zeale and feruent affection I cease yet neuer ceasing most deuoutly to pray still both for your own good for the kings seruice for the peace of the land generally for the seruice of God that he will giue me grace I may truâ—ly say with Paul in your behalfe since the case is not very much vnlike that which he saith of the Iewes Rom. 9. I speake the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost that I haue great heauinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart for I would my selfe euen be seperate for my brethren the Romish Catholikes to whome pertained the adoption and the glorie and the couenants and the giuing of the law and the seruice of God and the promises of whome are the Fathers and who hauing bequeathed or rather bequited them vnto vs as the Sinagogue had done vnto them both remaine depriued thereof Whereunto I pray God from the bottome of my heart to restore you all againe with vs that so both Iewes and all Christians as naturall brethren after a long discord reconciled together vnder one God and father one Lord and Elder Brother in one Church and Mother may enioy together one eternall glorie in the heauenly Ierusalem which is the mother of vs all Amen The Argument of the whole Treatise consisting of eighteene Sections ECclesiasticall Iurisdiction chiefly and essentially belongs to the Church but to the Pope and other Bishops ministerially onely as the power of seeing to the eye Christ immediatly and by himselfe did giue the keyes or iurisdiction vnto the hierachicall order by the immediate and reall sending forth of all the Apostles and Disciples The definition of the Church by essentiall causes S. Peter is onely the dispenser ministeriall head but Christ the right absolute Lord essential head founder foundation of the Church Wherefore all arguments drawne from the ministeriall to the essential head come short are fallacious * A dicto secuÌ„dum quid ad dictum simpliciter as being inferred from that which is said in some respect to that which is affirmed simply In the Church her state must be distinguished from her gouernement the state being monarchicall only to maintaine order and vnitie and to the powerfull execution of the Canons But the gouernment is Aristocraticall for wholesome counsell infalible prouidence and constitution of Canons For the Church is gouerned by Canons not by absolute power The infallible power of decreeing making Canons belongs to the whole Church which is the very pillar ground of truth not solely or onely to Peter And that prooued by the practise of the whole Church This place of the Gospell expounded Simon Behold Sathan hath desired to wiâ—ow you as wheate but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not c. The frequent holding of Councels is absolutely and simply necessarie to the better and more holy gouerning of the Church and in what cases the Buls and Decretals of Popes doe binde How farre the fulnesse of the Popes power may be extended And in what case he may dispense with the canons of Councels Though the Church haue but one essentiall head neuerthelesse in regard of the exercise and execution of gouernment she is differently ruled by the Pope and by the Ciuill Prince Whereas the Church hath neither territory nor right of the Sword from Christ being onely ordained to a supernaturall and spirituall end shee can determine of the meanes necessarie to saluation onely by perswasion and direction not by constraint or inflicting of temporall punishments The ciuill Prince as being Lord of the Common-wealth and Country is the Protector and Defendor both of the Diuine Naturall and Canonicall law And to those ends may both establish lawes and exercise the sword The Ciuil Prince by the title of Protector of the Church and defendor of the Canons is the lawfull Iudge of all * Appellationes de abusu appeales for abuse as they are termed And from thence haue the liberties of the Gallicane Church had their beginning Confutation of those arguments which due attribute absolute authoritie to Popes In a generall Councel the Pope is held to bee the head so far forth as concernes preaching of the word administration of Sacraments and execution of Canons but not as touching direction and correctiue power ouer the whole Councell This Canon expounded No body must iudge the first See The finall cause of the Church which is euerlaâ—ting life by a good gouernment showes euidently that Peter is by the Church and for the Church as the eye by man and for man What the meaning is that the Church hath also indirect power in temporall things And the answeare to the contrarie arguments A TREATISE OF Ecclesiasticall and Politicke power IT is a common Principle and of an vndoubted faith that God Nature haue still a more chiefe and immediate regard to the whole then to any part neuer so noble thereof And for an example the power of Seing hath therefore bin giuen vnto man that it might bee executed by the eye as mans instrument and minister to that purpose for the eye subsisteth both by man and for man The Schoole of Paris building vpon that most infallible ground conformably to the opinion of all auncient Doctors of the Church hath euer and most constantly taught That Christ in the foundation of his Church hath more chiefly immediatly and essentially giuen the keyes or authoritie to the whole Church then to Peter Or which comes al to one That he hath giuen the keyes to the whole Church ministerially to be vsed by one man Seeing all Ecclesiasticall power belongs properly essentially and first to the Church but to the Pope and other Bishops instrumentally and ministerially and onely so far forth as concernes the exercising as the power of seeing to the eye Let no body therefor glorie in men for all things are yours that is to say of the church Whether it be Paul or Apolos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether things present or to come for all things are the Churches and the Church Christs and Christs Gods 1. Cor. 3. c. For surely when it pleased our Sauiour Mat. 16.19 to promise by words of future the keyes to Saint Peter in the name of the whole Church after this maner I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. He did afterwards actually giue and deliuer them to the whole hierarchical order together First by a generall commission Mat. 18.17 where he doth establish the Church sufficient in it self a chief Gouernesse Tell it vnto the Church Secondly by a reall sending forth Luc. 10.1 The Lord appointed other seauenty also and sent them two and two before him into euerie citie place whither he himselfe shold come Iohn 17.18 Likewise when a little before or immediatly after the celebration of the Lords supper he prayeth to his father for his Church in these
alone and only the essentiall head by whome and for whome the Church subsisteth for which cause also hee speakes thus to Peter Matthew 16.18 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Wherein is to bee noted that hee doth not say thy Church or the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against thee likewise Iohn 21.15 Feede my Lambes Feede my Sheepe hee doth not say thy Sheepe or thy Lambes And that purposely to shew that Ecclesiasticall men are called to a meere and simple dispensation or administration not to any temporall Dominion or Gouernment meerely and absolute Monarchicall The Kinges of the Nations raigne ouer them but with you it shall not bee so Luc. 22.25 and 1. Peter 5.2 Feed the flock which depends vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not as Lords of the flocke but that yee may bee a good example to them Which places of the Scripture Bernard ad Eugen. lib. â— cap. 5. doth expound after this sort Goe then thou also and vsurpe if thou dare either an Apostleship being a Lord or a Lordship being Apostolicall Thou art plainely forbidden both and if thou wouldst possesse both together thou shalt loose both This is the Apostolical forme Dominion is forbidden ministration is commaunded and commended by the example of the law-giuer * Luc. â—2 27 I am in the midst of you as one that ministreth c. By which both Saint Peter and Bernard doe set before our eyes a patterne of aristocraticall gouernment which shall bee more largely described afterwards Sect. 5. 6. and 8. I am not ignorant that our Nouelists better to defend their priuiledges doe maintaine that by these words Feed my sheep Christ hath giuen the whole Ecclesiastical iurisdiction solely to Peter alone to distribute it afterwards at his pleasure to whom he would But those idle pretences are so plainely and manifestly confuted by the Oracles of holy Scripture by the testimony of all auncient Fathers and by the whole practise of the primitiue Church that it is a great wonder how they dare forge such absurdities For indeed this speech of our Lord Feed my sheep c. doth confer vpon S. Peter as a ministeriall head a prime and ful authoritie of administring or executing the diuine naturall and canonicall law according to the rules of aristocraticall moderation Vpon which point looke Sect. 9. Which grounds being thus laid al those and other like arguments remain very easily answered That Petrus is Petra the foundation head of the Church and therefore without him the Church falleth Or that as a body being without a head a streame without a spring a beame without a Sunne a branch without a stock an arme of a tree cut from his body perisheth and withereth no more can the Church subsist without a Pope As though the Pope were the primary and not the secondary the essentiall and not the ministeriall Head of the Church Whence followes that the commandement of hauing a Pope binds * Ad semper non pro semper As Schoolemen speake for euer but not at all times The third principle makes a distinction betweene the State of the Church and her gouernment 〈◊〉 the State indeed is monarchicall as wel to maintaine vnitie order as to execute the Canons which execution is proper enough to the Pope as to a ministeriall head But the gouernment is Aristocraticall for found prouidence effectuall counsell and decreeing of those Canons for which cause wee sayd Sect. 1. That the keyes were giuen to the whole Church to bee vsed by one man For God hath ordained his Church his Spouse to be gouerned by Canon or counsel that the Pope and other Bishops might not bee able to decree any thing of moment of their own head or by the aduice of some oligarchicall Councell that is to say of few but that they should ofteÌ„ assemble craue the aduice of an aristocratical Councel of the church Therfore doe we read that it was ordained by the auncient Fathers that euerie yeare two prouinciall Councels shold be assembled For look what proportion there is betwixt a generall Councel and the Pope the same is also betweene particular Sinods their Bishops For particular Churches likewise must bee gouerned by their own Bishops with the rule of Canons not with absolute power Furthermore we hold the right and naturall Senate or Counsell of the Church instructed by our Lord to be not only the assembly of all the Bishops but of all Priests hauing charge of soules Of the which the former succeede the Apostles the latter the seuenty Disciples Dist â—8 Can. Charepiscopi ibid. Quaest 1. Can. Ecclesia and Dist 23. Can. Presbiter For the Priests indeede in times past did go 〈◊〉 the Church in common as Saint Hierome doct wiâ—nes Can. Legimus Dist 93. The fourth principle is That the infallible power of decreeing and making Canon is in the power of the whole Church or of a generall Councell representing the same Wherein principally consisteth the nature of aristrocraticall gouernment and is most clearely demonstrated partly by diuine partly by naturall light For indeede many eies can see farther and clearer then one alone neither is it giuen either from God or nature to any one alone to bee wise least hee should gloâ—ie in himselfe Moreouer The body of the Church is not one member only but manie If the whole bodie were an eye where were the hearing â— Cor. 12.24.17 And the spirits of the Prophets are 〈◊〉 the Prophets that is to the Church 1. Cor. 14 〈…〉 There is but one Bishopricke whereof a part is 〈…〉 â—um that is wholy by euery one 24. Quaest 〈…〉 â—tur Wherefore it is necessarie that 〈…〉 â—ncernes all should beâ— also approued 〈…〉 Since euery high Priest is taken from 〈…〉 â—mpassed with infirmitie Heb. 5.1.2 〈…〉 and bee deceiued except hee req◠〈…〉 Church which is the pillar groun◠〈…〉 â—refore when Christ was readie t◠〈…〉 â—hee doth promise the spirit of 〈…〉 Câ—urch not vnto onâ— and only Pâ—◠〈…〉 And I wâ—â—â— pray the Father and 〈…〉 â—ter that hee may abide with you for euer 〈◊〉 â—he spirit of truth And againe Mat. 18.15 hâ—â— doth establish his Church sufficient in it selfe and a chiefe Commandresse by the erecting of an infalible Court whiles hee doth so in these following words instruct Saint Petâ—â— desirous to know how many times he should forgiue his brother offending If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and proue him betweene thee and himself 〈◊〉 c. And if hee refuse to heare the Church 〈…〉 vnto thee as an Hâ—â—then man and a Publican Verily I say vnto you 〈…〉 yee bind 〈…〉 shalb◠〈◊〉 in heauen c. Againe 〈…〉 if two of you shâ—â— agree in earth vpon any â—â—ing whatsoeuer they shall desâ—â— it shall bee giuen 〈…〉 which is in heauen For where two or three are gaâ—â—â—red together in my 〈◊〉 there am
to law For euery man will easily obserue thus much that shall reade the 6. chap. of the 1. to the Corint consideratly and without all preiudice only bringing with him a desire of the truth Now let vs passe to the ciuill power Truly since the ciuill Prince is the Lord of the Common-wealth and Countrie protector and defendor of the diuine naturall and canonicall law And to that end doth beare the sword It is he alone that hath the power of constraining and restraining by inflicting corporall punishment Wherefore for the good of the Church and execution of Ecclesiasticall Canons he may make lawes and inroll them among his Ordinances Records Charters as we find that the Emperors Constantine Theodosius Iustinian Charles the great Saint Lewis Charles 7. Francis 1. and others of our Kings haue done Whereupon Saint Austen Epist 48. ad Vincent The Kings of the earth ought to serue Christ euen making lawes for Christ according to the admonition of Dauid Psalme 2.10 Be yee wise now therefore yee Kings be learned yee Iudges of the earth serue the Lord in feare Eusebius likewise cap 24 lib. 4 of the life of Constantine the great rehearseth that that Noble Emperour was wont thus to speake vnto his Bishops Yee are established Bishops by God within the Church and I a Bishop without As if hee would say that it is the dutie of Christian Princes by vertue of their owne offiâ—â—â—o make ordinances for the execution of the diuine naturall and Canonicall law and if occasion require draw the sword yet keeping still the moderation of the parable of the tares Mat. 13.30 That is to say without breach of the publike peace And the same is confirmed by the same Saint Austen Epist ad Vincent euen now named All which things being well conceiued It is easie to perceiue both in what sence Optatus Mileuitanus affirmeth That the Church is within the Common-wealth that is as it were vpon another mans ground Territory and Dominion And also whether Christian Princes did in times past assemble the Councells of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and other generall Synods rightfully or wrongfully for that indeede concernes the execution of the diuine naturall and Canonicall law Here for a corrollary and short addition wee will adde one word more which is That the naturall liberties of the Catholike Church or the common right giuen her by God and Nature are clearely strengthned in these eight grounds and principles so that none can except against them but withall hee must needs infringe the whole diuine naturall and canonicall law And this looke how often it hath hapned so often hath it giuen iust occasion to our Frenchmen to appeale from it as from an abuse Of which appeales the Prince and Ciuill Magistrate as being the protector of the Church and defendor of the Canons hath the supreame moderation For hee iudgeth of the abuse only and that belongs to the execution of the case And indeâ—â— that manner of proceeding among our French hath caused the beginning of the liberties of the Gallicane Church as they are commonly termed As also I heare that Spaniards other christian nations when any thing proceeds from the Court of Rome which is against their customes and orders are wont to labor by intreatie that it might not be put in execution Whence it appeares that in the matter it selfe they agree with vs but disagree only in the forme and manner of proceeding A Confutation of the contrarie opinion THose that maintaine the contrarie opinion that is the Popes absolute power First doe confound the State of the Church with the gouernment of it forsooth because Christ did adopt Saint Peter for a Pastor of the Church and his Vicar Iohn 21.15 he himselfe being the absolute King and Monarch thereof therefore they conclude that absolute and purely Monarchicall commaundement belongs vnto Saint Peter as being Christs lieftenant And by and by that the Pope hath not only the whole Ecclesiasticall power but also all authoritie ouer the temporalty indirectly at least and in ordine ad spiritualia with relation to spirituall things as the most reuerend Cardinall Bellarmine teacheth Secondly they inferre that there is no need at all of holding Councells for the better and more holy gouernment of the Church since the Lord hath deliuered vp vnto Peter solely and alone the infalible authoritie and power to confirme his brethren Luc. 22.32 Thirdly they conclude that if Councells bee assembled at any time the Church neuer so lawfully gathered there hath no right at all to decide of any thing the Pope being either absent or not consenting Fourthly that the Pope may abrogate at his pleasure all Canons of generall Councells concerning Ecclesiasticall policie and altogether disanull them and make all new Fiftly that the Pope hath not only power ouer all the particular Churches scattered ouer the world but euen ouer the generall Councell and that hee himselfe is in no case subiect vnto the Councell All which weake grounds it is most easie for any to beate downe hauing once well conceiued of our former principles For in the first place they all aime but at this to ascribe that very same power to Peter as the ministeriall head which only indeede belongs to one Christ alone being Lord and founder of the Church which is sophistically inferred a dicto simpliciter ad dictum secundum quid from that which is affirmed simply to that which is said but in a manner But I pray you is there not a great difference betweene the Master and the Steward that is betweene Christ and Peter For the Church is by Christ and for Christ but Peter by the Church and for the Church as the eye by man and for man For confutation of their second principle you may reade it Sect. 7. The third the fourth and the fift bee not worth answering being all fallaciously inferred a dicto simpliciter ad dictum secundum quid from that which is affirmed simply to that which is said but in a manner as though Peter had the same power ouer the Church which Christ hath And surely if we loue the truth we must freely say that by nature a desire is giuen to all men to be free and happie but who may naturally bee happy without freedome But if the infallibilitie of decrecing doe decide out in the Pope solely and a lone no body then shall halfe the power of deliberatiue voice in the assemblies of the Church which is against the pleasure of the Lord Matt. 18 18. Wherevpon looke our â— Section So that if this opinion take place it followes that Christ hath suffered all his extremities only to submit his Spouse the Church that is to say all Christians to the soueraigne Empire of the Pope Which is directly contrarie to the law of God and Nature But now because of all the arguments of our Aduersaries three principally seem to be of som waight we will also examine them First that Peter hath
been ordained by Christ to bee the Sheep-heard ouer the whole Church in these wordes Feede my sheepe and that by that diuine speech neither Apostles nor generall Councels are excluded being all Christs sheepe and therefore to be fed by S. Peter the Vicar of Christ To that we answere that by these wordes Christ did giue no other authoritie but ministeriall vnto Peter as we haue proued Sect. 4.5 and 9. And that the duty of a Minister and Vicar is to put in execution the precepts of the Diuine Naturall and Canonicall law but yet according to the rules of the Aristocraticall temper ordained by God And that therefore Peter is accounted a Pastor only for the execution of Canons administration of the word and other such things which may better be managed by one man alone then by the whole Church gathered together in a Councell Their second argument is That the whole Church gathered together in a Councell makes but one Familie one Flocke one Kingdome and visible bodie of Christ therefore must also necessarily haue a visible head the Pope and it would seeme a strange Monster if one bodie should haue two supreme heads the Pope and the generall Councell Wee answere that the Church is a Monarchicall policie tempered by an Aristocraticall Gouernement Whence of necessitie it followes that the Councell hath the supreme power for direction of Gouernement correction and authoritie to make Canons And as for Peter hee hath it only for the execution exercise and vse of the â—â—ies towardes the particular Churches Looke our Sect. 4.5.6 and 9. Thirdly they alleage that in the Councell held at Rome vnder Pope Siluester with 280. Bishops it is ordained cap. 20. Let no body iudge the first Sea which is desirous to temper iustice The Iudge shall not bee iudged no not of the Emperour not of the whole Clergie nor of King nor of People Which sentence Gratianus citeth 9. quest 3. Can. Nemo But if wee must needes tell you what wee thinke thereof whosoeuer wiâ—l duly consider that Canon shall euen at the first sight perceiue that it is more hurtfull then fauourable to the Aduersaries because the opinion of the Schoole of Paris grounded vpon the decree of the Synode of Constance teaches that the Pope may bee iudged by the Councell in that case only when he doth notoriously scandalize the Church and is incorrigible But if he be desirous to temper iustice truly he must be iudged of no body since he law is not made against a iâ—â— man being a perpetuall law to himselfe Secondly although this Canon should decree absolutely yet can it not derogate any thing from the authoritie of the decrees of the Councell of Constance since it was made in a particular Church which indeede ought not to iudge of the Pastor of the whole Church vnlesse hee submit himselfe to the iudgement of that Councell as once Pope Sixtus the third did 2. quest 4. Canon Mandaslis Therefore those wordes No not of the whole Clergie must hee vnderstood distributiuely of some Church or particular Clergie but not ioyntly of a whole generall Councell as that of Constance or Basill was Thirdly who is acquainted with the reading of Councells shall soone perceiue that there are many harsh and vnproper thinges in this Canon which make it iustly suspected of manifest iâ—â—eption For certainely in those times the Fathers of the Church did not speake so gloriously neither did the persecutions giue them leaue to thinke of any absolute power Moreouer what needes to haue spoken of Kinges since at that time there were none at all but only the Romane Emperors But thou Christian Reader we pray thee looke thereupon Cardinall Cusanus lib. 2. cap. 20. de concordantia Catholicas For all other authoritie which are cited out of the writings of Popes read 9. quest 3. there is no great account to be made of them since Iohn Gerson and other Parisian Doctors doe answere in a word That none is to be beleeued in his owne cause except his testimonie agree with the Diuine Naturall and Canonicall law But now it is contrarie to the law of God and Nature that the ministeriall head should haue power ouer the Church And surely the finall cause of the Church which is euerlasting life by a good gouernment declares euidently that the Pope is by the Church and for the Church not contrariwise The Church by and for the Pope Therefore in the matter of Ecclesiasticall gouernment that Cephas that was Peter is subiect vnto the Church as the eie vnto man 1. Cor. 3.21 Therefore let no man glorie in men for all thinges are yours that is of the Church Whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas c. Item 2. Cor. 13.10 All power is giuen to edification not to destruction From whence it ariseth as proued that the Church by the Diuine and Naturall law can prouide and preuent that the Pope may not rule her to her owne destruction as it was decided Conc. Constant Sess 4. and 5. Finally whereas they crie so loud that the Church hath an indirect authoritie ouer the Temporaltie it is true by way of doctrine perswasion direction and exclusion from the communion of the Church but false that it ought to be done by constraint and deposition of Princes as we haue shewed Sect. 11. 12 Seeing the Church hath neither Territorie nor vse of the materiall sword Whosoeuer therefore doe maintaine that the Church may lawfully depose Christian Princes doe euen as much as if one should inferre that the Schoole-master because he hath the authoritie of Scholasticall discipline may disinherite his Disciples of their partrimonie if they be obstinate against his discipline Which also is fallacious as being wrested à dicto secundum quid addictum simpliciter from that which is said in some respect to that which is affirmed simply For such thinges which are true in some one and peculiar sense ought not to be stretched to an vniuersall and absolute sense but by Sophisters and Iuglers only And if they vrge further that the Church is sufficient in it selfe and a supreme commandresse The answere is that that must be limitted within those bounds which be assigned by nature to euery thing But the essentiall causes of the Church will not suffer that church-men should meddle with violent or secular businesses Wherefore all the sufficiencie of the Church gouernment ought to be deriued from the obseruation of the commandements of God but not from any temporall Monarchie or right of sword Mat. 28.19 Goe therefore and teach all nations baptizing them and teaching them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commanded you and lot I am with you alwaies vntill the end of the world For the arguments which doe vphold this doctrine wee will reduce them to three heads The first shall containe all the examples which Sanders Bellarmine Coâ—queus and others set forth out of the old Testament but all ab ignoratione Elenchi through vnskillfullnesse of arguing Who is ignorant among vs that there is a farr different nature of the Iewes Sinagogue and of the Christian Church of the law of Moses and of the Gospell For these indeede had Territorie alloâ—ted them consequently might haue right of meere command from God which no wise man will euer affirme of the Church And to this that the Euangelicall law compared to that of Moses yea to any other law whatsoeuer is a law truly Roiall and full of mildnesse and most perfect libertie whereas the law of Moses was a most seruile bondage Act. 15.10 Gal. 4.3 The second head offereth vnto vs the authorities taken out the Canonicall law which Cardinall Bellarmine commended namely cap. 3. Synod Lateran where it is ordained that Kings and Princes are to be deposed which doe not roote out all Heretikes from their Dominions The answere is that these and the like ought to haue no more power against ciuill Princes then the extrauagant of Boniface 8. Vnam Sanctam or the constitution of Paul 4. Cum ei Apostolatus of siue which is to be read in the Directorie for Inquisitors seeing those decrees haue been made not Synodically that is with consent of the whole Church but by the Popes priuately and by their owne proper motion which therefore doe not binde because the Church is ruled by Canon not by absolute power Sect. 5. and 8. For the third head we denie absolutely that the deposition of King Chilperiâ— or the translation of the Empire to the French was by the only authoritie of the Popes without consent authoritie or desire of the people And though it were true as they say yet would it make but very little or nothing to the decision of our present Controuersie since it rather openeth a question of fact then of right as also the examples of the deposing of Henrie 4. Frederick 2. and other Emperous or Kings Let therefore our Aduersaries dispute of right not of fact for our Lord Iesus Christ hath ordained the Christian commonwealth to be gouerned by good manners and Canons not by examples The solution of all other arguments drawen either from holy Scripture or any where else may be taken out of the most learned Treatise of M. Iohn of Paris touching Regall and Papall authoritie Let all these thinges be subiect vnto the iudgement of the Catholike Church FINIS
most strictly to him and neuerthelesse two of them at least doe but hold by a bare and verie small threed As the third also would stand in the like case but that beeing so neere and terryfying a neighbour of all sides vnto the Pope he holds him by the throat as they say being able to starue him to death with all the Consistorie whensoeuer he will but restraine the transportation of corne out of Sicily and other his dominions round about whereby he commandeth more then he is commaunded not perhaps more then hated if they durst shew it and neuer giues their holy Ghost leaue to sing any other song but that which hee sends him ready prickt from Madrid Now then if these men when they haue done al their vtmost power yea in the stretching of their loue filial duty enlarged kindnes beyoÌ„d that which they can wel warraÌ„t yet can they assigne vnto their father the Pope no more then a generall care of soules with a ministeriall direction onely for order and execution of Canons ouer particular Churches no power at all ouer the vniuersall Church in grosse much lesse ouer a generall Councell much lesse or in the same degree ouer the bodies of men by violence or any temporall punishment but by meere counsell persuasion onely And if not so much as ouer priuate bodies least of all ouer Kings and ciuill Princes which rather they allow and openly acknowledge to haue right and authoritie to commaund both Church and Church-men in some cases to which Princes all men aswell Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill must be most humble and faithfull subiects as being in so much as they be Lords of the territorie established by God Protectors and Defendors of the Church and of both Diuine and Naturall lawes with attribution of the materiall Sword to themselues only priuatiuely and exclusiuely from all others within their owne dominions What stop then any more deere brethren but that you shold gladly yeeld your naturall dutie and allegiance to your naturall king since ye are bouÌ„d to yeeld it euen to the froward 1. Pet. 2.18 That you should willingly giue him but that simple pawne of your loyaltie your oath the simplest that could euer be imagined vpon that great straight and necessitie whereunto the State was brought by that portentuous mischiefe which did once so nearely and daungerously threaten kingdome and vs all as you your selues haue bene most vndoubting eye-witnesses You shall not be Catholikes neuerthelesse and you know how little or nothing besides that is required at your hands your consciences are no waies pressed your thoughts are most free and your words thank God for it and your gracious King may freely expresse them In so much that euerie day some of you God forbid I should say all dispute as peremptorily speake as odiously decide as vnchristianly inueigh as publikely against vs and our Religion here in the midst of London to our selues and one to another to our owne faces as thogh they were in the verie middle of Rome or Seuil very farre from the pittilesse fiers of those hot Countries where they burn without remission not only such as speak the least word I doe not say against God for they let them alone but against the Pope for that is the greater sinne yea euen against those they can by any meanes discouer to haue had at any time any thought or bee able afterwards to haue it against him Onely all you may complaine of is that yee haue not as free and as publike exerâ—ise as we of the rites of your Religion And yet in some sort haue yee it by hooke and by crooke or by a soueraigne transcendency of grace so much haue euer all Magistrates of our Religion abhorred extreame execution of the lawes but being forced thereunto by violent attempts For shame therefore be contented Enioy peaceably that liberty which you may buy so cheape and rather loue the certaine quietnesse of your present estate then the incertitude of another which sure cannot be but troublesome Force not by an vnnatural rebelliouâ— wilfulnesse in so iust in so lawfull a matter your naturall and most gracious King to be most vnvnwillingly and with a great griefe to hâ—s heart more sharp against you then the sweet inclination and meeknes of his royall nature will beare I conclude with an addition to your further encouragement of some decrees d cided and set downe two hundred yeres agoe by the verie same Sorbonne against that false doctrine and such as seemed then to broach it a new whom they neuer failed to condemne and caused them publikely to aske pardon and make satisfaction as Frier Iohn Sarazin Iohn Tanquarell Florentin Iacob Thomas de Blanzy and sundrie others at sundry times did Which decrees yet now of late they haue caused againe to bee printed by their owne Printer Felix de Blanuile in S. Victors streete in Paris and bound together with this present booke with this title Of the power and supremacie of the Pope Against the Sectaries of this age Repeating once more the diffinition of the Church as it is set downe in the title page of this booke to point as it were with the finger that both sprung together out of one the same fountaine Whereby you may see how carefull they haue euer beene to dash the young ones of Babilon against the right rocke of the truth The decrees are these after a long rehearsall of the cause and ceremonies of Sarrazins recantation in presence of the Rector of the Vniuersity and whole scores of Doctors there named one by one as witnesses THat all powers of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction other then that of the Pope are from Christ himselfe in as much as concerneth primary institution and collation but from the Pope and from the Church for limitation and ministeriall dispensation onely That those powers are of diuine right and immediatly ordeined by God That we finde in the Scripture that Christ hath founded his church and expresly ordained other powers differing from that of the Pope That whensoeuer any matters bee ordained in a Councel the whole authoritie which giueth force to the decrees doth reside not in the Pope onely and alone but principally in the holy Ghost and the Catholike Church That by the text of the Scripture and doctrine of the Apostles wee see directly that authoritie of iurisdiction was conferred vpon the Apostles and Disciples when Christ did send them forth That the power of Iurisdiction of inferiour Prelates either Bishops or Curates is immediatly from God according to the doctrine of the Gospell and the Apostles That there is some power that is the power of the Church which of right and incertaine cases can decree against the Pope That any man liuing of whatsoeuer title authority dignity or preeminence hee may be euen though hee were a Pope if onely he haue the vse of reason may commit Simony Finally most heartily intreating you to take in the best part of this my louing
Councell would haue taken vp the difference betwixt them as a little before she had decided the controuersie about the obseruation of legall Ceremonies Act. 15.1 In this place as for a little accessorie and enlarging of fauour wee may adde that Saint Peter by the right interpretation of the Scripture and Canons may strengthen in the faith particular persons or a Church which are gone astray and in that sence Saint Hierome in an Epistle to Pope Damasus doth require of him leaue to say or not say Hypostases in the plurall number which is as much as the interpretation of the Nicene Creede I desire saith he from a Pastor the assistance hee owes to a sheepe Consider of it according to your iudgement I shall not feare to say three Hypostases if if you bid me And the same hath euer beene the regard of Theodoret and of all the rest when at any time they haue had their refuge to the holy Apostolicall Sea The first principle shewes That often celebration of Councells is absolutely and simply necessarie for the better and more holy gouerning of the Church for as Aristotle saith in his Politikes It is farre more expedient to be ruled by lawes then by the absolute power of any whosoeuer For lawes indeede are instead of God and are not possessed either with loue or hatred or any other humane passion Whence it comes that you find so oftē these Phrases in the Actes of the Councells To doe any thing besides the Canon without the Canon against the Canon according to the Canon By which stile is shewed that the Church must bee directed by Canon and that in auncient times nothing was decreed without a Councel and Aristocraticall moderation Hence also is it that we reade how the Bishops of France wrote vnto Pope Nicholas that the Bulls and Decretalls of Popes doe no way bind vnlesse they agree with the discipline of Canons and Councells formerly receiued and approued Can. Si Romanorum Dist 9. To which also ought to bee referred the Canon Omnia Quaest 1. Whereupon looke Flodoardus lib. 3. cap. 21. pag. 231. Whō Father Sirmond a Iesuite hath euen of late published since indeede the Pope which is but the ministeriall head cannot bind the vniuersall Church without calling her without hearing her and without taking her counsell and consent For then are the lawes established when they are published and then confirmed when approued by the practise of those that liue vnder them As Austen witnesseth Dist 4. Can. In istis And therein stands principally the libertie of the Catholike Church or the Aristocraticall gouernment and is the speediest and gentlest meanes to vnite and preuent Schismes againe Vpon the ground of which principle Hinemarus Archbishop of Rhemes answereth to another Hinemarus Bishop of Laon his Nephew That the decretall Epistles of Popes reported to be set forth before the Councell of Nice are but of small credit because they agreed not with the holy Canons Whereupon looke likewise Flodoard lib. 3. cap. 22. fol. 243 verso c. 244. recto And from thence also wee may plainely learne what law our French Predecessors haue euer vsed The sixt principle defines the fulnesse of the Popes authoritie First towards the particular Churches dispersed through the world but no manner of way towards the whole Church gathered together in a Councell Secondly in the matter of execution interpretation and dispensation but no wayes to the constitution of Canons vnlesse either by himselfe or by his Legats hee preside in the Councell and gather the voyces and consent of all the Fathers as we haue proued Sect. 6. But the Pope may dispense with the decrees of Councells in such a case only as the Councell it selfe might dispence were it assembled And that is confirmed by the opinion of Pope Zozimus which wee haue commended Sect. 6. As also of Leo 7. Can. Priuilegio Dispensation saith he is comitted vnto vs and it shall be laid to our charge if the Canons decreed by the fathers be violated either with our consent or carelesnesse Saint Bernard lib. 3. ad Eugen. cap. 10. What saist thou doest thou forbid vs to dispense No but to dissipate I am not so ignorant that I doe not know that you are placed to be dispensers but to edification not to destruction Finally it is required at the hands of dispensers that they bee found faithfull Where necessitie vrgeth dispensation is excusable when vtilitie inciteth it is commended common vtilitie I say not priuate So that in these two points which wee haue treated of in this discourse all the Monarchicall estate of the Church or the fulnesse of the Popes authoritie doth principally consist not in an absolute power which many of our Noualists now against both diuine and naturall law striue to intrude into the Church Certainly eight hundred yeares agoe and aboue that is euen before the translation of the Roman Empire to our Nation the Popes did but call them selues maintainers and executors of the Canons Finally by tract of time when all Christendome lay altogether buried in the logs of darknes and ignorance they gathered to themselues absolute authority to decree of all things Especially since the time of Gregorie the seuenth whole life largely written by Onuphrius those that are curious of the truth of the Storie may read And they shall further obserue that the Pope regularly and ordinarily hath the power to call the generall Councells in so much as hee hath power ouer the particular Churches dispersed ouer the face of the whole Earth Now the summe of all this disputation is that from the monarchicall State of the Church all vnitie and order with a powerfull execution of the Canons doe proceede But from the Aristocraticall gouernment proceedeth most holy counsell infalible prouidence and finall decision Whereby the Christian Common-wealth is gouerned to a perpetuall edification not destruction The seuenth principle teacheth vs That the Church taken either for the whole companie of the faithfull or for the Christian Common-wealth is contented with her sole only head and essentiall foundation our Lord Iesus Christ Neuerthelesse in the matter of exercise and execution of gouernment in this Christian Common-wealth shee is differently ruled by two diuers persons that is by the Pope and the Ciuill Prince Can. Duo sunt Dist 96 and Can Principes 25 Quaest 5. Conformably to the commaundement of the Lord Mat. 22.21 Giue vnto Caesar the things which are Caesars and to God those that are Gods For by this as by a mutuall band of loue and obligation the Lord was pleased to knit together the Church the Ciuill power that Princes Church-men should not quarrell one against another Which wholesome distinction whosoeuer they be that know not or doe dissemble or confound doe runne vpon huge and most perilous rockes and make Church men as factious and dangerous persons suspected to the Ciuill Princes But for our 8 principle Let vs enter a little further in this point for since