take them from vs the true heires of their faith I would to God wee could as truely say of their constancie Againe our Church is that that heretofore confuted and confounded Arius Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches Pyrrhus yea Pope Honorius himselfe who called into question the diuinitie of the onely begotten sonne of God and of the holie ghost and the two natures and two wils in one Christ Ours are those generall Councells of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and others In which they with theirs were condemned and ouerthrowne Forasmuch therefore as we approue and embrace all these and consequently the Catholike Church represented in them as we neuer wandred in any thing from their doctrine so are we not to be seperated from their bodies Tell me againe whether you dare to say as much And if for shame you will seeme to dare See ye not that your Pope is to be brought into order that he is presently to fall to the ground Find you any where in any of those approued and auncient Councells any place for those your inuentions And yet these bring vs to the six hundreth yeare after the natiuitie of our blessed Sauiour In all which time if those points of doctrine which we affirme are confirmed by the holie Scriptures Symboles Myracles Martyres decrees of Councels and contrarily those things we denie doe no where appeare nay are not so much as affirmed may we not by good right and reason professe that Church to be ours And with better reason aske you where your Church was for those six hundred yeares together Vbinam Gentium for to say the truth there shee was there shee fed Not vpon the hill of Sion but the little hils and groues of Garisim the mountaines of Seyre the pastures of Paganisme From whence ye haue gathered whatsoeuer either the proud schoole of the Pharisies brought into the Sinagogue or the vaine superstition of the Greeke Philosophers into their Academy From thence-forward the authoritie of one man by the contempt of the word of God gathering strength in the Church of Rome the Princes likewise according as it was foretold striuing to giue their assistance he made and vnmade lawes at his owne pleasure preferring humane inuentions before the diuine oracles his decrees before the Canons of Councells Nouelties before antiquities things profane before holie borrowed from elsewhere before his owne adulterat before lawfull superstition before religion and all this furniture of Paganisme before Christian simplicitie by which meanes the Church by degrees fell into this corruption and languishing consumption In such sort neuerthelesse that in the middest of this corruption this confusion a part of our selues did still remaine and that in a twofold manner This Church was a part of our selues though corrupt cloked and couered with wood and hay and stubble yea in a manner ouerwhelmed 1. Corinth 3. so long as shee stood vpon her onely true foundation Christ Iesus so long as the saluation of man depended vpon him onely his merit the bloud of his crosse Not vpon our owne or other mens workes not vpon Popish absolutions and indulgences and other blasphemous toyes of that nature And as it falleth out that the wind changing the wether altereth so for a time the matter hung in an equal ballance vntill impietie ouer-weighing the mind of man by a kind of selfe-loue being prone to human inuentions true pietie was taken away Againe this Church was a part of our selues and the purer part inasmuch as many excellent men famous for their pietie and learning sprung vp therein almost in euerie Nation lifting vp their heads in the middest of this darkenesse Assemblies of Bishops and whole vniuersities striuing with all their force against that swift and violent streame shewed thereby the newnesse of the doctrine But striuing in vaine broke out into mournings and clamours and complaints calling heauen and earth to witnesse against the Popes and their followers who speaking with so cleere and audible a voice being so manie in number and in so manie places and that not out of any compact or agreement but a common sence of that publike calamitie is it not to be presumed that manie held their peace for feare possessing their pure soules in silence Such of whom the Lord speaketh by Eliah I haue
to impeach or oppose against it And who now can haue any good opinion of the decrees of Gratian reformed in our dayes since Gregorie the thirteenth which vndertooke to reforme them was not ashamed to let stand for good I will not say this Palea or chaffe but this vnsauorie and filthie ordure And wee haue just cause to wonder at the impudencie of Baronius who trippeth ouer this matter as one would doe ouer fire lightly for feare of burning leauing it as a judged case no longer to be questioned Baron to 3. an 324. art 117. We saith he say nothing hereof because we can say nothing but what hath beene often said alreadie and it were bootlesse and troublesome to repeat it Whereas poore soule how many matters of farre lesse importance handled by infinit numbers of Authors doth he there repeat And the whole volumes of his Annales what are they else but heapes of idle and needlesse repetitions Well I wot that things were not at this time come vnto that height neither could they climbe so high but by degrees which we purpose to deduce euerie one of them in their order in the meane time this is cleere that together with their plentie came in corruption not onely in life and manners but also in religion which then began to degenerate by admistion of Heathenish superstitions Baron an 44. to 1. art 86. sequent Idem passim and this is that which Baronius meaneth where he saith That men at that time hallowed Heathenish rites and ceremonies by bringing them into the Christian Churches OPPOSITION This great aboundance and plenty of wealth falling by heaps vpon the Church caused many deuout and well disposed persons to forecast cruell things The Legend of Syluester saith Legenda B. Syluest That there was at that time a voice heard from heauen saying Hodiè effusum est venenum in Ecclesiā i. This day is there a poison powred forth vpon the Church But what euer the wealth of the Roman Church was this one thing is cleere as touching their authoritie That when there was question about Donatus who stood an heretike condemned by the Churches of Afrike Constantine left him not to be judged by Miltiades Bishop of Rome but appointed Delegats for the hearing of his cause namely Maternus Rheticus Marinus Bishops of Collen Optat. cont Parmen li. 1. August Epist 162. 166. Authun and Arles as Optatus Augustine report with whom he joyned afterwards in commission for the same cause the said Miltiades And when Donatus refused to stand vnto their judgement he assigned him the Councel of Arles which himselfe had formerly assembled to judge of his appeale and at last gaue sentence vpon him himselfe in person at Milan so that the Bishops of Rome of Authun and the rest were all equall in this commission without any colour of prioritie Neither needed Constantine any great intreatie vpon the difference and controuersie of Arrius himselfe to call the Nicene Councell Theodor. lib. 1. Histor Eccles cap. 7. and there to preside in person witnesse Eusebius Socrates Theodoret Sozomene Gelasius and the whole companie of Fathers assembled in that Councell by their Synodall Epistles which Fathers tooke vpon them to order the Bishop of Rome and did order him by speciall Canon which Canon because it is cauilled and contradicted by some deserueth more narrowly to be scanned and more particularly to be considered The sixt Canon therefore of the first Nicene Councell about the yeare 325 An. 325. concerning the ranking and ordering of Bishops euerie one in his place Canones Graec. Concil Nicen. 1. can 6. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is read in these words Let the auncient customes be obserued which are in Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis so that the Bishop which is in Alexandria haue authoritie ouer all these because such also is the manner or custome of the Bishop of Rome where the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a thing vsed by custome by which appeareth that it was a matter onely of custome not of law much lesse an ordinance or decree of God Likewise in Antioch and in other Prouinces let euerie Church retaine her due honour And in the seuenth Canon is like prouision made for the Church of Hierusalem and the same reason added Because such hath beene the custome and the ancient tradition to honour the Church of Aelia for so was Hierusalem called after that Adrian had rebuilt it in another place let her also haue her honour next after the other with reseruation alwayes of due honour to the Metropolitane Church And so is this Canon read in Gelasius Cyzicenus in the Acts of this Councell taken out of the Vatican Gelas Cyzicen in Act. Syno Nice 1. pag. 61. where we may obserue that this Councell foundeth them all alike vpon custome which it calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manner wont or custome placing the Bishop of Rome betweene those of Alexandria and of Antioch vnto whom it assigneth their proper portions in euerie respect equall to him of Rome Of this custome we read in Epiphanius in expresse tearmes The custome sayth he is such Epiphan her 68. in princi that the Bishop of Alexandria hath ecclesiasticall cure and charge ouer all Aegypt Thebaida Mareotis Lybia Ammonia Mareotida and Pentapolis And Ruffinus Ruffin lib. 1. cap. 6. who liued in the same time with S. Ierome about 60. yeares after this Councell citeth the Canons thereof and among the rest this sixt Canon to the effect of the Canon before rehearsed In Alexandria sayth he and in the Citie of Rome let the ancient custome be obserued to wit that the one should take care of the Churches of Aegypt and the other suburbicariarum that is of the Churches neere vnto the Citie meaning Rome And the truth is that at this time doe he what he could he could not extend the limits of his jurisdiction so farre as vnto Milan or Rauenna whereof there is a type and figure remaining at this day at Rome which witnesseth as much wherein the Church of Lateran is expressed to be a Patriarchall Church vnto which there are seuen Bishops assigned to celebrate before the Pope vpon high daies or to assist the Pope if he pleased to celebrate himselfe Onuphri de Episcop titulis Diacon Cardinal to wit the Bishops as saith Onuphrius of the adioyning Cities namely Ostia Porto Sylua candida Sabini Praeneste Tusculum and Alba which Ruffin here seemeth to call Suburbicarias which yet perhaps comprised somewhat more as the countries of Marca and Tuscanie as we may collect out of the Theodosian Code True it is that Balsamon expounding the Greeke Canon extendeth the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome ouer all the West because that in his time which was about the yeare 800 he had stretched his wings a little farther Balsamon in Ca. Nice Synod cap. 6. 7. and Balsamon thought it ynough to exempt the
East from his authoritie not caring in the meane time what became of our Churches of the West But this one thing is euident that Gratian long since entred this Canon in his collection of decrees in the same sence which we alledge it and in more forcible tearmes than we doe cite them namely thus Distinct 65. Can. 6. Nichola in Ep. ad Michael Imperator Let the old custome continue in Egypt Lybia and Pentapolis since the Bishop of Rome hath the like custome For to interprete this Canon after Nicholas the first who liued fiue hundred yeares since that Councell as Gregorie the thirteenth and Bellarmine doe saying That the Councell of Nice knew well ynough that our Lord had giuen all to the Church of Rome and therefore could haue no meaning to order her but others by her example were first to make him judge in his owne cause and secondly to presuppose the thing in question which is an apparant fallax But Bellarmine hath yet one crochet farther of his owne braine he telleth vs That in the vulgar copies there are wanting in the beginning of this Canon these words The Church of Rome hath euer had the Primacie yet let the old custome stand c. But I wonder which are those which he calleth the vulgar copies or whence is it that he would haue these Canons taken if not out of the Greeke Councels out of Ruffin Balsamon Patriarch of Antioch out of Gratians decrees canonized by themselues or out of Cyzicenus who tooke them out of their owne Librarie and lastly if not out of the old Romane Code it selfe Codex canonem vetus ecclesiae Roman edit Paris An. 1609. where this Canon beginneth with these words Antiquae consuetudines seruentur c. Let old customes be kept hauing this summarie ouer head Of priuiledges belonging to certaine Cities joyning Rome as you see with other cities What copie can Bellarmine produce vnto vs more authenticall than these Concil Chalced. Can. 16. Peraduenture he will say the Councell of Chalcedon where it is so read as he alledgeth Action 16. But what if we reply that the Greeke copie of this Councell hath no such matter That Balsamon neuer heard thereof What will he rejoyne especially seeing that this Councell was held in the Greeke Church And put case it were not must we seeke the Canons of the Nicene Councell among those of Chalcedon rather than in the Nicene Councell it selfe Moreouer seeing that Bellarmine sticketh not to tell vs that it was Paschasin Legate of Pope Leo which proposed it in this manner in the Councell of Chalcedon what securitie will he giue vs that this Paschasin dealt more honestly now than did he which afterwards falsified this verie Canon in the open face of the Councell of Carthage But this is not all for Bellarmine himselfe corrupteth Paschasin for whereas he proposeth those words Quod ecclesia Romana c. as a title onely or summarie to the Canon Bellarmine alledgeth them as part of the text and decision it selfe saying Ecclesia Romana semper habuit Principatum inuerting quite the sence and meaning of the Fathers Moreouer true it is that Paschasin alledged those words in manner as we haue said but Bellarmine concealeth that when Aetius Archdeacon of Constantinople had deliuered the booke of Canons to Constantine Secretarie to the Synode Constantine read the sayd sixt Canon as we now doe beginning with those words Antiquae consuetudines seruentur Can. 3. and not with those other Quod ecclesia Romana c. And the decree of the Councell thereupon followed Can. 28. That the Bishop of Constantinople should hold the first place or primacie after the Bishop of Rome because she was new Rome Neither is it the quarrell betweene vs which of these two hath the prioritie but we say that it was so decreed Propter principalitatem vrbis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not by ordinance from Christ not by anie authoritie deriued from S. Peter neither yet by anie graunt from Constantine or act of the Nicene Councell but that it was here so ordered Propter primatum vrbis i. because Rome was the chiefe citie and so as that Constantinople which had none of these fond claimes to make ijsdem primatibus honoris ijsdem priuilegijs vtatur should enjoy the same primacie of honour and equall priuiledges for no other reason but because she was Nona Roma new Rome Now if those pretended priuiledges of the Church of Rome came from the Gospell or from the prerogatiue of S. Peter how could these be made equall with them And if these be equall then is it euident that those other came not from the Gospell or prerogatiue of S. Peter and why then should these men so abuse the name of the Gospell Truth it is that the morrow after Lucentius the Popes Legate protested against this decree requiring it to be retracted and an Act to be made of such his Protestation But his Protestation was rejected by the Emperours Delegates themselues who pronounced in this manner as is there expressed The honourable Iudges said what we haue pronounced all the Synod hath approued namely touching the Canon against which they protested So farre was it from that which Bellarmine would haue Bellarm. de Roman Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 13. That the Fathers of that Councell held themselues satisfied with the remonstrations of Paschasin and this is the truth and sinceritie which they euer vse in alledging Councels As for his finall answere to which he holds himselfe it is more than ridiculous The true exposition and meaning of that Canon sayth he is that the Bishop of Alexandria should gouerne those Prouinces because the Bishop of Rome was so wont to doe that is was wont before anie definition of the Councels to suffer the Bishop of Alexandria to gouerne them But let him tell me in conscience can these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Quia Romanus Episcopus ita consueuit alias Quia Romano Episcopo pardis mos est that is Because this is the manner or custome of the Bishop of Rome can I say these words be thus vnderstood without violencing and wresting all sort of languages Or can this exposition anie wayes suit with the opinion of Ruffinus Or can Bellarmine but blush at the remembrance of this euen in his secret chamber Adde we hereunto that in that celebrious and renowmed Councell of Nice the deputies of the Bishop of Rome presided not but contented themselues with the fourth roome So that Cardinall Cusanus hauing expounded this sixt Canon as we now doe had reason to say as he doth De concordant Cathol lib. 2. cap. 12. Hence we may see saith he how much the Bishop of Rome hath at this time gotten onely by vse and custome of subiectionall obedience beyond that which the old customes of the Church afforded him This then is the naked truth according to that which we find in Histories which yet Baronius would
rate set downe in the Code of Theodosius But grant we that Regiones Suburbicariae and Vrbicariae were all one what getteth hee for Constantine in the third law de Annona Tributo sheweth plainely that by Regiones Suburbicariae were meant onely those which lay within Italie and were neere adjoyning vnto Rome where he speaketh in this manner Anatolius late Consul certified vs that he hath taken away the frauds of the a Tabulariorum Lib. 8. de Annon Tribut l. 3. 11. in Cod. Theodos Collectors per suburbicarias Regiones Which course saith he we commaund also to be held throughout all the other Regions of Italie so that the more remote regions of Italie it selfe are not comprised vnder this name of Suburbicariae Regiones but commaund giuen that these should be ordered after their example So likewise would Baronius faine comprise Sicilie and Afrike vnder the appellation of Vrbicariae Regiones Lib. 11. de Extraord sord muner But the words of Constantine and Constantius in the same Code giue him the lye where it is said That lands of inheritance and fee farme throughout Italie shall be free from all extraordinarie taxes paying only their customarie rates as the lands in Afrike doe The reason followeth For not onely in Italie but also in vrbicarijs Regionibus and in Sicilie lands of inheritance and lands held in fee farme must be rated according to their abilities Whereby it appeareth that Italie was to be eased after the example of Afrike and both Italie and Afrike and Sicilie it selfe distinguished from those which were properly called Vrbicariae Regiones So likewise in that law of Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius it is said by the Emperours vnto Probus Grand Master of the houshould in this manner Let thy sinceritie and vprightnesse obserue an equalitie throughout Italie Tit. Si per obreptioneÌ„ l. vnic Cod. Theodos as likewise in the Regions of Afrike and those which are called Vrbicariae and throughout all Illyria where again he distinguisheth them both from Italie and also from Afrike Now if he will aske what those Suburbe cities were that law of Gratian Theodosius teacheth vs L. 1. de Indulgent debit in Cod. Theodos We commaund say they that Picenum and Thuscia now called La Marca d'Ancona and Tuscanie and yet not all Tuscanie neither being the suburbe Regions shall beare the seuenth part of the tribute not comprising therein so much as Campania now a parcell of the kingdome of Naples nor other Regions of like distance And now let Baronius cast vp his reckonings and see what hee hath gotten by quarelling that place of Ruffinus But be this what he will can he denie that the Bishop of Rome was here ordered and confined as well as the rest As for that Canon which he would put vpon vs Art 57. sequent That from all Churches a man might appeale vnto Rome besides that there is no historie that reporteth it no not Gelasius Cyzicenus himselfe I would aske Whether this sixt Canon be not vtterly repugnant thereunto And farther let him say when men were long after this time sent of purpose to search the Archiues of the Churches of Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch to decide the controuersie betweene the Churches of Carthage and of Rome whether there were any such Canon there found or can he produce any one appeale made to Rome in all that time As for that goodlie Canon of the Councell of Rome which he would thrust vpon vs in these words The first See let no man iudge Baron to 3. an 324. art 130. because all other Sees seeke for equitie at her hands as of the chiefe neither may the Iudge be iudged by any Clergie Emperour or King or people whatsoeuer who is so ill aduised as to beleeue them in their owne cause or who seeth not that this is a meere tricke and gâ—llerie put vpon the reader For what kings could they meane if Pagans what can be more ridiculous if Christians where were any in those dayes and consequently what more vaine moreouer doe we not see the contrarie practised in the Nicene Councell immediatly ensuing And why is he not then ashamed to cousen the world with a false coyne so apparently discouered and bored thorough by all Historians and writers It is said in the acts of that Synod That there were 139 Bishops ex vrbe Roma aut non longè ab illa i. out of the citie of Rome or not farre from thence What were there more Bishops than one at Rome and where I pray you should a man find so many Bishops so neere to Rome It is also there said That Helena the mother of Constantine was there and subscribed to the acts And what had they so soone forgotten the saying of the Apostle That it is not permitted to a woman to speake in the Church Constantine also is there called Domnus which is meerely Gothish and joyned in Consulship with Priscus which was neuer heard of He should not for shame haue alledged this Synod seeing that the verie barbarousnesse of the stile is ynough to conuince it of open forgerie Last of all he saith That the Fathers of the Nicene Councell wrot to Syluester to craue his confirmation of their acts and decrees alledging for proofe hereof the acts of Pope Syluester and not remembring how oft himselfe in other places hath condemned them as false and counterfeit The truth is this that vpon any question arising about religion the Fathers assembled in Councel were wont to send their Synodal Epistle throughout all parts of Christendome Ruffin l. 1. c. 13. and some particulars among them to write their priuat letters to some chiefe and principal Bishops of other countries to acquaint them with the tenor of their acts and to request them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. to giue their suffrage and approbation thereunto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So also were they wont to addresse another Epistle to the Emperour to entreat him to confirme and ratifie their acts and to cause them to be receiued of both which sorts we haue examples in this very Synod of the one in that Synodall Epistle which they wrot to the Church of Alexandria and the rest in Aegypt in which manner they wrot also another Epistle to all Churches in generall without attending any leaue from the Bishop of Rome of the other among the patents of Constantine who was present at this Councell which Epistle we haue in Eusebius Socrates Gelasius Theodoret Euseb de vita Constant lib. 13. Socrat. lib. 1. and others whereby he ordained That Easter day should be kept vpon the day which they appointed and that the bookes of Arrius should bee burnt in all places Which decree was published onely to authorise and to put in execution the Canons agreed vpon and enacted in the Councell And those patents of the Emperour were directed sometimes to the Bishops and people and sometimes to the Churches
Bishop Hilarie a Priest and Pancrace a Deacon Epist Liberij ad Constantium to the Emperour Constans who as we hope sayth he shall easily obtaine of thy clemencie that a Councell may be called for the peace of the Churches Catholike meaning whether there should happily be occasion to assemble the Bishops of the East and West as in a Generall Councell or onely of sundrie prouinces as in that of Sardica of which Councell Athanasius speaking saith That there were there present from Iulius Athanas Apolog. 2. Archidamus and Philoxenus Priests whom Baronius would faine put into scarlet onely to make Legats of them And a maruell is it that because Hosius is there a chiefe speaker he maketh him not chiefe Legat also Baron to 3. an 347. art 10. But hauing no author for that After the Legats of Iulius sayth he Hosius Bishop of Corduba and Protogenes Bishop of Sardica tooke the chiefe place in this Synod as Sozomene reporteth How manie lyes is poore Baronius faine to coyne onely to colour one For Athanasius who was there present and had good cause to know reciteth their names which subscribed in order following Hosius of Spaine Iulius of Rome by Archidamus and Philoxenus Priests Protogenes of Sardica c. Neither is it probable that he would not haue named Hosius for a Legat if he had beene such but it is cleare that this prerogatiue was giuen him for the worthinesse of his person As for Sozomene whom he alledgeth he speaketh plaine in this manner Hosius and Protogenes who were the chiefe and principall of those which met at Sardica out of the West c. And therefore that reseruation of our Annalist Post Legatos i. after the Legats where is it to be found And farther if those Priests had beene receiued in this pretended qualitie should Hosius haue opened the Councell and proposed all matters as he did And if Hosius did this in what qualitie did he it if not in his owne priuat qualitie and in regard of that great sufficiencie which the world tooke notice to be in him Which made Athanasius and after him Theodoret to say Where is that Synod Theodor. l. 2. c. 15. ex Athanas wherein Hosius hath not presided and where is that Church which hath not the memorials of his presidencie Whence it is also that Theodoret himselfe calleth him The great and venerable Sire iustly called Hosius which is by interpretation Holie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and excellent aboue all other men Well sayth Baronius yet this is euident Baron an 341. art 18. That if anie found himselfe wrongfully condemned by the Bishops of his owne Prouince the partie grieued might appeale to Rome The words verily of the Canon are these Hosius the Bishop said Concil Sardic c. 3. 4. If any Bishop be condemned in anie cause if the partie condemned thinke he haue iust cause not to stand to the sentence if it please you let vs yeeld this honour to S. Peter let the matter be signified by letter to Iulius Bishop of Rome to the end that he with other Bishops of his dioces may enter againe into the knowledge of the cause And Balsamon vpon this place affirmeth That the like priuiledge was graunted to the Bishop of Constantinople But come we to the point And first it was Hosius which proposed it and he proposed it as a new and extraordinarie antidot against a poyson considering that the Bishops of the East were for the greatest part at that present infected with Arrianisme and his purpose was that if anie found himselfe oppressed and aggrieued by the Arrians he might by vertue of this Canon haue recourse to Rome and to the Bishops of Italie who continued at that time sound in the Orthodox profession restraining it to the person of Iulius and would no doubt haue done otherwise in the person of Liberius successor vnto Iulius and a professed Arrian notwithstanding that pretended chaire of S. Peter And secondly note these words If it please you let vs honour the memorie of S. Peter For had this beene an auncient right should he not rather haue said Let vs obserue the commaundement of the Lord or the auncient order of the Church or the Canon of the Nicene Councell whereby it is ordained That men might appeale to Rome In stead whereof he speaketh as of a new proposall extraordinarie and arbitrarie at their pleasures Thirdly is it reason that a Canon of a Nationall Councell should conclude and bind the Church in generall Or can Baronius reckon this for a Generall Councell without ouerthrowing all Histories and inuerting the whole order of the Councels as they are alreadie placed For if we number this for one where then shall those of Constantinople of Ephesus and of Chalcedon stand Or because Athanasius calleth it a Great Councell is it therefore a Generall one Is not the first Councell of Arles called a Great one because there met in it the Bishops of sundrie Prouinces which yet was neuer numbred among the Generall Councels And doth not the Decrete it selfe D. 16. can 10. 11. authorized by the Popes ranke it with the Nationals And to conclude seeing that his reasons whereon he groundeth his assertion namely because it was called by the Bishop of Rome and because his Legats were there present are found to be false what credit can the assertion it selfe deserue Fourthly this Canon so made vpon the present occasion was neuer practised and was afterwards in expresse tearmes reuoked Neither can it be denied but that at that instant and shortly after there were manie Bishops deposed in the East Churches as well as before But did euer anie claime the benefit of this Canon Or is it likely that they would haue omitted such a meane of their restitution if anie such had beene of force And reuoked it was as I haue said in expresse tearmes namely in the Councell of Constantinople Can. 3. and in that of Chalcedon Can. 28. both of them being Councels Generall as Baronius himselfe acknowledgeth and both of them graunting equall priuiledges to the two Churches of Constantinople and of Rome in all respects sauing alwaies to the Bishop of Rome his precedencie which could not haue beene had the Easterne Churches beene alwaies tyed to answer to appeales at Rome and we shall see hereafter how the Churches of Africa would neuer be drawne to yeeld thereunto Whence it appeareth that that Canon was neuer meant but onely in case of destitution or restitution of certaine Bishops then being who were by this Canon ordered to referre their differences to the Bishop of Rome who was not tainted with Arrianisme as some of the Easterne Bishops were And this is the first place in all Antiquitie where mention is made in proper tearmes of an Appeale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word yet is vsed onely in the narratiue part of the Canon proposed by Hosius not in the decision of the Fathers in fauor of
last Will and Testament Which Law Ambrose caused shortly after to bee somewhat mitigated Such a doe they had euen in those dayes to intrench and fortifie themselues against their greedie auarice 7. PROGRESSION Of the vsurpations of Pope Damasus vpon seuerall Churches DAmasus if we will stand to the Epistles which goe vnder his name though a man commended for some good parts and qualities which were in him yet treading the path of his predecessors sought to establish a Primacie in his owne person especially in that Epistle which hee wrot to Stephanus Archbishop of Mauritania wherein he pretendeth that all the greater sort of causes ought to be referred vnto his hearing and that they could not be decided but by his authoritie as also that the prouision of Bishops belonged to him And Isidorus Mercator would yet farther persuade vs that Aurelius Bishop of Carthage sent to entreat of him the decrees of the Roman Church to gouerne his owne thereby Baron vol. 4. an 314. art 10. But Baronius himselfe blusheth at this for that in all the time of Damasus this Aurelius was onely a simple Deacon OPPOSITION But the practise of the Church was cleere against the vsurpation of Damasus seeing that all the greater offices and dignities of the Church haue in all times and places beene bestowed by those which were of the same place without asking the Popes aduise or leaue therein And seeing that the Fathers assembled at Constantinople openly declared vnto him Theodor. l. 5. c. 9 That there was an ancient law and decision of the Nicene Councell that the Bishops of euerie Prouince with those which dwelt neere vnto them should ordaine their owne ministers That by vertue of this decision Nectarius was ordained at Constantinople Flauianus at Antioch and Cyril at Ierusalem which they there tearme the mother of all other Churches Requesting him to reioyce for companie as for a thing rightly and canonically done And that he would not suffer any humane affection to carrie him beyond the bounds of reason Neither doe they addresse their letters to him alone but also to Ambrose to Britto to Valerian to Acholius and others assembled in the Synod of Rome And seeing also that Ambrose himselfe was elected Bishop of Milan by the suffrages of the people and that the Emperour Valentinian immediatly vpon the newes receiued Ruffin l. 2. c. 11. gaue order for his installation without sending to Rome And which is more about the yeare 381 Damasus then sitting Pope An. 381. Socrat. lib. 4. c. 24. 25. this second generall Councell of Constantinople was held and two yeares after was receiued and acknowledged by the Synod of Rome which Councell Theodosius the elder called and Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople ordered Onuphr in Fast without any Legat from the Bishop of Rome and there also these Fathers trod the path of the Nicene Councell diuiding the Prouinces for the auoidance of confusion in such sort That the Bishops of one Diocesse should not offer to goe vnrequested into the Diocesse of another there to giue orders vnto any which yet saith Socrates was in former times tolerated in the Church because of persecutions Concil Constant can 5. 7. can Graec. 3. And that if in anie Prouince a matter of difference happened to arise it should be decided by the Synod of the same Prouince As for the Bishop of Constantinople it was ordained that he should haue his prerogatiue of Precedencie next to the Bishop of Rome all which to stand for good if the Emperor were so pleased without anie reference at all vnto the Pope And both Socrates and Sozomen giue the reason of this equallising of them Socrat. Histor Eccles l. 5. c. 8. Sozom. l. 7. c. 9. because that Constantinople had not onely the name of Rome with like Senat and other magistrats but bare also the same Armes and held all other Rights and Honors which belonged to old Rome which reason is apparantly grounded vpon a ciuile respect and policie not vpon any precept of the Gospell Bellarm. in Recognit p. 46. Yet must Bellarmine needs tell vs that these Fathers writing to Damasus acknowledged that they were assembled by his appointment intimated to them by the Emperor and he citeth to this purpose Theodoret lib. 5. cap. 9. where the words themselues make cleane against him shewing That they had bin formerly inuited to come to Rome by the Emperor and were after that called to Constantinople by letters which the Synod of Rome after that of Aquileia sent to Theodosius not that Damasus gaue forth anie summons for their assembling And Bellarmine himselfe in his Recognitions acknowledgeth That this Epistle was neuer written by the Fathers of Constantinople and so it maketh not to the question now in hand But yet he addeth farther Bellarm. de Roman Pontif. l. 2. c. 13. That they acknowledged the Pope for their Head and themselues as members of that Head Here againe is a bundle of manifest vntruths for first the letter was not directed to Damasus neither yet to the Church of Rome but to the Synod of the Bishops of the West assembled that time at Rome to whom they vse indeed these words following You haue inuited vs thither as members of your Bodie shewing thereby your brotherlie affection whereby they acknowledge not anie Head but onely declare that all Christian Congregations are each others members and therefore hauing signified vnto them That according to the ancient Canons especially that of the Nicene Councell they had prouided their own Churches they conclude in maner following Wherefore we thus agreeing and being established in one faith and mutuall loue will now no longer vse that saying condemned by the Apostle I am of Paule I am of Apollo and I am of Peter but knowing that we are all of Christ who is not diuided in vs will by the grace of God keepe that Bodie of the Church vnrent and so appeare with confidence before the Iudgement seat of Christ not to say that it is found written in some copies at the foot of this Epistle Reuerend sonnes we pray God to preserue you In these dayes who durst speake so vnto the Pope In the meane time Pope Leo the Great Leo. ep 55. Theodor. l. 5. c. 10. a strong maintainer of this Primacie quarrelleth the authoritie of this Councell making the world to beleeue that he would hold himselfe wholly to the Councell of Nice which as we haue alreadie proued maketh as little for his purpose as the other But he cannot denie that his predecessor Damasus rested satisfied therewith and wrot backe vnto the Fathers in that Councell his kind and louing letters without euer calling the authoritie thereof into question though yet to retaine a respect and reuerence to his owne person or happily to crie quittance with them he also calleth them in his letter His much honored sonnes and telleth them in the verie beginning of his letters that indeed they had
of the Church the schisme of Donatus and the heresie of Pelagius where both were condemned and Pelagius concerning whose doctrine Pope Innocent thought fit to suspend his judgement was excommunicated And all this done without consulting the Bishop of Rome onely sentence being alreadie passed he was entreated to joyne his authoritie and voyce with theirs for so goe the words of those Fathers in a letter which they sent vnto him reported by S. Augustine We haue say they Concil Carth. ad Innocent to 1. pa. 469. August Epist 90 by common consent pronounced Pelagius and Caelestius to be excommunicated c. for the amendment if not of them yet of those whom they haue seduced Which done we haue thought good deere brother to signifie so much vnto thee to the end that vnto this ordinance of our mediocritie thou shouldest ioyne the authoritie of the See Apostolike So that here we see a sentence plainely and absolutely giuen and yet vnder these tearmes of humilitie there is no disparagement or inequalitie to be obserued In like sort the Fathers of the Mileuitan Councell Concil Mileuit in Epist ad Innocent to 1. Concil apud August Epist 92. Concil Mileuit c. 3. Seeing say they that the Lord of his speciall grace hath placed thee in that Apostolike See being such a one as that our negligence would be condemned if we should conceale anything from thee which maketh for the good of the Church rather than our feare excused as if we doubted of thy good acceptance we therefore entreat thee to vse thy Pastorall care and diligence in these so great perils and dangers of the members of Christ c. Their meaning was that hee should doe in these cases of heresie within the limits of his jurisdiction in the West as they had alreadie done in the East But when they saw that vpon their round dealing with them in the East he was the rather inclined to absolue them in the West they made short worke and passed this decree in full Synod Whosoeuer shall say that the grace of God in which we are iustified by Iesus Christ is auailable onely for the remission of sinnes past and that it is no helpe to vs against sinne hereafter let him bee Anathema And thereupon adde they farther This errour and impietie which hath euerie where so many followers and abettors ought also to be Anathematised and condemned by the See Apostolike As if they should haue said It is high time Innocent that now you shew your selfe and doe your duetie All which Innocent as one not willing to breake with them passed ouer and seemed not to vnderstand but as if they had fled to him as to their superiour frameth them an answer onely to futher his owne ambition Apud August Epist 90. to 1 Concil apud August Epist 91 You haue saith he well obserued the ordinances of the ancient Fathers and not troden vnder foot that which they not in humane wisedome but by diuine order haue established namely that whatsoeuer is done in places though neuer so remote should for finall conclusion be referred to the audience of the See of Rome And againe You haue Apud August Epist 92. saith he had due regard of the Apostolike honour I say of him which hath the charge and care of all other Churches in asking aduise of him in these perplexities and intricate causes Following herein the ancient Canon which you as well as my selfe know to haue beene obserued in all the world And where I pray you good Innocent and when was it so obserued for saw you not the contrarie in Afrike it selfe and in these two last Councels practised But let vs see whether they vse him any better in his matter of Appeales The Fathers of the Mileuitan Councell spake plainely Concil Mileuit Can. 22. It hath beene say they thought fit in the case of Priests Deacons and other inferiour Clergie men if in their causes they complaine of the wrongfull iudgement of the Bishop that then the next adioyning Bishops shall heare and end their cause by the consent of their owne Bishop And if they thinke fit to appeale from them also yet that they appeale not but onely to the Councels of Afrike or to the Primate of the Prouince But if any shall presume to appeale beyond the seas that no man presume to receiue that man to his communion And it is verie probable that the like decrees were made in other Churches of the West howsoeuer Gratian 2. q. 6. c. 35. to saue the Popes jurisdiction addeth these words Vnlesse saith he they appeale to the See of Rome whereas it was properly against that See that they raised this countermure and bulwarke of defence Bellarmine yet goeth more finely to worke and saith That this Canon concerneth only the inferior Orders But the Canon next precedent which properly prouideth for the cases of Bishops is linked with this as wel in reason as in order the conclusion is general Whosoeuer shall offer to appeale beyond the sea c. without any distinction betweene Priest and Bishop Concil Carthag apud Balsam Can. 31. ex Concil African and in the margent there is noted this diuers lection Aliàs That they appeale not beyond the sea but to the Primates of their Prouinces as it hath often beene ordained in case of Bishops and so are all sorts of Clergie men comprised And in like manner is this Canon read in the Greeke copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to conclude this point we may not forget that Saint Augustine himselfe was present at this Councell All these things standing as they doe let vs now see what arguments Baronius hence draweth to the preiudice of the Churches of Spaine and Afrike in fauour of the Pope And first saith he in the third Councell of Carthage Baron to 5. an 497. art 55. can 48. it is decreed That concerning the baptisme of the Donatists Syricius Bishop of Rome and Simplicianus of Milan should be consulted The one saith he as head of the Church the other for the worthinesse of his person whereas the Fathers themselues make no such difference but say they we haue thought good to consult our brethren and fellow Priests Syricius and Simplicianus and no maruell seeing that Aurelius Bishop of Carthage wanting fit ministers to furnish his Churches wrot ioyntly to Anastasius Bishop of Rome and to Venerius Bishop of Milan to supplie his want calling them Holie Brethren Secondly Concil Carthag 3. ca. 26. Distinct 99. ca. primae sedis he taketh on because we alledge the Canon Primae sedis That the Bishop of the first See should not be called Prince or the Chiefe of Priests or High Priest or by any such like name And I would know whether these are not the verie words of the Canon it selfe or are they not so reported by Gratian in the Decrees Yea but he wil not that we should extend them to Rome especially
when Caelestins letters were read the Synod cried out To Caelestin a second Paule I confesse and did they not the like of Cyrill crying out To Cyrill a second Paule there is but one Caelestin but one Cyrill And what other demaund I pray you did those Legats make but onely that they might haue the Acts to subscribe vnto them a thing not to haue beene denied to anie ordinarie Bishop which had come late as they did And yet Baronius would faine haue it Iterata damnatio that this subscription of theirs was a second sentence confirmatorie of that which had beene giuen by the Councell whereas they themselues writing to the Emperours signifie only this that they are of the same beleefe and opinion with the Synod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now if Cyrill had beene Legat what need of this Or if this were needfull then it followeth that Cyrill was not Legat for the Pope but was onely requested to passe his word vnto the Councell for the Orthodox beleefe of Caelestin Fourthly Philippicus a Priest of Rome and one of the Legats in his speech said that he rejoyced to see that the members did so well agree with their holie Head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 195. And hereupon Baronius maketh a flourish and because these Fathers had the patience to heare him Doest thou see Reader saith he how all these Fathers were content to heare him without repining For my owne part I know not what he would haue had them to doe in this case vnlesse it be that they should haue made an vprore in the Synod and haue fallen by the eares about it He should rather haue considered how at the ouerture of this Councell they placed Christ in his Gospell for Head of this Councell or if the doubt be of the ministeriall Head that then in their Synodal Epistle they call Cyril the Head of the Congregation of Bishops but of euerie such insolent pranke which the Popes or their Legats play Baronius is euer readie to make a Title But will you now know who was Soueraigne in this Councel The Synod by their letters to the Emperours in all humilitie aske leaue to depart euerie man to his owne home seeing that all controuersies were now decided And the Emperour vpon relation of what they had done gaue his confirmation in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pa. 273. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Emperour a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 duely informed hath pronounced That the holie Oecumenicall Councell hath done all things according to the Canons and therefore hath displaced and banished Nestorius commaunding the Bishops of the Synod to enter vpon the Church and to elect and consecrate a Bishop of Constantinople and thereupon the Fathers ordained Maximinus And farther the Emperor commaunded them to returne euerie man to his owne home Consider we also that the Fathers of those times speak of this Primacie by vertue of Saint Peters chaire in farre other tearmes than now men vse to doe Saint Ambrose expounding those words of Saint Paul to the Galathians Ambros ad Gala ca. 2. where hee compareth himselfe to Peter He nameth saith he onely Peter and compareth himselfe to him because he had receiued the Primacie to lay the foundation of the Church among the Gentiles Now I would know whether Rome were not of the Gentiles if so to what purpose then serueth the Primacie of Saint Peter But hee addeth yet farther Yet we see ful and absolute authoritie giuen to Saint Peter for the preaching to the Iewes and so likewise full and absolute authoritie was giuen to Paul to preach vnto the Gentiles For which cause also hee tearmeth himselfe the Teacher of the Gentiles in truth and veritie and yet was he neuer Bishop of Rome For saith he euerie man according to his abilitie tooke vnto him as by lot the dispensation And a harder matter it was to draw those vnto the faith which were a farre off than those which were neere at hand as if he meant to preferre Paul before Peter as one which vndertooke the harder taske August in Iohan Tract 124. in Epist Iohan Tract 10. And Saint Augustine The Church saith he is founded vpon the rocke from which rocke Saint Peter tooke his name vpon this stone saith our Sauiour that is vpon this stone which thou hast confessed will I build my Church meaning vpon this faith Those which would build vpon men said I am of Cephas i. of Peter but those who would not build vpon Peter but vpon that stone said I am of Christ. Saint Basil doubtlesse neuer dreamed of this Primacie he saw indeed and grieued to see the pride and hautinesse of the Bishop of Rome for with what indignation speaketh he of him in his tenth Epistle Yea but say they in his 52 Epistle to Athanasius speaking of the combustions in the East he saith That hee purposed to write to the Bishop of Rome I confesse but to what purpose would hee write onely for this Basil Epist 10.50.52 To request him to giue them his aduise and that hee would admonish such as were peruerse How much more gloriously doth he speake of Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria saying That it was he which vnderwent the care of all the Churches and calling him the shelter and refuge of them all And speaking of the Church of Antioch Miletius saith he presideth there as ouer the bodie of the Catholike Church Chrysost in Math. c. 16. in serm de Pentecost Euseb Emiss in serm de Natiui Chrysost Homil. 43. in Math. and of which all other Churches are but as parcels And Chrysostome Vpon this stone he saith not vpon Peter for he hath not built his Church vpon a man but vpon that faith and confession and words of pietie And in like manner speaketh Eusebius Emissenus And Chrysostome hauing laid this doctrine for a ground goeth on and speaketh plainely Whosoeuer saith he among the Bishops he excepteth none shall desire this Primacie here on earth shall vndoubtedly find confusion in heauen and be which affecteth to be the first shall not be numbred among the seruants of Christ And vpon the Epistle to the Galathians speaking of Saint Paul He had saith he Idem in Epist ad Galat. c. 2. before declared that he was equall to the rest in honour but now he compareth himselfe to the greatest that is to Saint Peter shewing that euerie of them had receiued equall dignitie Now if the Apostles themselues were equall how commeth there one superiour among their successors And yet this was spoken at what time the Pope began apparently to exalt himselfe aboue his fellowes for of this verie age it was that Socrates speaking of Innocentius Zozimus Boniface and Caelestin Socrat. li. 7. c. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops of Rome vnder the Emperor Theodosius the yonger testifieth That the See of Rome like vnto that of Alexandria passing the bounds and borders of the Priesthood
had long since aspired vnto a secular kind of soueraigntie and power where the Latine interpreter hath put in Quasi which word is not in the Greeke it selfe Adde hereunto That in those dayes all the Patriarchall Churches were equally called Apostolicall and not the Church of Rome alone Sozom. l. 1. c. 16. edit Graec. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Sozomene speaking of the first generall Councell of Nice In this Synod saith he were present for Apostolicall Sees Macarius Bishop of Ierusalem Eustachius of Antioch Alexander of Alexandria but Iulius Bishop of Rome was absent by reason of his age ranking Iulius in the same order and degree with the rest In which sence the Bishops of the East as Theodoret reporteth writing to Pope Damasus Theodoret. li. 5. ca. 9. call Antioch the most ancient and truely Apostolicall Church and that of Ierusalem they tearme the Mother of all Churches So likewise Ruffine Ruffin li. 2. c. 1. though himselfe a member of the Westerne Church as being a Priest in Aquileia In the citie of Rome saith he Syricius succeeding vnto Damasus and Timotheus in Alexandria vnto Peter and after Timotheus came Theophilus and Iohn in Ierusalem after Cyril restored the Apostolicall Churches And therefore this vsurpation of the Bishop of Rome proceedeth from the diuell and from none other Neither doe wee in all this age find any trace of that pretended donation of Constantine but rather we light vpon many arguments to proue the contrarie witnesse the verie production of the Instrument and the Vatican it selfe And for further proofe when by reason of the schisme between Boniface the first and Eulalius contending together for the Popedome Symmachus gouernour of the citie wrot vnto the Emperour Honorius he saith in this manner Baron vol. 5. an 418. art 81. sequent Absoluta iussione Idem an 419. art 2. 3. That since the knowledge of these matters belonged to him he thought fit to consult his Maiestie out of hand who thereupon rightly informed or not I will not say by his absolute command gaue order That Boniface should presently voyd the place and if hee obeyed not that forthwith he should be cast forth by force And when a little after for his more due information he had assembled a Synod out of diuers Prouinces To the end saith he that the cause being debated to the full in our presence Ib. art 10. sequent may receiue a finall and absolute decision And thereupon he sent for Paulinus Bishop of Nola a man at that time much respected for his sanctitie of life and wrot to Aurelius Bishop of Carthage and sent for Italians French Africans and others Ib. art 15. and in the meane time prouided the Church of Rome of a Bishop namely Achillaeus Bishop of Spoleto to the end the people of Rome might not be vnprouided of a Bishop at the feast of Easter Commanding the Church of Lateran to be set open to him and to none other And when Eulalius offered contrary to the Emperors command to intrude himselfe into the citie the Emperour by the aduise of the Bishops there assembled gaue sentence in fauour of Boniface commanding Symmachus the Gouernor to receiue him into the citie which he did accordingly with these words Your Maiestie hath confirmed his Priesthood Statutis coelestibus per me publicatis edictis de more positis c. And when I published your Edict euerie man reioyced thereat And to conclude Boniface falling sicke to preuent the like inconuenience against hereafter wrot to Honorius to prouide by his authoritie that the Popedome might no more be carried by plots and canuasses The Epistle it selfe in the Councels bearing this Title Supplicatio Papae Bonifacij and being ful of these and the like clauses God hath giuen you the regiment of worldlie things and the Priesthood vnto me You haue the gouernment of worldlie matters and therefore wee were worthie to be blamed if what was heretofore obserued vnder Heathen Princes should not now be obserued vnder your glorie c. Vnder your raigne my people hath beene much encreased which now is yours Neither doth the Emperour put this from him as a thing not properly belonging to him But let the Clergie saith he know that if God shall otherwise dispose of you they must refraine all secret plots and practises and if it fall out through their factions that two be named let them likewise know that neither of them shall sit Bishop but he which in a new election shall be by generall consent chosen If therefore the Bishop of Rome had beene at that time Temporall Lord of that citie and territorie thereunto adioining would he haue vsed these kinds of language Neither was it farre from this time that Synesius Bishop of Ptolemais in his 57 Epistle Synes li. 57. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To couple the ciuile power saith he with the Priesthood is to ioyne those things which will not hold together they busie themselues in worldlie causes whereas we were appointed onely for our prayers 11. PROGRESSION Of the Pretence which Pope Leo the first made vnto the Primacie An. 450. Leo. 1. in Anniuersar de Assumpt Serm. 2. 3. ABout the yeare 450 Leo the first would not giue ouer his pretence vnto the Primacie and therefore tooke for a ground those words of our Sauiour Tu es Petrus For saith he Peter is here called a stone or foundation c. and all his power was in his See there his authoritie was principally seene c. He is the Primat of all Bishops c. Whatsoeuer Christ bestowed on the rest he bestowed it by his meanes c. all which we read in those his sermons which he preached among the townesmen of Rome Idem Epist 8. ad Flauia Constantinop And farther he challengeth Flauian Bishop of Constantinople for that he had not first aduertised him of the state of Eutiches cause taking occasion therevpon to doubt of the lawfulnesse of his excommunication and would faine haue persuaded Flauian that he had done much wrong to him and to Eutyches both in not giuing way to the appeale which Eutyches had put in to the See of Rome Idem Epist 89. ad Episc per Viennens prouinc constitut This same Leo also complaineth to the Bishops of Viennois in France That one Hilarie Bishop of Arles tooke vpon him to install and to depose Bishops without his priuitie which he tearmeth to be no lesse than à Petri soliditate deficere to fall away from the soliditie of Peter whom saith he our Lord associated to himself in the indiuiduall vnitie and commaunded him to be called as himselfe was called And yet in the end he flattereth our Bishops of France willing them to remember that their auncestors oftentimes were pleased to consult the Seo Apostolike seeking by these sugred words to make them swallow the bitter pill of his tyrannous Supremacie and branding Hilarie with the name of a
turbulent Bishop and one who ordered Church matters by force and violence Last of all this Leo writing to the Emperours Idem in Epist 12. ad Theodos ad Pulcher. assumed the title sometimes of Pope of the Catholike Church of the citie of Rome and sometimes of the Roman Catholike Church and in the end of Vniuersall Bishop And because by vertue of the second generall Councell of Constantinople the Bishop of that citie tooke vpon him some authoritie in the East he caused his Legats to be present at the generall Councell of Chalcedon giuing them expresse charge to oppose against it by vertue of the Canon of the Nicene Councell to which saith he no man may presume to adde Idem Ep. 55. ad Pulcher. August falsly grounding his pretence vpon this Councell as his predecessors had done before him But now commeth the question to be decided How farre forth the Fathers of Chalcedon gaue way to his demaunds and chalenges OPPOSITION First therefore Leo himselfe tempereth his stile in many places with sober language Vpon this rocke will I build my Church that is saith he Leo. serm 2. in Natali Apostolor Petri Pauli Vpon the sound foundation of this faith my Church shall raise and exalt it selfe and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against this confession and the bands of death shall not restraine it Which confession surely was proper to no one man but common to all the Apostles and all the Orthodox Churches And would God he had staied here and not suffered himselfe to be carried downe the streame of his owne ambitious humors in claiming his pretended priuiledge Secondly vpon the complaint which hee made to Flauian Bishop of Constantinople Flauian gaue him the reasons of his proceedings and why he could doe no lesse than excommunicat Eutyches for his heresie But saith he this I doe to the end that your Holinesse hauing knowledge what hath passed in this matter might be pleased to signifie as much to your inferiour Bishops that they by letters or otherwise ignorantly admit of no communion with him Which was nothing else in effect but to request him to execute his sentence for him within the limits of his jurisdiction as in the like case he would haue done for him And we must farther vnderstand that Eutyches seeing himselfe condemned had presently recourse by way of supplication vnto Leo wherein he gaue him to vnderstand That he had appealed from Flauian and from the rest of the Bishops of the East vnto him requesting him to take his cause into his own hands which made Leo to demurre vpon the cause And thereupon Flauian shewed him that as in other things so also in this Eutyches had abused him with a tale Flauian apud Leon. Epist 9. giuing him thereby to vnderstand that in his countrey men scarce knew what these appeals meant and therefore saith he as it becommeth thy Priesthood and as thy maner is so make the common cause thine owne and confirme euen by thy writings his condemnation so canonically pronounced against him Wherefore though we should grant that Eutyches did appeale yet it appeareth that Flauian neuer gaue way thereunto no more than the Fathers of the African Councel did before in the case of the Pelagians Thirdly though we haue nothing concerning this Hilarius but what we haue from his opposite and aduersarie Leo yet is it euident that he bent himselfe against this pretended Primacie For saith Leo this man cannot endure to be subiect to Saint Peter Leo. Epist 89. ad Episc per Viennens prouinc constitut and why because saith he he presumeth to ordaine Bishops in France And againe He derogateth saith he from the reuerence of Saint Peter c. whose Primacie whosoeuer shall denie that man is filled with the spirit of pride and hath plunged himselfe into the pit of hell Whereas indeed the question as it appeareth was touching the Primacie either of the Pope in generall or of Leo in his particular not at all of the dignitie of Saint Peter And these demaunds were euer made at the solicitation of certaine Bishops which complained to him of the censures of their owne Prouinces which they requested might be reuoked at Rome as appeareth by the Epistle of Leo himselfe who yet euer vseth this protestation that he thereby pretended no right in himselfe to ordaine Bishops in their Prouinces as Hilarie would persuade them but onely sought to maintaine them in their owne against nouelties and vsurpations of others and that such a presumptuous fellow might no longer continue to breake and violate saith he our priuiledges Which he sought vnder the name of Saint Peter to extend to all causes whatsoeuer yet this I find that all his plottings had not much preuailed here in France about the elections of our Bishops in the yeare 478 An. 478. Sidon Apollin in Concion quae sequitur Epist 9. for we find in Sidonius Apollinaris Bishop of Clermont in Auvergne that the choise of the Metropolitan of Bourges being by common consent of the Bishops of that Prouince after the death of Eubodius referred vnto him he nominated absolutely Simplicius to succeed in his roome hauing first made a verie solemne oration to the Bishops in these words In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost Simplicius is the man whom I nominat to be Metropolitan of our Prouince Summum Sacerdotem and High Priest of your citie and therefore was not Simplicius to hold his See in fee from the Bishop of Rome or to doe homage for it And it is pretie to obserue how this canting of Rome was not vnderstood in those daies in France seeing that he himselfe writing to Lupus Bishop of Troies in Champagne calleth him our Lord the Pope directing his letter Domino Papae Lupo this title being at that time common to all Bishops not proper to any one and which is more he calleth him Father of Fathers and Bishop of Bishops which watcheth ouer all the members and parts of Gods Church What wonder then if we find that Stephen a simple Archdeacon wrot so to Damasus or Isidore to Hormisda Bishop of Rome Fourthly this question concerning the Primacie was cleerely decided by occasion of the claime which Leo made thereunto in the generall Councell of Chalcedon where he thought to haue set the Bishop of Constantinople cleane beside the cushion and these are the verie words of the Canon taken out of the Greeke copies of that Councell Concil Chalced. can 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. 28. The decree of the maior part of voyces of that holie Synod made concerning the prerogatiues and degree of the See of the most religious Church of Constantinople Following in all poynts the decrees of the holie Fathers and acknowledging the Canon of 120 religious Bishops now read in our hearing We here assembled vnder Theodosius of holie memorie late Emperour of this royall citie of Canstantine called new
letters at the suit of Leo they request Theodosius That vpon this Appeale in writing he would be pleased that Leo in a Synod of Bishops assembled out of all quarters of the world in some place within Italie might take knowledge of this matter And Galla in her letters plainely sheweth that this was the drift and purpose of Flauian Who saith she hath alreadie sent his libell to the See Apostolike and to all the Bishops of these quarters by them whom the Bishop of Rome had sent to the Councell at Ephesus This Appeale therefore was put in as well to them as to the Bishop of Rome saue onely that he was the more eminent person and was to be heard and determined by them all in the Councell which was to be assembled as Galla in her Epistle concludeth That the matter saith she may be ended in a Councell and by the See Apostolike So that all this was no legall and formall Appeale nor made vnto the Pope otherwise than as to a promoter and furtherer of the calling of this Councell And it is worth the remembrance that in these verie Epistles which Baronius maketh so much account of Valentinian speaking of the Bishop of Rome saith as hath beene alreadie alledged That Antiquitie was it which gaue him the Primacie or chiefe place among the Priests And Galla in her Epistle It is fit saith she that we reserue in all poynts that respect which is due vnto this citie as to the Ladie of all other cities And like tearmes vseth she vnto Pulcheria whence it followeth An. 451. that this Primacie was taken as founded vpon the positiue law of man and that the claime from S. Peter commeth but as accessarie to the principall And that Flauian had no other purpose appeareth by the proceeding of this cause for the yeare following at the suit of Leo Martian the Emperour appointed a generall Councell to be held at Chalcedon wherein are to bee seene the traces of the former Synod and the whole cause opened in a second hearing to the confusion of Eutyches and shame of all his partakers and abettors and to the iustifying of Flauian and of his memoriall after him in the presence of the Popes Legats who there saw the Church of Constantinople before their face equalled with that of Rome by an expresse Canon made in confirmation of that other of Constantinople And let our aduersaries now shew vs any one Appeale after this made from Constantinople to Rome Eightly Baronius is faine to make the best of a bad cause He now telleth vs Baron vol. 6. an 451. art 149. that this Canon was made vnder the correction and good leaue of Leo Grant it were so and that the Synod in their Epistle required his confirmation and thereupon after his manner maketh a great flourish Seest thou O Reader saith he how these six hundred Fathers thought this Canon though resolued on in two general Councels yet to be of no force and vertue without the authoritie of Leo and indeed a man not acquainted with his trickes might haply suffer himselfe to be lead away with his discourses but the Canon it selfe is too plaine and the continuall practise of the Church sheweth that the validitie of that Canon neuer depended of his confirmation True it is that they were willing to draw Leo to some reason by faire words and remonstrances which they made vnto him and this was the drift and purpose of that Epistle But as we haue often said tearmes of courtesie and of honour vsed to the Pope were euer by them drawne to some farther tye of seruice And yet this verie Epistle determineth and decideth the question in many places though Baronius who commonly spareth for no paper to set downe things in the largest size concealeth one part thereof but thus run the words of the inscription The holie Oecumenicall Synod assembled by the grace of God and by the commaundement of the most religious Emperours at Chalcedon to Leo Archbishop of the Romans Whence it appeareth that this Synod was not called by his authoritie neither was he accompted for Vniuersall Bishop by that Synod as Baronius would make the world to beleeue Baron ib. Confirmauimus and as for the prerogatiue of the Church of Constantinople the words vsed in that Canon are precise and formall We haue say they confirmed the Canon of 150 Bishops meaning of the second generall Councell and therefore after this confirmation of 600 Bishops Baronius should a little blush to bring such cold coniectures And againe We haue so defined say they thereby to cut off all confusion and to establish the order of the Church And in the end they vse these tearmes Vouchsafe holie Father to imbrace this our decree as is fit and seemly for the loue that ought to be between vs. And what reason then hath Baronius of a sentence definitiue to make an interlocutorie especially seeing that they so often repeat the same thing We beleeue say they that the honour of the See of Constantinople was confirmed in a generall Councell we now intreat you to honour our iudgement by your Decree to giue your consent and to hold your selfe content with that which we haue done And the cause why they sent him the Acts was this That he might thereby perceiue that they were led in all their consultations by diuine instinct which they neuer expected to be sent from Rome neither did they looke to haue their doings reformed there Martianus apud Palladium We read indeed that the Emperor by whose commaundement they were there assembled confirmed their Acts The things saith he Per nostra precepta stabilita sunt agreed vpon in the Councell of Chalcedon are established by our authoritie neither shall they goe vnpunished who shall in any point contemne this law And indeed after this time matters passed according to the tenor of this decree doe Leo what hee could to the contrarie who yet did openly beare out the Bishops of Antioch and Alexandria but in the Church men gouerne themselues by law not by example measuring their actions not after the long elne of one Bishops insolencie and pride but according to the true rule of order and discipline established in a lawful Synod Vol. 6. an 457. art 23. Ninthly and lastly Baronius saith That in the Epistle which the Clergie of Alexandria oppressed by Timotheus wrot to the Emperour Leo they request that his impieties might be made knowne to the Roman Pontife and to others But why doth he not speake plainely and say as indeed it is As to others for they make no distinction betweene him and others The words are these Vouchsafe we pray you to write to the Bishop of Rome also to the Bishops of Antioch of Ierusalem of Thessalonica of Ephesus and others as your Mightinesse shall thinke fit and they adde For our cause hath beene alreadie manifested to Anatolius Archbishop of this royall citie meaning Constantinople which they
Church together with their power that at this time came in the inuocation and adoration of Saints and Martyrs in stead of the gods the verie ground-plot of Heathenisme to erect the building of Christianitie vpon OPPOSITION Such were then the proceedings of the Popes yet when he presumed to passe his bounds too farre there neuer wanted some one or other to lay a blocke in his way which we should now more clearely discouer had the writers of those daies beene as carefull to record vnto posteritie the oppositions of the one part as they were to set downe the attempts of the other But this appeareth that Leo his pretencions were euer opposed by the Churches and we may perceiue by Symmachus his owne Epistle that in Sclauonie Dardanie and Dace Symmach in ep ad Presbyt Illyr Dardaniae Daciae his authoritie was little esteemed And in Rome itselfe his owne Clergie accused him to Theodoric at what time he was wiser than to replie as now they doe that no man may presume to aske him Domine cur ita facis Neither did his predecessor Anastasius the second find the Bishops of France and Germanie ouer gentle in taking their bitt into their mouths when they wrot vnto him in the time of Clouis the first and first Christian King of Fraunce that memorable Epistle whereof we will here insert some few of the most important clauses Non putatiuè sed veracitèr affirmant Episcopi that is The Bishops doe constantly and truly affirme Epist episc Gol. German ad Anastas 2. in Collecta Auentin that a Councell is of greater authoritie than is a Pope Anastasius Paule the Apostle which crieth out Be ye followers of me resisted Peter who was chiefe of the Apostles because he was to be reproued c. This is indeed a verie fountaine and nurserie of scandales to the people when the Bishops of the Church rise in dissention against each other among whom there should be a full and a perfect peace c. And againe Our weake wit say they cannot conceiue what this new kind of compassion meaneth which these Phisitians of Italie vse in the cure of the disease of France They who pretend to cure our Bishops are themselues shaken with a continuall feauer they who promise sight to vs are themselues blind they take vs to be crouchbackes and haue themselues such a bunch of auarice growing on their backes that it will not suffer them to enter in at the narrow gate they let their owne sheepe goe astray and call our Shepheards into the way of truth going about to persuade vs that the physicke of spirituall diseases the absolution of soules is at Rome c. But if they will needs applie their searing yrons to our wounds they shall quickly feele our French truth which they without a cause prouoke against themselues c. And if they say yet farther That the Bishops of France are spiritually sicke let them remember the commaundement of our Sauior and visit vs in our sicknesse for the sicke must not runne to the Physitian but the Physitian come vnto the sicke which if they refuse to doe then let them know that we haue of our owne a perfect good Antidot euen the Gospell of the Sonne of God to expell all venome from our hearts that is to say We haue no need of your Treacle Let them take this for a warning not to make shew of too great zeale of iustice thereby to draw vs into the snare of their King like iudgements least we answere them as it is in the Gospell Let him of the Bishops of Italie which is without sinne cast the first stone at vs. All which we say to this end that they in the hardnesse of their heart may not offer to lay their pretended authoritie vpon our Bishops For it is not impossible that the stone which they cast at vs may flie backe in their owne faces for our men vse not to be afraid of feathers Let them rather this day confesse before Christ that they are a sort of miserable comforters those properly whom S. Iohn saw in Pathmos of whom he saith He sent the Dragon and he drew the third part of the starres c. The stinke of their ill name is spred to the vtmost borders of the earth They which dwell beyond the mountaine of God that is they which will make themselues gods shoot their arrowes beyond the stone of saluation because they are not planted in the house of the Lord after the order of Melchisedech c. that is are not called by a lawfull vocation And although say they by the shaking of our Oxen of France the Arke of our couenant should be like to fall yet it belongeth to our Bishops to hold it vp and not to them But if they by their euill speaking slander the Arke of our Church the like mischiefe befall them as befell Vzzias the Leuit. To conclude let them learne this Syllogisme If there be equall power in all Bishops then is it equall in euerie one but it is equall in all ergo in euerie one And by this you may see what reckoning the Bishops of France made of the Bishops of Rome in those daies 15. PROGRESSION That Pope Hormisda tooke vpon him to constitute diuers Vicars of his See in the West AFter Symmachus succeeded Hormisda who would lose no time If we may beleeue his Epistles he made diuers Bishops his Vicars in sundrie Prouinces of the West as Auitus Bishop of Vienna in the Prouince of Narbona Iohn of Arragon in Spaine on this side the riuer Betis and on the other side Salust Bishop of Seuile These Bishops accepted of this title thereby to aduance and to set themselues aloft aboue their brethren and the Pope cunningly soothed them in their ambitious humor thereby to enlarge the precincts and limits of his owne authoritie And in the East also vnder colour of composing a certaine difference in religion concerning the Chalcedon Creed he sent his Legats to the Emperour Anastasius who would not receiue it The Pontificall Booke sayth That he did it by the aduice and counsell of Theodoric forbearing to say By his permission D. 50. c. Si ille qui. though indeed it had beene farre more honourable for the Pope to haue beene the author of so good an aduise himselfe And yet how earnest soeuer he would seeme to be in the defence of this Councell it is euident that he renounced one of the principall Canons thereof concerning the place and ordering of Bishops seeing that he protested though vpon another occasion that he receiued nothing but what was contained in the Councell of Nice for feare of broaching himselfe vpon the Canons of those two Councels of Constantinople and of Chalcedon both which equall in all points the priuiledges of the Church of Rome and of Constantinople And it is sport alone to see the instructions which he gaue vnto his Legats how he setteth downe how farre they should goe and
seat of the Exarchat or Lieutenantship of Italie planted at Rauenna the Citie of Rome besieged by the Lumbards and consequently the Bishop of that Citie brought to a low ebbe insomuch that Pelagius the second who was elected during the siege after the death of Benedict the first could not send to the Emperor for his approbation and when the siege afterward broke vp by reason of the wet Gregorie who was at that time but a simple Deacon was faine to take a journey to Constantinople to pacifie the Emperor Plat. in Pelag 2. because saith Platina his election made by the Clergie was of no validitie and force without the good liking of the Emperour first had and obtained thereunto And this attempt of the Bishop of Constantinople we haue thought fit to reckon among the proceedings of the Papall Tyrannie because the succeeding Popes of Rome vsed this vsurpation of the other and made it serue to their owne aduantage and furtherance of their long intended Tyrannie OPPOSITION This Pelagius therefore so soone as the siege was broken vp tooke heart and wrote his letters 2. To. Concil in decret Pelag. 2. directed To all the Bishops who by the vnlawfull calling of Iohn the Patriarch for so he speaketh of him were assembled in Synod at Constantinople wherein hauing flourished a while with his Tu es Petrus at length he telleth them That they ought not to assemble themselues without the authoritie of this See That their present assemblie without him was no Councell but a verie Conuenticle That therefore they should presently breake vp that meeting vnlesse they would be excommunicated by the See Apostolike to conclude That they ought not to acknowledge Iohn as Vniuersall Bishop vnlesse they purposed to depart away from the Communion of all other Bishops And let no Patriarch saith he vse so prophane a title for if the chiefe Patriarch meaning himselfe should be called Vniuersall the name of a Patriarch should thereby be taken from all others But God forbid that it should euer fall into the heart of a Christian to assume anie thing vnto himselfe whereby the honour of his brethren may be debased For this cause I in my Epistles neuer call anie by that name for feare least by giuing him more than is his due I might seeme to take away euen that which of right belongeth to him Which clause is word for word inserted by Gratian into his Decrees saue only that in stead of Sâ—â—inus Patriarcha that is Chiefe Patriarch as it is in the Epistle he hath Vnus D. 99. c. Nullin 4. And yet the summarie of that verie chapter euen in the late edition of Gregorie the thirteenth is this That the Bishop of Rome himselfe may not be called Vniuersall But Pelagius goeth on and giueth the reason of that his saying For saith he the diuell our aduersarie goeth about like a roaring Lion exercising his rage vpon the humble and meeke hearted and seeking to deuoure not now the Sheepcoats but the verie principall members of the Church c. And Consider my brethren what is like to ensue c. For he commeth neere vnto him of whom it is written This is he which is King ouer all the children of pride which words I spake with griefe of mind seeing our brother and fellow Bishop Iohn in despight of the commaundement of our Sauior the precepts of the Apostles and Canons of the Church by this haughtie name to make himselfe his forerunner that is of Antichrist alluding manifestly to that place of the Apostle in his Epistle to the Thessalonians where he calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Lifted vp or which lifteth himselfe vp aboue all that is called God or Deitie And farther he addeth a second reason which our best disguisers cannot put off which is Vniuersa omnia quae soli vni capiti cohaerent videlicet Christo That hereby Iohn went about to attribute to himselfe all those things which belong properly to the Head himselfe that is Christ and by the vsurpation of this pompous title to bring vnder his subiection all the members of Christ which as he saith proceeded from the Tempter who tempted our first father by casting vnto him the like bait of pride And now tell me whether all that which the Bishops of Rome haue since that time attempted in like manner can proceed from anie other spirit But he goeth on willing them to take heed least the poyson of this word proue fatall in the end to the poore members of Christ for that if this title be once graunted to him there are no longer anie Patriarchs left in the Church and so it might come to passe that if Iohn himselfe should happen to die in this his error there should not be left a Bishop in the Church persisting in state of truth c. That they must beware that this tentation of Sathan preuaile not ouer them to conclude that they neither giue nor take his title of Vniuersall Bishop And yet euer by the way he putteth them in mind of the Canons of Nice in fauour of the Primacie of his owne See to which all matters of importance saith he ought to be referred and yet as we haue alreadie declared no such matter And Gregorie at that time his Deacon Gregor li. 4. ep 38. l. 7. ep 69. and afterwards his successor in the Popedome in his Epistle which he wrote to Iohn vpon this verie argument Thou saith he which acknowledgest thy selfe vnworthie to haue beene made a Bishop doest thou in disdaine of thy brethren make thy selfe sale Bishop in the Church Intimating thereby that there is no difference whether we call him Sole or else Vniuersall Bishop And concerning the Councell held at Constantinople in the case of Gregorie Bishop of Antioch Propter nefandum elationis vocabulum Pelagius saith he disannulled the Acts of that Synod because of this execrable name of pride and forbad the Archdeacon which according to the custome he sent Ad vestigia Dominorum i. to the feet of the Lords i. the Emperours let the Reader obserue these words to celebrate the solemne seruice of Masses with thee And in like manner wrote he also to the Bishop of Thessalonica And this is that which passed in those daies betweene the two Bishops of Rome and of Constantinople Where we obserue that Pelagius absolutely condemneth both the name and office of an Vniuersall Bishop which none offereth to vsurpe and take vnto himselfe but onely he which is the forerunner of Antichrist as being an honour due to Christ to whom onely and properly it doth appertaine An. 580. Moreouer we may obserue that about this time when Chilperic King of France had assembled a Synod of Bishops at Paris to judge of the cause of Praetextatus Bishop of Rouen whom he had formerly exiled vntill the next Synod which should be called he declared openly vnto them that he had cause ynough to condemne him
especially out of the letters of the Emperour to Domnus and Agatho Bishops of Rome as also to George Bishop of Constantinople to whom he wrot to the same effect with the like respect honour and Title as to the other saue onely that he called the one Vniuersall Patriarch and the other Vniuersall Pope Likewise out of the Synodicall Suggestion for so is it called which Pope Agatho sent vnto the Emperours where we find this superscription Agatho Bishop Seruant of the Seruants of God with all the Synods which are vnder the Councell of the See Apostolike as also out of that Epistle which he wrot to the Emperors vpon the receit of their Patent where he repeateth againe the Mandat of the Emperour vnto him De familiari Cler◠for the sending of deputies to the Synod assigned as well of the Synod which was held not far off from the Apostolike See as of his own particular Clergie And yet we find none subscribed but Italians and Agatho himselfe signeth in these tearmes Act. 4. With the generalitie of the Councell of all the Apostolike See that is of all his jurisdiction Act. 17. And in the subscription of the seuenteenth Action the Legats of Pope Agatho and of the Bishops of Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem stile themselues Lieutenants of the Apostolike See meaning euery one of his own Church And Abundantius and Iohn both Bishops subscribe in particular by the name of Legats of the whole Councel of the holie Apostolike See of Rome This Councel therefore represented his See and his See was according to his owne definition bounded within the precincts of Italie And in like tearms doth the Emperor Constantine make answer to Agatho and to his Synod in the 18 Action Thirdly Act. 18. in all the Actions of this Synod things are generally noted to haue beene done Praesidente Constantino c. where also all the Nobilitie and Senators who assisted are euer named before the Popes Legats who are there said sometimes to Reside and sometimes to Preside as in the sixt and seuenth Actions And in the Emperours absence those said Senators Presided in the Councell gathered the voyces and gaue direction concerning the Action then in hand as may appeare by those words which we find in the 12 13 15 16 and 17 Actions Proposito venerando sessu pijssimi Imperatoris c. Ex persona ipsius secundum iussionem eius praesidentibus audientibus Wherby we see Lib. Pontif. in Agatho that the Pontificall went about to abuse the Reader through the likenesse of the word when he saith in the life of Pope Agatho That his Legats were receiued Rsidente sub Regali cultu Imperatori not daring to say Praesidente with like honestie as before where he maketh the Bishop of Constantinople writing to Vigilius in stead of Residente nobiscum to say Praesidente nobis vestra Beatitudine thereby to get an authoritie for the Presidencie of the Pope the word Residere being frequently vsed in this sence and to this purpose as we may find more than once in one leafe of the life of Pope Agatho Residere praecepti vna cum nostris c. Residente Synodo cum eius pietate Residente vna cum principe and so throughout in this whole Councell By which we may perceiue with what face Bellarmine affirmeth That Agatho his Legats presided alledging for proofe Zonaras whereas yet he saith in expresse tearmes That the Legats of Agatho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Gregorie of Constantinople and Theophilus of Antioch were chiefe Leaders in this Councell where as you see he joyneth them all together Fourthly the Synod contrarie to that which Agatho had formerly boasted of concerning the infallabilitie of his See condemned Honorius one of his predecessors of Heresie and that in the face and presence of his Legats hauing first seene and compared the copies of his letters with the originall it selfe and declared him to haue beene Fautorem concursorem Action 12. 13. 17. 18. confirmatorem A fauourer a concurrent and an abettor of the Heresie and impietie of the Monothelites and consequently an instrument of Satan to whom with sundrie others they deliuer him ouer and damne the memoriall of him for euer Which sentence was first published in full Councell and afterwards ratified by expresse letters sent from Leo the second his successor Epist Leo. in 6. Synod vniuers D. 19. c. Sicut omnes Which ouerthroweth that goodlie Canon of Pope Agatho Sicut omnes which saith That all the Decrees of the Bishops of Rome ought to be kept and obeyed as the voyce of Saint Peter himselfe And as for the ranke and place of the Pope they bring him backe againe to the ancient Canons of the second Councell of Constantinople and of Chalcedon ordaining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Constant vniuers 6. in Trullo Can. 56. C. Habeo librum C. Placuit D. 16. Concil Nicae 2. vniuers 7. Action 2. 4. That the See of Constantinople should haue equall priuiledges with that of Rome and in all Church matters should be honoured as much as the other as being next in order after her Neither is it ynough to replie That this Councell made no Canons and that therefore this is false for it hath beene elsewhere sufficiently declared and Gratian himselfe affirmeth as much That this Synod was assembled at two seuerall times and that at the second assembling they enacted an hundred and three Canons as Onuphrius himselfe acknowledgeth which were afterwards authorised by the second Councell of Nice being the seuenth Vniuersall Synod Act. 14. in the presence of Pope Adrian his Legats the said Canons being by the Fathers at their second meeting vnder Iustinian the second after that he had quieted the troubles of the Empire taken out of the Records of the first meeting As for the temporall Estate Agatho before acknowledged That Rome was the seruile Citie of the Emperour Lib. Pontifical in Agatho and as a great and high fauour obtained of him a Release or discharge of a certaine summe of money which the Bishop of Rome was wont to pay into the Emperours coffers for his ordination yet with condition still D. 63. c. Agath 21. That his election should neuer passe vnto ordination without the Emperours priuitie and expresse commaund as the auncient manner was And this Law hath Gratian himselfe inserted in the Decrete So that it is no great wonder if their power reached not altogether so farre as their desire in the ordination of others which we haue heretofore obserued in the Councell of Chaalons held here in France and in the 7 8 9 and 10 Councels of Toledo as also we may now obserue in the 12 of Toledo Concil Tolet. 12. Ca. 6. which was held in the time of this Agatho of whom we speake where we find that the Prince appointed those for Bishops which were elected by the Prouince and if they happened to let the
we thinke in this so great an alteration both in the doctrine and also in the gouernment of the Church that euerie man held his peace for the doctrine we haue elsewhere declared how euerie article and when it came to be corrupted as also what opposition was alwaies made against it so that we shall not need to rehearse it here farther than as it was vsed by the Popes to the corruption of the policie and gouernment of the Church The Popes as we haue said thrust the Emperors out of Italie the colour was because they rejected the adoration of Images it being therefore cleare that the three seuerall Councels of Constantinople the one held in the yeare 713 the other in the yeare 729 and the third called the seuenth vniuersall Councell An. 713. An. 729. An. 755. consisting of 338 Bishops in the yeare 755 all held in the times of Constantine Gregorie the second and Stephen the third who were those that did abuse this article of Images to thrust the Emperours out of Italie it being I say cleare that all these condemned the adoration of Images Is it not manifest what they judged of the Popes proceedings against the Emperours seeing they condemned the ground of their proceedings And we may easily imagine what the Churches of Fraunce thought of those Popes whom they saw to trouble the world vnder a colour of Images seeing themselues neither at that present nor in long time after vsed them or at least vsed no religious honour towards them no not those who yet condemned the Greekes for breaking and defacing them Anastas Biblioth in ep ad Joh. 8. Baron in Annal. an 794. art 40. witnesse Anastasius a Writer of that verie time and Baronius of this present and seeing that a Councell held at Gentilli others say at Saumur in Fraunce vnder Pepin himselfe not daring to speake more plainely for feare of the Pope yet counsailed the Emperours of Greece to hold them to the ancient vsage of the Church seeing also that another Councell of the Westerne Churches held vnder Charlemaigne at Francford composed as sayth Sigonius of a great multitude of Bishops of Fraunce Germanie and Italie present there the Legats of the Pope condemned openly and shamefully that second Councell of Nice and consequently censured all those Councels which were held at Rome in the yeare 713 716 742 768 vnder Constantine Gregorie the second Zacharie and Stephen the third for the support of Images Moreouer they published a booke against that second Councell of Nice declaring it to haue beene a false Synod and no Councell at all against Pope Adrian who had approued it and who can doubt but that Pepin and Charlemaigne themselues would haue condemned it but that they could not meddle with the point of state without quarrelling the Pope vpon a matter of the Church But to come vnto the Historie of those times Zacharie had holpen Pepin in his vsurpation of the Crowne of France and Pepin in thankfulnesse came to assist him in his exaltation ouer the Emperors and Lumbards in Italie Carloman his owne brother which was entred into a Monasterie at Mount Cassin in Italie tooke a journey of purpose into France to dissuade the enterprise Annon lib. 4. c. 62. and with great earnestnesse in open Parliament pleaded the cause of the Lumbard King which how could he doe without condemning the Popes ambition Some say he did it not of his owne will Sigon l. 3. de Reg. Jtal. Anastas in Stephan 3. but by the commandement of his Abbot but was not the good of the Church if he had so thought it more to haue beene regarded Or what could an Abbot haue done to so great a Prince as he was In the end Charles came to an end of his conquests in Italie then was he moued to ratifie to Adrian the pretended donation of Pepin at what time Charles let him to vnderstand well ynough that he held not his Crowne from the Pope but that the Pope held both his dignitie and Rome it selfe in fee from him and homage to his Empire for there it was by generall consent of Bishops and Abbots ordained That Charles should be Prince of the Senat in which verie point Adrian encroached vpon the prerogatiue of the Emperour to whom onely it appertained to giue that title and that he should haue power to inuest the Archbishops and Bishops of all Prouinces meaning of Italie with prouiso That if they were not allowed and inuested by him they could not be consecrated by anie moreouer that he should elect the Pope and dispose of the See Apostolike all which we find in Gratian in the Decrete standing yet after the correction of Gregorie the thirteenth So likewise Sigebert Abbot of Gemblons D. 63. C. Hadrianus 22. Sigon de Reg. Ital. l. 4. Dignitatem Principatus Sigibert in Chron. Charles saith he held a Councell at Rome with Pope Adrian with 150 other Bishops and Abbots to whom the Pope with the whole Synod gaue authoritie to elect the Pope and to prouide the See Apostolike and gaue him also the title of Prince ordaining farther that the Archbishops and Bishops throughout the Prouinces should receiue inuestiture from him and that a Bishop not approued and inuested by him should not be consecrated by anie and that such as should be refractarie to this decree should be Anathema and if they repented not their goods should be confiscated Which Gratian expresseth in these words Whosoeuer shall doe contrarie to this decree the Synod layeth the band of Anathema vpon him and ordaineth that his goods shall be confiscated if he repent not So also saith Sigonius adding farther that this Rite of Inuestiture was so called because it was giuen them by a Ring and a staffe in regard no doubt of those lands which they euen then possessed This Rite of confirming the Popes continued as we haue alreadie shewed in the Emperors hands vntill the time of Constantine Pogonatus who about 100 yeares past had released it to Pope Benedict the second and so it continued vntill now when Charlemaigne tooke it into his hands againe Sigonius graunteth all this to be true but he addeth that Charlemaigne out of his good nature released it againe but there is no author for it and the practise long after was to the contrarie Baronius here setteth vpon poore Sigibert Baron vol. 9. an 774. art 10 11 seq and crieth out ô scelus ô imposture ô fraus laying to his charge that he was of the Emperor Henrie his faction and that in fauour of him he inuented this fable and that the Historians of Charles say no such matter But what was Gratian were all the rest of later times schismatikes for reporting the same thing after the same manner Was Gregorie the 13 a schismatike who hath in his late correction left that Canon standing and vncontrolled yea but Gratian had it from Sigibert and gaue too light credence to him It is true that Gratian hath
hauing sworne That he would neuer seeke after the Bishopricke of Rome notwithstanding he wanted not sufficient colour to doe it because he was discharged of that oath by Pope Marinus Guido in the meane time tooke part with Sergius notwithstanding that Formosus possest the See Sergius being by force expeld This whole Papacie therefore was spent in nothing but laying of plots and continuall rapines sometimes the one getting the vpper hand sometimes the other vntill Formosus wearied with those molestations that were brought vpon him by Sergius who was supported by Guido and his sonne Lambert resolued with himselfe to bring Arnulphus the king duke of Bauier sonne to Charlemaigne and nephew to Charles the Grosse out of Germanie who with his armie entred by force into the citie of Rome and was by Formosus annointed and crowned Emperour and as Sigonius reporteth enforst the people of Rome to take this oath I protest before God and all the Saints Sigon de regno Ital. li. 6. and sweare by the holie Sacraments so long as I liue to be subiect to the power of the Emperour Arnulphus and neuer to fauour the part of Lambert or Engultrude his mother and to doe my best endeuour that they neuer obtaine any dignitie or oppresse the citie by any seruitude And by this meanes chased Sergius out of Rome But not long after when he besieged Engultrude the mother of Lambert she a woman not equall in strength betooke her selfe to subtilties and secretly by one of his seruants whom she corrupted with money gaue vnto him a stupifying potion which when he had taken he was suddenly ouercome with sleepe and after three dayes awaking when hee neither vnderstood nor could fitly expresse what he vnderstood and rather lowing like an oxe than speaking like a man leauing the warre he retired himselfe into Lombardie About the end of December died Formosus after whom succeeded Boniface the sixt and fifteene dayes after Stephen the seuenth succeeded him being aduanced thereunto by the faction of Sergius hauing taken heart by the departure of Arnulphus Then was it easie to discerne with what spirit they were ledd for he was no sooner setled in his See but hee thought of nothing so much as to deface and blot out the memorie of Formosus whereupon he commaunded his bodie to be digged out of his sepulchre and his carkasse to be placed in the Popes chaire adorned with his Priestlie garments and there in the midst of a Synod assembled himselfe and his Acts to be condemned The writers of that age affirme a thing horrible to be spoken that this wicked man ignorant of all good learning Luitprand li. 1. cap. 8. vsed this taunting speech to the poore dead corps When thou wert Bishop of Port saith he why with a spirit of ambition didst thou vsurpe the Roman Catholike seat And thereupon disrobing him of his vestments he commaunded three of his fingers to be cut off wherewith he was wont to blesse the people and the bodie to be cast into Tiber and he degraded all those that had taken Orders of him himself gaue them new Hereupon Luitprand a Deacon of the Church of Pauia who then liued was exceedingly moued with this execrable deed Platina in Formoso Et ib. Onuphrius Leo Ostiensis l. 1. cap. 48. Onuphrius calls into question the truth of this storie which is to ouerthrow all antiquitie as in the case of Pope Ioue The author of the Annales of the Abbie of Fulden saith thus Next Boniface succeeded Stephen in name Apostolicall but in truth a most infamous man who after a strange maner caused Formosus his predecessor to be taken out of his graue and assigning an Aduocat to answer for him deposed him and commaunded him to be cast out of the place that was appointed for the buriall of the Popes And it is a Monke that speaketh it Sigonius is of more credit who describeth all the circumstances of this fact and reports the Acts of the Councell of Rauenna published by Iohn the tenth in these words The Synod celebrated by our predecessor Stephen the sixt Sigon de regno Ital. li. 6. in which the carkasse of Formosus the Pope is drawne out of the sepulchre and as it were brought to triall a thing neuer heard of before we vtterly abrogat and by the sentence of the holie Ghost wee forbid any such thing to be done hereafter He addeth That he denounced the coronation of Arnulphus to be void and that he annointed Lambert for Emperour in his place because he tooke his part And Baronius himselfe acknowledgeth the same onely as we doe he attributeth that to Stephen the seuenth that others doe to Sergius Baron an 897. art 2. This man saith he being frantike did not that which was lawfull to doe but what his owne furie carried him vnto for it was not an errour in faith but a violent tyrannie in fact An. 897. These are his owne words In the meane time in the yeare 897 Romanus succeeded Stephen who presently calling a Councell condemned the condemnation of Formosus and the Acts of Stephen against him The like doth Theodorus the second and Iohn the ninth or according to others the tenth who succeeded one another But this man more solemnely in a Synod of seuentie foure Bishops which he held at Rauenna where demaunding euerie mans opinion seuerally he cancelled the Acts of Stephen and his Synod pardoned the Bishops and Priests that gaue assistance therein who excused themselues That what they did they did by compulsion forbidding that Sergius and his followers who had digged Formosus out of his graue should be restored and condemning both them and Stephen himselfe as violaters of sepulchres He pronounced Formosus the lawful Pope although he were first chosen saith Onuphrius without the Roman Clergie and those Bishops that Stephen deposed he restored and declared the coronation of Arnulphus the Emperour to be void and ratified that of Lambert as being done by Stephen for the good of the Church This he did in fauour of Lambert whose power he feared both in Italie and in Rome by meanes whereof that law was renewed That from thence forward the Pope should not be consecrated but in the presence of the Embassadours or Lieutenants of the Emperour contrarie to that which Adrian the third thought he had established The Acts of this Councell are to be found among the Canons of the Church of Modene saith Sigonius This ordinance neuerthelesse was shortly after broken for Iohn being dead and Benedict the fourth chosen in his roome he was consecrated without the authoritie of the Emperour by the faction of the Tusculans And these things reach to the yeare 900. An. 900. OPPOSITION The verie impietie thereof had beene sufficient to restraine this fatall Progression if the Christian Church had not beene sencelesse so as no other Opposition should haue needed but what the spirit of God foretold in the Scriptures cannot be preuented for euen
the glorie of Paradise But the Parisian faculties of Diuinitie condemne the Pope of intollerable errour and temeritie There are that referre such an other as you haue heard to Clement the fift Questionlesse all Authors exclaime of wonderfull Symonie in his time and vnusuall reseruations of Benefices throughout the whole Church some of which he reuoaked onely to auoyd publique scandall But gentle Reader while thou seest him here thus commaunding ouer Angels why doest thou not listen to the Apostles prediction in the second to the Thessalonians 2 where he speaks of the man of sinne bearing himselfe as God equall to God and extolling himselfe aboue all that is called God in so manie ages after succeeding to whom may it fitlyer be applied than to him OPPOSITION The oppositions declared throughout this whole Progresse against the Papall Tyrannie may seeme sufficient without adding any other because we see him to haue beene euer mightily oppugned by all the famous men of those ages as also by most commendable and vertuous Princes yet for the Readers better satisfaction we will not thinke it amisse to annexe some thing else The imperiall Decree publisht in the yeare 1338 against the acts of Iohn the two and twentieth as you heard was approued by Edward king of England who also was present at the digesting it For the flanckering and seconding of which the Emperour Lewis dimulged another Edict whose principall heads it will not be altogether impertinent here to insert Lewis the fourth Emperour and by Gods grace Caesar Augustus to all Christians health S. Peter and S. Paule the first Embassadours from the eternall Maiestie declared and foretold long time before seriously informing vs That after their times there should arise false Prophets audatious and subtile and that Priests should become lying messengers plainely deciphering their workes vnto vs In the Temple of God said they that is the Church they shall sit as gods and be exalted aboue all that is reuerenced or worshipped by any Nation as God That those things are most true which the true Prophets of God and the interpreters of his secrets did denuntiat by manifest experience it is confirmed and except we be dull and sencelesse wee cannot but perceiue and euen feele the same We cannot denie but that men now are too superstitious to oppose the abuses of the times though in hipocriticall fraudes delusions wherewith the ignorant vulgar are many times taken and ensnared they are most wittie and craftie brasen-faced to vphold customes and rights receiued and herein abusing the simple credulitie of sillie fooles whereof the number is infinit But it is my part to detect and refell such impostures and digressions to the end they may not affront Christian integritie and plainly mock deride diuine veritie Men gather not grapes from thorns and the Prophet of God receiues no bribes or rewards Christ commanded his messengers that whosoeuer amongst them sought to be highest should be lowest And the Kings of the earth beare domination and rule ouer people but you are the seruants of my flocke that is to say Shepheards you are not Lords Notwithstanding all these things are most true and euident yet Pharisies and pernitious Antichrists sustaine That an Emperour chosen by voyce and custome imperiall and by the suffrages of Princes cannot be Emperour except the high Priest who is Lord ouer all and possessor of both powers allow and confirme him And here he refuted this proposition as being flatly opposit both to the sacred Scriptures to the auntient Laws and Canons and to the customes of all ages further adding For these reasons well rightly and wisely I appeale from the enemie of the Christian Common-wealth to a future generall Councell of all Christendome to be held whereof he is but a member and no head for as S. Ierome sayes The church of the whole world is greater than that of the Citie c. Clement perseuering in this his rage and furie William Ockham incessantly defended Lewis right especially because through his plot and deuise Charles came to be nominated Emperour and in a booke which he publisht vpon this subject He taxed Clement with the note of an heretike calling him verie Antichrist an hater of Christian pouertie an enemie of the Common-wealth a mortall foe to the Germans a most Christian Nation and a follower of Clement the fift and Iohn the two and twentieth false Popes and most deuouring Wolues Charles also he accuseth of periurie treason parricide and of impietie towards his grandfather and nere kinseman in breaking the oath Auent l. 7. wherein he stood bound to Lodouick and perfidiously infringing the Lawes of Constans Franckfort and Longsteine promulged by the Dyets Edict and terming him a vile seruant to the Priests of Auignion of whom he bought the Diadem imperiall Leopald also Bishop of Bamberg and Ockhams Collegues doe no lesse in a Tractate entituled Vindex pacis Christianae wherein they affirme That the Pope except he had rather take vpon him Antichrists pride than emulate Christs and his Apostles pouertie was but a seruant to the meanest Christian much more to soueraigne and supreame power so farre from reason it was that to the singular preiudice of the Christian Commonwealth he should domineere and rule doe whatsoeuer he thinkes good and requiring not onely to be called but to be beleeued a god Indeed Conrade of Magdeberg laboured hard in the answer of these men but seuen yeares after Ockams death who dying anno 1347 and was honourably buried at Franckfort in the Franciscans Colledge together with other two of his companions Bona gratia de Bergamo and Michael de Cesena Some few yeares also before Vlric Hengherohr Lodouikes Chancellor and Secretarie to the Empire deceased who fearing the Auignion Antichristians reuenge so he tearmed them he gaue order in his last Wil and Testament to be buried without the Church least they should haue persecuted him in his verie bones But no man shewes vs more plainly than Florentine Petrarch what opinion all the renowmed men of those troublesome seasons held of the Pope and of the Court of Rome who was Archdeacon of Parma the verie light of that age and greater had beene if he could haue soothed and flattered the Popes of whom he might haue obtained any thing And so much the rather because he writ for the most part as one exempted from the heat and spleene of those present contentions and partialities I omit to set downe how liuely in his Poems he deciphers the Roman Court many times calling her the Babylonian Harlot the Schole of all errour the verie Forge of deceit and the Temple of heresie But here it may be sayd That Poets haue euer beene permitted to speake broadly Let mee request the Reader therefore but onely to read his Latine Epistles full of grauitie zeale and learning wherein he sincerely explaines his opinion In the eighth of those Epistles which are called Sine titulo where he describes the Court of Rome vnder
the support of Ladislaus king of Sicilie Charles Malatesta his Proctor appeared in Councell hauing on him the Pontificall robes which in token of renunciation he put off before all the assemblie But Benedict hauing beene verie oftentimes cited in vaine by sentence of the Councell is declared to be a periurer Session 11. a scandalizer of the Church a fautor and entermedler of schisme an heretike straying out of the way of faith and for these causes is depriued of his Papall dignitie and cut off from the Church as a withered and dried member forbiddeth all men therefore from obeying him vnder paine of excommunication And though he were almost of all men forsaken yet he continued still in obstinacie Idolum cum idolis suis Cardinalibus saith Krantzius An Idoll with the Idols his Cardinalls Krantzius in Metrop l. 9. c. 1. An. 1414. Yea being at poynt of death in the yeare 1414 he adiureth the Cardinals which remained with him in the castle of Paniscola that they should incontinently chuse him a successor which was Giles Munion Canon of Barcelon by them called Clement the eighth who the fourth yeare after renounced his charge Of this Benedict was that saying of Gerson verie often repeated in Councell There will be no peace to the Churches till Luna be taken away So much did Luna darken the Sunne so much also had these good Popes their hearts set on the vnion of the Church It was meet that impietie of doctrine should grow after the measure of the abuse of power Paulus Aemilius in Carolo 6. Therefore we read that this Benedict the thirteenth was the first that instituted That the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ should be carried before him for the safegard of his bodie that so he might seeme to haue a protector against his aduersaries on earth whom he beleeued to be none in heauen which without doubt he had inuented by the example of the kings of Persia who made their god be caried before them Alexander the fift also because he was a Minorite that he might gratifie the Friers of that Order Theodor. Ã Nyem l. 3. c. vltim who wonderfully reioycing at his creation ran about the streets euerie day verie many in troupes together as if they had beene mad men made a law That all Christians should be bound to beleeue the wounds of S. Francis and in veneration also of those wounds instituted a feast These things as we haue said before although they are judged doubtful yet are found in their owne Histories of those times So Iohn the foure and twentieth Waldensin Fasciculo for that Wicklif had translated the holie Scriptures into the English Tongue would needs haue that translation of the Bible into the vulgar Tongue to be heresie in England But our wise king Charles the fift was of another mind when a little before he commaunded that the sacred Bible should bee translated into the French Tongue for his owne and his peoples vse And let the Reader judge of the inuentions by the pietie and honestie of the deuisors In the meane time the Councell of Constance it selfe whilest it arrogateth power aboue the Pope doth not withall omit in emulation of Popes to extoll it selfe aboue the Lord Christ For when many nations complained vnto them That against the expresse institution of Christ in the participation of the Eucharist the cup of the Lord was taken away from them the Fathers of this Councell feared not to publish a Decree commaunding it seuerely to be excuted which was conceiued in these execrable words Concil Constant Session 13. Although Christ after supper hath instituted and administred to his Disciples this venerable Sacrament vnder both kinds of bread and wine yet notwithstanding the authoritie of the sacred Canons the laudable and approued custome of the Church hath obserued and doth obserue that this Sacrament ought not to be finished after supper c. And seeing that this custome hath beene according to reason brought in and a long time obserued by the Church and holie Fathers it is to be held for a law In which words this clause Non obstante notwithstanding so odious as we haue seene to the Church in former ages for that by it added to the Popes Bulls no lawes so holy but were reuoked now by the authoritie of this Synod manifestly abrogateth not only the vse of the Primitiue Church but the expresse commandement of the Lord himselfe in instituting a Sacrament of so great moment And these things extend to the yeare 1417. An. 1417. OPPOSITION Let vs now consider what the Christian Church thought hereof being distracted and as it were torne in peeces by two sometimes three Popes openly warring one against the other We haue alreadie noted something out of the historie of Theodorick Theodor. Ã Nyem l. 1. c. 7 8. who was successiuely Secretarie to Vrban Boniface Innocent Gregorie and Alexander Neither doth he conceale from vs the murmure and distraction of minds that then was in the whole world whilest some take part with one others content with the conduct of their owne Bishops hold with neither from whence in the meane time this benefit did arise vnto vs in this so great mischiefe That by occasion of this schisme there was a way made vnto the truth and the mouth thereof in diuers things opened And therefore he confesseth ingeniously that it is agreeable vnto reason that the Roman Emperour with the Prelats and Christian people as the spirituall sonne of the Church whose power is immediatly from God should by his authoritie appease these troubles and that they are fooles and flatterers that say That the Pope or Church hath two swords the temporall and the spirituall which great errour being brought into the Christian Church they raise a perpetuall emulation and discord betweene the Pope and the Emperour trampling vnder their feet the Imperiall authoritie to the great hurt of the whole Commonwealth That it appeareth out of the Decrees themselues that whensoeuer any schisme shall arise in the Church that the Emperors are bound and by law haue power to prouide a remedie Which he likewise proueth by the example of Theodoricus the king taken out of the Decree it selfe and is much offended that the Emperor Robert did so flatter and gently intreat Gregorie the twelfth who should haue compelled both parts to haue restored the peace of the Church D. 17. C. Consilia Theud l. 3. c. 9. 10. That the power of the Emperour doth especially tend to the repressing of a wicked and incorrigible Pope scandalizing the Church as it appeareth out of the acts of the Roman Emperours and kings where he alledgeth the example of Otho the first who came out of Germanie to Rome to chasten the disorderly stubborne behauior of Iohn the 13 whom by the authoritie of the Councell notwithstanding he were vpheld by his kindred and friends at Rome he deposed For saith he in those daies the
or durst confute their sayings although as he himselfe witnesseth they were well affected towards the person of Eugenius On the contrarie All saith he with one voyce preferred the Councell before Eugenius and it was held for a crime of heresie once to mutter any thing against the dignitie of the Councell Now in the time of Nicholas and Calixtus after the neutralitie of Germanie was taken away by the meanes of Aeneas Syluius for which good seruice hee had beene first made Bishop and after Cardinall the Germans were offended that the conditions agreed vpon with the Emperour were not obserued Wherefore by the authoritie and conduct of Diether Archbishop of Mentz they had instituted a certaine Pragmaticall sanction whereby they would prouide for themselues against the grieuances of the Roman Church and partly decreed of the election of Prelats collation of benefices hearing of causes granting of Indulgences exaction of tenthes and the like partly they defended themselues also by way of Appeale against the Pope if he ordained any thing against them and moreouer fortified this with a strict league of the Princes Hence it is that Syluius is so vehemently moued in his Epistle of the maners of Germanie which he wrot in answer to Martin Mayer Chauncellour of the Archbishop of Mentz for note hee was newly made Cardinall of Sienna This Mayer was a man famous in that age euen by the testimonie of Syluius himselfe and had complained in his Lords behalfe That the Decrees of Constance and of Basil were not obserued That Calixtus as if he were not tied to the couenants of his predecessor exhausted and soaked Germanie euer and anon reiected the election of Prelats and reserued the benefices and dignities of whatsoeuer kind for his Cardinals and Protonotaries For said he expectatiue graces are granted without number Annates or first fruits are exacted without any delay of time openly also extorting more than is due The gouernement of Churches are not committed to them that deserue best but to such as offer most and new Indulgences are daily granted for to rake in money Exactions of tenthes vnder colour of the Turkes are commaunded to be made without taking aduise of our Prelats Causes which had beene handled and determined in the countrey are confusedly drawne to the Apostolicall Seat and a thousand new meanes are inuented whereby with a subtill wit to draw money from vs as from Barbarians And you vnder this forme hitherto vnusuall and vnheard of haue obtained reseruation to three Prouinces of Germanie And in conclusion That the Princes being awaked out of their sleepe were resolued to shake off that yoke and to take againe their former libertie not without great dammage to the Court of Rome Wherefore though hee congratulated with him his new dignitie yet he tooke it ill that these euils happened in his time and seriously exhorted him to procure a remedie betimes But it may be saith he the mind of God is otherwise and his sentence will preuaile Giuing vs in these few words more to thinke of than he expresseth What then doth here the new Cardinall You may see he hath straight changed his stile so that to a friend writing friendly at the verie beginning in an angrie manner he saith Thou hast mixed amara rancida vnsauorie and bitter things in thy letters So much was his tast then alreadie altered for afterwards there was nothing so vniust which he defended not nothing so absurd which he vttered not neither feared hee to establish the Popes tyrannie by those verie places which before he had proued to be wrested into a wrong sence To conclude nothing was with him more execrable than the Pragmaticall sanction which before he had pronounced to be sacred and Canonicall He vpbraided the Germans That they were too rich and ingratefull to the Church of Rome which of Heathens had made them Christians of Barbarians Latines Whereas indeed the Germans had Christian Churches which S. Ireneus commendeth for their notable constancie before the name of Pope of Rome was once knowne when they which ruled the Church were onely called Priests Neither had hee any mind to seeke so farre seeing hee could not conceale That before the Councell of Nice sibi quisque vinebat euerie Bishop liued to himselfe that is to say gouerned his Church without taking law from Rome to the great dammage of the Church saith he who on the contrarie ought to haue added That by the Decree of that Councell the Bishop of Rome had no right of superintendencie ouer any other Churches but only in suburbicarias ouer the neighbour Churches about Rome About this verie time flourished Gregorie de Heimburg Aeneas Syluius commentat l. 3. Wimphel in Prostesi ad illustres viros Germ. Trithemij Antililogia excusa Basiliae an 1551 vbi appellatio vtraque Krantzius l. 10. Wandal c. 24. Epist 400. ad Norimbergens Trithem Chronic vol. 2. sub annum 1460. Doctour of the ciuile and Canon law a man of great estimation euen at Venice Siluius calleth him the chiefest of the Germans When Pius entred into the Popedome he excommunicated Sigismund Duke of Austria for that hee could not endure the sawcinesse of his Legat but he by the aduise of Gregorie de Heimburg appealed to the Councell and published his Appeale at Rome wherof Pius vnderstanding that Heimburg was the Authour he likewise communicated him And because hee dwelt at Norimberg being Syndicke or Aduocat of the citie he writeth an Epistle to the Burg-master and Senat in which he calleth this forme of appealing from the Pope to a Councell A new heresie and inspiration of the Diuell seeing that men appeale friuolously and by way of mockerie to a Councell or to that which is no where and which they purpose to auoyd and hinder by all meanes possible Hee therefore signified vnto them that hee had excommunicated Heimburg as guiltie of high treason and heresie and commaundeth them that they should expell him the citie confiscat his goods moueable and vnmoueable and inflict vpon him all the punishments appointed for heretikes But from this excommunication also Heimburg againe appealed to a Councell yet is constrained to depart into Bohemia where he married a wife and made his abode vntill Diether Archbishop of Mentz of the familie of Heimburg being vexed by the Pope called him vnto him whereby we may gather that Diether did not greatly dislike his doctrine In the appeale of Sigismund that he framed after hee had layed open the equitie of his cause against the vnjust proceedings of the Pope he appealed not from the Pope ill informed to the Pope better informed because he knew his eares to bee stopped but eyther to his successour or to a generall Councell to be celebrated according to the Decrees of Constance and Basill and in default thereof to Iesus Christ Sauiour of the world In his owne also when Pius the second had excommunicated him he protested the verie same but moreouer examining his Bull and his
to affect a soueraignetie ouer the Church of God But be it Iulius assembled a Synod at Rome at the request as well of Athanasius as of the Eusebians his Antagonists what then Was it to judge of the difference betweene them by way of Appeale or was it rather to compose matters betweene them as an indifferent friend The verie words of Athanasius are these The Eusebians sayth he write vnto Iulius and thinking to affray vs request him to call a Synod and himselfe to be Iudge if he would where the Latine Interpreter rendreth it Arbitrator and Baronius vseth the same word Now I would know whether men vse to speake in this manner of a soueraigne Iudge And indeed the Eusebians seeing Athanasius come to Rome drew backe and made Athanasius wait there a whole yeare and a halfe vntill in the end vpon their non apparance Iulius examined the cause of Athanasius and finding him innocent receiued him to the Communion of the Church Neither did Iulius himselfe in the carriage of this businesse vse anie of this absolute or as they tearme it of this coactiue power neither did his proceedings anie whit at all sauor either of the pretended authoritie of a Pope or of the lawfull power of a generall Councell his words are these Though sayth he I haue written alone yet is not this my opinion onely but of all the Italians and Bishops hereabout Whereby it appeareth that this was no generall Councell but onely a Synode within Italie and therefore hath Baronius no colour to conclude from hence a Power in the Pope to call generall Councels Moreouer in his letters to the Easterne Churches he pretendeth nothing but loue vnto them He that wrote vnto you out of loue sayth he should haue beene answered againe in loue But a little after when he attempted to restore the Bishops whom they had deposed they presently assembled in Synod at Antioch where being there present a farre greater number of Orthodox Fathers than of Arrians as Baronius himselfe confesseth by common voice and consent they reproued his insolencie scoffing at him and bidding him to meddle with what he had to doe Here againe Baronius as his manner is beginneth to juggle with vs Baron to 3. an 341. art 56. and to dazzle our eyes by telling vs that this Epistle was written by the Eusebians when as yet it appeareth to haue beene written and sent by the generall consent of all this being no point of faith and doctrine to distract them but onely of Church gouernment Socrates speaking of this Epistle Socrat. l. 2. c. 11. They wrote saith he all by common consent Now of ninetie Bishops there assembled there were not in all aboue thirtie six Eusebians or Arrians and they not willing to acknowledge that name neither So likewise speaketh Sozomen of this Epistle Sozom. l. 3. c. 7. the points whereof what they are alreadie hath beene declared But what saith Iulius to all this doth he alledge for himselfe that either by vertue of his succession to S. Peter or of the Nicene Councell they ought to appeale to Rome no such matter his words are onely these The Fathers of Nice ordained and that not without the counsell of God that the Acts of one Councell should be examined in another whereby there appeareth no greater power giuen to the Bishop of Rome ouer Alexandria than to the Bishop of Alexandria ouer Rome As for the grieuance whereof he complaineth it is onely this that contrarie to the custome they had not written first of all vnto him concerning the difference fallen out in Alexandria to haue his aduice for the composing thereof as being Bishop of the first See as also that manie Synods had beene held in the East concerning points of faith and doctrine without giuing him notice thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrarie to the Rule and Canon of the Church wherein is contained that none might impose anie law vpon the Churches without the aduice of the Bishop of Rome which was but reason considering the place he held But it followeth not therefore either that he alone might make Canons or that they his aduice once heard might not otherwise determine if they saw cause As for those Epistles of Iulius which we find inserted in the bodie of the Councels they speake in a higher straine nothing there but of Appeales to the See of Rome and of reseruations of all greater causes all founded vpon Scriptures Traditions and the Councell of Nice in all which no one word is to be found tending to that purpose But the verie date of Felicianus and Maximianus Consuls giueth them the lye there being no such Consuls names or anie like vnto them to be found in all that age no not in Onuphrius himselfe and which is the greater wonder Baronius himselfe our grand Annalist is ashamed of them Now come we to examine that famous Councell of Sardica which as Baronius and his fellowes thinke and not without some colour and shew of reason much aduanceth the cause of the Bishop of Rome Baron to 3. an 346. art 5. To begin therefore first I aske who called it That Iulius Bishop of Rome sayth Baronius was the first Author thereof appeareth partly by that which hath beene alreadie spoken and partly by Sozomene who seemeth plainely to insinuate as much But what is this to the purpose The question is Who called it and he for answere telleth vs That the Bishop of Rome was the first Author and aduiser of it whereas the one argueth an authoritie the other onely a care which had beene verie little if in that great combustion he would not haue sought some meanes of pacification But how doth Sozomene seeme to insinuate as much Sozom. l. 3. c. 10. his words are these It seemed good in the minds of the Emperours that the Bishops of either part should at a day appointed meet at Sardica a Citie in Illyria now called Triadizza These are the words of solemnitie and absolute authoritie of the Emperours And Socrates speaking of the same Councell sayth Socrat. l. 2. c. 16. Graec. edit c. 20. That the one Emperour requested it by his letters and the other readily accorded thereunto Also the Synodall Epistle of the Fathers there assembled reported by Theodoret speaketh in this manner The Emperours beloued of God haue assembled vs out of diuers prouinces and countries Theodoret. l. 2. c. 8. and haue giuen vs leaue to hold this holie Synod in this Citie of Sardica And Athanasius a man of all others most interessed in this Councell Athanas Apolog 2. Balsamon in praefat Synod Sardicens By the commaund sayth he of the most religious Emperours Constans and Constantius c. And Balsamon in his preface to this Councell By the commaundement sayth he of these two brothers were assembled 341 Bishops at Sardica And now tell me what are become of Baronius his ghesses Likewise Liberius himselfe successor vnto Iulius sent Lucifer a
yeelded all due reuerence to the See Apostolike Onuphr in Fast an 382. And lastly Onuphrius obserueth That two yeares after he approued it in open Synod at Rome as an Oicumenicall or Generall Councell though neither the Pope in person nor anie for or from him assisted at it whereas that other at Rome where Damasus himselfe presided is scarcely accounted in the number of prouinciall Synods And now let the reader judge where this pretended Primacie of the Popes was in those dayes But now let vs see what newes with Baronius First he sayth That this Councell of Constantinople was called jointly by Theodosius and Damasus Bishops of Rome and who saith he can doubt hereof May it please him Baron vol. 4. an 381. art 20. it should seeme that Socrates and Sozomene doubted of it when they tell vs Socrat. l. 5. c. 10. Sozom. l. 7. c. 7. That the Emperour without delay laboured as much as in him was to assemble a Councell of all sorts So also as it seemeth did the Fathers themselues of that Councell who in their Synodall Epistle say in this manner Wee here assembled by his commaundement Epist Synod in to 1. Concil c. meaning the Emperour And in that other Epistle of theirs which they wrote the Summer following to Damasus Britto Ambrose and other Bishops of the West where they shew that they of the East were not called to the Synod of Rome it selfe which was at the same time readie to meet by letters from Damasus Theodor. l. 5. c. 8. 9. Socrat. l. 5. c. 10. Sozom l. 7. c. 12. but from the Emperour So likewise doe all the Church Histories which tell vs that the Emperour hauing heard the resolution of the Orthodox Fathers in the Synod of Rome much desired to assemble another of all sects hoping by that means to make them fall to some agreement not borrowing anie authoritie from Rome And to conclude the practise of all auncient times seemeth to doubt hereof seeing that in that verie yeare a Councell was called at Aquileia by the Emperor Gratian Concil Aquil. in ep ad Gratian. Valent. Theodos in 1. Vol Concil Theodor. l. 5. c. 9. Sozom. l. 7. c. 9. where Ambrose himselfe was present and the deputies of the Churches of France and Afrike as he affirmeth and seeing also that Damasus himselfe became an humble suiter to the Emperours Theodosius and Gratian to graunt a warrant for the calling of a Councell the yeare following at Rome being much offended that Flauianus had succeeded Paulinus in the Church of Antioch for how could he grant leaue to others who asked for himselfe And of this verie Councell it is that S. Hierosme speaketh in his Epistle to Eustochium When the imperiall letters sayth he had assembled at Rome the Bishops of the East and West Hieron ad Eustoch ep 27. she then saw verie admirable personages Bishops of Christ Paulinus Bishop of Antioch and Epiphanius Bishop of Salamis And now let Baronius tell me whether a man may not haue reason to doubt thereof Well sayth Baronius yet the best is To. 1. Concil that Damasus did at least confirme this Councell And we must see whether he did or no and how he confirmed it whether to authorise it or else to submit himselfe vnto it For the first we haue a Synodall Epistle directed to Theodosius with the Acts of that Synod annexed thereunto wherein as called together by his commaund they jointly yeelded him an account of what they had there enacted requesting him by his seale and sentence to confirme and ratifie their decrees Baronius telleth vs Baron to 4. an 381. art 38. that this they did onely in policie to engage Theodosius in the maintenance of their profession And what need seeing the world taketh notice that he was as zealous for religion as was the best of them And for Damasus that he approued indeed this Councell but that he did it likewise for a purpose which was to make the Greeke Church sure against the heresie of Macedonius and I would faine know where it is that he findeth it All a matter sayth Baronius but so it is that he did confirme it for Photius hath it in his booke of seuen Synods Surely this man did well and wisely not to quote the place for feare his jugling should be discouered The words of Photius are these And a little after saith he they vnderstood that Damasus also Bishop of Rome had confirmed them as being of the same opinion with them meaning with the Fathers of Constantinople And doth this proue that they required his authoritie to confirme their Acts or rather that he confirmed them onely by yeelding assent and submitting himselfe vnto them And yet such is his madnesse as to say that he confirmed it fraudulently and for a purpose onely not to auow the Canon there made for the place and dignitie of the Bishop and Church of Constantinople making his dreames and idle fancies to stand in ballance against the soliditie and weight of all Histories by vs alledged and going to persuade vs that by vertue of a Councell shortly after assembled at Rome Paulinus borne out by Damasus was restored to his See and Flauian who was there placed by the Councell of Constantinople dispossessed and all this without either argument or Author other than his owne fantasticall assertion Thirdly Baronius verie stiffely maintaineth Baron to 4. an 382. art 18. that notwithstanding this Canon of the Councell of Constantinople yet still causes of weight and importance were reserued to the See of Rome such as were Heresie and Schisme deposing of Bishops and the like and that these causes were brought to him by way of Appeale And surely for heresie and schisme we cannot denie that scarcely euer was there anie heretike or schismatike condemned by his owne Church which presently had not recourse to Rome and that manie of them haue beene fostered and supported there That the Popes themselues through an vsuall natiue greedinesse of drawing moulture to their mill and causes to their Consistorie were oftentimes deceiued herein But this we denie that these causes went to him by Appeale which is alwayes made from the sentence of an inferior judge to the finall decree of a superior and that not so much as the name of an Appeale much lesse the thing it selfe is to be found either in the Historie or in the Practise of the Church no not in this age which we now speake of though this pretended Monarchie at this time aduanced her selfe the most she could Bellarmine yet deriueth it from verie farre and from the time of Marcion the heretike who being excommunicated in Pontus came to Rome But this I aske whether Ireneus or Tertullian doth affirme that he came by way of Appeale or doth not Epiphanius say that they sent him backe againe with these tearmes Epiph. cont Marcion here 42. We may not receiue thee without the permission
be read and also which bookes they are which ought to be accounted for Canonicall onely for correspondencies sake they adde farther in these words We will also that this be signified to our companion in Priesthood Bonifacius and others to the end that they may confirme it for so haue we receiued from the Fathers that these onely ought to be read in Churches Now if the Popes authoritie alone had beene necessarie to the validitie of this Canon what needed they to signifie it vnto others This therefore was nought else but a testimonie of their mutuall loue and charitie Baronius here stormeth because we say That by occasion of that forenamed Canon the whole Church of Afrike was cut off from the Communion of the Church of Rome because it thence followeth that S. Augustine and such a multitude of other holie Fathers died out of the Communion of the Church of Rome and excommunicated by the Pope and thereupon seeketh by all meanes to discredit that Epistle of Bonifacius the second which testifieth that they were not reunited till a full hundred yeares after I confesse that whereas it is there said Vnder the reigne of Iustin the mistake was easier of Iustin for Iustinian than that of Nicene for Sardican and the inconuenience thence arising is verie great for what then shall become of so manie Martyrs put to death during those hundred yeares vnder the persecution and tyrannie of the Vandales But they themselues must looke to that Sure I am that this is none of their greatest cares witnesse the poore Grecians in these dayes who haue now lyen groning vnder the yoke of the Turks so manie yeares And if this Epistle was not written by Bonifacius they may thanke themselues who haue inserted it in the bodie of the Councels Bellarm. de Bontif Rom. l. 2. c. 24. Let the reader now judge what reason Bellarmine had to say that those Fathers neuer intended to forbid their Bishops to appeale to Rome seeing they name Bishops in expresse tearmes and ordaine that all causes should be determined within the same Prouince Or what conscience when he saith that S. Augustine vnderstood that Councell otherwise in his 262 Epistle August ep 262. because he there saith that Caecilian needed not to care for the conspiracie of his aduersaries seeing himselfe ioyned in Communion with the Church of Rome and with all other countries whence the Gospell first came into Afrike where he would be alwayes readie to plead his cause if his aduersaries should seeke to alienate those Churches from him For what can he gather from thence but onely this that it was no hard matter for him to purge himselfe vnto those Churches in case he had been traduced for if he thence conclude That therefore he might appeale to Rome as much may be said and concluded of all other places But he was wise not to quote the place for there is nothing and he knew it well ynough which maketh for his purpose And farther here obserue that S. Augustine was present at this Councell as appeareth by his 207 Epistle Also we read An. 431. that about the yeare 431 the Generall Councell of Ephesus was assembled against Nestorius where we find not this pretended Primacie in anie sort acknowledged For as touching the calling thereof Socrat. l. 7. c. 3. the Bishops saith Socrates assembled themselues together out of all quarters vnto Ephesus by order from the Emperour And Euagrius and Nicephorus say Euagr. l. 1. c. 3. Nicephor l. 14. c. 34. that they were assembled by the letters of the Emperour directed to the Bishops of all places And the Synod it selfe in more than twentie seuerall places vseth these words By the will of the most religious Kings meaning Theodosius and Valentinian Acta Concil Ephesin in 1. to Concil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1. to 2. cap. 17 18 19. passim Ib. pa. 99. 177. 201 202. Bellarm. l. 1. de Concil c. 19. Acta Concil Ephes c. 17. And the Acts all along speake in this and the like manner Whom your Maiesties commaunded to come to Ephesus c. and Their letters commanded vs so c. and By vertue of the Edict of the most religious Emperors c. And so likewise wrote Theodosius vnto Cyrill that he had appointed the Bishops to assemble at Ephesus out of all parts at Easter And Caelestin Bishop of Rome writing to Theodosius Wee yeeld saith he our presence in the Synod which you haue commaunded by those whom we haue sent As for the Presidencie in that Synod it is a matter questionlesse and not denied by our aduersaries That Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria presided onely they say that he was Vicegerent to Pope Caelestin hauing no other colour for their assertion but this That the Pope requested him to execute his sentence giuen in the Synod at Rome against Nestorius But the Synodall Epistle to the Emperour euidently sheweth that that was done long before this Counsell at Ephesus was called And the truth is that the Popes Legats there present were neuer called to preside which yet they should haue beene had they beene collegues with Cyrill but at a pinch a forgerie must helpe A certaine moderne Writer in his abridgement of the Councels sayth That in this Councell presided the blessed Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria Isidor Decret Paris impres an 1524. pa. 79. To. 1. Concil in Concil Ephes Colon. an 1551. Which sentence he tooke out of Isidore but he addeth of his owne head these words In the place of Pope Calestin which are not to be found in Isidore and Bellarmine himselfe is more than halfe ashamed of it Now let vs see what aduantages Baronius here taketh and first Nestor epist ad Caelestin ex Co. Anto. August apud Baron to 5. an 430. art 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist Cyrilli ad Calest in Act. Graec. pa. 141. Baron vol. 5. an 430. art 11. When Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople had broached his heresie against the vnion of two natures in Christ Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria tooke him to taske and then they went each of them to make his partie the strongest and to haue a Bishop of Rome on his side was thought no small aduantage therefore they both wrote vnto him Nestorius was the first Fraternas nobis inuicem debemus colloquutiones c. We owe saith he each to other brotherlie communications and Cyrill much after the same manner The auncient customes of the Church aduise and counsell vs to take instruction one of another c. And hence it is that Baronius concludeth That no matter of Faith could be questioned without the Bishop of Rome yet how manie heretikes haue we alreadie seene condemned sometimes without him and sometimes in despight of him Secondly Caelestin vpon this alarme giuen him by Cyrill called a Synod at Rome and from thence wrot a long Epistle to Nestorius willing him to hold fast the faith of the Church of Rome of
Rome doe ordaine by common consent and assent for the honour degree and prerogatiue of that most holie Church of Constantinople called new Rome in all things as in the said Canon is contained For those Fathers did well to grant those honours and prerogatiues to the See of old Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was the royall or imperiall citie and not in regard of Saint Peters chaire And likewise those other hundred and fiftie Fathers moued with the same reason and consideration did heretofore impart like priuiledges and honours to the See of new Rome thinking it fit in their discretions that the citie which they saw honoured with the name of the Imperiall seat and presence of the Senat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and equalled in euerie poynt of ciuile honour to the old Rome should likewise in matters of the Church be equally aduanced as being next vnto her By which wee see no prerogatiue belonging to Rome by vertue of Saint Peters chaire and Constantinople equalled in all things to her saue onely in precedencie which being a matter which respecteth onely place and order is no barre to her paritie in power and jurisdiction Yet Gratian to gratifie the Pope hath corrupted this Canon and where the Fathers say Dictinct 21. c. Renouantes In matters likewise of the Church he hath shamelesly altered the words and saith Non tamen in rebus Ecclesiasticis i. But not in matters of the Church turning vpside downe by the change of one word the whole drift and purpose of the Councell yet he citeth this Canon out of the sixt general Councell because it is there againe repeated But see I pray you the bounds and limits which this Canon prescribeth to him So that saith that Canon the Metropolitans onely of the Diocesse of Pontus Asia and Thrace together with the Bishops which are among the barbarous nations shall be ordained by the most holie See of the Church of Constantinople and the Metropolitan of euerie the said Diocesse according to the Canons shall haue power to ordaine the Bishops of his owne Prouince So that as you see the Bishops are to be ordained by the Metropolitans and the Metropolitans onely by the Archbishop of Constantinople and consequently the Bishop of Rome is likewise restrained in his jurisdiction which is limited to him no lesse than to the other This decree pleased Leo but a little though agreed vpon by the common aduise and consent of 630 Bishops Neither is that true which Gregorie the Great affirmeth That this Councell of Chalcedon in honour of Saint Peter Gregor in Registro Epist 32. 38. lib. 4. offered to the Bishop of Rome the title of Vniuersall Bishop but that none would accept of so inconsiderat a name And that none may say That howsoeuer the Greeke copie hath it yet it is otherwise read in the Latine it is apparent that this 28 Canon is expressed in Latine in the same words Aequa antiquae Romae priuilegia tribuerunt i. Aequis antiquae Romae priuilegijs frui c. i. They gaue equall priuiledges with those of old Rome Now the Popes Legats there present opposed against the passing of this Canon for Lucentius one of the Legats seeing them all subscribe stood vp and said They haue subscribed before the Canons are written meaning before all the acts of that Councell were written The Bishops thereupon made answer Concil Chalced. Act. 16. pa. 930. That no man was compelled thereunto Lucentius replied That they stood vpon the Canons which were made scarce 80 yeres agone by 150 Bishops meaning the second Councel of Constantinople which yet as we haue shewed was confirmed and ratified by Pope Damasus and went from the decrees of 318 Bishops meaning the Councell of Nice Whereupon the Iudges there present who represented the person of the Emperour to maintaine peace betweene them commaunded each partie to alledge the Canon for himselfe and then did Paschasin another of the Legats alledge that forged fift Canon of the Nicene Councell with this Preface Pa. 938. Quod Romana Ecclesia semper habuit Primatum But Constantine Secretarie to the Councell taking the booke which was deliuered to him by Aetius a Deacon of Constantinople recited it as it was indeed beginning that Canon with these words Antiquae consuetudines teneant c. i. Let old customes stand where there is nothing to be found for the Popes aduantage Whereupon the Iudges tooke againe the voyces of those which had subscribed who all and euerie of them answered That before God they had subscribed of their owne accord and according to the true intent and meaning of those Fathers especially Eusebius Bishop of Dorylaeum Euagr. de Euseb Doryl li. 2. c. 2. a principall agent in procuring this Councell to be called against Eutyches I haue said he subscribed willingly and of mine owne accord because I my selfe did read this verie Canon to the Pope in presence of the Clerkes of Constantinople and the Pope then acknowledged and receiued it Where by the way there is this marginall note set Either be lyeth or for the present he deceiued Saint Leo. But the Iudges thereupon pronounced according to the Canon before rehearsed in fauour of the Bishop of Constantinople all the Bishops applauding their judgement and crying out This is a iust sentence we all say the same thing it is the opinion of vs all we all will bide by this onely Lucentius the Legat protested That the Apostolike See which had sent him thither could not giue way to such proceedings requiring that Canon to bee retracted if not at least his protestation to be admitted and entred in the acts to the end saith he that we may haue what to answer to the Apostolike man Pope of the Vniuersall Church and that he may thereupon aduise vpon the iniurie now done vnto his See and of the meanes to redresse this wrong and to reuerse this Canon And when the Bishop of Sebasta had said to the Iudges We all referre our selues to the verdict of your Magnificence euerie man approuing of the motion by his silence the Iudges spake againe and said What we haue pronounced the whole Synod hath approued And this was the resolution of that Councell of Chalcedon These things standing as they doe Baron vol. 6. an 451. art 136 137. tell me Reader in thy conscience what reason hath Baronius to affirme that this Canon was clandestine and carried by secret practises But it should seeme that there were good wits at Rome heretofore as well as now For this whole Action of the Councell was long since expunged out of the old Romane Code contrarie to the truth and credit of all other copies in the world And where is the honestie of Bellarmine and Baronius both together Bellar. l. 2. de Pontif. Rom. c. 13. while they affirme that when Paschasin had alledged for himselfe the said fifth Canon of Nice according to his copie the Iudges held
did by vertue of that Canon of Chalcedon Extat inter Epist Illustr Concil Chalced. And the truth is that this Anatolius in the Epistle which hee wrot to the Emperour Leo vpon this occasion brandeth Pope Leo with the marke of an heretike and censureth him to be vnworthie of the Priesthood 12. PROGRESSION Of sundrie variances which fell out betweene the Churches of Rome and Constantinople by occasion of the Canon of Chalcedon AFter this Canon of Chalcedon there was euer debate continuing betweene the two Churches of Rome and Constantinople the one refusing a superiour the other not admitting of an equall the one seeking to stretch the wings of his authoritie and jurisdiction ouer the East the other ouer all And this was the cause why the Bishops of Antioch and of Alexandria seeking to crosse the attempts of the Bishop of Constantinople who was lately start vp to this authoritie and was therefore the more obnoxious to hate and enuie had recourse oftentimes to him of Rome and as it had beene in despight of the one subiected themselues to the tyrannie of the other Baron vol. 6. an 482. art 1. Whence the Pope himselfe and Baronius his champion for him take no small aduantage for if we will beleeue them Simplicius hereupon gaue confirmation to Calendinus Bishop of Antioch Simplicius Epist 14. hauing no other proofe or ground than this That Simplicius in a certaine Epistle of his to Acatius Bishop of Constantinople saith That he had receiued vnder the wing of the See Apostolike Euagrius li. 3. c. 10. the Priesthood of Calendius But Euagrius an Historian of that time saith simply without any reference vnto any That Calendius vndertooke the sterne of that See and persuaded all which came vnto him to pronounce Anathema against Timotheus as against one which troubled the Church of Alexandria and whose predecessor Stephen was notoriously installed by Acatius as Baronius himselfe affirmeth but he addeth farther That Simplicius had made Acatius his Vicar generall in the East His reason is for that Simplicius vpon the troubles of the Church of Alexandria Simplic Epist 17 Delegatum tibi munus attendes sensus tuos prudenter attolle complaineth to him That he had not aduertised him therof willing him to behaue himselfe wisely in the charge which was delegated vnto him Committed then it was but by whom must we needs vnderstand that by him and why not as well either by the Church or by the people seeing nothing is expressed And farther these are Simplicius his own words And if he did delegate such a charge vnto him yet where shal we find that the other accepted of it as from him Acatius in Epist ad Simplic And I would know whether in his Epistle to Simplicius he euer calleth him by any higher Title than the Archbishop of Rome and in the cause of Timotheus he professeth That as for his so great a dignitie he held it onely from Christ the Prince of Priests And a man may easily perceiue by the complaint which Simplicius made vnto him Simplic Epist 1. that if euer he did make him offer of such an office hee made but little reckoning of his kindnesse And the like may be said when he offered to make Zeno Bishop of Seuile his Vicar in those parts Simplicius also in his Epistle to Acatius speaking of one Iohn who was elected in the roome of the said Timotheus It remained only saith he that after our thanksgiuing vnto God he should by the assent of the See Apostolike receiue his desired confirmation Whereupon Baronius setteth his marke in the margent Baron an 482. vol. 6. art 14. with these words It belongeth to the Bishop of Rome to confirme the Patriarches and doest thou see O Reader saith he that the ancient custome was that the election neither of the Bishop of Alexandria neither yet of Antioch was held for good without the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome and yet he produceth no one Canon to this purpose or any one case wherein it was so practised Nay we find that when Acatius made light of his commaund and when he was willed by the Emperour Zeno to beare out Petrus Moggus against Iohn who was an Orthodox Bishop he qualified his stile with faire words and reasons It was reason saith he that one condemned by publike decree meaning this Petrus Moggus should also be acquited in a common assemblie Where was then this omnipotencie of the Pope when he spake in this manner Yea but in the end saith Baronius when this Iohn was deposed be appealed to the Bishop of Rome as Athanasius had done before him and for proofe hereof voucheth Liberatus the Archdeacon Liberatus in Breuia c. 18. who dwelt too farre off to be a good witnesse in this cause But if his appeale was no other than was that of Athanasius we are at an accord for we haue alreadie proued that Athanasius did not appeale in forme of law as we commonly call Appeales but had onely recourse vnto him and so Euagrius expoundeth it vnto vs Iohn saith he as Zacharie reporteth Euagr. Histor Eccle. c. 12. 15 hauing giuen a summe of money contrarie to his oath taken to the Emperour was chosen Bishop of Alexandria whence the Emperour commaunded him to be banished who flying thence went vnto old Rome where he made much trouble saying that for obseruing the decrees of Leo and the Canons of Chalcedon he had beene deposed from his See Where you see there is no mention of any appeale or of judiciall proceeding For saith he Simplicius moued with these words wrot vnto Zeno thereupon who sent him word againe That he was deposed indeed but that it was for periurie And shortly after Simplicius died and Iohn withdrew himselfe into Italie where the Bishopricke of Nola was conferred vpon him And Liberatus also saith That Acatius by his letters required the See of Rome That if any of his Clergie fled vnto him Ad eundem confugerint he would be pleased not to receiue them which are the proper tearms vsed in these and the like cases OPPOSITION All these contentions about jurisdiction proceeded from that Canon of Chalcedon An. 472. to which the Popes would by no meanes stand and yet they neuer talke vnto vs but of Councels especially of those foure first generall Synods which they vse commonly to paralell with the holie Scriptures But in the meane time came forth a certaine Edict from Leo the Emperor Leo Imperat. li. 16. c. de Saâ—ros Eccles in this maner We decree and ordain That the holie Church of this most religious citie Mother of our pietie and of all Christians whatsoeuer of the Orthodox religion and the most holie See of this royall citie meaning Constantinople in regard that she is the royall citie shall haue all priuiledges and honours concerning the creation of Bishops and taking of place before all others and all other poynts whatsoeuer which they now
haue or at any time heretofore haue had Baronius saith Baron an 472. art 3 4 5. That the good Emperour was ouertaken by the wiles and subtilties of Acatius and indeed it were hard if he should haue nothing to say But in vaine did Simplicius oppose against it whether before Leo or before Basiliscus and therefore Gelasius An. 493. which came after changed his stile and not alledging for himselfe either the Nicene Canon as Leo did or the ancient obseruation of the Church as others held himselfe fast to his Tues Petrus This goeth not saith he by any Synodall constitutions Gelas in Epist ad Dardanos but by the verie voyce of the Gospell Tues Petrus c. And why then did his predecessors especially Leo make their verie throats hoarse with crying out and alledging alwayes the Nicene Councell But Gelasius hereupon depriued Constantinople of the right of Patriarchship and hauing so done pronounced openly That the See of Rome might without a Synod of himselfe either absolue those whom a Synod had wrongfully condemned or condemne such as had deserued it and so setteth his See vp aboue all Councels Ib. And againe The Canon saith he hath so ordained that all Churches ought to appeale to this See and from this See to none because this See iudgeth of all Churches and no Church of it as being without spot or wrinkle and yet as much without spot or wrinckle as she was his verie next successor Anastasius see I pray you whither this pretended prerogatiue caried the Church was defamed for the heresie of Acatius which was oppugned by Gelasius and he was indeed a meere Acatian doe Baronius what he can to free him from this imputation Liber Pontificalis For the Pontificall booke in expresse tearmes saith That many Priests and others of the Clergie withdrew themselues from his communion for that without the priuitie or knowledge of the Bishops Priests and Clergie of the Catholike Church he had secretly entertained coÌ„munion with a certaine Deacon of Thessalonica called Photinus who was of communion with Acatius and because he sought meanes vnder hand to call home Acatius which yet he could not effect being preuented by God and stroken by his dreadfull judgement By these Maximes therefore of Gelasius it appeareth what a large step he had made into this tyrannie ouer the Church but yet he forbore to meddle with the ciuil gouernment and it seemeth he prophesied to vs as sometimes Caiphas did Gelasius de Anathematis vinculo when he gaue vs this rule following There were saith he before the comming of Christ some in figure appointed ouer temporall affaires who were both Kings and Priests as was Melchisedech which manner the diuell also imitated in some of his seruants as his custome is euer to attribute to himselfe those things which properly belong to diuine worship in that some of the Heathen Kings were also Priests But since the true Priest and King came into the world there hath not beene found an Emperour which hath taken vpon him the Title of a Priest nor yet a Priest which vsurped the regall dignitie c. But Christ remembring well mans frailtie for his elect sake hath distinguished these two authorities by seuerall offices properly appertaining to either of them so that the Christian Emperours haue need of the Priests for their soules health and the Priests of them for the course of worldlie matters so that the spirituall profession is seperated from the world and a souldier of Christ may not busie himselfe in the affaires of this world neither he who is busied in earthlie affaires may presume to gouerne in holie things to the end that the one supporting the other they might not rebell the one against the other I referre me now vnto the Reader whether Gelasius his successors haue kept themselues within those bounds which hee prescribed and whether they haue not fallen within the compasse of his condemnation as followers of the Pagans and guided by the instinct of the diuell Instinctu diabolico while they thus encroach vpon the temporall estate For what Bellarmine or what Baronius can reconcile those maximes and positions of Gregorie the seuenth called Hildebrand with these of Gelasius And for conclusion we may not forget that because Gelasius wrot once in approbation of certaine writings of Honoratus Bishop of Marseilles whom Gennadius reporteth onely to haue sent him his bookes Baronius inferreth That it belongeth properly to the Bishop of Rome to approue and censure bookes What a little wind will serue to fill the sayles of these mens pride and arrogancie Belike so many learned personages as wrot vnto Saint Augustine Hierosme and others for their approbation of their writings tooke them to be Popes and so did they take others when they Imparted their bookes vnto them which is so absurd and friuolous as nothing can be more And thus come we now to the yere of our Lord 500. 13. PROGRESSION What wicked and vnlawfull meanes men vsed about this time to aspire vnto the Popedome ABout the yeare 500 Italie was all wasted by the Northerne nations An. 500. who swarmed there in great numbers which had been ynough to haue suppressed their ambition had it not passed the bounds of all humanitie But it was such that euerie day it attempted something and for want of worke abroad would sometimes busie it selfe at home Insomuch that it grow an ordinarie matter to put in for the Popedome many yeares before the Pope was dead to get voyces before hand by word of mouth and sometime by deed indented and to procure them by presents and other meanes Synod Roma sub Symmach can 2. 3. as appeareth by the Synod which was held at Rome vnder Symmachus Whereof ensued commonly sedition murders and slaughters insomuch that it was necessarie for the Emperours euen such as they called and accounted barbarous to preuent the mischiefes which vsually ensued of their factious combinations Wherein those holie men would neuer haue beene so eagre a they were had they not needed something else more than they did the sheepe of Christ And yet if we may beleeue Gratian in the middest of all these villanies Symmachus had the face to say D. 40. C. non nos Ennod. in Apâ—log Symmach That Saint Peter had transmitted and passed ouer to his successors together with the inheritance of his innocencie a perpetuall gift of well deforming and what was granted him for the brightnesse and beautie of his deeds belongeth to them who are enlightened with the like holinesse of conuersation For who can doubt saith he but that he is holy whom we see now exalted to so high a degree of dignitie who if perhaps he want merits of his owne yet is he sure to be well furnished with the merits of him which went before him in that place for he either prouideth that none shall be preferred thither out such as are worthie or if any other happen
pleasure is Cassio lib. 9. variar epist ep 16. that this our Ordinance be intimated to the Senat and people by the gouernour of the Citie to the end that all may know that we are desirous to find out those who run a course so contrarie and repugnant to the Maiestie of God and you also saith he shall intimate the same to all Bishops which by the grace of God are vnder your commaund and gouernment Which words are plainely directed to the person of Iohn but in that which he wrote to the gouernour of the Citie he addeth farther and sayth To the end that this benefit of ours may continue firme and stedfast in time to come we ordaine That as well this our Ordinance as the said Decree of the Senat be deepely grauen in tables of Marble and set vp as a publike testimonie before the Porch of S. Peters Church A great honour no doubt vnto the Prince himselfe but an euerlasting blemish and reproach to the Clergie of tha◠time L. 8. Co. de summa Trinit But in the vsages of Iustinian the Emperour towards Iohn the second Baronius imagineth that he findeth much for the Popes aduantage It is certaine and we haue often said as much that the Emperours being now retyred into the East had need to hold intelligence with the Popes of Rome by their meanes to find alwaies a dore open into Italie Wherefore this Emperour being newly come vnto his Crowne sent an honourable embassage vnto him to assure him of his true faith and Orthodox religion And Baronius obserueth in his Epistle that he sayth in this manner We are all carefull to aduertise your Holinesse of all such things as concerne the estate of the Church with those other words following To submit and to vnite to your Holinesse all the Bishops of the East c. Your Holinesse which is the Head of all the holie Churches And thence he concludeth that the Emperour acknowledged this full and absolute authoritie of the Pope and consequently that all the Churches of the East did the like not caring how manie pages he filleth with this argument But to let passe that the most learned Ciuilians of our time hold this Constitution as neither lawfull nor legitimate it would trouble his conscience to haue all this Epistle construed according to the letter For first the inscription is onely this To the holie Iohn Archbishop of Rome and Patriarch as the Emperour Iustin his predecessor had stiled him before Doth this title I would know import an vniuersall charge and authoritie ouer all But what then shall we say when we see this verie Emperour writing to Epiphanius Bishops of Constantinople to vse these tearmes following L. 7. 8. Co. de summ Trinit To the most holie Archbishop of this royall Citie and Oecumenicall that is to say Vniuersall Patriarch What would Baronius haue said had the Emperour so written to the Bishop of Rome And farther doth he not vse the same tearmes vnto him which he doth vnto the other We will sayth he that your Holinesse know all matters which belong to the State Ecclesiasticall and we haue written to the same effect to the Pope of old Rome And all this we read in an Epistle which Baronius himselfe acknowledgeth to haue passed in nature of a publike Edict Wherefore Baronius hath nothing to stand vpon but this that the Emperour saith We endeuour to submit and to vnite vnto your Holinesse all the Bishops of the East Which words Pope Iohn layed hold on with both his hands in his answer to this letter where he telleth him that among other his vertues this was most eminent that he subiected all things to the See of Rome And tell me I pray you when he expoundeth this word subijcere by that other word vnire doth he not sufficiently explaine his meaning which was to reduce them not vnder the same dioces but vnder the vnion of the same faith and true doctrine which the Church of Rome had kept and such is the drift of this whole Epistle Yea but he calleth it the Head of all the holie Churches true but so doth he likewise and that not by letter onely but by an expresse law pronounce the Church of Constantinople the Head of all other Churches and Zeno the Emperour doth the like Caput l. 16. Co. de sacros eccles l. 24. ibid. Baron vol. 7. an 534. art 36. But had either of these therefore anie purpose to subject the Church of Rome to that of Constantinople And if Baronius replie that their meaning was of all the Churches of the East Why may not I as well say that the other was likewise meant of all the Churches in the West And because he will needs interpret this place by the 131 Nouell I would know what he can thence gather more than this Nouel 131. that the Bishop of old Rome should hold the first place and he of Constantinople the second which we denie not but it followeth not that therefore the one is subject to the other But both of them stand vpon equall ground by the Canons of Constantinople and of Chalcedon to the which the Emperour from the beginning promised to hold himselfe For whereas he farther alledgeth the ninth Nouell directed to Iohn the second wherein he graunteth this priuiledge to the Church of Rome that she shall not be prescribed but by an hundred yeares calling that Citie the Foundation of Lawes and Fountaine of the Priesthood not to say Nouel 10. in ed. Holoan that this Nouell is not found in the Greeke he should rather haue obserued that he is there called onely The Patriarch of the Citie of Rome that he distinguisheth in expresse tearmes betweene the Churches of the East and of the West and graunteth the same priuiledge to them both and had graunted into the Church of Constantinople seuen yeares before the other Likewise that which he enforceth out of the 42 Nouell directed to Mennas Patriarch of Constantinople Nouel 42. which he here alledgeth before the time That Pope Agapete had deposed the Patriarch Antymus because he agreed not with the Church of Rome is not truly alledged and therefore it is that he doth not alledge the text it selfe The truth is that Agapete being then at Constantinople presided in the Councell wherein Antymus was deposed And this is that which the Emperour meaneth when he saith That he was put from his See by Agapete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who then held the first See in the old Rome But how was he deposed it is there said By the common suffrage of him and of the Synod there assembled And the reason is also added for that he vsurped the place contrarie to the holie Canon and had departed away from the sound doctrines of the holie Councels And this deposition of him was also authorized by the Emperour in his 42 Nouell directed to the said Mennas who is there againe qualified with the name
pronounced him vnworthie of all holie function Concil vniuers quintum act 1. vbi ep Synod Agapeti and speaking of the placing of Mennas in his roome Though the Emperour saith he elected him yet the whole Clergie and people gaue also their consent so that he may well seeme to haue beene elected by all What therefore doe we find in all this to proue the Popes authoritie but onely a bare consecration which anie other Metropolitan or Bishop might haue done as well as he onely being present Baron vol. 7. an 536. art 59. he was pleased himselfe to grace him with that office Here Baronius alledgeth a certaine writing taken out of the Vatican as he sayth and which containeth the Acts of Agapete during his abode at Constantinople where he sayth simply That Agapete thrust Anthymus out of the Church and enioyned him his penance But to goe no farther he might as well haue obserued out of that Script which he alledgeth that he is there onely called Antistes prima sedis i. Priest or Bishop of the first See and not Vniuersall Pope as also that when Iustinian and he met it is not there said as in the Pontificall Booke That the Emperour adored him but onely thus The King and the Bishop kissed each other with a holie kisse Rex Pontifex sancta delibans oscula alter alterum veneratus and each did reuerence to the other naming the Emperour as first in order And againe he might haue obserued that the See of Constantinople is there called an Apostolike Throne as well as that other of Rome And of the ordination of Mennas it is there said That the Ministers of the Church to the great reioycing of the Catholike Emperour tooke counsell to preferre him to that place and recommended him to the Bishop Agapete Praefuli to ordaine him their Bishop That Mennas then deliuered his confession to Pope Agapete who meant to present it with his owne hands to S. Peter at Rome and that this being done he then obtained the vniuersall Bishopricke by the imposition of hands of the Prince of all Bishops Principe whom a little before he called only the Bishop of the first See Subiectarum sibi prouinciarum Which word of Vniuersalitie Baronius expoundeth as meant only of those Prouinces which belong to his iurisdiction And why then may not we make the like construction when any man letteth fall the same or the like word of the Pope of Rome But this is much after their ordinarie Grammar when by saying the Catholike Roman Church they make a particular Vniuersall And thus much for Agapete Baron vol. 7. an 540. art 6 7 8 9 Now followeth Vigilius whom Baronius immediatly after the murder of Syluerius of an Antichrist as he tearmed him before now maketh Christs Vicar and which is more a verie Saint He was no sooner set in his chaire but presently he became a new man Whereupon our Annalist crieth out What a myracle is this from God vpon this chaire which thus transformeth a bad man into a good And yet by all the particulars which himselfe deduceth at large in his election it should seeme that God had no finger in it All was of pure man the authoritie of the Empresse the force and violence of Belisarius gained before hand by money the feare of a present vprore in the citie if they had presumed to elect any other which made them in this election to leape ouer all Lawes and Canons of the Church for these are his verie words But let vs see whether there were any greater myracles wrought vpon him after his election Anastas in Vigilio Anastasius Bibliothecarius not a flatterer but a verie Idolater of the Popes in the life of Vigilius telleth vs That he was no sooner established in his See but the Romans presently accused him before the Emperour We make it knowne say they vnto your Maiestie that he dealeth ill with your seruants and people of Rome and that we here accuse him of murder He is growne so furious that he gaue his Notarie a blow on the eare which made him to fall downe dead at his feet Also he commaunded a nephew of his and his owne sisters sonne to be beaten vnto death And are these the myracles which this chaire worketh Now vpon these complaints the Empresse as it is there reported sent Anthemius the Scribe to apprehend him by maine force yea though he found him in the Church and to bring him by sea sure prisoner to Constantinople who following his commission seised on him in Saint Cecils Church and carried him away forthwith to ship him vpon the Tiber the people following him with cursings and casting stones at him and crying out Hunger and pestilence goe with thee Euill hast thou done vnto vs and euill mayest thou find where euer thou commest Baronius beleeueth nothing of all this which Anastasius reporteth his reason is because Procopius saith nothing of it Procop. de bello Gothico li. 3. And no maruell seeing that the scope of Procopius was to write the warres of the Gothes not the liues of the Popes Now whe he was brought to Constantinople the Empresse chalenged him of his promise Baron ib. an 552. art 11. which was to restore Anthymus Whereupon Baronius would faine canonize him for a Martyr and presumeth to affirme That in this man when he now sat in Saint Peters chaire Christ himselfe not onely as he was man but also as hee was God and man sat also with him Now whether this was the true cause or onely a colour I cannot say But Anastasius reporteth That they reproached him with the murder of Syluerius and of his owne Notarie and of his sisters sonne haling him along the streets with a rope about his necke Nicepherus addeth farther That he had excommunicated the Patriarch Mennas whom his predecessor Agapete had himselfe consecrated in the roome of Anthymus the Heretike who excommunicated him againe and could not forbeare his wonted violence So that in the end to stint these strifes Ib. an 553. there was a Councell called at Chalcedon Baronius here obserueth That Eutychius who was chosen in the roome of Mennas tendered the profession of his faith vnto Vigilius and we on the contrary haue already shewed that this was a thing vsually practised among the Bishops But he should rather haue obserued That in his letter he calleth him onely by the name of Brother and Companion of the Priesthood knowing as he there saith how much good proceedeth from the peace of God And that in the end of the letter hee subscribeth himselfe Eutychius by the grace of God Bishop of Constantinople without any reference to the Pope Where also Baronius obserueth That Eutychius requested Vigilius That the difference which yet remained betweene the Orthodox De Tribus Capitulis might be referred to a Councell in which your Beatitude may preside ouer vs and where the holie Gospels
Platina the Chronologicall Compilation Otto Frisinghens l. 5. c. 8. Chron. Otho Frisinghensis and others All which affirme That Boniface requested and obtained of Phocas that the Church of Rome should be called the Head of all other Churches Ipsius authoritate and that as some doe adde By his authoritie As for Sigonius he denieth not but that Boniface sent an embassadour to Phocas by whose negotiation he purchased a Decree That the Church of Rome should be the first of all other Churches Where also he addeth According as it was decreed by the auncient Canons Now if Sigonius meane onely for the Preseancie we denie not but if of superioritie and jurisdiction there we differ and we haue alreadie proued the contrarie Bellarmine for his purpose objecteth an Epistle of Saint Gregorie to the Bishop of Syracusa where it is said Who doubteth but that the Church of Constantinople is subiect to this Apostolike See as our most religious Emperour and our brother Eusebius Bishop of that Citie daily doe acknowledge And this Epistle saith Bellarmine was written fiue yeares before Phocas his reigne began But how should Gregorie father this Epistle seeing that he himselfe so often complaineth that Maurice did beare the other out in his vnjust demaunds Or where will he find an Eusebius who was Bishop of Constantinople at that time Or where will he place him when he hath found him seeing that Onuphrius himselfe nameth for Bishops in all this time onely Iohn surnamed the Faster Cyriacus and Thomas Sacellarius And Gregorie who runneth them ouer so often as he doth had he euer lost either his wits or his memorie when he should haue thought and spoken of Eusebius Who seeth not therefore that this is an Epistle written long after and hammered vpon the same anuill on which manie others are Bellarmine argueth yet farther and saith That long before that time Justin l. in ep ad Johan 2. Iustinian called the Church of Rome The Head of all the Churches True but still in that sence in which he calleth also that other of Constantinople by the same name Jdem Co. de sacros eccles l. 24. saying that she is The Head of all other Churches Neither of these sayings being true in strict construction but onely in a large signification and as they were Patriarchall Sees and consequently Head and Chiefe of those Churches which were vnder them The other creepehole of Bellarmine is this That Gregorie indeed condemneth this title of Vniuersall as Iohn meant it that is that by vertue thereof all other Bishops should be nothing but his Vicars Whence it followeth say we that he pronounced Anathema against the Councell of Trent which so manie yeares after made all Bishops nothing but his Commissaries or Officials But not saith he if this word Vniuersall be vnderstood onely to signifie a generall care of the Church by meanes whereof the other Bishops haue neuerthelesse a particular care euerie of them in his peculiar Church But for answere hereunto I would entreat the Reader onely to peruse the places themselues of Gregorie and then say whether they can admit of anie such interpretation Well saith Bellarmine I am sure that the Pope was called Vniuersall Bishop before Phocas his time and that therefore it cannot be said that this title dependeth of his Constitution And we say againe That so were the other Patriarchs as well as he being according to the fashion of those times appointed as so manie fellow or joint Curators of the Vniuersall Church but that Phocas was he who appropriated that title to the Bishop of Rome neither can he deriue this title from anie higher Justin Co. de summa Trinit l. 7. Co. de episcop audientia L. Certissimè Nouel 3 5 7. Jdem Nouel 2. seq Concil Chalced. act 1. passim Concil Nice 2. Act. 2. for so Instiman called Epiphanius Bishop of Constantinople sometimes Oecumenicall and sometimes which is all one Vniuersall Patriarch so doth he Anthemius and Menna in his Nouels So likewise doth the Emperour Leo call Stephen And the Chalcedon Councell it selfe in sundrie places calleth Menna by the name of Oecumenicall Patriarch So Adrian the first Bishop of Rome in the second Councell of Nice calleth Tharasius the Generall Patriarch Lastly so are the Bishops of Alexandria and Antioch often called being indeed all and euerie of them an Vniuersall Bishop in as much as the whole charge of the Vniuersall Church was jointly committed vnto them and a particular in regard of the seuerall Churches committed to their tuitions Wherefore as it hath beene alreadie said the appropriating of this title to the Bishop of Rome was from Phocas and from thence came that seperation and rent betweene the Churches of the East and West which dureth vnto this day and serueth for a remarkable period in the Church for that S. Gregorie so often doth inculcate it in his writings That this was the time when Antichrist began to set foot into the world And it is farther to be obserued that in this meane while sundrie abuses crept into the Church as prayer for the dead vsed in the publike Liturgie or Seruice of the Church brought in by the Decree of Pelugiase the inuocation of Saints inserted in the common Letanies by Gregorie and by him the whole Bodie of the Liturgie altered by borrowing part from the Heathenish and part from the Iewish ceremonies and the language it selfe by reason of that medley of the Northerne nations came by little and little to be cleane altered so that no man now vnderstood what was said or done in the Seruice of the Church all which we haue elsewhere declared more at large But now come we to Baronius to see what he saith to all this First therefore he extenuateth that wicked parricide and those other butcheries of Phocas the more to defame the Emperour Maurice But what may not be said of a Prince in so tickle a State as he liued in or what on the contrarie can be added to those praises and commendations which Historians haue giuen of him Or who can but tremble when he readeth what S. Gregorie in cold bloud writeth of that murther Phocas saith he and Leontia his wife were crowned in the Palace called Secundianas Gregor epist 7. indict 6. and the Emperor Maurice murthered with all his make children daâ—â—ely Theodosius who was alreadie crowned and Theodosius Tiberius Paulus and Iustinian also Peter who was brother vnto Maurice with other great personages which â—left vnto him as Constantine a chiefe Senator and Placidius and George who was 〈◊〉 him and all this done in pure treason as could be deuised Secondly he relleth vs that Phocas was a good Catholike Baron vol. 8. an 603. art 3. for saith he it is verie likely that he sent his confession to Gregorie out of hand But if that be not this is certaine that he sent his owne and his wiues Images vnto him which he caused presently to be
with manie others by which the cognisance of such causes is committed to the Ciuile magistrat And now what maketh all this for that absolute authoritie of the Pope Moreouer the Councell of Toledo which was held vnder King Gondemar in the time of Pope Boniface the third and that after that Decree of Phocas declareth that of Toledo to be the first See Concil Tolet. sub Rege Gondemaro not so much by vertue of anie new graunt as by the Synodall Decree of the auncient Fathers commanding all Bishops to vaile bonnet vnto him vnder paine of Anathema Which Decree of the Synod was also confirmed by the King Gondemar As for the Pope in all that long Epistle we find no one word spoken of him Baron an 610. art 14. and yet Baronius is not ashamed to auerre That the Church of Toledo had this priuiledge from Rome when as yet the Pope was not absolute Monarch in Italie itselfe for the Bishops of Istria and Venetia vnder their Patriarchs stood oâ—â— against them so also did the Bishops of Lumbardie as appeareth by that Epistle of Gregorie to Constantius Bishop of Milan Brixia ep 37. lib. 3. whom a certaine Bishop of Bresse would not acknowledge because it seemed that he as well as the Bishop of Rome derogated from the authoritie of the Chalcedon Councell But vnder his successor Sabinian the matter went a little farther Baron an 605. art 2 3 4. For we may learne out of a certaine Councell held at Mantua for which we are beholding to Baronius his Librarie That when as there was question about the choice of a new Patriarch of Aquileia and Agilulphaâ— the King of the Lumbards had caused one Iohn to be elected the Exarch of Rauenna to gratifie the Pope set vp against him one Candidian at Grado and so were there for a long time two Patriarchs of which he which sat at Aquileia would neuer acknowledge the Popes authoritie 23. PROGRESSION Of the attempt of Honorius against the Bishops beyond the Po. THe Lumbards at that time lying heauie vpon Italie on the one side and the Exarchs of Rauenna for the Emperour on the other caused the Popes to pull in their hornes and to make little vse or shew of their new title purchased from Phocas though in the meane time their ambitious humor and desire of soueraignetie and power neuer ceased to put forth vpon all occasions Honorius therefore Bishop of Rome about the yeare 623 tooke his aduantage vpon a lamentable and wretched accident The Bishops of Istria Venetia and Lumbardie as we haue alreadie said held no good correspondencie with the Bishop of Rome and it came to passe that Adelwaldus fift King of Lumbards fell somewhat distracted in mind whether by force of a poyson which is said to haue beene giuen him by Eusebius the Emperours embassador Sigonius de Reg. Ital. lib. 2. at his comming out of the Bath or otherwise it is a thing hard to say but in this case he made away twelue of the most principall men of charge in the kingdome and grew dangerous to the rest The Lumbards to preuent a mischiefe called a Councell and deposed him placing Adoaldus his brother in law in his roome yet was the kingdome hereupon drawne into factions some holding for the old King some for the new and among others they beyond the Po held for the new election as well clerkes as lay men Which Honorius perceiuing tooke presently part with the aduerse faction and dealt with the Exarch to reestablish Adelwaldus but aboue all to apprehend those Bishops and to send them safe to Rome to answere there for their offences to the end saith he that this their wickednesse may not escape vnpunished But the worst was that the Exarch was too weake a partie and not able to performe what he vndertooke and thereupon those Bishops persisted in their former resolution being now more incensed against him than before OPPOSITION If that Decree of Phocas made in fauour of Boniface the third found such opposition at home we may easily conceiue what light regard was had thereof in more remote Prouinces and Churches especially in that point which Boniface so much enforced That no prouision of a Bishop was good in law without his authoritie for the fourth and sixt Councels of Toledo at also the first and second of Bracara which were all held vnder Honorius make open shew thereof seeing that the Bishops assembled in these Councels openly professe that they were assembled by the care and industrie of Sisinandus their King Eius imperijs et iussia commoniti Chintillae salutaribus hortamentis who roused them vp by his commands to the due handling of matters concerning the discipline of the Church as likewise speake the fift and sixt By the wholesome exhortations of King Chintilla and the first of Bracara By the commaundement of King Arimire Moreouer we find the Chapter of the Greeke Synods translated by Martin Bishop of Bracara as we find them in the second Tome of the Councels authorised in that Synod for the Bishops are there prouided in full Synod by their Metropolitan who yet did nothing without the aduice of the other Bishops As for running to Rome for Buls or Pals not a word there to be found if the Pope sent it to anie it was his kindnesse but no man was bound of necessitie to accept it and if it happened vpon the accusation of anie Bishop that the Synod could not agree they neuer sent to Rome for a resolution but for a finall definition say they of this dissention this holie Synod hath thought fit that another Metropolitan of some bordering Prouince should be sent for to confirme and ratifie that opinion which he should thinke most agreeable to the Canons But here is to be noted that not long after this ordinance of Phocas made in fauour of the See of Rome the Church might plainely see in the person of this Honorius whom we now speake of how dangerous a thing it was that she should depend of one man Which Gregorie well foresaw when he said That if there should be one Vniuersall Bishop and he should happen to fall the whole Church must needs vnto the ground For the heresie of the Monothelites then rising in the Church Honorius with the first fell into it and was conuicted thereof by his owne hand writing which he had sent to Sergius Bishop of Constantinople neither was this a small heresie or of anie meane consequence for that not to acknowledge two wils in Christ is consequently to denie two natures in him also His letters were produced in the sixt Generall Councell Action 12. 13. 2. To. Concil Act. 12. 13. Concil Vniuers 6. and were there by generall consent condemned to the fire the summe of them was this That neither Gospell nor Epistle neither yet the Synods did euer teach vs these two faculties or powers in Christ That these were words inuented by some
his predecessors haue done before him Vita Ludouici Aimon l. 5. c. 14. why commeth he not vnto me all this while The Bishops said If he be come to excommunicate we will send him away excommunicated againe And Hincmar Archbishop of Rheimes writing to Pope Adrian the second Flodoard in Hist Rhemensi Jdem l. 5. c. 16. telleth him in plaine tearmes That Gregorie came into Fraunce with an euill intent and purposing to beare out the children against the father He came saith he into Fraunce and after his comming our peace continued not also he returned not with so good credit as was fit he should and as his predecessors were wont before him And the Chronicle of S. Denis The ministers of the diuell saith he preuailed so farre Chron. Dionys as to vnite all the sonnes against him and maliciously made the Apostolike of Rome to come into Fraunce vnder colour of pietie as it had beene to mediate a peace betweene the King and his children but the truth it selfe afterward appeared And of the Apostolike it was commonly said That his comming was onely to excommunicate the King and the Bishops if they supported the father and were not in euerie respect obedient to the sonnes but when the Bishops heard say this they protested That they would neuer obey him for feare of his excommunication for say they the authoritie of the auncient Canons is farre different from this course And when Lewis was fully reestablished in his kingdome not by the authoritie of Gregorie but as the Historian of the Church of Rheimes reporteth by the common consent of the Bishops Gregorie vnable to maintaine those Bishops whom he had drawne into this practise they were glad though vnder a most gracious Soueraigne yet to saue themselues in Italie from the rigor of the lawes the others were faine to confesse the action and plead guiltie acknowledging themselues vnworthie of the place they held and in effect to be deposed especially Hebo Archbishop of Rheimes and Agobard of Lions And this was in those dayes all the feare that the Bishops of Fraunce had of the Popes excommunications And in this time it was That Claud of Turin taught openly both by tongue and pen That he was not Apostolicall who sat in the Chaire of an Apostle but he that did the office of an Apostle And this reacheth vnto the death of Lewis An. 839. which fell in the yeare 839. Adde we hereunto that the Emperour Lewis treading the path of Charlemaigne and other his predecessors with the aduise and counsell of the Prelates and the rest of the learned of his kingdomes enacted lawes for the better ordering of the Churches of his dominions not onely concerning their policie and gouernment but also touching Faith without asking leaue or expecting a Mandamus from the Pope whatsoeuer Baronius and his Benedict the Leuite prate vnto vs as may appeare by the Articles of Lewis Capitularia and the Abbot Andegisus who collected those Lawes maketh no mention of the Pope in the Preface to them Also he assembled Councels within his owne Estates at Thionuille at Aix and Pauia where you shall euer find Extat ante Concil Paris To. 3. Concil By the commaund By the wholesome commaund of the glorious Prince By the grace or gift of God Emperour c. making bookes of this subject And in the Councell of Aix la Chapella the Bodie of the people speaketh of the Clergie in generall and sayth By them are we made Christians who hauing the keyes of the kingdome of heauen in their hands iudge in a sort before the day of iudgement and so had no need to be beholding to Rome for the keyes An. 828. But in the yeare 828 we find a particular Edict of Lewis whereby to appease the wrath of God incensed at that time against him and his people for the manie corruptions growne in among them he commaunded a fast to be held throughout his kingdomes And besides sundrie other Councels he called foure seuerall Synods for the reformation properly of the Church of Fraunce namely at Mence at Paris at Lions and at Tolousa there to handle discusse and find out things belonging to Christian Religion Concil Aquisgra 3. to Concil what the Prince what the people held either answerable or contrarie to the reuealed will of God what had beene retained what omitted either in part or in whole how the Clergie behaued themselues wherein they erred and departed away from the rule of holie Scripture And in all this no mention made of the Popes authoritie Baronius maketh much of certaine Epistles written about this time by a Monke of Greece named Theodorus with his complices in Idolatrie to the Pope of Rome Baron an 817. art 21 22. sequent by reason of the haut titles which he giueth him magnifying him aboue all other Bishops It were a verie sufficient answere to say That this was a Monke offended with his Patriarch of Constantinople for taking away his Images and therefore no matter what he sayth But yet examine we his letters Coaequandum Angelis First he calleth the Pope Equall to the Angels Will Baronius abet this flatterie seeing that the Apostle to the Hebrewes after the Psalmist speaking of our Lord and Sauior Christ saith Thou hast made him little lesser than the Angels How can he make the Pope equall to them but as he is more than a man as God himselfe as he that maketh himselfe God as S. Paule speaketh in the second of the Thessalonians chap. 2. Secondly he calleth him The Great Light Prince of Bishops and Apostolike Pope In that he calleth him Prince of Bishops it imports nothing but the Primacie of his See But you shall see how this same Monke wrote at the same time scarce changing a penne betweene to other Patriarchs for to him of Alexandria he wrote To the most holie Father of Fathers and Light of Lights Doe not these words weigh downe those other of Great Light And as he calleth the one Pope of Rome Apostolicum verticem so doth he the other Pope of Alexandria as he calleth him of Rome Apostolike so the other The crowne or top of all Apostolikes And what aduantage now hath Baronius gotten for the Pope Yes sayth he for the Pope of Rome is called The supreame Light and the other is called onely the Light of Lights First what faire play to turne a die And whereas but two pages before by his owne confession the Monke called him onely Magnum Lumen a Great Light now to make him say Supremam Lumen the Supreame Light Secondly who knoweth not that Light of Lights in all tongues especially in the language of the Scriptures implieth more than a Great Light Baronius his replie is That the Bishop of Alexandria was so called in regard that Cyrill his quondam predecessor was Legat à Latere for the Pope of Rome First that hath alreadie beene proued to be false Secondly
had beene faultie and negligent sometime to amend their manners confessing that sermons had been a long time omitted Sigon de Reg. Ital. lib. 5. through the negligence partly of the Prelats partly of the people who by hauing priuat chappels adioyning to their houses neglected the frequentation of the publike Churches with many other matters of like nature all which he tooke order to redresse as to him seemed best sitting in his palace and by the aduise of his priuie Counsel And whereas there was one Gratian a Master of the campe and a man of great credit and authoritie who sought to sow discord betweene the Temporall Estate and the Clergie practising vnder hand to translate the whole Empire backe vnto Greece againe Lotharius hearing hereof sent to his sonne Lewis to march immediatly vnto Rome and there to preuent such inconuenience And Platina reporteth That Leo the Pope was accused as partie in this conspiracie But in the end Lewis hauing hanged one Daniel who had falsely accused him Pope Leo wrot to Lotharius That he did and euer would obserue the behests and commaundements of his progenitors Requesting him withall That the Roman law might still take place as now and heretofore And we haue the extract of that letter in the Decret of Gratian in these words De Capitulis vel praeceptis imperialibus vestris D. 10. c. 19. vestrorumque Pontificum praedecessorum irrefragabilitèr custodiendis quantum valuimus valemus Christo propitio nunc in aeuum modis omnibus nos conseruaturos profitemur Et si fortasse quilibet vobis alitèr dixerit vel dicturus fuerit scias eum pro certò mendacem Where Baronius after Isidore in stead of vestrorumque Pontificum readeth nostrorumque Baron an 853. art 17. contrarie to the credit of all copies and glosses onely to auoid Leo his tying himselfe to the obseruation of such Edicts and Iniunctions as our kings shall make in the assemblies of their Bishops in their dominions Capitularibus And how farre kings of those dayes proceeded in matters of this nature we can learne no whence better than from the Decrees and ordinances of Charles and Lewis Capitulos and those which we haue also of the Synod of Soissons alledged by Baronius himselfe and called Capitula Charoli Calui The Iniunctions of Charles the Bauld which concerned the whole policie and discipline of the Church And the same Leo in another Epistle speaketh to the Emperour as humbly as in the former In the proceedings of this cause saith he we haue done some things incompetently not obseruing in your subiects causes the ordinarie course of law we are readie to reforme what euer is amisse as you and your Commissioners shall thinke fit c. Wherefore we earnestly intreat your clemencie and greatnesse That you would send some such into these parts to take knowledge of these matters c. and of all matters great or small which any man hath informed you of concerning vs c. By which we may easily perceiue what hand the Emperor in those dayes bare ouer the Bishops of Rome Yet Baronius contesteth That Leo withstood Lotharius and Lewis the Emperors in the claime which they made to their right of confirmation vpon the election of Popes and that hee preuailed so farre that the election from that time should be made according to the Canons meaning that Canon by which they pretend That Lewis the first Emperor renounced all right in the election But for proofe he alledgeth naught but a Palea of the Decret which is vnable to stand against the current of all Histories besides And yet the words of that Palea import but this That betweene the Emperours and the Pope it was accorded That the election and consecration of the Bishop of Rome in time to come should not be made but iustly and canonically which no Logicke can wrest to proue what he intendeth And these words are noted for a Palea in the verie edition of Gregorie the thirteenth Hincmar Epist ad Charol Caâ—n de Episc Syluanectensi Idem ad populuÌ„ Bellouacensem Liberam Regularem Electionem This Leo as he could not keepe himselfe from encroaching so met hee sometimes with rubs in his way Charles the Bauld raigned at that time in France The order was when a Bishopricke fell void that the Clergie and people joyned in petition to the king to grant them leaue to make a free and a regular election and that he would send thither according to the holie Canons a Visitor to assist at the election And thereupon did the king signifie to the Metropolitan which of his Bishops he would haue to assist as Visitor to see the election in all points canonically made yet so as without any preiudice of his owne Canons By which it was ordained That in euerie such election the consent of Clergie and people should concurre it being the principall cause why the Prince would haue a Visitor to assist to see his Canons duely and carefully obserued All which we may learne out of sundrie Epistles of Hincmar Archbishop of Reims but especially out of that which he wrot to Charles the Bauld touching the vacancie of the Bishopricke of Senlis himselfe being chosen Archbishop in a Synod held at Beauuais in the place of Hebo which rebelled against the Emperor Lewis And though there be one which writeth That at the entreatie of Lotharius he receiued the Pall at Leo his hands to weare euerie day a priuiledge which the Pope said he would neuer grant to any other yet Hincmar himselfe holding this Pal for a badge of honour Idem ad Cler. pleb Cameracensem Idem ad Laudunenses c. 6. rather than for a marke of subiection spareth not to say openly That it was not lawfull for the inferiour Bishops vpon any publike or generall occasion to consult the Pope vnlesse they had first aduised thereof with their owne Archbishops and yet the question was onely of consulting That it was needlesse for Archbishops to expect resolutions from the See of Rome concerning such things as were alreadie sentenced in the holie Scriptures in the Councels in Canons and Decrees of the Church And thereupon inhibiteth his nephew Hincmar Bishop of Laon to Appeale to Rome declaring the letters monitorie Ib. c. 34. by which the Pope warned him to appeare before him to be void and of none effect forbidding him to obey his summons and expounding these words Tues Petrus c. in this manner Vpon this sure and solide confession of faith which thou hast made will I build my Church And as touching the power of binding and loossing he spareth not to write to the Pope himselfe Idem in Epist ad Hadrian 2. telling him out of the writings of Leo the first That that power was passed and deriued from Saint Peter and from the rest of the Apostles to all the chiefe Heads of the Church meaning to all Bishops and consequently to
the other there reuersed their sentence declaring them to be degraded of all their Ecclesiasticall preferments tearmed the Synod of Metz An Assemblie of Theeues and Bauds Latrocinium prostibulum This done in the yeare 866 he sent Arsenius his Legat vnto Francford An. 866. to will Lotharius to abandon Waldrada and to receiue Thietberga to his bed againe and in case of default declareth him and all that followed him Excommunicat in so much that Lotharius durst not stand against him This was the first act of Excommunication and Interdiction that euer the Popes exercised vpon our kings animated thereunto partly by continuall jarres in the linage of Charlemaigne partly by their faults for which they stand registred in so many of the Popes Decrees especially this Lotharius D. 63. c. Relatum est 2. qu. 1. c. Qua Lotharius where he presumeth writing to the Bishops of Italie France and Germanie to vse these words The King Lotharius if he may be rightly tearmed a King And in the Canons Praecipuè Ita Corporis 11. q. 3. 24. q. 3. An non districta directed to his owne person Yet may we see that this Nicholas was moued to doe what he did in zeale of policie rather than of religion who at that verie instant tooke into his protection at Rome Baldwin Earle of Flanders which had rauished and carried away Iudith daughter to Charles king of France writing to the king himselfe Nicol. Epist 30. 32. and to Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes and to the Synod of Senlis in his behalfe vntill in the end hee got the mariage to be ratified the parties to be receiued vnto fauor not blushing to say That a predecessor of his had done as much in the time of Lotharius the Emperour and that a king must not thinke much to remit a small debt to his fellow seruant who hath peraduenture himselfe need that that Master of Masters should acquit him of ten thousand talents It so pleasing him to shew his omnipotencie in his ouer-rigorous proceeding against the one and his too great indulgencie towards the other By these defaults of our Kings and Princes the Popes grew bold vpon our Bishops admitting of all Appeals made from them so that if any one had beene legally condemned by his Metropolitan in a Prouinciall Synod if he Appealed to Rome made his Metropolitan a partie to the suit he was sure to be heard and his cause to be reuiewed and his Metropolitan to be Interdicted if he appeared not to the summons And seldome should you find the sentence of a Metropolitan not reuersed in fauour of the Appellant One example for all of Rothard Bishop of Soissons which Appealed from the sentence of Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes 2. q. 6. c. Arguta who would not giue way to the Appeale Whereupon Nicholas wrote vnto him That hee should not haue beene so vnmindfull of the priuiledges of the Apostolike See to whom the venerable Canons giue power to iudge of the censures of the whole Church Which Canons yet he could hardly haue found if he had beene put to seeke them With like presumption wrot he to the Archbishops and Bishops of France D. 19. c. si Romanor De Consecr D. 1. in Eccles 17 q. 4. e. Nemini 25. q. 2. si quis 6. q. 5. c. Quod bene That it belonged to his See to iudge of the writings of all Authors and that what he reiected or approved that also ought generally to be reiected or approued of all Likewise to the Clergie of Vienna That a new Church could not be built without his speciall leaue and licence had thereunto And to all Bishops in generall That no man in regard of his Primacie might offer to iudge of him or to retract a sentence which he had giuen vnder paine of excommunication And in a letter which he wrot to Charles the Bauld king of France he saith That what is once well decreed may not afterward be called into question with this limitation vnlesse it be in presence of a greater power Innuendo that this greater power was his own This is bad ynough but that which followeth is more horrible Baron vol. 10. an 865. art 13. 14. And Baronius himselfe deserueth to be commended for a steadie countenance in not blushing when he reporteth it For in an Epistle of his written to our Bishops of France wherein he argueth against those who wold not admit of all the Decretal Epistles which he produced meaning against Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes and others who for their defence alledged That they were not to be found in the Code of the Canons he is not ashamed to ranke them with the Old and New Testaments making these to depend of the same authoritie with the Decretals or rather indeed to be subordinat to them A matter worthie the Readers obseruation For what saith he shal wee stand any longer to dispute whether it ought to be done or no meaning whether no Decretals ought to be receiued but such as were in the Code of Canons For by the same reason we should not receiue the Old and New Testament for neither the one nor yet the other is found in the Code of the Church Canons As if those Testaments tooke not their authoritie from the holie Ghost who inspired them from the Sonne who vsed them against the false Doctors and Sathan himselfe and from the Father who hath so liuely and so deepely imprinted his marke vpon them But if saith he they shall replie for he maketh them as honest men and as learned in Diuinitie as himselfe That among the Canons there is one of Innocentius his making A nobis vtrūque testamētum iam esse recipiendū by which it is ordained That the two Testaments from this time forward ought to be receiued though in the first Canons neither of them be receiued I answer saith he That if the Old and New Testaments are to be receiued not for that they are in the Code of Canons but because Innocent hath decreed that they ought to be receiued It therefore followeth That the Decretall Epistles of the Popes ought also to be receiued though not inserted in the Code of the Canons because it is manifest that among other Canons there is one of Pope Leo wherein it is commaunded to obserue all the Decretall ordinances of the Apostolike See So that if any man shall attempt any thing against them he must know that there is no hope of pardon left for him First then I aske Had the Old and New Testament no authoritie in Christs Church but by vertue and since the date of that Decree of Innocent Was the Church foure hundred yeares and those the best because the first without knowledge of the Scriptures Secondly Whether Leo in those verie words of his which Nicholas alledgeth speaketh not onely De Ecclesiasticis ordinibus Canonum disciplinis i. Of Church discipline and policie We see then
that Hincmar of Laon appeare before our clemencie and that his accuser appeare also with him c. a stile not vsed heretofore by our predecessors when they wrot to ours And although we perceiue that you goe about to bring into the Church of God instead of the cleere light of simplicitie and humilitie the thicke mist of the pride of this world yet will we haue a better opinion of your will and meaning considering that a man as a man may doe that in hast which vpon better consideration â—â— would wish vndone againe But where doth your Secretarie find That the Apostolike See may commaund a king who by his office is a correcter of the faultie a chastiser of offenders and by all law both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall a reuenger of crimes committed to send an offendor to Rome condemned alreadie by due course of law and according to the Canons for his disorders and one who before his depriuing was conuicted before three seuerall Synods to haue endeuoured the disturbance of the common peace and tranquilitie and since his depriuing hath persisted in his obstinacie by himselfe and others c. Know therefore saith he as we haue alreadie written vnto you That we Kings of France and of royall ofspring Non Vicedomini sed terrae domini are not to be reckoned as Vidames and Vicegerents of Bishops but Lords of the Earth And so goeth hee on to proue by the testimonies of holie Scriptures out of the mouth of our Sauiour and his Apostles and by the sayings of Augustine Leo and of the Synod of Rome it selfe what is due from all men and from Bishops themselues to the royall dignitie And saith he if you search your offices you shall find that our auncestors neuer receiued any such commaunds from your predecessors not Theodoric and Theodobert from Saint Gregorie when he wrot for Vrcism of Turin But if saith he it be true to wit that he was deposed contrarie to the Canons we intreat you that of your owne accord in reuerence of the Church and regard of equitie you would be pleased to grant our request Neither vsed he any other stile when he wrot to the Exâ—rch who yet was inferiour to our ranke in the cause of Blondus Bishop of Ortona whom the Exâ—rch held prisoner at Rauenna We cannot beleeue saith he that your Excellencie holdeth him there without some probable cause and therefore it is fit his cause should be heard in a Synod to see whether his fault be such as may deserue depriuation to the end we may put another in place Thus spake he of Bishops not yet deposed for their crimes and therefore iudge Whether in the case of one which hath beene legallie and orderlie depriued for his enormities by the iudgement of a Synod he would haue commaunded vs as you haue done Vt eum nostra fretum potentia RomaÌ„ mittamus That by our power we should send him to Rome Saint Augustine saith vnto Ianuarius All these things which are not contained in the holie Scriptures nor ordained in the Councels of Bishops nor confirmed by generall custome I thinke fit they should be taken away Where then did your Scribe find this law which neither the Lord hath written with his owne finger nor inspired to bee written which he neuer ordained in the hand of a Mediator which no Painim euer commaunded no Christian euer proposed nor any Church-man hath decreed by which he commaundeth me to be a fauourer of a man condemned and excommunicated by the Church Me I say a King established by God girt with a two-edged sword a reuenger of the wicked and defender of the good when he bids me send Hincmar to Rome one that hath broken the lawes disgraced the Priesthood and wronged the Royall Dignitie a troubler of the State a periured person a mutiner a scourge of his Church sacrilegious scandalous to the countrey wherein he liueth not caring to crosse one of his deeds with another nor to doe contrarie to his owne hand writing and who seeth not that this law was vomited out of the bottome of hell it selfe c. But the holie Scriptures chalke vs out the way which we must walke against such lawes Christ the power and wisedome of God saith By me Kings raigne and by me Princes decree iust things The holie Councels also shew what is to bee done namely that of Afrike c. Likewise the Emperours Valens Gratian Valentinian Iustinian and others Which lawes ought to be obserued not onely by other Bishops but also by the Popes themselues Which Leo the Pope writing to Leo the Emperour well acknowledged so did Gelasius to Anastasius as by their words may and doth appeare And therefore saith he we hold vs to that for the Lord telleth vs by his Prophet That the lips of the Priest shall preserue knowledge and men shall seeke the law at his mouth And therefore you may not suffer any man in your name to write that to vs which is not contained either in the holie Scriptures indited by the wisedome of God or at least in the holie Canons published by his spirit For the Prophet saith to the Priest which commandeth Thou shalt declare to them that which thou hast heard of me Of me saith he not of thy selfe and they are blamed who speake of their owne mind because he that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glorie Let no man in your name write vnto vs visions threats of excommunications contrarie to the beaten way of the Scriptures the writings of the Fathers the sacred Lawes and holie Canons For you know and so doe we that whatsoeuer is repugnant to this is void and of none effect It was said to S. Peter saith S. Leo To thee will I giue the keyes c. The right of this power passed to all the Apostles and this decree to all the chiefe of the Church c. and consequently this prerogatiue of Saint Peter is common to euerie one which iudgeth according to the equitie of Saint Peter For when it is said Vbicunque as no place it excepted so likewise is no Bishop which iudgeth according to the equitie of Saint Peter As on the contrarie no Bishop is commended which iudgeth contrarie to the same He should haue said no not the Bishops themselues of Rome And whereas the Pope gaue order That together with Hincmar should come a competent accuser to haue the whole cause reuiewed in his presence Although saith he this be grounded vpon no reason yet if you thinke Hincmar to be lawlesse and if your Emperour my nephew will be content that I shall passe through Italie to Rome I will not faile to be there so soone as by the grace of God I shall be able to set my realme in some good order against the Painims And because my selfe accused him in open Synod I will be there in person a competent accuser against him in many causes and we will bring so many and so great accusers of all sorts
they teach that which they neuer learned And so examining all the Canons and Decrees alledged by the defendants he sheweth them That nothing hath bin done in prejudice of them setting before their eyes many examples of the same case of one Aegidius Archbishop of Reimes deposed in the citie of Metz by the Bishops of France and being confined to Strasbourge Romulph was made his successor because contrary to his faith giuen to king Childebert he had joyned in friendship with Chilperie And yet neuerthelesse saith he Gregorie the Great an earnest defender of the priuiledges of the Roman Church neuer spake word for or against these The same he affirmeth of Hebbo Archbishop of Reimes deposed for treason by the BB. of France at Thionuille c. What then saith he if our passage to Rome should by the swords of Barbarians be intercepted or that Rome it selfe seruing a Barbarian his couetousnesse and ambition mouing him thereunto in aliquod regnum efferatur note efferatur should be raised against any Realme shall there be in the meane time either no Councels or shall the Bishops of the whole world to the hurt or ouerthrow of their owne kings seeke for counsell and the calling of generall Councels at the hands of their enemies especially seeing the Nicene Canon which the Church of Rome acknowledgeth to be aboue all Councels and Decrees hath ordained That two Councels must be held euerie yeare and withall forbiddeth any respect to be had to the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome And to proue that the Churches were now in that state that they needed not any more to haue recourse to Rome To speake more plainely saith he and to confesse openly the truth After the fall of the Empire this citie hath vndone the Church of Alexandria and lost that of Antioch and to say nothing of Africa and Asia Europe it selfe is departed discedit For the Church of Constantinople is retired and the inward parts of Spaine know not her iudgements There is made therefore a departure as the Apostle speaketh not onely of nations but of Churches because the ministers of Antichrist who is now at hand haue alreadie possessed France and with all their force begin to presse vs too And as the same Apostle saith now the Mysterie of Iniquitie worketh onely that he that now holdeth may stil hold vntill he be taken away to the end that the sonne of perdition might be reuealed the man of sinne who opposeth himselfe and is exalted aboue the name of God and his seruice which now begins to be discouered in that the Roman powers are shaken religion ouerthrowne the name of God with oathes and blasphemies troden vnder foot and that without punishment and religion it selfe and the seruice of God contemned by the chiefe Priests themselues and that which is more Rome it selfe now almost left alone is departed from her selfe By this his speech giuing them plainly to vnderstand That then there was no respect had nor is now to be had of the Church of Rome but as it shall be seene to flourish with men of worth and learning at whose hands they were to seeke for counsell and if such be wanting then to seeke it elsewhere in Flanders Germanie or the vtmost parts of the world being tied to no particular place in the world A matter formerly concluded by many other Churches and therefore to be the rather executed by them because they felt more neerely the tyrannie of Rome now no more the seat of Peter whose memorie they did honour but of Antichrist himselfe Intreating them for a conclusion That since Rome had beene consulted by them but yet no forme of iudgement from thence had beene pronounced Cap. 29. 30. that they would aske counsell of the Canons By how many Bishops a Bishop conuicted of a crime may be heard and what sentence he is to receiue who refuseth to appeare to defend his owne cause Hereupon were read the tenth and seuenth Canons of the Councell of Carthage to which the defendants of the partie accused yeelding themselues the Bishop is sent for and commaunded by the Synod to take his place he presently either denying all or endeuouring to couer it Arnulph Bishop of Orleans made him presently to blush conuicteth him with his owne words confronted him with his owne domesticall seruants who were readie to go through fire water to make good their testimonie It was requested by some of the Abbots That he might haue libertie giuen him by the Synod to make choyce of whomsoeuer he liked best to be aduised by which was granted Whereupon he maketh choice of Siguin Bishop of Sens Arnulph of Orleans Cap. 30. 31.32.33.34.35.36.37.38.39.40.41.42.43.44.45.46.47.48.49 Bruno of Langres Godzman of Amiens in whose absence many Canons were read that concerned this question In the end being pressed after many tergiuersations partly by the force of such proofes as were brought against him partly by the pricke of his owne conscience Arnulph of Reimes breaketh out into an open confession of his sinnes with teares and gronings confessing much more than they knew and acknowledging himselfe vnworthie of his Priesthood Whereupon the Bishops of the Synod were sent for that being his owne witnesse and his owne judge he might before the multitude relate his owne cause Wherefore by his owne consent nay himselfe desiring it he was depriued of his Bishopricke Cap. 49. 50. onely there was a question of the forme for which they searched the auncient Councels And whilest diuers thought diuersly thereof some pitying him for his race some for his youth and the Bishops themselues moued with the ruine of their brother and that scandall that hereby fell vpon the Priestly dignitie in came the Kings and Peeres of France who putting themselues into that holy assemblie thanked the Bishops for their justice and that zeale and care they had shewed in this their Councell for the good and safetie of their Princes and withall desired to be further satisfied touching the whole course of their proceedings which presently was performed by Arnulph Bishop of Orleans And then the better to discharge the Synod of enuie and partialitie the partie accused was brought in to pronounce his owne condemnation with his owne mouth which he did in expresse words requiring neuerthelesse Arnulph of Orleans because shame stopped his owne mouth to relate the whole matter at large which hauing performed he asked him Whether he would confesse that which he had hitherto spoken of him which he affirming to be true the Bishop of Orleans willed him to cast himselfe downe before his Lords and Kings whom he had so hainously offended and confessing his fault to beg his life at their hands who being bent to mercie Let him liue say they for the loue of you and remaine vnder your custodie fearing neither yrons nor bands vpon condition that he offer not to saue himselfe by flight Whereupon that heigth of honours that by degrees he had attained vnto
by degrees he put off and resigning to the king that which he had receiued from him and deliuering the ensignes of his Priestly dignitie into the hands of the Bishops he recited with his owne mouth the forme of the deposition in the middest of this assemblie according to the example of his predecessor Hebo which was there read word by word and by all the Bishops that were present subscribed all of them saying vnto him Cap. 54.55 according to thy profession and subscription cease from thine office Which being done they discharged the Clergie and people from their oath they had made vnto him that it might be free for euerie man to subiect himself to the authoritie of any other man And here the Synod ended which we haue thought good to repeat the more at large that it might appeare with what grauitie wisedome moderation circumspection our Fathers of France haue proceeded in this businesse all of them with one accord speaking by the mouth of Arnulph Bishop of Orleans and withall what they thought and judged of Rome and the Bishop thereof Sixtly Pope Iohn hereupon waxeth angrie and full of discontent in so much that he threateneth his excommunications against the Kings But Hugh least his competitors should thereby take aduantage sendeth him the whole course of proceeding in writing and withall sends him letters to this effect We know we haue done nothing against your Apostolike See and if you vouchsafe not to giue credit to vs that are absent being present your selfe learne the truth of those that are present Grenoble is a citie situat vpon the confines of Italie and France where the Bishops of Rome were wont to meet the Kings of France If it shall so please you you may doe the like or if it shall content you better to visit vs and ours we will receiue you at the foot of the Alpes with all honour and follow you with all due obseruances both staying here and returning backe This we speake from the bottome of our hearts that you may know and vnderstand that neither we nor any of ours wil refuse your iudgemēt But Iohn resolued rather to send Legats And in the meane time whilest these things were thus delayed Gerbert afterwards Pope Siluester the second writ an Epistle to Siguin Archbishop of Sens who to the Pope seemed to fauour Arnulph the man accused and now condemned Which Epistle was read at the end of this Synod Gerbertus in Epist ad Siguinum Senomens Your wisedome saith he should haue auoided the wilie subtilties of craftie men and haue hearkened to the voyce of the Lord which saith If they shall say vnto you Here is Christ and there is Christ follow them not It is said that he is at Rome who iustifieth that which you condemne and condemnes that which you take to be iust and we say that it is God and not man that condemnes those things that seeme iust and to iustifie that which seemeth euill c. God saith If thy brother haue sinned against thee goe and reproue him c. How then doe these that emulate vs say That in the deposing of Arnulph we were to expect the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome Can they teach vs that the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome is greater than the iudgement of God when the first Bishop of Rome and the Prince of the Apostles tels vs that we must rather obey God than men yea the great Doctor of the world Saint Paul telleth vs That if any man shall preach vnto you any other doctrine than that ye haue receiued though he be an Angell from heauen let him be accursed Thinke you that because Pope Marcelline burnt incens to Idols therefore all the Bishops must doe so too I dare boldly say that if the Bishop of Rome shall sinne against his brother and being often admonished shall refuse to heare the Church this Bishop of Rome I say by the commaundement of God is to be accounted as a Heathen or Publican For by how much higher his degree is by so much greater is his fall And if he shall therefore account vs vnworthie his communion or fellowship because none of vs consent vnto him against the Gospell yet he cannot therefore seperat vs from the Communion of Christ A Priest if by his owne confession or otherwise he be not conuicted cannot be put from his office especially since the Apostle himselfe saith Who shal seperat vs from the loue of Christ Iesus And againe Sure I am that neither life nor death c. The priuiledge then of S. Peter saith Leo the great is not in force wheresoeuer iudgement is not executed according to equitie And therefore we are not to giue occasion to those that emulate vs to thinke that Priesthood that is euerie where one as the Catholike Church is in all places one should in such sort be subiect to one onely man though he be corrupted with money fauour feare or ignorance none may be a Bishop but only he that is commended for such or the like vertues Let the Canon Law of the Catholike Church the Apostles the Prophets the Canons ordained by the spirit of God and consecrated with the reuerence of the whole world the Decrees of the Apostolike See not disagreeing from them c. Fare ye well and depend not vpon holie mysteries But Pope Iohn in the meane time hardly enduring these things appointed a Synod sometimes at Rome sometimes at Aix where our Bishops pretending that they were not bound to goe forth of the realme would not be found at the last at Mouson vpon the borders of France where onely Gerbert whom Hugh had nominated Archbishop of Rheimes appeared and in the presence of Leo Abbot of S. Boniface the Popes Legat many of the Bishops of Germanie and Italie assisting he defended the cause of the Fathers of France in such sort that the Legat durst not proceed any farther before he had consulted with the Pope and therefore referred the determination thereof vnto another Synod at Rheimes but yet in the meane time he forbad Gerbert to vse his Episcopall function who not fearing to answer him to his face told him That it was not in the power of any Bishop Patriarch or Pope to remoue from the communion any of the faithfull who hath not been conuicted or of his owne accord confessed the fact or hath not refused to come vnto the Councell but of all these three was none that might hinder him since he had neither confessed nor was conuicted and had onely amongst all the Bishops of France appeared at this Councell But in the meane time Gerbert went into Germanie to the Emperour Otho the third with whom he had been formerly brought vp who shortly after made him Archbishop of Rauenna perceiuing wel that our kings not yet setled in their new kingdomes nor approued by all did much feare to offend the Pope and indeed he saw that whatsoeuer our Bishops could alledge to the contrarie in the
second Synod at Rheimes that foresaid Arnulph was restored to his Bishopricke which it is likely Leo the Popes Legat obtained because Iohn had confirmed the mariage of king Robert as appeareth in a letter that Gerbert sent to queene Adeleide Gerbertus in Epist ad Adelaidam Reginam Adde hereunto That Gerbert would not hold the Bishopricke vpon such conditions as were proposed vnto him But it seemeth by an Epistle of Hughes which is read among the Epistles of Gerbert that this mariage was that of king Robert with Bertha the sister of Rodolph king of Burgonie which afterward was dissolued by reason of a spiritual kindred joyned to that of their bloud It falling out many times that circumstances ouerthrow the substance This Gerbert could not bridle himselfe but that he must needs write an Apologie of the Church of France in an Epistle to Wildered Bishop of Strasbourge wherein he proueth out of the auncient Canons of the Church the just proceedings of our Bishops in these words Gerbertus in Epist ad Wilderodonem Episc Argentinensem The silence of the Pope or his dissimulation or his new constitutions are preiudiciall to the lawes established but this is but a cauill of wicked men c. Thou sayest that Arnulph practising seditions treasons captiuities the vtter ouerthrow of his kings the betraying of his countrey contemning all lawes both diuine and humane is neither to be depriued of the communion nor by the power of his Prince to be cast out without the commaund of the Bishop of Rome And the Apostle sayth That the Prince carrieth not the sword in vaine but for the punishment of the wicked and the preseruation of the good Fauour me all ye that haue promised faith and loyaltie to your Kings and haue a purpose to keepe it who haue not betrayed nor purpose to betray the Clergie and people committed to your charge you I say who haue abhorred and detested such wickednesse fauor those that obey God commaunding that the sinner listening not to the Church should bee held for a Heathen or a Publican who crieth vengeance vpon you Scribes and Pharises which transgresse the commaundement of God to establish your tradition c. To the end that no man here charge vs of enuie derogating from the priuiledges of the Church of Rome S. Hierome the Roman Priest telleth thee If it be a question of authoritie Orbis major est vrbe the world is greater than a citie and if one Priest be not sufficient then let great Pope Leo come The priuiledge saith he of S. Peter holds not good where a man iudgeth not according to the equitie of S. Peter c. To what end are matters iudged and determined if matters to be iudged are not thereby informed Those 318 Fathers of the Councell of Nice how made they eternall lawes if it be in the power of one onely man to abrogate them at his pleasure Apiarius the Priest is condemned by the Africans and restored againe to the communion by the Romans The Bishops of Africke writ to Pope Celestine That this was contrarie to the Councell of Nice Our false accusers after the same manner say That Arnulph a chiefe Bishop ought not to be iudged but by the Soueraigne Bishop of Rome And Saint Augustine saith of Cecilian the Metropolitan Bishop of all Africke That if his accusers could ouercome or vanquish him after his death of that which they could not proue during his life that after his death without retractation they would pronounce him accursed Surely then it hath beene lawfull for vs to pronounce against Arnulph liuing confessing conuicted as against a Heathen and Publican it hath beene I say lawfull for vs to follow the Gospell the Apostles the holie Councels the Decrees of Apostolike men so we disagree not from these foure c. Truely the Church of France is wholly opprest with tyrannie and by those of whom a man should hope for helpe But thou art O Christ the onely comfort of man This Rome that was heretofore held for the mother of all Churches is said now to banne the good and blesse the wicked to communicat with those to whom a man ought not to say God speed and to condemne the worshippers of thy law abusing that power to bind and vnbind which it hath receiued of thee This Gerbert in the meane while a Monke of the Abbie of Fleurack not verie happie as he saith for his race nor his plentie of wealth yet esteemed for his wisedome and capacitie of men of greatest worth and nobilitie An. 1000. And here we come to the thousand yeare But least any man should thinke that we or such Authors as we haue alledged should speake of the Church of Rome out of passion or discontent it shal not be amisse to insert the judgement of Cardinall Baronius himselfe touching these times who in the tenth tome of his Annales hath these words Baron Annal. to 10. An. 912. art 5. What was then the face saith he of the Roman Church How foule was it when strumpets no lesse powerfull than vncleane and impudent bare rule at Rome At the will and pleasure of whom the Sees were changed Bishoprickes giuen and that which was horrible and detestable to heare their louers false Popes were thrust into the Seat of Peter who were put into the Catalogue of the Popes of Rome to no other end but to make vp the number and lengthen the time For who can say that they were lawfull Popes of Rome that by such strumpets were thrust in without law There is no mention any where made of any Clergie chusing them or consenting to their choyce The Canons were silent the Decrees of Popes forgotten auncient traditions and old customes in the election of the Pope quite banished holy rites and ceremonies extinct Thus had lust and couetousnesse drawne all vnto it selfe emboldened by the secular power and carried by a furious desire of bearing rule Then as it appeared Christ Iesus slept in the ship a profound sleep when with the blasts of winds so violent it was ouerwhelmed with waues he slept I say not seeming to see these things and suffering them to be done in that no man rose vp to reuenge them And that which seemed worst of all there wanted Disciples to awaken our Lord with their cries thus sleeping yea quite contrarie all lay snorting in a dead sleepe What maner of Cardinals Priests Deacons thinke you were chosen by these monsters since there is nothing so naturall as for euerie thing to ingender his like And who in the meane time can doubt that they consented in all things to those by whom they were chosen who will not easily beleeue that they followed their steps and who knowes not that they endeuoured nothing more but that our Lord should still sleepe and neuer rise vp to judgement neuer awaken himselfe to know and to punish their wickednesse Now from this onely place let the Reader judge by what law that
Orders to Clergie men consequently for Clergie men to put their function to sale to the Laitie and therefore a question was made Whether such as were initiated by a Simoniacall Bishop should hold their Orders It was decreed That if a Clerk when he was initiated knew the Bishop of whom he tooke Orders to be Simoniacall he should doe penance for fortie dayes and so the sinne should be expiat and he continue in his Orders otherwise he must take his Orders againe And to pacifie those tumults that were risen amongst them by reason of the bad obseruation of that law which made the nomination of the Pope without the authoritie of the Emperor of no force it was decreed againe Petrus Damianus in lib Gratissimus Platina Onuphr in Clement 2. That all auncient honours should be restored to the Emperour Henrie and he should still continue a Patritius and dispose of the Church of Rome at his pleasure and that it should neuer hereafter be lawfull to create a Pope of Rome without his authoritie The Author is Petrus Daemianus Bishop of Ostia By this meanes Henrie seemed to haue restored all things to their auncient order who neuerthelesse was hardly returned into Germanie but the Disciples of Benedict the ninth Gerardus Brazutus and Hildebrand poysoned Clement so that he had not continued in all aboue six monethes but they thrust Benedict into the seat But yet neuerthelesse the Emperour taking stil hold of his priuiledge ordained for Pope Poppo Bishop of Brixen who was afterward called Damasus the second who likewise not without the industrie of the same men continued in the See but three twentie dayes in place of whom he named againe by the same right Brunus Bishop of Toul who was called Leo the ninth For the Romans as it is likely being wearied with those factions that arose about the election of the Popes for the space of two hundred yeares wherein the most factious commonly preuailed perceiued that had not the Emperours interposed their authoritie which neuerthelesse they endured with much impatiencie they could neuer haue obtained peace Neither must we forget that which Cardinal Benno noteth That Gerardus Brazutus a familiar friend of Benedict the ninth by his slie and subtile familiaritie in the space of thirteene yeares killed six Popes of Rome that is Clement Damasus Leo Victor Stephen by poyson Benedict the tenth by fraud and violence Baron vol. 11. an 1002. art 5. 6. Here what will Baronius say and what judgement will he giue of all these times Truely hauing in the whole precedent volume proclaimed for execrable monsters all those Popes that had held the See for a hundred yeares before at the last he pronounceth sentence against the race of the Emperours Othoes That in the person of Otho the third by the just judgement of God that race ended being poysoned by the wife of Crescentius because like Osias they durst to put their hands to the Arke though it were to vphold it and to adde their authoritie though it were with good zeale to remoue those monsters and to place others in their seats Are monsters then by the Canon law in Baronius countrey suffered to liue or must we stay and attend till they of their owne accord remoue and displace themselues Emperours yea and Christian Kings are they not bound as sometimes Ezechias Iosias and others were to repaire the Temple of God and to reforme the Church And to betray the Church of Christ vnto Antichrist to leaue it as a prey to the enemie needed there any other thing In this interim therefore which containeth about fiftie yeres were there in his owne judgement any that were more honest or more tollerable than others Let vs heare what he saith of Iohn whom he calls the twentieth the brother of that execrable Benedict whome for his wickednesse he placeth in the bottome of Purgatorie Idem vol. eodem an 1024. art 3. 4. Vnworthie as he was saith he he vnworthily and tyrannically occupied the place and by ill meanes ascended vnto it And again The secular power that is to say the Marquesses of Tuscane Glaber l. 4. c. 1. 2. 3. Ideman 1027. art 13. 14. an 1032. art 2. 3. hath brought forth monsters vnto vs. This monster neuerthelesse by his owne testimonie put S. Romwald into the Canon of Saints pronounced S. Martial an Apostle and that by an expresse decree in fauour of those of Limoges Benedict the ninth succeeded this Iohn But what saith Baronius The Earle Albericke had of his familie two Popes who were brothers Benedict and Iohn and hardly he could endure that the Papall dignitie should be transferred to any other and therefore he thrust in his sonne a child of ten yeares of age by gifts who againe by the testimonie of Baronius himselfe proued a tyran and the shame and monster of the Church For to omit other things what could be more monstrous than an infant of ten yeares of age to be the vniuersall Pope and Father of Fathers And yet if any man speake against it he is angrie and growes furious yea he makes profit of this shame Baron an 1031. and glories therein and by this intrusion which he confesseth he defends his right You see saith he how great the authoritie of the Church of Rome then was for though he were a child and an intruder too yet he was acknowledged by the whole Church for Pope in so much that the Archbishops of Hamburge receiued the Pall of him neither was there any thing that belonged to the Papall function which he did not vndergoe Dares he then to maintaine the Orders of an infant who himselfe was capable of no Order He was himselfe a simoniacal person created by gifts and it was his maner by all sorts of simonie to create others as Petrus Damianus Bishop of Ostia and one of the Popes chiefe champions describeth him vnto vs O wickednesse O prodigious monster saith he is Peter himselfe enforced to pay for the forestalments of Simon Magus out of his owne store who was knowne with an euerlasting curse to condemne Simon with all his marchandise And againe in his verses What pitie is it that the Apostolike See sometimes the glorie of the world should now out and alas be made the shop of Simon Thy hammers beat the anuill and thy money is the money of hell And yet this Benedict sat in the chaire about twelue yeares so that the greatest age he arriued vnto was but two and twentie yeares Now these people that boast so much of their successions vocations with what face can they defend the missions of this man Neither were those of Siluester the third any better who by the faction of Ptolomie a Consull of Rome interrupted the See of Iohn of whom saith Baronius Baron an 1044 art 2. This man was Bishop of the Sabines who also malis artibus by bad meanes that is by money made himselfe way to the Papacie
and thy souldiers to doe in remission of your sinnes c. Here I know not what I should say or whether to turne my selfe For if I should turne ouer the whole volume of the old and new Testament and all the auntient expositers that writ thereupon I should neuer find any example of this Apostolike commaund Only Pope Hildebrand hath offered violence to the sacred Canons whom we read commaunded the Marquesse Mathilda in remission of her sinnes to make warre against Henrie the Emperour And so hauing discoursed out of the Scriptures and some places of Gregorie of the true manner and meanes of the remission of sinnes and shewing to a sinner his sinnes and making him to confesse them to feele the burthen of them to bee sorie for them to seeke the remedie by a liuelie faith in Christ Iesus the church of Liege concludeth in these words This manner of binding and loossing thou hast heretofore held and taught vs O my mother the Church of Rome From whence then comes this new authoritie by which there is offered to offendours without confession or repentance an immunitie from all sinnes past and a dispensation for sinnes to come what a window of wickednesse doest thou hereby set open to men The Lord deliuer thee ô mother from all euill Let Iesus be the doore vnto thee let him be the Porter that no man enter into thee but to whom be shall open He deliuer thee I say and thy Bishop from those who as the Prophet Michah speaketh seduce the people of God that bite with their teeth and yet preach peace This was the letter of the church and Clergie of Liege to Pope Paschal the second fortified with the testimonies of the holie Scriptures and authorities of the Fathers Neither need we doubt that such in those times was the voyce of the greatest part of the Churches of Christendome who consequently acknowledged Satan to be let loose wasting the Church of God in the person of Antichrist sitting in his Throne which the Emperour Henrie instructed by his Prelats spake plainely in his Epistle to the Christian Princes exhorting them to haue regard to their posteritie the royall Maiestie Auent l. 5. and the saluation of all Christian people because saith he the Pope vnder the honest title of Christ goeth about to oppresse the publike libertie of all Christian people whom Christ hath bought with his bloud and indeauoureth day and night to bring vpon all Christians a slauish seruitude except the Kings and Princes of the earth preuent it neither will he cease to doe it vntill like Antichrist he sit in the Temple of God and be worshipped of all as if he were God These and the like letters saith Auentine are to be found in many antient Libraries written to the kings of France Denmarke England and to other Kings and Princes of Christendome who neuerthelesse became not the more strange vnto him but being rather sorie for this his condition detested the author An. 1104. It was at this time that Yuo Bishop of Chartres writ a letter to Richard Bishop of Alba the Popes Legat who would censure his Clegie of simonie whom he openly giueth to vnderstand that he had done his best endeauors to mend that fault but all in vayne because they maintained it by the custome of the Church of Rome You Epist 133. If the Deane saith he and Chapter or other officers doe exact any thing of those that are made Canons my selfe forbidding it and persecuting the fault they defend themselues by the custome of the Church of Rome wherein they say the Chamberlaines and other officers of the Palace doe exact much of such Bishops and Abbots as are consecrated which they couer vnder the name of oblations or benedictions for there they say neither penne nor paper will be had without money and with this collop they stop my mouth not hauing any other word to answer them but that of the Gospell Doe that which they say that is to say the Pharisies and not that which they doe If therefore I cannot pluck vp this plague by the root impute it not onely to my weakenesse because from the first growth of the Church of God the Church of Rome hath been sicke of this disease nor to this houre cannot free herselfe of those that seeke their owne gaine Moreouer the same man being much molested by the Clergie at Rome makes a grieuous complaint vnto Paschal against the Appeales to Rome which are the cause of much disorder rebellions in the Clergie against their superiours whom abusing that libertie they slaunder at Rome Epist 75. he neuerthelesse not long before in the cause of Godfrey appealed to Rome whose place by the authority of the Pope he supplied out of the selfesame humor as aboue acknowledging reason and justice when it made for their owne purposes 43. PROGRESSION Of the turbulent estate of the Church and Common-wealth through the factious pride of Pope Paschal NOw to follow againe the course of our Historie Auentine concealeth not ratiunculas some smal reasons as he calleth thē why these Popes since Hildebrand pretended a right to deiect from their Throne vel potentissimum Imperatorem any Emperor how mightie soeuer That all power had been giuen of God to Christ and from Christ vnto S. Peter and to the Bishops of Rome his successors vnto whom by Religion of oath all Christians were bound perpetually to obey and to other Princes onely a limited time and vnder condition so long as it shold please them That therefore it was lawfull for the Pope if the Emperour disobeyed him who represented Christ on earth to excommunicate and depose him no lesse than any other Christian insomuch as he raigneth but by precarie right and holdeth the Empire in homage of him That in case he should rebell he might root him out of the Common-wealth as a Tyran by any meanes whatsoeuer And the people saith he bewitched by Hildebrand with such reasons as they are subiect to let themselues be carried away with euerie wind of doctrine Fraunce Italie and Germanie were pierced to the heart for the space of three and thirtie yeares Namely Paschal following from point to point this instruction who seeing his enemie dead reenforced the rigor of his Decrees and will not receiue to absolution the inhabitants of Liege till they had taken him out of the Sepulcre where they had layed him when Henrie also his sonne demaunded permission of him to giue him buriall he flatly refused him saying that the authoritie of holie Scriptures and of diuine miracles and of the Martyrs receyued vp into heauen repugned thereunto This writeth Peter the Deacon l. 4. ca. 38. And Auentine noteth expresly that till that time the Bishops of Rome had accustomed to date their Bulls Epistles and other affaires from the yeres of the Emperours raigne which he first ceased to doe and began to date from the yeare of his Popedome He was also the first that gaue
all Ecclesiasticall discipline be ouerthrowne For is there any dissolute person whatsoeuer who at the onely threat of an Excommunication will not appeale What Clerke or Priest vnder the refuge of this vaine appellation will not rot nay burie himselfe in his owne dung What Bishop shall haue any meanes to punish any disobedience euerie Appeale shall shake his rod dissolue his constancie mollifie is seueritie imposing silence vpon him and giuing impunitie of offences to the wicked So it will come to passe that sacrileges rapes fornications and adulteries will dangerously encrease when the chiefe Prelat shall not dare to speake against these superfluous appeales and shal cease to persecute the persecutors of holie places to reuenge the wrongs of widowes and Orphans and by delay of the censure wickednesse shal be fostered and such as sinne without punishment shall descend into the bottomlesse pit of all iniquitie And in like manner he concludeth with the auntient Canons and rules of the Church If this should any longer be tollerated no Bishop could discharge himselfe of that duetie which is imposed vpon him in the Gospell To conclude describing the Citie of Rome in verse he ends in these words Vrbs faelix si vel Dominis vrbs illa careret Vel Dominis esset turpe carere fide O happie Citie if it had no masters or if these masters the Popes were ashamed to haue no faith Honorius Bishop of Augusta or rather the Abbot as some say a worthie Authour speaking of the Church of Rome saith Turne thee to the Citizens of Babylon and see what they are and through what streets they wander c. See come hither to the top of the hil that thou maiest decerne all the buildings of this damned Citie Behold the Princes and Iudges thereof that is to say the Cardinalls and Archbishoppes c. Behold and thou shalt see the seat of the beast placed in them they alwayes think vpon that which is euill euer occupied in the workes of iniquitie they only do not these villanies themselues but they teach others to doe them They sell holie things and buy those things that are wicked They labour by all meanes not to goe alone to hell But turne thee towards the Clergie and thou shalt see in them the tent of the Beast They neglect the seruice of God and serue the lucre of this world They pollute the Priesthood by their vncleanenesse seduce the people by hipocrisie renounce God by their wicked workes reiect all Scripture that appertaines to saluation They practise by all possible meanes to worke the ruine of the people and blindfold as they are in the same blindnesse they goe before into perdition Behold also the conuenticles of the Monkes and thou shalt see the Tabernacles of the Beast They mocking God through a fained profession prouoke his wrath They tread vnder foot all gouernement both in manners and life deceiue the world vnder the shadow of their habit They entangle themselues with secular affaires and neglect the seruice of God and many of them being giuen to gluttonie and wantonnesse putrifie euen in the filthinesse of their owne corruption Behold also the Cloisters of Nunnes and thou shalt see in them the prepared Bed-chamber of the Beast These learne wantonnesse euen from their tender age follow many allurements to the heaping vp of their owne damnation and earnestly endeauour themselues thereunto that they may the more let loosse the reynes of luxurie and prostitute themselues to all filthie concupiscence and like the insatiable Charibdis are neuer satisfied with the corruption of their owne vncleanenesse These entangle the minds of young men and take pleasure the more they entangle she gaineth the prize of the victorie that excels others in wickednesse This person notwithstanding is recommended for her great pietie and learning in this age In Germanie flourished Robert Abbot of Duits one of the chiefest Diuines of these times who was not of their opinion that attribute to the Pastors of the Church though in what degree soeuer any temporall Dominion Notwithstanding he is famous among all Historiographers both for sanctity of life Rupert Tuitiensis in Johan l. 2. cap. 2. and also for his miracles Vpon this rocke saith he who is Christ is the Church builded he saies not vpon Peter and by changing the name Peter hath his denomination of Petra the rocke whereby we are giuen to vnderstand that all they that are builded vpon that foundation which is Christ must call vpon a new name which the mouth of the Lord hath named Euerie one of them then are in this regard no lesse the rocke than Peter himselfe as touching the function Jdem l. 11. in Johan c. 13. The Ministers of Christ knew their Apostleship to be no domination but an humble seruice the perfection whereof consisteth in laying downe their liues for their brethren Therefore he saith in another place Jdem l. 8. in Math. The rod of the disciples of Christ is the rod of the pastorall office watching diligently ouer the cure of soules That rod of Dominion is not permitted to the Ministers of the Gospell of Peace but rather forbidden them c. And in the end he saith Jdem l. 9. c. 11. in eundem that to a spirituall man it is not lawfull for him to drawe the sword or to exercise publique authoritie He therefore who liued vnder these troubles in Germanie what might he thinke of these armed Popes and the troubles they raised In Rome it selfe wee may read in the Chronicle of Hirsauge written by Trithemius Trithem in Chron. Hirsaug that vnder Honorius the second God by the mouth of a certaine holie man called Arnulph did speake with great vehemencie This man was of great deuotion and a great Preacher who by the word of God reproued the loossenesse auarice and pride of the Clergie and propounded to all the pouertie of Christ and his Apostles and to imitate their integritie and sanctitie of life who was praysed and esteemed of the Roman Nobilitie as the true disciple of Christ but held in no small hatred by the Cardinals and Clergie who tooke him in the night and priuilie murdered him He afterward addeth That this his Martyredome was reuealed vnto him by God being in the wildernesse when by the Angell he was sent to preach at Rome whereupon he publiquely sayd I know you seeke my life and I know that you will verie shortly kill me but wherefore Because I tell you the truth I reproue your arrogancie pride auarice luxurie and ouermuch care and studie in getting riches therefore I please you not I take heauen and earth to record that I haue deliuered nothing vnto you but what our Lord hath commaunded me but you condemne me and your creator who hath redeemed you by his onely begotten sonne It is no maruaile you seeke my life being a sinfull man for telling the truth vnto you for if S. Peter should euen now arise and reproue your vices which
away by the same meanes many filthie doctrines which the Semi-Pelagians Faustus Cassianus and others had brought in easily getting foundation of their doctrines out of the naturall pride of men But Saint Bernard being once dead the schole of Abayllard continued in the Schole-men who haue so followed his methode that he by right may be acenowledged their father It little wanted then but that the tares choked the good corne when with them little or no mention is made of justifying by faith the fortresse of saluation is thenceforth placed in dead workes as if Christian doctrine that most profound secret hidden before all time and reuealed in his time were nothing but a certaine morall discipline In the same time also Gratian compiled his Decrees not more fortunatly than Iustinian his Pandectes out of the Canons and auncient Decrees which hee in many places applieth to the abuses of the time and especially to the Roman ambition although he leaue vs therein many good footsteps by helpe of which the diligent searchers may find out the ancient doctrine practise of the Church Auentine an Author most studious of antiquitie teacheth vs Auent l. 6. that before Gratian the Canon law was farre otherwise For saith he as it is perfect and whole in our Libraries it containeth two parts the first the Acts of vniuersall Councells which are manifestly receiued the other of the Constitutions Epistles and Rescripts of Popes as euerie thing was done the causes assistants witnesses with the circiumstances of places and times Would to God he had not taken so much paines And in the meane time Pope Eugenius approueth it and commaundeth it to be read in all Vniuersities because without doubt he reduced the whole Church vnder the Popes yoke little remembring the good counsels that Saint Bernard gaue him in his bookes of Considerations The same methode hath Peter Lumbard this Gratians brother in his foure bookes of Sentences collected out of the places of auncient Fathers compiled into a certain order which he oftentimes maketh to serue by changing leauing out or adding some word to the corrupt diuinitie of his time so that from thenceforth onely Gratian is consulted with and onely Lumbard is read in scholes In these two consists all Christian law and diuinitie No man hence careth for seeking to the fountaine in the holie Scriptures of the old and new Testament in the monuments of the Fathers or Acts of auncient Councels to looke more neerely into the matter is counted heresie Auentine to this purpose saith Auent Annal. Baior l. 6. I haue learned and heard of my Masters Iacobus Faber and Clitouous more than a thousand times That this Lumbard had troubled the pure fountaine of Diuinitie with muddie questions and whole riuers of opinions which experience if we be not blind doth more than ynough teach vs. Which notwithstanding as well as himselfe are most famous among them of the Church of Rome 47. PROGRESSION Of the humilitie of the Emperour Frederick and the pride and insolencie of Pope Adrian the fourth The Pope stirreth vp the subiects of William King of Sicilia to rebell against him TO the Emperour Conrade succeeded in the yeare 1152 Frederick his nephew An. 1152. in the Empire of Germanie a Prince by the testimonie of all writers qualified with many vertues And in the yeare 1153 dieth Eugenius An. 1153. whom Anastasius succeedeth created as abouesaid by the Cardinals alone who continued but one yeare neuerthelesse peaceable at Lateron because he let the Romans doe what they listed Then behold Adrian the fourth an English man borne entreth into the Popedome who could not be consecrated at Lateran vnlesse first the people chased away Arnold who as we haue said preached at Rome against the superfluous pompe of Popes and withall would put downe the Senat which they had established Both which being refused him he waxeth angrie forsaketh the citie and with his Court retireth to Orvietto Frederick in the meane time setteth forward to be crowned in Italie who in his way inuested Anselme of Hauelburge with the Bishopricke of Rauenna then vacant by the death of Moses being chosen by the voyce of the Clergie and of the people and moreouer maketh him Exarch whence he tooke the title of Seruant of seruants Archbishop and Exarch of Rauenna Sigon de regno Jtal. l. 12. This set Adrian alreadie into an ague who neuerthelesse met him at Viterbe where Frederick stepping to him held his stirrop for him to light from his horse and conducted him into his tent There the Bishop of Bamberge speaking for the Emperour declared vnto him with much respect That all the Church was come from the end of the world for to bring him this Prince and that seeing prostrat at his feet he had rendred him due honour he besought him to doe what lay in him to set the Imperiall Crowne vpon his head Sigonius saith here that he paused a while seeming as it were to conceale from vs the insolencie of this Pope which we read in Helmold Helmold in Histor Sclauorum c. 81. an Author not to be suspected because he was rightly ashamed of it The answer then of Adrian was this Brother these are but words that thou tellest vs thou sayest thy Prince hath giuen due reuerence to Saint Peter but Saint Peter hath rather been thereby dishonored Instead of holding our right stirrop he hath held the left This being told againe by the Interpreter to the King he humbly answereth Tell him that it was not want of deuotion but of knowledge for I haue not much learned to hold stirrops and he is the first to my knowledge that euer I did that seruice vnto The Pope replied If he haue through ignorance neglected that which is most easie how thinke yee that he will acquit himselfe of that which is greater Then the King somewhat moued I would be better instructed saith he whence this custome hath taken footing from good will or of duetie if from good will the Pope hath no cause to complaine that I haue failed in a seruice which is but arbitrarie and not of right but if you say that of duetie from the first institution this reuerence is due to the Prince of Apostles what importeth it betweene the right and left stirrop so that humilitie be obserued and that the Prince prostrat himselfe at the Popes feet Helmold l. 1. c. 73. Thus saith the Historie was this point long and eagrely disputed and in the end they departed each from other sine osculo pacis without the kisse of peace Let the Reader note here the charitie of this Bishop to reiect an Emperour onely for hauing held the left stirrop for the right and an Emperour endued with such vertues as the Author faileth not to say That his wisedome and courage was greater than of all the inhabitants of the earth And he addeth The principall Lords which were as the pillars of the realme were afraid to returne without
doing something won the Kings heart with many persuasions to intreat the Pope to come againe into the campe and comming againe he receiued him integrato officio with intire duetie that is hee held his right stirrop Otho Frising de gestis Frederici l. 2. c. 20. But whilest they all reioyced at it thinking all matters well Adrian saith vnto them There remaineth yet one thing for your Prince to doe hee must conquer Apulia for Saint Peter which William of Sicilia possesseth by force and that done let him come to vs to be crowned And verie hardly obtained they of him to deferre this conquest till after his coronation The Acts of the Vatican produced by Baronius Baron an 1155 art 8. sequēt doe onely say That Frederick refused to hold the stirrop in the end was brought to doe it stregulam say they fortiter tenuit that otherwise Adrian would not receiue his kisse Yet this is the Adrian that said To couet the Popedome is not to succeed S. Peter in feeding the sheepe but Romulus in committing paricides because a man cannot attaine thereto without shedding the bloud of his brethren and now he is entred is as hot in the businesse as any of the rest Anton. ex Ioh. Sarisbur Halinando Part. 2. Tit. 17. c. 1. § 9. Now Frederick at the last hauing recouered his good fauour Arnold was apprehended in Tuscan by the seruants of Adrian and deliuered vnto him and was condemned vnder pretence of heresie and burned aliue and his ashes cast into the riuer Tiber. But when Frederick returned into Germanie either because of the hot season of the Canicular dayes which the Germans could not well endure or for the cold satisfaction he had receiued from Adrian or some other affaires calling him backe thither Adrian in his absence made so good vse of his opportunitie that William Duke of Calabria and King of Sicilia who had vndertaken the inuestitures of Bishops in his lands by the rebellion that he stirred vp of the Lords his subiects against him is constrained to fall downe at his feet to obtaine pardon and to acknowledge himselfe his liege vassall And so this successe besides his naturall disposition raised vp his heat against Frederick vpon the first occasion offered A Bishop of London then was taken by robbers in Germanie and it seemed vnto Adrian that Frederick stirred not in it as he ought who in the meane time was at Bezanson in Bourgondie whither he was come to marie Beatrice the Earls daughter He sendeth to him his Legats the Cardinall Rowland Bernard with his letters of complaint or rather of reproach for that he ill remembred saith he Radcuicus Canonic Frising l. 1. c. 10. Sigon de regno Jtal. l. 12. Quanto studio Imperialis Coronae insigne tibi contulerimus With what affection we haue giuen him the Imperiall Crowne beneficia and the good turnes or rather benefits Thus saith mildly Sigonius But Radeuicus an Author of that time Canon of Frisingen produceth a copie of the letters in rougher tearmes Remember thou Quantam tibi dignitatis plenitudinem honoris contulit mater tua Romana Ecclesia What ample dignitie the Church of Rome hath bestowed vpon thee and that thou hast receiued from her hand maiora beneficia the greatest benefits that might be Clauses which properly offended the Princes as if the Pope should haue said That the Emperour held the Empire by homage of him and that the Empire were his fee. And so much the more saith Radeuicus did they hold themselues to the strict interpretation of his words because they knew that the Romans rashly affirmed That the Empire of the citie and the realme of Italie had not beene possessed till then by our Kings but of the donation of Popes Which they were not content onely to say but represented in writings and pictures and so conueyed to posteritie Insomuch saith he that there was written ouer a certaine picture of the Emperour Lotharius which was set vp at the Palace of Lateran Rex venit ante fores iurans prius vrbis honores Post homo fit Papae sumit quo dante Coronam The King before his gates doth come which sweares first to the towne Whom both the Pope his seruant makes and after him doth crowne That after he had taken his oath he was made the Popes seruant and receiued the Crowne in gift of him When Frederick was told of this picture being then about Rome he complained thereof to Adrian who promised him to cause both the writing and picture to bee taken away least so vaine a thing should giue matter of strife and discord betweene two the greatest persons in the world And indeed that such was the meaning of Adrian appeareth by his owne letters to Arnulph Archbishop of Mence Fredericke of Cologne and Hillin of Treuers in these words Auent l. 6. The Roman Empire was translated from the Greekes to the Germans so as that their King was not called Emperour till after he was crowned by the Pope Before the consecration he is King after he is Emperour Whence hath he then the Empire but from vs From the election of his Princes he hath the name of King from our consecration the name of Emperour of Augustus and Caesar From vs then he hath the Empire Call to mind antiquitie Zacharie aduanced Charls and gaue him a great name that he might be Emperor to the end that frō thenceforth for euer the king of Germanie might be an Aduocat of the Apostolike See that Apulia by him reduced might be subiect to the Bishop of Rome which is ours with the citie of Rome and not the Emperours For Rome is our seat the seat of the Emperour is Aix in Ardenna All that the Emperor hath he holdeth of vs. As Zacharie translated the Empire of the Greeks to the Germans so may we from the Germans to the Greekes Behold it is in our power to giue it to whom we will and for this are we established of God ouer nations and ouer kingdomes for to destroy and plucke vp to build and to plant c. Thus you see the enterprise of Adrian it remaineth for vs to shew what Frederick doth thereupon without forgetting by the way that this is that Adrian who writing to Henrie King of England Adrian Epist ad Regem Angliae Henr. apud Matth. Westmonaster was not ashamed to say That Ireland and all islands on which Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse hath shone by right appertaine to Saint Peter and to the Church of Rome Therefore that he should honourably receiue him thither without preiudice of the said rights and namely pay him a penie pention by the yeare for euerie houshold OPPOSITION Krantz l. 6. c. 35 So soone as Frederick had seene that picture of Lotharius doing homage hee suddenly turned away his sight and fretted at it without speaking a word for there was Innocent the second sitting in his Pontificall chaire
sufficient for euery man if he confesse his sinnes priuatly to God That Baptisme ought to be done with common water without the mixture of oyle That Churchyards haue been inuented for gaine for the earth is all one euery where to burie in That the world is the temple of God and that they that builded Churches Monasteries and Oratories would reduce the maiestie of God into a narrow strait as if a man should find his diuine goodnesse more propitious there than else where That the Priests vestments that ornaments of the altar robes caps Chalices dishes and other the like vessels are little worth and of no moment That a Priest in what place or time soeuer may consecrate the body of Christ and administer the same to others vsing only the words of the institution of the Sacrament That it is in vaine to implore the fauour of Saints who raigne in heauen with Christ who can no way helpe That a man loseth his time in singing or saying his Canonicall houres That no day a man may cease from his labour except the Sunday and not the feasts of Saints That to obserue the fasts ordained by the Church is of no merit Which opinions the Author who had looked more inwardly into them carried by that malice he bare towards them setteth downe maliciously ynough in his owne words but being rightly vnderstood nothing differed from the true doctrine if distinctly set downe as well in their confession as in ours At the least they free themselues from their false accusations which charge them with errours against the due obedience to Magistrats and against a lawfull oath and diuers others mentioned by Rainerius And much more they defend themselues from the sorceries or diuinations by lots which the malice of the time had blazed abroad although sorcerers wicked persons were and also are in diuers Prouinces called Waldenses and from that putting out of candles to commit whoredome one with another auncient subtilties of the diuel to defame the first Christians and by him renewed againe when it pleased God to send the light of the Gospell Frederick the second therefore in the costitutions which he made against them accused them not but for seperating themselues from the Church of Rome and from the ceremonies and seruices thereof without imputing any other crime vnto them Petrus de Vineis li. 1. c. 25.26.27 as appeareth in the Epistles of Peter of Vineis his Chancelor And also Claudius Seisellienses Archbishop a man of great credit vnder Lewis the twelfth although he had written a booke expresly against them he acknowledgeth them to be a good people vpright and honest innocent and irreprehensible in their conuersation and obseruations of the commandement of God Notwithstanding they were excommunicated by Iohn de Bellamaine Archbishop of Lyon at the commaundement of Alexander the third and soone after were summoned to the Councel of Lateran but they would not appeare because they knew they should haue the Pope both their judge and aduersarie Guido de Perpinian pag. 79. de haeresibus Whereupon he proceeded against them with all persecutions as warres slaughter spoils massacres and whosoeuer could most cruelly pursue them obtained forgiuenesse of all their sinnes But at length through the great prouidence of God it came to passe that through their dissipation and scattering abroad were gathered together a great number of Churches ouer all Europe as shall bee hereafter declared We may adde That some writers of this Age albeit aduersaries tell vs that there was held a conference at Realmont among the Albienses where disputed on their side Ponticus Iordanus Arnoldus Aurisanus Arnoldus Otho Philibertus Caslienus and Benedictus Thermensis On the other side Peter de Castro nouo a Monk of the order of the Cistertians and the Popes Legat and also Rodolphus deputed by the Pope Didacus Bishop of Erenenses and Dominicus a Canon of the same Church both Spaniards And there were chosen as Arbitrators two of the Nobilitie Bernard of Villa noua and Bernard of Arre and of the Comminaltie Raimond Godeus and Arnold Riberia There they say Guilielm de Podio Laurentij Noguier en l'historie Tolouse that these Doctors of the Waldenses did constantly affirme That the Church of Rome was not the holie Church nor the spouse of Christ but a Church polluted with the doctrine of the diuell and that Babylon whom S. Iohn describeth in his Apocalyps the mother of fornications and abhominations ouerwhelmed and drowned in the bloud of Saints That the Masse was not instituted by Christ nor his Apostles but a humane inuention and many the like things and so departed not agreeing vpon any thing 49. PROGRESSION The contentions and seuerall differences betweene the Emperour Frederick Pope Lucius the third Of the voiage to the Holie Land by the Emperour and the Christian Princes for the recouerie of Hierusalem from the Souldan with the death of the said Emperour and of the troubles that afterward arose to his sonne Henrie The solemnitie and manner of the coronation of the Emperour ALexander the third held the seat two and twentie yeares which happeped to few either before or since and in all this time it fell out so happily for him that the Antipopes liued not long so that by these mutations he aduanced not a little his owne affaires Foure the one after the other had opposed themselues against him whereof euerie one being entred the throne labored with new slights either to doe or vndoe The onely power of Frederick made head against him being often disturbed as wel in Germany as in Italie through the rebellions which Alexander had stirred vp against him whereby the cities and Princes tooke occasion vnder the colour of his Ecclesiasticall reformations to reuolt Neither did the ambition of his sonne Henrie lesse troble him who at what price soeuer would be King of Italie yet feared least the death of his father then engaged in the Popes warres might surprise him in that estate and so much the rather because the Popes seemed to be Arbitrators of the greatest part of the Empire of Italie Alexander therefore being dead and Hubald Cardinall of Ostia named Lucius the third elected in his place according to the order decreed in the Councell of Lateran by the Cardinalls onely without the consent of the Clergie and the people Henrie to persuade his father to be at peace with Italie omitted no meanes or opportunitie whatsoeuer but first of all remouing all lets procured the friendship of Lucius the third who hauing a desire to gratifie the citie of Lucca where he was borne Frederick at his request soone granted that no other money should be currant through all Tuscane Marchia Romania and Campania but that which should be coyned in Lucca in the Emperours name Lucius in the meane time did no better agree with the Romans than his predecessors who when hee sought to put downe the Consuls they cruelly chastising his faction and threatning himselfe worse
that iudge the world saith he let them see and iudge these things least wrong should seeme to proceed from whence equitie and iustice should be had We shall bee condemned of rashnesse and said to open our mouthes against heauen but we write not these things out of a spirit of pride but with the inke of griefe wee feele our owne priuat miseries and deplore the publike c. The Apostle speaking to the Romans saith Euerie creature ought to be subiect to the higher powers If the Apostle so writ to the Church of Rome who in the Church of Rome will presume to contradict this Apostolicall doctrine c. Some Angels are greater and higher in dignitie than others yet they admit not the pride of emancipation or freedome the one aboue the other One of them long since would be freed from the power of God and of an Angell became a diuell by these extraordinarie liberties now adayes are wrought the vtter ouerthrow of many But to dispute of the doings of the Pope is held they say for sacriledge besides the disputation is not equall where it is not lawfull for the defendant to answer neither is it a quarell when thou strikest and I onely must endure the blowes In the same sence in the Epistle 158 to Iohn Bishop of Chartres and vpon the same subiect which was then pleaded by the Author before the Pope he saith All the lawes and the Canons and whatsoeuer we could alledge out of the word of God Petrus Blaesens Epist 158. to affirme and make good our cause Maiores inter caeteros the greatest haue held detestable and sacrilegious and did publikely iudge vs enemies to the Church of Rome vnlesse we would relinquish these word by which we endeuoured to proue the Church of Saint Augustine which they affirme particularly to be his to be subiect to the Church of Canterburie c. For hauing no regard of the losse of soules they permit in the Monkes all vnlawfull things to cast off the yoke of all discipline to follow all pleasures of the flesh and to pay for their riot and excesse through the whole yeare an annuall pension Wee hauing then beene publikely forbidden to produce in this cause either Canons or Lawes but onely priuiledges if we had any readie at hand whereof they knew none we had at that time saw that in this respect we were destitute of all humane comfort and they being resolued to prouide a lay man and not learned but rich ynough to purchase honors who had bought this Abbie by simonie not priuily but publikely and as it were in open market I put my selfe forward to accuse him and to make my selfe a partie against him but when I layed open manifest and notorious things they whom he had made friends with the Mammon of iniquitie poured wine and oyle into the wounds of his infamie Moreouer hauing gotten much money from the Marchants of Flanders and in a manner drawne them drie notwithstanding borrowed an infinit quantitie of gold of the Romans so by this meanes the Doues wings were all siluer and the hinder parts of her backe glittering all in gold in such sort that they would heare no more of the libertie and dignitie of the Church of Canterburie for the which the Martyr Saint Thomas fought euen vnto death This pretended Martyr notwithstanding suffered for the Popes authoritie who as Peter of Blois here tells vs according to the example of the Pharisies gilded his sepulchre that he might the better rob his Church Neither are we to forget also That in his treatise of the Institutions of a Bishop written to Iohn Bishop of Worcester he attributeth to euery Bishop that authoritie which the Church of Rome restraineth to the Popes as successors of Saint Peter We read saith he that our Sauiour said to Peter Petrus Blaesens de Institutione Episcopi If thou louest me feed my sheepe thou art the heire and Vicar of Peter feed my sheepe In being an Euangelist doe the workes of an Euangelist and of a Pastor be not ashamed of the office of a Pastor Thy ministerie hath more charge than honour if thou affect honour thou art mercenarie if thou wilt imbrace the burthen the Lord is strong to encrease his grace that profit may come by profit and gaine by gaine But if thou canst not endure the burthen and knowes thy selfe insufficient it is too late to complaine He said before Take heed by all meanes thou wrap not thy selfe in secular affaires for there is no agreement with the spirit of God and the spirit of this world persist in thy vocation the world is wholly giuen to wickednesse And this hee afterward recited Animabus Praelatus es non corporibus Thou hast the charge of soules and not of bodies Nihil Praelato commune est cum Pilato A Prelat hath nothing common with Pilat thou art Christs Steward Peters Vicar thou art not to make an account to Caesar but to Christ of that iurisdiction that is committed vnto thee And by these and the like places we may judge what he thought of the Popes who so violently drew all secular power vnto them But he was constrained verie often to temper his stile according to the tyrannie of those times Petrus Blaesens in Tractatu de Peregrinat Hierosolimit as when he said The sword wherewith Peter cut off these seruants eare exceedeth in these daies according to all mens opinion the weapons of Alexander and Caesar Abbas Vrsperg Let vs now come to Innocent the third The Abbot of Vrsperge tells vs of his entrance into the Popedome I haue heard in those times saith he things incredible to be related and hard to be beleeued that the same Pope said That he would take away the Kinglie Diademe from Philip or that Philip should take from him the Apostolical Ensigne Now albeit it were not to be beleeued that he would prefer his will before the will of God neuerthelesse it appeareth that he was at all times contrarie vnto him But God foreseeing from aboue permitted not that through all Germanie his diuine seruice and the Ecclesiasticall dignitie should perish which continued there more permanent than in other countries albeit much corrupted and depraued through the instigation of sinne and chiefly carnall pleasures And he noteth especially that Innocent opposed the authoritie of the Apostolike See against Philips Vt regium genus deperiret To ruinat the royall race But Auentine saith That he raised cognatas acies Auent l. 7. brother to fight against brother and the sonne against the father and the one to pollute himselfe with the bloud of the other and then crying out Who saith he can giue any other reason of the discord among Christians but the spectacle of the Roman Bishop quasi paria componentis taking pleasure to see and to cause them like Fencers to murder one another euen so the Christian people were slaine the Bishops of Rome encouraging the one against the
which he prayed for in the garden That the cup might be taken from him was not grāted because he praying according to the flesh he would not obtaine according to reason but Dominick neuer demaunded any thing of God which he fully obtained not according to his desire that is to say Ibidem paragra 2. because he neuer requested any thing according to the desire of the flesh The Lord hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud but Dominick not without a certaine perfection of charitie spending the whole night with God in meditation and prayer did vndergoe a threefold discipline euen with his owne hand and that euerie day not with a whipcord but with a chaine of yron euen to the effusion of his bloud one for his owne faults which were verie small another for those which were in purgatorie and the other for those that liued in the world And Anthonie the Archbishop prosecuteth this comparison through all the parts of the life of Christ Finally our Lord departing from this world promised to his Disciples a Comforter that is to say the holie Ghost And Dominick sayd to his followers My deere friends weepe not for me Ibidem 4. paragr 14. nor let my bodilie departure trouble you in the place to which I goe I shal be more profitable vnto you than I can be here for after death you may haue me a better Aduocat than you can haue in this life What then shall we thinke of that which S. Iohn sayes vnto vs If we sinne we haue an aduocat euen Iesus the righteous And these blasphemies because they make to the strengthening of their authoritie are confirmed by the Church of Rome Jdem parte 3. Tit. 23. c. 43. 17. for Gregorie the ninth canonized Dominick in there 1223 made him a Saint appointed him a festiuall day and both approued and with priuiledges strengthened his Order And hee that writ these things was the Archbishop of Florence verie famous among our aduersaries and put into the Canon of the Saints This is said to the end the Reader may obserue what might bee then the corruption of the Church what the designes of the Popes when these and the like horrible blasphemies were supported by the Popes and also with what spirits their Consistories their Councels haue been carried in which in the meane time they giue vs new articles of faith Transubstantiation the Adoration of the Hoast in the Masse Auricular confession the Communion vnder one kind the like But they had need for the promulgation of such trumperies of such Preachers as might afterward serue their turne for the spreading abroad of their factions among the people and insinuat themselues by their preaching into the hearts of men by making euerie small matter a case of conscience they propose an art to extinguish all conscience Abbas Vrsperg in Chron. For the Abbot of Vrsperge saith by the commaund of the Pope they absolue rapes depopulations burnings seditions warres and therefore he said not without good cause That Pope Innocent had rather approue the Minors and Preachers than the humble poore of Lyons Who derogated from the Priesthood by those sermons they made for the most part in the secret places of Gods Church for they preached against the vices of the Clergie and yet they were not accused of any heresie because saith he they reprehended the vices of men still obeying the See Apostolike from which they deriue their chiefe authoritie But these things we shall better obserue in their due place OPPOSITION Now it behoueth vs to see what judgement the Authors of these times haue left vnto vs of the wicked actions of Innocent touching the warre he kindled betweene Philip and Otho The Abbot of Vrsperge who liued in those dayes speaks freely in this manner Innocent endeuoured by all meanes to hinder Philip to attaine to the Imperiall throne vpbraiding him with that which his brother and kindred had cruelly done which neuerthelesse they did by the instigation of wicked men wherein vnder correction of the Apostolike See he seemed not to haue iudged according to equitie when the Lord saith by his Prophet That the sinnes of the fathers ought not to be imputed to the children how much lesse of brothers or of other kindred Ezechias and Iozias most religious kings had verie wicked fathers In the genealogie euen of our Sauiour Iesus Christ some wicked ones are recited There is yet extant an Epistle of the said Innocent directed to Bartholdus Duke of Zaringia wherein are written many absurd things against Philip and some of them false which he caused to be inserted into the Decretals c. Then he began to stand vpon friuolous obiections and exceptions to the end hee might hinder him obiecting vnto him the sentence of excommunication that is to say of Celestine the third Moreouer he sent the Bishop of Sutrie to demaund of him the hostages of Apulia whose eyes long since his brother Henrie the Emperor had commaunded to be pluckt out But the said Philip as he was gentle and courteous when he heard of the sentence of excommunication he humbly intreated to be absolued by the said Legat and besides sent the aforesaid hostages to the Pope Wherefore the Bishop of Sutrie for as much as he had vnlawfully absolued Philip exceeding therein the bounds of his commaund was depriued of his Bishoprick and banished into a certaine island of the sea where he happily ended his dayes in a verie religious and strict Monasterie So that hee exclaimes against this wilie monopolie The horne of iniquitie is exalted wherewith many haue beene annointed against whom the Lord saith by his Prophet I haue said to the wicked Doe not wickedly and to transgressers Lift not vp your horne This horne is now filled with adulterous oyntment The horne of that oyntment is farre off wherewith Dauid was annoynted King What therefore should be done in the members but that which is done in the heads c O Lord behold such as the oyntment is in the head such it descends vpon the beard Oh that it were but vpon the beard onely with the reprobat it descended likewise vpon the beard of Aaron for they that had layed their foundation in the mountaine of strength vtpote Claustralis as cloystered Monkes seeming to lead a religious life that is to say they whose helpe Innocent vsed to alienat the hearts of the people from Philip are farre from the wombe of our mother the Church in which they were conceiued and baptised They haue wandered from the wombe wherein they ought to be comforted nourished with wholesome admonitions now they haue spoken nothing but lyes And here the Reader may judge what the Abbot thought of him that vsed the helpe of people so dishonest Through these discords in England Innocent proceeded so farre that king Iohn being brought into great extremitie was inforced to become tributarie vnto him That king saith the history hauing
paine of deposition from his Crowne and State with which summes of money the Pope being backed he leuied an armie Conrade on the other side was no whit hereat dismayed but intended to resist the Pope and therefore he the more encouraged his nobles and subiects And here our Historiographer a Monke bursts out into these words Whether the Pope did well herein or no let the Iudge of all Iudges decide But for an abridgement of this warre this miserable Prince had poyson presented him who wasting away by little and little when he drew neere to his last breath in complaining manner he vttered these words The Church which should bee a mother to my father and me is rather a stepmother and so he left behind him a sonne who was but two yeares old Some impute this poyson to a brother of his others to the Popes ministers which of the two were most likely as may be presumed by the state and condition of the present affaires Mathew saith That hauing heard this newes with great ioy of heart cheerefulnesse of countenance and eleuation of voice he vttered these words I reioyce certainely and so let all the vpholders of the Roman Church exult together with me because two of our greatest enemies are now dead one Ecclesiasticall the other of the Laitie Robert Bishop of Lincolne and Conrade king of Sicile He therefore embracing this opportunitie found it an easie matter to recouer into his hands Naples Capua and a part of the kingdome But Manfred being assisted by the nobles of the kingdome he both crossed him in this prosperous course of his proceedings and daring to wage battell vanquished and ouerthrew him in the same and so his last errour was worse than the first Whereupon Innocent tooke such sorrow to heart that within a few dayes after he dyed at Naples suruiuing Conrade but a few moneths and being molested by the Bishop of Lincolns meanes euen to his last gaspe as in proper place shall plainely appeare These things occurred in the yeare 1254 An. 1254. in the moneth of December And so both the king of Englands treasure and ambitious designes perished together with him The volume of the Decretals is ascribed to this Innocent wherein his drift and maine scope was That whatsoeuer had beene by his predecessors out of wonderfull pride digested and decreed against the temporall Monarchie by them it might be ratified and made authenticke as also whatsoeuer profane or sacrilegious act they had performed against the Spirituall it might be in them as it were hallowed and consecrated To him also the Canonists haue reference ouer whom hee was head and principall hauing promoted them to some of the highest dignities of the Church and many of them also he raised to the Cardinalls hat out of which fountaine sprung that hideous gulph of forensiall contentions and first of all that detestable clause of Non obstante of which Mathew so often makes mention after the induction whereof all the auncient Canons of the Councells and Decrees of the old Popes as also the verie liberties and priuiledges of the Churches began at length to bee put downe So that this abuse breaking afterwards into the ciuile Courts it wrought wonderfull subuersions of equitie and justice From hence proceeded that common complaint Out alas alas why looked we after these dayes Behold the Courts ciuile are now corrupted according to the example of the Ecclesiasticall and the riuers are poysoned by a sulpherous fountaine Now the manner was that the money ordayned for warre in the Holie Land and the Indulgences of the Croysadoes were then in their vse by the Popes diuerted against the Emperours and other Princes This man that he might exceed all others divulged out of the Pulpit That whosoeuer tooke vp armes against Conrade he should obtaine more ample remission of sinnes than if hee fought against the Souldan So that if any man were crossed against Conrade both he his father and mother should gaine full pardon of all their sinnes He maried also his neeces verie highly and amongst the rest one he maried to Henrie Fredericks sonne and nephew to the king of England that thus hee might be adopted a sonne of the Church Which seemed a thing maruellous strange to all the Nobles of the Empire That a Pope said they would presume so to disparage a noble royall gentleman In conclusion he so pilled and polled the Christian Commonwealth as vpon due competation made it was found saith our Author and that most truely and exactly that this present Pope Innocent the fourth had more impouerished the Church vniuersall than all his other predecessours from the time of the primitiue Papacie and the reuenues of the Clergie by him alienated in England which had aunciently beene endowed therewith by the Church of Rome amounted to more than seuentie thousand markes whereas the kings meere reuenue could not be valued at a third part so much OPPOSITION And for that same Robert Bishop of Lincolne whom we formerly spake of it should seeme Innocent had commaunded him to performe some wicked office Which saith Mathew he did both to him and diuers other Prelats of England Wherefore he made answer by an Epistle which he produceth whole and entire in this tenor Health Your discretion shall vnderstand Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. that deuoutly and reuerenly I obey with filiall affection the Apostolicall iniunctions and so affecting reuerent honour I oppugne and resist such as are opposit to commaunds Apostolicall for to both these courses I am obliged by commaundement diuine The Apostolicall commaunds neither can be nor are any other than the doctrine of the Apostles and of our Lord Iesus Christ Master and head of the Apostles whose figure and person our Lord the Pope specially representeth in the Hierarchie of the Church being consonant and conformable And there he enters into a detestation of that clause Non obstante From whence springeth vp saith he the head and fountaine of inconstancie boldnesse and obstinacie of shamefull lying deceiuing distrustfully beleeuing or giuing credit to another and so from these a number of other subsequent vices which doe but disturbe and coinquinat the puritie of Christian religion and the peace and quiet of ciuile conuersation Furthermore saith he next to the sinne of Lucifer which shall be the same of Antichrist the sonne of perdition in the end of times whom God shall destroy with the breath of his mouth there neither is nor can be any kind of sinne so opposit and contrarie to the doctrine Euangelicall and of the Apostles and to the same our Lord Iesus Christ so odious detestable and abhominable as to kill and destroy soules by defrauding them of Pastorall offices and ministeries c. The introductors of such manquellers and butcheries amongst the sheepe in the Church of God are worse than the murderers themselues neerer both to Lucifer and Antichrist and particularly they are worse in this degree in that being supereminent of place out of
scantly satisfie their ambitious thirst to which the Legats and Mendicants were like cloukes and talons to gripe and fasten on their prey For first Princes feared their censures not so much out of religion as that they feared least their people would be abused by these stratagems or that ambitious neighbours vnder this pretext might make some vse of them for their owne auarice and greedinesse And yet there wanted not those that opposed and withstood them euen as aboue all others our king S. Lewis who shined in an example herein beyond all the rest in that his pragmaticall sanction which discreetly runnes in this manner Bochellus l. 4. Decret Gallican p. 647. We will and commaund that the pestiferous crime of simonie which defaceth and ruinates the Church be vtterly banished and extirpated out of our kingdome As also we will in no wise permit any such exactions and grieuous pecuniarie impositions laid or to be leuied vpon our Church by the Court of Rome whereby our kingdome is miserably impouerished or that hereafter shall be imposed and layd to be leuied or collected except vpon a reasonable pious and verie vrgent occasion or ineuitable necessitie and that by our owne voluntarie expresse consent as also by that of the Church of our whole kingdome He likewise reformed the location of benefices called Prouisiones according to the auncient Canons of the Church expresly forbidding the transporting of any money to Rome Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. for the confirmation of Prelats either electiue or presentatiue But the Clergie of England were yet somewhat more bold for seeing the Legats neuer came thither but to pill and poll the kingdome and the Clergie they humbly intreated the king That according to the auncient lawes and priuiledges of England no Legat might be suffered to crosse the seas without expresse leaue and permission first demaunded They likewise instantly required That the like Decree might be enacted about the Mendicants Predicants and Minorites especially those who are vulgarly called Legatos sophisticos sophistical Legats and no doubt they had obtained this suit but that they light on a king who was ready to joyne hands with the Pope that so by a common accord they might both glib and euen flea the people Rustand the Popes Legat vrging a most tyrannicall and cruell exaction whereto the king gaue his consent steeming out of the sulphurie fountaine Oh miserable of the Roman Church Fulco Bishop of London in a verie solemne assembly said Before I will agree to such a seruitude iniurie to the Church I will by intollerable oppression yeeld first my head to be cut off Then followed the Bishop of Worcester who spake in a lowd voyce Before holie Church shall be subiect to such corrodiation and vtter subuersion I will be hanged on a gibbet Rustand replied All Churches were vnder the Pope when master Leonard modestly made this exception Tuitione non fruitione in tuition not in fruition not to be ruined but preserued The king to whom the Legat had granted a share in this gaine threatned the Bishop of London with seuere punishment as he that instigated the rest when he replied and said The Pope and the King who are stronger than I may take away my Bishoprick which notwithstanding by no equitie they can doe they may take away my Myter but yet I shall haue an head-peece left All this occurred vnder Alexander the fourth to which the people added This is the Pope who at his first comming to the chaire caused prayers and supplications to be made to God for him that hee might raigne and gouerne well how can it be that he should performe worse things than all the rest God forbid But no man bore himselfe herein more stoutly than Seuual Archbishop of York of whom S. Edmond Archbishop of Canturburie out of whose schole he came had presaged so many excellent things This man perceiuing how the Pope with his prouisions left nothing throughout his whole Archbishoprick vnharrrowed he with a noble constancie oppugned his proceedings First because he placed all the Ecclesiasticall benefices in Italians that were about himselfe and so consequently were leauers of their flocks and secondly in that he commanded all the Prelats of England to passe personally ouer the Alpes to be confirmed at Rome Our Lord the Pope therefore bare an heauie hand ouer him Math. Paris in Henrico 3. and procuring him ignominiously to be excommunicated all England ouer with lighting of tapers and ringing of Bels that by this terrible and fearefull forme he might quaile and daunt his constancie but he no wayes dispaired of comfort to be sent downe to him from heauen patiently vndergoing the Popes tyrannie neither would he suffer the large reuenewes of his church to be conferred vpon vnworthie and vnknowne Transalpineans nor yet leauing the letter of strict equitie and right effeminatly stoop to the Popes will and pleasure Wherefore the more he was cursed by the Popes order commandement the more the people blessed him although closely for feare of the Romans Flying out of this worldly prison he ascended into heauen while most constantly with his whole power he stoutly defended his Church from the tyrannie of the Roman Court and so being depressed and vext with many tribulations for this earthlie life as all men firmely beleeued he purchased the kingdome of the highest heauens And here it must not be omitted that S. Edmond was euer wont to say vnto this his deare and speciall disciple O Seuual Seuual thou must leaue this world a Martyr eyther by the sword or else ouerlayed and euen killed with insuperable and grieuous worldlie afflictions Yet let him be thy comfortor who inspired that saying into his Psalmist Multi tribulationes iustorum de quibus quandoque liberabit omnibus eos Dominus Many are the tribulations of the righteous but God shall deliuer them out of all The same Author also recounteth that perceiuing himselfe approching to death lifting vp his watrie eyes vnto heauen he burst out into these words I call the Pope by appeale before the supreame and most incorruptible Iudge and both heauen and earth shall be my witnesses how vniustly he hath prosecuted and scandalized me with sundrie important oppressions Wherefore in this bitternesse of soule after Robert the bishop of Lincolns example he by letters layd down to the Pope all his enormious actions and that he would obserue his admonitions in abandoning his accustomed tyrannies and returning againe into the humble pathes of his holie predecessours For the Lord sayd vnto Peter Feed my sheepe doe not sheare or flea them doe not euiscerat and by continuall deuorations consume and destroy them But our Lord Pope scoffing and deriding hereat conceiued no small indignation that they would breake out into such a presumption and rashnesse as to dare in any wise to sollicit and moue him and therefore he stopped his eare to the healthfull admonitions both of Archbishop Seuual as also of Robert of
before his consecration at Rome might execute all his authoritie and prerogatiues and whosoeuer thought otherwise were traitors and heretikes Of which kind also that information is De nullitate processu Iohan. 22 whether Marsilius Patauinus or Ockam be Authour thereof Wherein Lodouike appeales from a Citation vnduely made in Auignion vnto a generall Councell conuocated in some safe and secure place with due forme and according to the sacred Canons and after a lawfull Appeale hee auerres that no place remaines for any Excommunication or Interdict And thus it was enacted against Iohn the two and twentieth or according to Platina the three and twentieth Furthermore Trithemius in Chronic. Hirsaugiens the Diuines and Ciuilians of these times argued this question by way of Thesis De potestate Imperiali Papali earumque distinctione Of the Emperours and Popes power and their seuerall distinction For to omit what Vldarick the Emperour Lewis his Chancellor Apologia Ludovic 4. contra Ioh. 22. publicē proposita wrot to Iohn in certaine letters directed to him in his Masters name wherein amongst other things he calls him Bestiam illam de mari ascendentem That beast arising out of the sea of which mention is made in the Apocalyps an Apologie was publisht in Lodouikes behalfe by the Diuines whereby they stifly affirme Quod nullus Papa potestatis plenitudinem in temporalia sibi arrogare potest That no Pope could arrogate to himselfe any plenarie power in temporall things much lesse in the Empire and yet much more lesse such an one as Iohn a man most vnworthie of the Papall chaire as also that the Pope swaruing from the Faith might haue a superiour on earth which is the whole Church represented in a generall Councell which out of their authoritie may judge him and to which for this cause it was lawfull to appeale And the same we read printed at this day But beyond all others out of doubt William Ockam a Franciscan an Englishman borne being a verie wittie and learned Doctor assayles him verie stoutly Defend me Caesar saith he with thy sword against the Popes iniuries and I will by word writing and irrefragable reasons maintaine thee against him the which indeed he performed while he liued hee constantly auerring That the Pope was an heretike and schismatike whose censures were nothing at all to be esteemed From hence came those Dialogues of his Pro Ludouici defensione Liber nonaginta trium dierum pro Michaele Caesennate Generall of the Franciscans excommunicated for the same cause Errores Iohannis 22 Dialogus inter Clericum militem and other such like In which he debates this poynt with so vnanswerable arguments as no man need to call his opinion into doubt or question The principall heads were these That the Pope ex iure diuino hath no Primacie That Peter neuer had nor neuer sat at Rome and therefore the Pope cannot haue it That the Pope may erre yea and the whole Roman Church and therefore ought to be liable to a Councell Concerning the controuersie betwixt the Pope and the Emperour he discusseth eight seuerall questions First Whether the Imperiall and Pontificiall dignities might be joyntly discharged in one man Secondly Whether Caesar onely receiued his authoritie from God or from the Pope of Rome also Thirdly Whether by any authoritie from Christ the Pope and Church of Rome haue power to confirme Caesar and other kings in the exercise of royall jurisdiction Fourthly Whether Caesar being elected hath at the same instant absolute right to gouerne the Commonwealth Fiftly Whether other kings besides Caesar and the king of Romans being consecrated by Bishops receiue any authoritie from them Sixtly Whether such kings are in any sort subiect to those which consecrated them Seuenthly Whether if they should vse any other rite or solemnitie or assume another Diademe they lost in so doing their royall title and prerogatiue Eightly Whether the seuen Electors conferre as much right vpon the Emperour elected as other Kings and Princes haue by lawfull succession All which questions he arguing on both sides he determines in the greatest part for the ciuile Magistrat I meane for Kings and Princes vtterly ouerthrowing by the way the Extrauagants of Iohn the two and twentieth as false hereticall and by many condemned Whosoeuer thinke otherwise they may be numbred amongst them of those times whereof the Apostle to Timothie admonisheth vs 2. ad Timoth. c. 3. v. 3. 4. The time will be when they shall not giue eare to sound doctrine but according to their owne lusts they shall seeke out for teachers that may delight their eares which themselues shall stop against all truth and open wide vnto fables For this is the state of the present time that all men in a manner enquire not what was the doctrine of Christ of the Apostles or of the Fathers but onely they listen what the Pope wills and commaunds them Ascentius in his Preface sayes That he writ six other Tractats which he wittingly omitted because they were somewhat too sharpe and bitter against the Pope of Rome Editus Basiliae Marsilius Patauinus the Author of that golden Treatise whose title was Defensor Pacis of the authoritie of the Emperour and of the Pope writes much out of the same veine where out of the holie Scriptures the Lawes the Canons and both the sacred and ciuile historie he affirmes and auerres these propositions ensuing That Christ was the onely head and foundation of the Church and not Peter That he constituted none of the Apostles no not Peter himselfe Vniuersall Vicar and head of the Church and that by as good right any one else may vsurpe to himselfe this title That Peter was neuer Christs generall Vicar neither did Christ appoynt the other Apostles to be subiect vnto Peter How it was most probable that Peter was neuer at Rome much lesse that there hee held his seat who as the rest of the Apostles had no peculiar seat That the Pope labouring to confirme his Primacie by succession hath no right at all and therefore it is not validious That he hath no greater authoritie than other Bishops no not in that which appertaines to Indulgence and remission of sinnes and that otherwise by diuine right all men are equall with him the Bishops of Magunce Collen and Treuer are Primats as well as he That the plenarie power attributed to him was a manifest lye an execrable title and the verie originall of all euils and the vse thereof was to be interdicted the Popes by some good generall Councell But concerning temporall things Christ whose Vicar he would be thought to be neuer exercised any temporall authoritie vpon earth but contrariwise both himselfe and the Apostles submitted themselues to the ciuile Magistrat and after his ascention into heauen they both obeyed Princes and enioyned their disciples to this obedience and therefore that no temporall jurisdiction did any wayes belong to the Pope ouer any man much lesse ouer Princes
and least of all ouer the Maiestie Imperiall and if he vsurpe the same they are bound by diuine lawes to resist him therein by word by deed by all meanes and all endeuours and not doing so they should be vniust and iniurious to God as on the contrarie they that fight for him and these false prerogatiues may be reputed to be the diuels champions That the Emperours confirmation belonged not to the Pope much lesse his election nay and this manner of his coronation by reason of many abuses growing from the same brings some danger to the Empire But so on the contrarie the Emperour being a Christian Prince by the consent of the Clergie and people may nominat a Pope and the partie being absent confirme him nominated If he be accused or obiected against he may reduce him into the true way and judge him by a Councell That Peter when he liued as he was a man might fall nay and erre neither was the Pope by any priuiledge exempted from error And whereas it was said to Peter Oraui pro te this may be extended likewise to the rest of the Apostles therfore he could be no surer of his faith constancie than the rest of the Bishops That only the Canon of the sacred Bible is the fountaine of truth in whose disesteeme wee must neither beleeue the Pope nor the Church That we ought not to beleeue the Popes and Cardinall onely about the sence and meaning of the Scriptures or any principall poynt of faith because verie often by their wicked interpretations and opinions they haue led miserable men to hell That the Christian Church is properly the generall bodie and number of the faithfull not the Pope or the Cardinals no not the Roman Church it selfe and the same is truely represented in a lawfull and general Councel of the Churches which was to be called by the Emperour with the consent of other Christian Princes and in times past was so perpetually called And surely my verie conscience vrgeth me to comprehend as briefly as I can what hee speakes of these things because neuer any man more plentifully displayed by what degrees and pretences the Popes haue attained to this height of tyrannie As also I would request the Reader not to thinke it tedious to read ouer the booke it selfe especially speaking of the Court of Rome Marsil Pataui part 2. c. 24. Those saith he which haue visited the Roman Court or to speake more significantly a Staple of traffickes more horrible than a denne of theeues Or they who haue not seene it may vnderstand by the report of a multitude of men worthie of credit that it is at this day become the verie receptacle of all bad and wicked practicioners both spirituall and temporall For what other thing is it than a concourse of Simoniacks What other than an harsh rude bawling of Barretters an Asylum for slaunderers and the trouble and vexation of honest men There the innocents iustice is hazarded or at least so long protracted if they be not able to compasse it by money and bribes that at last exhausted and toyld with innumerable disturbances they are enforced to let fall their miserable and tedious suites For there indeed humane lawes reecho and sound out but diuine precepts are are silent or seldome heard There are counsels and consultations of inuading Christian Princes by armed and violent power conquering and taking the same from them to whose custodie and iurisdiction they were lawfully committed but for purchasing of soules there is neither care nor counsell taken Whereunto we may annexe That there no order but perpetuall horror and confusion inhabites And as for my selfe that haue seene and beene present me thinkes I behold that fearefull statue which in the second of Daniel was represented to Nabuchadnezzar in a dreame hauing an head of gold armes and breast of siluer bellie and thighes of brasse yron legs and the feet one part yron and the rest of earth And so applying it in euerie part Brasen breasts and thighes saith he because of the shrill and large promises and the vocall though fallacious absolution from sinnes and penalties and the vniust and terrible maledictions and condemnations of such as but defend their owne libertie or obserue due fidelitie to their Soueraignes though through Gods protection all this rage and tumor is but vaine and innocuous And no maruell it is that the Index Romanus forbad all men the reading thereof Iohn de Iandun a Gantois maintained the same propositions who also was comprehended in the same sentence of condemnation a man of rare learning in those tempestuous dayes as may plainly be collected by his workes printed both at Venice and Florence Also Leopald of Bebemburg Doctor of the lawes and Bishop of Bamburg who handled the same argument namely That the Emperour had absolute power of gouerning the Empire presently after his election and the Popes coronation added nothing to him to whom he was neither vassall nor feudatarie He also conuicted Constantines donation to be a mere fable The title of the booke is De translatione Imperij printed at Paris anno 1540 but Michael of Cesenna Generall of the Franciscans spake much more broadly and confidently for he said expresly The Pope was Antichrist the Roman Church Babylon which was drunke with the bloud of the Saints And therefore Antoninus placeth him among the Fratricelli or poore Friers of Lyons who as formerly wee saw were the verie progenie of the Waldenses This man and his followers particularly auerred That Pope Iohn was an heretike and all the Popes and Prelats that should come after him Antonin parte 3. tit 21. c. 5. sect 1 And diuers saith Antoninus were burnt in sundrie parts of the world that stood firme in this opinion He also notes That long time after the Marquisat of Ancona Florence it selfe was full of them from whence being expelled they dispersed themselues ouer the countries of Greece as also that Lewis of Bauaria the Emperour was a supporter of these opinions and amongst others he makes mention of one Iohn Castiglio and Francis de Harcatara Franciscans Paulus Aemilius in Carolo Pulchro who were burnt Hereupon our Paulus Aemilius descends into these words Vnder king Charles the Faire there liued many admirable wits and most learned men This age flourished in learning Some of them were verie holie men and some contending ambitiously to excell others exceeding a meane grew to be wicked and impious Others there were of whose manners and intentions a doubtfull coniecture may bee made Good men grieued for the euils of the times and silently lamented And they who were called Fraterculi condemned both by deed and writing Ecclesiasticall wealth and opulencie and preached That riches the purple robe and domination were vnbeseeming and vnproper for religion c. But in the life of Philip de Valois we learne both out of him and other French writers That Pope Iohn what need soeuer he had of our
That with a good conscience and without the damnation of his soule he could not consent to the vnion The old Cardinals laboured to get away from him but he chargeth them vnder most grieuous paynes that they should not depart yea if the regent of Luca had not by his wisedome prouided for them their persons had bin in no safetie But the Cardinall of Liege a man of a great spirit in disguise escaped from Luca and got to Pisa yet being discouered by some seruants of Gregorie he continued there not without great danger of his life In like manner all the rest by little and litle steale away being moued neither with his promises nor threats from which they publiquely appeale and solemnely signifie the same vnto him sitting in consistorie amiddest his new Cardinals The Cardinall of Liege first maketh knowne to the world by his Letters Cap. 33. 34. That God ought rather to be obeyed for if saith he the Pope commaund or would constraine to such things as tend to the destruction of soules it is most manifest that he ought not be obeyed neither by diuine nor humane right yea and that man meriteth who for not obaying in such a case doth suffer his seuere censures And thus haue wee now a two-fold Schisme of Benedict against Gregorie and of Gregorie against his owne Cardinals Now vpon this departure of the Cardinals from Gregorie Benedict making vse of this occasion objecteth vnto him his craftie sleights which at length hath burst forth into so euill an issue Whereupon hee withdrew himselfe into the countrie of Arragon where he was borne seeing there was no more hope of the vnion But Gregorie seeing him departed and being not yet wearie of deceiuing assigneth a Councell at Aquileia and to strengthen the same createth againe new Cardinals whilest on the other side Benedict appointeth likewise his Councel in Arragon Both of them euer vnder pretence of vnion but which neither of both desireth both laboring to assure thereby the Popedome to himselfe alone Which part of the Cardinals of Benedict perceiuing they find meanes to escape away from him and come to Pisa There the Cardinals of both sides ioyned together and by the consent of the Florentines Lords of Pisa determined to hold there a Councell Thither are both after a solemne manner cited to be present either personally or by their proxie hauing fit and due commission Both do testifie That it belongeth not to them to call a Councell The Cardinals on the contrarie maintaine that seeing the Popedome is doubtfull and diuided neither of the striuers for it could call a Councell because it would be a particular and not an vniuersall one where a part onely should be present Cap. 36. 37. 38. Wherefore they passe further and entreat the Emperour and Princes of the Empire the Kings of Fraunce England Hungarie Arragon Polonia and others that they would be present by their Embassadors which the greatest part agreed vnto Then after many Sessions when neither they themselues nor any in their name appeared all things well and duely examined Cap. 44. they all with one voyce pronounce That Benedict and Gregorie damnably contending for their Popedome are pronounced truly and notoriously in a petition presented and exhibited to the sacred and vniuersall Synod That they haue bin and are verie Schismatikes nourishers defenders fauourers approuers and obstinat maintainers of an old Schisme heretikes strayed from the faith ensnared with notorious crimes and enormous periuries notoriously scandalizing the vniuersall holie Church of God with incorrigibilitie contumacie and obstinacie in notorious euident and manifest crimes and for these and other causes haue made themselues vnworthie of all honour and dignitie and also of the Papall they and each of them besides the foresaid iniquities crimes and excesses committed that they might raigne commaund and beare sway are ipso facto cast away and depriued of God and of the sacred canons and also cut off from the Church c. Moreouer all Christians of all sorts yea Emperours Kings and others in any dignitie are declared for euer absolued from their obedience forbidding the faithfull of Christ in no wise to obey or intend to obey the foresayd striuers for the Popedome or either of them neither shall they yeeld them either counsaile helpe or fauour or receiue them or repaire vnto them vnder paine of excommunication c. Moreouer all and singular proceedings and sentences of excommunication suspension or other censure and payne of priuation also of orders and dignities c. giuen and thundered forth haue beene and are disanulled reuoked voyd of no strength efficacie or moment Moreouer promotions or rather profaâ—ations made of any whomsoeuer to be Cardinals by the said contenders for the Popedome and either of them to wit by the sayd Angelus from the third day of May and by the foresaid Peter from the fiftenth of Iune of the yeare past 1408 haue beene and are disadnulled An. 1408. reuoked and made void Which when Benedict vnderstood swelling with choler he createth twelue Cardinals in Arragon Gregorie as many in Germanie but some of the wiser of them refused the hats And for an vpshot of his deceitfull slights he feareth not to publish That all difficulties remoued he was readie to repaire to what place the Emperour Robert Sigismund king of Hungarie and Ladislaus king of Sicilie should like of Cap. 46. 47. 48. But seeing saith the Authour that there were manifestly so many enimities and rancours for the causes aforesayd betweene Robert Sigismund and Ladislaus it seemeth vnpossible by any reason or humane wisedome that they should be able to agree together how to make a vnion in the Church I would we could haue as good a witnesse of the craftie wiles of Benedict though this man doth in many places liuely enough represent them whence it is apparant that they stroue to excell each other in wickednesse But it was needfull that the guiles of Gregorie should bee more exactly shewed as him whom they doe rather approue and enregister in the Catalogue of Popes Theodor. Ã Niem l. 2. c. 33. Furthermore he at length hauing suffered many troubles from his countriemen the Venetians whom he vsed no better than others he getteth him to the coast of the Abruzzo and flying for refuge to Caieta committeth himselfe to the protection of king Ladislaus who commaundeth him to be obeyed in his jurisdictions In the meane time the Cardinals of both obediences chose Pope Peter Philargas of Candie by Nation a Greeke a Franciscan Frier and named Alexander the fifth he that was woont to say That he had bin a rich bishop a poore Cardinall Cap. 51. 52. and a beggarly Pope A man saith the Authour liuing delicately and drinking of strong wines who wholly gouerned himselfe by the counsailes of Balthasar Cossa Cardinal Deacon who was afterward Iohn the three and twentieth the most wicked among all the Popes Therefore saith Theodorick he was no sooner come
Iohn the three and twentieth for an expedition beyond the sea whereupon some Popes afterwards vnder other pretences would haue continued them but the cause of them ceasing they were to cease too neither could they be any longer tollerated especially at this time wherein Italie France Germanie and England were at peace and amitie one with the other And here they spent much time in the vnfolding of those exactions that were then in force Where they proue That neither the Pope nor the Church of Rome could by law impose any thing vpon Churches or Churchmen since he was not their Lord but Christ onely That these exactions are contrarie to the minds of their founders whose successors complaine vnto the king That the goods giuen to Churches are transferred to other vses yea to the vtter ouerthrow of Church and Commonwealth and all orders therein concluding in the end That the whole nation would neuer pay them vnder what pretence soeuer they were demaunded It were too tedious a thing here to repeat all their reasons the principall are these Annuities seeme to bind men to fall into heresie taking the word in the larger sence that is to say That it is lawfull to buy things spirituall or for spirituall to giue siluer or things temporall c. Item He that is so promoted seemeth to commit simonie and periurie Which they proue by that obligation that was required of Patriarches Archbishops Bishops c. You c. by the Apostolike permission and authoritie granted to you in that behalfe doe freely offer and promise of your own wills to giue for your common seruice to the Chamber of your most holie Father and Lord in Christ Pope Alexander and the holie and sacred Colledge of reuerend Fathers and Lords in Christ of the Church of Rome that is to say the Cardinals c. so many Florins of gold of the Chamber of good and lawfull weight c. with diuers other clauses verie strait which they were to sweare vpon the Euangelist and vnder paine of excommunication c. There flourished in these times the Cardinall Zabarella a famous Lawyer Zabarella de schismate circa annum 1406. who writ of schisme he feareth not to say That the defenders of the Pope had so corrupted the Canon law with their Glosses that there was nothing so vnlawfull which they thought not lawfull for them to doe in so much that they extolled him aboue God himselfe making him more than God From whence sprang infinit errors the Pope chalenging vnto himselfe a right ouer all inferior Churches and making small account of all inferiour Prelats in so much saith he that if God giue not his helping hand to the present state of the Catholike Church it is in danger of an vtter ouerthrow But at the next Councell it shall be necessarie to restraine this power and to confine it to that which is lawfull since it is a power subiect to that of the Church as it appeares in the fifteenth of the Acts wherein and not in him doth the fulnesse of power reside and in a generall Councell which representeth the Church In so much that the Church neither can nor euer could transferre that power in such sort to any one but that it euer remained wholly in her selfe not in the Pope whom she had euer power to depose And therefore it is vaine that they commonly boast of That he that is judged by the Church cannot be judged by men but by God alone It is in the power of the Emperor saith he to call Councels which plainely appeareth by the example of Constantine Iustinian Charles who did preside and were chiefe Iudges ouer them as it appeares by the first vniuersall Nicene Councell and others where when matters of faith were treated of the lay people were likewise present Neither is it lawfull for the Pope to hinder the calling of Councels by the intermission whereof the Church incurreth great danger whilest the Popes gouerne it after the manner of secular Princes not Ecclesiasticall Prelats And that which is more the Emperour if hee doubt thereof may demaund of the Pope a reason of his faith and if he be accused of any manifest crime proceed likewise against him by a course of law and to depose him he being the principall Aduocat and defender of the Catholike Church As touching the pretended fulnesse of power he saith That Saint Peter neuer had it but that he was one of the chiefe Apostles and ministers to whom in as much as he bare the person of the Church the keyes were deliuered For as well at Antioch as at Rome he tooke vpon him the administration of his part or portion no otherwise than the rest did And therefore the Pope commaunding nothing but what is just and lawfull is to be obeyed But whereas it is said that he is solutus legibus not subiect to lawes it is to be vnderstood of his owne lawes and not the law of God whereunto he is bound as well as others We must therefore beware least that honour be done vnto him whereby we may make him equall with God nay in any sort to adore him since S. Peter himselfe would neuer endure it but vtterly refused it Acts 10. And whereas it is commonly said That the Church cannot erre he saith it can no way be vnderstood of the Pope or of the Church of Rome but of the Church of Christ and the congregation of the faithfull And that euerie particular member of the Church is bound to be carefull for the preseruation of the Catholike faith And this he saith he hath presumed to write in this manifest danger of the Church moued onely with a zeale of God and his glorie and not any hope or expectation of reward In like manner writ our Clemangis Archdeacon of Bayeux in his booke Of the corrupt estate of the Church which was produced in the Councell of Constance where he setteth downe by what degrees the Church rose to her temporal height and her spirituall declination at one and the same time and by what subtilties the Pope got all to himselfe and fatted himselfe by staruing others Afterwards comming to particular corruptions Nicholaus Clemangis in lib. de corrupto Ecclesiae flatu They beare more patiently saith he the losse of ten thousand soules than of ten shillings what say I more patiently yea they beare the ruine and losse of soules without any motion of the mind whereof there is with them not onely no care but no thought at all whereas for their owne priuat domesticall losses they presently grow furious He saith likewise a little after The studie of Diuinitie and such as make profession thereof are made a mocke and ieasting stocke which is most monstrous to the Popes themselues who preferre their owne traditions farre before the commaundements of God Now that worthie and excellent function of preaching sometimes attributed to Pastors onely and proper vnto them is of that base account with them that they
of God Hypocrites they oppresse the good persecute the humble seruants of Christ imprison and burne them for that they reproue their voluptuousnesse Such men murdered Christ the Apostles and Martyrs reputing them for herotikes for that they taxed their sinnes And indeed the histories of all nations are ful of the crueltie which in this age was vsed toward the professors of this truth 63. PROGRESSION Felix the fourth voluntarily deposeth himselfe and Nicholas the fift remaineth sole Pope Mahomet Emperour of the Turkes taketh Constantinople with the slaughter of many thousand Christians and the miserable death of the Emperour Paleologus Of the pride and corruption of Aeneas Syluius called Pius the second after he became Pope NOw after the death of Eugenius in the yeare 1447 Thomas de Sorzana was created Pope by the name of Nicholas the fift whilest Felix the fourth yet liued and raigned vpon which occasion many nations remained in neutralitie namely Germanie vnder the Emperour Frederick the third whose Secretarie Aeneas Syluius was of whom we haue before made mention one of the most notable defenders of the Councell of Basil Him had Eugenius knowing his excellent wit endeuoured by promises to bind vnto him but being preuented by death Nicholas continued the same batterie and that so much the more for that he had heard that Frederick had a purpose to come into Italie to bee crowned at Rome Frederick then by the persuasion of Aeneas Syluius who had gotten into great fauour with him vndertaketh that purposed businesse and fully finisheth it And Nicholas to content the Germans consenteth to certaine agreements contained in the Bull which beginneth Ad sacram Petri sedem dated in Aprill 1447. In which namely are the Annates brought to some order and generally are approued and ratified all the prouisions and expeditions of whatsoeuer kind as well of the Councell of Basil yet continued at Basil as of Felix the fourth also other censures excommunications Anathemaes and their releasements c. by the Bull which beginneth Vt pacis dated in Iulie 1449. By which meanes Nicholas remained sole Pope Felix voluntarily deposing himselfe from the dignitie Monstrelet vol. 3. whom hee appointeth his Legat in Germanie And so was the Councell dissolued And all this was done by the mediation of the kings of France and England of Renatâ—â— king of Sicilie and Lewis the Dolphine The title of this Bull in the volumes of Councels is The approbation of the Acts of the Councell of Basil Yet because they hardly approue the same they set before it this other title The Councell of Basil is of little force Summa Constitut c. Meaning though it say nothing that all the things whatsoeuer which are not expressed in the same Bull are thereby disallowed as namely the sentence whereby the Councell is decreed to be aboue the Pope and others more of the like nature Neuerthelesse the force of our argument remaineth still firme That Martin the fift was created Pope onely by vertue of the like sentence giuen at Constance and otherwise had not beene That Eugenius was chosen by the Cardinals whom Martin had made and since Nicholas by them which Martin and Eugenius had promoted and consequently all their successors after them Therefore these are not true Popes nor lawfull Pastors which they haue ordained vnlesse these Councels remaine lawfull vnlesse their sentences keepe their authoritie Nicholas hasted to finish this agreement with the Emperour because of the yere of Iubilie at hand the market whereof would be much hindered otherwise vnto which was made from all parts so great a concourse that Platina recordeth Platina in Nichol. 5. when once out of the Vatican hauing seene the image of our Sauiour they returned to the citie a certaine mule of Peter Barbo Cardinall of S. Marke was met and stopped when none of the passengers by reason of the multitude following was able to giue place so that one another falling vpon the mule it was oppressed of the multitude and two hundred men and three horses were troden downe and choaked on the bridge of Hadrian Many also falling from the bridge into the riuer perished in the waters The yeare following Frederick arriued in Italie partly for to be crowned and partly for to marrie Leonora daughter of the king of Portugall Nicholas in the meane time being in great care and doubt least he mindfull of the auntient authoritie of Emperours would take vpon him the rule of the citie fortified the gates and the Towers the Capitol also and the castle of S. Angelo and to content the people with some shew of Magistracie he appointed thirteeen Marshals to command in xiij quarters of the citie to each of which he gaue a purble robe But Frederick fearing new commotions in Germanie made no shew of any such thing At that time Mahomet Emperour of the Turkes prepared himselfe to besiege Constantinople chiefe citie of the Christian Empire in the East and Nicholas made large promises of ayd to Constantine Paleologus so that he would ioyne himselfe to the Catholike faith that is to say make him be acknowledged supreame Bishop by the Greekes and to this end he sendeth Embassadour to him Isidore Bishop of Russia who after the Councell of Florence was ended had remained in Italie for a Cardinals hat to that end giuen him but this businesse alreadie attempted so many ages in vayne was of greater weight and consequence than could be vpon the verie instant suddenly by tumult determined So that this Emperour being brought into great extremities in that verie yeare 1453 in the moneth of May the citie being taken by force hee miserably lost his life with many thousands of men to the great dishonour and dammage of all Christendome Antonin part 3. Tit. 22. c. 13. Antoninus who liued then When the citie of Constantinople saith he was besieged by the Turkes the Greekes sent Embassadors to Pope Nicholas imploring his succours of men and money whom Nicholas would not heare thinking it a thing vnworthie to burthen Italie with impositions being alreadie exhausted of money for expenses of the warres especially for that he knew they might helpe themselues with their money if they would employ it for the leuying of souldiers A goodly consideration as if for lesser causes his predecessours had not often published many a Croisado euen against Christian Emperours and Princes But the truth is he did it of purpose to make a gaine out of his extreame daunger to get to himselfe a soueraigne commaund ouer the Greekes which is more than Antoninus durst say In the meane time that hee might turne the destruction of the Greekish Church to his owne commoditie he createth Bessarioâ— a Greeke bishop of Nice whom Eugenius had made Cardinall Patriarke of Greece on condition that he should depend vpon him though the Greekes had chosen Gennadius Scholarius who in the middest of those calamities exercised that dignitie Bodin in Demonomania Jacob. Sprenger in malleo
Princes being taken prisoners by the Palatine whereupon they fell to this agreement Krantzius in Saxon. l. 12. c. 1. Naucler vol. 2. Gener. 49. That Adolph should possesse till his death the places which he had surprised and that Diether should peaceably enioy all the rest and also should succeed Adolfe whensoeuer he should decease which happened six yeares after And this was the fruit of ouerthrowing the Pragmaticall sanction which Pius said would be so profitable to the Church Neither was France better contented with the Decree of Pius the second than Germanie and so much the lesse for that Pius to gratifie Ferdinand bastard of Alphonsus had troden vnder foot the right of the Frenchmen in the kingdome of Naples He therefore sent a Legat into France for to abolish the Pragmatical sanction which was there obserued by vertue of the Councell of Basil and moued the king by letters in these words If thou be the sonne of obedience wherefore doest thou hold and defend the Pragmaticall sanction Eugenius warned thee to leaue it as not being according to God the same did Nicholas and Calixtus as the cause of great euill and discord in the Church and yet thou wouldst neuer heare the voyce of the Church And the king was somewhat moued with these words But the Court of Parliament of Paris came to him and earnestly declareth vnto him of how great importance it was for the Christian Commonweale the want whereof would most certainely bring foure principall inconueniences First A confusion of the whole Order Ecclesiasticall Secondly The depopulation of the subiects of the kingdome Thirdly An emptying the kingdome of money Fourthly The ruine and totall desclation of Churches All which they at large lay open vnto him from point to point This their admonition may be seene at large recited by Iohn Cardinall of Arles comprehended in 89 Articles in the workes of Peter Pithou which is worthie the Readers perusing There among other things they declared vnto him out of the holie Scriptures the practise of the Primitiue Church Canons of Councels Decrees of the Fathers ordinances of Popes themselues and by the lawes of Christian Emperours and Kings especially of ours That the Election of Bishops Abbots and other Prelats of the Church doth no whit depend and neuer haue depended of the Bishop of Rome That such was neuer the intention of Charlemaigne Lewis the Meeke Philip Augustus S. Lewis Charles the Wise and others who haue euer ordained and maintained Canonicall election so that whatsoeuer things are done otherwise is by meere vsurpation Then they come to speake of the pillages and buying and selling of the Court of Rome which in France alone doth amount to many millions of gold of which they set downe examples draw a roll of them and cast vp the particulars For what doe they say that in one onely Diocesse in one yeare the expectatiue graces are found to bee in number six hundred c. Whereupon the Pope was so moued Jacob. Cardin. Papiensis in Epistolis that as Iames Cardinall of Pauia writeth to king Lewis when he heard of a refusal he cried out Guerra vsque ad capillos But knowing wel that this king was diuersly intangled with many affaires and hauing found out his easie disposition that he wold do all things of his own head he could warily obserue him That thus had Constantine the great the two Theodosius Charlemaigne and many other of his predecessors gotten themselues an immortall name and a neuer-fading glorie to wit by abolishing the Pragmaticall sanction And what can be farther off from the truth and therefore what more vnworthie But principally because he heard his humor was in many things to goe contrarie to his fathers doings and wold be absolutely obeyed in what he pleased he there taketh hold Aeneas Syluius Epist 387. data Romae 26. Octob 1461. and tickleth him in that We commend saith he this among other things that without the assemblie and consultation of many thou hast resolued to take away the Pragmaticall Surely thou art wise and shewest thy selfe to be a great king which art not gouerned but doest gouerne c. Thou doest that which is meet for thee knowing that the Pragmaticall sanction is without God thou hast decreed to banish it out of thy kingdome and wilt not enter into deliberation whether those things ought to bee done or no which thou knowest are to be done This is to be a king and a good king whom good men loue and euill doe feare c. Betimes make knowne thy wisedome as to vs it is so to the whole world to the end that none may say he was a long time vnwilling because long in deliberating And if the Prelats and vniuersities require any thing of vs let them haue recourse to vs and make thee their Mediator Knowing without doubt if the matter once had come to deliberation he should surely haue had againe the repulse And he addeth Neither do we doubt but that when thou wert exiled namely when he was out of his fathers fauour as it were out of the kingdome thou wouldest often say with thy selfe O if I one day sit on my fathers throne I will doe many acceptable seruices to thee O God Surely I will not suffer thine inheritance to be spoyled by the furie of the Turkes c. But what doth he conclude of this Now shew thy slefe gratefull to his diuine goodnesse seeing he hath made thee his sonne king and hath restored the kingdome with great glorie and for so great benefits doe this againe for him take away the Pragmaticall sanction as thou hast promised our embassadour to doe and that done which is no hard thing to doe addresse thy selfe wholly to the succouring of Christian religion against the Turkes c. Thus to abrogat this law which respected onely the Canonicall election of Bishops and the restraint of the pillages of Rome was a matter of greater importance with him than the purpose or vow of making warre against the Turkes So then Lewis resolued to disannull it vnder colour that it had beene published in the time of schisme although he concealed not to encrease the benefit That it had beene concluded in a great assemblie of Prelats and with great deliberation of time and was now hardened and had taken firme footing But to what purpose he so eagrely pursued this businesse anon after appeared whereof wee haue a shew and example in the letters of Iames Cardinall of Pauia to Francis Spinola William Cardinall of Hostia saith he told vs a storie of an Abbie in France famous for wealth and religion of which there was an Abbot old and decrepit who seeing himselfe vnprofitable in his charge for conscience sake would leaue the administration of the same I know not what Bishop whose Church was farre thence requested that the Abbay should be giuen him in Commenda The Abbay as we haue sayd was of great fame in Fraunce hauing no ill in
than milke more splendent than precious stones or polished Saphires but now their face is blacker than a coale and they are not knowne to wit for good By this deformation and spot of the Court and of Clergie-men especially of the Prelats Ecclesiasticall censure seemeth to be weakened and obedience diminished Why is this but for the contemptible life and workes of Prelats because they seeke their owne and not what is Iesus Christs But the reformation and amendment hereof belongeth to the Pope who as head of the rest ought to performe it De Censi Rom. l. ◠Q. 7. Cum Pastoris 6. q. 1. ex merito 1. q. 1. Fertur ver Hinc igitur and diligently looke to it But he that would correct others ought first looke to himselfe and them that be about him Because the life of the Pastour is an example to others And if the head languish the rest of the members are infected and when the Pastor is wounded who will applie the medicine to cure the sheepe Whereupon when the Physitian is sicke it will be said vnto him Cure thy selfe c. And to this purpose he bringeth many Canons Of Indulgences So often as sayth hee the Pope went forth in publike on some feastiuall day was giuen a plenarie Indulgence against the custome of auncient Popes notwithstanding that by such vndiscreet and superfluous Indulgences the keyes of the Chruch are contemned and penitentiall satisfaction weakened De poenis remiss c. Cum ex eo § Ad haec Out of this consideration it followeth that about giuing of expectatiue graces greater consideration ought to be had and not thus giuen euerie where on all sides and indifferently because by so great a multitude and confusion for the most part benefices are granted to persons vnworthie great matter of contention ariseth thereby Againe By the euill example and scandall which they giue to Lay men they seeme that they are come to this that S. Bernard speaketh in his sermon vpon these words of the Gospell I am the good shepheard And because it is verie long let the Reader take the paines to see it in the booke it selfe wherein he discourseth of all the corruptions of the Roman Church in his time At Padoua taught Anthonie Rozel a famous professor of the Ciuile Law who in his booke of Monarchie affirmeth That the Pope is not Lord of the world That he hath no power ouer the Emperor no temporall sword neither any authoritie aboue other Bishops There is extant besides other Treatises of the same Author Of the power of the Emperor and of the Pope and of both the swords and of the authoritie of Councels printed at Venice in the yeare 1487. Neither feared also Roderick Sanchio a Spaniard Bishop of Zamora Roderic Zamorens in speculo vitae humanae excuso Argetorti apud Iohan Pris An. 1507. and Referendarie of Paul the second to say in his booke Of the Myrror of mans life That the Pope doth not applie himselfe to wisedome nor to laudible studies neither for the peace and quiet of Christian people but onely vnto earthlie things That the Prelats doe not neither can teach for that they are altogether vnlearned giuen to their bellie and to whoredome and yet bind on the backes of poore Christians diuers insupportable burdens of traditions which in the Primitiue Church either were not at all or were left to mens libertie In the Primitiue Church saith he the faithfull were not bound with the commandements censures and pains of so many Canons Decrees Neither were there then so many snares of laws constitutions of excommunications or censures from which the faithfull though neuer so careful fearful can by no means be safe or warrant themselues There was not so many fasts cōmanded nor vigils nor silences nor Diuine Seruice for day and night enioyned daily to be sayd Lastly there was not so many feasts to be kept nor so often confession and communication of the bodie of Christ nor so many obediences to be yeelded c. So that of the Prelats of the Church may be rightly sayd that of Christ Which bind vnsupportable burdens c. Whence saith he if any of the like things were obserued in the Primitiue Church it was onely voluntarie which as then was no sinne to transgresse because it was not then forbidden And yet notwithstanding this same wretch was not ashamed to flatter Paul the second in the same booke That the Pope is not onely ordained to humane principalitie but to diuine Jdem cap. 1. l. 2. neither to commaund onely ouer men but also ouer Angels not for to iudge the quicke onely but the dead not in earth alone but in heauen also not to rule ouer the faithfull onely but ouer Infidels Aduanced saith he to that verie same dignitie to that same iurisdiction and power and to the principalitie ouer the whole world So that hee blushed not to applie vnto him the places of tha Prophets and of the Psalmes which the holie Ghost hath onely spoke and meant of the onely Sonne of God and he most highly extolleth him aboue that stammering Moses and his brother Aaron both together So that truth and flatterie two contraties proceed out of one and the same mouth In Germanie Herman Ried wrot a booke wherein he represented the corrupt maners of the Clergie by a comparison of what they ought to bee Herman Ried de vita honestate Clericorum and what in his times they then were There are saith he many Clergie-men who follow not the counsell and sentences of the Fathers receiue not the holie Scripture but despise the canons of the holie Fathers These are They which hate and deride vnderstanding and Catholike men who weigh the grieuousnesse of the crimes of the Clergie and endeauour with watchfulnesse to crie out against their false dealing Yea they affirme them to be fantasticall men Hierome de norma viuendi c. 5. disturbers of the peace hauing corrupt and polluted consciences c. And so is verified of them that saying of S. Hierome There is not a crueller beast in the world than an euill Clergie-man or Priest for he suffereth not himselfe to be corrected neither will he euer heare the truth c. Such and the like are by their Prelats permitted publikely so to liue Prouided that they giue euerie yeare a certaine sum of money to their Officials Moreouer how many are there publikely tainted with Simonie insomuch that not being able to conceale their simonie to shift if off they expresse it with other tearmes persuade themselues that so the word simonie be not heard it wil not be perceiued It is say they an ordinance or statute of the Church Others more subtilly to shift it off doe say That the Pope doth it by his fulnesse of power who may in such things dispence admit and ordaine And that then it is simonie and sinne onely when the Pope did forbid it or ordaine
Sermons publiquely foretold That Italie should be inuaded by foraine powers with so great astonishment that neither Councell nor walles nor armes should be able to resist them And this he did for fifteene yeares together whilest he liued at Florence But saith he when Charles was returned into Fraunce and the Pope freed from his feares he began to remember Hieronimus who hauing beene long before accused vnto him for inueying against the Clergie and Court of Rome not without the great scandall of them both for nourishing discords at Florence for preaching doctrines that were not Catholike was for these causes many times cited to Rome but he refused to appeare and therefore in the yere 1479 he was excommunicated But he still continuing in his preaching his aduersaries by the authoritie of the Pope getting the vpper hand drew him out of the Monasterie of S. Mark where he liued cast him into the common prison-house In which tumult the kinsfolke of those who the yeare before lost their heads slew Franciscus Valori an excellent citizen and his chiefe patron This saith Guicciardine Sauanarola was examined with tortures vpon which examination a processe was published which discharging him of those calumnies which were imposed vpon him touching his auarice his dishonest behauiour his secret practises with foraine Princes tended onely to this that such things as he had foretold were done not by Diuine reuelation but out of his owne opinion grounded vpon the doctrine and obseruation of the Scriptures And that he was not moued thereunto for any ill intent or out of couetousnesse to obtayne any ecclesiasticall dignitie but this one thing he onely respected that by his meanes a generall Councell might be called wherein the corrupt manners of the Clergie might be reformed and the degenerate estate of the Church of God as farre forth as was possible might be reduced to the similitude of that it was in the Apostles times or those that were neerest vnto them And if he could bring so great and so profitable a worke to effect he would thinke it a farre greater glorie than to obtaine the Popedome it selfe because that could not proceed but from excellent learning and vertue with a singular reuerence of all men whereas the Popedome is obtayned for the most part either by wicked meanes or the benefit of fortune Here let the Reader judge how great a sinne it is with them to desire or to forward the reformation of the Church by a generall Councell and to make it conformable to that of the Apostles times Hauing confirmed this processe in the presence of diuers religious of the same order he with two others his fellowes was depriued of his holie orders by the sentence of the Generall of the Dominicans and the Bishop Romolin who was afterward Cardinall of Surrenta deputed Commissaries by the Pope This being done he was left to the power of the secular Court by the iudgement whereof they were first hanged and then burnt which their deaths forasmuch as they did constantly endure the diuersitie of iudgements and opinions of men still continued for diuers there were that thought him an Impostor and abuser of the people others were of opinion that that confession that was published was forged or that being a man of a weake constitution it was extorted from him by torments against the truth excusing his fragilitie and weakenesse with the example of the Prince of the Apostles who being neither imprisoned nor constrained by torments or any extraordinarie force but onely terrified with the words of a simple maid denied himselfe to be the Disciple of his master notwithstanding he had heard many of his godlie admonitions and seene his miracles And hereby are those slaunders sufficiently disproued which we read in Nauclerus to be imputed vnto him Naucler Genar 50. Guicciardine charging him with no other crime but that those predictions which before he affirmed to proceed from diuine reuelation being neere his death he acknowledged to be gathered from the obseruation and interpretation of the Scriptures no doubt of the Apocalyps which sound no other things but reuelation and which no man doubts but they are written by the penne of the holie Ghost Flaminius a famous Poet of Italie in his Epitaph thought farre otherwise Dum fera flamma tuos Hieronime pascitur artus Religio fleuit dilaniata comas Fleuit ô dixit crudeles parcite flammae Parcite sunt isto viscera nostra rogo B Whilest furious flames O Ierome thy bodie weare Religion weepes and teareth her haire She weeps and cries O cruell flames O stay your ire O stay our bowels burne in this same fire Now if any man shall aske what points of Religion he desired to haue reformed in that Councell he so much thirsted after it sufficiently appeares in his bookes wherein hee ouerthroweth as much as in him lyes all humane traditions placeth all his hope in the free iustification by faith in Christ Iesus stickes onely to his passion acknowledgeth Christes merits onely maintaineth the communion vnder both kinds thundreth against indulgences and as well for life as doctrine acknowledgeth Antichrist in the Court of Rome The doctrine especially of free iustification is excellently handled in his meditations vpon the thirtieth and fiftieth psalme which Posseuinus acknowledgeth to bee composed the night before his punishment As for his sermons and other bookes the Romane Index hath purged them according to their maner But if vnder that yoake of oppression to thirst after a reformation were heresie and worthie fire and fagot doubtlesse he was not onely faultie onely in daunger for Europe was then full of excellent men whose vowes and praiers vnto God tended to the same end Neither wanted there those who foretold a reformation at hand so plainely that there was no man but saw that it proceeded from diuine inspiration We haue spoken before of Wesselus of Groening called the light of the world Iohn Ostendorp a Canon of the Church of Deuentrie visiting that reuerend old man Gerad Nouiomagus in Historia hee sayd vnto him Young man thou shalt liue to see the day wherein the doctrine of these moderne contentious diuines Thomas and Bonauenture and others of that stamp shall bee contemned and hissed at of all diuines that are truely Christian Tilemanus Spengerberg speaking to his children and neighbours Shortly saieth hee this religion which now florisheth shall grow into contempt then shall yee see the Priests and Monkes for their wickednesse auarice hatred vncleanenesse cast out of the Temples and Monasteries and another true religion shall bee reestablished For God will no longer suffer the corrupt manners of these men teaching no one word of the Gospell and leading a life worse then Painims Paulus Scriptoris a Doctor of diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Tubingue spake likewise to that purpose so did Iohn Keiserberg a preacher at Strasbourg and an Author of certaine diuinitie bookes There shall one come saith hee raised by God that shall establish it
the defence thereof insomuch as the glosse of the Pragmaticall sanction teacheth vs that neither Sixtus nor his successors Innocent the eight nor Alexander the sixt could euer bring to effect those decrees which they made in preiudice thereof which are mentioned in the first chapter of the Extrauagant de treuga et pace Pragmat tit de collat paragr Quod si cuiuscumque status in verbo quatuor ibi Glossa But the constitutions of Lewis the eleuenth Pope Sixtus being otherwise to himselfe indulgent ynough are worthie the noting One dated the eight of Ianuarie in the yeare 1475 wherein hee sheweth that by vertue of the generall Councels of Constance and Basil approued by the Pope and Cardinals note these words it is resolued to require Pope Sixtus to hold a Councell wherein order may bee taken for prouision against the inuasion of the Turke the daunger of the Schismes the abuse of Simonie in Christendome wherefore hee commaundeth all the nobilitie of the kingdome and the Prelates with other the chiefe of the Clergie to prepare themselues and to bee readie at hand when they shall bee called This Sanction was read in the Parliament the same yeare the fiue and twentieth of Ianuarie Hee could not haue curbed his furie with a stronger bridle The verie same day there was another published whereby such as remained at Rome were commaunded within the space of fiue monethes to returne into France and to reside vpon their charges and benefices according to the Canons and if they obeyed not to bee punished with the losse of their temporalties bridling both the head and the members by the same authoritie There was likewise another the same day by which all the Gouernours of cities and other the kings magistrates were commaunded diligently to search and enquire for all such of what conditions soeuer that were returned from Rome and to cause them to deliuer vnto them their letters Bulls and other expeditions and to giue knowledge thereof to the king if there bee cause If the like should be done in these daies who would not take it for heresie There followed another in the yeare 1476 dated the third of September and the seuenth exhibited to the Parliament That no Abbot Prior Religious person or any other of what estate nation condition soeuer shall presume or dare to goe to the conuocation houses of the Cistersians Clugny Charthusians or any other either generall or prouinciall without the kingdome and those countries that are subiect to the kings obedience vnder paine to the religious neuer to obtaine or possesse any benefice to the begging Friars besides banishment the vtter extirpation of all the religious of the order of those who haue done the contrarie and that for this cause least they should practise any thing with strangers to the hurt of the Commonwealth Now I would faine know in what case they are who haue no other Generals but strangers and are bound to hold their Chapters without the realme There was another the 16 of Agust in the yeare 1478 at what time the Earle Hieronimo by the commaund of Sixtus had in vaine attempted Florence and the Florentines were interdicted for punishing the traitors Our holie Father saith he hath bewrayed his hatred too much against the Commonweales of Florence and Venice by which meanes he fortifieth the Turke and openeth the gate vnto him to inuade Christendome turnes those moneyes that were destinated to the seruice of God the defence of our faith the reliefe of the poore to the maintenance of his conspiracies and that money which he is suffered to exact in Christendome hee bestowes vpon men of base condition to encrease their greatnesse c. But see what he decrees And therfore saith he we forbid all persons as well temporall as ecclesiastical either to goe or send to the Court of Rome to procure any benefices to send thither any money or to take order by way of exchange or otherwise to pay it there vpon paine of death and losse of goods c. And moreouer we giue all their mouables houshold-stuffe and horses to whomsoeuer shall giue notice of any that shall offend in this kind Our Courts of Parliament therefore which so gladly published these constitutions yea our Sorbonists that approued them were they then all heretikes We read likewise that in the assembblie held at Tours by Charls the 8 the son of Lewis M. Iohn Rhely Doctor in Diuinitie and Canon of the Church of Paris spake in the name of the French Clergie beseeching him to maintaine the Pragmaticall sanction in all points according to the Councell of Constance and Basil not permitting any thing that might be preiudicial thereunto Whether it were by reseruations prouisions Apostolical expected graces to the preiudice of elections and prouisions of ordinaries annuities petie seruices c. or by Citations of the Court of Rome Ecclesiastical censures which distract the subiects causing them to wander and the like which he easily obtained without any resistance But that which is reported by Monstrelet Monstrelet vol. 3. in nouis Chron. touching the authority which this Charls exercised at Rome euen to the face of Alexander the sixt passeth all the rest He made knowne saith he that his power was so great in Rome that he caused three or foure gallowes to be erected and did hang and behead certaine theeues murtherers and other malefactors in Campo florido and others according to the qualitie of their offence to be beaten with rods drowned punished with the losse of their eares to shew that like a true sonne of the Church and a Christian king he had a mixt and a sole Empire at Rome no lesse than at Paris and other the cities of France Thus saith Monstrelet a writer of that time 65 PROGRESSION The preposterous election of Iulius the second his treacherous practises and cruell malitious nature and how in his owne person he marched to the besieging of Mirandula and Ferrara Of the pompe and stately coronation of Iohn de Medicis called Leo the tenth and of the monstrous abuse of Indulgences in his time ALexander being dead a new successor was to be thought vpon Borgia though he were very sick was yet a great stickler in the election relying himselfe vpon the helpe of the Spanish Cardinals But on the other side the Cardinall of Ambois presuming vpon the fauour of the French Cardinals and the power of the armie withstood him The Cardinals neuerthelesse saith Guicciardine according to their custome looking euer into their owne benefit for it is that spirit that properly beares rule in those Conclaues These therefore partly by reason of their owne auarice partly the one side hindring the other by reason of this emulation make choice of neither but chuse Francis Picolhuomini called Pius the third a man verie old and then sick rather to spend some time than that they had any hope of his Popedome for within 26 dayes after he died after whose death besides and
who seeth not that the sacred Canons made in better times to direct as the rules of the Clergie and to fashion posteritie by the prescriptions of the Fathers are now become leaden rules such as in times past as sayth Aristotle were the Lesbian rules of building For as leaden rules and soft giue not euen direction for the right frame of building but being flexible are applied according to the commoditie and pleasure of the builders so we see that the Popes Canons by vse of the Rulers of the Church are made flexible as lead or wax so that now of a long time the Institutions of the Fathers and Decrees of Popes are not vsed for the gouernement of manners but applied for the getting in of money But the Iesuites thought they had found out a fit remedie when by their Spanish Index Expurgatorius Index Expurgat Hispan fol. 97. Budaeus de Tranlat Hellenismi l. 2. they commaunded all these places to be rased out But wee will adde yet this ouer and aboue out of another Treatise The auncientnesse or rather worme-eatennesse of the Canons is now of no more vse but as a doting old woman is cast out of the pleading place and reiected to the deskes of Libraries for the Canonicall discipline of the holie Ghost is long agoe cast downe from the bridge of our assemblies he alludeth to the Latine prouerbe being more than sixtie yea than six hundred yeares old c. Would to God that of this faith now almost buried we held at least but the reliques and ashes in regard of which faith God called the dispensers and disposers thereof his faithfull who inspired of God full of godlie zeale of the spirit and of God himselfe in times past were the pillars honour and ornament of the Church now and of a long time hardly retaineth it tectorium inane Ecclesiae a slight plaistering ouer of the Church the colour and image of religion instituted and taught by Christ if wee will iudge of the whole by the greatest part And he had told vs a little before the reason The ship of sociable and ciuile discipline hath beene left vnto vs by Christ the builder of the Church which hath been furnished by him or by his authoritie and direction with all manner of necessarie prouision and he hath promised vs wind in the poupe to bring the passengers to their wished hauen if the Church had continued to hold the rudder vpright and to receiue into her sayles the blowing of the spirit namely consulted the Scriptures which proceeded from the holie spirit Among the Italians was then admirable Iohn Picus Earle of Mirandula whose workes were printed in the yeare 1504 An. 1504. Joh. Picus in Conclus secund Thom. 14 20 Secund. Scotum 15. Picus in Apologia cap 3. Among the nine hundred Propositions which he publikely disputed at Rome are these The true bodie of Christ is locally in heauen sacramentally on the Altar By the power of God one same bodie cannot be in diuers places at one time to wit because there would be implication of contradiction which he maintained out of Thomas Aquinas Also according to Scotus By these words precisely This is my bodie without expressing the words going afore to wit The day before he suffered consecration cannot be made because consecration dependeth not of certaine words but on Christs institution And when the Doctors of Paris had reprehended this his Proposition Neither the Crosse nor any Image is to bee worshipped with the worship of Latria also in that manner that Thomas setteth downe In his Apologie he maintaineth that the same is Catholike and the contrary false When also they had condemned his Theses of the Eucharist he vnderttook to defend That without conuersion of the bread into the bodie of Christ and the annihilation of the same the bodie of Christ is present according to the truth of the Sacrament Yet euer to keepe himselfe from being mistaken he spake of what is possible not of what is done No doubt if he had beene free he would haue spoken more freely In a certaine Epistle of his to the Emperour Maximilian in the yeare 1500 Alexander the sixt raigning Pope he sheweth indeed with what feruentnesse he was carried to a reformation I beseech thee saith he by the faith and pietie I possibly can that thou accomplish that thy most holie purpose of setting the Christian Commonwealth into her auntient libertie so soone as possibly may be It is shaken by outward enemies rent in peeces by inward and this sheepe-fold enclosed about and consecrated by the bloud of Iesus Christ hath suffered and doth daily suffer much worse from wolues in sheepes cloathing than from the wolues that assaile it in their owne skinne Set therefore your hand vnto it most excellent Emperour and excite thereunto by all meanes the Christian kings shew thy selfe a faithfull minister to Christ the King of kings who will presently deliuer his sheepe both from enemies and from perfidious Pastors But the euent answered not his prediction Ioh. Franc. fide ordine credēdi Iohn Francis also his brothers sonne degenerated not from him In that conflict betweene the Councell of Pisa and of Lateran handling this question In matters of Faith which is to be preferred the Pope or the Councell he answereth out of the Decree it selfe It is written in the Glosse of the Decretalls Distinct 19. The Pope is bound to require a Councell of Bishops when matters of faith are treated of and then the Councell is greater than the Pope Wherupon the Archdeacon of Bononia approuing this Glosse saith It were a dangerous thing to commit our faith to the iudgement of one man And S. Bernard speaketh in the same sence saying What greater pride can there be than that one man should preferre his iudgement before a whole congregation as if he alone had the holie Spirit And after he had sayd that the greater number ought to carrie it away from the lesser caeteris paribus But sayth he if the greater part would decree any thing against the diuine Scriptures and against those things that cannot be violated without grieuous sinne the rest which are the lesser part holding the contrarie the lesser number ought to be stucke vnto as it happened in the Councell of Arimini and in the second Ephesine Councell Yea which is more a plaine rusticke fellow children and sillie old women are rather to be beleeued than the Pope and a thousand Bishops if these speake against the Gospell and those for the Gospell Handling also this question Theorem 4. Whether Councels or Popes may erre out of him is easily decided seeing he presupposeth that they might erre from the holie Scriptures hee sheweth that many Councels haue erred many Popes fallen into heresie and it hath often fallen out that he which was accounted chiefe President of the Church either did not preside or gouerne by right or else could not preside at all For saith he Historie teacheth
as for any confirmation sought for at Syluesters hands there is no mention at all made therein And farther that Epistle which we haue in the first tome of the Councels besides that it is most foolishly written is not Synodical but written as it is expressed in the title by Hosius Bishop of Corduba Macarius of Constantinople Vitus and Vincentius Priests of Rome whereas the Synodals carried alwayes the title Of the Sacred Councell and withall the names of some of the most famous Bishops and to what purpose the name of Macarius Bishop of Constantinople which was at that time scarce built Neither doth it mend the matter that Baronius in stead of Constantinople readeth Ierusalem Baron an 325. art 171. for why then should Hosias subscribe before him contrary to the order established in the Councell or why before Victor and Vincentius Lieutenants at that time for the Bishop of Rome and lastly why was not Eustathius Bishop of Antioch first named As for the confirmation it selfe of Syluester Baronius acknowledgeth that whole Epistle to be forged and proueth the falsitie thereof by the date Neither is there any greater reckoning to be made of the testimonie of Pope Felix as being a witnesse in his owne cause and liuing one hundred and sixtie yeares after this Councell and either abused himselfe or abusing others with that said counterfeit Epistle Euseb lib. 4. de vita Constant c. 41. Now there were sundrie nationall Synods held shortly after vnder the same Constantine for the confirmation of that first Nicene Councell as that of Tyre in the yeare 334 at Ierusalem An. 335 at Constantinople An. 336 Baronius quarels vs concerning the issues of them and of their confirmation But what can he say for the calling and assembling of them or can he shew that either Syluester or Marcus complained that the Emperour had done them wrong as encroaching vpon their liberties and medling with that which appertained not vnto him 5. PROGRESSION 1 That Marcus Bishop of Rome called himselfe the Vniuersall Bishop 2 That Iulius Bishop of Rome offered to restore certaine Bishops deposed by their Metropolitans 3 Of the Canon of the Councell of Sardica by which Bishops wrongfully deposed might flie to Iulius Bishop of Rome An. 337. 1 ABout the yeare 337 we haue in the first booke of the Councels an Epistle of Marcus Bishop of Rome successor vnto Syluester written to Athanasius and to the other Bishops of Aegypt wherein notwithstanding what hath beene alreadie said he taketh vpon him the name and title of Vniuersall Bishop Surely we may well imagine that this Epistle is of the same stampe with the rest There he furnisheth his cause with all the arguments which hee can deuise The Church of Rome hath alwayes continued immaculat and vndefiled by the prouidence of God and assistance of Saint Peter euer so to endure And againe The Lord in the Gospell spake vnto the Prince of his Apostles saying I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile Socrat. l. 2. c. 11. Edit Lat. Sozom. l. 3. c. 7. 2 After which time we find in Socrates and Sozomene that Iulius successor vnto Marcus tooke vpon him by absolute authoritie to restore sundrie Bishops of the Easterne Churches deposed for diuers causes by their Synods Because saith he the care of all the Churches belonged to him by reason of his See therefore he wrot to the Bishops of the East telling them that they had done verie ill to determine and conclude any thing against those Bishops without his priuitie Where it is to bee noted that these last words without his priuitie are added in the Latine translation there being none such to be found in the originall it selfe And farther saith he Iulius commaunded them to send some of their companions to appeare before him vpon a day appoynted Epist Marci in 1. tomo Concil to giue a reason and to iustifie their proceedings against them And if this Epistle be all one with that which we find in the first to me of the Councels with this title In the behalfe of Athanasius and concerning certaine excesses against the Church of Rome then would he farther persuade them therein that the Fathers of the Nicene Councell decreed That no Bishop might bee judged but by his See no Synod called but by his authoritie and thence proceedeth to sharpe reproofes and reproachfull speeches concluding at last That whosoeuer shall attempt any thing against this doctrine is irreuocably damned and for euer deposed from his charge And farther That whosoeuer shall be deposed without his authoritie he will maintaine him in his place and addeth this reason For that euer since the times of the Apostles and lately by the decree of the Nicene Councell as much the one as the other all greater causes haue euer beene reserued to the hearing and finall determining of his See An. 347. 3 So likewise in the yeare 347 in the Councell of Sardica at the motion of Hosius there was a decree which passed to this purpose That Bishops deposed by their Metropolitans if they found themselues aggrieued might craue and haue a new hearing of their cause before Iulius Bishop of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which his successors since that time from a particular case haue extended to all sorts of causes and from the person of Iulius to all succeeding Popes and we now come to examine what Oppositions were made against these attempts OPPOSITION First therefore as touching the Epistle of Marc Athanas in Orat. Vnum esse Christum col 104. Athanasius himselfe might well haue answered him as he sometime spake in a treatise of his Thou art Peter and vpon this stone will I build my Church This is a faithfull saying and varieth not The Church is a thing inuincible And if perhaps Marc would haue gone to restraine this answere to himselfe and to his See Athanasius might haue replyed that though indeed he defended him yet his successor Liberius did openly condemne him namely when he wrote vnto the Bishops of the East in this manner Epist Liberij ad Oriental apud Hilar. in fragment I cast off Athanasius from our Communion not daining so much as to receiue his letters I maintaine peace with you embracing the confession of the Syrmian Councell which is all one in effect as if he had in expresse words renounced the Councell of Nice Wherefore S. Hilarie who liued at that time cryed out Ibid. This is an Arrian trecherie Anathema to thee O Liberius and to all thy companions Athanas in epist ad solitar vitam agentes col 470. Hiero. in Catal. in Fortunatian Bellar. de Rom. Pontif. li. 4. c. 9. Anathema againe and againe vnto thee thou false hearted double dealing Liberius And this is that accursed and wretched testimonie which Athanasius also and Ierome giue of him And Bellarmine himselfe acknowledgeth as much by reason of certaine letters which he wrote to Constantius the Emperour and