forsook the Party called the Catholick Church and gathered separated Churches and became the Head of a Schism called since Luciferian Hereticks meerly because the Churches received the confessing returning Arians to Communion and he owned Elavianus And thus even good Bishops could not agree nor scape the imputation of Heresie § 10. Baronius and Binnius after him say Nazianzenus hunc discordiam suâ abdicatione compositum iri arbitratus sedi Constantinopolitanae cum consensu Imperatoris non sine magno Bonorum ac populi fletu renunâ—iat atque statim post habitas in Synodo aliquot actiones comitantibus optimis quibuscunque Orientalibus in Cappadociam discedit Tum qui supererant ibi Episcopi ac Sacerdotes Nundinarii in locum Christiani perfectissimi Theologi absolutissimi Monachi castissimi Nectarium hominem nondum Christianum sed adhuc Catechumenum rerum Ecclesiasticarum penitùs imperitum in voluptatibus saeculi carnis hactenùs versatum suffecerunt § 11. This Council added to the Nicene Creed some words about the Holy Ghost The advancement of the Constantinopolitane Bishop by this Synod with the reasons of it bred such a jealousie in the Bishops of Rome as hath broken the Churches of the East and West which are unhealed to this day § 12. LXXII Two Bishops Palladius and Secundianus complained to Gratian that they were unjustly judged Arians and desired a Council to try them Ambrose perswaded him not to trouble all the World for two Men. A Council of 32 Bishops is called for them at Aquileia They refuse to be accountable to so few and are condemned § 13. LXXIII An. 381. Twelve Bishops met at Caesaraugusta against the Priscillianists These Men had divers other Councils in those times Ithacius and Idacius were the Leaders The whole Story you may find in Sulpitius Severus in the Life of Martin c. The sum is this Priscillianus a rich Man of much Wit and learning was infected with the Heresie of the Gnosticks and Manichees Many followed him his party was much in Fasting and Reading The Bishops in Council excommunicated them Yet they kept up The Bishops in Council sought to the Emperour Gratian to suppress them by the Sword A while they prevailed But the Priscillianists quickly learned that way and got a great Courtier to be their Friend and Gratian restored them Gratian being killed when Maximus was chosen Emperour by his Army the Bishops go to Maximus for help The Arians having got Head against Ambrose at Milan and these Sectaries troubling the Churches in France Spain and Italy Maximus a Man highly commended for Piety by most Writers saw that being forced by his Army to accept the Empire he was a Usurper being once engaged thought the defence of the Orthodox would strengthen him So he forced Valentinian by Threats to forbear wronging Ambrose And to please the Bishops he put Priscillian to death and banished some of his Followers Martin Bishop of Tome being a Man of small learning but of great Holiness and austerity of Life living like a Hermite in the poorest Garb and Cabbin lying on the Ground faring hard praying much and working more Miracles if Sulpitius his Schollar and Acquaintance may be believed than we read of any since the Apostles even than Gregory Thaumaturgus did abhor drawing the Sword against Hereticks and disswaded the Bishops and Emperour but in vain The prosecution was so managed by the Bishops that in the Countreys those that did but Fast and Read much were brought under the suspicion of Priscillianism and reproached This common injury to Piety from the Bishops grieved Martin yet more so that he renounced the Communion of the Bishops and their Synods whereupon they defamed him to the Emperour and People as an unlearned Man a Schismatick suspected of favouring Priscillianism But Martins holiness and Miracles magnified him with the Religious sort At last a great Priscillianist being sentenced to death Martin travelled to the Emperour Maximus to beg his Life Maximus told him he would grant his desire if he would but once communicate with the Bishops Martin preferring Mercy before sacrifice yielded and did once communicate with them But professed that in his way home an Angel corrected him and threatned him if he did so any more and that from that time his gift of Miracles was diminished and so he never communicated with them more to the Death Sulpitius his Narrative puts the Reader to a great difficulty either to believe so many and great Miracles as he reports or not to believe so learned pious and credible an Historian who professeth to say nothing but what he either saw himself or had from the Mouth of Martin or those that saw them and who speaketh his own knowledg of his eximious Piety He speaketh hardly of the Bishops not only as complying with an Usurper but that Ithacius in particular of his knowledge was one that much cared not what he said or did The Bishops would have denied that the death of Priscillian was by their means Is it not strange that the Church of Rome should Canonize Martin for a Saint believing his great Miracles and yet themselves go an hundred times further against the blood of Dissenters than the Bishops did whom Saint Martin therefore opposed and separated from to the death The Churches in Spain and elsewhere were disturbed and scattered or endangered by Souldiers to please these Bishops not as some forge that Maximus did persecute the Christians for the Prey For most Writers magnifie his Piety and Defence of Ambrose and the Orthodox that condemn his Usurpation though he said the Souldiers in Britain forced him to it § 14. LXXIV A General Council was called to Rome by the Emperour and Damasus but the Oriental Bishops would not come so far but met at Constantinople Here Damasus owned Paulinus at Antioch as the Council of Const. had owned Meletius And so neither would be obedient to the other the General Council nor the Pope But Damasus durst not excommunicate Flavianus but permitted two Bishops to continue at Antioch accounted a Schism which continued long § 15. LXXV The Oriental Bishops that would not come to Rome meeting at Constantinople wrote to Rome to tell them their Case and Faith minded them that it was according to the Canons that Neighbour Bishops and not Strangers should Ordain Bishops to vacant Seats to justifie their setting up Flavianus when Rome set up Paulinus And they give account of the advancement of Const. and Ierusalem and call Ierusalem The Mother of all other Churches § 16. A Synod held at Syda against the Massalians little is known of § 17. LXXVI A Council at Bourdeaux condemned Instantius Priscillian who thereupon was slain at Trevers § 18. LXXVII An. 386. A Council at Rome under Syricius repeated some of the old Canons § 19. LXXVIII Theognostus having excommunicated Ithacius and reprehended the Bishops as irregular and bloody for procuring the Death of Priscillian a Council called at Trevers did justifie and acquit
And now Sir I am sorry that you are not content with meer Christianity and to be a Member of the Catholick Church and hold the Communion of Saints but that you must needs also be of a Sect and have some other Name And how shall I know that your Sect is better than another Were not the Papists Sectaries and Schismaticks damning most of Christs Body on Earth for not being subject to their Pope I should not be so much against them I find promises of Salvation in Scriptures to Believers that is Christians as such if such sincerely but none of the salvation of men as Papists Diocesans Grecians Nestorians Eutychians c. I would say also nor as Protestants did I not take the Religion called Protestant a Name which I am not fond of to be nothing but simple Christianity with opposition to Popery and other such corruption And now you know your own designs your tongue is your own and who can controul you whatever you will call us but I and such others call our selves MEER CHRISTIANS or CATHOLICK CHRISTIANS against all Sects and Sectarian names and haters both of true Heresie Schisme and proud unrighteous hereticating and Anathematizing Psal. 4. O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame how long will ye love vanity and seek after lying But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Psal. 12. 1 2 3 4 5. Help Lord for the godly man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the children of men They speak vanity every one with his Neighboâ—r c. See the rest I will add that if to be serious in the belief of the Christian Faith and the Life to come and in seeking it above this world and in constant endeavours to please God whoever be displeased by it is it that maketh a man a Puritan because he is not a formal Hypocrite then I would I were worthy of the Titles which your Pseudo Tilenus and his Brother give 〈◊〉 who say I am Purus Putus Puritanus and one qui totum Puritanismum totus spirat Alas I am nor so good and happy But Readers when this soâ— of men have described the Puritâ—ns as the most â—â—toverable Villains you that knew them not may concludâ— that they were men no more erroneous or worse than I how much better soever for Bishop Morley saith of me Ab uno disce omnes And of my Doctrine I â—ave left the world a full account and must shortly be accountable for it and my life to God whose pardon and grace through Christ I daily beg and trust to A Notice concerning Mr. Henry Dodwell MR. Dodwell having written a copious Discourse asserting that we have no right to salvation but by Gods Covenant validly sealed by the Sacrament and that the Sacrament is not valid unless delivered by one that hath Ordination by such a Bishop as hath his Ordination by another Bishop and so on by an uninterrupted succession from the Apostles with much more such Schismatical stuff which I fully confuted in my Books called The true and only terms of the Concord of all the Christian Churches and I aggravated his Schismatical condemnation of the Reformed Churches and most others as having no true Ministry Sacraments nor Covenant-title to salvation and as sinning against the Holy Ghost because he professeth himself a Protestant The said Mr. Dodwell saith that these words would perswade men that I take him for a Papist and expecteth that I therein right him Be it therefore known to all men that I never meant by that word to accuse Mr. Dodwell of being a Papist but to aggravate his abuse of Protestants and that I take my self bound to charge no man to be of a Religion which he denieth And what his Religion really is his Books may best inform him that would know THE CONTENTS Chap. 1. WHat Order and Government Christ and his Spirit settled in the Churches and what was the appointed work of Bishops That particular Churches that had every one a Bishop were associated for personal Communion of neighbours That none on earth for about two hundred years and none but Rome and Alexandria for longer time can be proved to be more numerous than our greater Parishes no nor half so big The Case even of Rome and Alexandria examined and the like proved even of them against the contrary arguments How the change was made and what change it is How Prelacy became the diseasing tumour of the Church Many Reasons against an ill use of the History of Councils and Prelates usurpations that no man thence dishonour Christ Christianity the Ministry or Church Chap. 2. Of Heresies What Errors are not damning and what are How the most Erroneous come to cry out against Errors Instanced in all wicked Men and in Papists Arrians Nestorius Dioscorus c. What horrid Work blind Zeal against Error hath made many instances even good Men as Hillary and Popes and Councils The History of all the Councils begun The first Councils about Easter contrary to each other The second being at Carthage erroneous and Tertullian Novatus and Novatian The Roman Presbiters govern the Church and call a Council having no Bishop and are said by Binius to have the care of the universal Church Cyprians Council condemneth a dead man Victor for making Faustinus a Presbiâ—iter Guardian of his Sons and so entangling him in worldly business The Council Iconieâ—se is said to erre and all those Oriental Bishops excommunicated by the Pope about Hereticks Baptism Many other Councils for rebaptizing with Cyprian's pleading Tradition Bishops of Bishops there censured Cyprian's Conversion A sad Hereticating Council at Cirta against Traditions The Concilium Eliber Novatiani And against Images in Churches c. approved by Pope Innocent The beginning of the Donatists Schism for a Bishop Constantines reproof of Alexander and Arius silencing their disputes Concil Laodic Silvesters strange Roman Council Chap. 3. The Council of Nice Constantine keepeth them in peace The strange Schism between Peter Alex. and Meletius Two Bishops and Churches in the same Cities The sad story of Alexanders troubling the Meletians and driving them to seek help of the Arrians and so to strengthen them Epiphanius good character of Constantius and Valens His notable Character of Audius and how the violence of dissolute Bishops forced him to separate and of Alexander and of Crescentius's strife and of some Confessours and Martyrs great faults Audius banished converteth the Gothes The Slander of Eustathius Antioch Notes of the Nicene decrees The ordination of scandalous uncapable men nullified by them Concil Rom. the people united at the making of Bishops and Priests Arius's Creed and restoration at a Council Jerusil Marcel Ancyr â—oudemned at Const. as denying Christs Godhead by the Arrians whom he was for the same cause against A Concil Antioch deposed Athanasius and made Canons for Conformity Anno 344 a fourth Creed reconciling at Antioch The General Council of Sardica
happen on a Sunday Easter day is the Sunday after This is one of the things that about 2000 Ministers are silenced for not Declaring Assent Consent and Approbation of yea to the use of it and so to keep Easter at a wrong time But how Sylvester came to have power to say all and to banish men and Constantine sit by and say nothing I know not Dedit eis anathema damnavit eos extra urbes suas Cap. 3. He Decreed that no Presbyter shall accuse a Bishop no Deacon a Presbyter c. and no Layman any of them And that no Prelate shall be condemned but in 72 Testimonies nor the chief Prelate be judged of any one because it is written The Disciple is not above his Master And no Presbyter shall be condemned but in 44 Testimonies no Cardinal Deacon but in 36 c. And what may they not then do or be Cap. 5. He Decreed clarâ voce thaâ— no Presbyter should make Chrisme because Christ is so called of Chrisme The 12. Cap. is Nemo det poenitentiam nisi quadraginta annorum petenti Let no man give repentance or penance but to one that seeketh forty years Cap. 14. Let no man receive the witness of a Clergy-man against a Lay-man Cap. 15. For no man may examine a Clergy-man but in the Church Cap. 16. Let no Clerk Deacon or Presbyter for any Cause of his enter into any Court because Omnis Curia à Cruore dicitur every Court is so called from blood and is an offering to Images For if any Clergy-man enter into a Court let him take his Anathema never returning to his Mother the Church Cap. 17. Let no man put a sunning Clergy-man to death no Presbyter no Deacon no Bishop that is over a Clerk or Servitor of the Church may bring him to death But if the Clergy man's cause so require let him be three days deprived of honour that he may return to his Mother-Church Cap. 18. No Deacon may offer against a Priest a Charge of filthiness Cap. 20. No man shall judge of the Prime seat because all seats desire justice to be tempered of the first seat The Subscribers were 284 Bishops what did the other 57 45 Priests and 5 Deacons and the two following and Constantine and his Mother Helena O brave Pope and Clergy O patient Council that subscribed to one man and pretended to no judgment O humble Constantine that subscribed to all this and said nothing And a womans subscription perfecteth all And O credulous Reader that believeth this CHAP. III. The Council of Nice and some following it § 1. XXX WE come now to the first General Council General only as to the Roman World or Empire as the History and Subscriptions prove and not as to the Whole World as the Papists with notorious impudence affirm which I have elsewhere fully proved This Council was called as is probably gathered Anno 325 in the 20th year of Constantine though others assign other years That they were congregate about the Arian Heresie and the Eastern Controversie is commonly known As also what wisdom and diligence Constantine used to keep the Bishops in peace Who presently brought in their Libels of accusations against each other which he took and burnt without reading them earnestly exhorting them to peace and by his presence and prudent speech repressing their heats and contentions whereby the Synod was brought to a happy end as to both the controverted Causes And Eusebius Nicomed and Arius were brought to counterfeit repentance and consent to the Nicene Faith which Constantine perceiving being set upon the healing of the divided Bishops and Churches he commanded that Arius should as reformed be received to Communion which Athanasius refusing caused much calamity afterward § 2. Because the Case of the Meletians is brought in by this Council I think it useful for our warning in these times to recite the sum of their story out of Epiphanius p. 717 c. Haer. 63. Meletius saith he was a Bishop in Thâ—bais in Egypt of sincere Faith even to the death In Diocletians Persecution Peter Bishop of Alexandria and he were the chief of the Bishops that were laid in Prison as designed to Martyrdom while they were there long together with many fellow-prisoners many called to Tryal before them were put to death and many for fear subscribed to Idolatry or denyed Christ And when they had done professed repentance and craved peace of the Church As it had been in Novatus his Schismes so it fell out here Peter Bishop of Alexan. was for peace and pardon Meletius and most of the other suffering prisoners were against it and said If they may thus revolt to save themselves and be presently pardoned it will tempt others to revolt Peter seeing his opinion was rejected rashly took his Cloak and hang'd it like a Curtain over the midst of the prison-room and said Those that are for me come to me on this side and those that are for Meletius go on that side to him Whereupon far most of the Bishops Priests Monks and people that were in prison went to Meletius and but few to Peter A â—ouler Rupture than that of the English Fugitives at Frankford This unhappy word and hour began the misery among good men expecting death From that hour they keep all their meetings separate Shortly after Peter was Martyred and Meletius was judged to the Mines As he went thither through the Country he every where made new Bishops and gathered new Churches so that there were two in the several Cities Those old ones that followed Peter called their Meeting The Catholick Church The other called theirs The Martyrs Church But yet they held a Unity of Faith Even the sufferers that laboured in the Mines divided and did not pray together At last Meletius and the rest were restored unto peace and at Alexandria Alexander and he lived in familiarity and Meletius was he that detected Arius and brought him to Alexander to be tryed But when Meletius was dead Alexander grew impatient at the private separate Meetings of his followers and troubled them and vexed them and began to use violence against them and would not have them depart from his Church They refused still and this bred stirs and Tumults Alexander persecuting them and following them yet more sharply they sent some men eminent for piety and parts to the Emperours Court to Petition for Liberty for their private Meetings without impediment Of these Paphnutius and Iohn their Bishop and Callinitus Bishop of Pellusium were chief who when they came to Court being named Meletians the Courtiers rejected them and drove them away and they could not get access to the Emperour On this occasion being put to wait long at Constantinople and Nicomedia they fell into acquaintance with Euschius Bishop of Nicomedia the Head of the Arians who pretending repentance was become great with the Emperour who was all for the Clergies peace and concord To Eusebius they open all
Lover of Truth he used to do such things as these which are familiar with men of exquisite honesty who through their excellent study of Godliness use this great liberty of Speech Therefore when he saw things ill carried in the Churches he sometimes spake his thoughts and could not forbear blaming them As if he saw any of the Clergy over covetous of Money be it Bishop or Priest he would reprehend them or if any abounded in luxury and pleasures or if they corrupted any part of the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church he would not bear with them but blame them Which was troublesome to men of a dissolute life And therefore he underwent the greatest contumelies being exagitated by the hatred and malicious words of them all But he being thus tossed about and beaten and reproached did bear it all with an equal mind and thus long continued in the Communion of the Church Till some that were more vehemently offended with him for these Causes cast him out But yet he patiently bore all this but being more earnestly intent for the promoting of the Truth he still studied not to be drawn away from the Conjunction and Society of the Catholick Church But when he and his friends were still beaten and suffered unworthy usage groaning under these evils he took Counsel of the violence of these calamities and contumelies And so he separated himself from the Church and many falling away with him a new Divorce was hereby made For he did not in any thing depart from the right faith but he with his partakers held in all things sincere Religion Though in one small matter they are too stiff About the Father Son and Holy Ghost they judg excellently and as the Catholick Church and swerve not a jot and the rest of the order of their Lives is truly most excellent and admirable so that not only He himself but even the Bishops Priests and all the rest of them live by the labour of their hands Indeed they had a conceit that the Body did partake of the Image of God and they thought that to please Constantine the Nicene Council had altered the Custom and Tradition of the Church about Easter But these were not the causes of their departure from the Church but the violence of dissolutâ— Bishops that cast them out as being impatient of their strictness and opposition to their sin § 8. About Easter saith Epiphanius p. 821. Neque â—ruditis ignotum est quà m saepe diversis temporibus de illius festi celebritate varii Ecclesiasticae disciplinae tumultus ac contentiones obortae sint praesertim Polycarpi ac Victoris aetate cùm Orientales ab Occidentalibus divulsi â—acificas à se invicem literas nullas acciperent Quod idem aliis temporibus accidit velut Alexandri Episcopi Alexandrini Crescentii quemadmodum contra se mutuò scripserint acerrimè pugnaverint Quae animorum opinionumque distractio ex quo semel post Episcopos illos qui ex circumcisione ac Iudaeorum sectâ ad Christum se converterant agitari coepit ad nostra usque tempora eodem est tenore perducta By which we see 1. With what caution Tradition must be trusted 2. How early Bishops began to divide the Church about things indifferent § 9. That men that all in the main fear God should thus contend abuse and persecute one another is sad and hath even been a hardening of Infidels But alas the remnant of corruption in the best will somewhat corrupt their conversations It is a sad note of Epiphanius ib. p. 816. I have known some of the Confessours who delivered up Body and Soul for their Lord and persevering in confession and chastity obtained greatest sincerity of faith and excelled in piety humanity and Religion and were continual in fastings and in a word did flourish in all honesty and virtue yet the same men were blemished with some vice as either they were prone to reproach men or would swear by the name of God or were over talkative or prone to anger or got gold and silver or were defiled with some such filth which yet detract nothing from the just measure of virtue § 10. But as God made a good use of the falling out of Paul and Barnabas so he did of Audius his unhappy case Being cast out of the Church he took it to be his dâ—ty to Communicate with his own party and a Bishop that suffered for the like made him a Bishop and the Bishops accused him to the Emperour that he drew many people from the obedience of the Church and hereupon the Emperour banished him into Scythia Dwelling there he went into the inner parts of Gothia and there instructed many of the barbarous in the principles of Christianity and gathered many Monasteries of them wâ—o lived in great religious strictness p. 827. But it is hard to stop short of extreams when men are alienated by scandal and violence They caâ—â—e to so great a dislike of the Bishops of the common Churches that they would not pray with any man how blameless soever that did but hold Communion with the Church Vranius a Bishop and some others joyning with them made Bishops of the Goths Note out of Epiphanius p. 827 828. what Country was called Gothia in those times § 11. It is not to be past over that at the Nicene Council the first speaker and one of the chief against the Arians was Eustathius Bishop of Antioch And when Eusebius Nicomed was made Bishop of Constaâ—tinople he pretended a desire to see Ierusalem and passing through Antioch secretly hired a Whore to swear that Eustathius was the Father of her child and getting some Bishops of his Faction together they judged Eustathius to be deposed as an Adulterer and got the Emperour to consent and banish him And after the Woman in misery confessed all and said that it was one Eustathius a Smith that was the father of her child § 12. In Pisanus's Conâ—il Nic. Bin. p. 332. this Eustathius is made the first Disputer against a Philosopher And whereas the great cause of the Arians Errour was that they could not conceive how the Son could be of one substance with the Father without a partition of that substance Eustathius tells the Philosopher that took their part and urged Faciamus hominem ad Imaginem c. that The Image of God is simple and without all composition being of the nature of fire but he meaneth sure but analogically § 13. In the same Pisanus lib. 3. p. 345. Bin. the description of the Church is There is one Church in Heaven and Earth in this the Holy Ghost resteth But Heresies that are without it are of Satan Therefore the Pope was not then taken for the Head of the Catholick Church For he pretendeth not to be the Head of them that are in Heaven See what the Catholick Church then was § 14. Note that 1. the Council of Nice nameth none Patriarchs 2. They nullifie the Ordination
the election of the Clergy and the Lay-people Can. 11. Also as the ancient Canons have decreed let none be made Bishop to an unwilling People or without the Peoples consent nor let the People or the Clergy be inclined to consent by the oppression of persons in power which is not lawful to be spoken But if it be otherwise done let the Bishop be for ever deposed from his obtained honour of Pontificate who is ordained rather by force than lawful decree C. While one Bishop is living let not any other be there made Bishop unless perhaps in his place who is ejected for some capital Crime Can. 21. Though all Priests and others must be careful to relieve the Poor with necessaries yet especially every Bishop must from the Church-house as far as they can administer necessaries for food and rayment to such as are in weakness both in his Territories and his City c. Note I. Were those Bishopricks any bigger than our Parishes of Market-Towns with the Chappelleries where 1. All the Laity met to choose the Bishop 2. Where the Bishop could know and relieve all the Poor 3. And this from the domus Ecclesiae which was but one II. Our Nonconformists plead that according to these ancient Canons 1. Those Bishops are no Bishops who came not in by any choice or consent of the People or Clergy but by power are imposed on the most unwilling 2. That those Ministers that were never deposed for any Crime are not to be forsaken by their Flocks nor imposed persons thrust into their places accepted by the People while the first hath true right § 13. CLXXIII We come now to that which they will needs call the fifth General Council at Constantinople An. 553. of 165 Bishops In which let these particulars be noted 1. That Iustinian's Letters or Formulae were first read in which he expresly affirmeth that it was the Emperors that called the former General Councils and he that called this 2. That he lamenteth the divisions which former Councils had left unhealed saying The followers of Nestorius and Eutyches made so great trouble in the holy Churches of God that divisions and schisms were made in them and the Churches had no Communion with one another For no man that travelled from one City to another did presume to communicate nor any Clerk that went from one City to another to go into the Church Here was lamentable separation indeed 3. That Iustinian was made believe that these divisions would be healed if the tria Capitula of the Council of Calcedon were but condemned For the Eutychians did so much boast of Cyril being confident that they did but follow him and his first Ephesian Council that if he were vindicated he thought they would be satisfied 4. And he thought that the three Bishops were indeed so far to be condemned having disgraced Cyril and favored Nestorius and the other was Nestorius's Master 5. That the receiving and the cursing of the Council of Calcedon having hitherto been the great Contest among the Bishops some were loth now to cast so great a dishonour upon it and to give the Eutychians so much cause to boast supposing they would but be the more confirmed in their opposition § 14. Note also that Vigilius Bishop of Rome was then at Constantinople but came not to the Council nor sent any Legate to it But the Emperor tells the Council That when Vigilius Bishop of Rome came to that City the Emperor exactly opened to him all things about the tria Capitula and asked him what he thought of them and that Vigilius not once nor twice but often in writing and without writing anathematized the impious tria Capitula And that he had shewed that he was ever of the same judgment c. And they had made Iustinian believe that Ibas in his Epistle denieth God the Word to be made man and the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God § 15. The Emperor 's Writing being read at the next meeting the Council sent to Vigilius to sit with them but he still refused alledging That there were few of the Western Bishops there To which their answer is notable that The meeting of all the rest ought not to be delayed for the Western Bishops For in all the four General Councils there was never found a multitude of the Western Bishops but only two or three Bishops and a few Clerks But now you are here and many Italian Bishops are at hand and many of Africa Illyricum c. And if he would not meet them they must do it without him They urged him also with the Emperor's words that he being alone had oft in writing and without writing condemned the tria Capitula and the Emperor desired him but to do that with others which he had done by himself But yet Vigilius would not come Whether it was because he understood not Greek and so should be a contemned Cypher for he saith They all knew that he understood it not or whether it was to avoid the Censure that he had before incurred or both is not known For you must understand that Vigilius had suffered defamation at Rome already as a Revolter from the Calcedon Council for joining herein with the Emperor in the beginning and his chief interest lay at home § 16. Theodorus Mopsuestenus Writings are searched and though he is highly extolled by many good Authors yet many passages recited in the Council and after by Vigilius do shew either the error of his judgment or his unskilfulness in speaking for they are not justifiable But if every Papist voluminous Writer should be damned as a Heretick whose Writings have more and greater Errors than the Council gathered out of Theodore Mepsuostenus it would be a hard reward for their exceeding labours When such men as Tostatus Aquinas Scotus Ockam Durandus c. Bellarmine Baronius Suarez Vasquez Cajetane c. have spent their days in diligent labours how easie a matter is it for a proud idle Drone that doth nothing or worse to gather as many and as great Errors out of their Works as were in many then counted Hereticks But the approbation of God who pardoneth failings will be the comfort of such as improve their Talents when the slothful unprofitable Servant shall be condemned and quarrelling with the imperfections of the diligent will not save them It is evident that Theodore and Nestorius acknowledged Christ's Godhead and Manhood Soul and Body and the personal Union of them But they were none of them perfect in Logick and Metaphysicks nor so spake as that no man could blame their words § 17. Next the words of learned Theodorite are scanned and many very smart passages against Cyril are recited Many verbal Controversies are repeated Theodorite is accused for saying That Mary begat not God in the nature of God but Man as united to the Godhead That Christ was forsaken suffered hungered slept was ignorant of that day and hour c.
as man and not as God That it was not God that was ignorant he meant not as God or not the Deity but the form of a Servant which knew no more than the Deity revealed And so of many other properties or acts of the Humanity he saith It was not Deus Verbum that wept that learnt obedience c. meaning only not quâ Deus or not Deitas for want of care in speaking And Ep. ad Ioh. Antioch Bin. p. 559. it 's apparent that he also misunderstood Cyril and thought he held that by Unity of Natures the Deity was properly become very flesh A severe Epist. ad Ioan. Antioch against Cyril after his death is there charged on him in which he with great saltness rejoiceth in his death Miserum illum nec ad similitudinem aliorum dimisit nostrarum animarum gubernator diutius eorum potiri quae videntur esse delectabilia sed crescentem quotidie viri malignitatem sciens corpori Ecclesiae nocentem quasi pestem quandam amputavit abstulit opprobrium à filiis Israel Laetificabit superstites ejus discessio Contristavit verò forsitan mortuos timor est ne praegravati ejus conversatione iterum ad nos remittant vel illos diffugiat qui eum abducunt sicut ille tyrannus Cyri Ciliciam Procurandum est igitur oportet tuam Sanctitatem maxime hanc suscipere festinantiam jubere collegio mortuos asportantium lapidem aliquem maximum gravissimum Sepulchro imponere ne iterum huc perveniret instabilem voluntatem iterum demonstraret Infernis nova dogmata adferat Ibi diu noctuque sicut vult sermocinetur Non enim timemus ne illos divideret silet miser invitus Nudata illus facta alligant linguam obstruunt os fraenant sensum Ideo plango miserum ploro Nec enim puram mihi delectationem fecit mortis ejus denunciatio sed dolore permixtam Laetor jucundor ejusmodi pestilentiâ commune Ecclesiae videns liberatum Contristor vero ploro cogitans quod nec requiem malorum miserabilis susceperit sed majora pejora pertentans defunctus est somniavit enim ut dicunt regiam urbem perturbare tuam Sanctitatem accusare utpote ea colentem Sed vidit Deus non despexit Immisit fimum in os ejus fraenum in labia ejus c. Binnius thinketh some bad man fathered this falsly on Theodoret I would hope so too But it 's strange that the Council fathered it on him and none did vindicate him And the next Charge Bin. p. 559. rebuketh his Charity viz. his Speech at Antioch in the presence of Domnus Nemo neminem jam cogit blasphemare non jam est contentio Oriens Aegyptus sub uno jugo est Mortua est invidia cum eo obruta est contentio requiescant Theopathitae Is not this of the same kind And this is not denied to be his Whosoever it was it was sad that Bishops should have such minds and use such words of one another especially if it be as I confidently believe viz. that not distinguishing the concrete from the abstract and Qui Deus from Quâ Deus they both meant the same thing and differed but about the aptitude of words for want of explication and distinction § 18. In brief After the reading of many Papers and Ibas Epistles the tria Capitula were condemned viz. Theodore Mopsuest and the writings of Theodoret against Cyril and Ibas Epistle And so the Emperor found the Council as obedient as he desired § 19. But Vigilius Bishop of Rome who would not come to the Council now giveth in his Constitutum or his own judgment upon the whole Case and that with great moderation He first reciteth many passages of Theodore Mopsuest which he renounceth and he dispraiseth the passages of Theodoret and Ibas but he refuseth to join in the anathematizing of them alledging that good men have their errors and instancing in many whose errors were noted and yet their persons not condemned especially when they had either recanted them or better explained their words And he noteth that it would be a great injury to the Calcedon Council to have its own members now thus condemned that were by them accepted Quid enim aliud est mendaces aut simulantes professionem rectae fidei Patres in sancta Calced Synodo residentes ostendere quam dicere aliquos ex eis similia sapuisse Nestorio quorum judicio Nestorium ejusque dogmata fuisse damnata And soberly he saith It is not lawful to pass any new judgment on the persons of the dead but we must leave all men in the case that death found them and in special Theodore Mopsuest what the Fathers did is evident from what is said I dare not condemn him by my sentence nor yield that any one else condemn him but far be it from me to admit his wrong opinions This was the right way If they had all dealt as wisely and Christian-like Counsels had not been the Confounders of the Churches § 20. Nicephorus nameth many of Origen's Errors that were condemned in this Council but it is not found in the Acts. Binnius doubteth not but the Origenists stole them out and falsified the Records and also forged those Epistles of Vigilius in which the opinion of One Operation is asserted But will they allow us equally to suspect such Records as have been kept at Rome § 21. What good this Council did and how the peaceable Emperor attained the end that Theodore Caesar. promised him of uniting Dissenters I shall tell you but in the words of Binnius who followeth Baronius in almost all What Theodore Caesar. promised that the Eutychian Hereticks called Hesitants when the three Capitula were condemned would receive the holy Calcedon Council was not obtained when this was ended but rather a most grievous mischief was added to the Church For when the Defenders of the three Capitula with Vigilius the Pope did not acquiesce in the Councils decree the whole Catholick Church was torn by Schism and which is worse the Emperor stir'd up Persecution in which he deposed or banished Vigilius holding to his Constitutum Victor Afric and others § 22. I do impartially commend Vigilius ' s moderate Constitutum but I must needs say that there needeth no other instance than Vigilius that Interest is a Law to some Roman Bishops and that their pretences of Infallibility Tradition and Antiquity notwithstanding they have changed their very Faith or judgment of Councils at least as their wordly motives changed Vigilius first flattered the Emperor and joined with him against the tria Capitula Conc. Calced that is against Theodore Mopsu Theodoret and Ibas three Bishops saith Binnius p. 608. Seeing therefore that before this Council a Schism arose in the Western and Africane Church because Vigilius had consented to the Emperor's opinion it became necessary for the avoiding of Schism Sacriledge and Scandal that he should publish
both to summon a Council they cunningly would not agree of the place and so forced the doing it without them § 265. CCCCLXVII To put a shew on the business Greg. calleth a Council at Aquileia whether by long delays he creepeth with a few to do nothing § 266. CCCCLXVIII And the other Pope Bened. 13. Anno 1409 also calleth his Council in Arragone of his Subjects which calleth it self a General Council and pronounce him the true Pope and no Schismatick or Heretick and Greg. to be the Usurper but exhort him to endeavour Unity § 267. CCCCLXIX The two Popes giving no better hopes some of the Cardinals of both sides slipt from them and by the Countenance of the Florentines and King Ladislaus chose Pisa for a General Council where they met and summoned both the Popes who scorned them and they deposed them both as Hereticks and Schismaticks saith Binius forbidding all Christians to obey them and they chose a third Alexander 5. and the two old ones kept up still and so there were three Popes at once § 268. An. 1409. Alex. 5. is chosen much commended but died in eighteen Months some say saith Antoninus poysoned by a Clyster But to shew himself a Pope in that little time he deposed King Ladislaus and gave his Kingdome to Lewis Duke of Anjou § 269. Balthasar Cossa is next chosen called by some Ioh. 21. by others 22. by others 23. and by Platina Ioh. 24. so little are they agreed of their succession Platina saith the Cardinals of Greg. were yet poor and he hired them with Money to Create him He got Sigismund King of Bohemia chosen Emperour and would have had the Council to be at Rome Italy continued still in blood the Popes having parcelled it into so many small Principalities to secure it against the Emperours no part of the whole World lived from Age to Age in such continual War and confusion This Pope saith Onuphrius Panvinus viz. fuit bello armis quam Religioni aptior utpote qui neque fidem norat neque Religionem rebus profanis magis quam Divino cultu accommodatus How he was accused deposed imprisoned how the other two Popes Greg. 12. and Bened. 13. were all deposed with him and Martin 5. chosen the next Chapter sheweth CHAP. XIII The Council of Constance Basil and some others § 1. CCCCLXX AN. 1414. the Council of Constance was called by the means of the Emperour Sigismund and the consent of Pope Iohn who the more trusted the Emperour because he had promoted him There were then three Popes Bened. 13. in France whom the Kingdomes of France Spain Arragon England and Scotland followed and Greg. 12. and Iohn 23. at Rome that divided the rest of the Papalines It was not certainly to represent the Trinity but to profane the Name and abuse the Kingdome of the blessed Trinity Oct. 28. P. Iohn called by them Sanctissimus Dominus Noster entereth the City Nov. 5. The Pope began the Council Nov. 16. was the first Session the Pope speaking to them and his Bull being read shewing that he would have had the Council at Rome but the miserable case of Rome by contention and confusion hindering it was agreed with the Emperour to be at Constance commanding to be there for the peace of the Church and appointing a Weekly Mass to be said for obtaining Gods blessing and pardoning a years penance for every Mass to every Mass-Priest that said it exhorting all to fasting and prayer for good success charging them to look after Errours especially those that rose from one Iohn Wickliff and also to reform the Church c. March 2. 1415. The Pope took an Oath for the peace of the Church to lay down his Popedome if the other two Popes would do the same and the Emperour kist his feet The Cardinal of Florence read these Decrees 1. That the Council was lawfully called 2. That it will not be dissolved by the departure of the Pope or other Prelates 3. That it be not dissolved till the present Schisme be healed and the Church reformed in Faith and Manners in Head and Members 4. That it be not removed but on just cause 5. That the Bishops depart not § 2. In the fourth Session they decreed that the general Council representing the militant Catholick Church hath its power immediately from Christ to which every man of what State or dignity soever though it be Papal is bound to obey in the things that belong to Faith and the extirpation of the said Schism and the general reformation of the Church in head and members 2. That the Pope withdraw not himself or the Officers and if he should or should thunder out Church censures against them or any adhering to the Council they are void 3. That no Translations Promotions or Cardinals be made to the prejudice of the Council 4. That three of each Nations be chosen to judge of departures c. But the Pope fled and sent them word that it was not for fears but for his health § 3. Sess. 5. The Emperor being among them they decreed again the Power of the Council as immediately from Christ which the Pope and all must obey and that the Pope is punishable if he disobey that he is bound to surrender in any case of great and evident profit to the Church that he unlawfully departed that if he will return and perform his promise he shall be safe Next they proceeded to condemn the Books of Iohn Wickliff and to prosecute Iohn Huss Next they applied themselves to the Emperour to reduce the Pope who told them he was in the hands of the Duke of Austria but if they pleased he would write to him or try to fetch him by force c. § 4. Sess. 6. They order the Procuration for the Popes Resignation to be demanded and Process to be made against Iohn Huss and Hierome of Prague A Letter is read from the University of Paris to the Pope to submit to the Council § 5. Sess. 7. They accused Hierome of Prague for not appearing and summoned the Pope promising him safe Conduct sed salvâ Iustitiâ c. § 6. Sess. 8 They condemned Wickliff's Bones to be dig'd up upon 45 Articles instead of 260 which they had gathered Art 1. was 1. That the substance material of Bread and Wine remain in the Sacrament of the Altar 2. The Accidents of Bread remain not without the substance 3. Christ is not identically and really in his proper bodily presence in the Sacrament 4. If a Bishop or Priest live in mortal sin he Ordaineth not Baptizeth not Consecrateth not 5. The Gospel saith not that Christ instituted the Mass. 6. God ought to obey the Devil 7. If a man be contrite aright outward confession is needless and unprofitable 8. If the Pope be a Reprobate and wicked and so a Member of the Devil he hath no power over the faithful given him by any but Caesar. 9. Since Vrban the
right ends 5. And if he be called to be the Pastor of a particular Church he moveth the people to consent or accept him And thus God according to his appointed Order doth call his Ministers Besides which he afterward 1. Helps them in his work 2. And procureth them liberty and often furtherance from Christian Magistrates 3. And giveth them success Proposition 5. The faithful Pastors of the Reformed Churches are these ordinary Ministers of Christ approved by him and given in great mercy to his people who are bound to know honour and obey them in the Lord. I exclude not all others but I now prove that these are true Ministers Argument 1. They that have all that is essential to true Ministers are true Ministers But such are these Pastors of the Reformed Churches as I prove thus If the Office it self be of Gods Institution and their Qualifications competent and their entrance right in every point of flat Necessity then they have all that is essential to true Ministers But the former is true as I shall prove in the three several parts 1. That the Office it self is of Gods appointment is proved fully before and confessed by all Christians that ever I knew Acts 14. 23. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. 1 Thes. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 7 17 24. Acts 20. 28. 2. For Qualifications they have 1. competent Knowledge 2. and Vtterance 3. and Godliness and these are the Qualifications that God accepteth 1 Cor. 12. 8. 1 Tim. 2. 15. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Mark the Canons of the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 2. 2. They must be 1. Faithful men 2. Able to teach others But such are those in question 1 Tim. 3. A Bishop must be blameless that is not scandalous the husband of one Wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous one that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity To which is added Tit. 1. 8 9. A lover of good men sober just holy temperate holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Let all here note 1. That here is not only the mention of the Vertues necessary to the Being but to the well-being also of a Minister 2. And yet through the great mercy of God all these are the qualifications of multitudes of the Pastors of the Reformed Churches as malice it self must be forced to confess But if any deny it of any particular men as that is nothing to the rest so an unproved accusation is not by honest men to be believed The world knows that the Act for rejecting scandalous insufficient negligent Ministers is very strict and Commissioners in each County forward to execute it and Ministers have enemies enough to search out their faults and yet none are more forward than Ministers themselves to have the Act put in execution so that their standing justifies them before the world Or if any will yet deny them the necessary Qualifications I here challenge and provoke them to accuse all that are guilty and cast them out or else to confess themselves meer slanderers and back-biters and learn more truth and modesty hereafter 3. And for the third point their entrance into the Office They have all that God hath made necessary to a just entrance as I prove They that have a true Ordination and the Peoples consent and the Magistrates allowance have all that God hath made necessary to a just entrance and more than all But the said Pastors of the Reformed Churches have true Ordination and the Peoples consent and the Magistrates allowance That they have true Ordination I shall shew anone in answering all that can be said against it The Peoples consent by Electing or Accepting is known by the fact and so is the Magistrates by Law and fact I put in all this though more than necessary that all Objections may be satisfied at once So that the Enumerations being unquestionable the Conclusion is so to In short All those are true Ministers that are in an Office of Gods own Institution and are competently fitted for that Office by Knowledge Godliness and Vtterance and have all and more than all that God hath made necessary to a right entrance or admission even true Ordination consent of the Flock and the Magistrates allowance But such are the said Pastors of the Reformed Churches therefore they are true Ministers of Christ. Argument 2. Those that have not only the Essentials but excel all other Ministers on Earth that are known to the world are certainly the true Ministers of Christ. But such are the Ministers before-mentioned of the Reformed Churches Ergo. This will be proved at once with the next which is Argument 3. Either these Pastors of the Reformed Churches are the true Ministers of Christ or else there are none such visible in the world But there are such visibly and certainly in the world as was proved else there is no Church no Ordinances no Christianity no Christ For he can be no King without Subjects and Laws no Master without a School and Scholars no Physitian without Patients no Husband without his Spouse no Head without a Body no Intercessor without a Church to intercede for And to believe the holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints is part of our Belief and therefore the Christian Faith is gone if these be gone And that either we or None are Christs true Ministers I prove thus 1. We challenge the Adversary to name us the true Church and Ministry if these be none of them where be they and who are they speak out or give up your wicked Cause If you know not who they be or where then how know you that there are any such True Ministers are like a light that shineth to all the house even the lights of the world and like a City on a Hill that cannot be hid Mat. 5. 14 15 16. 2. But let us try the particulars 1. The Seekers have no Church or Ministry 2. The Quakers have no Ordination that we know of and are every way so unworthy and had no being in the world till a few years ago that he is either no Christian or of a crazed brain that thinks Christ hath no Church or Ministry but them 3. The Anabaptists Socinians Swenlfeldians Familists Paracelsians Weigelians and such like have no more to shew for their Ministry and Churches than we but their Errours and are so few and so lately sprung up that of them also I may say that he that takes them for the only Church or Ministers is either out of the Faith or much out of his wits 4. The Eastern and Southern Churches have no more to shew for their Ministry and Churches than we but are incomparably more ignorant and erroneous few of them doing more
Church-History OF THE GOVERNMENT OF BISHOPS AND THEIR COUNCILS ABBREVIATED Including the chief part of the Government of Christian Princes and POPES and a true account of the most troubling Controversies and Heresies till the REFORMATION Written for the use especially of them I. Who are ignorant or misinformed of the state of the Antient Churches II. Who cannot read many and great Volumes III. Who think that the Universal Church must have one Visible Soveraign Personal or Collective Pope or General Councils IV Who would know whether Patriarchs Diocesans and their Councils have been or must be the cure of Heresies and Schismes V. Who would know the truth about the great Heresies which have divided the Christian World especially the Donatists Novatians Arrians Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites c. By RICHARD BAXTER a Hater of false History LONDON Printed by B. Griffin for Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in Ludgate-Street MDCLXXX THE PREFACE THE great usefulness of History needs not many words to prove it seeing natural inclination it self is so much for it and reason and experience tell men that they cannot spare it as to Natural Civil or Religious use God himself hath highly commended it to us by writing the Sacred Scriptures so much Historically yea and making some of it part of the necessary Articles of our Creed Children that yet understand not the Doctrinal part of the Bible do quickly take delight in the Historical part which prepareth them for the rest Ignorant and ungodly persons that have no true sense of Sacred Doctrine can yet understand and with lesse aversness and weariness read the history Melancholy and sad persons who can hardly bear long Doctrinal studies are often eased and recreated with useful History Man is a part of the Vniverse and every man is a part of the world of mankind and therefore thinketh the case of the whole to be much of his concerne And were not narrow selfishnes much of our Pravity we should take the universal and publick good and Gods Love to it and Pleasedness and Glory in it to be much more our end and the object of our desire and delight than any personal felicity of our own It is a Monster of inhumanity in the Doctrine of the Sadducees Spinosa Hobbes and their bruitish followers that they set up Individual self interest as a mans chiefest end and object of rational Love and desire and own no Good but that which Relatively is Good to me that is either my personal life and pleasure as the end or other things as a means thereto Though Grace only savingly cure this base inhumane maladie yet common reason beareth witness against it and only sense and reason captivated by sense do patronize it Put not the question to a reasonable man though wicked what he can do or doth But what in reason he should do and he cannot deny but that he should think of a more excellent person at the Indies that never will do anything for him as more amiable than himself much more many thousands such And as Goodness and Amiableness are all one so that which is best should be loved best And he that would not die to save his Country is worse than sober Heathens were And he that would not rather be annihilated than all or halfe the world should be annihilated is so basely selfish that I should sooner believe that analogical Reason ruleth some bruites than that true Reason determineth this mans choice Spinosa taketh the Knowledge of our Union with Universal nature which he calleth God to be mans perfection and his chief good in comparison of which sensual Pleasure Riches and Honour are but troubles further then they are a meanes hereto And if he had better known God as the Creator and Governour and end of the material Vniverse which he took to be God and had joyned holy Uniteing Joyful Love to the Universe and specially to the Heavenly Society and above them all to God himself unto this Knowledge and extended it to the perpetuity of an Immortal state he had been happily in the right which missing he became a pernicious seducer of himself and others But thus nature and Grace do loudly tell us that each part should be greatly concerned for the whole and therefore every one should desire to know as much of the whole as he is capable and as tendeth to his duty and delight And how small a parcel of Time or Men or Actions are present or in our daies How little knoweth he that knoweth no more than he hath lived to see What Religion can he have who knoweth not the History of Creation Redemption or the giving of the Holy Ghost or the planting and propagating the Church and also what will be when this life is ended But it is not all History that is needful or useful to us There are many things done which we are not concerned to be acquainted with But the History of the Church of the propagation of the Christian faith and what the Doctrine was that was then received and how it was practised promoted and defended and how it was corrupted invaded and persecuted is of so great use to posterity that next to the Scripture and the illumination of Gods Spirit I remember nothing more needful to be known When Philip Nerius set up his Oratorian exercises at Rome as to win the people they found it necessary to use large affectionate extemporate prayers and expositions and Sermâ—â—s so the next thing found necessary was to bestow constantly one exercise in opening Church-History to the people And this did both entice their attentions by delight and also by fitting reports more to the Papal interest than to the truth did greatly bewitch them into a confident beliefe that the Papal sect was all the true Church and all other Christians were but sectaries and branches broken off and withered and therefore to be burned here and hereafter abusing Joh. 15. 5. c. And I have oft thought that the right use of such an Historical exercise in an ordinary congregation would be of great use to the ignorant vulgar and unlearned zealous sort of Christians For I find that for want of the knowledge of Church-History and how things have gone before us in all former times many errours and sins are kept up that else would more easily be forsaken To instance in some few I. As it was the craft of Baronius who performed that exercise in Nerius his Conventicles at Rome to write afterward his Church-History in Latin so voluminously that few but the Clergie byassed by interest would read it and so the Clergy might be the credited reporters of all to the vulgar so to this day the Papist-Priests contrive to be the Masters and reporters of Church-History as well as of unwritten Tradition and to keep the Laity so far ignorant of it that when they tell men confident stories for their advantage few or none may be able to contradict them and so their report
to think hardly of Religion and the Church for mens abuses 3. And if Micrelius Gutlerbeth Phili Pareus Funcius Carion Melancthon Buchotzer Scultetus Pezelius Helvicus or any other that I have seen had answered the ends which I here intend I should have gladly saved my self this labour and have refer'd the reader to them The Councils are now published voluminously and many young students want money and time to read them at large To such this abridgement may not be unuseful especially to men that have mistaken the case of the great heresies and hereticators and would know what Prelacy and Councils have done to the concord or discord of the Churches The Description of the State of Alexandria recited in the beginning as a Letter from a friend was from Mr. Clerkson a Learned and worthy Minister though silenced now in London The Lord pardon and heal our common faultiness and give better Teachers to his Churches when we are dead and gone who will take warning by all our errours and miscarriages especially to escape a wordly spirit pride Church-tyranny and schism and serving the world the flesh and the Devil by pretence of Authority from Christ. Amen March 31. 1680. London VVhat History is Credible and what not AS the Holy Ghost saith Believe not every spirit I may say Believe not all Reports or History It was not only Ahabs Prophets in whose mouths Satan was a lying spirit As lying and deceiving is his work in the world for the destroying of Holiness and of Souls even when he turneth himself into an Angel of Light so is it the work of his Ministers when they seem to be Ministers of Righteousness when it is oft said Be not deceived and Let no man deceive you with vain words it is more necessary advise and hardlier followed than most men understand As Truth is Gods means to work the will to holy love and lead us in a holy life so Lying is the Devils means to oppose them and of all Lyars none are more pernicious than lying Historians and lying Preachers It is a sad perplexity to the world that when men read and hear even the more confident and plausible Histories and Reports they know not whether they are true or false and if they believe that to be true which is not the effect is worse than this perplexity I will tell you what I take to be credible and what not I. It is presupposed that a man must believe his senses if sound about their proper objects Papists that tell us that all mens senses are deceived when they seem to perceive Bread and Wine in the Sacrament do but tell us that no man then is to be believed and therefore not they themselves II. The History of the Gospel is certainly credible because it was confirmed by multitudes of uncontrouled Miracles wrought by Christ and by his Apostles and multitudes of Christians as the Doctrine it self beareth the Image and Superscription of God III. The Prophets that had Divine Inspiration and Vision had that Evidence which gave themselves a certainty though not to others IV. When History delivereth a matter of fact and sense by the common consent of all men that knew it though of contrary minds dispositions and interests it giveth us a certainty which may be called Natural because Nature hath nothing in it that could cause such a Conspiracy in Lying That it is so credible as to be a Natural certainty that there is such a place as Rome Paris Ierusalem that the Statutes of the Land are not Forgeries while all Contenders plead them against each other and hold by them their Estates and Lives And so that there was such a Person as Jesus Christ and that the Scriptures were written by the Prophets and Apostles c. V. When the History of any person and action is proved by continued or visible effects as that William of Normandy conquered England while so many of the effects of that Conquest in our Laws and Customs are still visible And that the Welsh were the Ancient Britains driven by the Saxons into Wales while their Language Habitation c. shew it And so that Christ instituted Baptism and Church-Communion and the Apostles separated the Lords Day for holy worship when the Christian World hath used all these publickly in all places ever since and do 〈◊〉 them And so that Temples were built for holy worship and endowed when we still see and possess them VI. That History is credible which consentingly speaketh against the known interest of the Author for mans corrupt nature is apteâ— to false boasting than to false Confessions of Sin against a Confessor there needs no Witnesses And this is much of the credibility of the harsher part of the Church-History which I here recite What I say of the miscarriages of Bishops and Councils is mostly in their own words and what I say against Popes is but the recital of what is said by the greatest Defenders or Flatterers of Popes I give you no Reports against the pride contentions and corruptions of Patriarchs and Prelates out of the supposed Hereticks or Protestants I give you not a word out of Lutâ—er who de Conciliis hath very much and especially speaketh much like as I here do of Cyril and Nestorius nor out of Illyricus his Catalogus Testium Veritatis nor out of the Mornay's Mystery of Iniquity no nor out of the Collections of Goldastus Marquardus Freherus Ruberus Pistorius c. But the substance of the common History is taken out of the commonly received Church-Historians Eusebius Socrates Sozomene Cassiodorus Theodorite Ruffinus Evagrius Nazianzen Hierom Victor Niâ—ephorus Liberatus Nicetas and such others and the sum of the Councils and Popes is out of Baronius Anastasius but most out of Binnius and Platina and Aeneas Sylvius a Pope Petavius and such other as are the greatest Papal Zealots When these speak for their Cause I leave you to just suspition but when they speak against it by way of confession or lamentation they are not to be suspected VII The next degree of credibility dependeth on the Veracity or credible fitness of the Reporter some men are much more credible than others For instance 1. One that was upon the place and saw what was done or lived near where he had full information is caeteris paribus more credible than one that followeth uncertain reports or hear-say 2. A wise man is much more credible than a proud self-conceited Confident Fool. 3. One that hath made a matter his long and hard study is caeteris paribus more to be believed in that matter than many ignorant men 4. One that is impartial a lover of peace and not ingaged by faction or interest to one side against the other is caeteris paribus much more credible than a factious interested man 5. A sober calm considerate man that will stay and try before he judgeth is more credible than a passionate or hasty judger 6. A man of manifest honesty conscience and
the Parliaments complaints of Popery Arminianism and Arbitrary Illegalities and after saith Hist. Presb. p. 465. 470. The truth is that as the English generally were not willing to receive that yoak so neither did the Houses really intend to impose it on them though for a while to hold fair quarter with the Scots they seemed forward in it This appears by their Declaration of April 1646 Nor have they lived to see their dear Presbytery setled or their Lay-Elders entertained in any one Parish of the Kingdome that 's false on the other side and yet all must be done by this Parliament as Presbyterians four years before when they were Episcopal distasting only the persons and actions of Bishop Laud Wren and some other present Bishops If I find a man like Schlusselburgiâ—s fall Pell-mell with reproach on all that differ from him or Dr. Heylin speak of blood with pleasure and as thirsty after more as of Thacker Vdall c. or as designing to make Dissenters odious as he and most of the Papists Historians do as the Image of both Churches Philanax Anglicus the Historical Collections out of Heylin I will believe none of these revilers further than they give me Cogent proof I hear of a Scots Narrative of the Treasons Fornications Witchcrafts and other wickedness of some of the Scottish Presbyterians and as for me the Author knoweth not what to call me unless it be a Baxterian as intending to be a Haeresiarcha being neither Papist nor of the Church of England nor Presbyterian nor Independent c. To this I say I have no acquaintance with any Scots Minister nor ever had in my life except with Bishop Sharp that was murdered and two other Bishops and two or three that live here in London therefore what they are I know not save by Fame But though I have heard that Country asperst as too much inclin'd to Fornication I never before heard the Religious part and Ministers so accused Either it is true or false if false shame be to the reporters if true what doth it concern us here or any that are innocent any further than to abhor it and lament it and to be thankful to God that it is another sort of men that are called Puritans in England and that in all my acquaintance with them these 56 years which hath been with very many in many Countries I remember not that ever I heard of one Puritan man or woman save one accused or suspected of fornication and that one yet living though openly penitent hath lived disowned and shamed to this day but I have heard of multitudes that revile them that make a jest and common practice of it Try whether you can make the Inhabitants of this City believe that the Nonconformists or Puritans are fornicators drunkards or perjured and that their accusers and haters are innocent men that hate them for such Crimes But it s possible that you may make men of other Countries or Ages believe it and believe that we wear Horns and have Cloven Feet and what you will but I fear not all your art or advantages on those that are acquainted with both sides But the misery is that faction ingageth men to associate only with their party where they hear reproaches of the unknown dissenters from whom they so estrange themselves that the Neighbours near them are as much unknown to them save by lying same as if they lived an hundred miles from them I remember Mr. Cressey once wrote to me that he turned from the Protestant Religion to the Roman because there was among us no spiritual Books of Devotion for Soul Elevations and affectionate Contemplation And I told him it was Gods just Judgment on him that lived so strange to his Neighbours because they are called Puritans and to their Writings which Shops and Libraries abound with had he read Bishop Halls Mr. Greenhams Mr. Ri. Rogers Mr. Io. Rogers Mr. Hildershams Mr. Boltons Mr. Perkins Mr. Downhams Mr. Reyners Dr. Sibbes c. yea or no better than my own the Saints Rest the Life of Faith the Divine Life the Christian Directory c. or had he read the Lives of Divines called Puritans or but such as two young men published partly by my self Ioseph Allen and Iohn Ianeway he would never have gone from the Protestants to the Papists because of our formality and want of an affectionate spiritual sort of devotion especially knowing what excess of formality is among the Papists and how much it is of the Clergies accusation of the Puritans that they are for too little form and too much pretence of spiritual devotion But if any called Religious or Puritans or Presbyterians be vicious I know no men that so heartily desire their punishment and ejection as those that are called by the same names I thank God that these twenty years while neither Wit Will nor Power hath been wanting against them I have scarce heard of two men if one that have been judged and proved guilty of any such immorality of all the ejected silenced Ministers in this Land I would I could say so of their Adversaries II. And now I must speak to the Accusers speeches of my self I thank you Sir that you feigned no worse against me if I am an Haeresiarcha why would not you vouchsafe to name that Heresie which I have owned I have given you large Field-room in near 80 Books and few men can so write as that a willing man may not find some words which he is able to call Heresie A little learning wit or honesty will serve for such an hereticating presumption 2. I never heard that Arminius was called an Arminian nor â—â—ther a Lutheran nor Bishop Laud a Laudian but if you be upon the knack of making Names you best know your ends and best know how to fit them to it 3. But seriously do you not know my Judgment will not about 80 Books inform you how then can I help it 4. No but you know not what Party I am of nor what to call me I am sorrier for you in this than for my self if you know not I will tell you I am a CHRISTIAN a MEER CHRISTIAN of no other Religion and the Church that I am of is the Christian Church and hath been visible where ever the Christian Religion and Church hath been visible But must you know what Sect or Paâ—â—y I am of I am against all Sects and dividing Parties But if any will call Meer Christians by the name of a Party because they take up with meer Christianity Creed and Scripture and will not be of any dividing or contentious Sect I am of that Party which is so against Parties If the Name CHRISTIAN be not enough call me a CATHOLICK CHRISTIAN not as that word signifieth an hereticating majority of Bishops but as it signifieth one that hath no Religion but that which by Christ and the Apostles was left to the Catholick Church or the Body of Jesus Christ on Earth
yea this Emperour that made him Great § 125. A book of concord by the Pope and Emperour that Images are neither to be contemptuously broken nor adored Bellarmines words against it He revileth the Popes words that Princes are Governours of the Church § 127 128. Confuted Faith and Love may be without Images § 129. It was the right of the Empire to consent or not to the chosen Pope § 132. Platina wisheth for a Ludovicus to reform the luxurious Clergy then § 133. A Paris Council write an excellent Book They tell of some struck with Thunderbolts Convulsions c. for and as working on the Lords day And say Beati Petri vicem gerimus § 136. The Emperour making his three Sons Kings they Rebel He conquereth Pipin Lotharius rebelleth again Ebbo and a Council of Bishops wickedly depose him absent and unheard and force him to resign his Scepter on the Altar and thrust him into Prison Thus was the best of Princes that most advanced the Clergy used by them on Religious pretense Ludovicus restored the second time Lotharius rebelleth still till pardoned Ludovicus dyeth § 137. The form of his condemnation by the Bishops at large with all the Articles of Accusation and his penance at the Bishops high Court of Iustice. § 139. The Emperour restored by force the Bishops recant and he forgiveth them Ebbo resigning § 140. The Wars between Ludovicus Sons Lotharius justly conquered § 145. The Bishops depose him upon impeachment as they did his Father by his will § 146. Images restored at Constantinople by Theodora a Woman she sped as Irene Photius Patriarch § 148 149. The Bishops suddenly turn again § 150. Strife for the Popedom § 151. Lotharius and his brothers agree § 153. The Archbishop of Rhemes fled and the seat vacant was ten years Governed by two Presbyters § 152. Carolus Calvus alienateth Church-lands § 153. Pope Leo and his City Leonina He writeth Massing Rules and deposeth Priests that cannot read till they amend § 154. Singing Liturgies the occasion of imposed forms § 155. A Council at Mentz punisheth murder even of Priests but with putting them from the communion § 157. CHAP. 10. Councils about Ignatius and Photius with others Hinâ—marus's description of Godescalcus and his Heresie § 1. Canons that Arch-Presbyters examine every Master of a Family personally c. That none denyed Communion have any Office civil or Military § 3. Whether unconstrained sufferers are Martyrs § 4. A hard case about the nullity of Ebbos Ordinations Two Popes differ § 5. Ignatius case § 8. Remigius and eleven more at Valence make notable decrees about Predestination Redemption Perseverance and choice of Bishops § 9. The Clergy and People to choose Bishops § 9 10. Lotharius turneth Monk § 11. No Pope Joan. § 12. Two strive for the Papacy Anastasius against Images repulst § 13 14. Thunderbolts in the Church § 16. John Bishop of Ravenna forced to submit to the Pope § 17. The Schism between Ignatius and Photius § 18. Bishops for the Emperours divorce censured by the Pope despise him § 19. Pope Nicolas against Hincmarus Against the Greek Emperour His notable Epistle He maketh the greater number of Bishops and People no sign of truth nor fewness of errour § 21. Baptism valid by one that is no Priest nor Christian. § 22. None proper Patriarchs but Apostles Successours § 22. All other Churches and Dignities made by Rome and Rome by Christ. § 24. Peter had the Empire of Heaven and Earth Ill. chosen Popes not Apostolical § 25. Many other Papal Vsurpations against Oaths Princes c. § 26 c. People still chuse Bishops § 29. None may hear Mass of a fornicating Priest § 30. Lay men must not judge or search the lives of Priests K. Charles saith none but the Bishops may depose him § 32. Photius setled by Councils § 31 33 35. Divers Councils for K. Lotharius divorce against the Pope § 38 39 40. The Pope curseth them § 41 and curseth his Legates at Const. § 42 and at Metz § 46. Hincmarus and the Pope's Contention § 43 44. Historians say the Papacy was void eight years and others but seven days § 50. Photius and his Counsels despised the Pope His deposition by Basilius a Murderer § 51. Basilius craveth the Popes pardon for the Bishops because they had almost all been deceived or false by following the upper Powers and the Churches would else be left destitute § 52. What nullifying Ordinations hath done § 53 Men wrongfully excommunicated to be received by other Bishops Presbyters to annoint the sick because the Bishops cannot visit all § 56. A Const. Council ejecteth Photius where the Bishops that were for him turn again and condemn him crying peccavimus save some few Subscriptions denyed and why § 57. This eighth General Council decreeth equal honour to Christs Image as to the Gospel Forbiddeth Patriarchs to require Bishops to subscribe to them but only to the Faith and deposeth them that do it § 58 Curseth them that say man hath two Souls All Bishops to be worshipped by Princes and not go far to meet them nor light from their Horses to them nor Petition them on great Penalties § 58. Princes as profane may not be present at Councils nor have been impudent § 58. No Lay man may dispute Ecclesiastical Sanctions be he never so wise or good But a Bishop must not be resisted though manifestly destitute of all virtue of Religion § 59. They decree that Photius be not called a Christian § 60. Bishops above Kings as Heaven above Earth § 61. The Pope but one Patriarch cannot absolve them that many Patriarchs condemn § 62. Nicetas Life of Ignatius in brief § 63. The Pope deposed by a Const. Council The Bishops wrote not Photius condemnation with Ink but with Christs blood and yet restored him and honoured him as the Emperour turned Photius deposeth and re-ordaineth and requireth subscription to him § 63. Votes hereon § 64. The Contention between Rome and Const. for ruling the Bulgarians and the effects § 65. The Pope's Monarchy then unknown § 66 68. The French Bishops against the Pope gave Ludovicus's Kingdom to Charles Calvus § 70. The King Hincmar and Bishops against the Pope § 71 72. Deposing and blinding Hincmaru's Laudunensis The Romans imprison Pope John § 75. His Acts decree for perjury § 76 77. Going to Rome merits the pardon of Murder § 77. Service in the Sclavonian Tongue forbidden them § 78. Auspertus Bishop of Milan refuseth to obey the Pope Sclavonian Service yielded to The Bishop of Vienna rejecteth a Bishop of Geneva Aptandus sent by the Pope because he was never baptized made Clerk nor Learned The Pope tells him that he himself had none of these when he was consecrated Bishop of Vienna § 77. Whether the Right of Emperours was only by the Pope's Guift § 78. Binius resolution One Church had two Bishops § 81. A General Council at Constant. restoreth Photius expungeth filioque condemneth the last
General Council there yet both approved by Popes § 83. The Council accuse Rome § 87. Rome's jurisdiction excluded § 87. Adders to the Creed filioque anathematized Pope Martin and Hadrian condemn Photius and enrage the Greek Emperour against them § 89 91. Bishops and Lords depose Carolus Crassus he is put to beg his bread § 92. The Pope above Emperours as Heaven above Earth Kings are Servants and not above the Clergie their Masters § 93. A King ruling ill decreed to be a Tyrant Bishops and Priests lying with their own Sisters restrained but no Bishop is to be accused by a Presbyter nor judged under seventy two Witnesses nor Priests under forty two c. He that would lye with his Sister before so many deserved blame Murderers of Priests denyed Flesh Wine Coaches c. § 96 97. Formosus perjured was the first Bishop that ever was made Pope § 99. CHAP. 11. The Progress of Councils till Leo the 9th especially in the West The Bishops depose Odo and set up Charles § 1. The Virgin Mary's Smock works wonders § 2. Bloud and confusion in Italy § 3. Bishops to be obeyed before Earls and Magistrates Clergy-men must not be put to swear No Presbyter to be depos'd but by six Bishops § 5. Two wicked Popes at once Stephen Iudgeth Dismembreth and drowneth dead Formosus and re-ordaineth those ordained by him § 7 8. The Bishops in Council approve it yet now Papists detest it § 9. When Popes are Infallible § 10. Popes undo what their Predecessors did § 12 13 14 15 17. Platina's description of a Malignant Pope § 14. Popes Crown for fear and uncrown and Crown others § 15. Bishops turn and return and cry Peccavimus Reordinations forbidden § 16. Bad Princes the cause of bad Bishops § 17. Wicked Christians on whom the Pope durst not use Discipline § 17. Schismes and violence on Popes § 18 19 20. Sergius made Pope the third time keeps it by Whores and Whoredom the most wicked of men saith Baron and Bin. § 22. Formosus again executed dead § 23. Questions to the Papists of their holyness and Succession § 24. Photius last deposition and the Murders of Emperours at Constant § 26. A Whore Ruleth at Rome § 21. She maketh her Fornicator Pope Baronius and Binnius hard put to it § 62. Earl Heribert's Son not five years old made Archbishop so Rhemes § 30. Ratified by Pope John lamented by Baron that by this Example other great men did the like Johns end by a Whore § 30. None to marry within the seventh degree as incest § 31. Sergius bastard-Son under age made Pope John by a Whore and destroyed after a Monster saith Binnius § 35. None to fast privately but by the Bishops consent § 36. The King of Denmark made Christian by Henry King of Germany § 39. St. Peter made the example for many Bishopricks to one Bishop § 40. Albericus ruleth and mangleth the Pope § 41. The Bishops judge the Infant before the perjured Monk to be Bishop of Rhemes § 43. The treasons and changes in France § 44. Tryphon illiterate finely cheated of his Patriarchate Const. § 46. Councils do and undo between the two Bishops of Rhemes § 48 49 50. John XII Lawful Pope wanted all things necessary to a Pope say Baronius and Binnius § 51. Notes hereon § 52. Pope John dismembreth his Cardinals § 53. He fled § 53. The Bishops depose him and make another by Otho's means § 54. The horrid charges against Pope John sworn § 53. Baronius and Binnius against his condemnation answered § 56. Two Popes and Churches § 57. Not yet known who was the true Pope § 59. John killed in Adultery § 60. Another Antipope perjuriously chosen § 61. A Martyr § 62 64. An interruption of the Succession by Baronius and Binnius account § 65. Otho saveth them The next imprisoned and strangled § 67. Boniface VII runs to Constantinople with the Church Treasure § 69. Two more Popes § 69 70 72. Boniface murders another Pope and gets in dyeth and is drag'd about the Streets § 74. John XV durst not dwell at Rome § 75. Huâ—o Capet turneth the Bishops § 78. Popes fighting John XVII blinded mangled disgraced kill'd § 84. Seven Electors of the Emperour settled § 85. Gerbert how made Pope § 87. The King of Hungary Converts the Transilvanians § 87. Good Kings § 90. Leutherius Archbishop of Seus against Transubstantiation § 91. Two Popes fighting The King of Hungary converted by the Emperour Henry § 95. The first burning of Hereticks Manichees § 97. Henry the Emperour leaveth his Wife a Virgin § 100. Benedict IX a deboist boy-Pope put out again § 103. Gets in again A third enters at once The Cerberus hired all out by dividing the Church-rents between them do resign but the hirer as pacificator is made Pope § 103. Six that had been Popes alive at once One honest Pope that could not read made a fellow Pope to do it § 104. Gregory VI. The illiterate reconciling Pope variously described put out with the other three and a Fifth chosen § 107. Benedict gets in the third time § 107. Another gets in by Poyson and dyeth the 23 day § 110. Baron answered § 111. The Monster Bened. 9. is he that condemned Berengarius § 112. Leo 9th of the Resurrection Renounceth the Title of Vniversal Patriarchs as of the bawd of Antichrist Peter not Vniversal Apostle Bishops equal varied by City priviledges save in Africa by seniority The Romish Church usurped by no Pastors § 205. Michael Patr. of Const. Rebaptizeth Papists saith they had no true Baptism or Sacrifice § 205. A Roman Council pardon simoniacal Bishops and Priests lest the Church be utterly destitute § 206. The Popes hold a Council in France against the King ' s will A Bishops horrid Crimes and a miracle there Still Clergie and People must chuse every Bishop 207. CHAP. 12. The continuation till the Council of Constance Councils against Berengarius § 2 c. Adulterous and Symoniacal Bishops A miracle § 4 9. Hildebrand a Sub-deacon presideth in Councils and deposeth Bishops and Excommunicateth § 9 10. Bishops by Excommunication rule K. Ferdinand § 12. Milan separated from Rome 200 years § 16. Another Schism § 17 18. Hildebrands new Foundation of Popes by Cardinals Election § 22. Notes hereon § 22. A Roman Council forbids hearing a Fornicator Priest § 23. Bloody fights between two Popes Five years schism § 25. P. Alexander giveth England to William the Conqueror § 27. Councils for each Pope § 28 29. Gods word affirmed violable § 30. Hildebrands War in Rome Italian Bishops against him His hard work Obedience to the Pope forbidden by a Council at Mentz He deposeth the Emperour for seeking to diminish the Majesty of the Church and absolveth his sworn Subjects An Antipope made that sate 21 years the 23d schism The Emperour barefoot in frost three days begs pardon and promiseth obedience He is again cursed by the Pope in Council as
such Orders as were to continue to the end and none that came after them might change they being the Ordinances of the Holy Ghost in them 2. Temporarily pro re natâ to make convenient mutable Constitutions in matters left by the great Legislator to humane prudence to be determined according to his general regulating Laws In this last the Apostles have Successors but not in the former No other have their Gift and therefore not their Authority No men can be said to have an Office that giveth them Right to exercise abilities which they never had nor shall have § 4. Christ summed up all the Law in LOVE to God and Man and the works of Love and all the Gospel in Faith and Hope and Love by them kindled and exercised by the Spirit which he giveth them even by the Belief and Trust of his Merits Sacrifice Intercession and Promises and the prospect of the future Glory promised fortifying us to all holy duties of obedience and diligent seeking what he hath promised and to patient bearing of the Cross conquering the inordinate love of the world and flesh and present life and improving all our present sufferings and preparing for his coming again and for our change and entrance into our Masters joy § 5. Christ summed up the Essentials of Christianity in the Baptismal Covenant in which we give up our selves in Faith Hope and consenting Love to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and in which God receiveth us in the Correlations as his own And all that are truly thus baptized are Christened and are to be esteemed and loved as Christians and to be received into Christian Communion in all Christian Churches where they come until by apostasie or impenitency in certain disobedience to the Laws of Christ in points necessary to Christian Communion they forfeit that priviledge Nor are men to deprive them of the great benefit thus given them by Christ on pretence of any wit or holiness or power to amend Christs terms and make the Church Doors narrower or tie men to themselves for worldly ends Yet must the Pastors still difference the weaker Christians from the stronger and labour to edifie the weak but not to cast them out of the Church § 6. The sacred Ministry is subordinate to Christ in his Teaching Governing and Priestly Office and thus essentiated by Christs own institution which man hath no power to change Therefore under Christ they must teach the Church by sacred Doctrine guide them by that and sacred Discipline called The power of the Keys that is of judging who is fit to enter by Baptism to continue to partake of the Communion to be suspended or cast out and to lead them in the publick Worship of God interceding in Prayer and speaking for them and administring to them the Sacraments or holy Seals of the Covenant of God § 7. The first part of the Ministers Oâ—â—ice is about the unbelieving world to convert them to the Faith of Christ and the second perfective part about the Churches Nor must it be thought that the first is done by them as meer private men § 8. As Satan fell by pride and overthrew man by tempting him to pride to become as Gods in Knowledge so Christ himself was to conquer the Prince of pride by humility and by the Cross by a life of suffering contemned by the blind and obstinate world making himself of no reputation despising the shame of suffering as a Malefactor a Traitor and Blasphemer And the bearing of the Cross was a principal part of his Precepts and Covenant to his Disciples without which they could not be his Followers And by Humility they were to follow the Captain of their Salvation in conquering the Prince of pride and in treading down the Enemie-world even the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and pride of life which are not of the Father but of the world § 9. Accordingly Christ taught his chief Disciples that if they were not so converted as to become as little children they could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18. 3. His School receiveth not masterly Disciples but humble teachable Learners that become fools that they may be wise And when they were disputing and seeking which of them should be greatest he earnestly rebuked all such thoughts setting a little child before them telling them that the Princes of the Earth exercise authority and are called Benefactors or by big Names but with them it should not be so but he that would be the greatest must be servant ofâ— all Luk. 22. shewing them that it was not a worldly grandeur nor forcing power by the Sword which belongeth to Civil Magistrates which was to be exercised by the Pastors of the Church But that he that would be the Chiefest must be most excellent in Merit and most serviceable to all and get his honour and do his work by meriting the respect and love of Volunteers The Sword is the Magistrates who are also Christs Ministers for all Power is given him and he is Head over all things to the Church But they are eminently the Ministers of his Power but the Pastors and Teachers are most eminently Ministers of his Paternal and saving love and wisdom And by wisdom and love to do their work The Word preached and applied generally and particularly by the Keys is their Weapon or Arms and not the Sword The Bohemians therefore knew what they said when they seemed damnable Hereticks to the worldly Clergie that destroyed them when they placed their Cause in these four Articles 1. To have the whole Sacrament Bread and Wine 2. To have free leave for true Ministers to preach the word of God without unjust silencing of proud worldly men that cannot stand before the truth 3. To have Temporal Dominion or Government by the Sword and power over mens Bodies and Estates taken from the Clergie 4. To have gross sin suppressed by the lawful Magistrate by the Sword § 10. Had it been necessary to the Churches Union against Schism or Heresie for Christians to know that Peter or some one of his Apostles must be his Vicar-General and Head of his Church to whom all must obey who can believe that Christ would not only have silenced so necessary a point but also at a time when he was desired or called to decide it have only spoken so much against it to take down all such Expectations Yea we never read that Peter exercised any Authority or Jurisdictions over any other of the Apostles nor more than other Apostles did much less that ever he chose a Bishop to be Lord of the Church as his Successor Nay he himself seemeth to fore-see this mischief and therefore saith 1. Pet. 5. 1 2 3. The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder and a Witness of the Sufferings of Christ and also a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed These are his Dignities
Feed the Flock of God which is among you not out of your reach and hearing in a vast Diocess taking the oversight not by constraint but willingly and on willing men not for filthy lucre but of a ready wind neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage but being Examples to the Flock and when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away § 11. Nothing is more certain than that the Church for above 300 years had no power of the Sword that is forcibly to meddle with and hurt mens Bodies or Estates except what the Apostles had by miracle And to this day no Protestants and not most Papists claim any such Power as of Divine Institution but only plead that the Secular Powers are bound by the Sword to destroy such as are judged Hereticks by the Bishops and to punish such as contemn the censures of the Church § 12. He that would see more for the Power of Princes vindicated from the Clergies Claim and Usurpation may find much in many old Treatises written for the Emperours against the Pope collected by Goldastus de Monarch and in Will. Barclay but much better in Bishop Bilson of Obedience and in Bishop Andrew's Tortura Torti and in Bishop Buckridge Roffensis of the Power of Kings and much in Spalatensis de Repub. § 13. The Vniversality of Christians is the Catholick Church of which Christ is the only Head or Soveraign but it is the duty of these to worship God in solemn Assemblies and to live in a holy Conversation together and to join in striving against sin and to help each other in the way to life therefore Societies united for these ends are called Particular Churches § 14. When the Apostles had converted a competent number of Christians they gather'd them into such Assemblies and as a Politick Society set over them such Ministers of Christ as are afore described to be their Guides § 15. These Officers are in Scripture called sometime Elders and sometimes Bishops to whom Deacons were added to serve them and the Church subordinately Dr. Hammond hath well described their Office in in his Annotat. which was to preach constantly in publick and private to administer both Sacraments to pray and praise God with the People to Catechize to visit and pray with the sick to comfort troubled Souls to admonish the unruly to reject the impenitent to restore the penitent to take care of the poor and in a word of all the Flock § 16. The Apostles set usually more than one of these Elders or Bishops in every Church not as if one might not rule the Flook where no more was necessary but according to their needs that the work might not be undone for want of Ministers § 17. They planted their Churches usually in Cities because Christians comparatively to the rest were few as Sects are among us and no where else usually enough for a Society and because the Neighbour-scattered Villages might best come to the Cities near them not but that it was lawful to plant Churches in the Country where there were enough to constitute them and sometimes they did so as by Clemens Roman ad Corinth by History appeareth § 18. Grotius thinketh that one City at first had divers Churches and Bishops and that they were gathered after the manner of the Synagogues and Dr. Hammond thinketh that for some time there were two Churches and Bishops in many Cities one of Jews and one of Gentiles and that in Rome Paul and Peter had two Churches whom Linus and Cletus did succeed till they were united in Clemens § 19. There is great evidence of History that a particular Church of the Apostles setling was essentially only a Company of Christians Pastors and People associated for personal holy communion and mutual help in holy Doctrine Worship Conversation and Order Therefore it never consisted of so few or so many or so distant as to be uncapable of such personal help and Communion But was ever distinguished as from accidental Meetings so from the Communion of many Churches or distant Christians which was held but by Delegates Synods of Pastors or Letters and not by personal help in presence Not that all these must needs always meet in the same place but that usually they did so or at due times at least and were no more nor more distant than could so meet Sometimes Persecution hindred them somtimes the Room might be too small Even Independent Churches among us sometimes meet in divers places and one Parish hath divers Chappels for the aged and weak that are unfit for travel § 20. Scotus began the opinion as Davenport Fr. a Santa Clara intimateth and Dion Petavius improved it and Dr. Hammond hath largely asserted it that the Apostles at first planted a single Bishop in each Church with one or more Deacons and that he had power in time to ordain Elders of a different Order Species or Office and that the word Elder and Bishop and Pastor in Scripture never signifie these subject Elders but the Bishops only and saith he there is no evidence that there were any of the subject sort of Presbyters in Scripture-times Which concession is very kindly accepted by the Presbyterians but they call for proof that ever these Bishops were authorised to make a new Species of Presbyters which were never made in Scripture-times and indeed they vehemently deny it and may well despair of such a proof § 21. But for my part I believe the foundation unproved that then there was but one Elder in a Church and think many Texts of Scripture fully prove the contrary But I join with Dr. Hammond in believing that in Scripture-times there was no particular Church that had more stated meetings for publick Communion than one For if there was so long but one Elder there could be but one such Assembly at once for they had no such Assemblies which were not guided by a Presbyter or Bishop in Doctrine Worship Sacraments and Discipline And they used to have the Eucharist every Lords day at least and often much more And one man can be at once but in one place § 22. I have elsewhere fully proved that the ancient Churches that had Bishops were no bigger than our Parishes and few a quarter so big as the greatest of them and consisted of no more than might have such present personal Communion as is before described the proofs are too large to be here recited Ignatius is the plainest who saith that this was the note of a Churches Unity that To every Church there was one Altar and one Bishop with his Fellow Presbyters and Deacons And elsewhere chargeth the Bishop to take account of his Flock whether they all come to Church even Servant-men and Maids Clemens Romanus before him intimateth the like mentioning even Country Bishops Martyr's Description of the Christian Assemblies plainly proveth it Tertullian's Description of them and many other passages in him prove it more fully He professeth that
§ 31. But if these two great Cities had indeed had yet more Altars and Churches Orbis major est Vrbe saith Hierome Two singular Cities may not over-weigh the contrary case of all the Churches If any other had been like them it would have been Antioch the third Patriarchate when as in Ignatius time as is aforesaid the Churches unity there and elsewhere was notified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Altar or Altar-place and One Bishop with his Presbyters and Deacons And hence came it to be the note of a Schism to set up Altare contra Altare because one Bishop and Church had but one Altar Mr. Mede no injudicious nor Factions man saw this and asserteth it from the plain words of Ignatius § 32. How the case came to be altered it is easie to know But whether it was well or ill done is all the controversie or the chief I confess there want not some that think that the Apostles had their several assigned Provinces and that they left them to twelve Successours and this is the foundation of Patriarchal or Provincial Churches with such unproved Dreams 1. We doubt not but that the Apostles wisely distributed their Labours But we believe not that they divided the Countreys into their several Dioceses or Provinces nor that two of them e. g Iohn and Paul Peter and Paul Iames and other Apostles might not and did not do the work of an Apostle in the same Country and City Much less do we believe that one of them e. g. Iames at Ierusalem whether an Apostle or not I contend not was a Bishop over the Apostles when they resided there 2. Nor do we believe that they left any such divided Provinces to their Successors If they had it 's strange that we had not twelve or thirteen Patriarchal or Provincial Churches hence noted Which were they and how came they so soon to be forgotten and unknown And why had we first but three Patriarchs and one of those Alexandria accounting from no Apostle but from S. Mark and the other two reckoning from one and the same Apostle save that Rome reckoned from two at once Peter and Paul when as one City must say they have but one Bishop § 33. The case is known that 1. When Christians so multiplyed that one Assembly would not serve but they became enough for many the Bishops greatness and wealth increasing with the People they continued them all under their own Government and so took them all to be their Chapels setling divers Altars but not divers Bishops in one Church 2. And herewith their work also by degrees was much changed and they that at first were most employed in Guiding the whole Church in Gods publick worship and exercised present discipline before them and were the sole usual Preachers to them all the rest of the Elders Preaching but when the Bishop could not or bid them did after become distant Judges and their Government by degrees degenerated to a similitude of Civil Magistracy 3. And then they set up the old exploded question which of them should be the chief or greatest And then they that had the greatest Cities being the richest and greatest Bishops in interest because of the greatness and riches of their Flocks they got the Church Government to be distributed much like the Roman Civil Government within that Empire And where the Civil Magistrate had most and largest command they gave the Ecclesiastical Bishop the like And so they set up the Bishops of the three chief Cities as Patriarchs Rome being the first because it was the great Imperial Seat as the Chalcedon Council giveth the true reason Afterwards Constantinople and Ierusalem being added they turned them into five And Carthage and other places not called Patriarchal Seats had exempt peculiar Jurisdictions with a power near to Patriarchs And the rest of the Bishops strove much for precedency and got as large Territories as they could and as numerous Flocks and many Parishes though still the name Paroeciae was used for the whole Episcopal Church when it was turned into a Diocess § 34. I conceive that this Change of One Altar into a Diocesane Church of many Altars and Parishes was not well done but is the thing that hath confounded the Christian World and that they ought to have increased the number of Churches as the number of Christians did increase as the Bees swarm into another Hive My Reasons are 1. Christ and the Holy Ghost in the Apostles having setled a Church Species and Order like that of the Synagogues and not like that of the Temple no man ought to have changed that Form Because they can prove no power to do it and because it accuseth the Institution of Christ and the Holy Ghost of insufficiency or errour which must so soon be altered by them Perfective addition as an Infant groweth up to Manhood we deny not But who gave them power to abrogate the very Specices of the first Instituted Churches That the Species is altered is certainly proved by the different uses and Termini of the Relation For a Church of the first Institution was a Society joyned for personal Communion in Doctrine Worship and holy living But a Diocess consisting of many score or hundred Parishes that never see or know or come near one another are uncapable of any such present personal Communion and have none but Mental and by Officers or Delegates 2. By this means all the Parish-Churches being turned into Chapels and un-Churched are all robbed of their Right seeing each one ought to have a Bishop and Presbyters and the benefit of that Office and Order which is now denied them and many hundred such Parishes turned into Chapels have no Bishop to themselves but one among them all to the Diocess 3. Because by this means true Discipline is become impossible and unpracticable by the distance and multitude of the people and the distance and paucity of Bishops What Christ commandeth Mat. 18. being as impossible to be done in many hundred Parishes by one Bishop and his Consistory as the Discipline of so many hundred Schools by one School-master though each School have an Usher or the care of many hundred Hospitals by one Physician perhaps at twenty or forty or eighty or an hundred miles distance 4. Because it altereth the antient Office of a Bishop and of a Presbyter and setteth new ones in the stead As a Bishop was the Bishop of one Church so a Presbyter was his Assistant Ejusdem Ordinis in the Government of the Church who now is turned into a meer Usher or Worshipping-Teacher or Chaplain 5. Because it certainly divideth the Churches For Christians would unite in a Divine Institution and the exercise of true Discipline that will never unite in a humane Policy which abrogateth the Divine and certainly destroyeth commanded necessary Discipline § 35. The very work also of the Bishop and so the Office came thus to be changed Christ having appointed no other Church
of Christ that hate the Doctrine and Life and Cross of Christ that by pleading for Godliness and Concord may be the effectual Enemies of both and may fight against Christ in his own Livery under his Colours and with his own Arms. Whose God is their Belly who glory in their shame who mind earthly things being Enemies to the Cross of Christ The History of whom you will find in the following part of this Treatise § 40. But here I must above all remember the Reader that he is not for this Corruption of the Clergy and Government of the Church to think that the Church here ceased to be a true Church or that the Ministry was lost or that it became unlawful to hold Communion with any such Churches much less to think hardly of Christianity it self as if it were no better than false Religions because so many of its Pastors were so bad None of God's Counsels were frustrate by mans sin None of his Promises to his Church have failed For all this Christ is the Saviour of the World the Prince of Righteousness and Peace that came to destroy the Works of the Devil and to save his people from their Sins and all that are given him of the Father shall come to him and he will cast none of them out nor shall any take them out of his hands § 41. I. Let it be still remembred that as the Chronicles of Kingdoms mention only the publick Actions of Princes and great Men but name not the poor and private sort so also our Church-History of Councils and publick things say little of godly private Christians but of Patriarchs and great Prelates who yet are themselves but a very small part of the Christian World II. Note also that every Bishop had many Presbyters whose work was not to strive for superiority nor trouble the world in Councils where usually they came not and so had not a quarter of the temptations that the Bishops had And though we find mention sometimes of the Presbyters also that were naught yet the number so reproved and proved bad is not proportionable to the number of Prelates compared among themselves that miscarried in Councils The Presbyters that staid at home and followed their work in private with the Flock and came not on the Stage in publick affairs kept up the substance and practice of Religion III. And the private Christians had yet less temptation and were not so overwhelmed with worldly things nor carryed away by pride and ambition and covetousness as the ruling party were IV. And the Monks and other retired Christians that saw the Prelates sin and sâ—ares though many of them had their failings too yet no doubt kept up much serious piety and a holy life V. And no doubt but very many of the Bishops themselves were humble holy faithful men that grieved for the miscarriages of the rest Though such excellent persons as Gregory Neocesareae Gregory Nazianzen Gregory Nyssen Basil Chrysostome Augustine Hillary Prosper Fulgentius c. were not very common no doubt but there were many that wrote not Books nor came so much into the notice of the world but avoided contentious and factious Stirs that quietly and honestly conducted the Flocks in the ways of piety love and justice And some of them as S. Martin separated from the Councils and Communion of the prevailing turbulent sort of the Prelates to signifie their disowning of their sins VI. And oft times when the Prelates were at the worst God raised up some very Godly Princes that maintained Religion more than the Clergy and were an honour to it when the Bishops dishonoured it VII And it is not to be contemned that much piety was kept up among great numbers of Christians whom for some mistake the rest reviled and condemned as Schismaticks or Hereticks Little know we how many holy souls were among those that are in Epiphanius Catalogue Of the Audians and some others he seemeth to confess as much himself The Novatians were tolerated in almost all the Empire and had their Churches and Bishops having the testimony of the Orthodox that they were usually of sound faith and upright lives and stricter than other Christians were And God pardoneth the infirmity of a small mistake in judgment when men are sincerely addicted to his service Now and then a cruel Prelate did prosecute them but so did not the gentler sort as Atticus Proclus c. at Constantinople c. nor the Emperours themselves save when so instigated VIII And though the Churches in the Roman Empire kept up this grandure of Patriarchs Metropolitans and rich Prelates that after over-topped Kings it was not so in other parts of the Christian world but the Clergy lived more humbly and quietly The Scots under Columbanâ—s and their other Presbyters long lived in great piety without any Bishops And when the Scots Presbyters Finan Aidan c. ordained Bishops in Northumberland they were commonly humble holy men like themselves And both Scots and Britains so much misliked the Romane-grandure and way that when Augustine the Monk came in they would not subject themselves to the Pope or any Foreign Prelates nor so much as eat and drink with the Missionaries And the like we may say of some other Extra-imperial Churches The Spaniards themselves not only while Arian Goths of whom see the testimony of Salvian to the shame of the Orthodox but after Recaredus days for many ages lived in great quietness while Italy France and Germany were employed in Hereticating Cursing Excommunicating or bloudy Wars The great Empire of Aâ—assia as the crediblest History saith never had Bishops to this day but only one called the Aâ—uâ—â— while the whole Clergy are exercised though in too much ignorance in their Priestly Office Brocardus that lived at Ierusalem testifieth that those Eastern Christians called by the Papists Nestorians Iacobites Eutychians were commonly plain honest Religious people free from Heresie and of better lives than even the Religious of the Church of Rome and that there were not worse men at Ierusalem than the Romaâ— Catholicks The Armenians have many Bishops and one chief but live though too ignorantly and superstitiously yet in great austerity of life IX In all ages since Prelacy swelled to the corruption of the Churches and annoyance of the Peace of Kings and Kingdoms there have been still a great number of pious lamenters of the Corruptions of the Church that have groaned and prayed for reformation Insomuch that Dr. Field maintaineth that even in the Church of Rome there have been still considerable numbers of Doctors that owned truth and piety and misliked the Papal usurpations and errours The Waldenses and Albigenses exceeding numerous said they had continued from the Apostles and so from the days of Sylvester or Constantine had dissented from the Roman pride and corruptions And God hath made the Protestant Churches since the Reformation as his Vineyard where truth and piety have prospered though Satan hath been still at work
Churches 3. The Office of Presbyters is changed into semi-Presbyters 4. Discipline is made impossible as it is for one General without inferiour Captains to Rule an Army But of this before § 55. Much more doth this become unlawful 1. when deposing all the Presbyters from Government by the Keyes of Discipline they put the same Keyes even the Power of decâ—etive Excommunication and Absolution into the hands of Laymen called Chancellours and set up Courts liker to the Civil than Ecclesiastical 2. And when they oblige the Magistrate to execute their Decrees by the Sword be they just or unjust and to lay Men in Goals and ruine them meerly because they are Excommunicated by Bishops or Chancellours or Officials or such others and are not reconciled And when they threaten Princes and Magistrates with Excommunication if not Deposition if they do but Communicate with those that the Bishop hath Excommunicated 3. Or when they arrogate the power of the Sword themselves as Socrates saith Cyril did Or without necessity joyn in one person the Office of Priesthood and Magistracy when one is more than they can perform aright § 56. And it becometh much worse by the tyrannical abuse when being unable and unwilling to exercise true Discipline on so many hundred Parishes they have multitudes of Atheists Infidels gross ignorants and wicked livers in Church-Communion yea compel all in the Parishes to Communicate on pain of Imprisonment and ruine and turn their censures cruelly against godly persons that dare not obey them in all their Formalities Ceremonies and Impositions for fear of siâ—â—ing against God And when conniving at ignorant ungodly Priests that do but obey them they silence and ruine the most faithful able Teachers that obey not all their imposing Canons and swear not and subscribe not what they bid them § 57. Undoubtedly Satan hath found it his most successful way to fight against Christ in Christs own name and to set up Ministers as the Ministers of Christ to speak indirectly against the Doctrine Servants and interest of Christ and as Ministers of Light and righteousness and to fight against Church-Government Order Discipline and Unity by the pretences of Church Government Order Discipline and Unity and to cry down Schism to promote Schism and to depress Believers by crying up Faith and Orthodoxness and crying down Heresie and Errour Yea to plead God's Name and Word against himself and to set up Sin by accusing Truth and Duty as Sin § 58. II. That which I take for Lawful Indifferent Episcopacy is such as Hierome saith was introduced for the avoiding of divisions though it was not from the beginning When among many Elders in every single Church one of most wisdom and gravity is made their President yea without whom no Ordinations or great matters shall be done The Churches began this so early and received it so universally and without any considerable dissent or opposition even before Emperours became Christians that I dare not be one that shall set against it or dishonour such Episcopacy § 59. Yea if where â—â—t men are wanting to make Magistrates the King shall make Bishops Magistrates and joyn two Offices together laying no more work on them than will consist with their Ecclesiastick work though this will have inconveniencies I shall not be one that shall dishonour such or disobey them § 60. III. The Episcopacy which I dare not say is not of Gods institution besides that each Pastor is Episcopus Grâ—gis is that which succeedeth the Apostles in the Ordinary part of Church-Government while some Senior Pastors have a supervising care of many Churches as the Visiters had in Scotland and are so far Episcopi Episcoporum and Arch-bishops having no constraining power of the Sword but a power to admonish and instruct the Pastors and to regulate Ordinations Synods and all great and common circumstances that belong to Churches For if Christ set up one Form of Government in which some Pastors had so extensive work and power as Timothy Titus and Evangelists as well as Apostles had we must not change it without proof that Christ himself would have it changed § 61. But if men on this pretence will do as Rome hath done pretend one Apostle to be the Governour of all the rest and that they have now that Authority of that Apostle and will make an Universal Monarch to rule at the Antipodes and over all the World or will set up Patriarchs Primates Metrâ—politans and Arch-bishops with power to tyrannize over their Brethren and cast them out and on pretence of Order and imitating the Civil Government to master Princes or captivate the Churches to their pride and worldly interests this will be the worst and most pernicious tyranny § 62. And as it is not all Episcopacy so it is not all Councils that I design this History to dishonour No doubt but Christ would have his Church to be as far One as their natural political and gracious capacities will allow And to do all his work in as much love peace and concord as they can And to that end both seasonable Councils and Letters and Delegates for Concord and Communication are means which nature it self directeth them to as it doth direct Princes to hold Parliaments and Dyets In the multitude of Councellours there is safety Even frequent converse keepeth up amity In absence slanderers are heard and too oft believed A little familiarity in presence confuteth many false reports of one another which no distant defences would so satisfyingly confute And among many we may hear that which of few we should not hear How good and pleasant is it for Brethren to dwel together in Unity And the Concord of Christians greatly honoureth their holy profession as discord becometh a scandal to the world But all this and the measures and sort of Unity and Concord which we may expect and the true way to attain it I have fuller opened in a Treatise entitled The true and only tâ—rms of the Concord of all Christian Churches § 63. When Christians had no Princes or Magistrates on their side they had no sufficient means of keeping up Unity and Concord for mutual help and strength without meetings of Pastors to carry on their common work by consent But their meetings were only with those that had nearness or neighbourhood And they did not put men to travel to Synods out of other Princes Dominions or from Foreign Lands much less did they call any General Councils out of all the Christian Churches in the world But those that were capable of Communion by proximity and of helping one another were thought enough to meet for such ends § 64. And indeed neither nature nor Scripture obligeth us to turn such occasional helps into the forms of a State-policy and to make a Government of friendly consultations And therefore though where it may be done without fear of degenerating into tyranny known times of stated Synods or meetings of Pastors for Concord are best as once a
Sin 2. His errour is practical and not only notional 3. It excludeth the contrary truth and is predominant so that what contrary truth he acknowledgeth he doth not soundly practically and prevailingly believe § 12. Were it not besides my present purpose I might manifest that every carnal ungodly man among us 1. Doth not truly believe any one Article of the Creed with a serious practical belief 2. Nor doth he consent to the Baptismal Covenant 3. Nor sincerely desire and put up one Petition of the Lords Prayer rightly understood 4. Nor sincerely obey one of the Ten Commandements 5. Nor can sincerely receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Nor 6. Is a sincere Member of the holy Catholick Church nor can sincerely hold Communion with the Saints He is an Hypocrite and damnably erroneous even while he seemeth to be Orthodox and pleadeth for the Truth and cryeth out against Heresies and Errours which he may easily and ordinarily do § 13. It hath still been one of Satans effectual Snares to deceive and damn ungodly men by to hide their own practical errour and wickedness from their Consciences by seeming to be Orthodox and crying down Errours and Heresies in others But alas how unfit persons are they for such Work And how dreadfully do they condemn themselves It is a pitiful thing to hear a man that is false to the very essence of his Baptismal Vow to revile and prosecute a poor Anabaptist though erroneous for holding that Baptism should be delayed till years of discretion that it may be the better kept Or to hear a man that obeyeth not God himself but his fleshly Lust to cry out against every Dissenter how conscionable soever for not obeying the Church in some questionable points or to hear a man that sticketh not at any wickedness that maketh for his worldly ends or pleasure to cry out against those that in fear of Perjury or Lying or other sinning against God dare not take some Oath Subscription Profession or Covenant which is imposed As these notorious Hypocrites who live quite contrary to the Christian Religion which they profess do use to call those Hypocrites that labour in all things to please God if they do but mislike any thing in their Lives So also while they are drowned in damnable Errour they cry out against Errour in those that practically hold all the Essentials of Christianity and are certainly in the way of Life if they do differ in any thing from them or are ignorant of any thing which they know He that never puts up a sincere Prayer to God for his Grace nay that would not have it to make him holy and deprive him of his sinful pleasure will yet call others erroneous and Schismaticks if they pray not by his Book or in all his Circumstances while his Heart and Family are prayerless and God's Name ofter heard in Oaths and Curses than in Prayer § 14. Because bare opinion may consist with worldliness and fleshly lusts therefore it hath long been the trick of the ungodly to seem zealous for the true Church and for right opinions and to over do here to quiet their Consciences in Sin And it hath been a Snare to many conscionable People to tempt them to suspect and dislike the Truth because ungodly Men thus stand for it and to think it must be some bad thing which wicked men seem so zealous for when as they do it but for a cover for their Sin as Hypocrites and Oppressors use long Prayers which would not serve their turn if there were not some good in it § 15. And yet Errour is such a blinding thing that it 's very usual even for grosly erroneous men to cry out most fiercely against Errour For they know not themselves and they are proud and self conceited and oft by malignity apt to suspect and condemn others What did the Jews persecute the Christians for For supposed Heresie and Errour What did the Heathens cast them to wild Beasts and Torments for For supposed Impiety and Errour because they would not erre in their Idolatry as they did What hath disquieted and torn in pieces the Christian World but erroneous and worldly Popes Patriarcks and Prelates inordinate out-crys against supposed Errours For what have they silenced hundreds and thousands of faithful Ministers of Christ for Errour For what have they racked tormented burnt to ashes and slain by the Sword so many thousand and hundred thousands O it was for Heresie or Errour And are not these men perfectly free from Errour themselves that have so great a zeal against it No so grosly erroneous are they that they deny credit to all mens Senses and know not Bread and Wine when they see and touch and taste it and would have all those destroyed that will not deny belief to sense as well as they So erroneous are they that they pretend a mortal man to be the Church Governour of all the Earth so erroneous that they think God well Worshipped by praying in words not understood and dare deny half the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to the People which they confess that he instituted and all the Church did use so erroneous that they think the flames of Purgatory will help them the better to love that God that doth torment them How foul and many are their Errours that kill and burn and damn others as erroneous But S. Iames hath told us Iam. 3. That the Wisdom is not from above but is earthly sensual and devillish which hath an envious striving zeal and that if it work not by â—eakness of wisdom and be not pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and hypocrisie sowing the fruit of righteousness in peace by peace-making but hath bitter contention it is not of God but bringeth confusion and every evil work § 16. The Arians were cruel Persecutors on pretence of zeal against Errour as they accounted it They banished godly Pastors they killed them they cut out the Preachers Tongues they reproached them The Emperours Valens and Constantius were more fierce than the Arian Goths themselves Macedonius that denyed the Deity of the Holy Ghost was a great pretender to Orthodoxness and a great decryer and persecuter of others as erroneous and Hereticks Nestorius though somewhat worse judged of by Cyril than he deserved was justly condemned were it but for his heat and fierceness against others He fell presently upon the Novatians and other Parties and began with this overdoing zeal at his entrance O Emperour give me a Church without Heresie and I will give-thee Victory over the Persians that is Destroy all these dissenting Parties and God will prosper thee And very quickly was he deposed condemned and at last banished even to misery and death as an Heretick whether justly or no I shall say more anon The Eutychians were as great Zealots against Errour and Heresie as any of the rest They took Cyril for their Captain whom Theodoret and
the matter He craftily took the advantage of their suffering and long waiting and promised his help on condition they would but Communicate with Arius who seigned repentance The temptation over came them and they yield They that had gathered separate Churches because they would not Communicate with the repenting Lapsed to Idolatry yet yielded to Communicate with Arius that they might be delivered from the persecution of a Godly Bishop and keep their Meetings They are brought to Constantine who being all for peace though against Schism grants them the freedom of their Meetings And thus joyning with the Arians for the liberty of their Assemblies this became the greatest support to the Arians without which saith Epiphanius they could not have stood So much doth Bishops tyranny or severity cross its own ends and destroy the concord which they think by such tearing means to force And so hard is it for men that could suffer Martyrdome from Heathens innocently to bear the persecution of their Brethren and so greatly doth it tempt them to use unwarrantable means for their preservation Just as if the Non-conformists at this time should seek by the favour of the Papists to be delivered from the silencing and destroying Prelates upon condition of a common liberty The Cases are not much unlike Neque enim saith Epiphanius consistere Arius dut fiduciam ullam habere potuisset nisi eam esset occasioncm nactus quae pessimam inter illos ad hodiernum usque diem concordiam devinxit But O Father Epiphanius why took you not warning by this when you un-Bishop-like and un-Canonically set your self against holy Chrysostome Alexander being dead and Athanasius shortly succeeding him he could not bear the Meletian Churches in his City And after fair means he used foul And going himself to look after such Meetings with his Retinue one of his Deacons in the Meletian Meetings broke a certain Vessel which occasioned some chiding and fighting which occasioned Accusations of the Meletians and Calumniations of the Arians against Athanasius as a Man of Violence and Tyranny which Constantine abhorring in a Bishop and Euseb. Nicomed representing the Matter as worse than it was the Emperour having granted the Meletians liberty for their Meetings which Athanasius violently denyed them in great anger commanded a Synod to be held at Tyre to examine the Matter and Eusebius Caesariens with some others to preside or order it Where Potamo Bishop of Heraclea seeing Fusâ—bius Caes. sit as Judge and Athanasius stand with Passion and Tears inveyed against Eusebius saying Who can endure to see thee Eusebius sit and judge innocent Athanasius Were not thou and I in Prison together in time of Persecution and when I lost an Eye for the Truth thou camest out unmaimed And how came that to pass if thou didst not promise some wicked deed or other to the Persecutors or do some Eusebius hearing this suddenly rose and dismissed the Council saying If you dare carry it thus here your Adversaries Accusations are to be believed For if you play the Tyrants here you do it much more in your own Country Hereupon two Arian Bishops Vrsalius and Valens are sent into Egypt to enquire after the Truth of the Matter who coming back with Calumnies against Athanasius he fled from the Council by Night to the Court to the Emperour to give him information who taking Athanasius for false and Tyrannical would not believe him but upon Letters from the Council and upon the provocation of Athanasius who told him God would judge him for believing his Accusers banished him where he remained in Italy twelve or thirteen years even till after Constantins Death And when Constans had compelled his Brother Constantius to restore him he was again banished For George that had been made Bishop by the Arians and by Constantius was killed by the Heathen People in Iulians time and his Corps burnt and the Ashes scattered into the Wind which increased the suspicion of Tyranny against Athanasius But in Iovians Reign he was again restored And after his Death he conflicted with Infamies again And when Athanasius was Dead the Emperour Valens set Lucius over them who afflicted the People that had followed Athanasius and Peter whom they had chosen for their Bishop and by Banishment Death and Torments made them know what Church-Tyranny was indeed Thus far Epiphanius giveth us the History of the Meletian Schism and the effects of good Bishops impatience with Dissenters § 3. But I must not conceal from the Reader that Baronius and Dion Petavius say that Epiphanius is deceived in all this History and maketh the case of the Meletians better than it was and that some Meletian knave beguiled him But 1. They give us no proof of any such knaves beguiling him at all 2. And he that was so apt to over-do in suspecting and aggravating Heresies as in Origen's and Chrysostome's Case was not likely to make the Case here so much better than it was 3. And how much nearer was Epiphanius in time and place than Baronius and Petavius and how easie was it then for him to have true notice of such publick things 4. And if they make Epiphanius so fallacious in such a story as this so near him what a shake doth it give to the Credit of his copious History of the many other Heresies which he had less opportunity to know and consequently to the Credit of much of Church-History Yet I confess that the man seemeth not to be very accurate in his Disputes nor all his Narratives But rather by far to be suspected of making things worse than they were than better And I believe that some passages in this History are mistaken by him as that the Meletians joyned with the Arians before the death of Alexander but that maketh their Case the better Petavius saith also p. 286. Animad in Epiph. Multum in Historiâ Meletii lapsum esse suprà vidimus Largiùs in Arianae Haeresis descriptione peccavit vir alioqui diligentissimus And in his instance of the time of Arius death it 's undeniable But if in such famous Histories we must read him with such suspicion and allowance how much more in the many little ones that were more obscure § 4. As to the Arians Heresie the two Epistles of Arius recorded by Epiphanius tell us much of the truth of his mistake And the Arians Arguments by him are at large recorded and answered He that denyeth the Deity of Christ denyeth his Essence And he that denyeth his Essence denyeth Christ and is no Christian. But the Samosatenians the Photinians and our late Socinians are far more perniciously Heretical than the Arians For the Arians maintained that Tres sunt hypostases Pater Filius Spiritus Sanctus and that God did ante sempiterna tempora unigenitum filium gignere per quem saecula reliqua procreavit omnia viz subsistentem illum suapte voluntate condidisse ejusmodi ut neque converti neque mutari possit perfectam Dei
creaturam sed non tanquam rerum creatarum aliquam foetum itidem sed non tanquam unum è caeteris They thought that before God made the rest of the creatures he made one super-angelical perfect Spirit by which he made all the rest and that this is Christ and that he received no other soul but a body only at his Incarnation and this super-angelical spirit was his soul. This was the dangerous heresie of Arius § 5. Dion Petavius truly telleth us that his great advantage was that many of the Fathers of that Church had spoken in such kind of words before him the Controversie being not then well considered p. 285. ad Haeres 69. having spoken of Lucian the Martyr's giving advantage to Aâ—ius he addeth Quod idem plerisque veterum Patrum cùm in hoc negatio tùm in aliis fidei Christianae capitibus usu venit ut ante errorum atque haereseon quibus ea singillatim oppugnabantur originem nondum satis illustratà ac patefactâ rei veritate quaedam suis scriptis asperserint quae cum orthodoxae sidei regulâ minimè consentiant And yet the Papists swear not to expound Scripture but according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers Nè ab hoc Trinitatis mysterio ac quaestione discedam observavimus jamdudum Justinum Mart. Dialogo cum Tryph. de filio Dei idem propemodum cum Arians sentire And in his Books De Trinit he at large citeth the very words of him and many other Fathers But he here giveth them this gentle excuse Sed ab omni culpâ tam hic quam Lucianus aliique liberandi sunt qui nondum agitatâ controversiâ panem de eâ commodè pronunciâsse videntur Simile quiddam de Dionys. Alex. tradit Basilius Ep. 41 c. But it is enough to think charitably that they were saved without going so far as to say they were without all fault For Christianity is the same thing before such Controversies and after And it 's hard to think how he can be a Christian that denyeth Christs Essence But God is merciful and requireth not knowledge alike in all that have not equal means of knowledge Which charity must be extended to others as well as to these Fathers Yet the same Petavius cannot endure Camerarius for saying that Athanasius though a valiant Champion of the truth did sometime indulge his own desires and mix some ill with sacred things But if he were not at all to be blamed Constantine was much the more to be blamed for banishing him And why should not his honour be of some regard The truth is the Alexandrian Bishops and People were long more violent and troublesome than others as not only Socrates but many other Historians note And as it was noted with dishonour in Theophilus and Cyril and Dioscorus c. so it can hardly be believed by them that read the History throughout that Alexander and Athanasius wanted not something of the humble patience meekness and healing tenderness and skill that their Case required For who is perfect And how apt are great Bishops to be too violent against Dissenters instead of healing them with Love and clear convincing Evidence § 5. Happy had it been if Prudence had silenced this Heresie betimes for never any one did so great mischief to the Church The badness of it was the honour of the Niccne Council that suppressed it as far as in them lay But alas the Remedy seemed quickly conquered by the Disease As Constantine had work enough to keep Peace among the Bishops in the Council by his presence and reproofs so when the Arians profess'd repentance his peaceableness caused him too far to indulge them by which some of them got such interest in his Court as proved the following Calamity of the Church And it is the sadder to think on that the two great Emperours Constantius and Valens that were deceived by them and drawn into violent Persecution are noted to be otherwise none of the worst men Epiphanius saith p. 737. Accessit Impâ—ratorum favor cujus initium à Constantio Imperatore profectum est Qui cùm caeteris in rebus perhumanus ac bonus esset alioquinpius â—c multis probitatis ornamentis praeditus hâc unâre aâ—eâ—ravit quod non impressa à parente fidei vestigia seqâ—utus est Quod ipsum tamen non illius culpâ factum sed nonnullorum fraude qui in die Iudicii rationem reddituri sunt qui specie nomine tenùs Episcopi sinceram Dei fidem labefactarunt Et beati Constantii in errorem ab illis inducti qui rectae fidei regulam ignoravit eâdemque ignorantiâ ad illorum se utpote sacerdotum Authoritatem accommodavit quod ipsum error illorum ac caecitas dep 〈◊〉 ataque fides ex diaboli profect a consilio lateret Accessit alia causa quae huic serpentum officinae plurimum adjecit virium Eusebius scilicet qui callidè se insinuans Valentis aures pii ac religiosi Imperatoris ac Divini numinis amantissimi corrupit Qui quòd ab illo baptismo sit initiatus ea causa fuit cur haec factio stabilis ac firma consisteret If Epiphanius say true we see what men these Persecuting Emperours were § 6. As to the other part of the Councils work the fixing of Easter-day had not the Bishops been sinfully fierce about it against each other it had never been taken for a Heresie to mistake the time nor had it been a work so necessary and great to determine it seeing as Socrates Sozomen c. tell us many Churches differed in this and matters as great as this without condemning or separating from each other And the Asians erred by the Motive of Tradition and Irenaeus had long before censured the Roman Bishop for his violence in condemning them And many good Christians even after the Councils determination durst not forsake their old Tradition nor obey them Among whom how long our Britains and the Scots stood out Beda telleth us And though the Audians that also disobeyed were called Hereticks I would all Adversaries to Hereticks were no worse men § 7. And because these Audians rose about that time I think it worth the labour to add the sum of their History out of Epiphanius that the World may better perceive what spirit the Hereticating Prelates were then of and how some called Hereticks were made such or defamed as such and who they were that did divide the Churches and break their peace Epiph. l. 3. Tom. 1. p. 811. Of the Schism of the Audians which is the 50th or 70th Heresie The Audians live in Monasteries in Solitudes c. Audius their Founder arose in Mesopotamia famous for his integrity of life and ardent zeal of Divine Faith Who oft seeing things ill carried in the Churches feared not to their faces to reprove and admonish the Bishops and Priests and say These things should not be so done You should not thus Administer As a
of scandalous and uncapable men Can. 9. and 10. Which will justifie Pope Nicholas forbidding any to take the Mass of a Fornicating Priest 3. That Rural Bishops were then in use and allowed by the Council Can. 8. 4. That no Bishop was to remove from one Church to another Can. 15. which Euseb. Nicom soon broke 5. Even in the Arabick Canons the 4th si populo placebit is a Condition of every Bishops Election 6. The 5th Arab. Canon in case of discord among the people who shall be their Bishop or Priest it is referred to the people to consider which is most blameless And no Bishop or Priest must be taken into anothers place if the former was blameless So that if Pastors be wrongfully cast out the people must not forsake them nor receive the obtruded 7. Those Ordained by Meletius were to be received into the Ministry where others dyed If by the suffrage of the people they were judged fit and the Bishop of Alex. designed them Sozom. l. 1. c. 23. § 15. XXXI The next Council in Binnius and in Crabs Order is said to be at Rome under Sylvester with 275. Bishops But this is confessed to be partly false if not all And is the same that is before mentioned which ordered that no Bishop should ordain any Clerk nisi cum omni adunatâ Ecclesiâ But with all the Church united or gathered into one Which Canon seemeth made when a Church was no more than could meet together and when the People had a Negative Voice But the Concil Gangrense is Binnius's next though Crab put afterward some of the forementioned also said to be in Sylvesters days and yet Sozomen and some others say that the Council of Nice was in Iulius days though most say otherwise Here were sixteen Bishops who condemned some Errours of Eustathius of Armenia or rather one Eutactus as Bin. thinks who was too severe against Marriage as if it were sinful and against eating Flesh and against receiving the Sacrament at the Hands of a married Priest he made Servants equal with their Masters he set light by Church-Assemblies he drew Wives to leave their Husbands for Continency and on pretence of Virginity despised married Persons These superstitions they here condemned § 16. XXXII An. 335. The Council at Tyre was held for the Tryal of Athanasius where he was unjustly condemned and thereupon by Constantine banished though his innocency was after cleared Had not his severity against the Meletians driven them to joyn with the Arians against him Epiphanius saith they had not been able to make head thus against him Constantines Epistle to the Alexandrians lamenting and chiding them for their Discords is well worth the translating but that I must not be so tedious See it Bin. p. 391. § 17. XXXIII The next is a Council at Ierusalem An. 335. where Arius Faith was tryed approved and he restored to Alexandria and the favour of Constantine The Creed which he gave in was this We believe in one God the Father Almighty and in the Lord Iesus Christ his Son begotten of him before all Ages God the Word by whom all things were made which are in Heaven and in Earth Who came down and was Incarnat◠and Suffered and Rose again and Ascended to the Heavens and shall come again to Iudge the Living and the Dead And in the Holy Ghost The Resurrection of the Flesh The Life of the World to come and the Kingdom of Heaven In one Catholick Church of God extending it self from one end of the Earth unto the other Arius with this protesting against vain Subtilties and Controversies desireth the Emperour to accept of this as the Evangelical Faith and the Council and the Emperour receive him as for the joyful restoration of Unity and Peace and so would undo what was done at Nice The Emperour was so greatly troubled at the continued divisions of the Bishops that he was glad of any hope of Unity and Peace But this proved not the way § 18. XXXIV An. 336. A Council was called at Constantinople in which they accused condemned and banished Marcellus Ancyranus an Adversary to the Arians as if he had denyed the Godhead of Christ upon some wrested word though it was their denying it that offended him Here also Arius was justified and Athanasius condemned But Arius dyed shortly after § 19. XXXV The next is a Council of 116 Bishops at Rome in or about An. 337. under Iulius in which the Nicene Creed was owned and the Arians condemned and nothing else down that is recorded § 20. XXXVI The next was a Council at Alexandria which vindicated Athanasius from his Accusations when Constantinus junior sent him home from his Banishment § 21. XXXVII The next was a Council at Antioch of near 100 Bishops of which 36 were Arians the most Orthodox and the holy Iames of Nisibis one yet they deposed Athanasius and the Arians it 's like by the Emperours favour carryed it In his place they put George a Cappadocian suspected to be an Arian whom as I said before the People murdered burnt and scattered his Ashes in the Wind and he was one of the Arians Martyrs Unless England had ever been Arian I cannot believe them that say that this is the St. George that the English have so much honoured § 23. This Arian Council finding that the Emperours favour gave them the Power made many Canons against Non-Conformists The first Can. is against them that keep not Easter at the due time The second against them that come to the hearing of the Word but communicate not publickly in the Lords Supper and Prayers and against them that keep private Meetings and that communicate with them Can. 4. Was to make their Case hopeless that exercise the Ministry after they are Silenced or Deposed be they Bishops Priests or Deacons Can. 5. Was that if any Priest or Deacon gathered Churches or Assemblies against the Bishops Will and took not warning he was to be Deposed And if he go on to be oppressed by the exteriour Power as Seditious There is their Strength Can. 6 and 7. None suspended by his own Bishop was to be received by another nor any Stranger without Certificates Can. 8. Country-Priests may not write Canonical Epistles but Rural Bishops may Can. 9. No Bishop must do any thing without the Metropolitane save what belongeth by Ordination and Guidance to his own Church Can. 10. Though the rural Bishops are consecrated as true Bishops yet they shall only govern their own Churches and Ordain such lower Orders as they need but not Ordain Presbyters or Deacons without the City-Bishops to whom they are subject Can. 11. Casteth out all Bishops or other Clergy-men that go to the Prince without the Metropolitane's Counsel or Letters Can. 12. Deposed or silenced Ministers must not go to Princes for relief but appeal to a Synod Can. 13. Bishops must not go or ordain in other Diocess unless sent for by the Metropolitane else their Ordinations there
administring the Communion without his Licence and yet refusing to do it when he desired it Wherefore he bid him take heed lest he set the People in an uproar for if ought came amiss he had his remedy in his Hands Epiphanius hearing this went away in fear and took Ship for Cyprus The report goeth saith Socrates cap. 13. that as he went he said of Iohn I hope thou shalt never dye a Bishop And that Chrysostome answer'd him I hope thou shalt never come alive into thy Countrey And it so fell out For Epiphanius dyed at Sea by the way and Chysostome dyed deposed and banished § 42. The Empress Eudoxia was said to set Epiphanius on work Chrysostome being hot made a Sermon of the faults of Women which was interpreted to be against the Empress She irritated the Emperour against him and got Theophilus to call a Council against him at Quercus near Chalcedon and Constant. Thither came Sâ—verianus and many Bishops that Chrysostome had deposed and many that were his Enemies for his strictness but especially time-servers that knew the will of the Empress if not the Emperours When they summoned him to appear before them He answered that by the Canon there must be more Patriarchs and he appealed to a General Council yet not denying to answer any where if they would put out his Enemies from being his Judges and that in his own Patriarchate But they sentenced him deposed for not appearing The People were presently in an uproar and would not let him be taken out of the Church The Emperour commanded his banishment To avoid Tumult the third day he yielded himself to the Souldiers to be transported The people hereupon were all in an uproar and it pleased God that there was an Earthquake that night Whereupon the Emperour sent after him to intreat him to return When he came back he would not have officiated till his Cause was heard by equal Judges but the People constrained him to Pray and Preach which was after made the matter of his Accusation Theophilus was hated as the cause of all and Severianus as the second After this Theophilus turned his Accusation upon Heraclides Bishop of Ephesus put in by Chrysostome They condemned him unheard in his absence Chrysostome said that should not be The Alexandrians said It was just They went hereupon together by the Ears and some were wounded and some were killed and Theophilus glad to fly home to Alexandria but was hated by the People § 43. After this a Silver Image of the Empress was set up in the Street and Plays and Shows about it which Chrysostome perhaps too sharply reproached This provoked the Empress to call another Council which deposed Chrysostome for seizing upon his place before a Council restored him He ceased his Office The Emperor banished him His People in passion set the Church on Fire which burnt down the Senatours Court for which grievous sufferings befell them Upon this they forsook the Church and the new Bishop Arsacius an old useless man and gathered Conventicles by themselves and were long called Ioannites from his Name and taken for Schismaticks But they never returned till the Name and Bones of Chrysostome were restored to Honour § 44. The Novatians quarrelled with Chrysostome as too loose in his Doctrine and too strict in his Life because he said in a Sermon If you Sin an hundred times the Church Doors shall be open to you if you repent And Chrysostome angry with Sisinnius the Novatian Bishop told him There should not be two Bishops in one City and threatned to silence him from Preaching He told him that he would be beholden to him then for saving him his labour But Chrysostome answered him Nay if it be a labour go on § 45. XCV A Council in Africk to renew the Priviledges of Churches for Sanctuary that none that fled to them for any Crime should be taken out by force Justice was taken for Wickedness § 46. XCVI Two Councils met one at Const. to judg Antonius Bishop of Ephesus for Simony and many other Crimes Another at Ephesus to judg six Bishops for Simony § 47. XCVII About An. 400. A Council of 19 Bishops at Toletum repress the Priscillians and make divers Canons for Discipline as that a Clergy-Man shall have power over his offending Wife by force but not to put her to death that a man that hath no Wife but one Concubine shall not be kept from Communion though some think that this Concubine is truly a Wife but not according to Law but private Contract and more servile Many other better there be There is adjoyned a Regula fidei of many Bishops approved by Pope Leo in Bin. p. 563. To which are adjoyned Anathematisms against the Priscillians One of them is If any one say or believe that other Scriptures are to be had in Authority and Reverence besides those which the Catholick Church receiveth let him be Anathema Yet the Papists receive more Another is If any one think that Astrology or Mathematicks is to be believed or trusted let him be anathema There are in Bin. divers Fragments cited as of the Tolet. Councils One saith that Arch-Presbyters are under the Arch-Deacons and yet have Curam animarum over all the Presbyters Another determineth that there shall be but one Baptismal Church which is there called The Mother Church with its Chapels in the Limits assigned And another distinguisheth of Offerings made at the Parish Church and Offerings at the Altars which sheweth that then there were no Altars but where the Bishop was § 48. XCVIII Two Councils were held at Carthage about 401. The later about the Donatists § 49. XCIX An. 402. Was the Council Melevitan about certain Bishops quarrels and who should be the highest Bishop in Numidia § 50. C. An. 403. Was the Synod ad Quercum which deposed Chrysostoâ—◠§ 51. Câ— An. 403 404 c. There were seven Councils in Africk against the Donatists to procure Honorius to suppress them by the Sword not as a Heresie but because they rose up by Fire and Sword against the Catholicks and abused and killed many But when Attalus invaded Africk the Emperour proclaimed Liberty for them to quiet them which he after recalled Another Synod was held against them at Cyrta One at Toletum about Ordinations and one at Ptolemais to Excommunicate Andronicus an oppressing Governour § 52. CII The Donatist Bishops held a Council decreeing that when a sentence of banishment was passed on them they would not forsake their Church but rather voluntarily die as many did by their own hands For they took themselves to be the true Church and Bishops and the rest persecuting Schismaticks § 53. CIII The Concilium Diospolitanum of 14 Bishops in Palestine acquitted Pelagius upon his renouncing his Errours § 54. An. 416. A Council at Carthage of 67 Bishops condemned Pelagius and Câ—lestine whom the former had absolved § 55. CV A Council of 60 Bishops at Milevis condemn Pelagius The 22.
Western Empire and Africa being divided between many late conquering Kings they all labour to settle themselves in a peaceable possession by pleasing the Clergy who as they found had no small interest in the People § 71. CXLVII Hincmazus in the life of Remigius tells us of a strange thing done at a Council at Rhemes that one Arian Bishop challenged all the rest to dispute and when Rhemigius came in would not rise to him but upon the shaddow of Remigius passing by him he was struck dumb and falling at Rhemigius feet by signs askt pardon and was suddenly cured of his dumbness and Heresie confessing the Deity of Christ. § 72. CXLVIII Because Iohan. Nicopolit did but call some of his Bishops to flatter the Pope and to curse all Heresies and Acacius this is put in among the Councils But the Concil Tarracense Anno 516. seems more regardable under Theodorick where the Clergy are restrained from buying cheaper and selling dearer than others this it seems grew to be a part of their priviledges and from judging causes on the Lords day And it is ordered that the Bishop send a Presbyter one week and a Deacon another to the Country Congregations and to visit them himself once a year because by the old custome he is to have a third part of all the Church profits Quâ—r Whether a Bishops Diocess then was any bigger than one of our Corporations with the Neighbour Villages And if one of our Bishops that have above a thousand Parishes or many hundred should have the third part of all or as other Canons say the fourth Would not our Bishops be yet richer men than they are Especially if they that confine Bishops to Cities could get a Prince to call no Corporation a City but one or two in a Kingdom and be as the Abuna is in Ethiopia that hath the thirds of all the Ecclesiastical benefits in the Empire This Council had ten Bishops § 73. CXLIX The Concillium Gerundense is next Anno 517. under Theodorick It consisted of seven Bishops Bishopricks began to grow so big that they could not so suddenly meet by the scores and hundreds as when every Church was known by one Altar and one Bishop as Ignatius speaks The seven men made Canons that the same Liturgy should be used in the other Churches of that Province as were used in the Metropolitan Church For formerly every Bishop in his own Church did pray as he thought best without Imposed or agreed Uniformity of many Churches much less of all in a Nation They Decree also that Litanies be used on the Kalends of November A Litany then signified a solemn supplicating of God by the People Assembled Fasting Walking Singing and Praying as is used here in the Rogation Week sometime they walked to the Memorial of some Martyr sometime about the streets oft bare foot continuing it with Fasting for certain times The Last Canon is That the Priests say the Lords Prayer twice a Day Morning and Evening That was a short Liturgy § 74 CL. When Iustin was made Emperour the Bishops turned in the East and down went the Eutychians and a Synod of 40 Bishops at Constantinople resolved that the Names of Euphemius and Macedonius should be restored into the Dyptick their Book of life and that Soverus should be condemned with his Adherents § 75. The Case hath been oft intimated before In those times when all the Empire was in confusion between Eutychians and the Orthodox and some Emperours took one side and some the other and some in vain endeavoured peace The Churches of Antioch and Alexandria were more Eutychian than Constantinople though the Emperour that favoured the Eutychians were present Acacius was Orthodox but pleased the Emperour so far as to Communicate with or not curse and excommunicate the Bishops of Antioch and Alexandria For this as you have oft heard the Pope Excommunicated him and he so dyed having done as much for the Pope Euphemius and Macedonius that succeeded were both Orthodox and commanded by the Emperour to Communicate with the Eutychians and persecuted and both cast out by him for not obeying him as is before described in that and another such matter The Pope had required them to blot Acacius name out of the Dyptick The Court Clergy and People were against it thinking it arrogancy in one man to Excommunicate the Patriarch of the Imperial City that was Orthodox upon his personal revenge or quarrel They obeyed not the Pope The Pope is against them for not cursing a dead Orthodox Bishop Acacius The Emperour was against them for being against the Eutychians as the Pope was for not being more against both them and all that did not curse them as much as he did Were not these Bishops in a hard case Both agree to their extirpation and when they were dead to damn their names But the Clergy and People agreed not The Eastern and Western Churches were hereby divided that is Constantinople and Rome Is not the Christian World beholden to such Tyrants and proud pretenders for its distractions and calamities That will rather divide the Christian World than endure the names of Orthodox persecuted Bishops to be honoured when they are dead because they would not blot out and abhor the name of another dead Orthodox Bishop their Predecessour when the Pope cursed him for Communicating with an Eutychian I know the Papists will cry up The preservation of the Faith and Purity But if ever any did overdo the Pharisees that reproved Christ for eating with Publicans and Sinners If ever any became Plagues of the World by being Wise Orthodox and Righteous overmuch and made use of the name of Faith to destroy Faith Love Humanity and Peace and cryed up the Church and Vnity as Catholicks to destroy the Church and Unity and crumble it into Sects and Factions it is certainly these men But the East and West that thus began their separation by the spirit of Pride and Envy that Rome had against the growing greatness of Constantinople continue their Division to this day And it hath been no small cause of the ruin of the Empire and the Christian Cause and delivering all up to the Mahometans Which the good Pope seemed to judg more tolerable with all the streams of Blood that went before and after than that he should not have his will upon an Orthodox dead mans name Sure fiut Iustitia ruat Coelum was devised by these precise over righteous Popes § 76. Evagrius lib. 3. saith that Iustin came to the Empire as followeth Amantius was one of the Greatest men but uncapable of the Empire because he was an Eunuch He gave a great sum of Money to Iustine to hire the Souldiers to choose Theocritus his bosom friend Iustine with that Money hired them to choose himself and quieted Amantius and Theocritus by murdering them both And because Vitalianus that had usurped and laid down was then great he drew him in to be a Commander near him and
his Constitutum in defence of the tria Capitula by vertue whereof the Western Churches should be united and the contempt of the Calcedon Council should be avoided which the Impugners of the tria Capitula did fraudulently contrive and that the Universal Church should learn by this example that no man that dyed in the true Faith should be condemned when he is dead But did Vigilius stop here No saith Binnius But when after the end of his Council the Church received yet greater damage and the Emperor persecuted them that contradicted the Synod and it was feared that the whole East would be divided and separated from the Roman and Western Church unless the Bishop of Rome approved the fifth Synod then Pope Vigilius in a Cause which could bring no prejudice to the Orthodox Faith did well and justly change his former sentence and approved the Synodal Decree for condemning the tria Capitula and revoked and made void his Constitutum which he before published in defence of the tria Capitula The prudent and pious Pope that came to the Popedom by Bribery Tyranny and Murder of his Predecessor did in this prudently imitate St. Paul about Circumcision c. O what certainty and constancy is here in the Papal judgment For a Pope about one Cause to judge for it against it and for it again in so short a time And all this upon reason of Policy and State Did the same so often change and prove first true and then false and then true again But the Papists excuse is that it was de Personis non de Fide Answ. But 1. Is it lawful to take the same thing for true and false good and bad de Personis as our interest requireth 2. Why are the Persons condemned but on supposition that their Faith was condemnable 3. You confess that it was for the advantage of the Eutychian Faith and the depression of the Faith of the Calcedon Council that the tria Capitula were condemned Reader If all this will not tell thee how much need there is of a surer and more stable support of our Faith than Popes and Councils yea and better means of the Churches Unity and Concord I must take thee for unteachable what have such Councils done but set the Churches together by the ears § 23. Liberatus in his Breviary saith c. 3. 10. 24. that Theodore Mopsu his Works were approved by Proclus Iohan. Antioch the Emperor the Council of Calced c. But Binnius saith Nimis impudenter incautè Yet all acknowledge Liberatus a most credible Historian and lived in Iustinian's time He saith also that Nefandissimum haereticum Theodoretus Sozomenus laudarunt adeo ut hac de causá uterque magnam nominis sui jacturam passus fuerit c. But wise men are apt to think as hardly of such as can cry out Nefandissimum haereticum against all that speak as unskilfully as this man did as of charitable men that praise them for what is good while they disown their frailties and imperfections If it be as he saith many thought that â—heodoret assumed his own name from this Theodâ—re by reason of his high esteem of him it 's like he had some special worth though he hath many culpable expressions And Sozomen is an Historian of so deserved reputation that it seemeth to me no argument of Pope Gregory's Infallibility that he saith lib. 6. ep 95. Sozomenùm ejusque Historiam sedes Apostolica recipere recusat quoniam multa mentitur Theodorum Mopsuestiae nimium laudat atque ad diem obitus sui magnum Doctorem Ecclesiae fuisse perhibet I think the Author of Gregory's Dialogues did plura mentiri and yet that Gregory was Magnus Ecclesiae Doctor § 24. The Controversie whether Vigilius were the Author of the Epistle to Menna I pass by But methinks Binnius is very partial to justifie so much what he did after Silverius ' s death as beginning then to have right to his Papacy and to give him so differing a Character from Sanctissimus Papa before while he possessed the same Seat as these words of his express Cum omnium c. seeing that Villany or Crime of Vigilius did exceed the Crimes of all Schismaticks by which making a bargain with Hereticks and giving money by a Lay-man he by force expelled Silverius Bishop of the prime Seat and spoiled of his Priestly induments or attire banished him into an Island and there caused him to dye it should seem no wonder to any man if a desperate wretch homo perditus the buyer of another's Seat and a violent Invader a Wolf a Thief a Robber not entering by the true door a false or counterfeit Bishop and as it were Antichrist the lawful Pastor and Bishop being yet living did add most pernicious Heresie to his Schism Yet this man became the most holy Pope by the vertue of his place as soon as he had but murdered Silverius and was accepted in his stead and then it became impossible for him to err in the Faith § 25. CLXXIV Anno 553. A Council was called at Ierusalem by Iustinian's Command who sent to them the Acts of the Constantine Council de tribus Capitulis to be by them received the Bishops all received it readily save one Alexander Abysis who was therefore banished and coming to Constantinople say Baronius and Binnius was swallowed up and buried by an Earthquake If this was true no marvel if it confirmed the Emperor in his way But I doubt the obedient Bishops were too ready to receive such reports § 26. CLXXV The same year 553. the Western Bishops held a Council at Aquileia out of the Emperor's power where as Defenders of the Council of Calcedon they condemned the fifth Constantine Council aforesaid and so saith Binnius separated themselves from the Unity of the Catholick Church and so continued for near an Hundred years till the time of Pope Sergius who reduced them Were not these great Councils and Bishops great Healers of the Church that about condemning some written Sentences of three dead men thus raise a War among the Churches Were Hereticks or Hereticaters the great Dividers § 27. But here followeth a Case that raiseth a great doubt before us Whether the Pope alone or all his Western Bishops when they differ from him are the Church After the death of Vigilius the Secular Power procured Pelagius the Archdeacon to be made Pope the Western Bishops disclaiming Iustinian's Council and Pelagius obediently receiving it and the Popedom there could not be three Bishops got that would ordain him as the Canons required so that a Presbyter Ostiensis was fain to do it Besides the Question Which now was the Church here are other hard Questions to be solved Qu. 1. Whether Iustinian's Election of a Pope was valid And if so Whether other various Electors may do it as validly Qu. 2. Whether a Presbyter's Ordination of a Bishop or Pope was valid If so Whether Presbyters may not
ordain Presbyters Qu. 3. Whether this Pope was truly Head of the Catholick Church when his Bishops obeyed him not Qu. 4. Whether it was then believed at Rome itself and in the West that a General Council approved by the Pope was either infallible or necessarily to be obeyed Qu. 5. Whether it be true which W. Iohnson alias Terret often tells me That it is not possible that there can be any Schism in the Catholick Church because of the essentiality of its Union § 28. Note that this Pope Pelagius because his Bishops rejected him and the Council got Narses the General to compel them And then who can doubt but he was Pope and they his Subjects But Narses scrupled it lest he should be guilty of Persecution Iustinian's Pope Pelagius telleth him it is no sin and bids him not fear it for it 's no Persecution which compels not men to sin but all that separate from the Pope and assemble separatedly do sin and are damned Schismaticks therefore he desireth him to send the Bishops of Aquileia Milan and the rest that yield not Prisoners to Constantinople Narses obeyeth the Pope and Emperor the Bishops excommunicate Narses the Pope writeth to him that it is no news for erring Bishops to take themselves for the Catholick Church and to forbid others their Communion and counselleth him to go on and repress them And the Civil Sword and the Ecclesiastical were thus engaged in a Roman War one Bishop Sapandus of Ares in France the Pope got specially to stick to him whom therefore he commended to King Childebert c. § 29. CLXXVI A Council at Paris deposed Bishop Saphoracus for some great Crime § 30. While the Romans were resolving to subject themselves to the Goths again because the Pope made Narses their Persecutor Narses took it so ill that he went away from them but the Pope drew back and he shortly died Bellisarius also was ruined and Iustinian himself shortly dyed Binnius saith it is reported that he had no Learning and thinketh that his Civil Laws were Tribonian's and his Ecclesiastical Theodorus Caesariensis's And saith that the Church rejecteth his Laws of Usury Churches and Ecclesiastical Persons as arrogant Usurpations Qu. Whether the Roman Power was then understood by Princes or People § 31. CLXXVIII Another Synod at Paris repeated nine old Canons The 8th was No man may be ordained a Bishop against the will of the Citizens nor any but whom the election of the People and the Clerks shall seek with plenary will none shall be put in by the command of the Prince c. § 32. CLXXIX An. 563. in the time of Pope Iohn 3d. not he but Theodomire alias Ariamire King of the Sueves called a small Council at Braccara in Galicia where eight Bishops opened so much of the Priscillian Heresie as may tell us it was worthy to be detested not much unlike the Manichees and many old Canons they recited But I could have wished that they had not made a mans diet the note of his Heresie and a sufficient cause of his conviction and damnation The Priscillianists as these say would not eat flesh nor herbs boil'd with flesh This Council ordered that if any that abstained from flesh did not eat herbs boiled with flesh he should be taken for an Heretick This is not conformable to Paul's Rules or Spirit § 33. This Council ordered that none should be buried within the Church which Binnius well sets home And whereas Priscillian taught that in the Liturgy the Pax vobis Peace be unto you should be said only by the Bishop and Dominus vobiscum by the Priest the Council contradicted him 1. We see here what Trifles divided men 2. We see that yet the Churches usually were no bigger than met in one place with the Bishop or might do For it is supposed that every Church-Assembly had a Bishop present to say his part § 34. Thedomirus the Suevian King under whom this Council was held was the first of that race that turned Orthodox all the Sueves before him with the Goths having been Arrians § 35. CLXXX Anno 566. The contest about choice of Bishops grew sharp King Clotharius made one Emerius Bishop Santoniensis the Canons had before decreed that Kings should choose none but all the People and the Clerks and the Metropolitan ordain him The King's Bishop is deposed by a Concil Santoniense of which Leontius of Bourdeaux was chief They sent the King word of it by a Presbyter The King filled a Cart with Thorns and laid the Priest on them and sent him into Banishment and forced the Bishop to submit to his will § 36. That it may be known that neither Popes Councils nor consenting Bishops divided Diocesses and Parishes here Binnius giveth us at large first Constantine's divisions in Spain and next the fuller division of King Wamba Bin. p. 649 c. § 37. CLXXXI At Tours in France eight Bishops in a Provincial Council revived many Canons of the old matter to keep Bishops and Priests from Women Can. 13. The Bishop may keep his Wife as a Sister to govern his house But Can. 20. Priests that will keep Wives must have some Witnesses to lie in the same Chamber to see that they lie not with them And Can. 14. Episcopum Episcopam non habentem nulla sequatur turba mulierum c. Can. 21. They say Those that the Law commandeth to be put to death if they desire to hear the Preacher we will have to be convicted unto life that is not to dye For they are to be slain with the sword of the mouth and deprived of Communion if they will not observe the Decrees of the Seniors left them and do despise to hear their Pastor and will not be separate Some Sectaries among us are of the same mind against putting penitent Malefactors to death § 38. CLXXXII Anno 570. There was a Council at Lyons of Fourteen Bishops who recited six Canons to restrain the Vices of the Clergy Binnius out of Greg. Turon tells you the occasion was that one Salonius and Sagittarius as soon as they were made Bishops being then at their own will broke out into Slaughters Murders Adulteries and other wickedness And Victor Bishop of Tricas keeping his Birth-day they sent a Troop with Swords and Arrows who cut his Cloaths beat his Servants and carried away all his Provision leaving him with reproach The King Gunthram hearing of it called this Synod which found them guilty and deposed them They tell the King that they are unjustly cast out and get his leave to go to the Pope Iohn 3d. The Pope writeth to the King to have them as wronged men restored this was the Papal Justice and Reformation The King chideth but restoreth them but they grew never the better afterward but asking pardon of Bishop Victor he forgave them and for that was afterward excommunicate § 39. CLXXXIII An. 572. a Council was called under King Ariomire at Braccara
of 12 Bishops They are mostly forbidding Bishops to take money for their Ordinations Consecrations and other Actions And the first Canon requireth them to walk to all their Parishes and see that the Clerks did things rightly that Catechumens learnt the Creed and to preach to the People to forbear Murder Adultery Perjury False-witness and other mortal Sins to do as they would be done by and to believe the Resurrection Judgment and Recompence according to Works § 40. CLXXXIV An. 572. a Concilium Lucense did receive from Martin Bishop of Braccara 84. old Canons of which the 67th was against reading Apocrypha or any thing but the Canon of the Old and New Testament in Church § 41. After Iustinian's death his Sisters Son Iustinus was Emperor a sensual and covetous man who murdered presently a Kinsman of his own name upon suspicion that he was too great yet he drew up a good Profession of Faith exhorting all the Bishops to agree in it But Chosroes King of Persia invaded his Empire because the Greater Armenia which was then under the Persians as the Lesser was under the Romans to avoid the Persians persecutions had revolted to the Empire and destroyed their Rulers The Persians conquered so much of the Eastern part of the Empire and Iustine's Soldiers made so little resistance as drove him out of his wits and his Wife by intreaty got the Persians to make a Truce Tiberius was then made Caesar and afterward Emperor upon Iustine's death and Iustinian his Captain repelled the Persians and recovered much of what they had conquered § 42. An. 576. Divers Kings of France by War among themselves destroyed Churches and confounded all and a Council at Paris was called but in vain to have persuaded them to Peace § 43. After Benedictus Pelagius 2d was Bishop at Rome Tiberius an excellent Emperor quickly dyed and by his choice Mauritius succeeded him Pelagius by Gregory his Deacon wrote against the Bishops that would not condemn the tria Capitula And when all his writings prevailed not he got Smaragdus the Exorchate to force them by the Sword The great remedy which Rome hath trusted to § 44. CLXXXV Mâ—â—veus Son and Heir to Chilperic King of France marrying his Uncles Widow offended his Father and fled to St. Martin's Church at Tours and forced Bishop Gregory to give him the Sacrament The King could not get the Bishop to deliver him up he fled and the King called a Synod at Paris to judge Pretextatus a Bishop whom he accused for marrying him and confederating with him § 45. CLXXXVI The two Bishops forenamed Salonius and Sagittarius being again accused of Adultery and Murder and being freed by professing Repentance King Guntheramus called a Cubilone Synod and accused them of Treason and so deposed and banished them § 46. CLXXXVII An. 582. King Gunthram called a Synod at Mascou to revive the old Canons for restraining the Lust and Vices of the Bishops and Clergy § 47. CLXXXVIII An. 583. A Concil Brenacense is called to try Gregory Bishop of Tours falsly accused of charging the Queen of living in Adultery with a Bishop an Archdeacon and a Deacon bore false Witness but all came to light and Gregory was cleared by his Oath § 48. CLXXXIX An. 587. A Council at Constantinople increased the Church-divisions which continue to this day wherein Iohn Bishop of Constantinople was decreed to be called The Universal Bishop which Pope Pelagius could not endure O what hath this Question done to the World Who shall be the chief or greatest So much of the image and work of Satan hath been found in the professed Servants of a crucified Saviour and in those that have worshipped the Cross In this Synod Gregory Bishop of Antioch was tryed and acquitted of a false Accusation of Incest with his Sister another man's wise § 49. Pelagius writeth against Iohn's Universal Title saying Universalitatis nomen quod sibi illicitè usurpavit nolite attendere c. Nullus enim Patriarcharum hoc tam profano vocabulo unquam utatur quia si summus Patriarcha Universalis dicitur Patriarcharum nomen caeteris derogatur Sed absit hoc absit à fidelis cujusquam mente hoc sibi vel velle quempiam arripere unde honorem fratrum suorum imminuere ex quantulâcunque parte videatur Quà propter Charitas vestra neminem unquam suis in Epistolis Universalem nominet ne sibi debitum subtrahat cum alteri honorem offert indebitum Adversarius enim noster Diabolus qui contra humiles saeviens sicut Leo rugiens circuit quaerens quem devoret non jam ut cernimus caulas circuit Omnia qui soli uni Capiti cohaerent videlicet Christo per electionem pompatici sermonis ejusdem Christi sibi studeat membra subjugaâ—e Nec mirum quod ille tentater qui initium omnis peccati scit esse superbiam c. And so he goeth on exhorting them rather to dye than to submit to the Title Universal and resolving Excommunication against the User of it § 50. Binnius saith It is ridiculous hence to impugn the Primacy of the Church But Qu. 1. Is it not impudent after this for them to use the Title of Universal Qu. 2. Doth not this allow us to separate from them that usurp it Qu. 3. Doth not Pelagius here plainly distinguish between the place of Prime Patriarch which he claimeth and Universal Bishop or Patriarch which he damneth Qu. 4. Doth he not describe this damned Usurpation to be a subjecting all Christ's members to himself Qu. 5. Doth not the Pope now use both the name and thing as far as he can attain it Qu. 6. Did not Pelagius and Gregory know that Iohn did no more intend to put down all other Patriarchs or Bishops by this Title than the Pope doth Qu. 7. Doth not the Pope now claim that as by Divine Right which Iohn claimed but as of Humane Modesty can deny none of this § 51. CXC An. 587. Nine Bishops at Lyons repeated six old Canons about Women c. § 52. CXCI. An. 589. King Gunthram finding all things grow worse and that all was long of the Bishops onely saith Binnius called a Council at Mascou where the stricter keeping of the Lords-day was commanded § 53. Here Binnius noteth that Priscus is called Patriarch and that the Bishops of Venice Istria and Liguria continuing still separate from Rome chose Paulinus Bishop of Aquileia their Patriarch Quem sibi loco summi Pontificis supremum Antistitem constituerent Qu. Did the Bishops then believe that the Pope's Universal Government was essential to the Catholick Church And that none were the Church but his Subjects § 54. CXCII King Gunthram An. 589. by a Council at Valence setled his Benevolences on the Churches § 55. CXCIII An. 589. At Toletum King Recaredus called a Council and renounced Arrianism and recited several Canons among others that Bishops and Priests Wives might dwell with them but not lie with them And they
Bishop of Mentz and his great agent even about this foresaid English Council which was to set up Church-Images and recommended him to many Christian Princes And why was all this and what was his rare merit He took this Oath to the Pope Bin. p. 178 In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ our Saviour in the Reign of Leo the great Emperour c. I Boniface Bishop by the Grace of God do Promise to thee Peter Prince of the Apostles and to thy Vicar Pope Gregory and his Successors by the Father Son and Holy Ghost the inseparable Trinity and this most Holy Body of thine that I will exhibite all faith and purity of holy Catholick faith and in unity of the same faith God operating will persist in which all the salvation of Christians is proved undoubtedly to consist and will no way consent whoever perswadeth me against the unity of the common and universal Church but as I said will exhibite my faith and purity and concourse to thee and to the Profits of thy Church to whom by the Lord the Power of binding and loosing is given and to thy aforesaid Vicar and his Successors in all things c. Nothing is more meritorious with a Pope or any Prelate of that Spirit than to be absolutely devoted to him and swear obedience to him Indeed they that are fully fallen from God as Satan is would be as Gods to the world themselves and have all men depend upon them and obey them § 7. What Arguments moved the Emperor to be against Images specially the 2d Commandment and how Gregory thought that it was not the Images of God and Christ and Angels and Saints that were forbidden you may see in his Epistles too long to be here recited § 8. Here Binnius inserteth three Roman Councils One cursing unlawful Marriages Another persuading Corbinianus to keep his Bishoprick who would fain have laid it down And a third for Images against the Iconoclasts the Emperor's Heresie § 9. Gregory 3d succeedeth Gregory 2d He sendeth his Epistles for Images to the Emperor The first Messenger durst not deliver them The rest were stopt at Sicily and kept Prisoners The Lombards infested Italy and Rome The Pope importuneth the French King for help Alphonsus is made King in Spain against the Saracens and first called himself Catholick King Two Councils Binnius saith were held at Rome for Images The Title of the second is Pro Imaginum Cultu for the Worship of Images An. 732. Image-worship was then avowed But the Eastern Churches did more obey the Emperor § 10. Pope Zachary coming next in whose time Italy was distressed by Luitprandus King of the Lombards who took four Cities from the Pope because he protected Trasimundus Duke of Spoleto The Romans helped Trasimund on condition he would restore to them the four Cities he performeth not his promise wherefore Pope Zachary turned to Luitprand and to win him Salutaria illi praedicavit saith Anastasius and he promised him to restore the four Cities For the performance whereof this Pope travelled to him himself noted by Anastasius as a great act of self-denial as venturing his life for the Cause of God that he would go to the King to ask for four Cities which he happily obtained § 11. In this Pope's time the Crown of France was translated from the King and his Line to a Subject his Major Domûs Charles Martell the great French Conqueror was the Pope's Patron against the Emperor who was his Sovereign Gratian. d. 16. q. 1. post Can. 59. tells it us as a matter of Church-credit that when he was dead he was damned to Hell much blood and defending Popes that rebel against their Sovereign are a very likely proof Carolomannus succeeded him who after two years Reign resigned his Crown and chose a Monastery Chilperic that came after proved very dull and sensual and giving himself to his pleasure let the business of Government lie most on the hands of Pepin who was his Major Domûs who thereby got the power and the respect that was proper to the King while the King grew into contempt And if Kings cannot keep up their Power and Honour by the meer dignity of their place without personal worth and performance why should Popes Prelates and Priests whose Power and Honour as a Physicians depend upon their Worth and Work expect to keep up their Power and Honour meerly by their Offices Pepin won first the Nobles of France and then the Pope For as Baronius and Binnius p. 197. tell us It seemed to the most Potent Pepin Major Domus and to the rest of the chief Men and to all the People that he that had not the Matter and Force of the Kingdom should not have the name of a King and on the contrary he that had the Riches Power and Virtue should also have the name of King And because these Princes and People were Christians they judged that these their Councils would neither stand ratified to Posterity nor be acceptable enough to God unless they received Authority and Force from the common Father and Pastor of the Christian Church the Vicar of the Lord Christ and Successor of St. Peter Therefore they send Legates to Rome to Zachary of whom Bishop Burchardus Herbipol was the chief who were to ask the things aforesaid of him He consented and decreed and wrote back that Chilperic being thrust into a Monastery St. Boniface should declare and anoint Pepin King in Germany and France Boniface Bishop of Mentz obeyed Pope Zachary and by the Authority of the See Apostolic deposed Chilperic called also Childeric and placed Pepin in his stead Thus Ieginhart in Vit. Car. Mag. Annal. Franc. an 751. Paul Diac. li. 22. Marianus Scotus li. 3. Regino li. 2. an 749. Sigebert in Chron. Lambert in Hist. Germ. Otho Frising li. 5. 21. Ado. aetate 6 fol. 213. Aimoinus li. 4. c. 65 c. Yea say they the Hereticks of our times deny not the History But they sharply impugn two circumstances The first is that it was a great wrong to Chilperic that the Kingdom was taken from him The second that the said Translation was made by the consent of the Council Nobles and Commons without the Authority of the Apostolic Seat Serarius proveth that the cause of the Translation of the Kingdom was just 1. Because all the best men did desire and wish it and did by their counsel and help co-operate to it 2. Because St. Bishop Burchardus did as Legate sollicite the Pope for it 3. Pope Zachary commanded it to be done 4. And the most Holy Boniface at the Pope's command did execute it 5. And being approved by Divine Testimony it is recited in the sacred Canons 15. q. 6. c. alius 6. And by none of the old Historians not praised or disallowed Only our new Hereticks that love Novelty Arrogance and Rebellion by their perverse judgment by Contumelies and Lyes disallow it And that it was by the Authority
Good Evil and the most certain Truths by the name of Perverse and unjust Doctrines against the Lord and Mens own Souls What heed to take of these Mens words when they seem zealous against Sin and Error § 16. Perhaps you will ask How could any but Idiots be so ignorant Whither did they think the Setting-Sun went Or what did they think the Earth stood upon Answ. The easiest things are strange to Men that never learnt them it 's pity that it should be true that Lactantius and other Ancients yea Austin himself were ignorant of the Antipodes but yet they had more Modesty than to hereticate and excommunicate them that affirmed it Few Bishops had much Philosophy then Origen and Apollinaris that were most Philosophical had been hereticated and disgraced it Clemens and Tatianus sped not much better Councils had forbid Bishops to read the Books of Heathens Austin had a truly Philosophical head being the Father of School-Divinity but he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had little from his Teachers You may see in a great Hereticater Philastrius what they thought then of the course of the Sun by what he saith of the Stars As it was one Heresie to call the Star◠by the names of living Creatures so it was another to deny that the Stars were Luminaries arbitrarily moved that by Angels were set out at night to light the World and at morning retired inwards or were taken into their place again as Men set out lights to the street at night and take them in again I confess that no General Council declared this as they have done worse things but you see what kind of Men were hereticated by Pope Zachary St. Boniface and St. Philastrius and such Bishops and how little it signifieth in such Writers whether you read a Man called a Saint or a Sinner an Orthodox Catholick or Nefandissimus Haereticus as they use to speak I speak it only of such Men. § 17. For Reader I must still remember thee that this Folly Pride and almost Fury was not the Genius or Character of the true spiritual Ministers and Church of Christ but of a worldly ignorant domineering sort of Men that made it their business to get Preferment and have their wills God had all this while abundance of faithful Ministers that sate down at the lower end and humble holy People that set not up themselves in worldly Grandure and came not much on the Stage but approved themselves in secret and in their several Places and Conversations to God some Lay-men some Priests some Bishops some of their names are come down to us in History but those are few They strove not for great Places nor did their Works to be seen of Men nor looked to Men for their Reward § 18. Some of the Canons and Councils of these Universal Pastors were answerable to their Excommunications In Zachary ' s 12th Epistle to his Vassal St. Boniface he giveth him the resolution of many doubts One is After how long time Lard may be eaten And it is resolved by the Pope That there is yet no Canon or Law for this by the Fathers but he determineth himself 1. That it must not be eaten before it be dried in the smoke or boiled or basted with fire But if you list to eat it raw it must be eaten after the Feast of Easter Binnius p. 209. What would become of the Church if there were not a Judge of such Controversies and an infallible Determiner of such Questions § 19. CCXXV. I told you before how the Pope commanded Boniface to call a Council to eject him that asserted the Antipodes I must next add a French Council called by King Carolomannus to Reform the Clergy an 742. and to recover Christian Religion which in the dayes of former Princes dissipata corruit being dissipated was ruined and to shew the People how they may come to save their Souls who have been hitherto deceived by false Priests They are the words of the King and Council Bin. p. 210. c. 2. Where it was decreed that Priests be not Soldiers unnecessarily That they keep not Hounds to go an hunting with nor Hawks That every Religious Fornicator shall in the Jayl do Pennance with Bread and Water If the Fornicator be a Priest he shall be first scourged and then remain in Prison two years But if an inferior Clerk or Monk so fall he shall be whipt and then do Pennance a whole year in Prison and so the Nuns This was somewhat like a Reformation Had it not been done by a King it might have past for Heresie It was at Ratisbonne Boniface presiding Such another Council called Leptinense there was under Carolomannus Another Council at Rome repeated the oft repeated Canons to keep Bishops and Priests from Nuns and from Fornication § 20. An. 744. Another Synodus Suession under Chilperic governed by Pepin condemned again Aldebert that set up Crosses in several places and drew People to himself and another as Hereticks § 21. Another Council in Germany an 745. handsomly set Boniface the Pope's Agent in the Archbishoprick of Mentz First Geroldus the Archbishop is sent out against the Saxons with an Army and he and most of them killed Then Gervilio his Son a Lay-man is made Archbishop to comfort him At another War he pretends a Conference with him that kill'd his Father and murders him this is past by as blameless But Boniface saith That a Man that had his hand in Blood must not be a Bishop and so got him out and was made the chief Archbishop of Germany himself in his place Judge whether he served the Pope for nought § 22. Yet Boniface had not done with the two Hereticks Aldebert and Clemens a French man and a Scot. Boniface sendeth to Rome Bin. p. 216. to desire the Pope that as he had himself condemned these two Hereticks the Pope would also condemn them and cast them into Prisons where none might speak with them Thus the Pope obtained his Kingdom and edified the Church The motive was that Boniface prosecuting them had suffered much for their sakes the People saying that he had taken from them holy Apostolick Men but this was not a Prison The Crimes which he chargeth on Aldebert a Bishop are that he was an Hypocrite an open Crime that he had said an Angel appeared to him and he had some rare Reliques and that he said he was Apostolick and wrought Wonders that he got some unlearned Bishops to make him a Bishop absolutely against the Canons He would not consecrate any Church to the memory of an Apostle or Martyr and spake against visiting in Pilgrimage the Temples of the Apostles He made Churches to his own honour and set up Oratories and Crosses up and down and drew People from other Bishops to himself That he gave his nails and hair to be honoured with the Saints Reliques and would not hear Confessions saying he knew their sins already If all this was true which I know never
so that then a Church was no greater than was capable of personal Communion Here this King being made by the Pope so far gratified the Clergy as to decree that Contemners of Excommunication should be banished And now the Keys do signifie the Sword and Church-Discipline is made another thing than Christ had made it The 13th Cap. is That no vacant Bishop meddle in another Bishop's Parish without his consent by what true authority then can the Pope meddle in other Mens Diocesses since the foundation of his humane authority in the Empire is subverted The 14th Cap. decreed That Men may use Horses and Chariots for Travel on the Lord's-day and get Meat and Drink c. but not do common work The 17th That no Clerk try his Cause before a Lay-Judge without the Bishop's leave § 29. Pope Stephen dying in the division at the next choice by all the People the stronger part chose Paulus a Deacon CCXXX in his time a German Council condemned Oathmarus Abbot of St. Gallus for Incontinence and put him in Prison where he dyed of Famine as Historians say maliciously upon false accusation § 30. At this time the Greeks accused the Romans for adding the word Filioque to the Creed And about that and Images they say there was some Synod at a Village called Gentiliace § 31. Pope Paul dying and the People having still the choice he that could get the greatest strength was in hope of so rich a Prey And Constantine Brother to one Duke Toto getting the strongest Party by fear compelled George Bishop of Praenestine with two more Bishops to make him Pope being first ordained Deacon he possessed the Popedom alone a year and a month Then one Christopher the Primocerius and his Son Sergius being powerful got out to the King of the Longobards and craved his help against Constantine as an Usurper and gathering some strength got into Rome killed Toto and caused Constantine the Pope and another Brother Paessivus to take Sanctuary One Waldipertus a Presbyter was of Christopher's Party and to make haste without Christopher's knowledge he gathereth a Party and they make one Philip a Presbyter Pope So there were two Popes Christophorus incensed swore he would not enter Rome till Philip was pull'd out of the Bishop's house which Gratiosus one of his Party presently performeth and Philip returneth to his Monastery Christophorus calleth the Clergy People and Soldiers together and by his means they chuse another Stephen and so there are three Popes The Actors being now in their zeal go to Theodorus a Bishop and Vicedominus that joined with Pope Constantine and they put out his eyes and cut out his tongue Next they attempted the like excaecation on Passivus Bishop Theodore they thrust into a Monastery and there while he cryed for a little water they famished him to death Passivus they put into another Monastery They took all their Goods and Possessions Pope Constantine they brought out and set on Horseback on a Womans Saddle with Weights at his Feet and put him into a Monastery How holy then were Monasteries Shortly after they brought him forth and Pope Stephen and some Bishops deposed him Then the Citizens were to make their penitent Confessions for owning him Next the Army goeth to Alatrum in Campania where Gracilis the Tribune that had been for Constantine is apprehended brought bound to Rome imprisoned and after his eyes put out and his tongue cut out After this Gratiosus and his Zealots go to the Monastery where they had thrust Pope Constantine and drag him out and put out his eyes and leave him blind in the street Next they go to their own Friend Priest Waldipertus and feign that he had laid a Plot with the Longobards to kill Christopher and send to apprehend him and when he fled for Sanctuary to a Temple they drew him out with the blessed Virgins Image in his hand even then when they were rebelling for the sake of Images but that would not save the Priest because he set up Philip for Pope they thrust him into a filthy Dungeon-hole but that was too good for him In a few days they drew him out and casting him on the earth put out his eyes and cut out his tongue and put him into an Hospital where he dyed of the pain And now Pope Stephen had no doubt a lawful calling to be Pope He sends his Legats to the King of France He brings forth blinded Pope Constantine to answer for his Crime who falling flat on the earth he lamenteth his sin as more than the Sands on the Sea-shore and professeth that the People chose and forced him to be Pope because of their sufferings under Paul But at his next appearance he tells them that he did no more than many other Lay-men did who invaded Bishopricks as Sergius Archbishop of Ravenna Stephen Bishop of Naples c. when they heard this all the Priests caused him to be buffeted and cast him out of the Church and burnt his Papers c. And the most holy Pope Stephen cast himself on the earth with all the Priests and People of Rome and with tears lamented their sin that they had taken the Communion from the hands of Pope Constantine it seems it is a sin to communicate with Bishops that are brought in irregularly by secular Power without due Election and they are no Schismaticks that refuse it And so they all performed their Pennance for it Anastas in ejus vita § 32. CCXXXI On this great occasion Pope Stephen being far unable now to call General Councils sends to the King of France to entreat him to send some wise Bishops to a Council at Rome who sent him about a dozen who with some others agreed against Constantine's Election and such other for the time to come and damned a Synod that Constantine had held and also passed their judgment for Images § 33. But here was a great difficulty such as often after happened Whether Constantine's Papal Acts were valid and the Council decreed that they should all be void except his Baptizings and his Consecrations And so those Priests that he Consecrated when they were after duely chosen officiated without a new Consecration Either he was a real Pope or no Pope If a Pope then by the Canons Stephen was no Pope and so the Succession there failed If no Pope then 1. How come his Consecrations to be valid 2. Are not Presbyter's Ordinations better than a Lay-mans 3. Then the Universal Church had no Head and so was no Church with them while Constantine was Pope § 34. A like Schism fell out at Ravenna The power of the Magistrate made one Michael Scriniary of the Church a Lay-man Archbishop the People being for one Leo whom they imprisoned He kept the place above a year but by the help of the Pope and the French the People rose and cast him out and brought him Prisoner to Rome and set up Leo. § 35. Christopher
Irene will do as the Pope would have her She is as much for Pictures as the Pope himself She calling this Council at Constantinople the old Soldiers bred up under the former Emperors being against Images haeresin medullitus imbiberant saith Binnius p. 396. Would not endure them in Constantinople but routed them At which the Empress being troubled dismissed the Bishops till they had purged the Army of those old Soldiers and then she called the Bishops to Nice and there they knowing their errand before-hand damned themselves and their Brethren that had held the former universal Synod and set up Images again § 55. By the way I appeal from Pride and Ignorance to Christian Sobriety and Reason how the taking down of Images can in the Roman sense be called an Heresie unless it be an Article of Faith that Images must or may be used And can any Man that ever read and believed the Scriptures and the Writings of the first four hundred years believe that having or worshiping of Images or Saints by Images is an Article of Faith or necessary to Salvation The best of them that any Man can plead with Modesty is that they are indifferent or lawful and useful to some Persons The Papists tell us now that they would not compel us to bow toward Images but leave it to our liberty Must it be Heresie and the Christian world cast into distractions about it when yet this Image-worship is Idolatry in the sense of one part of Christians and but indifferent and convenient to the ignorant that have other helps enow in the sense of others O what a Plague hath it been to the world to have a worldly Clergy invade the Churches § 56. At the meeting of this Council we have first the Call and Title in which 1. The Emperor and his Mother are called the Governors of the whole world Orbis Terrarum And yet our Papists as W. Iohnson in his Novelty represt c. would make Men believe that if they find but such a saying of a Council or of the Church it must needs signifie more than the Empire even all the Earth indeed 2. It 's expresly said over and over that this Council was called by the Emperor and by their Decree and Command Tharasius beginneth with telling them the need of Reformation for Images and reporting how they were assaulted at Constantinople when they met there and so removed to Nice c. § 57. Next the Letters of the Empress and her Son are read in which they are before made know what they must do They are told what Paul Const. on his Death-bed said for Images and that Tarasius would not take the Patriarchate till he had promise of a Council to restore them and some hopes of it The Emperor here saith that he called and Congregated the Synod and that ex universo terrarum orbe out of the whole earthly world and yet it was only out of the Roman Empire § 58. When the Bishops business was so well made known by the Woman that called them first three Bishops that had been lately forward speakers against Images in the former General Council under Constantine did humbly confess their sin to the Council and asked forgiveness that is Basil. Ancyrae Theodorus Myron and Theodosius Amorii And first Basil Bishop of Ancyra gave them his Creed in which he professed to believe in the Trinity and to embrace the intercession of the Mother of God and of the heavenly Powers and of all the Saints and with all honour to receive and embrace their holy Reliques firmly believing that he may be made Partaker of their holiness Also that he embraceth the venerable Images which the Oeconomy of our Lord Iesus Christ c. and of the inviolate Virgin our Lady the Mother of God and of the holy Apostles Prophets Martyrs and all Saints and giveth them due honour Rejecting and cursing with all his mind that called the 7th Synod that was gathered by a depraved mind and madness a false Council as alien to all Piety and Religion impiously barking against Ecclesiastical Legislation reproaching venerable Images and commanding them to be taken out of the Churches c. And to shew his zeal and lead others the way he delivereth in nine Curses or Anathemas One against those that demolish Images Another against those that expound the Scripture words against Idols and Gentile Images as against Christians Images Next he execrateth all that embrace not Images so it is now become necessary unto salvation Another Curse is against those that favour them that are against Images c. Was not the Church ill used by her Bishops when they are sure to be cursed by them one year cursing all that be for Images and another cursing all that be not for them Was it such a cursing Clergy to make a cursed Church that Christ ordained And that the Council might not suspect that this Bishop was a Temporizer and changed his Opinion with the Times first he professeth to declare all this With his whole Soul Heart and Mind and next he wisheth That if ever by any means he revolt again from Images he may be alienated from God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Catholick Church And thus he renounceth Repentance cursing himself if ever he repent § 59. Tharasius and his Synod glorifie God for this excellent Confession And next cometh Theodore Bishop of Myros and he doth the like and is joyfully received And next cometh Theodosius Bishop of Amorium and he more dolefully lamenteth that being a sinner and seduced he had blattered out many evils untruly against venerable Images and therefore confessing his fault he condemneth and curseth or detesteth himself resolving hereafter to do the same thing which he had cursed or spoken ill of and to teach it to the world and begging to be received among Christians though unworthy Next he offereth his Libel viz. First I approve receive salute and venerate before all things the intemerate Image of our Lord Iesus Christ our true God and the blessed Mother Virgins who brought him forth without seed whose help protection and intercession I pray for night and day that she may help me a sinner as having that power from him whom she brought into the world Christ our God And I receive and venerate the Images of Saints Apostles Prophets Martyrs Fathers Eremites not as Gods c. And with all my mind I beseech them to intercede with God for me that I may find mercy in the day of judgment On the same account I venerate the Reliques of Saints c. So he proceedeth also to his Curses and first he anathematizeth all that venerate not Images Then he curseth those that reproach them And next that speak evil of them And next he curseth those that do not from their hearts teach Christian People the veneration of holy and honourable Images of all Saints which from the beginning pleased God Qu. 1. Where shall we
Tarasius At last An. 797. his Mother Irene and Stauratius found means to apprehend him and murder him that is put out his Eyes of which he dyed which some celebrate as a pious Act it was done by her that set up Images But within one year Nicephorus deposed and banished her into Lesbos where she dyed and he took the Empire to himself § 95. Binnius p. 445. saith That the Emperor banished Theodore Studita for reproving his Marriage and when he added crime to crime Merito jussu Matris quam imperio exuerat zelo justitiae non regni oculis imperio vitâ orbatus est By the command of his Mother in her zeal for justice he was deservedly deprived of his Empire Eyes and Life What is not just with such Historians that maketh for their Interest And how contemptible is their Censure of good or evil Men which hath no better Measures § 96. He tells us also p. 444. that the Spanish and French Bishops at these times of their own heads without the Pope added Filioque to the Creed which hath to this day made so great a stir It seems they thought that the Pope's Authority was not necessary to it § 97. He adds that Charles the Great being dead the People grew bold and rose up again against the Pope which occasioned Rapines Flames and Murders that Ludovicus the new Emperor was fain to take his Fathers Office and come to Rome to save the Pope and suppress the Rebels § 98. The Venetian Duke killing a Patriarch Iohan. Gradensis Paulus Patriarch of Aquileia called a Synod to crave aid of Charles § 99. CCXXXV An. 806. A Council was held at Constantinople in the Cause of the foresaid Ioseph that had married the Emperor to his second wife who had been ejected by Tarasius from his Bishoprick and the Emperor calling a Council they restored him wherefore Theodorus Studita called them a Council of Hereticks and Adulterants because they restored the Causer of the Emperor's Adultery But how few Emperors have not found Councils of Bishops ready to do their Will § 100. Charles the Great making his Will divided his Empire between his three Sons giving them Laws of Communion and Succession that if one dyed without Children his Kingdom be divided between the other two but if he have such Sons as the People will choose they succeed their Father Commanding all three that they be the Defenders of the Bishop of Rome as he and his Father and Grandfather had been to their commodity § 101. CCXXXVI An. 809. Was another Council at Constantinople which was gathered to condemn honest Theodorus Studita Plato and such as had been against the restoring of Ioseph of which saith Binnius When the Bishops there Congregate had brought the most holy Plato in Chains to be judged and had passed the Sentence of Anathema on the Universal Catholick Church that was against their Error they made a most wicked Decree that the Marriage of Constantine with Theodota his Wife yet living thrust into a Monastery should be said to be lawful by dispensation They added for the Emperor's sake this wicked and shameless Sentence That the Laws of God can do nothing against Kings and that if any imitate Chrysostom and shed his Blood for Truth and Iustice he is not to be called a Martyr That Bishops have power to dispense with all the Canons Remember that Papists confess all this to be wicked We have not the Acts and Speeches of these Councils preserved § 102. CCXXXVII An. 809. A Council was held at Aquisgrana about the Procession of the Holy Ghost and the word Filioque in the Creed Of which they sent some Messengers to the Pope who approved the thing but dissuaded them from adding it to be sung in the Creed and after inscribed the Creed without Filioque in Latin and Greek in two Silver Tables to shew that it should not be changed which yet after it was by the Pope's consent The French Annals say that in this Council they treated of the state of the Church and conversation of the Clergy but determined nothing for the greatnesses of the matter § 103. CCXXXVIII An. 113. Yet under Charles the Great a Council was held by his Command at Arles where many very good Canons were made for the Reformation of the Bishops and Priests § 104. CCXXXIX The same year the same Charles had a Council at Tours which made 51 as honest Articles as if Martin himself had been amongst them even against all kind of sin and for all godly living Among others the 37th Canon tells us that the custom of not kneeling in Prayer on any Lords-day no not at the Sacrament nor on any Week-day between Easter and Whitsuntide was yet in force on other days they required humble kneeling § 105. CCXL Yet another Council did Charles call the same year at Chalons Cabillonense in which he ordered Schools for the restoring of Learning our Alcuin being his Persuader greatly esteemed by him Learning then being almost worn away and Ignorance taking place till he greatly revived it no less than 67 Canons were here made most very good ones but praying for the Souls of the Faithful departed and anointing the Sick are there enjoined § 106. Among many good Canons the 13th is against the Oath of Obedience to the Bishop and to the Church The words Translated are these It is reported of some Brethren Bishops that they force them that they are about to ordain to swear that they are worthy and will not do contrary to the Canons and will be obedient to the Bishop that ordaineth them and to the Church in which they are ordained which Oath because it is very dangerous we all ordain shall be forbidden § 107. The 15th Canon saith It is said that in some places the Archdeacons exercise a certain domination over the Parish-Presbyters and take Fees of them which is a matter of Tyranny rather than of order of Rectitude For if the Bishops must not Lord it in the Clergy but be Examples to the Flocks much less may these do it § 108. The 25th Canon complaining how the old Excommunicating and Reconciling was grown out of use they desired the Emperor's help how they should be restored § 109. Can. 33. They say That Confession to God and Man are both good but that Confession made to God purgeth sin and that which is made to the Priest teacheth how their sins may be purged § 110. The 45th Canon is against them that by going to holy places Rome or Tours think to have their sins forgiven § 111. CCXLI. Yet another Council the same year 813 was held under Charles M. at Mentz in Germany to the like purpose many godly Canons being made § 112. CCXLII. Yet another under Charles at Rhemes for Instructing and Catechising and many good things like the former § 113. CCXLIII But we have not done with Images yet An. 814. There was a Council
called at Constantinople which damned the Council of Nice 2. Irene having set up Images and murdered the Emperor her own Son as is aforesaid was deposed by Nicephorus who Reigned near ten years with Stauratius his Son he was no Friend to the Clergies power and was killed in Fight by the Bulgarians and his wounded Son Reigned a few months Michael Curopalates succeeded a Man of great Piety and Peace but unfit for War who being overcome by the Bulgarians he consented to give up the Empire to Leo Armenus a better and prosperous Soldier This Leo the 5th was of the mind of the former Leo's against Images and his mind being known the Bishops conformed presently insomuch that in his 2d year this Council called by him Anathematized the Bishops that would not renounce the Nicene 2d Council and when they lay prostrate on the earth it 's said some trod on some of them and they turned them at a Back-door out of the Council For the Patriarch Nicephorus that was for Images was deposed and Theodorus Melissenus that was against them put in his place and led the rest Thus did Council against Council thunder Anathema's and curse each other by separating them from Christ till few were left uncursed The Rulers of the Monasteries also were called in and those that would not consent against Images were rejected Nicetas Theodorus Studita were the Champions for Images and were both banished and imprisoned Theodore wrote to the Council for Images and tells them that To take away the venerable Adoration of the Images of Christ and of the Mother of God and of all the Saints was to overthrow the Oeconomy of Christ. And he continued in Prison to preach and write for Images Those Councils that pleased not the Papists we have not the Acts of as we have of such as Nic. 2. that pleased them Had we all the Speeches and Arguments used in this and other Councils against Images as largely as those that were for them we might better see which had the better management § 114. CCXLIV The Clergy had for many hundred years abrogated God's Law He that sheddeth Man's Blood by Man shall his Blood be shed and had put Pennance for the punishment instead of Death But now at last the murdering of one Iohn a Bishop inhonestè inauditè mordridatus as they then spake they were put to find some harder Penalty to save the Clergies Lives And so they set great Fines of Money on the Murderers and more than so He that wilfully murdered a Bishop must eat no flesh nor drink any Wine as long as he lived If Murder now had no greater a punishment Bishops would scarce be safe any more than others This was at a Council at a Village called Theorius or Dietenhoven § 115. Next succeedeth Pope Stephen at Rome Platina saith Stephen the 4th Anastasius and Binnius say Stephen the 5th Platina and others say that he Reigned but seven months Anastasius and others say seven years and seven months Platina saith he was the Son of Iulius a Roman Anastasius saith he was the Son of Marinus Charles dying the Empire came to his Son Ludovicus called Pius his Brothers dying also The Bishops of Italy saith Platina and others stir'd up Bernard to rebel against him but he was conquered and put to death as also were the Saxon Rebels Paschal first succeeding Stephen is made Pope without the Emperor's knowledge for which he excused himself as forced by the People that chose him The Emperor pardon'd it but demanded obedience as to their Elections for the time to come Platina in vit Paschal l. 1. who saith that Paschal was suspected of the Rebellion of Italy but disclaimed it and that the Emperor re-assumed many Cities to the Empire to prevent new Rebellions Some say that Bernard was but blinded Among others banished for Treason were Anselm Bishop of Milan and Theodulfe Bishop of Aurelia Orleance so that Italy and France joined in the Treason See Petav. Hist. Mâ—nd li. 8. c. 8. § 116. CCXLV Ludovicus Pius was so careful to reform the Bishops and Clergy that he raised their ill will against him being too pious for them that should have been the Teachers of Piety yea so slothful did they grow that though his Father and he had done extraordinary works for the promoting of Learning and Godliness yet Learning in his days grew to such decay that Learned Men became the common contempt and few of them were to be found but Wealth and Iurisdiction were the study care and interest of the Bishops Yet in his time at Aquisgrane there was a Council that wrote instead of Canons the most excellent Treatise for the Teaching and Government of the Teachers and Governors of the Church besides the regulation of Monasteries that ever any Council did before them Not in their own words but in the several Sermons and passages of the chief Fathers Isidore Hierom Gregory Augustine and Prosper that had written to the Clergy heretofore which they collected into 145 Chapters and Canons But you must know that the excellency of the Canons of Provincial Councils in France and Spain in these Ages did not shew the excellency of the Bishops so much as their Pravity and Necessity as the Medicine doth the Disease For such Canons were ordinarily drawn up by the will of the King by some one or few choice Men such as Paulinus Aquileiensis in his time to whom the rest consented because they knew the King would have it so § 117. In these Chapters of this Council they cite Isidore and Hierom at large proving that it was Presbyters that were called Bishops in Paul's Epistles and Acts 20. and that in those times the Church was ruled by the Common-Council of Presbyters till Schism shewed a necessity that one should rule among the rest They cite Isidore ' s words that Caeteri Apostoli cum Petro par consortium honoris acceperunt Et Non esse Episcopum qui praeese dilexerit non prodesse And Hierom ' s on Titus maintaining the foresaid Identity and his Sciat Episcopus Presbyter sibi Populum conservum esse non servum And his excellent Epistle ad Nâ—potianum Many Sermons of Augustine ' s describing his Collegiate Community of the Clergy Isidore ' s words Plerique Sacerdotes suae magis utilitatis causâ quam gregis praeesse desiderant Nec ut prosint praesules fieri cupiunt sed magis ut divites fiant honorentur suscipiunt sublimitatis culmen non pro Pastorali regimine sed pro totius regiminis vel honoris ambitione atque abjecto opere dignitatis solam nominis appetunt dignitatem Dum mali Sacerdotes Deo ignorante non fiant tamen ignorantur à Deo sed hic nescire Dei reprobare est If Isidore say true remember that I wrong not the Bishops in saying the same of them And if this was the case of the most as he affirmeth what better than we find could be
only those that are saved else he should have his Will frustrate and not be Omnipotent 2. That Christ dyed not for all but only for the Elect who are the world that he redeemed others he redeemeth by Baptism but not by dying for them 3. That no one shall perish that Christ dyed for 4. He addeth how truly I know not That he asserteth a threefold Deity in the Trinity of Persons They laid him in Prison and Hincmarus wrote to the Pope to know what to do with him saying That he must employ a very able Man to keep him for he wraps People even the meanly learned into admiration of him reciting Scripture and Fathers distorted whole days together Some Bishops took his part § 2. They say a Synod at Tours wrote an Admonition to one Nomenoâ—us the King's Lieutenant in Britany for Tyranny and Oppression and casting out the just Bishops and putting in Mercenaries Thieves and Robbers Bin. p. 638. and for despising the warnings of the Pope and Bishops § 3. Canisius tells us of a Concilium Regiaticinum regulating Bishops and Cap. 6. ordaining that the Arch-Presbyter examine every Master of a Family personally and take account of their Families and Lives and receive their Confessions And Cap. 7. that a Presbyter in the absence of the Bishop may reconcile a Penitent by his command Cap. 13. That in the Villages Arch-Presbyters be set over the Lower-Presbyters C. 12. That none that are denied Communion may have any Military or Civil Office and so every Bishop is Master of the Magistrates § 4. CCLVIII. The Saracens in Spain persecuting the Christians forced the Bishops to meet in Council at Corduba and decree against Martyrdom and the Memorial of Martyrs saith Binnius p. 643. Holding a Satanical Meeting forbad Martyrdom and took away the Honour of Martyrs saying That they that were not violently drawn to deny the Faith but offered themselves to danger of their own accord are not to be numbred with the Martyrs not working Miracles as the Martyrs did nor their Bodies remaining uncorrupt § 5. A Synod at Mentz An. 852. did we know not what But 853. CCLIX one at Soisons was approved by Pope Benedict and reprobated by Pope 〈◊〉 Bin. p. 648. yet both infallible And it is no wonder for it is about a hard Point and in which the Papacy is much concerned When Ebbo was deposed and banished Lotharius restored him for a while and he intruded again and ordained many Priests Hincmarus succeeding in his life-time rejecteth all those that he thus ordained A Council is called to judge whether their Ordination was valid or null The Council decreed that Whatever in Ecclesiastical Ordinations the said Ebbo had done after his damnation according to the Traditions of the Apostolick Seat as is read in the Deeds of the Popes except Sacred Baptism which is perfected in the name of the Trinity shall be all void and null and those ordained by him in whatever part of the world they shall be Fugitives or wander because they cannot flie from God's judgment let them be held deprived of all Ecclesiastical Degrees by the judgment of the Holy Ghost And yet these Men had shewed Letters from the King and divers Bishops for their reception as Presbyters but the Synod said they were counterfeit Another Case was this one Halduinus had been made Deacon by Ebbo and Consecrated Presbyter and Abbot by Lupus Bishop of Catalonia The Presbyter was ordained out of his own Jurisdiction to the Church of Rhemes This being questioned an Archdeacon shewed the King's Letters commanding the Ordination of Halduinus Lupus ordained him in obedience to the King without examining there being then no Bishop at Rhemes Whereupon the Synod decreed according to the Canons say they That they that are made Presbyters without examination by ignorance or by dissimulation of the Ordainers when they are known shall be deposed because the Catholick Church defendeth but that which is irreprehensible And it was shewed in Concil Sardic c. 9. and other Councils and Decrees That the said Bishop touched nothing of his Ordination but that he that leaped to the Priesthood without the degree of Deacon he ought to retire resilire to due degradation § 6. Here you see the Nullification even of the Ordinations of an ejected Archbishop yea and of a lawful Bishop when he makes a Presbyter of one that was by such an ejected Bishop made Deacon and when he ordaineth unworthily without due examination And if this hold what interruptions have there been in the Succession of Bishops especially in the Roman Seat § 7. Anastasius a Cardinal Presbyter of Rome betook himself to the Emperor solliciting him to depose Pope Leo the 4th and to place him in his stead The Pope hearing it calleth him home to his charge from whence he had been absent five years but he would not return nor appear wherefore CCLX the Pope called a Council at Rome which deposed him § 8. CCLXI Ignatius the Patriarch of Constantinople called a Council to depose Gregory Bishop of Syracusa They desired Pope Leo's confirmation He delaying it dyeth Gregory in the mean time prevaileth against Ignatius who is cast out and Photius put in and a grievous Schism begun § 9. CCLXII An. 855. under Lotharius Remigius Lugdun and 12 other Bishops are called a Council at Valence who made 23 Canons or Decrees with great Judgment and Piety and shewed how much more venerable a Council of a few wise Bishops are than greater Councils where the most are weak Their first work was against those that they called the Predestinatianos where Cap. 2. they determine Non ipsos malos Deum ideo perire velle quia boni esse non potuerunt sed quia boni esse noluerunt Cap. 3. Praedestinationem electorum ad vitam praedestinationem impiorum ad mortem fidenter fatemur In electione tamen salvandorum misericordiam Dei praecedere meritum bonum in damnatione autem periturorum meritum malum praecedere justum Dei judicium Praedestinatione autem Deum ea tantum statuisse quae ipse vel gratuitâ misericordiâ vel justo judicio facturus erat In malis vero ipsorum malitiam praescîsse quia ex ipsis est non praedestinâsse quia ex illo non est Poenam sane malum meritum eorum sequentem uti Deum qui omnia prospicit praescivisse praedestinasse quia justus est apud quem est ut S. Augustinus ait de omnibus omnino rebus tam fixa sententia quam certa praescientiâ Verum aliquos ad malum praedestinatos esse divina potestate videlicet ut quasi aliud esse non possent non solum non credimus sed etiam si sunt qui tantum malum credere velint cum omni detestatione sicut Arausica Synodus illis Anathema dicimus The sum is God's mercy goeth before Man's merit but his Predestination to punishment is only on the foresight of their sin which he decreeth
who was his onely Friend and Patron while he lived Next he tells us how the Emperor by Photius's persuasion called a General Council which deposed Pope Nicolas as he had done Phocas The other Patriarchs and the Bishops were assembled and the Pope anathematized And the Historian blames it as causless but it was then commonly held that a Council might judge and depose any Patriarch The Acts of the Council Photius sent to King Ludovicus and others in Italy and France that they might depose the Pope by two Bishops viz. of Calcedon and Laodicea It 's said he spake evil to the Emperor of Basilius and to Basilius of the Emperor Basilius murdereth the Emperor and the next day deposeth Photius and thrusts him into an Hospital and calls home Ignatius and so gets Ignatius's Party on his side to which he resolved to add the Pope Therefore sending to Photius for the Patriarchate Writings and he saying he had left them all behind him the Servants of Photius were seen striving about seven Bags of sealed Papers which being surprized were found to be the Acts of the Council and the Condemnation of Pope Nicolas Ignatius was odiously accused and abused in them Many Pictures made of him over one written Diabolus over another Principium peccati over another Filius perditionis over another Avaritia Simonis Magi over another Qui se extollit supra omne id quod dicitur aut colitur Deus over the sixth Abominatio desolationis and over the seventh Antichristus Reader how shall a man know what History to believe that characterizeth Adversaries and how little is the judgment and applause of man to be regarded or their condemnation of us to be feared I would not saith Nicetas mention these things but that I see the Authors and their followers own them and make Photius a holy man The next part of the Book saith Nicetas Synodicus in Nicolâ—â— um Pontificem Romanum tela torquebat omnisque generis calumnias atrocia maledicta in illius Sancti exauctorationem damnationem complectebatur impie ut tragico prope modo concinuitatus sane quoque ipsius stygii doctoris magisterio Photii ministerio dignus Gregory Bishop of Syracuse wrote them out and sent them to the King of France Who wrote truly and who falsly how should we now know But this I know 1. That contending who should be greatest was the sin of the Prelates and the plague of the Churches 2. And that then it was taken for granted that the Pope deserving it might be deposed The new Emperor Basil sent these Books to the Pope who burnt them as you have heard Great reason but I would we saw them Ignatius being restored excommunicateth Photius and all that were initiated by him and all that communicated with him It seems they were much alike in the art of damning men and separating them from Christ. Then is Ignatius's Council called where 102 Bishops damn Photius depose him and curse him from Christ and the Bishops to shew their holiness and constancy would not write his damnation with Ink but with Christ's own blood that is the Sacramental Wine And yet ere long they set up Photius again Nicetas blameth his Condemners that went not so far as to prevent his Restoration But how can Bishops rule God's Providence or the mutable minds of Princes saith he Nam qui per reconciliatos erat ejectus per hypocritas damnatus is per eosdem quasi familiares postliminio recurrens rursus Patriarchae thronum per vim invasit Cum omnes in sua testimonia Chirographa perjuros ut ipse erat fieri coegisset ut extrema primis deteriora fecisset omnium conscientias inquinavit conspurcavit Alas if the Bishops will be perjured Weathercocks and as Hypocrites cry peccavimus one year and go contrary again the next and change as Princes do who can help it He saith now new Earthquakes and terrible Whirlwinds did again afright men He giveth us also many of Ignatius's Miracles especially when he was dead He saith Photius prosecuted him with malice when he was dead He next tells us how after the death of Ignatius Photius came to be restored even by feigning a Pedegree of Basilius as from the King of Armenia sound by his skill in Antiquities and by his great parts and elegancy winning upon him He maketh Theophanes the instrument of the deceit He won the hearts of all the Courtiers so that within three days of Ignatius's death he was restored Hereupon the Bishops turn round and they that lately called him all that 's naught now magnifie him Bin. p. 875. But all that Nicetas calleth verè Christianos abhorred him This maketh me remember the words of Erasmus in the life of Dr. Colet translated by Thomas Smyth concerning the Bishop of London that then was being an acute Schoolman I have known saith he some such that I would not call Knaves but never any that I could call a Christian Sad Prelates that Nicetas and Erasmus could not call Christians But the ambition of Photius tempted them to their mutability He cast out the Bishops that were against him and presently forgave and restored them if they would but conform Yea he dared to re-ordain those that Ignatius had ordained supposing him no Bishop but abhorring all that stopt him in it But he proceeded to consecrate anew the Church-Utensils and say over certain Prayers If saith Nicetas they be not rather to be called Curses And saith he to make his sin out of measure sinful when he ordained or preferred any or changed Bishopricks he made them conform by swearing and subscribing to him thereby binding all to him whom by Benefices he obliged So much out of Nicetas § 64. And now Reader I leave it to thy judgment whether Gregory Nazianzen knew not what he said when he wisht there were no higher and lower among Bishops and when he spake so much of their ambition levity and temerity and of the evil effects of their Councils in his time Whether Patriarchal dignity was not a great temptation when to the Son of a Prince on one side and to the great and noble Secretary of the Emperor on the other side it seemed a prize worth the striving for to the death And whether it have not been the calamity of the Church when two such extraordinary men far above the common rank of Bishops shall set an Empire and almost all the Christian Churches into Schism Contention mutual Persecution and Confusion by so long striving Who shall be greatest and drawing so many hundred Bishops into Faction Schism Perjury and shameful mutations with them And whether Christ did not foreseeing such things far otherwise decide this question Who shall be greatest in Luke 22. But if Pride turned Angels into Devils it is not much to be wondered if it turn the Angels of the Churches into the Ministers of the Prince of Pride and Darkness and turn many Churches
men of Desert whom through sloth and malice they cannot match You shall never find any to envy anothers Fame but one that himself is Contaminated with all disgrace and despaireth that his own Name should ever be Famous with Posterity These are they that by Fraud Malice Craft and evil speaking do Bite Tear Accuse and Worry those that deserve well of Mankind like cowardly or slothful and useless Dogs that dare not set upon wild Beasts themselves but will bite those that are tyed or in their Dens So Platina Ramanus Ruled but three Months § 15. Next Succeeded in the Popedome Theodorus 2. who saith Platina followed the steps of the Seditious For he restored the Acts of Formosus and preferred his followers and Reigned but Twenty days Next came Iohn 9. or 10. as others saith Platina He restored the Cause of Pope-Formosus many of the People being against it whence arose such a Sedition that they hardly scaped a Battle Baronius saith that Ludovicus 4. was deposed and blinded now by Berengarius who assumed the Empire and this Pope Crowned him through fear Yet after he was gone he called Lambert to Rome and with a Synod concuring with him declared the Coronations both of Berengarius and Arnulph to be Null as being extorted and so took Lambert for King and Emperour Did not the Crowns of Princes sit very loose when it was but a Popes pretending that he Crowned them through Fear and they were presently Deposed Would these Popes have been Martyrs or were they Christians or Gnosticks that would sin if they were but put in fear And would not fear have made them own a Heresy as well as other sin On this occasion all was cast into Confusion the Pope was fain to fly to Ravenna for protection to him whom he had Crowned § 16. CCCVI This Pope called a Synod at Rome that called Ovetensis I pass by as of small moment An. 904. in which he condemned the fact of Pope Stephen decreeing that the Dead are not to be judged by men But what became of the Synod of Bishops that had joyned herein with Pope Stephen Why Bin. p. 1049. they turn'd with the times and did as such had used to do They asked forgiveness and said they did it for Fear and so he that hath power by Fear or Hope can make such Bishops and Councils Sin and Repent and Sin again and Repent again as Interest altereth They were pardoned But Formosus preferment from a Bishoprick to the Popedome was Voted to be against the Canons excusable only by necessity and not to be imitated but in cases of necessity His Ordained Clergy were Restored and Re-ordinations and Re-baptizations forbidden as unlawful § 17. CCCVII Another Synod he called at Ravenna for the same use when he fled thither from Rome of 74 Bishops Baronius saith He was another Ieremias sent of God to pluck up and pull down what Pope Stephen had done Platina saith I think this came to pass because Popes were departed from St. Peters steps and chiefly because the Christian Common-wealth had idle slothful Princes that would have Peters ship thus tossed lest the Ruler if he look about him should cast them out as evil Pilots Arnulphus was given to pleasure and Charles the simple or rather foolish of France was little better and so the Hungarians destroyed and killed in Germany and France and the Affricans in Calabria and had little resistance Blood and Misery being the common Lot He addeth That this Pope John dying in the 2d Year and 15th day of his Reign left nothing worthy of Memory behind him but that He revived some Seditions that before were almost extinct And it is a sad question that Herveus Bishop of Rhemes put to him Bin. p. 1048 What to do with those that are Baptized and Rebaptized and yet after Baptism live as the Heathens kill Christians yea the Priests sacrifice to Idols eat things offered to them The Pope durst not use Discipline on these because they were Novices lest he affright them from the Church to Heathenisme again but left them to the Bishops Discretion and Experience to do as he saw best § 18. This Pope had a Corrival which was the 15. Schisme Sergius that had been made Pope with Formosus and was put out and Banished did now get in again but Iohn had the stronger part and cast him out and Banished him once again Onuphr Chron. p. 28. But had he been but strong enough the succession had come down from him as right § 19. Benedict the 4. came next Nothing saith Platina was done in his time that is much to be praised because both Princes Popes and Clergy were grown Debauched bad Princes making Popes by Tyranny Now the Line of Charles the Great lost the Empire Ludovicus the Son of Arnulphus being slain by Berengarius and so they lost both Italy Germany and after France by their own and the Clergies Wickedness § 20. Leo. 5. Came next Anno 907. Who thrust him in I find not but when he had Reigned but 40. days his familiar friend Christopher had list to be Pope and cast him out and laid him in Fetters where it 's said he dyed of Grief where Platina well noteth that The saying is certainly true that Dignities or places of preferment receive more honour from the Men than the Men do from the Dignities or places § 21. Christopher thus got in by sudden invasion kept it longer than Leo did even near seven Months and then he that had been twice Pope before did once again try for it and was too strong for Christopher and put him into a Monastery A Holy place then no doubt For saith Platina This was the only refuge of the Calamitous For in those times bad Clergy Men were thurst into Monasteries by way of Banishment as heretofore into Islands § 22. The Man that did this and got the Popedom was Sergius 3. who had been twice before cast out saith Baron and Bin. p. 1052. That wicked Sergius Nefandus by Albertus Armes got in A Man that was the servant of all Vices and of all Men the most wicked Facinorosissimus invaded the Popedom and so was by all Men taken for no lawful Pope To his horrid Sacriledge he added the most impudent filthyness and by Marozia a great Whore the Daughter of that most famous Whore Theodora he begot his Son John after Pope For many Historians tell us how these two famous Whores did rule Rome and make and unmake Popes § 23. This Pope undid again all that had been done for Formosus and against Stephen For both the King of France and Sergius were Enemies to Formosus for setting up other powers against France and because his party was against Sergius But I wonder that Platina tells us that both Stephen and Sergius took Formosus out of his Grave and the one cut off his three Fingers and the other his Head and both cast into Tyber If this be true
he was taken up again the first time and buried again But I suppose that it was but his Fingers that were cast in the first time and the Corps after or else he was found after the first time Platina saith It is reported but not of any certainty that some Fisher-men found the Corps and buried it â—t St. Peters Church and that while it was doing the Church Images bowed to it It 's well Vncertainty was put into the Story and that some thought this moved Sergius to envy but that indeed it was because Formosus party were against his Papacy It seems by this that the Fisher-men found him after the first casting into Tyber or else his burial by them could not be called the occasion of Sergius fact So little rest had this Popes Carkass being twice buried twice taken up twice judged and executed after death and twice cast into Tyber But saith Platina Popes now seeking and getting the Popedome by liberty and ambition disregarding Gods Worship exercised enmity against one another no otherwise than do the cruellest Tyrants glutting their own lusts the more securely when there are none left to restrain Vices This wicked Man for almost seven Years enjoyed the fruits of his iniquity § 24. Here Baronius and Binius forget to answer the great difficulty 1st How the Roman succession escaped from being interrupted 2. And also where was the Roman Church while such Reigned as were no Popes 3. And also where was its Holiness and Infallibility when it had the worst of Men as they say themselves thus set over them as their Heads But they are careful Nequis pusillanimus ex hoc facto scandalum accipiat lest weak minded persons should be scandalized by this And they tell us as a wonderful providence of God That so great was the reverence to the Church of Rome that even when such Men invaded the Popedome unlawfully being even in the Churches censure rather Apostatical than Apostolical yet those that did but hear who was Pope especially the Northern Countries that were far off obeyed them so that any Man may understand by how great a providence God Governeth the universal Church which when it was set on Fire at the will of Whores and all mischiefs and scandals did increase and it was feared it would be divided by a great schisme yet God defended it from all heresy and schisme all Nations persisted in one bond of Faith and Covent of Obedience Indeed Gods providence is wonderful that saveth his true Church from such wicked usurpers and keepeth a Union of all in Christ But this is no honour to the wicked usurpers when now fifteen schismes had divided them and many more afterward nor was it any honour or blessing to them that gave up their Kingdoms to such usurpers If these were no Popes but intruding Whore-mongers was it a blessing to the World to be deceived and to take those for Popes that indeed were none But had not they then a seeming Church and indeed none when an essential part was Null § 25. CCCVIII They say that Anno 909. A Council at Soissons ordered some Reformation § 26. Leo called Philosophus Son to Basilius Macedo this while was Emperour in the East who being formerly suspected and imprisoned by his Father upon some suggestion of Photius and Santabacenus was revenged on them when he Reigned and deposed Photius and put him into a Monastery This is the rest that Ambition procureth Thus Sin is the misery of the Sinner Alexander his Unckle was Gardian to Leo's Son the Father being Dead Nicholas had before been made Patriark and upon offence deposed and Euthymius put in his place But Alexander deposed Euthymius and restored Nicholas and having spent thirteen Months in Drunkenness and Lust Bled to Death and Constantine seven Years old with his Mother Zoe Reigned alone Constantine Ducas rebelling is subdued The Bulgarians Conquered by Leo Phocas General who thereupon aspiring to the Crown was slain Eight Years after Zoe is removed and one Romanus Lecapenus made Guardian and Caesar He advanced three of his Sons to the like honor to strengthen himself and made his other Son Theophilact Patriark instead of Stephen though he was but sixteen Years old He Married his Daughter to the Bulgarian King and then began to despise the Emperour and prefer himself God punished this by permitting his own Son Stephen to depose and banish him into an Island At last Constantine awaked and deposed them all and ruled himself in Drunkenness and Debauchery fifteen Years and then dyed or as some say was killed by Romanus's Sons After him Nicephorus Phocus a succesful Warrior but a bad Man Ruled The Church called him bad for oppressing them with Taxes His Wife Theophanon and Iohn Trimisces who succeeded killed him Thus hath the World been Governed and this is the profit of Ambition § 27. The next Pope is Anastatius the 3d. who sate two Years and two Months In this time the Eastern Emperour Leo published Constitutions which Baronius and Binius p. 1053. deride as ridiculous in imitation of Iustinian because he presumed to make Church Laws § 28. Lando was the next Pope Anno 912. and sate 6. Months and 22. Days say Baronius and Binius This Man at the importunate instaâ—ce of that most potent most noble and most impudent Whore Theodora who had prostituted one of her Daughters Marozia to Pope Sergius and the other Theodora to Aldebert Marquess of Tuscia and hereby had obtained or kept the Monarchy of the City who was Pope if this Whore was Monarch did create John whom she most filthily doted on a Presbyter of Ravina the Bishop of Bononia and Peter Arch-Bishop of Ravenna being Dead he made him there Arch-Bishop And a little after so filthy an act he Died. Luitpraud l. 2. c. 13. § 29. Next cometh this same Man Anno 912 Iohn 10. saith Platina and others the Son of Pope Sergius by the Whore Marozia say some but it s not like because Marozia killed him But it s more probable as Onuphrius noteth that it was not this Iohn but the next that was Son to Sergius and Marozia This Pope saith Baron and Bin. is he that the famous Whore Theodora for great comeliness of person doted on and saâ—th Luitpraud got him made Arch-Bishop of Ravenna and after Pope of Rome that she might not lye with him so seldome as the distance between Rome and Ravenna would necessitate So say they this impudent Man being powerful at Rome by the strength of a Whore is made a false Pope and wicked invader of the Seat where they shew how this Whore obtained her power But was this no interruption of the succession neither nor a nullifying of the Papal Church while he sate 13. or as Onuphrius 14. Years and more No saith Baron and Bin. He that was an Invader Theif and Robber by the after Consent of the Roman Clergy became the lawful Pope of Rome 1. We see then what the
off their Virilia c. before Seventy-Two VVitnesses O shameful Holy-Church that is thus Essentiated III. They say He should have been thrice cited Ans. 1. What! When he would not be found 2. Is that necessary to the being of the Sentence IV. They say No delay was granted Ans. He was not to be found And to what was delay necessary when the Babylonians Iberians and Indians had notice of his Diabolical Life V. They say contrary to all Councils the Emperour Condemneth him who may not Condemn any Clerk Ans. But you may Condemn Kings and Emperours Is not this Heresy contrary to Rom. 13. and the 5. Commandement How shall Mens Lives Wives and Estates be saved from Clergy-men if Kings may not judge and punish them This Doctrine calleth for timely restraint VI. They say Execution went instead of Sentence Ans. Is not a plain Sentence here expressed VII The Pope is exempt from all humane judgment The whole Council therefore were impudent or ignorant to Condemn a Pope which none ever did but a Heretick or Schismatick Ans. 1st That is such as you are able to call General Councils Emperours and Kings Hereticks and Schismaticks if they presume to judge a Heretick Schismatick or devillish Pope But your faculty proveth not another culpable 2. Did not Solomon judge Abiathar Did not many Councils Condemn Honorius and many other Popes 3. What a case is your miserable Catholick Roman Church in then when Popes may kill ravish blaspheme and destroy and no Man can judge them neither King nor Council 4. Why said you that the whole Church did consent to your Pope when all this Council and all the Clergy and People at Rome thus begged for another 5. If all your Bishops of Italy Germanâ— c. are utterly impudent or ignorant as you call these What an honour is this to the Prelacy of your Church And is it not because your Popes ordained them and like will generate its like Such other triflâ—ng objections they frame § 57. But now we have two Popes Iohn and Leo and to this Day it is not known nor agreed among the Roman Doctors which was the true Pope Most say Leo Baron and Bin. say Iohn and call Leo a Schismatick confessing yet that Scriptores in finiti numeri call him Leo 8th and own him How then shall we derive their succession Iohn's Kindred got the better when the Emperour was gone and called him again and cast out Leo. Now we have two Heads and so two Churches the Church of Iohn and the Church of Leo. § 58. CCCXVII Anno 963. A Council at Const. gave the Emperor Nicephorus Phocas leave to marry Theophanes the Widdow of Romanus § 59. CCCXVIII Anno 964. The monstrous Beast Pope Iohn got up again call'd a Synod of Bishops And what will not Bishops do He is here still called The most Godly and most Holy Pope The Bishops at his motion Condemn Leo and those that Ordained him and those that were Ordained by him And this Council Binius justifieth and cryeth down Leo 8th as no Pope But he confesseth that by the common consent of Writers Leo was the true Pope but Scriptorum error veritati nihil praejudicare potest Ans. 1. How then shall all the world that knew not the Case be sure that Binius and Baronius are to be believed before all their own Writers whose common Sentence is against them and that Romes Succession from Iohn is good 2. Remember this when you plead for your supposed Tradition that infinite Writers prejudice not the Truth § 60. But saith Platina It s reported that just then John was punished by Gods just judgment lest a Schisme should have followed And it is commonly agreed that being in bed with a mans Wife the Devil struck him on the head and killed him But some think it was rather the VVomans Husband that did it § 61. But yet we are never the nearer conceding still there are two Roman Popes and Churches Iohn being dead one Benedict is Chosen by the parties Totius cleri populi Romanae Consensu saith Bin. p. 1067. Yet had this Clergy and People sworn before to Otho to Choose no Pope without his Consent and Choise and tied themselves to Leo. But to to be Perjured and change with the Ruling Power alas how common was it § 62. The godly Emperor Otho was offended at these Villanies and brought an Army again to Rome Benedictus made them stand out a Siege till Famine forced them to yield and the Emperor set up Leo and carried away Benedict to Hamburgh where he died And think you but this Pope is therefore by Binius and Baronius made a Martyr that by Rebellion and common Perjury was thus set up § 63. While Otho was at Rome Anno 964. He and Leo 8. called another Council of Bishops Italian Roman from Loraine Sâ—xony c. and all the Roman People Pope Benedict is brought forth Benedict the Deacon tells him of his Perjury having broken his Oath to Leo and to Otho Pope Benedict said If I have sinned have mercy on me The pittiful Emperour with Tears intreated the Bishop to have mercy on the man Whereupon he fell down at the feet of Leo and the Emperour and confessed that he had sinned and invaded the Papacy and delivered the In signia to Leo yet our foresaid Annalist and Historian make him and not Leo the true Pope still The Council Deposed and Banished him but continued him a Deacon as he was before They removed him to Hamburgh to prevent new broiles § 64. Here Baronius and Binius cry out on the History of Lâ—ilâ—raudus as Forg'd on Crantzius c. But there is a great reason why Leo must not be taken for a Pope It is because by a Canon of this his Council they gave Otho the same power for choosing Popes as Charles the great had O how much Interest prevaileth with these Historians judgments But alas Reader is it not a sad thing to read how fast Bishops and People did thus Swear and Forswear and do and undo making Councils as weather-cocks that turn with every Wind that is strong Is this the honour of Prelacy and their stability in governing the Church § 65. Next comes another Iohn 13th who was not Chosen till Leo dyed and expresly chosen to succeed him and so by that Account of Baronius and Binius the Succession was interrupted Leo being no Pope whom he Succeeded But alas had it not been for the great Zeal of Otho that came so oft with Armies to defend them and to cast out intolerable Popes what had become of the Roman Papacy This Iohn was a Bishop before as Formosus was and so by the Canons his Election was Null on that account Almost as soon as he was setled saith Platina the Romans having now got a Custome of Expelling their Popes yet Baron saith the Universal Church owned them did by Seditions tire out this also By the help
purgatory saith Bin. as some apparitions proved but he was delivered out of that pain by St. Odilo's prayers and his Brother 's Alms. you see how much better it is to be a Saint than a Pope you need not question the credit of their intelligence from purgatory § 100. This Pope's own Brother Son to the Tusculane Earl by his power presently seizeth on the Papacie But Bin. ex Baron would perswade us that this invaded Pope afterward repented resigned and was new chosen by the Clergy He was very like to have their votes when he had gotten such power and advantage But where was the Roman Church that while Now dyed the pious Emperor Henry and when he dyed gave up his religious wife to the Bishops and Abbots as a Virgin as he received her who entered a Monastery accordingly Conrade his General succeeded him and the Pope Iohn 21 as Plat. 18 as Bin. being driven away by the People Conrade restored him so far was the Pope obeyed § 101. A Council at Lymoges an 1029. gave an Apostolical title to Martial their founder § 102. An. 1â—32 Another at Pampilone was about a Bishop's seat § 103. Princes in this age are commended for their piety especially their zeal for Rome But did the Popes yet amend The next man that cometh in by the same power as the former is Benedict the 9th Nephew to Iohn and Son to Albericus most say he was but ten years old some say 18. capable saith Baron and Bin. of Impudence and luxury by the tyranny of his Father intruded An. 1030. And say they being given over to lust and pleasure and by humane frailty rushing into impudence and living to great scandal of the faithful he was by the Romans the Consul Ptolemy favouring it rejected or at least gave it up by the perswasion of the holy Abbot Bartholomew Whereupon Silvester the 3d. came into his place who had been Bishop of Sabine even by bribery and evil arts and did rend the Church by a new Schism But he had fcarcâ— Sate three months but Benedict by the help of the Tusculanes returned and cast him out as an invader In the mean time a third man Iohn Arch-Presbyter of Rome invading the same seat brought yet a greater deformity on the Church And so A THREE-HEADED BEAST ARISING FROM THE GATES OF HELL did miserably infest the holy Chain of St. Peter These are the words of the Popes grand flatterers And they tell us that one Gratian a Presbyter pitying this miserable state of the Church went to all the three Popes and gave them money to hire them all to resign And so Benedict as the most worthy being secured of the Revenues of England deposed himself and that he might the more freely execute his lusts betook himself to his Fathers house when intruded by force and tyranny he had held the Papacy eleven years And when the rest by his example had done the like each being contented with his assigned portion of the Revenue the Church An. 1044. was restored to its ancient union peace and concord the Schism being expelled and the tyranny by which it was oppressed taken out of the way Thus Bar. and Bin. But how came this Presbyter to be so honest and so rich you must know that when he had got out the three Popes he was made Pope himself of which more anon § 104. But though these Authors tell us but of four Popes at once as credible writers of their own tell us there were six Wernerus in Fasciculo Tempor saith The 14. Schism was scandalous and full of confusion between Benâ—dict the 9th and five others which Benedict was wholly vitious and therefore being damned he appeared in a monstrous and horrid shape his head and tail were like an Asses the rest of his body like a Bear saying I thus appear because I lived like a beast In this Schism there were no less than six Popes at once 1. Benedict was expulsed 2. Silvester 3d. got in but is cast out again and Benedict restored 3. But being cast out again Gregory the 6th is put into his place who because he was ignorant of Letters caused another Pope to be consecrated with him to perform Church-Offices which was the fourth which displeased many and therefore a third is chosen instead of those two that were fighting with one another 6. But Henry the Emperor coming in deposed them all and chose Clement the 2d the sixth that were alive at once There is great difference between Wernerus Onuphrius Platina Baronius but all confess that there were three or four at once And the three were secured of the revenues before they resigned to the fourth no doubt leaving him his part This it is for Bishops to be great and rich which will ascertain wicked men to seek them But if Wernerus say true that this Iohan. Gratianus made Gregory 6th was illiterate he was a strange Roman Arch-Presbyter before and a strange Pope after but greatly to be commended that would ordain a fellow Pope that could read § 105. This horrid monstrous villain called Benedict the 9th Canonized Simeon an Anchorite at Trevirs Do you think he was not a good judge and lover of Saints He crowned Conrade the Emperor who came into Italy to master the Bishop of Milan that rebelled say Baron and Bin. and many other great things he did § 106. Even in these times there were Councils held 1. One at Lymoges to judge St. Martial to be an Apostle and to agree to excommunicate the souldiers that robbed and plundered and to curse their horses and arms and deny Christian burial to all the Countrys where they prevailed save the Clergy and poor c. Another at Beauvois on the same occasion And another at Tribur unknown for what § 107. This Pope Gregory 6th who was Iohn Gratian the Roman Arch-Presbyter that Werner saith was illiterate and made him a fellow Pope is very variously described Baron and Bin. and some others make him an honest man that ended the Schism Cardinal Benno maketh him Simoniacal that hired them out to get the Papacie Baron and Bin. for this revile him as a malicious lyar They say that Gregory for punishing sacrilegious villains by the sword that cared not for Anathema's was accused by the Romans that now lived by theft and rapine as a Simonist and a murderer Conrade being dead and Henry his Son made Emperor he being in Italy held a Synod at Sutria near Rome where all the four Popes causes were examined And the three former were deposed that is deprived of the revenue which was parted among them and this Gregory 6. say most authors and even Hermannus that wrote in those very times was deposed but saith Baron he honestly resigned And the Roman Clergy being found so bad that none were fit for the place the Emperor chose say most or caused to be chosen saith Bin. the Bishop of Bamberge in Germany called Clement the 2d § 108. The Emperor
setling the Bishop of Bamberge Clem. 2. in the chair returned and took the last Pope Gregory with him to avoid contention and Clement went after with Hildebrand and dyed by the way the 9th month after his Creation Benedict hearing this invadeth the Papacy again the third time even that villain that was first of the four and held it eight months after this so yet we have divers Popes § 109. An. 1067. A Council is held at Rome by Clem. 2. against Simony § 110. Poppo Bishop of Brixia is made Pope by the Emperor and the common suffrage say Bar. and Bin. an 1048. But saith Platina and others it is reported that he made the poyson with which the Citizens poysoned his predecessor Clem. 2. And that he seized on the place by violence without any câ—nsent of Clergy or People it being now the custom for any ambiâ—ious man that could to seize on the Popedom but God saith Plat as a just revenger resisted him for he dyed the twenty third day of his Papacie Yet the Romans had again taken an oath in Clem. 2d's time to choose no Pope without the Emperor's licence For the Romans were become so wicked and factious that they were not to be trusted in such a thing § 111. Upon these horrid villanies and schisms Baron and Bin. again cry out on the Novatores for casting these things in the teeth of the Râ—man Church as impudent men And they say still 1. That it was not the Church that chose these Popes as Benedict 9. but Tyrants obtruded them 2. That yet so great was the power of the Roman Church that even false Popes were obeyed by all the Christian world Ans. 1. When yet they tell us themselves that even the City of Rome was so far from obeying them that they imprisoned deposed killed them And the whole Greek Church excommunicated them since Photius's dayes only the horrid contentions between the Sons and off-spring of Charâ—main and the Germane Princes gave them advantage to Lord it by Anathema's in France Germany and Italy and such nearer parts whilest the contenders would make use of them and they of the contenders And horrid ignorance had invaded the clergy and consequently the Laity and subjected them in darkness to this Ruler that maketh so great use of darkness 2. And if these men uncalled were true Popes why might not the Turk be one or any man that can get the place or Title Why were not all the 4 or 5 or 6 at once true Popes If not Where was the Catholick Church this while if a Pope was a constitutive head or part and what is become of your Succession will any possession jure vel injuriâ serve for a Succession If so Why tell you the Protestants that they want it If not What pretence have you for it I think the Protestants can prove a far better succession § 112. Berengarius rose in these horrid dayes and it is no wonder if such a monster as Pope Benedict and his companions condemned him and set up the monstrous doctrine of Transubstantiation As Tertullian saith it was an honour to â— Christians to be first persecuted by such a one as Nâ—ro so was it to the doctrine of the Sacrament to be condemned by such a one as Benedict 9. and in the time as Baron and Bin. speak of the three-headed monstrous beast § 113. Rome was now so wise as to be conscious a little of their badness and unfitness to choose themselves a Pope and therefore sent to the Emperor Henry to choose them one He chose them Bruno a good Bishop of Tullum who in his way at the Abby of Cluny met with Hildebrand that went from Rome thither who told him that the Emperor being a Lay-man had no power to make or choose a Pope but the Clergy and people but if he would follow his advise he should in a better way attain his end so Hildebrand went with him and perswaded him to put off his purple and to go in a common habit and confess that he is not their Bishop till they choose him and that he taketh not the seat as given by the Emperor but by them whereby he won the Romans hearts and they readily chose him And he being called Leo the 9th after so many monsters went for a very excellent Pope But yet he commanded an army himself against the Normans and proved no good or happy Captain his Army being wholly routed and himself taken Prisoner whom the Normans in reverence released and returned safe Pet. Damianus and others lament his Souldiery as his great sin but Baron and Bin. excuse him and say all the world now alloweth it You see what arguments serve at Rome where it was but lately that the first article that a Roman Council before Otho Mag. brought in against Pope Iohn was that he went sometimes in Arms And to be formerly a Bishop was heretofore an incapacity by the Canons Yet Rome covereth her innovations by pretending antiquity and calling others Novatores § 114. But how militant a defender of the Roman grandure this Leo was may be seen in his Epistles in Bin. p. 1096. c. In the first long one to the Patriarch of Constantinople and another Greek Bishop he reproveth them for bold damning of the Church of Rome and tells them that they were members of Antichrist and forerunners of him that is King over all the Children of pride and saith who can tell how many Antichrists had have been already He tells them how many heretick Bishops they have had at Const. and of above ninety heresies in the East and how by force they raged against the Ioâ—nnites the Nonconformists that followed St. Chrysostome what a heretick their Bishop Eutychius was that said the body at resurrection will be impalpable and more subtil than the wind and air He believed Paul that said it should be a spritual body though not a Spirit And how his Books were burned He reprehendeth their title of Oecumenical Patriarch and saith that no Roman Bishop to that day had ever accepted or used that Title Yet he reciteth the forged grant of Constantine saying that as far as Kings are above Judges so all the world must take the Pope for their Head and that he gave the Palace and all Rome c. to Silvester and said it was unmeet that they should be subject to any earthly Prince that were by God made Governors of Heaven At large he thus pleadeth for the Roman Kingdom of Priests câ—â—ding them that had put down all the Latine Churches and monasteries in the East yet Baron and Bin. tell you all the Church on earth obeyed the Pope In his 4th Epistle he laments that in Africa there was 205. Bishops at a Council now there were scarce five in all and he sheweth that all Bishops were of one order but differenced as the Cities were for primacie by the Civil Laws or the Fathers reverence That where the
Pagans Arch-Flamins were there were instituted Arch-Bishops to be over the Provinces where a Metropolis was Metropolitans or Arch-Bishops were placed and Bishops in lesser Cities where had been Flamins and Counts But in Africa they were diverâ—â—fyed only by the times of their ordination the Bishop of Carthage being the chief In his Epistle 5. he hath a good confession of faith where among other things he well saith That God predestinated only things good but soreknew both good and evil and that Grace so preventeth and followeth man that yet mans free will is not to be denied that the Soul is not part of God but created of nothing He anathematizeth every Heresie and every one that receiveth or venerateth any Scriptures but what are received by the Catholick Church c. In the 6th again he chides the Patriarchs of Constantinople for the title Vniversal saying that Peter himself was never called the Vniversal Apostle nor did any of his Successors take so prodigious a title For he is no friend to the bridegroom that would be loved in his stead but a Bawd of Antichrist c. His 8th Epistle is to the Greek Emperor to flatter him to help him with Henry against the Normans In which to prove the Romans succession he saith The holy Church and Apostolick Seat hath been too long usurped by Mercenaries that were no Pastors that sought their own and not the things of Christ. This Pope and Michael Patriarch of Constantinople were so unreconcilable that they continued mutual condemnations Michael is condemned with his Greeks 1. For rebaptizing the Papists 2. For saying that they had no true Sacrifice or Baptism 3. For holding Priests marriage for rejecting the Filioque c. Bin. p. 1116. § 114. CCCXXIX An. 1049. A Roman Council was fain upon pennance to pardon Simoniacal Bishops and Priests because the Cry was that else almost all the Churches would be destitute and the Church service omitted to the subversion of the Christian Religion and the desperation of all the faithful Where was the holy Church of Rome now and its Succession if the Canons for nullifying Simoniacal ordinations hold good § 115. CCCXXX The Pope resolved to go to France and Preside in a Council which he did at Rhemes But many Nobles and Bishops told the King that it was an usurpation and a Novelty and would enslave his Kingdom The King forbad him yet the Pope came whether the King would or not And the King went away about his military affairs and some Bishops with him and others stayed The Arch-Bishop of Rhemes and others were accused of heinous Crimes The Bishop of Laugres was charged with entring by Simoniacal heresies selling orders bearing Armes Murder Adultery Tyranny to his Clergy and Sodomy Many witnesses testified all this One Clergy-man witnessed that while he was yet a Lay-man this Bishop violently took his Wife from him and when he had committed adultery with her he made her a Nun. A Presbyter witnessed that this Bishop took him and delivered him to his followers who tormenting him by many torments which is more wicked did with sharp nails pierce his generals and by such violence forced him to give them ten pounds of denaries The Bishop hearing these accusations desired time and Council and going to the Arch-Bishops of Besanzon and Lyons openeth his secrets to them and desireth them to plead his cause But the man involved in the guilt of such villanies who but the day before had been the accuser of a faulty Brother and seeing the mote in anothers eye had not seen the beam in his own but moved for the other mans damnation being himself deservedly to be condemned was not only unable to excuse himself from the objected crimes but also the tongue of his advocate the Arch-Bishop was by God so silenced that he was not able to speak a word for his defence For the Arch-Bishop of Besanzon where he prepared himself to plead for him and excuse his crimes suddenly found himself disabled in his voice by God And when the Arch-Bishop of Besanzon found himself so disabled by miracles he gave sings to the Arch-Bishop of Lyons to speak for this his Brother in his stead who rising up said that the accused Bishop doth confess that he sold Orders and that he extorted the money from the said Priest but that he did not do the tormenting actions mentioned by him other things he denyed but before the next day he fled from the Council And another Bishop of Nevers confessed that his Parents bought his Place and deposed himself and some other Bishops confessed Simoniacal entrance The Pope excommunicated many that fled from the Council He renewed some old neglected Canons as 1. That no man be promoted to Church-Government without the ELECTION of the CLERKS and the PEOPLE c. CHAP. 12. The continuation of the history of Councils and their Bishops till the Conucil at Constantinople § 1. CCCXXXI Under Leo 9. an 1049 a Synod at Mentz some accused Bishops were questioned and other little matters done § 2. CCCXXXII In a Council at 1050. Berengarius his Letters to Lanfrancus were read and he condemned in a blind age § 3. CCCXXXIII An. 1050. A Synod at Vercelli condemned Iohannes Scotus and Berengarius and some that defended them § 4. CCCXXXIV An. 1050. A Council at Coyaca contained the King Ferdinandus of Castile and his Queen Bishops and Nobles like our Parliaments and so were many Councils then It is said to be for restoring Christianity so low was it grown in the height of Popery and ignorance having several orders for reformation The 3d Title saith that wine water and the host in the eucharist signifie the Trinity The 5th saith that Priests must so eat at the feasts of the dead as to do some good for their souls c. § 5. CCCXXXV An. 1051. A Roman Council excommunicated Gregory Bishop of Vercelli for Adultery with a widow espowsed to his Uncle and for perjuries But he was after restored to his office on promise of satisfaction Also all the whores of Priests were decreed to be made servants at Laterane Pet. Damian et Bin. p. 1124. § 6. CCCXXXVI In another Roman Synod the Pope Canonized a Bishop Gerhard and decided a quarrel between two Bishops for extent of their Diocesses § 7. Victâ—r the 2d is next Pope an 1055. Leo Hostiensis saith that no man at Rome was found worthy Plat. saith that they feared offending the Emperor However the Romans sent to the Emperor to choose one for them and some say desired this might be the man § 8. CCCXXXVII Platina saith that in a Council at Florence he deposed many Bishops for Simony and Fornication § 9. CCCXXXVIII In a Council at Lyons Baronius after others saith a miracle was done viz. saith he The heresie of Simonie having seized on all Italy and Burgundie the Pope sent Hildebrand a sub-Deacon to call a Council where an Arch-Bishop accused of Simony bribed all
Church of Rome and for hindering his Legates from gathering a Council and refusing to come to Rome to answer it Epist. 32. He calls the King of France a ravening Wolf and unjust Tyrant Many great persons he forced to separate after Marriage because they were in the fourth degree of Consanguinity Epist. 51. He tells the King of Denmark that not far from Rome there was a Province possest by vile and sluggish Hereticks and desireth him to send his Son with an Army to conquer them What Province he meaneth I am not certain unless it was the Waldenses § 44. Reader we are greatly beholden to Binnius who hath recorded as Oracles 27 sentences called THE POPES DICTATES by which you may partly know what Popery is 1. That the Roman Church was founded only by our Lord. 2. That only the Bishop of Rome is rightly called Universal 3. That only the Pope can depose Bishops and reconcile them 4. That his Legates must preside in Councils though they be of inferior degree before all Bishops and may pass on them the sentence of deposition 5. That the Pope may depose those that are absent 6. That with those that are excommunicated by him among other things we may not dwell in the same house 7. That to him only it is lawful to make new Laws for the necessity of the time and to congregate new people of Canonical to make an Abbaty and contrarily to divide a rich Bishoprick and unite poor ones 8. That only he may use Imperial Ensigns or Escucheons 9. That all Princes must kiss the feet of the Pope only 10. That only his name may be recited in the Churches 11. That it is the one only name in the World 12. That it is lawful for him to depose Emperors 13. That it is lawful for him in case of necessity to remove Bishops from seat to seat 14. That he may ordain a Clerk from any Church whither he will 15. That one ordained by him may govern another Church and must not take a superior degree from another Bishop 16. That no Synod without his command may be called Universal 17. That no Chapter nor no Book may be accounted Canonical without his authority 18. That his sentence may be retracted by none and he alone may retract all mens 19. That he ought to be judged of no man 20. That no man must dare to condemn any one that appealeth to the Apostolick Seat 21. That the Greater causes of all Churches must be referred to him 22. That the Roman Church never erred nor as the Scripture witnesseth will ever err 23. That the Bishop of Rome if he be Canonically ordained is undoubtedly made Holy by the merits of St. Peter as St. Ennodius Bishop of Papia witnesseth and many holy Fathers confess as is contained in the Decrees of Pope Symmachus 24. That it is lawful for subjects to accuse by his Command and licence 25. That he may depose and reconcile Bishops without Synodal meetings 26. That he is not to be accounted a Catholick who agreeth not with the Roman Church 27. That he may absolve the Subjects of unjust men from fidelity These are put by Bin. among Gregory's Epistles p. 1196. as the Popes Dictates If I had not translated them from such an unquestioned Author that followeth Baronius some would have thought they had been but the forgeries of some Protestant accuser and that the Popes have no such tenents What one is here that is not false and how many of them are horridly arrogant The reading of them would tempt a doubting man to think that the Pope is the Eldest Son of the Prince of Pride exalting himself above all that is called God and arrogating Christ's prerogatives and therefore Antichrist If any would know what Popery is A great part of the description is here given you by their greatest Pope himself and by their chief Historians § 45. Much of his 4th Book of Epistles is to require Princes Prelates and People to forsake the Emperor and choose another and to excommunicate all that will communicate with him yet in his 11th Epist. he reciteth himself how lamentably with tears three dayes in the frost barefoot he begged for pardon and how the compassionate People thought the Pope hard-hearted and tyrannical for not yielding and that at last two Ladyes and an Abbot overcame him to absolve him § 46. Lib. 4. Epist. 28. He tells the Spaniards also that their Kingdom was St. Peter's property But why did he trouble himself to lay claim to particular Kingdoms Would not his claim to all the world serve turn for the particulars Lib. 5. Epist. 4. He clameth the Isle of Corsica § 47. That it may appear that the presumptuous usurpations of the Pope were not consented to by many Bishops he oft complaineth that many Bishops of France Italy and Germany were against him He abundantly chideth and threatneth several particular Bishops for resisting and disobeying him Lib. 6. Epist. 4. he writeth thus to the Bishop of Liege Having read the Letters of your Brotherhood we did not a little wonder that you wrote that which became you not in reverence of the Apostolick seat but that you did with biting invective reprehend me for absolving your Parishioner that lately came to us as if the Apostolick seat had not authority to bind and absolve whomsoever we will and wheresoever we will Know therefore that we are greatly moved against your temerity Indeed one of the tricks of the Papal ambition was to be the Asylum of all wicked fugitives that fled from Church justice in all Countries near them to shew favour to all condemned sinners that would but fly to Rome and appeal to them from the Justice of their Pastors yea and of their Princes too which made their friends to be rather many than good § 48. And the Church of Rome was not yet rich enough with all the Principalities it had got They still kept on the trade of enriching the Pope to save their souls Binnius p. 1233. honoureth us with a record among Gregory 7th Epistles viz. In the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the 6th year of the Pontificate of Gregory 7th I Marro Son of Gisler dwelling in the Dukedom of Spoletane for the Redemption of my own and my Parents souls do give deliver and offer to St. Peter Prince of the Apostles and on his Altar all that belongeth to me of the Castle called Moricicla c. Did Christ think how easily Rich men might be saved by giving to the Pope in the name of St. Peter when he said It was harder for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven than for a Camel to go through a Needle 's Eye § 49. Lib. 7. Epist. 3. He saith They that are Latines do all of them except a very few praise the cause of Henry and defend it and charge me with too much obstinacy and impiety against him And if the Latines did so what did the
Germans French c You see here that it was far from all the world that was subject to the Pope and took his part in his usurpations Epist. 4. He commandeth a General no more to fight against the King of Dalmatia as belonging to St. Peter § 50. Yet this Pope doth teach them the truth against deceitful pennance or repentance Lib. 7. Epist. 10. viz. We say that it is a fruitless pennance when men remain in the same fault or in the like or in a worse or in one little less He therefore that will worthily repent must have recourse to the Original of his Faith and be solicitous watchfully to keep that which in his Baptism he promised viz. to renounce the Devil and his pomps and to believe in God that is thinking rightly of him to obey his Commands § 51. Epist. 11. He tells the Duke of Bohemia that it is customarily and doubtfully that he saluteth him with Apostolical Benediction Because he communicated with the excommunicate And he denieth his request of using or translating the Divine Service or Offices into the Sclavonian tongue because there were many mysteries in it Thus come up the Prohibition to the peoplee to pray understandingly Epist. 14. He absolveth the Bishop of Liege from an Oath because he took it by force And commandeth him to rise up against the imposer with all his power he being St. Peter's enemy Epist. 21. He tells the King of Denmark of an ill custom among them that whatever ill weather or calamity befell them they imputed all to the ill lives of Priests Epist. 23. He tells our King William the Conqueror that seeing he was on his side and is charged by some with all his bloodshed that now he must be very obedient to him as his Pastor and Peter's Successor And Epist. 25. He tells them that the Papal or Apostolick power is greater than the Kingly and must rule it as the Sun is greater than the Moon Lib. 8. Epist. 1. He laments the Corruption of the Church in Armenia 1. Because they mixed not Water with Wine in the Sacrament when all men know that Blood and Water came from the side of Christ. 2. Because they made not their Chrysm of Balsom but of Butter 3. Because they honoured the memory of Dioscorus O what Heresies Pag. 1254. in Bin. There is an Oath that Robert Duke of Apulia Calabria and Sicily to be true to the Pope and defend him as holding all these from him and there is the Popes grant of them to him laying claim also to his other dominions the denyal of which he patiently beareth at the present § 52. But lest you think that at least the Kingdom of Spain was fast all this while to the Church of Rome Lib. 8. Epist. 2. He writeth thus himself By the Letters of my Legate Richard Abbot of Marseilles you may know how great impiety is gone out of your Monastery of Cluny by the presumption of Robert a Monk who imitating Simon Magus feareth not to rise up against the Authority of St. Peter with all the craft of his malignity and to reduce by his suggestion into their old error an hundred thousand men who by our diligence began to return to the right way But he hopes that the Abbot thinks as he for the honour of the Roman Church He chargeth the Abbot to cast out this man that had so endangred Spain adding And by your Letters diligently acquaint the King who is deceived by his fraud that he hath greatly provoked St. Peter's wrath and indignation against him and his grievous Revenge against him and his Kingdom unless he repent because he undecently handled a Legate of the Roman Church and believed falshood rather than truth Of which that he may worthily make satisfaction to God and St. Peter as he hath disgraced our Legate so let him by due humility and condign Reverence make himself commendable and devout For we think meet to signifie to him by you that we will excommunicate him if he correct not his fault and will solicite all the faithful in the parts of Spain to his confusion And if they be not obedient to my command I will not think much to travel into Spain my self and there to endeavour dura et aspera Things hard and sharp against him as an enemy of the Christian Religion O brave Pope had not these men a notable Knack or hap that could sit and talk down Emperors and Kings and subdue and dispose of Kingdoms by sitting at home and talking big and telling them that St. Peter was angry with them And who was this King but the great Alâ—onsus to whom he writeth himself Epist. 3. to put away his evil counsellors and hearken in all things to the Popes Legate Richard § 53. Epist. 6. l. 8. He commandeth Souldiers to help Michael the Emperor of Constant against the Usurper to make himself judge and get an interest again in the Empire But in vain § 54. Epist. 7. He declareth that divers Princes having sworn and promised him help he resolved to come with an Army to recover Ravenna to the Church Epist. 8. He rejoyceth that they had newly found St. Matthew's body and bids them now take him joyfully for their patron These are the grounds of Popish superstition The body of St. Matthew that preached to the Abassines in another part of the world is found at Salerno in Italy a thousand years after he is dead O that one knew how to be sure that it was his body and how it came thither Divers such findings they glory in § 55. Epist. 10. He writeth to Orzoceus Prince of Calaris or Sardinia to require him as a note of his obedience to St. Peter and concord with the Church of Rome whose use it is to let his Arch-Bishop shave his Beard and to command all the Clergy of his dominion to shave their Beards and if they obey not to force them to it or exclude them And to be sure of success he lets him know how truly I know not that many Princes importuned him to give them leave to invade his Countrey but this righteous ruling Pope denied leave to them all till he had tryed whether he would obey him which if he would do he would not only deny them leave to invade him but also protect him Reader think here 1. Whether Princes held not their kingdoms loosely when they where to lose them if they obeyed not the Pope in so small a thing as the shaving of a Priests Beard 2. Whether it were not a hard thing for the Catholick Church then to have concord when so small a difference as the shaving or not shaving of Beards were put into their terms of Union and Peace Who were the Schismaticks then was it not the makers and imposers of such laws and terms 3. Is it not a high power that is claimmed by Popes when no Priest in all the Christian world may have
so much as his Beard in his own power in which nature hath given him a propriety How much more might the Pope then command all mens purses 4. May way we not see here on what weighty reasons these men condemn God's word of insufficiency and plead for traditions and a necessity of their additional Laws When Scripture hath left out the shaving of mens Beards and we had never had such a Law if such power as the Papal had not made it O what discord and disorder would there be in the Church if we had not so necessary a government and what confusion would toleration introduce if mens Beards were left at liberty But if Paul called the heathen Phylosophy Vain and Science falsly so named 1 Tim. 6. 20. as befooling the world with pedantick trifling and calling them off from their great concernes may we not say then that this is vain Government and Order falsly so named which thus calleth the Church from its primitive purity simplicity and unity when Christians were known by loving one another to these childish games that the Prelates and Priests of the Catholick Church must be known by their being without Beards One would suspect this had its original from Pope Ioane if there were indeed such a person and that it is a Symbol of the Churches sex as it is called Our Mother or at least that Marozia or Theodora instituted it 5. And do you know which were the more inexcusable for silencing and persecuting the preachers of the Gospel The Iews that did it because they thought it took down Gods Law and would bring the Roman Power on them Or the Roman heathens that thought the Gospel destroyed the worship of their forefathers Gods or the Roman Papists that silenced and persecuted men for wearing Beards 1 Thes. 2. 16. § 56. Epist. 11. When some French Preachers had revived Religion in Sweden the Pope desirous to reap where they had sowed sends to the King of Sweden to tell him his joy and that what the French taught them they recieved from Rome and to desire him to send one of his Bishops to Rome to acquaint him with their customs and to receive his Laws and Mandates You see by what means Rome was raised Epist. 15. A Bishop gave up his Bishoprick The Pope chides him and commands him to a Monastery Rather than do so he returneth to his seat again The Pope chargeth him with the Idololatriae scelus the Crime of Idolatry for not obeying him and writes to them not to recieve him or be ruled by him as ever they loved the Grace of God and St. Peter The like he doth Epist. 16. by the disobedient Bishop of Narbon and Epist. 17. by the disobedient Arch Bishop of Rhemes and Epist. 18. 19 20. of the same and all this in St. Peter's name Yea Epist. 20. he requireth the King of France Philip to joyn against the Arch-bishop of Rhemes as excommunicate as ever he would have St. Peter's Grace because his Kingdom and his Soul were in St. Peter's power And it is no wonder that they that believe that the Pope is St. Peter's Vicar and Secretary and that their souls are in his power will give him all their Lands or Kingdoms to save their souls § 57. When the Pope sentenced the Emperor Henry to be excommunicate and deposed and was charged to have done this without authority he wrote his 21 Epist. l. 8. to the Bishop of Metz to prove that he had power to do it and to absolve his Subjects from their Oaths of fidelity saying that the Scriptures were full of certain documents to prove it And his certain documents are Tibi dabo Claves c. and Feed my Sheep And Kings are not excepted They are St. Peter ' s Sheep Bin. p. 1262. he saith that the Head of Priests is at the right hand of God but who knoweth not that Kings and Dukes had their beginning from them that knew not God and affected by blind lust and intolerable presumption to domineer over others the Devil the Prince of the world acting them in Pride Rapines Perfidiousness Murders and all wickedness who while they would have the Priests of the LORD to stoop to their footsteps are rightlyest compared to him who is head of all the Sons of pride who said even to Christ All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Who doubteth but that the Priests of Christ are the Fathers and Masters of Kings and Princes and of all the faithful And is it not notorious miserable madness for a Scholar to endeavour to subjugate his Master and a Son his Father and by wrongful obligations to subject him to his power by whom he believeth that he may be bound or loosed both in Earth and Heaven Did not Pope Innocent excommunicate Arcadius the Emperor and Pope Zachary depose from his Kingdom the King of France not so much for his iniquities as because he was not meet for so great power placed Pepin in his stead and absolved all the French from the Oath of fidelity Ambrose sheweth that Gold is not so much more pretious than Lead as the Priestly Dignity is higher than the Kingly Power Pag. 1263. Yea even the exorcists have power over Devils How much more over those that are Subject to the Devils and are his members And if the exorcist excel so much how much more the Priests And every King when he cometh to his end doth humbly and pitifully beg the Priests help that he may scape the prison of Hell and Darkness and at the judgment of God be found absolved But is there either Priest or Lay-man that when he is dying begs help of the King for the saving of his soul What King or Emperor can by his Office take a soul by baptism from the power of the Devil and number him with the Sons of God and fortifie him with holy Chrism And which is the greatest thing in the Christian Religion can with his own mouth make Christs body and blood Or which of them can bind and loose in Heaven and earth By all which it may be plainly gathered by how great power the sacerdot al dignity excelleth Which of them can ordain one Clerk in the holy Church How much less can they depose him for any fault For in orders exclesiastical to depose is an act of greater power than to ordain For Bishops may ordain Bishops but in no wise depose them without the authority of the Apostolick seat Who then that hath any knowledg can doubt but that Priests are preferred before Kings In a word we must know that all good Christians are more fitly Kings than evil Princes For these by seeking the Glory of God do strenuously rule themselves But the other seeking their own and being enemies to themselves do tyrannically oppress others These good Christians are the body of Christ. The other bad Princes are the body of the Devil These so rule themselves as that they shall
had so few that understood the original language or else they would have so tost and torn and sensed and nonsensed the Scripture that they would have made it quite another thing § 171. CCCCXIX Yet we have not done with Heresies A Council at Rhemes called by the banished Pope tryed a mad man an illiterate Rustick called Eum one unworthy to be called an Heretick saith Otto Frising who said he was the Son of God c. whom they sent to Prison where he dyed In the same Council Gib Porretane Bishop of Poictiers is again called where their Subtilties were disputed over again and Bernard Abbot Clareval being his chief Adversary upon Porretane ' s exception to some of his words saying Scribantur went and drew up some Articles of Faith seeming contrary to Porretanes and got many Bishops to subscribe them The Roman Cardinals took this heinously and came all together to the Pope and told him That it was they that of a private Man made him Pope and that he must know that it was they that were the Cardines on which the Axis of the whole Church did turn and that he must not now be his own but theirs and not prefer private and new Friends before his old common ones And that his Abbot Bernard with the Gallicane Bishops had audaciously presumed to lift up their Necks against the primacy and top of the Roman Seat which only doth shut and no man opens and opens and no man shuts which only may discuss matters of Faith And even when absent may not receive prejudice of this honour from any But behold these French-men contemning our faces or presence have presumed to write their Belief without consulting us as if they would pass a definitive Sentence on the matters that have been handled before us which had it been done at Antioch or Alexandria had been void How then durst these usurp in our presence We will therefore that you presently rise up against thus temerarious Novity and delay not to punish their Contumacy And so they had like to have run into a Schism But the Pope and Bernard spake them fair and Bernard said They wrote not as Determiners but to give account of their own Faith when provoked and so pacified the Cardinals But this Tumult hindered the deciding of the Case But saith Otto whether Bernard was decived by humane infirmity or Porretane escaped by hiding any thing by his great learning I must not determine § 172. CCCCXX Another Council An. 1150. the banished Pope held at Trevers where Bernard told him of the Revelations of a Woman Abbess called Hildegardis The Pope sent some to her she returns him a writing of her Revelations which he read admired and by Bernard's persuasion honored her with a Letter But what they were is not mentioned § 173. Conradus called Anastasius the 4th is next Pope and dyeth after a year four months and 24 days The glory of his time is said to be Ricardus de Sancto Victore a famous Writer specially de Trinitate and Gratian Lombard and Comestor § 174. Hadrian the 4th an English man is next Pope The Romans by request and threats importune him to permit their Consuls to govern them as heretofore He resolutely denieth them They wound one of his Cardinals He Excommunicateth and Curseth them Quaere Whether Rome was the Catholick Church when it was Excommunicate They had before desired him to come to the Lateran which he refused till they should turn out one Arnoldus Brixianus called by him a Heretick and Disciple of Abailard The People saith Platina took this ill and so hurt the said Cardinal I doubt the Romans themselves were for Hereticks The Pope curseth William of Sicily for invading the Church-lands The Greek Emperor offereth to help the Pope and to give him much Gold also if he shall but have three Maritime Cities in Apulia where he hath won them This afrighteth William to offer the Pope all again if he may but he called King of Sicily The Pope denieth it William angry over-runneth Italy The Pope repenting granteth him his desire The new Emperor Frederick also coming with an Army into Italy took some Cities belonging to the Church and gave them up to the Pope But when he came into the City to be crowned the Citizens enraged at the Pope for denying them their Civil Government shut the Gates the Emperor's Army being without and fell on many of the Pope's Followers and the Germans beat some and killed many The Emperor hereby provoked got in his Army and killed many of the Citizens and had done more but that the Pope dissuaded him Yet was the Pope and he fain to go round about to the Lateran to avoid another Battel Platina mentioneth the Pope's Cursing William of Sicily and absolving his Subjects from their Oaths that they might Rebel but saith nothing of the Emperor's after-quarrel with the Pope occasioned by a Letter of the Pope's rebuking him for not helping the Bishop of London saith Binnius and refusing an offered Bishop of Ravenna The Pope's Epistles against the Emperor c. Binnius leaveth out At last the Romans again rising against him he goeth to Anagria and dyeth § 175. An. 1160. Roland is made Pope called Alexander the 3d and Octavian called Victor the 4th is made Pope by others and sate four years and seven months This is saith Onuphrius the 27th Schism or double Papacy Three more succeeded Clement to keep up the duplicate before Alexander dyed of whom one Reigned five years and another seven Alexander addresseth himself to the Emperor Frederick to heal the Schism who therefore bids both the Popes come to him that he may hear the Case But Alexander himself refuseth and gets away The Emperor sendeth two Bishops to him to summon him to a Council Alexander refuseth to appear The Bishops go to Octavian Victor and the Emperor calleth a Council and this Council with the Emperor make Octavian the confirmed Pope Quer. Whether this was not as good Authority as Alexander's greater number of the Cardinals Hereupon Alexander curseth the Pope Victor and the Emperor and sendeth Letters to Christian Princes to tell them that he did it justly Wonderful that Empires and Kingdoms could be then disposed of by Cursing The Emperor seizeth on many of the Church-Cities Alexander returneth to Rome but findeth so many against him that he durst not stay there but flieth into France invited by King Philip and there again at a Council curseth the Emperor The Emperor Frederick destroyeth Milan and translateth thence to Colen the supposed Bodies of the Magi or three wise men that came to Bethlehem Is it not strange what brought them to Milan and how they came all to dye there together and how all their Bodies came to be known O the wisdom of Rome The rest of the Italian Cities and States raise an Army against him he sendeth to the King of France to end the Schism by bringing Pope Alexander with him to
the Context and Explication All these are mentioned as taken out of Wickliff but Huss is condemned for these following Articles § 13. 1. That there is one holy Vniversal Church of all the Predestinate 2. That Paul was never a Member of the Devil 3. That Reprobates are not parts of the Church for no part of it finally falleth away Predestinating Love never forsaking him 4. Two Natures the Divinity and Humanity are one Christ. 5. The same as afore 6. Taking the Church for the Predestinate it is an Article of Faith 7. Peter was not nor is the Head of the Catholick Church 8. Priests of wicked lives polute the Priestly power 9. The Papal dignity arose from the Emperour and the Popes prefecture and institution flowed from Caesars power Divers of Popes and Priests that live wickedly are not the Apostles Successors Delivering men to Secular powers because excommunicate is to imitate the Scribes and Pharisees above Christ. Ecclesiastical obedience is obedience after the Priests invention without any express authority of Scripture All humane Acts are distinguished into virtuous and vicious A Priest of Christ living after his Law and understanding the Scripture and desirous to Edifie the people ought not to obey the Pope or any Prelate that forbids him to preach and excommunicateth him Every one made a Priest hath a command to preach and must obey it notwithstanding excommunication By Church Censures of excommunication suspension and interdict the Clergy keeps the Laity under their feet for their own exaltation and multiply avarice protect malice and prepare the way to Antichrist It is an evident sign that such Censure proceed from Antichrist in which the Clergy principally proceed against those that open the nakedness of Antichrists wickedness which the Clergy will for themselves usurp If the Popes be wicked men and reprobates then as Judas an Apostle was a thief and traitor and son of perdition so they are no heads of the Church when they are no members The grace of predestination is the bond of the Churches union with the head A wicked and reprobate Pope and Prelate is equivocally a Pastor and truly a thief and robber The Pope should not be called most holy Right election makes not him that cometh not in by Christ to have right Wickliffs 40 Articles were unjustly condemned There is no spark of appearance that there must be one head in spirituals to rule the whâ—lâ—e Church that must alwayes converse with it and be conserved Christ Ruled his Church better throughout the world by his true Disciples dispersed than it is by such moâ—strous heads The Apostles and faithful Priests of the Lord did strenuously regulate the Church in things necessary to salvation before the Office of a Pope was introduced and so would do were there no Pope to the end of the world There is no Civil Lord no Prelate no Bishop while in mortal sin Of which oft before These Articles are mentioned which they say were proved against him It is to be noted that Huss called God to witness that he never preached nor owned many of these Articles which false witnesses brought in against him and yet renounceth nothing that he held And whether he or his accusers better knew his mind and faith its easie to conjecture They condemned Huss to be burnt and condemned another Article that any Subject may kill a Tyrant that is an Usurper by any secret or open means Then they made an Order against Robbers of such as came to the Council and went back § 14. Sess. 16. Deputies are appointed to go to Arragon to the third remaining Pope Bend. 13. to resign and other matters The Sess. 17. was an honourable dimission of the Emperour The Sess. 18. about the Councils Bulls c. The 19. Sess. was against Hierome of Prague where they recite a long Recantation which they say he made and from which they said he afterward revolted Also the Council decreed that they might proceed against Hereticks notwithstanding the safe conducts and promises of the Emperour Kings or Princes by what Bond soever they tyed themselves therein though the Hereticks had not appeared but trusting herein And that the said Emperour Kings c. having done what in them lieth are no way obliged by their promises The 20. Sess. Decreed a monitory against the Duke of Austria on behalf of the Bishop of Trent about estate The rest was about the Ejection of Pope Benedict the 13th They swore to certain Capitula about it § 15. Hierome of Prague having recanted through fear repented and openly professed that he dissembled and stood to his former doctrine and was condemned § 16. Many following Sessions are against Pet. Luna or Bened. the 13th and treating with the Arragonians about him He refused to resign being lest sole Pope I think chosen by more Cardinals than the rest in the 37 Sess. they pass Sentence against him § 17. Sess. 39. It is decreed that there should be henceforth General Councils celebrated One five years after this another seven years after that and thence forward every ten years one Or if there fall out another Schism then within a year none of the contending Popes being presidents with much more about the Councils Next they frame a Profession which every Elected Pope must make viz. That he firmly believeth and holdeth the holy Catholick Faith according to the Traditions of the Apostles of General Councils and other holy Fathers especially the eight holy General Councils viz. Nice Const. 2. Eph. 3. Calced 4. Constant. 5. and 6. Nic. 7. Constant. 8. As also the Laterane Lugdune and Vien and to hold that faith unchanged in every title and to confirm even to life and blood defend it and predicate it and every way to prosecute and observe the rite of Ecclesiastical Sacraments delivered the Catholick Church Sess. 40. There are eighteen heads of reformation named And the form of Electing Popes decreed Sess. 41. An Oath for the Electors Otho Columna Cardinal is made Pope Wickliffes errors again repeated and Husses some Constitutions of Frederic 2. Confirmed and the Council dissolved § 18. Platina tells us that Pope Iohn was deposed only by those that had adhered to him before the other parties came He was kept Prisoner three years none but Germanes whom he understood not attending him Gregory died of grief that Carolus Malatesta had too hastily published his resignation which he hoped to frustrate by delay Benedict refusing to resign the Arragonians and Spaniards forsook him as obstinate The Scot stuck last to him Platina saith Huss and Hierome were burnt for saying that Church men should imitate Christ in poverty when their wealth and luxury was the common Scandal There was great joy at the choice of Martin 5. but Rome and Italy were still in Wars and confusion § 19. Gregory was preferred till he died and this P. Iohn so odiously described by the Council is yet after some years imprisonment made Cardinal Bishop
contrite Confessor have been certainly pardoned without such formalities § 28. In divers following Sessions they prosecute Pope Eugenius and declare the Council at Ferrary to be but a Schismatical Conventicle and they establish these Catholick Verities or Articles of Faith Sess. 33. 1. That a General Council representeth the whole Church and hath its power immediately from Christ and that over the Pope and every other person and that this is a truth of Catholick Faith 2. That such a Council lawfully congregate may not without their own consent be dissolved prorogued or transferred and that this is an Article of Catholick Faith 3. That a pertinacious repugner of these Verities is to be judged a Heretick § 29. Sess. 34. They depose Pope Eugenius as a sentenced notorious obstinate persisting Rebel against the Precepts of the Vniversal Church and a daily violater and contemner of the Canons a notorious perturber of the Peace and Vnity of the Church of God and a notorious scandalizer of the whole Church a notorious Simonist incorrigible perjured person devious from the Faith a pertinacious Heretick with much more sucb § 30. Here I would crave the Readers consideration 1. If this extraordinary Great Council erred in all these matters of fact whether the judgment of a Council be a good proof of the Papists sort of Tradition 2. If they erred in these Articles of Faith whether it weaken not both their Tradition and grounds of their faith and whether such an heretical perjured Popes consent would have made them Infallible 3. Whether their General Councils be not contradictory de â—ide as this and that at Florence and Lateran expresly are 4. Whether a great part of the Church of Rome and their last named Councils be not Hereticks in the judgment of this Council 5. Seeing Pope Eugenius continued when the Council had deposed him as a Simonist and perjured pertinacious Heretick and all their following succession is from him is there not a nulliâ—y in that succession § 31. Sess. 36. They decreed the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary as a point of Faith and yet many of their Doctors take it yet as undetermined and many still are of the contrary mind § 32. After this follow Decrees about Election of a Pope and they make the Duke of Savoy Pope Faelix 5. and so we have two Popes again Onuphrius calls this the thirtieth Schisme He continued Pope above nine years and then resigned to Eugenius for Peace Sess. last They recite the Heresies of Pope Eugenius as against the foresaid Verities § 33. Next is added the Bull of Pope Nicholas the 5. approving the Acts and deeds of the Council at Basil And then are divers Synodical Epistles and Answers specially proving Councils above the Pope and against his Crimes and of the justness of his deposition very large as also against his Conventicle Council and against his Adherents that is most of their Church since with Answers to his Invectives and Monitories to draw men from his obedience In the Appendix are many more Epistles and Orations and a Treatise of the Patriarch of Antioch to prove the Pope above Councils There are many Epistles of the Pope against the Council and of the Emperour to the Council and of many other Princes § 34. The Bohemians Epistles place their main cause upon the four forementioned Articles I. The Sacrament in both kinds II. That the Word of God may be freely publickly and truly preached by those that it belongeth to for they were silenced c. III. That Civil Dominion they mean not all Propriety but Power of the Sword or force over mens Estates and persons which is the Magistrates as a deadly poyson be taken from the Clergy they spake from feeling IV. That publick and great or heynous sins may be extirpated from among the vulgar of the faithful by lawful Powers This was the Religion of the Bohemians and the denying of these was the cause of all their cruel Persecutions and the blood there shed § 35. In confutation of these Demands are adjoyned four Treatises of the four Preachers that spake against them What Cause so great or plain that men cannot talk against with many and confident words I. Ioh. Ragusius acknowledged the regulating sufficiency of the Scripture hath hath an Oration a Treatise against the Sacrament in both kinds II. Aegidius Carberius Decanus Cameracensis hath a Treatise four days Oration against their request for correcting heynous publick sins where much learning and reading is poured out to save sin And in particular it is maintained that the Clergy may not be punished by the Laity some few cases excepted not being therein their Subjects It seems the Bohemians would have had wicked Priests punished And it is specially pleaded that no wickedness of Clergy or Laity will warrant any Nation to separate from their Unity that is Roman Government and to that end the badness of the Church Militant to be endured is described When he cometh to the Popes pardons he denieth that Pardons à culpâ poena are usually the Popes stile whereas I have before cited their express words so speaking often And he honestly maintaineth out of the School-men that God only can give pardon à culpâ save as any Priest as instrumentum animatum may vi clavium dispose the receiver and declare Gods pardon and remit part of the temporal punishment but sometimes the Pope remitteth part of the Church-penances and so it is that Priests are said to forgive sins Mark this against our present Papists that reproach the Protestants for this Doctrine III. Next is Henr. Kalteisen a Dominican Inquisitors Oration against the free preaching of Gods Word by Ministers for this would have undone the Pope and his Clergy The Bohemians whom he confuteth maintained 1. That Gods Word is so perfect that nothing should be added or diminished 2. That the wickedness of Priests is the great cause of the peoples ruine 3. Against Venial sin as against Gods Counsels differing from Laws 4. That every Priest and Deacon is bound to preach Gods Word freely or else sins mortally and after Ordination he should not cease that is when he was forbidden by silencing Bishops or others no not when excommunicated because he must obey God rather than man and that Bishops are bound to preach as well as Presbyters The Answer first noteth that Papa non est nomen Ordinis sed Iurisdictionis that Gods Word is Incarnate inspired written that it is expounded by the same Spirit that inspired it But hath the Pope the same gifts of that Spirit That the Inspired Word is publick or private that the Bishops Decrees in Councils are Gods publick inspired Word see here the Enthusiastical pretence of Episcopal Inspiration is the ground of all the Roman Usurpations and tyrannies and deposition of Princes to them he applieth He that heareth you heareth me whence he gathereth the danger of disobeying that Council and so
the Popes Heresie The rest is worth the reading but too long for me to repeat Much of it is to shew that Reading and Massing is more needful than Preaching and that every Priest that Masseth is not bound to Preach there needeth many Mass-Priests and not so many Preachers and that silenced excommunicated Priests are bound to cease preaching and obey the Prelates But he had the wit to add if silenced for a reasonable cause and to confess that Sententia injuste lata à suo judice si errorem inducat vel poceatum mortale afferet nec timenda est nec tenenda Pag. 364. He denieth that it is any Precept of Christ 1. To receive the Cup 2. Or that Priests Preach 3. Orto abolish all mortal sin 4. Or for the Clergy not to be Civil Governours c. IV. Ioh. de Poleâ—nar Archdiacon Barcinon hath a Treatise of three days speech for the Civil Power of the Clergy in which he mis-spendeth much time in disputing for their Propriety when as the Bohemians took Dominion for Empire or civil forcing power of Government and for inordinate possessions of Lordships and great wealth § 36. The Papists confess that this Council was Vniversal and rightly called and confirmed but they pretend that it was partly reprobate by the Popes removal of the Council and that Pope Nicholas 5. approved it but in part It began 1431. and continued above eleven years § 37. CCCCLXXIII An. â—438 A Council at Bridges concurred with this at Basil making the Pragmatical Sanction decreeing that a General Council be called every ten years and confirming the Council at Basil. § 38. CCCCLXXIV Next cometh the Anti-Council at Ferrary and Florence where the attempt for Union with the distressed Greeks was made all the passages whereof are so fully opened in the Greeks History published by Dr. Creighton that I shall say no more of it Here note that there were two General Councils at once and how could they both or either of them be truly Universal The Papists call it the sixteenth § 39. After many Wars Eugenius the deposed Pope died An. 1447. having made twenty seven Cardinals against the Council of Basils Decrees from whom is their succession and Nicholas the 5. succeeded him Italy still continued in bloody Wars Pope Faelix at last resigned and so there was once more but one Pope And that you may see still how far the Pope was from governing all the World the City of Rome was again seeking to recover their Liberties and had a Plot against him one Steph. Hircanius being the Chief and the Pope secured himself by hanging many of them § 40 The Emperour of Constantinople and those Bishops that pretended a Union with Rome in hope of help found the people and Clergy there utterly averse to come under the Pope and they had no help from him nor any of their desired successes for now the Turks took the City and killed the Emperour and many thousands more and 1455. the Pope died § 41. CCCCLXXV A Council at Tours about Church Orders decreed praying oft for the dead forbad Clandestine Marriages and Massing in unconsecrated places c. § 42. CCCCLXXVI A Synod at Lyons to end the Schisms between the two Popes done by the Emperour Frederick who desired King Charles concurrence § 43. An 1455 Calixtus the 3. is made Pope he raiseth a Sea Army against the Turks the Patriarch of Aquilâ—ia being Captain Rome was still in War He claimed the Kingdome of Naples to the Church for want of Heirs an Anti-Pope was also made called Clement 8. but being perswaded to resign he accepted a Bishoprick Many Cities in Italy ruined by Earthquakes whose ruines Platina saith he saw with admiration He made a new Holy-day for Christs Transfiguration § 44. Next cometh Aeneas Sylvius called Pius 2. one of the most learned of all the Popes especially an Orator He was against the Pope for the superiority of Councils at Basil but when he was made Pope he recanted it In his Epistle to his Father he excuseth himself for having a Bastard and for fornication particularly with an English Woman that lodged in the same house with him telling him that he was not an Eunuch and remembering his Father what a Cock of the Game he had been himself but among the Popes he was a wonder of worthiness He was vehement for a War with the Turks but could not so far quench the flames of War at his own doors in Italy and other Christian Countries as to accomplish it Platina recordeth many of his Sentences among which are Every Sect established by Authority is void of humane reason If the Christian Religion had not been approved by Miracles it should have been received for its honesty The Mortals measures of Heaven and Earth are more bold than true Astronomy is more pleasant than profitable The Friends of God are happy here and hereafter There is no solid joy without virtue They that know most doubt most Artificial Orations move fools not wise men As all Rivers flow into the Sea so all Vices into great mens Courts Flatterers rule Kings as they list Princes hear none so readily as accusers The tongue of a flatterer is the worst plague to a King He that ruleth many is ruled by many He is unworthy the name of a King who measureth the publick affairs by his own commodity c. Ill Physitians kill bodies and unskilful Priests souls Virtues enrich the Clergy Vice impoverisheth them Marriage was for great reasons forbidden Priests and for greater is to be restored to them He that too much pardoneth his Son cherisheth his Enemy The covetous never please men but by dying Lying is a servile vice c. You may see his Râ—cantation in Binius where his Dignity raised him so high as to say That the Greek and Latin Doctors with one voice say that he cannot be saved that holdeth not the Vnity of the Roman Church and all those Virtues are maimed to him that refuseth to obey the Pope though lying in sackcloth and ashes he fast and pray day and night and seem in other things to fulfill the Law of God because obedience is better than sacrifice and every soul must be subject to the higher power and it is manifest that the Pope of Rome is placed in the top or Crown of the Church from which his power of Government we know that no Sheep of Christ at all is exempted O then how much worse is the case of the Abassines Armenians Greeks Protestants even three fourth parts of the Christian World than of the Heathens being all certainly damned for not believing in the Pope How much more necessary to Salvation is it to please and honour the Pope than any Angel or Saint in Heaven But how false is it that the Greek and Latine Fathers all agree in this § 45. Paulus 2. succeedeth Pius a man just and clement saith Platina himself yet saith he before he was Pope
have corrupted sacred Societies Doctrine Worship Discipline and Conversation and when the Prince of pride and darkness the God of this World could not directly expugne Christianity he hath under pretence of Government Unity and Advancement to the Church set his Malignant Ministers in the Chairs and Pulpits of the Church to do his work and fight down piety love and peace in the name of Christ and as it were by his Authority and instead of persecuting Heathens Satan hath set up contentions dividing and silencing and persecuting Prelates to smite the true Shepherds and scatter the Flocks and as for Faith and Order to tread down the true life of Faith Love and Order and to be the Capital Enemies of the Church while they would make themselves its Heads Advancers and Defenders so that the chief good and the chief mischief hath come to the Church by the means of the Pastors And no Schismes no Heresies no Persecutions have been more grievous than those that have been caused by a tyrannical and contentious Clergy witness all the Conciliary Episcopal Schismes Wars and Bloodshed mentioned in this Collection witness the many hundred thousand Albigenses Waldenses and Bohemians murdered as for the Faith and Church witness the 30000. or 40000. at once murdered at the French Massacre witness the horrid cruelties of the Inquisition witness the Volumes of burned and otherwise murdered Protestants and witness the Irish Zeal stirr'd up by their Clergy that murdered two hundred thousand in so narrow a room as that small Country and in so few Weeks And whoever is the Antichrist certainly in Rome and the Militant Tyrannical Church-Clergy is found the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus and as proud contentious Patriarchs and Prelates ruined Religion and the Empire in the East and gave it up to Mahometan darkness and cruelty so have they under the name of Christianity impugned the Christian Interest in the West I end with G. Heebert Only the West and Rome do keep them free From this contagious infidelity And this is all the Rock whereof they boast As Rome will one day find unto her cost Sin being not able to extirpate quite The Churches here bravely resolv'd one night To be a Churchâ—man and to wear a Mitre The old debauched Ruffian would turn Writer I saw him in his Study where he sate Busie in controversie sprung of late A Gown and Pen became him wondrous well His grave aspect had more of Heaven than Hell Only there was a handsome picture by To which he lent a corner of his eye As Sin in Greece a Prophet was before And in old Rome a mighty Emperour So now being Priest he plainly did profess To make a Jest of Christs three Offices The rather since his scattered juglings were United now in one both time and sphere From Egypt he took petty Deities From Greece Oracular Infallibilities And from old Rome the liberty of pleasure By free dispensing of the Churches Treasure Then in memorial of his Ancient Throne He did sirname his Palace Babylon Yet that he might the better gain all Nations And make that name good by their transmigrations From all these places but at divers times He took five Vizards to conceal his Crimes From Egypt Anchorisme and retiredness Learning from Greece from old Rome stateliness And blending these he carried all mens eyes While Truth sate by counting his Victories Whereby he grew apace and scorn'd to use Such force as once did captivate the Iews But did bewitch and finely work each Nation Into a voluntary transmigration All post to Rome Princes submit their Necks Either to his publick Foot or private Tricks It did not fit his Gravity to stir Nor his long Journey nor his Gout and Fur Therefore he sent out ABLE MINISTERS States-men wiâ—â—in without door Cloysterers Who without Spear or Sword or other Drum Than what was in their Tongue did overcome And having conquer'd did so strangely rule That the whole World did seem but the Popes Mule As new and old Rome did one Empire twist So both together are one ANTICHRIST Yet with two Faces as their Ianus was Being in this their old crackt Looking-glass How dear to me O God thy Counsels are Who may with thee compare Thus Sin triumphs in Westerns-Babylon Yet not as Sin but as Religion Of his two Thrones he made the later best And to defray his journey from the East Old and new Babylon are to Hell and Night As is the Moon and Sun to Heaven and Light CHAP. XIV LEst this treatise be mistaken abused to the dishonour of the Christian Religion Church or Ministry I adde two papers which I long agoe published for the Ministry 1. Against profane Malignants 2. Against Sectarians especially those called Seekers as also Papists others that for interest or faction deny or vilifie the Pastors One sheet for the Ministry Against the Malignants of all sorts AS mans first felicity was attended with the malice of the Serpent so is the wonderful work of his Restauration The promise of Reconciliation by the seed of the woman is joyned with a proclamation of open war with the Serpent and his seed The enmity was hottest in the Devil and his seed against Christ himself who bare and overcame it and is become the Captain of our salvation that his Church may overcome by his Cross and Strength and Conduct The next degree of malice is against his officers the most eminent the General Officers had the hottest assault and his ordinary Officers bear the next That we shall be hated of all men for the name of Christ Mat. 10. 22. is still verified to our experience Not only the openly prophane abhor us for our work sake but false-hearted professors that turn from the truth do presently turn Malignants against the Ministry and many weak ones that are better minded are dangerously seduced into a guilt of the sedition To all these I here proclaim in the name and word of the Lord Numb 16. 26. Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their sins Which I shall now open to you 1. The office of the Ministry is an undoubted Ordinance of God to continue in the Church to the end of the world No man can pretend that they ceased with the Apostles for it is Gods will that ordinary fixed Presbyters shall be ordained in every Church Acts. 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 2. And Pastors and Teachers are appointed for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and edifying of the body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man Ephes. 4. 11 12 13. A Ministry authorized to Disciple the Nations baptize and teach them is instituted by Christ as King and Saviour and have his Promise to be with them alway to the end of the world Mat. 28. 18 19 20. The same necessity and work continueth
As an usurping Magistrate oweth us protection though he shall answer for his Usurpation so an usurping Minister oweth us his labour so that the people are bound to hear and obey men when they are uncertain of their due Call if they possess the place and shall have the blessing of such Administrations For we are sure the Office and work is of God Proposition 11. The truth of our Doctrine depends not on our Calling Were we no Ministers we can prove the Gospel true which we deliver And any man must be believed that brings a truth that concerneth our peace Therefore let Quakers and Seekers and Papists first disprove our Doctrine if they can and not cheat the people by perswading them that our Calling must first be proved as a Prophets must be Object But you have your learning only from Books and Vniversities and so have not true Ministers Answ. We have it from God in the use of his means even by prayer reading study and learning his works and word of our Teachers whether at Universities or elsewhere And we are commanded to study and meditate on these things and give our selves wholly to them and to meditate on Gods Law day and night Psal. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 15. 1 Tim. 4. 13 15. Christs Ministers must be Teachers or Tutors to others and commit the things which they have heard to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also 2 Tim. 2. â— Good Ministers of Christ are nourished up in the words of faith and good Doctrine and so attain to it 1 Tim. 4. 6. All should learn according to their time of teaching Heb. 5. 11 12 14. We study nothing but the Word and works of God And is not that a Wretch and not a man that will reproach us as no Ministers for doing that which we have our Reason for and which must be the work of our lives Poor Christians as you love God and your Souls and would not cast off Christ and Heaven let not Deceivers draw you to cast off the Ministry Scripture or the Ordinances of God FINIS * That 〈◊〉 local Altar is here meant I elsewhere prove against them that say it is but one communicating Body adhearing to one Bishop See Mr. Iones Hearts Soveraign excellently describing the English Succession Alpaspinaeus learnedly maketh the best of it But of Can. 34. confesseth a worsâ— sence than this of Binnius And no General Council had judged against them for there had been none ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ ☞ Sâ—crat l. 7. c. 3. Socr. ib. c. 7. Socr. c. 15. ☜ Niceph. l. 14. c. 17. ☞ Socr. l. 7. c. 28. Socr. c. 29. c. 31. c. 32. c. 33. ☞ â—in p 786. ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ Bin. Tom. 2. p. 7 8. ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ Bin. p. 151. Niceph. l. 15. c. 19. Niceph. l. 15. c. 17 18 19. ☞ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☞ And more largely Ep. 13. ad Episcop Dardainae ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ Evagr. l. 3. cap. 4. ☜ Evagr. l. 6. cap. 6. Ann. 518. ☞ Evag. l. 4. c. 10. 11. and Nicep l. 17. c. 7. ☜ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ Some late Historians tell us of incredible numbers of the Egyptian Christians whom Iastinian destroyed in this blind zeal for Christ but I find no such thing in the old Historians though it was too bad ☞ ☞ ☞ Constant. an 547. ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ * And would not Papists have Princes do so ☜ ☜ ☜ * Barâ—nius contradicteth Anastasius others in this point ☞ * Baronius thinks that Theodomire was Father to 〈◊〉 ☜ ☜ ☞ * No not the Roman ☜ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☞ Bin. pag. 127. ☜ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☜ * Pag. 217 218. vide caetera ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ * No wonder * Were not Monks holy men then * If you will needs have the honour of so had a work that you may have power to do the like take it ☜ ☞ ☜ ☞ ☜ Sixtus Seneâ—sis Pet. Crabbe p. 458. say it was at Ephesus but Binnius confuteth them ☜ ☜ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☞ * See Hen. Fowlis of Papists Treasons P. 120. proving the whole Story false ☜ ☜ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☜ ☜ ☞ * The Verb is left out (*) Where he was lately a Leader * How was he then of her substance ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ Crab. p. 485. ☜ * At Constantinople ☞ ☜ (*) What! superior to Christ's Humanity How prove you that she is superior to the highest Angels (*) Are the bodies of all Saints already risen Crab. p. 605. ☞ * Alas Must all be Separatists from the Bishops in England France c * As by Interdicts ☜ ☞ ☞ Bin. p. 288 Bellarm. de Imag. lib. 2. It was such a Western General Council as that at Trent was for extent * Lib. 2. de Imagin cap. 14. Even Dion Petavius after all saith In which Synod of Frankford the 7th General Council was rejected by the Bishops that were ignorant â—f its Decrees An. 794. Hist. l. 8. c. 7. ☜ ☞ Bin. p. 428. Ex quadam Elipandi confessione quae in Biblioth Toletana reperitur in quodam libro à Beato Heterio contra Elipandum scripto aiunt nonnulli Faelicem Elipandum non in mysterio Incarnationis sed tantum abutâ—ndo voce Adoptionis instar Durandi aberrâsse Idemque conjecturis affirmant istis quod nihil eorum quae Nestorio objecta fuerant in Conc. Ephes. contra Elipandum attulerent c. See the rest ☞ Vid. Not. Bin. p. 428 ☜ ☜ ☜ See Petav. Hist. li. 8. c. 6. ☞ ☞ ☞ * This is not the first time that Councils have 〈…〉 Catholick Church * They mean but the Canons of the Church * A new Controversie ☜ ☜ * Council-Curses for Opinions take place Bin p. 470 Epist. Theod. * It 's like Iulius Marinus as Onuphrius saith was his name * Saith Vita Ludovici in Bin. p. 525. Congregatis Episcopis c. fecit componi ordinarique librum Canonicae vitae normam gestantem in quo totâ—us 〈◊〉 erdinis perfectio continetur In quo inseri jussit câ—â—i potusque omnium necessarrorum sâ—mmam Quem librum per omnes Civitates Monasteria Canonici ordinis sui imper◠〈◊〉 per manus missâ—rum prudeâ—tium See the rest so that it was the Emperor's Book and not the Council's work ☜ * Quae si vera sunt saith Binnius himself ☜ * An unlikely thing ☜ ☜ ☜ * Mark that it is the Rights of the Empire ☞ ☜ a O wicked use of Bishops b Whom should they have feared more than God and their King c Is this the use of Reliques An. 833. * Here is a High Court of Prelatical Justice against a good Emperor * Lotharius accusing his Father a No doubt but you made this known too far