Virgin foretold of tribulation and schism is come to pass but what she spoke of good Pastors and Reformation is not as yet He was Bishop of Florence in time of the Councel at Constance 17. Pope Gregory the XI by his Bull commanded John Arch-Bishop of Prague to persecute Militzius a Bohemian because he had said Antichrist now reigneth and he had private congregations among whom were some harlots whom he had converted and of whom he said These are to be preferred unto all the religious Nuns Jacob Misnes a writer about the year 1410. testifieth that Militzius said He was moved by the Spirit to search the Scriptures concerning the coming of Antichrist as also to preach at Rome that the Pope is the Antichrist and that the Church is laid desolate by negligence of Pastors she aboundeth in temporal riches and is void of spiritual Also that many now seem to deny Christ because though they know the truth they dare not profess it for fear of men Fox in Act. 18. Henry de Jota or Heuta taught at Vienna in Austria about the year 1380. All men without grace do but sin when they do their best works because the person must be accepted before his works be accepted God and not a Priest forgiveth sin and the Priest doth but declare out of God's word whom God doth binde or loose As Jerome had taught It is better to confess unto a learned Priest although he hath no jurisdiction then to an unlearned Priest having it reservation of cases unto the Pope or his Bishops is not of God's Law but from men since all Priests have a like power of the keys all God's counsels are commandments 19. John Munziger Rector of Ulme about the year 1384. taught The bread of the Eucharist is not God nor should be worshipped as God The Monks contended against him and the matter was referred to the University of Prague there his propositions were approved and nevertheless the bread must be worshipped said they for the concomitancy of the Deity 20. Gerhard Ritter wrote a book about the year 1350. which he called Lachrymae Ecclesiae about the year 1384. Alvarus Pelagius wrote another Planctus Ecclesiae Ubertin Bishop of Chema wrote Onus Ecclesiae The matter of them all is to mourn for the corruptions and abominations of Popes Cardinals Bishops Canons Priests and Monks c. Ubertin in cap. 19. saith A Reformation shall never be but in a general free and godly Councel he saith There is great need of Reformation but I fear this age is not worthy of a lawful Councel In cap. 22. Some Monasteries are more like to Stews of Venice then houses of God Catal. test ver lib. 18. 21. About that time an Epistle was divulged in Germany under the name of Wenceslaus where the Emperor exhorteth Church-men to set themselves at liberty from the thraldom of the Pope saying By the Princes of the Priests the Church is prophaned the Priesthood is defiled all order is confounded all Religion is corrupted all things belonging to laws manners faith or discipline is undone and confounded even that although our Savior suffered many things by men of the Synagogue yet now he suffereth more by our Princes of Priests There is also a vision of an holy man concerning the A vision of the Church estate of the Church He saw a woman with Princely apparel and thought that she was the blessed Virgin but she said I am not she whom thou thinkest me to be but the figure of her for whom thou groanest so oft and prayest to wit the Church whose sorrow is marvelous and her malady flowing from the head through all the members even to the feet and that thou mayest condole the more with me behold the causes of my grief then laying off the Crown she bowed her head unto him and he saw the upper part of her head cut after the manner of a cross into four parts and worms crawling out of her brains and wounds full of matter then she said Behold by those things in my head thou mayest understand the maladies in my other members and having spoken so she vanished In this Epistle is honorable mention of Marsilius de Padua and John de Janduno Morn in Myster 22. John Peter of Ferraria a famous Lawyer of Papia about the year 1397. is usually called Practicus Papiensis as he wrote Practica utriusque Iuris there he saith It is fond to say and abominable to hear The Pope is superior to Caesar The Pope can by no Law have temporal dominion nor possess Cities and Provinces what he hath he hath it by violence The temporal sword should be taken from him or Christendom shall never be at peace By foolishness of Princes are they become the drudges of Priests Whom the Pope absolveth from their oath he maketh them perjured The Clergy have their consciences in their hoods and laying them aside no more conscience appeareth Let some good Emperor arise against them who long since for the cause of devotion and now by avarice have undone all the world and brought to naught the estate of the Empire and of all Laicks John Andreae who was called Speculator Monarcha juris was wont to say Rome was first founded by robbers and now is returned to the same estate All these and more passages are razed out by Index Expurgat pag. 43. of Plantin's Edition 23. In time of Boniface the IX was published a dialogue of Peter and Paul with the title Aureum speculum In the preface the Author saith All the Roman Court from the sole of the foot to the top of the head is manifestly blinded with errors and with the poison of those errors she hath made drunk all the parts of the world almost Then he divideth his matter into three heads saying 1. I will describe the most grievous errors of the Roman Court 2. I will confute her erroneous and uncatholick writings and sayings 3. That all the Court of Rome is in danger of damnation And these I will declare by most true grounds so he prosecureth them severally And after many lamentations as despairing of Reformation Paul saith Only the Son of God I wish would reform his Church And lest it be thought that this was his judgement only he said in the preface All men do groan privately but none dare speak it forth Nor can this manifold corruption be concealed in the Court for when some said The Pope cannot be guilty of simony even in bestowing of Benefices for money his Secretary Theodor a Niem said It seemeth unto me to be very unjust certainly it is uncivil and against good manners to sell for money unto unworthy persons that which should be given freely unto the worthy onely and that the Pope who is above others and from whom others should have a rule of their doings is guilty of such a crime certainly he cannot punish others for that fault whereof himself is guilty And he saith Many good Masters in Divinity
other his works I therefore subjoyn a taste of it and because some poison is in it I add a litle antidot which may be usefull unto some In his preface unto the Emperour he shewes his Rule of judging the evangelical and Apostolical Scripture which being Divine and a most sure rule the antients had used in judging of controversies after the departure of the Apostles and because in such contentions ariseth controversy about the interpretation and sense of some passages of the Scriptures it is necessary to have recourse unto the Universall consent of Writers chiefly of those who lived in the time of the Emperour Constantin untill the time of Leo I. or of Gregory yet so that it is not necessary to produce the testimonies of them all nor of the most part which were an infinite work but it is sufficient to bring one or two by whom the judgement of the whol Church may be known and with this caution that every testimony of those Fathers may not be rashly received seing in many places they speak according to their privat judgement and wherein even the most learned and best maintainers of the Apostolical and Catholick doctrine have not agreed with the safe unity of faith but only such things as belong unto the confirmation of the Apostolical and Catholick tradition and have the weight of irrefragable and undoubted testimony wherein they declare constantly the publick and common faith of the whole Church His method is conform unto the Articles of the Augustan Confession His principal scope seemes to be contained in the seventh Article de vera Ecclesia where he holdes that the true Church is always manifest and though the present Roman Church hath departed from the primitive not a little in integrity of manners and discipline yea and in sincerity of doctrine yet she standes on the same foundation and professeth communion with the antient Church and therefore is one and the same albeit different in many particulares Neither should we separate from her as Christ did not separat from the Jewish Church albeit corrupt neither did the Prophets nor Apostles violate the union but only spake against her and came out of her but by dissenting from the errors neither did Cyprian and some others violat the union with the Roman Church how beit they did complain of the envy of the Roman clergy and the pride of the Pope This may be called his privat judgement as he spake of others in his preface and not the constant faith of the whole Church that the Church should be manifest always was not the judgement of Eliah 1. King 19. 14. nor of John who prophecied of the woman fleeing into the wilderness Revel 12 and it is without all doubt in the general that in the dayes of the Antichrist the Church shall not be manifest 2. he grantes that the Roman Church hath departed not a litle in manners and doctrine but how far she hath departed may be in some measure known by the history 3. his advice that we should not have departed from her is a main question but certainly his reason is not sufficient for though our Saviour made not separation from the Jewish Church yet he foretold that when these labourers of the vine-yard shall have killed the heir the vineyard shal be taken from them and not a stone of their temple should be left upon another Where was their Church then if they had no place for their Religion As for the Pophets and Apostles distinguish the times before the time was come which God had appointed they had no reason to depart but when the appointed time was come then they departed and for this very point Steeven was Martyred Act. 6. 14. The same distinction serveth for the Roman Church Cyprian and Paulin had no reason to violat the vnion when she had not departed from the true faith but when she became the whoore and all nations had drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication then was the time to obey the commande Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Gods people was with her and in her and they must not only protest against their adulterous mother but come out from her Then for reconciliation of the Church he seemes to despair that ever they will accept of his Overture to wit that those who have given the cause of distraction that is saith he the governors of the Church would remit some what of their too much rigor and yeeld a little for the peace of the Church and following the wishes and admonitions of many good people would reform the manifest abuses according to the rule of Divine Scripture and of the antient Church from which they have departed And next that those who eschuing those vices have fallen into the other extremity would confess their faults and return into the right way In other Articles that differ from the Popish Church he puts often a blame upon the Reformed if not for their Tenet yet for their practise For example of justification he saith What is said in the fourth article that men can not be justified before God by their own strength merits or works but are justified freely by faith it was evermore allowed by the Church and untill this day it is approved by all the writers of the Church So that I wonder why the Apology saith that they are condemned in this article as if it were taught that men obtain remission of sins for their own merits and not freely for Christ's sake Afterwards he cites the testimony of Bernard saying I consider three things whereupon all my hope stands the love of adoption the truth of the promise and the power of performing And saith he the Doctors of this age say not that they teach doubting whereby men should doubt of Gods mercy and mistrust but such fear of God whereby a diligence of living well and of keeping the received grace may be stirred up and increased in us as the Apostle saith Work forth your salvation with fear and trembling And they call this sear chast and filial which perfect love casts not forth but retaines and cherishes Which fear hath always adjoyned confidence and hope of Gods fatherly good-pleasure And seing those things are taught tooday in the Catholick Church the Protestants do not rightly in accusing the present Church that she bidds and teaches to doubt of Gods favor and of eternal life and put this blasphemous doctrin as they speak among the chief causes for which they should depart from her Of free will he saith on the 18. Artick The sum of this controversy which had been formerly and now is consists in this What the will of man can do to attain righteousness by which we are justified before God is not to be asscribed unto the power of free-will corrupted by sin but unto the singular grace of God which we have not by nature wherein we were
Cumin Ventura Dante 's Aligerius a Florent 473 David Chytneus Desiderius Erasmus Diether B. of Mentz 544 Dinoth a Britain Abbot 56 Dionysius Petavius Dominicus B. of Brixia 547 Dominicus Calderin 549 Dominicus de Pisis 553 Durand Mimatens 470 Everhard B. of Salzburg 431 Edmond Rich Bihop of Canterbury 381 Edward Didoclavius alià s David Calderwood Elias Rubeus 438 Engelin B. of Brunswick 547 Epiphanius Ernestus B. of Magdeburg S 16 Eudo Duke of Burgundy 478 Eusebius Flacius Illyricus Florus of Lions 163 Fluentius B. of Florence 329 Francis Junius Francis Mason Francis Petrarcha 476 Francis Zabarella 529 Frederick Canirm S 73 French Commentaries Frossardus Fulbert Carnotens 253 George Cassander George Buchanan Geo. Pogiobratz K. of Bohem. 546 George Trapezuntius George Abbot George Calixt George Schouborn George Wishart S 182 German Bâ—hop of Constantinople 430 Gerhard Laureacens 222 Gildas Presbyter Britannus 56 283 Gisilbert 227 Gotteschalk 157. 167 Gratian. Gregory de Arimino 478 Gregory Heimburg 547 Gregory Nazianzen Gregory Nissen Guicciardin Gunther B. of Colein 155 Hayabal 478 Haymo B. of Halberstad 174 Hector Boetius Sir Henry Spelman Henry Oraeus Henry Cranfelder 540 Henry de Jeuta 481 Henry Radgeber 540 Herman Ried 527 Hieronymus of Prague Hieronym Savonorola 552 Hieronym Zanchius Hincmar B. of Rhemes 157 Hugo de St. Victore 333 Hugo Barchinonens 435 Hulderick or S. Ulrik B. of Ausburg 154 Hulderick Zuinglius S 64 James Almain S 19 James Faber Stapulens S 18 James Resby 546 James de Guitrod 54â— Jacob Triglandius Jacob Sannazerius Jacob Thuanus Jacobell Misnens 531 Ildesonsus B. of Toledo 51 Iohn Bodin Iohn Chrysostom Iohn Damascen Chrysoms 88 Iohn Calvin Iohn Buridan 478 Iohn Fox Iohn Eckius Iohn Duraeus Jesuita Iohn Hooper B. of Glocester Iohn Beleth Iohn Funccius Iohn Beverlay 557 Iohn B. Gerundens 51 Iohn Goose 563 Iohn Druendo 540 Iohn de Janduno 475 Iohn Brown 557 Iohn Draendorf 540 Iohn Baleus Iohn Cartehusius 528 Iohn Baconthorp 495 Iohn de Keiserberg in Strawsburg 545. S 64 Iohn Oldcastle L. Cobham 557 Iohn Lampadius Iohn Pappus Iohn Lindanus Iohn Scot Aerigena Iohn Scot Melrosius Iohn Scot à Duns Iohn Gochius in Mechlin 543 Iohn Rockensan 540 Iohn Munsiger 481 Iohn Huss 530 Iohn Spotswood Iohn Nauclerus Iohn à Lasco S 155 159 Iohn Knox. Iohn Sleidan Iohn Serres Iohn Semeca Iohn Lud. Vives S 29 Iohn Oecolampadius S 64 Iohn Creutfer in Strawsb S 64 Iohn B. of Misna S 57 Iohn Ricketalaida 478 Iohn de Rupessa 479 Iohn Picus Mirandula S 16 Iohn Hilten S 8 Iohn B of Sarisbury 380 Iohn Tauler 478 Iohn Peter of Ferraria 482 Iohn Vitoduran 485 Iohn Udal S 467 Iohn Purvey 504 Iohn Wicklâ—ff 50â— Joachim Abbot in Calab 426 Jonas B. of Orleans 131 Joseph Scaliger Isidor Hispalens 52 Kilian 61 Lambert B. of Tungri 51 Laurence Valla. 541 Laurence Redman 558 Letters of Saints and Martyrs Luithpert B. of Mentz 156 Luitpold B of Bâ—mberg 475 Lupus Abb. of Ferraria 178 Lupus Servatus 179 Mamercus B. ef Vienna 141 Maenard Count of Tirolis 439 Michael Cesenas 475 Marsilius Patavinus 474 Mattheus Parisiens Mathias Hager 540 Mathias Parisiens 479 Martin Meyer 544 Methodius B. of Moravia 154 Militsius a Bohemian 481 Nicephorus Nicetas Choniates Nicolaus Beselius Nicolaus de Biberach 436 Nicolaus Cusan B. of Brixia 543 Nicolaus Hemingius Nicolaus Orem 480 Nicolaus Lucensis 530 Nicolaus Rus. 552 Nigell Vireker 446 Nilus B. of Thessalonica 483 Notbert Praemonstratens 332 Onuphrius Origenes Otho Frisingensis Orthwinus Gratius Pamelius Paschas Ratbert of Corbey 183 Paul Craw. 559 Patrick Hamilton S 169 Paul Langius S 61 Paul Scriptor Tubingens 552 Paul Jovius Paul Sigonius Paulin B. of Aquileia 89 Peter Card. of Cambrey 540 Peter de Bruis S 348 Peter Alfonso 330 Peter Cluniacens 347 Peter Auratus Peter Blesensis 382 Peter Drasensis 531 Peter Mexia Peter Soave Peter Pain 5â—8 Peter Martyr S 153 Peter Thoraw 540 Peter de Vineis 432 Philip Mornay du Plessis Philip Decius a Lawyer of Millan S 9 Philip Morice 558 Polydor Vergil Potho of Prumia 349 Platina Philip Melanthon Prudentius B. Tricassin 165 Raban Magnentius 132 Radulph of Flaviac 221 Radevic Frisingens 357 Ralph Greenhurst 558 Reinold Peacock B. of Chichester 556 Remigius B. of Lions 170 Remigius B. of Auxerre 182 Richard de S. Victore 382 Richard Armacanus 496 Richard White 556 Richard Wich 558 Sir Robert Acton 557 Robert Baronius Card. Robert Bellarmin Iesuit Robert Gross-head B. of Lincoln 448 Robert Gallus 473 Robert Stephanus Roderick Sanchio 449 Rodulph Agricola Frising 552 Rufin Aquileiensis Rupert Tuitiensis 331 Sabellicus Samson B. of Auxerre 100 Santes Pagnin 553 Sebastian Pirand of Erford S 8 Sedulius Scotus Seval B. of York 448 Sidonius 100 Sigebert Gemblacens Sigismund D. of Austria 547 Silvester a Dominican 553 Smaragdus of S. Michael 223 Socrates Scholasticus Speculum Curatorum Stephen Brulifer 546 Theodoret. Theodorik B. of Croatia 529 Theodorik à Nyem Theodor. Abb. of S. Trudo 333 Theodorik Urias 539 Thomas Aquinas Thomas Bredwardin 497 Thomas Brightwell 558 Thomas de Coâ—sellis 542 Thomas Couper Thomas Bilson Thomas Langland 499 Thomus Mortan Thomas Rhedonensis 541 Thietgaud B. of Trevers 155 Tileman Spangerberg 553 Victor B of Carthage 52 Virgilius B. of Juvavia 100 Ubertin B. of Chema 481 Vernerius Vincentius a Venetian 528 Ulrik Uttenus S 25 Volquin 528 Walter Bruit 505 Walter Mapez Arch-Deacon of Oxford 546 Walter Mill. S 189 Wessâ—lius Gantsford Gronin 550 William Budaeus S 18 William Gnapheus S 157 William Haulam 558 William de alta Petra Bishop of Paris 426 William Iames. 558 William B. Senonensis 357 William Ockam 496 William Thorp 556 William Tindal S 165 Willtam Sawtree 556 William Swinderby 556 William White 558 Wolfgang Aitinger S 8 Wolfgang Fabricius Capito S 64 THE PREFACE THE experience of alterations in the Church suffereth The History of the Church is divided into five Ages or Parts the History to be divided into five parts The first Age or Part is of the Church spreading and suffering when the Word of the Gospel was in sowing thorow the World and the Professours thereof were under Persecution about the space of 300. years until the days of Constantine the Great The second Age is of the Church flourishing and wrestling with Heresies the space of other 300. years until the days of Phocas Emperour The History of these two Ages is plainly written by diverse both ancient and late Writers but the other three are not so easie to be found therefore was I moved to gather these Observations out of sundry Authors for my particular use The third Age is of the Church Fading and of Antichrist Rising which contains 400. years and more till the days of Pope Gregory the VI. during which time Churchmen did swell in pride and ambition and were no little changed from the simple sincerity of the primitive times albeit in outward profession then was some face of a Church yet corruption of Doctrine Superstition and
the person of an High-Priest but plaiest the Tyrant under the Coat of a Shepheard we find thee to be a Wolf thou art called a Father but falsely and thou shewest thy self a Judas by thy deeds when thou callest thy self the servant of servants thou contendest to be Lord of Lords and according to the discipline of Christ our Saviour thou art the lowest of all the Servants of God's Church but in ambition thou runnest headlong whatsoever pleaseth thee is lawfull and thou art become a drone to Christians What remains but to call him the Antichrist whom the Romanists call the third Elias They conclude For these causes we with our brethren and collegues will neither stand at thy command nor acknowledge thy voice neither do we fear thy Bulls and Thunders c. Of his Primacy they say The Holy Ghost is the Authour of all Churches how far soever they be separated thorow the World the City of our God whose Citizens we are belongeth to the four airths or corners of Heaven it is larger then the City which the holy Prophets have called Babylon because she makes her god-head equal unto the Heaven and braggeth that she is eternal as if she were God having all wisdom and glorieth that she neither erreth nor can erre Ph. Morn in Myster pag. 175. Where also is another Epistle written unto the same Pope drawn out of the French Annals it concludeth thus We will in no way receive thy wicked sentence which is far from the zeal of uprightness unjust unreasonable and contrary to the Canonical laws yea with all the Synod of our brethren we despise and contemn it as unlawfull accursed and fondly pronounced and truly we will not communicate with thee who art a favourer and pertaker with accursed persons and despisers of holy religion we are content with the communion of the whole Church and society of brethren above whom thou exaltest thy self whom thou despisest and from whom thou separatest thy self by thy swelling pride Now we who have experience of thy craft and deceit and also know thy disdain and swelling dominion we yeeld nothing nothing at all unto thee nor thy pride whereby thou indeavourest to overwhelm us all at the pleasure of our enemies whom thou favourest and thou shalt know that we are not thy Clarks as thou vauntest of thy self but if thy pride would suffer thee thou shouldest acknowledge us thy brethren and fellow Bishops Hence it appeareth that they begun by experience to smell out where the Antichrist or the man of pride was 15. When the controversie was between Charls the Bald and the two A lamentation for the Church in her pretended head and remedy petitioned from Kings Kings of Germany for the division of Lorain or as Ph. Morn speaks for marches Luithpert Bishop of Mentz was so respected for his gifts of prudence and holiness that the Kings did refer the deciding of the controversie unto him When the Pope did begin to usurp more and more upon the Bishops of Germany Luithpert writ unto King Lewis thus The present cause permits me not to be silent any longer which if I forsake I cannot be excusable before our Lord Jesus Christ unto whom it appertains and I should be conyict of my promise made unto your Majesty if I sitting in the watch wherein I am set do see danger coming on you and with idle and unfaithfull silence I dissemble and becoming sloathfull I will seem an hireling rather than a Shepheard of the Church the Pastoral care of which unworthy I have taken upon me The dignity of the Church is grievously shaken and defaced in the Seat of Saint Peter even so that by a hid persecution the like hath not been heard not by Infidels or them who know not the Lord but by them ô how to be bewailed who should be guides and governours of the Church they indeavour to advance the doctrine of man above the word of God and the malady of the head if it be not prevented by timely and wholesom medicine must needs spread through the members Ye know the danger of God's people which is fearfully approaching neither can ye be ignorant that the Pastours at which the elements do tremble who should provide for the safety of the weak have left the path-way and themselves run into perdition and they open a ditch to so many as follow them Wherefore I exhort your wisdom who lovest truth and righteousness that according to the wisdom given unto you from above ye would deal with them which know the truth and love righteousness what way the scandals of dissension may be removed which the sower of Tares by his craft ceaseth not to spread and that peace and long wished for unity may be restored unto the Church and the help of watchfulness may be had in time lest foolish negligence give way unto the wounds for all the body of the Church is not yet wounded although the head be smitten with sores and several members seem to be diseased and therefore the infirm must be helped if they will accept of cure by those which are known to be whole and sound or they must be cutt off according to the command of our Physician lest the whole body perish Wherefore it seemeth unto me both necessary and expedient that the religious Prince Charls your brother be in time requested unto this purpose that as well he as the Priests of his Kingdom may meet with you and your Bishops and may be partners of the same work with you that when ye shall by the help of God return peaceably from your intended journy with one consent and common indeavour by the grace of God ye may restore peace and concord unto the Catholick and Apostolical Church according to orthodox doctrine Ph. Morn in Myster pag. 162. Observe here the estate of the Church at that time and that when the head is diseased the body cannot be readily cured but by common authority of Princes and Synods 16. Hincmar of whom I have made mention in Pope Nicolaus was many years Arch-Bishop of Rhemes upon several occasions he did solicit and flatter the Popes and at other times did practice and write against them as is to be seen in Baron Annal. tom 9. and the Cardinal doth accordingly allow The power of Provincial Bishops and disallow him In one of his Epistles he professeth that he had received a Palle from Pope Leo the IV not as a badge of subjection and he avoweth plainly that in doubtfull causes the Provincial Bishops should ask counsel from the Arch-Bishop neither should a Bishop go unto the Pope untill he advertize and confer with the Arch-Bishop neither needeth the Arch-Bishop await for judgment from the See of Rome so far as he hath certain decrees of Canons Laws and Councels And he did forbid his Nephew Hincmar to obey the Pope's citation when he summoned him to Rome In an Epistle to Pope Hadrian the II he quoteth a testimony of Pope Leo
the I that authority is derived from Peter and the other Apostles unto all the Bishops of the Church for the priviledge of Saint Peter is wheresoever according Rome and Rhemes compared to his equity justice is done no less in Rhemes then in Rome and no more in Rome then in Rhemes but is alike unto all every where according as Bishops more or less discharge their office And he expounds these words Thou art Peter ... as Augustine doth in Ser. 13. de verb. Dom. I will build my Church upon that firm and solid confession which thou hast confessed Ph. Morn in Myster in an Epistle to Hincmar Bishop of Laudun saith The seventh general Councel so called by the Greeks indeed a wicked Councel concerning Images which some would have broken into pieces and some would have to be worshipped was kept not long before my time by a number of Bishops gathered together at Nice the Acts thereof the Bishop of Rome did send into Francia in the Reign of Charls the Great the See Apostolick willing it to be so a Synod was held in Germany by the convocation of the same Emperour and there by the path-way of Scriptures and the tradition of the Fathers the false Councel of the Greeks was confuted and utterly rejected of whose consutation there was a good big volumn sent from Charls by some Bishops unto Rome which in my young years I did read in the Palace This testimony is of more credit then a hundred late Writers who deny that Synod at Frankford or that a Synod under Charls did condemn the second Synod at Nice Thereafter in that Epistle he saith We should beleeve that the motion of repentance is from God as the Apostle saith If God will give them repentance .... To have Church is not to have a primacy in Divine things for then all rulers of the Church should have primacy all those wicked men rule not the Church who seem to be within neither is it denied but they give baptism In the same Epistle he rebuketh his Nephew for denying baptism unto Infants Catol test ver lib. 9. 17. At that time was much to do in the doctrine of Predestination Gotteschalk The five Articles of Gotteschalk by birth a Frank or Belgik as Aventin lib. 4. Annal. Boior calleth him was ordained a Priest by Rigbold chorepiscopus in the vacancy of the See of Rhemes The now named Hincmar in an Epistle unto the Church of Lions which is in Biblioth Sixt. Senen part 1. pag. 1053. edit Colon. writes that he held these five Articles First God before all ages and ere he made any thing even from the beginning did predestinate unto the Kingdom whom he would and did predestinate unto destruction whom he would 2. They who are predestinate unto destruction cannot be saved and who are predestinate unto the Kingdom cannot perish 3. God willeth not that all men be saved but only them who be saved and whereas the Apostle saith Who willeth that all men be saved he meaneth only all them who shall be saved 4. Christ came not to save all men nor did he suffer for all men but only for them who shall be saved by the mystery of his Passion 5. Since the first man fell of his free will none of us can use free-will to do good but only to do evil Remigius Bishop of Lions in the name of the Church of Lions are defended and opposed defended these five Articles as is to be seen loc cit Whereupon Hincmar writ unto Pope Nicolaus as Baron Annal. ad An. 948. relates against Gotteschalk and calleth these Articles the heresie of the Predestinatians which was overthrown in Affrick and thereafter in France by authority of Pope Celestine and by the care and vigilancy of Prosper When Gotteschalk returned from Italy Raban Bishop of Mentz summoned him into a Synod and when he could not perswade him to change his mind he did write unto Hincmar and others and did oppugn some conclusions which he had wrested from these five Articles Remigius writes again shewing that all the arguments of Raban did not touch the Articles as it is in the above named Bibliotheca Then Hincmar summoned Gotteschalk unto a Synod of 12 Bishops and some Priests and Abbots in Carisiac on Isara where four Articles were enacted against him he was condemned of heresie and contumacy and he condemned The Articles at Carisiac he was whipped with rods and cast in prison The Church of Lions after sight of these four Articles sent forth their censure of them both which are in Biblioth cit pag. 1082. The Canons are these First God Almighty made man without sin upright with free will and set him in Paradise whom he would to abide in the holiness of righteousness 2. Man using ill his free-will did sin and fall and became the mass of perdition of mankind but the good and just God did chuse of the same mass of perdition according to his fore-knowledge whom by his grace he did predestinate to life and prepared life eternal for them 3. But others whom in the judgement of righteousness he left in the mass of perdition he foreknew them to perish but he did not predestinate that they should perish yet because he is just he did predestinate everlasting punishment unto them and therefore we say there is but one predestination of God which concerneth the gift of grace or the rendring of righteousness Can. II. In the first man we have lost the freedom of will which we have received by Christ and we have free will unto good being prevened and helped by grace and we have free will unto evil being forsaken of grace and we have free-will because it is freed by grace and by grace healed from corruption Can. III. God will have all men without exception to be saved although all men be not saved and that some are saved it is the gift of him who saveth and that some perish it is the merit of them who perish Can. IV. Our Lord Jesus Christ as there was not is nor shall be any man whose nature is not assumed in him so there was is and shall be no man for whom he did not die although all be not redeemed by the mystery of his Passion it concerneth not the greatness and copiousness of the price but it concerneth the part of unbelievers and them who beleeve not with that faith which worketh by love for the cup of man's salvation which was made through human infirmity and divine vertue hath in it self that it may be profitable unto all but if it be not drunken it cureth not Followeth the sum are censured by the Church of Lions Can. I. of the censure of the Church of Lions in the first part of the first Canon is no mention of the grace of God without which no rational creature ever could or now can or shall be able to be or abide or persist in righteousness and holiness as if man had been
followed the Emperour in this tumult and received from him a temporal sword that is authority The Pope hath a Sword given him to punish all seditious persons within the City and so he banished some and imprisoned others His Successours have inlarged the petty jurisdiction Stella cler Catol test ver lib. 11. He sate 9 years 30. JOHN the XV was no sooner set in his Chair but Pope Boniface the VII having made monies of his sacriledge levieth an Army and entreth Rome he took Pope John pulled out his eys and thrust him into Prison where as some say he was murthered by Ferracius a Noble Roman and father of Boniface now Pope again Within 11 months Boniface died suddenly and his Corps were drawn by the feet along the streets the people exclaiming against him Platin. John and Boniface sate 15 months and died An. 982. 31. JOHN the XVI was expelled the City by Consul Crescentius When the Consul heard that the Pope was sending his complaint unto the Emperour he was content to reconcile with him So between prosperity and adversity he sate 10 years 10 months Platin. 32. GREGORY the V was advanced by the Emperour no man contradicting saith Alb. Crantz Saxon. lib. 4. cap. 26. The Romans took it ill that the Emperour and Pope were both Germans and in a sedition they set up JOHN the XVII a Greek and by the power of Crescentius whom he had bought with money for he had brought so much money from Constantinople that even constant men might have been allured to wickedness by his gifts but he died with ignominy in the 10 month saith Naucler vol. 2. generat 34. Because he was not lawfully chosen he is not inrolled among the Popes by some Hence is so great variance amongst the Johns following for they who omit the She-Pope and this John call the next John the seventienth whereas others call him the ninetienth and so forth of the rest Gregory staied in Hetruria till John was installed and then did run unto his Nephew Otho who came with all hast into Italy took Rome by force and apprehended Pope John and Crescentius as is before After this Gregory did ratifie quod Otho 3 ex Consilio Principum Germaniae constituit saith Naucler lo. cit that is what the Emperour had ordained by the advice of the German Princes concerning the election of the Emperour in time coming Naucler nameth the persons of the Electers and their places otherwise then I have named them from Platina for he nameth first the Count Palatine of Rhine second the Duke of Saxon c. But Platina speaks probably and it is certain that upon other considerations some Articles were changed afterwards The Jesuit Dion Petavins in Ration temp par 1. lib. 8. cap. 17. saith The report is that Gregory the V did tie the power of electing an Emperour unto the suffrages of certain Princes whom being seven in number either he or some successour is thought to have appointed But it is clear by the History that the Emperour had more power then the Pope at that time both in Italy and Germany and certainly the following Popes have taken occasion by this manner of election to usurp above the Emperours or as in Fascic temp upon this occasion the Eagle did lose many feathers and was at last made totally naked Gregory sate 4 years and died An. 999. Of this Century we see generally that the Popes which were chosen by the Romans were wicked men and as they sought the Chair ambitiously for honour and power so they had no respect to religion even as the Popes following in the next Century and therefore the Emperour had the greater reason to indeavour and could the more readily obtain that order concerning the election of the Popes but it was soon wrested out of his hands as followeth CHAP. III. Of Divers Countries 1. IN this Century diligence decaieth and every vertue fainteth through A description of a miserable age want of established Princes especially in Italy The distressed Pastours in more ancient times did shine in doctrine and holiness when the Church was under persecution or Pastours under correction of Architectonical power but when Priests began to glance in silks and colours and had liberty from subjection unto Princes their lives became odious and filthy their licence brought forth such monsters of men who by avarice and ambition entred into the places of good men and did not discharge their office There was little study of Liberal Sciences few and empty Schools of languages the Clergy and Priests having forsaken their old discipline were given to lucre nor were they respected by their Flocks and only Monks were noted to have some eloquence Nevertheless as it was ordained in Synods of the former Century that Priests and Monks should read the Scriptures and Writings of the Fathers now by reading and preaching the same doctrine by some God did sequester some here and there which did beleeve truly in Christ although in so great fear of tyranny and tumults of War that they durst scarcely speak of corruptions idolatries superstitions and wickedness which at that time were so luxuriant I will not mention divers signs that were seen in Heaven pottending so great evils Great alterations befell in every Kingdom almost the Hungarians oppress Italy and Germany although they were restrained besides many other broils in both those Nations France hath another race of Kings incessant were the Wars in Spain between the old inhabitants and the Moors the Sarazens suffered neither Greece nor Asia to rest in peace Bellarmin in Chronolo speaking of this Century saith Behold an unhappy age in which are no famous Writers no Councels bad Emperours and no good Popes God then providing that no heresie did arise And Baron ad An. 900. § 1. saith A new age beginneth which for rudeness and barrenness of goodness is called The Iron Age and for deformity of evil abounding is Leaden and for want of Writers is called The Dark Age. And ad An. 912. saith more sharply What was the face of the Roman Church how filthy when most lude and potent whores did reign in Rome at whose pleasure Bishopricks were changed Bishops were given and which is most horrible to be heard their Paramours were thrust into Saint Peter's See which are written but to fill up the role of Popes for who can call these lawfull High-Priests which were thrust in without any order by such whores no mention of the Clergy chusing and consenting the Canons were prest in silence what manner of Cardinals Priests and Deacons canst thou think were chosen by these Monsters seeing nothing is more natural then that every one beget others like to himself and who can doubt but that these did consent in all things unto them who had chosen them After this manner he continued bewailing and detesting the iniquity of those times It may justly then be added Since the face of the Roman Church was so blurred and those in
before ours wherein thou art guilty of insolency I will not say arrogancy What shall I speak of thy fidelity promised and sworn unto blessed Peter and us how doest thou observe it when thou requirest homage of them which are God's and all the children of the most High to wit the Bishops of them thou cravest fidelity and their sacred hands doest thou tie unto thy hands and being openly contrary unto us thou shuttest not onely the Churches but the Cities of thy Kingdom against the Cardinals that are Legates from our side Repent therefore repent we advise thee because seeing thou hast received from us Consecration and the Crown we fear thy nobleness that thou shalt lose what is granted while thou huntest after what is not granted The Emperor replieth thus Frederick The Emperors reply by the grace of God Roman Emperor semper Augustus unto Hadrian high Priest of the Catholique Church that he may cleave unto all things which Jesus began to do and teach The Law of righteousness restoreth unto each one what is his own We derogate not from our parents unto whom within this Kingdom we render all due honor from whom to wit from our Ancestors we have received the Dignity and Crown It is known that in the days of Constantine Silvester had not any Royalty but by the grant of his godliness liberty was given unto the Church and peace restored and whatsoever Royalty your Papacy is known to possess you have attained by the liberality of Princes Therefore when we write unto the high Priest of Rome by right and according to custom we set first our name and according to equity we yield the like unto him writing unto us turn over the Histories and if you have forgot what you have read you may finde there what we assert And from these which are God's by adoption and possess our Royalties why should we not require homage and regal oaths seeing he which is our and your teacher though he received nothing from any man or King but gave all good things unto all gave unto Caesar tribute for himself and for Peter and gave unto you an example that ye should do so and hath taught you saying Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart therefore let them leave the Royal things unto us or if they think them profitable let them render unto God what is God's and unto Caesar what is Caesars Unto your Cardinals indeed the Churches are shut and the Cities are not open because we see they are not Preachers but plunderers not seekers of peace but robbers of money not reformers of the world but insatiable rakers of gold but when we shall see that they are such as the Church requireth bringing peace enlightening the Countrey and helping the humble in equity we shall not fail to sustain them with necessary stipends and provision As for humility which is the mother of vertues and meekness ye are guilty when unto secular persons you propound such questions as concern not Religion wherefore let your fatherhood provide lest while you move such things which we think not fitting you give offence unto such as are ready to shut their ears against your words as they which are wearied of unseasonable rain We cannot but answer unto these things that we have heard when we Note see the detestable beast of pride to have crept into the seat of Peter Provide better for the peace of the Church and ever farewel Naucler gener 39. This answer did so sting the Pope and the Cardinals that they conspire with the forenamed William and many Cities of Italy and endeavor by all means to make the Emperor odious unto all men Especially the Pope wrote unto the Bishops Electors that the German Emperor had received his Title from his Predecessors and now he had power over all Nations to throw down and build up and give and translate Kingdoms c. And he made a league among the Cardinals that after his death none should be chosen but one of them who shall be obliged to pursue the Prince with excommunication and arms till they got the upper hand and that none should seek the Emperors favor without the consent of them all On the other side the Emperorsent Letters throughout the Empire regrating and accusing the pride of the Pope as being contrary unto God who hath ordained two Governments one spiritual another temporal and unto Peter exhorting all men to fear God and honor the King now by setting himself above the Emperor would make a Schism in the Church and therefore they would so look to the Imperial Dignity that it be not prejudged by the new presumption of the Pope as he himself was careful of the liberty and unity of the Church The Pope fretteth the more and wrote anew unto the Princes of Germany willing them to work against the Emperor what they could Arnold Bishop of Mentz and Eberhard Bishop of Salisburgh reply submitting themselves unto the Pope but excusing the Emperor exhorting him to use more modesty in his Ambassies What stir there followed in the election of the Pope I refer unto its place Frederick had much ado with the Gwelph Cities as the Papalines were then called and subdued many of them especially he brought Millain to ruine Pope Alexander finding no security in the Continent fled unto Venice Here followeth variance among the writers Platina and some others say that the Emperor was forsaken by his own Army that he was necessitated to go into Venice and kiss the Pope's foot Di. Peta in Rati par 1. lib. 8. saith He was discomfited unawares and so brought under Others write that the Emperor had purpose to follow the Pope but first he would be secure of Rome and in the mean time he sent an Army under the command of his Son Otho against the Venetians and charged him to attempt nothing until he himself came nevertheless the yong man more hardy then wise joyneth with the Venetians and being taken was carried unto the Pope at Venice The Pope would not dismiss him unless the Father would submit himself and so the Emperor for love of his Son yieldeth Then as all the writers agree in St. Marks at Venice Frederick kneeled at the Pope's feet expecting no new insolency from the humble servant of servants but the man of pride setteth his foot upon the Emperor's neck and Papal pride said It is written Thou shalt walk upon the Serpent and upon the Basalisk The Emperor saith Not unto thee but to blessed Peter The Pope again Both to me and to Peter The Emperor fearing a new jar held his peace And they agreed That first Alexander should be acknowledged as only Pope Secondly That the Emperor should restore all that he had purchased in time of the Schism Such was the fatal superstition of these times holding mens mindes in darkness and now the Bishop is where he would be not as before on mens shoulders but upon the Emperor's
by his bastard Son Manfred with a pillow Crantz in Saxo. lib. 8. cap 18. The writers testifie that he was endued with excellent gifts albeit the Pope pursued him as an enemy of the Church And they say when they consider the life of Christ and his command to forgive seventy times in a day with the practises of the Popes against the Emperor they are perswaded to think with Aeneas Sylvius that there hath not been a greater calamity in the Church or Commonwealth these many years whereof the Bishops of Rome have not been the Authors and they call this Frederick another Charls the Great He could talk in Arabick Greek Latin French and Dutch languages On his Tomb it was written thus Si probitas sensus virtutes gratia census Nobilitas orti possent obsistere morti Non foret extinctus Fredericus qui jacet intus Jo. Bale saith he may not in this cause believe Blondus Platina Stella or Sabellicus for they report nothing but what was written by the flatterers of the Popes that if it had been possible they might provoke all the world against him but who desireth to know the truth let them read the sixth Book of the Epistles of Petrus de Vineis Haec Marius saith he 4. In the Greek Empire was a great alteration about that time the History The Greek Empire is changed thereof I will set down together for the more clearness Isaacius the Emperor had redeemed his Brother Alexius from the Scythians and advanced him to so great authority that all the affairs of the Empire were at the command of Alexius Here Nicetas Choniat in Annal. lamenteth the condition of that people saying Truth and holiness had failed and because of manifold iniquity love was become cold so that the people left whole Cities and went in colonies into the Lands of the Babarians where they might live more securely for a sober kinde of life was banished by frequent tyrannies and the most part of the Emperors were robbers neither thinking nor doing any thing moderately O glorious Empire of the Romans saith he and majesty which all Nations did admire and adore what Tyrants hast thou endured with what injuries hast thou been afflicted how many have burnt in love of thee what men hast thou embraced and prostituted thy self unto what sort of men hast thou honored with a diadem and purple shoes c. By the way observe here that the Greeks do always call themselves Romans and they called all the western people Latins When the Empire was in this condition Alexius usurpeth the Crown he pulleth out his Brother's eyes and shutteth him in prison An. 1190. Alexius Son of Isaacius fleeth unto Philip Duke of Suevia afterwads Emperor who had married his Sister Irene and he sendeth him at last unto the Pope for help to be restored There this Alexius conformeth himself unto Rome and he promiseth saith Nicetas to change the institutions of the ancient Romans into the corrupt Religion of the Latins The Pope recommendeth him unto certain Princes which then were assembling at Venice to go into Syria to wit Baldwin Earl of Flanders and his Brother Henry Boniface Marquess of Monferrate Lewes Prince of Savoy and others more The Venetians also had an old quarrel against the Greeks and were glad of this occasion Likewise the yong man did swear unto them that he would give them what they did demand even which were impossible oceans of money saith Nicetas Though the Emperor Alexius understood of this preparation he made nothing for resistance So the Latins arrived at Jadara and then came to Epidamnum and they call yong Alexius Emperor to the end the people may the more willingly accept them then they came to Constantinople Theodorus Lascaris Son in law of Alexius made some resistance but Alexius fled and the Italians enter the Town and after nine years imprisonment Isaacius is set upon his throne and his Son Alexius with him Within few days the chief of the Italians sat with them as being saviors of the Commonwealth then the Soldiers plundered the Town sparing neither private houses nor Churches nor the Flemins nor the Pisanes nor the Venetians dwelling there The old Alexius had been deceived by a false response that the East and West should be conjoyned in his time and now the Monks execrable men and hated of God saith Nicet made him believe that God would restore him sight and give him the Monarchy of the world thus he had no other thought but to eat and drink with these Monks And the yong man kept company with the Latins was for the most part in their ships playing at dice carowsing c. From July 18. till January 25. the people were so grievously oppressed that they began to talk of choosing another Emperor the wiser sort said It was not time to attempt the like but the people were so impatient of their oppression that there must needs be another Emperor and they name Nicolaus Canabus who was very unwilling But Ducas Alexius called the proud taketh him prisoner killeth yong Alexius imprisoneth the old man and taketh the Scepter the people were contented He beginneth to treat with the Venetians and other Latins their demands were so high that the Greeks could not or would not assent wherefore they possess themselves of the Town put Ducas to flight and do more harm then the Saracens did at their entering into Jerusalem saith Nicet Then they made fifteen Electors and choose Baldwin Emperor and Thomas a Venetian to be Patriarch who was sent to Rome to get all these things confirmed by the Pope and he reporteth Imperial badges to Baldwin in whose Successors that Empire continued sixty years At that time Creta and Euboea or Nigrepont was given unto the Venetians Boniface was made King of Macedonia and other rewards were given to others All the Greek Empire was subject unto Baldwin except Bithynia Cappadocia and Hadrianople and in them several Greeks had the dominion especially Lascaris about Hadrianople and kept the title of Emperor of Constantinople The Bulgarians invade Thracia and took Baldwin captive and sent him in fetters into Mysia His Brother Henry succeedeth and gave his onely Daughter unto Peter Earl of Altisiodore which succeeded in the Empire at that time when Otho the V. was deposed he was confirmed by Pope Honorius shortly after his election So soon as he returned from Rome he entered in wars with Lascaris and they conclude a peace then he was entrapped in Constantinople and died in prison in the third year of his reign His wife Jole causeth his Son Robert to be received Emperor He fell in love with a yong damsel betrothed unto a Burgonian Knight who had done good service in that Empire and by consent of her mother brought her to his palace The Knight dissembleth for a time and then made an horrible revenge to wit he gathereth his friends and a number of Greeks haters of Robert and cometh by night into the Palace he
the Articles of faith belongeth unto the Pope lineally In a word he refuseth to call the matter into question Immediately he excommunicateth all the Greek Church and he chargeth all Christians to take the sign of the Cross and fight against the Greeks as Turks Then Germanus wrote again unto the Pope shewing the incommodities of discord the naughtiness of his excommunication and his opposition rather then succession unto Peter for Peter did instruct all Pastors to feed the flock of God and to care for it not by constraint but of a willing minde not for filthy lucre but of readiness not as they were Lords As for himself that did appertain unto him said he which is written in chap. 1. of the same Epistle We rejoyce though we be in heaviness through manifold tentations Briefly he entreateth the Pope to look into Christ's Gospel and the Epistles of the Apostles and the Divinity books of ancient writers that whosoever hath gone astray may be reformed seeing they both pretend sincerity of faith and doctrine He wrote also another Letter unto the Cardinals of the Latin Church shewing the utility of Councel seeing God giveth not all wisdom unto one man that men may be united by mutual communication then exhorting unto unity as they had been formerly If we have fallen saith he raise ye us up I mean not a bodily but a spiritual rising at that time they were subject unto the Latins and he waveth to speak of that liberty and we shall confess our selves debtors unto you but if the scandal hath begun at old Rome read what Paul writeth unto the Galathians When Peter came into Antiochia I withstood him to his face for he was worthy of rebuke and nevertheless we may holily judge that that resistance was not a cause of discord but of searching the truth and of deeper disputation for they continued firm in the bond of love conformable in faith and doctrine and no way divided with ambition nor avarice Oh if we were like them Thirdly He sheweth that the Schism of the Church proceedeth onely from the oppression tyranny and exactions of the Roman Church which of a mother is become a step-dame and wholly coveteth to make Nations tributary unto her and to make Kings her vassals and gapeth after gold and silver contrary unto St. Peter who said Gold and silver have I none Fourthly He sheweth what Churches keep the Orthodox faith with the Greek Church to wit the Ethiopians inhabiting the greatest part of the South Syrians Iberi Alani Gothi Charari innumerable people of Russia and the Kingdom of Bulgaria all which acknowledge the Greek Church as their mother He closeth praying that Christ who for our sins became man and is the onely head of the Church would unite the Greek Church with her sister the Latin Church of old Rome in wholesome doctrine and brotherly love When the Pope had read those Letters he sent an Army unto Constantinople under the sign of the Cross to fight against the Greeks Mat. Paris ad An. 1237. Then Germanus and the Patriarch of Antiochia did excommunicate the Pope in their several Synods Among other Articles contrary unto the Bishop of Rome they did consent that Antioch should be preferred unto Rome because Peter sat there and was but crucified at Rome Idem ad An. 1238. Is it any doubt then which of the two Churches can with good reason be called Orthodox seeing the one sought to be tried by the Scriptures and the other would not 11. In the last Diet of Germany gathered at Regensburgh against Pope Eberhard's oration against the Pope Gregory the IX and his Legate Albert Eberhard Bishop of Salzburgh had a Sermon which is in Aventin Annal. lib. 6. and is repeated by many the sum is After the preface concerning love as the badge of Christians whereby they should be distinguished from the Soldiers of the infernal Jupiter he saith Christ our Savior Lord and God hath often forewarned us to take heed of false Christs and false Prophets who being covered with a sheeps skin that is a Christian name and title of high Priest seek to domineer over us and to deceive us he hath taught us to know them by their thorns and works of avarice luxury contention hatred envy wars miseries of discord and ambition by such words what hath the heavenly Emperor more clearly pointed at then the Pharises and Scribes of Babylon unless we be blinde we may see a most cruel wolf under a sheeps skin the title of the high Priest the Romish Priests Flamines take Arms against all Christians by daring and deceiving and raising wars after wars they are become great they kill and massacre the sheep they thrust peace and concord from the earth they bring all men low that they may devour all men and bring all men into slavery they provide not for the good of the flock as a shepheard should do righteousness faileth but impiety covetousness ambition and lust waxeth the weak and good men are a prey unto the wicked and onely bad men are wealthy Christ forbad to hate our enemies and commanded to love them by doing them good to engage them but contrarily the Romanists do violate holythings when they have sworn into a covenant they abuse the name of God and deceive men they are ingrateful unto their benefactors and recompense good with evil deeds and with great shew of piety they deceive betray strive and fight they will have us to resist divine Majesty heavenly providence nature and the supream power which God hath ordained A hundred and seventy years since Hildebrand did first under shew of Religion lay the ground of Antichrists Kingdom he first began this unhappy war which hitherto hath been continued by his Successors first they did exclude the Emperor from their Pontificial Assemblies and transferred them unto the people and Priests then they deluded the people and excluded them also now they would make us slaves that they may reign alone and when they have tasted of Imperial dignity and know both their own and their adversaries power they will pretend the specious shew of erecting the liberty of the Church to domineer and oppress Christian liberty Believe what ye see they will not cease until the Emperor be brought under the honor of the Roman Empire be destroyed true shepheards who would feed the flock be oppressed the dogs who can bark be out of the way and then they will turn all things topsie turvy and domineer over us whether we will or not The supream Majesty took on him the form of a servant and did serve his disciples when he washed their feet but those Flamines of Babylon will nothing but reign and cannot endure an equal they will not cease until they have trod all under their feet and sit in the Temple of God and be exalted above all that is worshipped their hunger of riches and thirst of honors is unsatiable the more ye give unto the avaricious he coveteth the
to tell you plain too much commoved without cause your Fatherhood may consider that the days be evil 1. The holy Land lieth in misery and peril 2. All the Greek Church is departed from us 3. Frederick the mightiest Prince of Christendom is against us 4. Both your Holiness and we are exiled from your Papal seat and thrust out of Italy 5. Hungary and all the Nations thereabout look for nothing but utter ruine from the Tartars 6. Germany is tossed with intestin wars 7. Spain is fierce and cruel against us even to the cutting out of Bishops tongues 8. France is by us impoverished and like to conspire against us 9. Now wretched England so oft plagued by us much like Balaam's ass goared with spurs begineth to complain of her intolerable griefs and we after the maner of Ismael hating all men do provoke all men to hate us ...... Matth. Parisien ad An. 1246. But Innocentius would relent nothing yea made his exaction more grievous and began to excite Lewis King of France to slay or expel King Henry France remembred former times and Lewis refused to vex his Cousin But saith the before named writer the hearts of all men were provoked to mislike the Pope and Church of Rome whereof the one sought to be esteemed a Father and the other to be the Mother of all Churches but he proved a step father and she a step-dame 4. In the year 1222. the in-dwellers of Caithnes refused to pay tenths unto Adam their Bishop and therefore he excommunicated them all then they came into his house and in his chamber they slew a Monk and his Servant and they drew him into his kitchin and burnt him with all the house Pope Honorius rested not till he had caused King Alexander to hang four hundred of them and the Earl of Caithnes hardly obtained pardon albeit he was not accessory unto the deed Boet. lib. 13. cap. 14. About that William Bishop of St. Andrews brought from France some Dominicans Franciscans Jacobines and some Monks called vallis umbrosae these by their crafty insinuations with people did supplant the credit of Priests and drew unto themselves both credit and means of the Ministry and were maintained by the Popes because they studied especially to advance their designs Spotsw Hist p. 43. 5. Nigellus Vireker a learned and much respected Monk at Canterbury writ a Book De abusu Verum Ecclesiae and sent it unto William Bishop of Ely Chancellour of England a man saith Bale most envious In this Book he rebuked not the proud Prelate only but all Teachers under the Tyranny of the Pope because they committed the cure of souls unto children belly-gods and despisers of the sacred Word 6. Walter Mapez Arch-Deacon of Oxford was once sent by King John unto Rome after his return he did write several books against the Pope and his Clergy closely reproving the Pope somtimes under the name of Goliah somtimes of Pluto and shewing manifestly that then Antichrist was reigning in the World He had a fellow with him who made shew of a Pleasant or Rimer but all his rimes were said to be written by Mapez himself In them he plainly paints forth the Roman Court and calleth the Prelats proud beasts The rimes begin thus Roma Caput Mundi sed nil capit mundum Quod pendet à Capite totum est immundum Trahit enim vitium primum secundum Et de sundo redolet quod est juxta fundum Roma capit singulos res singulorum Romanorum Curia non est nisi forum Ibi sunt venalia jura Senatorum Et solvit contraria copia nummorum In hoc Consistorio siquis causam regat Suam vel alterius hic imprimis legat Nisi des pecuniam Roma totum negat Qui plus dat pecuniae meliùs allegat c. Io. Bale In Catalog test verit lib. 14. we find these rimes ascribed unto this Mapez Vide Deus ultionum Vide videns omnia Quod spelunca vespillonum Facta est Ecclesia Quod in Templum Solomonis Venit Princeps Babylonis Et excelsum sibi Thronum Posuit in medio These words are to no sense unless the Temple signifie the Church of Christ and the Prince of Babylon signifie the Pope of Rome 7. An. 1237. was a conference at York between Henry the III. King of England and Alexander the II. King of Scots where they did accord upon the matters of debate between the kingdoms Then Otto the Pope's Legate would go into Scotland for redressing as he said the affairs of the Church But Alexander said unto him I remember not that evera Legate was in my Land neither have I need of one thanks be unto God neither was any in my Father's time nor in any of my Ancestours neither will I suffer any so long as I may Otto returned with King Henry Matth. Parisien Nevertheless this Alexander did suffer Peter Red to take away 3000. pounds for the Pope which no King of Scotland had suffered before Idem ad An. 1240. But Boet. lib. 13. cap. 20. addeth He sent the Earls of Carrict and Athale to accompany Lewis King of France into Syria and he sent unto the Pope a thousand marks lest he should think himself despised 8. Robert Grosshead alias Capito Bishop of Lincoln was the most renowned Bishop of his time a godly man an admonisher of his King a fearfull rebuker of the Pope a bold reprover of Prelates a corrector of Monks a directer and teacher of Priests a favourer of Students a Preacher to the people a defender of fatherless and widows a persecutor of the incontinent a searcher of the Scriptures a lover of truth a hammerer and contemner of the Romans saith Matth. Paris In the year 1237. his own Clarks gave him poison in a drink but as it pleased God he escaped death at that time by help of medicine The Priests which taught not the word of God but human traditions he called the Ministers of Satan theeves of the night robbers in the day corrupters of manners murtherers of souls and Angels of darkness and he called their exemptions snares of the Divel An. 1253. Pope Innocentius sent unto him a Letter commanding him to provide a Canons place for an Italian in his Diocy nihil obstante He returned answer I am most willing to obey Apostolical commandments but those things which are contrary unto the Apostles command I will gain-stand since I am obliged unto both by the command of God ..... The tenor of your aforesaid Letter agreeth not with Apostolical holiness but plainly disagreeth 1. Because by that word non obstante in that and so many other Letters do abound a deluge of inconstancy shamelesness lying deceiving difficulty of trusting any and innumerable other vices following thereupon shaking and confounding the purity of Religion and the quietness of all sociable conversation ..... 2. Except the sin of Lucifer which is also the sin of Antichrist there cannot be a greater sin nor
of your affairs he hath given unto our holy Mother his godly and acceptable confession and hath received the Doctrine of the true Faith from her wherein all men should agree who desire to be saved which also we will declare unto your charity Wherefore beloved Brethren and Sons if it be so as we believe and trust hasten the unity together with us for where can ye be more zealous against tempters then in the bosom of the true Church and under the shield of true salvation and where can ye better refresh your selves then where the fountain of the water of life is open All therefore who are thirsty come unto the waters come buy the wine of sober joy without money and receive milk from the teats of her comfort we trust then that in all things ye agree with us wherefore from henceforth with singular care and love we will provide unto you spiritual Pastors which shall have care of your souls and feed you with the word of truth and example of life and shall not afflict you Moreover concerning the Rites of the Church we will graciously yield unto you with the Apostle in these whatsoever have a good ground and a pure intention the granting of which may tend to your edification and shall not be contrary to the honor of this our holy and true Mother and her communion and obedience for verily we intend to dispense and deal with good will and discretion in the difference of Customs and Rites The Almighty God grant that we may hear as we have heard that many others have likewise received the spirit of true life to the increase and multiplying of the beloved Children of the true Mother and cause you together with us to rejoice in the house of the Church with the same Professions and Rites yea that we may praise him with heart and mouth for ever and ever Amen Given at Constantinople Ianuary 18. An. 1451. Rer. Bohem. autiqui Scriptor pag. 235. Edit Hannoviae An. 1602. 26. George Pogiobratz King of Bohemia was a good Warriour and did not fear the threats of the Pope and Emperour and he restored the ruined estate of the Kingdom Vratislavia and Silesia refused to obey him because he was an Heretick as Cochlaeus speaks Hist Huss lib. 12. But Pius the II. then intending Wars against the Turk did by all means perswade them to yeeld obedience and the King did require the Pope to keep the Compacts of Basil in favours of the Bohemians The Pope refused to grant so much Wherefore the King called the Estates together and protested before that he would live and die in that faith which they did profess and so did the Nobles An. 1462. Cochl ibid. Pope Paul gave that Kingdom unto Matthias King of Hungary and when he was busie against the Turks and had recovered several Towns and had entred into Thracia with good success Rodulph the Pope's Legate drew him back from the Turks to invade the Christians in Bohemia but God protected them against him although he had the aid of the Pope and the Vratislavians and some Cities did accept him yea God defended that Kingdom so that when George died An 1471. and the Pope had stiled Matthias King of Hungary and Bohemia the Estates of Bohemia would not accept him even howbeit he had married the daughter of George before the Wars but hated him for his unnatural usurpation and did chuse Ladislaus the son of Casimire King of Poland And the two sons of Pogiobratz prevailed in Wars against Matthias and the Emperour made them both Dukes This was so offensive unto Matthias that he proclaimed Wars against the Emperour but he was taken away by death Pet. Mexia 27. Stephen Brulifer a Doctor of Sorbone and a Franciscan taught in his lessons and maintained in disputes that neither the Pope nor Councel nor Church can make any Article or Statute to bind the conscience of a Christian that all their authority consists in the urging of obedience unto God's word in preaching it and administring the Sacraments which he hath instituted so that they bring nothing without his command he called justification by merits a Divellish doctrine since the Lamb of God was sacrificed and hath satisfied God's justice for us The Doctours of Sorbone would not suffer him amongst them But he went to Diether Bishop of Mentz which had been deposed for speaking against the avarice of Rome and was restored Fascic rer expet fol. 164. 28. John de Wesalia a Preacher of Worms was delated by the Thomists unto the same Diether he gathered his books and sent them unto the Universities of Colein and Heidleburg to be examined They convened this John before them at Mentz in February An. 1479. After they had viewed his books they found these Articles which they called errours 1. All men are saved freely by the meer grace of Christ through faith 2. We should beleeve the Word of God only and not the glosses of any man 3. God hath from all eternity written in a book all his Elect whosoever is not written there shall never be written in it and whosoever is written in it shall never be blotted out 4. Our Doctours do expound the Scriptures wickedly and falsly 5. Christ never appointed a Fasting nor Festival day neither forbad to eat any meat upon any day 6. When Peter did celebrate the Eucharist he said the Lord's Prayer and the consecration and then did communicate with others but now the Priest must stand an hour and more when he saith Mass 7. They are fools who go in Pilgrimage to Rome for they may find as much good elsewhere 8. The Word of God should be expounded by conferring one Text with another 9. Prelates have no authority to expound Scriptures by any peculiar right given unto one more than to another 10. Mens traditions as Fasts Feasts Pardons set Praiers Pilgrimages and such other things are to be rejected 11. Extream unction confirmation auricular confession and satisfaction are to be contemned They demanded of him several questions as Whether Christ was present bodily in the Sacrament or spiritually He answered Christ's body was there present and the substance of Bread and Wine remain also 2. What he thought of the Procession of the Holy Ghost Ans He beleeved not that he proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one principium because the Scripture speaks not so 3. What he thought of the Vicar of Christ Ans He beleeved not that Christ hath a Vicar for he said Behold I am with you unto the end of the World 4. What he thought of pardons Ans He had written a book wherein he had shewed that the Treasure of the Church cannot be distributed by Popes because it is written Revel 14. Their works follow them After these interrogatories and others of that sort three Doctors were appointed to deal with him privately He said unto them As ye deal with me if Christ were here you would condemn him as an Heretick but he
and Gregory a Confessary Jerusalem named Dionysius and Isidore two Monks then but the one became Bishop of Sardeis and the other of Russia Their Commissions gave them power to substitute a Vicar if any necessity detained them But the Oratours of Basil took exception against the Commissions and they complained unto the Emperour that they tied the Deputies to admit nothing that was not done canonically nor conformable unto former Councels and holy Fathers of the Church nor admit any addition or change or novation of the Creed of Faith This limitation said John the Oratour cannot be accepted for how can I ingage my self to give entertainment unto such Deputies who are so tied If a question be propounded in this manner answer thus and if not you must do nothing Deputies should be left free unto their thoughts and confirm what shall be defined by the Synod you must therefore cause this to be amended or else in my judgement it will not be expedient unto your Majesty to go nor dare I hold up my face in the Synod The Emperour was perswaded to draw up another form of Commission and sent it unto the Patriarchs with his Letters where he said You may not be suspicious of us for we hold the same grounds with you nor will we change in the least from the oecumenial Councels and what we hitherto professed and be ye assured that we will doe no otherwise then as ye would but they must subscribe that form of Commission for the honour of the Synod and of their Deputies When they were come to Ferraria after the complements which were touched before the Patriarch sent the Bishops of Nicomedia and Tornob and the History Writer to see how the place of the Assembly was ordered There Cardinal Julian said unto them Here is the Pope's throne and on either side are seats on the one side for the Latines and on the other for the Greeks since the Synod consisteth of two Nations the Pope must sit in the midst as the chief and tie of both parties They answered Since there be two parties the Pope should sit with his party as the Emperour and the Patriarch are ordered to sit with their party Julian replied There must be a middle tie therefore the Pope must be in midst But said they A middle tie is not necessary or if you will have the Pope in the midst it followeth necessarily that the Emperour and the Patriarch should also be in the midst and sit with him or else they cannot sit Julian said One tie is sufficient to joyn the two parties but two or three cannot make one tie When this order was shewed unto the Emperour and Patriarch they would not be satisfied until that posture was changed and the Pope's throne be set on the side with the Latines And then they could hardly condescend for though the Pope's thrown were set on the side yet he would have a place made for the Emperour of Germany and over against his seat another for the Greek Emperour But the Greek Emperour said Why should a chair be for the German Emperor since there is none and why should the Pope have place distinct and above the Emperours The Patriarch said Why should the Pope be not only before both the Emperors but in so many degrees and accoutrements above mine Then said the Emperour with indignation All these toys are not so much for decorement of the place or for order of the Synod but rather for pride and earthly fancies and far from a spiritual disposition So the Emperours chair was set right over to the Pope's throne and the Patriarch's chair over against the empty seat for the Emperour of Germany There was strife also among the Deputies of the Patriarchs for place In the first Session April 9. nothing was done but they took possession of their places and the Bulls of convocation was read in Latine and Greek and it was condescended that there should be a cessation for four moneths that the Kings and Princes being advertised of their meeting might send their Vice-gerents unto the Synod unless it were private conferences for debating lesser differences In this time the Cardinal Julian invited some Greeks to dinner Some did refuse with fair excuses because the Emperour had forbidden them to argue at any time with the Latines privately or apart but the Bishops of Ephesus and Mitylene were perswaded after much entreating There the Cardinal adviseth the Ephesian to write unto the Pope in commendation of this noble work that he had begun and exhort him to continue in bringing the union to an happy issue He answered It seemeth in my judgement superfluous nor am I fit thereunto nevertheless if you think expedient I shall write and send it unto you and if it please you it may be directed unto the Pope In this Letter he said It were an easie thing unto him to accomplish the union because of his power in the Church and all the Latines yeild blinde obedience unto him as the Successour of Peter if he would but put away the word filioque out of the Creed and leave off the dead Sacrifice of unleavened bread the union would soon be confirmed and all Christians were made one Church So soon as Julian read this Letter he went quickly and delivered it unto the Emperour He was so inraged that he would have called him to account and punishment for it if Bessarion Bishop of Nice had not excused the matter as a slight conceit unworthy of censure and might do annoyance if it were taken notice of judicially Then a conference began of ten Church-men on each side and some Noble-men to sit apart as beholders Of the Greeks were the Bishops of Ephesus Monembasia Nice Lacedemon and Anchial Sylvester Sgurogulus ...... And of the Latines were two Cardinals Julian and of Firma Andrew Bishop of Rhodos c. Cardinal Julian asked Whether they had thought upon means of reconciliation The Bishop of Ephesus answered The best means is truth and if we have truth with us we will never seek another for we cannot finde a better means then truth The Latines would have disputed on the main controversies But the Greeks said That were contrary unto the former agreement They talked of Purgatory And the Bishop of Ephesus demanded Whence have ye that tradition how long time have ye had that opinion what is your opinion concerning it Julian answered The Roman Church had this opinion from Peter and Paul and have kept it always and thus it is ...... The Greeks declared their Doctrine that the souls of the godly receive the good things prepared for them and the souls of the wicked receive punishment untill they receive their bodies again Here John a Spanish Doctour of the Pope's Court propoundeth other questions concerning the being of Angels in a place with what wings do they flie what kinde of fire is that in Hell c. They spent some days upon such questions without any agreement In the
common both in vulgare and Latine rithmes saith Catol test Ver. lib. 19. So while the one sort of the friers strive to beare down the other they ar both deciphered 3. Andreas Proles an Augustinian in Portacoeli by Vueringerod was a devote A. Proles Prophesieth of a Reformation and Zealous Doctour in his Lessons he said Yee heare Brethren the testimonie of the Holy Scripture teaching that by grace wee are whatsoever wee are and by grace we have all that we have Whence then is this so great darknes and so horrible superstitions Alas brethren the Christian Church hath need of great Reformation and indeed I see it approaching The brethren ask him Why doe you not begin the Reformation why doe you not oppose yourself against these errours I am said he an old man weak in body and I ackvowledge I am not endowed with learning eloquence and other gifts requisite for such a worke but the Lord will shortly raise up a Champion able for age learning and activitie which shall begin the work and set him self against these errours God will give him courage to speak unto the great Ones and yee shal find that his ministerie shall doe much good for the Kingdom of the Pope shewes it will shortly fal because it is so high Catol test ver Lib. 19 ex Henning And there it is also that Martin Luther being young heard him preach at Magdeburgh The same Doctor Proles was sent-for to come unto a councell Henningh nameth not the place and there it was propounded to ordain a new feast-day Only Proles spoke against it because sayd he Christian people ar made free by the blood of Christ and yet are burdened with a multitude of traditions The Pope and others would have had him to change that language but he said I will never think otherwise Wherefore the Pope did excommunicat him But he regarded not the sentence and returned home and then he told how he was in many dangers by the way that if the hand of God had not preserved him from many who were set by the Pope against him he could not have escaped Many were moved with the mans zeal and began to vilifie the sentence of excommunication He lived a yeare speaking more frequently against the errours of the Church and then Ernest Bishop of Magdeburgh did solicite that he might be absolved The Pope did yeeld upon condition that Proles should come unto the Pope and a conduct was sent unto him He went and when he was nere unto Rome a Cardinal who had been of the same Augustinian Order meeteth him and told him what was the Popes mind to wards him no good Wherefore the olde man thought it safer to returne and by the way died at Ciclembach An. 1510 and was buried in the monasterie of the Augustinians 4 John hilten a Monk of Isenac in Thuringia spoke against the errours of his brethren they conspire against him and shut him up in prison More prophecyes of Reformation When he becam sick he entreats them to pitie him because of his bodily infirmitie They dealt never the more mercifully with him He said then I have said litle or nothing against you but a bout sixteen years hence this was spoken about An. 1500 one shal come who shal oppose monks and yee shal not be able to resist him Catol test ver ex Philip. Melan. in Apolog. cap. devotis Monast 5. Wolfgang aitinger a Clerk of Ausburgh about the year 1500 wrote Commentaries on the prophecies of Methodius where he oft taxeth the vices of the priests namely the neglect of their Office that they did neither teach nor ad minister the sacraments but did hire Vicares to supplee he said also The seat of Antichrist is not the literal but the spirituall Babylon 6. Sebastian Brand at that time Pastour of S. Marie's the cathedrall Church of Erford preached against the indulgences in this manner Deare friends on this Whitsunday wee lay forth our wares unto you but here is an uncouth merchant bragging that he hath better wares meaning the seller of pardons when he is gone wee will lay forth ours again And against satisfactions he said We have some who will goe to Church and pray sing mutter the hours and say Masse for us but who will goe to hell for us He said also The time is at hand when yee shall hear the gospell read out of the booke it self some of you will see that time but I will not live so long For these and such other words he was forced to flee and went to Magdeburgh 7. Bernard Lublinensis wrot unto Simon a Printer in Cracow An. 1505 commending a Chronicle of Bohem writen by John Pilsensis and having spoken of many rites and changes in the world which some doe approve and others condemn he saith Albeit the simplicitie of faith may easily make us free from these toies that wee may believe these things to be godly which they that sit in Moses Chaire doe command yet the minds of men can not be tied but they will search out truth that the understanding may attain it's proper object if this searching make us guiltie of sin into what miserie are Christians brought which dare not for the decrees of men professe truth itself when it is found If any man in Zeal of religion dar say the Bishop of Rome and others with him have litle regarde unto the Church these flatterers say What will thou caitife open thy mouth against heaven darst thou mutter against the Pope who is most holy and a God on earth But if the same which ar called most holy will set not their mouth only but their hands and feet against heaven and if when they kill men they imagine that they are doing service to God they are so far from speaking against them that they doe commend and magnify their wicked deeds and if one will speak otherwise hee shall feele the fire But in these miseries I have only one refuge that I will believe in Christ and put all my trust in him as for the rites and inventions of men I wil so long bear with them as they are not contrary unto the honour of God yet so that they be inferiour unto the Commands of God and his Gospell without which man can not be saved therefore I believe not that all things which men condemn are condemned with God nor that all things are holy which they call holy for God judgeth otherwise than man judgeth ..... It is impossible that all the World can obey one man it is enough if they believe in Christ Behold I have writen unto thee my thoughts I will stand for nothing except the faith of Christ c. Catal. test Ver. lib. 19. Philip. Mornae hath the same but more briefly 8. After the Councel at Pisa Philippus Decius a Lawier of Millain defended the lawfulness of that Councel against the Pope that seing the Pope is obdured in Simony and infamous for most corrupt
and the rather because he had observed how the Bb. were intending to have in their power the Collation of Benefices preventions advocation of pleas dispensations absolutions and such other things all which with a great part of the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction the Romane Court had drawn unto themselves to the prejudice of the Prelates Therefore he bendeth himself to divert Charles from that purpose and saith A councell will be prejudiciall unto his Emperial authority for there be two sorts of people infected with that Lutheran pest the commons and the Princes the Commons are bewitched with the allurements of their teachers but a Councell is not a mean to deliver them from these enchantments but it will rather open a doore unto them to attempt greater liberty and they will rather bow under authority when they are pressed with your decrees if they obtain liberty to search into the power of the Church they will by and by pry into your Secular power therefore it is easier to refuse their first demands then if you once yield unto them to resist their rushing afterwards with any reason As for the Princes they make no account of piety or Gods worship but gape for the Church-goods and absolute dominion that when they are quitt of the Pope they may next shake themselves free of your yoke possibly as yet they have not seen these mysteries but if they shall once smell of them they will assuredly aime at this marke It is true the Pope shall suffer great losse if Germany fall away but the losse of Austria shall be more and therefore while the greater part of the Princes are still at your devotion you must looke to it in time and no way suffer the edge of your authority to be blunted remedy must be speedily applied before the number of the rebells increase or they understand the advantages of their falling away and nothing is more contrary unto celerity than a Councell for it requires a long space of time in which no thing can be effectuated and many impediments must be removed arising from the manifold pretenses of men intending to retarde hinder or to make the Councell null and those are many I know they say The Popes have no liking of a Councell for fear of curtailing our power but that respect did never enter into my mind for I know that our authority is from Christ immediatly according to his promise The gates of hell shall not prevail against thee and I have learned by experience of former times that Papall authority was never minished by a Councell but rhe Fathers being obedient unto Christs word did acknowledge that we are absolute or tied no way Or if any Pope in humility or modesty or upon any other account have not used their just power they have been entreated by the Fathers to resume their place If you will read antient records you will find that when a Councell hath been called against hereticks or upon any other occasion the Popes have always increased in their power And if we would lay aside the promise of Christ which is the only foundation of our power and speak only of humane reason seing a Councell consists of Bishops the authority of the Pope is necessary unto them that under it as a buckler they may be safe from the iniuries of Princes people Yea and Kings and Princes which know the art of ruling are most Zealous of Apostolicall authority because they have no other way to suppresse Bishops And I know as certainly as if I were a prophet what shall be the issue of a Councell for they who cry for it if their opinions be condemned will devise some what against itsauthority and so your Cesarean power being weak in other Nations already shall turn to nothing in Germany but the Papall power though it faile in Germany shall increase in other places of the world You may believe mee the rather that you see I make no account of my own interest but only to see Germany restored unto the Church and due obedience rendred unto Caesar Nor can this be unless you go quickly into Germany and by your authority put the Bull of Pope Leo and the Edict of Worms into execution c. It became not the Frier Julius Medices this was his name ere he was Pope and farre lesse Pope Clement to use such reasons saith Pe. Soave but he meaneth such a heap of lies but they prevailed with Charles because he was aiming at a more absolute power than his grandfather or his great-grandfather could attain but especially he was so advised by his Chancellor Cardinall Mercurius Gattinara unto whom the Pope had made many large promises namely a red Cape unto one of his cousines at the next election And Clemens sent a Nuntio unto King Ferdinand with charge to deale earnestly with him that there be in the Diet no dispute nor determination in matters of religion nor any decree for calling a Councell and because he knew that Ferdinand was of greatest credite in Germany to have his favour he gives him power to lay a tribute upon the Church-men in Germany for advancing the warr against the Turke as also to apply unto this use whatsoever Silver or Gold there is on the ornaments of the churches Of the Diet at Ausburg it followes in C. 3. Sect. 27. When Clemens understood what was done there it vexed him that the Emperour had suffered the Confessions to be read publickly that he had determined any thing in matters of religion but more that the Prelates had given way and it grieved him most of all that the Emperour had promised a Councell and determined the time which belongeth to the Pope alone and so now the first place is given unto the Emperour and the Pope hath but the second place And hence he did conclude that seing so litle hope was appearing from Germany he must think on another remedy and seing what is done can not be undone he resolves to conceall that it is against his will but will rather commend it as done by his authority And so Decemb. 1. he writes unto Kings Princes that he thought to have extinguished the Lutheran heresy by the presence of Caesar in Germany but seing now he understands that they are rather hardned he had resolved by advice of the Cardinals to call a Councell as his predecessours had done in such cases and he exhorts them either to come personally or prepare their deputes when he shall determine of the time and place in Italy But saith Pe. Soave few were deceived with this fraud seing all men knew that such an inuitation to a Councell whereof neither time nor place was defined was but an affected imposture In prosperity and adversity this Machivilian sate 11. years when he was dead the Court had no small joy because of his avarice austerity and cruelty that he had exerced continually but especially in time of his sicknes so that he was odious unto many saith Pe.
tolerated that good may spring out of them as neither did the followers of Luther pretend these scandals grievances flowing from the Romane Court and though they had done it they should not forsake Catholick unity but rather in the highest patience have suffered the most grievous extremities and therefore they should even now put that Edict into execution as the Apostolicall See is ready to relieve Germany of their uniust oppressions by the Romane Court if there be any As for the Annates seing the Pope will give an answer in due time he hath nothing to say But concerning their petition of a Councell he thinks it will be accepted by the Pope if they will smooth their words which seem to be harsh to wit that they require the consent of the Emperour and that it be called into one place rather than in another if these words be not smoothed they seem to curb the Popes power and so can bring no good effect c. This reply in these and other particulars was not acceptable for they did measure good and evill by the rule of gain unto the Roman Court and in the mean time they would amend in nothing but only in words of vain promises Therefore after deliberation they resolue that they will not depart from their former answer but will rather expect what the Pope will do Then the Seculare Princes begin to consider the manifold Grievances of the Nation flowing not from the Court only but from the whole body of the clergy When the Legate heares of this purpose he will stay no longer Nevertheless they go on and gather them which afterwards were called The bundred grievances of Germany and sent them unto the Court of Rome with a protestation that they could endure them no longer Some of the Grievances were the vast sums of money for dispensations absolutions and indulgences advocations of pleas from Germany to Rome Reservation of Benefices corruptions of Commenda's Annates exemption of guilty Church-men from Civill Courts uniust excommunications and interdictions the bringing of severall pleas unto Church-consistories covered with many pretexts c. and they reduce all unto three chief heads the oppression of the people with most grievous bondage Germany is spoiled of wealth and they usurpe the power of the Magistrate The Diet was dissolved March 6. An. 1523. and all these the Popes Brieve and his instructions the answer of the Princes the Legat's reply and the Grievances were printed and spread When they were brought to Rome it did gall the Court that by the Popes confession they were called the fountain of all these evills and the Prelates could not endure that they were brought into contempt and that the people now had not only cause to revile them but the Lutherans had matter of joy exultation and they were brought into inevitable necessity to loose their power and gain else it were cleare that they were incorrigible Who did favour the Pope made excuse that he was ignorant of the policies whereby Papall power and the authority of the Court had stood so long Pope Leo was more wise when the Germanes had blamed the Court he said It was their ignorance and mistaking so that if Luther had been sent to Rome when it was required he had not seen abuses there But in Germany they said The Popes confession was but a trick of that Court to confesse a fault and promise amendement and never to think of amending and so deceive people for their own interest And where the Pope sayd All things can not be Reformed at once they said merrily he will proceed so slowly that an age may slip betwixt the first and next step And nevertheless saith Pe. Soave Hadrian professed freely and ingenuously that the Church was corrupted and he was solicitous of remedies as appeares by the issue he died September 13. In that Edict or Answer of Nurembergh were also other particulares which the Germans did expound diversly according to their affections as where it was said Preachers shall not speak of such things that may raise broils among the people The Papists said the meaning is These things should not be repeated that Luther had taught and especially the pretended errours of Church-men On the other side who where desirous of Reformation said The meaning of the Diet is Priests should not mantain these abuses which heretofore had provoked the people against Church-men Again where it was said They shall preach the Gospell according to the doctrine of Doctours approved by the Church the Papists said The meaning is they should preach nothing but according to the late Schoolmen and the Postillators But others said By such Writers were understood the Fathers of the Primitive Church as Hilarius Ambrose Augustin Hierome and such And so that Edict which was supposed to quench the fire of controversies did inflamme them more and all good men saw a necessity of calling a Councell and that parties should submit thereunto Pe. Soave in histo Concil The adversaries of truth devise another The wranglings of monks trick against the Reformation to wit they traduce the opposite doctrin with maligne interpretations as when Luther said Christ hath satisfied for our sins and our works are not satisfactory unto Divine justice the Monks say The new preachers are enemies of good works as if faith alone were necessary unto salvation and as if it were alike whether we live holily or not When Luther said None is tied necessarily to confesse all his sins unto a priest the Monks said They make no confession unto God nor man In a word as Erasmus writes in Epist in Pseude-Evangel dated Friburg An. 1529. the Monks and Divines through cruelty of nature or foolishnes or for gain or hope or honour or privat malice did most cruelly accuse them not only of frivolous things and which might be disputed on both sides but most perversly they did miss-interprete what was well spoken And this was another spurre to provoke their followers to execute the Edict of Worms the same year Therefore said Erasmus Io. cit Before this time was some licence to dispute of the Popes power of indulgences and of purgatory but now we dar not speak of things that are godly and true we are compelled to believe that man of himself worketh meritorious works and by his works deserves eternall life ex condigno that the Blessed Virgine may command her son to hear the prayers of this or that man and many other things horrible unto godly eares John Prince of Anhalt began to affect the truth and did advertise Luther by Do. Hierom and a Franciscan that he should purge him of that calumny which Ferdinand Duke of Austria had imputed unto him in Norinbergh that he had said Christ was not the seed of Abraham Charles Duke of Savoy was very desirous of truth and purity Luther understanding it by Annemund Coct a French Knight writes unto him a Confession of faith to confirme him in the
because the difference is mainly in religion he adviseth that they would cause a few good and peaceable men on each side to treat of the controversies amicably and when they shall agree the particulares may be referred unto the Estates to be decerned by them and the Popes Legate so that the Decree of Ausburgh An. 1530. may stand Sleidan The first question of chusing such persons spent some dayes the Emperour sought and obtained from both parties the naming of the men and promised that he would do nothing but what might be for the good of both For the Papists he nameth John eckius Julius Pflugius Jo. Gropper On the other side he nameth Melanthon Bucer Jo. Pistorius these he did admonish to lay aside private affections and look only unto Gods glory He named also Frederik Prince Palatin and Granvellan Presidents and others as witnesses When these did meet Granvellan gives them a book which said he was writen by good and learned men and presented unto Caesar as convenlent for reconcilation he biddeth them read and weigh it shew what articles they can accord on what they dis-allow amend it and wherein they consent not study a conciliation The book contained 22. heads of the creation of man and his estate before the fall of free-will of originall sin Iustification the Church and notes thereof the interpretation of Scripture the sacraments the sacrament of orders baptisme confirmation eucharist pennance marriage exextrem unction charity hierarchy articles that are determined by the Church the use rites and administration of the Sacraments discipline of the Church discipline of the people Lu. Osiander saith The writer of the book was not altogether Popish he had written soundly of justification and some other articles When they had examined the heads they agree in some and they amend some with common consent they agree not on the heads of the Church and her power the Eucharist the enumeration of sinns orders of Saints use of the whole Sacrament and single life They render the book as they had amended it and the Protestants adde their judgement of the articles wherein they did not agree The Emperour commendeth them for their diligence and exhorts them to continue the same way if they shal be further employed And he reported in the publick meeting of the Estates what was done Pe. Soave saith The bb which are the greatest part of that Diet reject both the book and all that was done and because the Electors and Catholick Princes which loved peace did not consent unto them then Caesar as the Church's advocat dealt with the Legate to approve what heads they had agreed on and would expound what was dubious and also with the Protestants that they would not stoppe the way of further reconciliation The Legate answereth in write I use the words of Soave but ambiguous lyke the old oracles He had read the booke and the annotations and the Protestants exceptions and he thinks that seing the Protestants have departed from the consent of the Church yet there is hope that by the help of God they may be brought unto consent as for other things nothing more is to be decerned but to be referred unto the Pope and the Apostolick See he will call a councel shortly or take some other course convenient for the time and will use diligence to do what is expedient unto the Christian world and namely of Germany And to testify that he was desirous to have the clergy reformed he calleth all the bb into his lodging and exhorts them unto their duty to bewar of all scandals al shew or suspicion of Luxury covetousnes ambition that they govern their families seing by that the people do judge of a Bishops manners that they should dwell in the most populous places of their own Diocies that they may attend their flock and where they live not they should send faithfull Ministers that they visite their Provinces bestow priesthoods on good sufficient men distribute the Church-goods to the use of the poore appoint pious learned temperate and not-contentious preachers to teach the people have care to breed the youth in good arts seing upon this account the protestants do allure the children of the Nobility unto them He caused this speech be written and gave it unto Caesar the bb and Princes The Protestants declare their judgement of both these writes and said unto the Emperour If they had keept silence they might have been judged to have approved both In the publick meeting the Emperour shewes the Legates answer and seeing no more can be done for the time he propoundeth that they would advise whether without prejudice of the Decree at Ausburgh these heads wherein the Collocutours had consented may be received as truly Christian and no more to be controverted untill a generall councel shortly to conveen which seemes to be the Legat's mind or if there be no councel untill the next Diet of the Estates The Elector Princes do consent it should be so because there is more appearance to agree in other points if these be ratified and they entreat the Emperour to continue even now the further agreement if he can or if not that he would deal for a General or National councel in Germany The Protestants answer to the same purpose and adde that as they had alwayes desired a free councel in Germany so they can never consent unto such a one wherein the Pope and his party shal have the power of cognoscing and judging the cases of religion But the Bb. and some Popish Princes do flatly oppose and professe they will not consent unto any change but by authority of a coucel to be called by the Pope And they were the more adverse because they thought the Emperours overture was in favours of the Protestants Then Contaren hearing that the Emperour had commended him as consenting unto the accommodation of the Collocutours they goeth unto Charles and complaines that his answer was altogether mistaken as if he had consented unto these conciliations untill a Councel for his mind is that no matters of religion can be concluded in such meetings but all must be referred unto the Pope as the faithfvll Pastor and Universall Bishop July 28. the Emperour referreth all unto a councel for which he promiseth to deal with the Pope and if it can not be obtained he promiseth to appoint another Diet within 18. months to end the differences of religion and in the Interim he forbiddeth any more alterations and suspendeth the Decree of Ausburgh Soave lo. cit Then the Protestants promise their aid against the Turk and interceed for the Duke of Cleve who had offended the Emperour by invading Gelderland That summer King Ferdinand besieged Buda in Hungary the Queen a widow sent unto the Turk for aid who came repulsed Ferdinand and took Buda to himself Then Ferdinand held a Convention of the Estates in Prague where the Nobility of Austria did supplicate for a Reformation of their Churches
Church of Christ it is also certain that of old so far as the memory of the Church is extant that the chief authority in the whole Church was given unto the Roman Bishop as the Successor of Peter and possessing of his chaire which may be demonstred by innumerable testimonies of the most antient and grave men both Greek and Latine as Irenaeus Tertullian Optatus Jerom Ambrose Basile Chrysostom Augustin unto whom the Ecclesiastical Histories and Decrees of Councels agree and I think there had never been controversy among us for this point unless the Romane Highpriests had abused this authority unto some kind of domineering and had stretched it through ambition and covetousness beyond the bounds that were prescribed by Christ and the Church but this abuse of the Pontifician power which the flatterers did at first enlarge beyond measure gave occasion to think amiss of yea and to fall off altogether from that Pontifician power which he had by universal consent of the whole church which I think may be recovered if he would return unto the bounds that were prescribed by Christ and the antient church c. Here are fair pretences but no less untrue for the Augustan Confession requires no such obedience nor did Christ prescribe it no nor the vniversal Church as the preceeding part of this history shew clearly was not this the main strife betwixt the Greek and the Latines and did not the African church oppose it neither do any of those named antients avouch it as is cleared in many polemicall treatises In some articles he neither blameth the Confession nor can excuse the Roman Church as on the 12. article he saith From the custom of canonical punishments which were publickly enioyned unto the penitents for a prescribed time indulgences were hatched for when the Bishops saw the diligence or weakness of repentants they might deal the more courteously meekly with them and diminish some thing of the time or of the rigor of the punishments which abaiting of the canonical punishments was called Indulgence and now it is brought into privat satisfactions and from the Bishops it is turned unto the Roman highpriest only that he hath the full power of indulgences concerning the use and exercise of which every one of the best sort hath wished that there were a moderation and correction because they have been the main cause of this renting of the Church here saith he it were to be wished that the Roman highpriests would yeeld somewhat for common peace On the 16 article he saith What is spoken of the Magistrat and civill things is every way to be allowed that lawfull civil ordinances are the good works of God that it is lawfull unto Châ—istians to be Magistrats to ordain punishment by law to warre righteously c. The doubt only remaines of the Office power of the Magistrat in Ecclesiastical things here is excess on both hands some asscribing too little and some too much unto Civil power for some exclude Princes and Magistrats from all medling with Ecclesiastical things and others make all ecclesiastical administration subject unto the power of the Magistrat But in this question that should be without controversy that the power of the Emperour and other Christian Princes is no less or inferior in a Christian Republick then was in old times the power of Kings in the commonwealth of Israel and it is manifest by the Divine Scriptures what was their Office in preserving the Divine law and promoving the Divine worship for by a Divine law the reading of Deuteronomy is commended unto them not only that thereby they should order their privat life rightly and holily but likewise to preserve the Divine lawes in vigor and without violation and the examples of the godly Kings who are commended in the Scriptures declare this clearly who finding the will of God in his law commanded the priests and Levites to restore Divine worship as it is prescribed in Divine law c. Of the processions as they are called on the 22 article he saith The custom of carrying the bread of the Eucharist conspicuously in publick pompe is besides the mind and manner of the antients and seemes to have been begun but lately for those had this mystery in such Religion that they would admit none either to the receiving or beholding it but the believers whom they judged to be members of Christ and worthy of the partaking so great a mystery therefore before the consecration Catechumeni energumeni the penitents and all who did not communicate were set forth by the voice of a deacon and ministry of the door-keepers Wherefore it seemes the custom of Circumgestation may well be omitted c. On the 24 article he saith Whereas they complain of privy Masses it is not without reason if thereby they understand the Masses wherein the priest only takes the sacrament and there is no distribution of the mysteries which when it began in some monasteries was forbidden as is clear in a canon of the Nanneten councel c. The Belgick Index expurgatorius hath not spared other of this mans works as his Scholia on the hymns on that which beginneth Nocte surgentes in the edition at Colen An. 1556. it is in page 48 and in the edition at Paris 1616. in Fol. it is Page 179 it is said Cumsuis sanctis mereamur aulam Ingredi coeli the Scholia say The word mereri is one almost among the Ecclesiastical Writers with consequi seu aptum idoneumve fieri ad consequendum which Mereri what it signifieth appeares by one passage of Cyprian besides many more for where Paul saith 1. Tim. 1. I have obtained mercy and it is usually read misericordiam consecutus sum or as Erasmus translates it misericordiam adeptus sum Cyprian in epist ad Iuiaban reades it misericordiam merui and there be many passages in the Offices and prayers of the Church where this word should be taken in this sense if this notion of that word were held many places which seem harsh would appeare more pleasant and usefull In the next Scholi or anotation he saith These words super hanc petram we should understand Peters confession saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the living God This was the exposition of Augustin and Ambrose followes it elsewhere confessing that it is not the person of Peter but his faith on which the Church is builded and against which the gates of hell shall not prevail sor faith saith he is the foundation of the Church seing it is said not of the flesh of Peter but of his faith The gates of death shall not prevail against it but his confession overcomes hell Hereunto agreeth that of Cyrill I think that the Rock is no other but the unmovable and most sure faith of the disciple on which the Church of Christ is so founded and fastened that it can not fail and abides for ever unvincible by the gates of hell And therefore when Ambrose calles Peter
adultery or other crimes and continue in them V. Of the law and the gospell they say Whatsoever in the holy Scripture is against sin belongs unto the law and the gospell properly is the doctrine teaching what man who hath not satisfied the law should believe to wit that Christ hath satisfied for all our sins and hath obtained remission but in a large sense the doctrine of repentance may be called the gospell And they condem it as pernicious and false to say The gospell properly is the doctrine of repentance or that it is not the only preaching of Gods grace VI. concerning the use of the law Albeit believers be free from the curse and coaction of the law yet they are not lawless but the law must be preached both unto the unconverted and converted yet with this different issue that those who obey for fear of the curse are said to do the works of the law and who being regenerat do obey willingly as if there were no curse nor reward are said to obey the law of Christ and the law of the mind neither are they under the law but under grace VII concerning the Lord's Supper they first condem those as crafty and deceiving Sacramentarians who believe the true presence of the very substantial and lively body and blood of Christ and that the presence and eating of it is spiritual by faith next they hold that the body and blood of Christ is truly and substantially there and is truly distributed with the bread and wine and received not only by them who come worthily but by the unworthy albeit by the one sort unto their confort and the other to their judgement and damnation unless they repent And the grounds of this their faith are 1. Jesus Christ is very God and man in one person undivided and inseparable 2. the right hand is every where and Christ in his manhood is set at the right hand of God 3. the words of the institution are not false 4. God knowes many wayes and can be present as he pleaseth neither is he tied to that only way which the philosophers call Local And so the body of Christ is present not only spiritually but also bodily yet not Capernaiticaly but in a spirituall and heavenly manner in respect of the sacramental union Thirdly they condem Popish transsubstantiation the sacrifice the refusing of the cup c. VIII of the person of Christ they say albeit the Godhead and manhood of Christ retain their several properties yet they are vnited personaly not as two planks conioined but as iron and fire or he soul and the body Wherefore among other articles they condem them who hold that only the manhood suffered and only the Godhead is present with us in the sacrament and in all our crosses or that this presence is not in respect of his manhood and the Sone of God doth not all the works of his omnipotency in and with and by his manhood and Christ in respect of his manhood is not capable of omnipotency and other Divine properties IX Concerning Christ's descending into hell they say It should not be curiously disputed but be believed simply that he descended into hell and overcame the power of death and Satan but when and how it can not be known in this life X. concerning Eclesiastical ceremonies which are not commanded nor forbidden in the Worde they say those are not any part of Divine worship and may be changed as the edification of the Church in several times and places shall require yet without levity and scandal and in time of persecution when a constant confession is required nothing should be yielded unto the enemies of the gospell or for their sake XI Concerning eternal predestination first they distinguish between prescience and predestination prescience say they is common to the estate of the godly and ungodly and is not the cause of sin in any man but predestination or election concerneth the godly only this can not be searched among the hid decrees of God but in the reveeled word which teaches that God hath shut up all men under unbelief that he might have mercy on all and willeth not that any man should perish but rather that all men should repent and believe in Christ neither is any saved but who believe in him And where it is said Many are called but few chosen it is not to be so understood as if God would not have allmen to be saved but to shew that the cause of the damnation of the wicked is their not-hearing or contempt of Gods word And they have no mention of reprobation They have a twelth Head against the heresies of Anabaptists Arians and Antitrinitarians This book was the occasion of an open separation The next year the Divines of the Palatinate reply under the name of Admonitio Neostadiana confirming the ortho doxe doctrine concerning the Person of Christ and the Supper shewing the false imputations of errors examining the authority and true sense of the Augustan Confession discovering the indirect means of penning and seeking subscriptions of that book and demonstrating the uniust condemnation of the true doctrine When this book was published some that had subscribed the former book declared that they had subscribed with limitations and not absolutely as the book was published and they recalled their subscriptions and the contrivers of that book replied under the title Apologia Erfurtensis So much was written pro and con The points wherein they insist most were the question of the Lord's Supper the communication of the Divine attributes unto the manhood and vniversal grace Unto those of the Palatinate were joyned the Princes and Ministers of Anhalt and Nassaw the Helvetians and many Cities of Germany besides those of other Nations Untill this day it is cleare that those Vbiquitaries inveigh most bitterly against their adversaries and impute many errors unto them falsely by which two means they a lienate the simpler sort from all reconciliation This difference occasioned the compacting of the Harmony of Confessions After that time there were other Conferences between these parties but all in vain V. In Constantinople the Muffti or highpriest of the Turks dealt with Troubles in the Greek Church Amurathes to take all the churches of the city from the Christians The Greeks Armenians and other Christian Nations did interceed in the contrary alledging the liberty that was granted by Mahomet 2. and others his successors The Muffti answered That liberty was granted when few Turks were in the city but now when there be so many of their own Religion Christians should have no place within the walls Two churches were taken from them and Amurathes turned all his wrath against the Patriarch and caused lead him in an iron-chain through the city and then banished him unto Rhodes Sundry causes were alledged as that he had caused the Christians receive the new Calendare of Rome to the scandal of many he had pronounced a Sentence of divorcement against a Noble
this realm the word Governor doth sever the Magistrat from the Minister and shewes a manifest difference between their offices for bishops be not Governor of the countries Princes bee that is Bishops bear not the sword to reward or revenge Princes do bishops have no power to command or punish Princes have After two leafes he saith We teach that God in delivering the sword to Princes hath given them this direct charge to provide that aswell the true Religion be maintained in their realms as civil justice ministred and hath to this end allowed Princes full the power to forbid prevent and punish in all their subjects be they lay men Clercks and Bishops not only murders thefts ........ And the like breaches of the second table but also schisms heresies idolatries and all other offences against the first table pertaining only to the service of God and matters of religion And page 202. Philander saith I will never confess Princes to be supream for he that judgeth on earth in Christs steed is above them all Theoph. Now you come to the quick this very claim was the cause why the word Supream was added to the oath for that the bishop of Rome takes upon him to command and depose Princes as their lawfull and superior Iudge To exclude this wicked presumption we teach that Princes be supream rulers we mean subject to no superior Iudge to give a reason of their doings but only to God c. Most clearly hath Iames Usher Archbishop of Armagh opened this oath in a Speach in the Star-chamber of Irland when he was bishop of Meath there he saith Concerning the positive part of the oath we are taught from 1. Pet. 2. 13. 14. to respect the King not as the only governor of his dominions simply for we see there be other governors placed under him but Hoos HUPERECHONTA that is according to the tenure of the oath as him who is the only supreme governor of his realms Upon which ground we may safely build this conclusion Whatsoever power is incident to the King by vertue of his place must be acknowledged to be in him Suppream there being nothing so contrary to the nature of Soveranity as to have another superior power to overrule it 2. Consider that for the better establishing of piety and honesty among men and the repressing of profanness and other vices God hath established two distinct powers upon earth one of the keies committed unto the Church the other of the sword committed unto the Civil Magistrat That of the keies is ordained to work upon the inner man having immediat relation to the retaining or remitting of sins Johan 20. vers 23. That of the sword is appointed to work upon the outward man yeelding protection unto the obedient and inflicting external punishment upon the rebellious and disobedient By the former the spiritual officers of the Church are enabled to govern well to speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority to loose such as are penitent to commit others unto the Lords prison untill their amendement or to bind them over unto the judgement of the great day if they shall persist in their wilfulness and obstinacy By the other Princes have an Imperious power assigned by God unto them for the defence of such as do well and executing wrath upon such as do evill whether by death banishment .... When Peter who had the keies committed unto him made bold to draw the sword he was commanded to put it up as a weapon that he had no authority to medle with And on the other side when Uzziah the K. would venture â—pon the execution of the Priests office it was said unto him It apperiaines not unto thee Vzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but unto the priests ... 2. Chr. 26. Let this therefore be our second conclusion The power of the sword and of the keies are two distinct ordinances of God and that the Prince hath no more authority to enter upon any part of the execution of the priests function then a priest hath to intrude upon any part of the office of the Prince In the third place observe that the power of the Civil sword the supream mannaging where of belongs unto the King alone is not to be restrained to temporal causes only but by Gods ordinance is to be extended likewayes unto all spiritual things and causes That as the spiritual rulers do exercize their kind of government in bringing men into obedience not of the duties of the first table only but also of the second So the Civil Magistrat is to use his authority also in redressing the abuses committed against the first table as against the second that is alswell in punishing an heretick an idolater as a thief and traitor and in providing by all good means that such as living under his government may lead a quiet and peaceable life in godliness and honesty And howsoever by this mean we make both Prince and Priest to be in their severall places Custodes vtriusque tabulae yet we do not confound their offices for albeit the matter where in their government is exercised may be the same yet the manner of government is different the one reaching to the outward man only and the other to the inward the one binding or loosing the soul and the other laying hold on the body and things belonging thereunto the one having speciall reference to the judgement of the world to come and the other respecting the present retaining or loosing of some of the comforts of life .... But here it will be said The words of the oath being generall that the King is the only Supream governor of this realm and of all other his Dominions how can it appeare that the power of the civil sword only is meant by that Government and that the power of the keies is not comprehended therein I answer 1. that where a Civil Magistrat is affirmed to be Governor of his dominions by common intendment this must be understood of a Civil Government and may not be extended to that which is of another kind 2. where an ambiguity is concieved in any part of an oath it ought to be taken according to the understanding of him for whose satisfaction the oath was ministred But in this case it hath been sufficiently declared by authority that no other thing is meant for in the book of articles agreed upon by the bishops and clergy in the convocation holden at London An. 1563. thus we read Where we attribute to the Queens Majesty the chief Government by which title we understand the mindes of some slanderous folks to be offended we giue not to our Prince the ministring either of Gods word or of the sacraments the which thing the Iniunctions lately set forth by Elisabet our Queen do also most plainly testify but that only prerogative which we see to have been given alwayes to all godly Princes in the holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all
two desire to be marryed because they have attestation of two insuspect witnesses which testify that they heard the first mans Captain declare that he was slain in Denmark on such a day of Aprile last Whither may these parties be married In respect they are guilty of adultery and so had sinned before they knew of the mans death they should not be marryed II. A. man being forewarned that he should not marry his uncl's wife was marryed in the Chapell-Royall What order should now be taken with them Their names should be delated unto the Migistrate that they may be punished as incestuous III. Severall persons are divorced for adultery and the offending parties seek marriage Ans All Ministers should be admonished that they marrie none such under pain of deprivation 5. It is ordained that every Superintendent shall cause summon all bishops abbots or whatsoever Benefiâ—â—d persons being of the Church who receive tiths and feed not a flock as their charge and where no Superintendent is that the nearest Superintendent shall send his letter to the Minister next adiacent To summon such persons to compear at the next generall assembly to hear and know the ordinance of the Church in that case By the first particular of this assembly and the Supplication it appears that the Queen would yeeld somewhat to Protestants and Papists for her own ends and The history of Reformat shewes that the arch b. went to Edinburg in January following having the company of 100. horsemen or more intending to take possession according to his late gift but when three or four of the Counsell went to him and told him if he attempt to do it trouble may arise he was persuaded to desist Next from that Letter unto the Bishops of England it appeares what sturre was there at that time as also the same year 5. cal Jul. Beza wrote his eight epistle unto the Bishop of London Against the reinducing of Popish abolished rites it is long but I shall only touch some passages of it I think saith he that men should not desert their churches for such vestures but first I do judge that many things in themselves indifferent are to be reckoned among superstitions or certainly among these things that tend to superstition because of the opinion of worship which can not be eschued Next it is to observed that some things may be suffered for the infirm Not a These rites had bin left off which when they are once removed should not be restored at all because thus were not to trke away weakness but rather to increase it when it is in some measure taken away and as it were to recall it when it is away and therefore I marvell not that some are more nice to restore things than they were before these were removed And further it is a vainthing to pretend infirmity in that Kingdom where the Gospell had been preached and received so many years and confirmed with the blood of so many excellent Martyres for if the Apostle did justly rebuke the Galatians that when they had begun in the Spirit they would return to the flesh how much tather might that be said of you Englishes if when yee have begun in the Spirit yee would fall back not as they unto flesh that is the rites of Moses whereof God was the Author but unto nugas quisquilias the trifles of humane traditions which God forbids And this I will not say that if these do sin which chuse to leave their churches rather than suffer such things to be thrust upon them against their consciences these are far more guilty before God and his Angels who will have flocks deprived of their Pastors and the foundation of horrible dissipation laid in the Churches being deprived of their Pastors rather than see ministers otherwise blameless cloathed in this habite rather than that and hungrie sheep shall have no food if they will not take it with geniculation or bowing of knees Beza speakes there as also in his twelth epistle more largely and of other particulares but all such writing was in vain for some bishops continued in their wilfulness as appeares by an epistle of Zanchius written from Heidlberg Septemb. 10 1571. at the order of that religious Prince Palatine as he writes unto Queen Elisabeth where he saith To bring back these rotten raggs and other rubbish of the Popish Church at this time into the Church what is it els but to give a fair occasion unto the Papists to harden themselves and their followers in their superstitions and truly as it were to push them thereunto let us then hearken what the Prophet said unto Josaphat aiding A chab Dar thou help the wicked and love them which hate the Lord therefore wrath from the Lord shall be upon thee And what other is this but to call back the weak from the studie of pure religion and privily bid them return into Egypt for infirm persons are easily brought back into impiety seing naturally wee are inclined unto superstition c. V. Before I goe fore ward let us mark the speciall providence of God in The admirable providence of God seen in the Reformation of Scotland Reforming the Church of Scotland as hath been declared and that in two particulares I. the Ministers were wrestling in zeal of the Reformation both of Doctrine and manners wrestling I say with pouerty and against wordly power yet not by violence but by cleaâ—ing fast to Gods word by supplications both unto God and to the aduerse power for excepting John Erskin who was an antient Baron all or most part of these Ministers were of no patrimony John Knox had waited on George wishart the Martyre John rowe was a Frier at Rome and was sent An. 1559. as Nuntio into Scotland and when he sawe the differences in the country in steed of agenting the Pope's business he turned preacher John Craig was a Dominican at Bononia where finding the Institutions of John Caluin he embraces the truth in them and one day conferring with an old man in the Monastery he was confirmed by him in the same truth but withall was warned that he make not his mind known because the times were perilous nevertheless he would not dissemble and was as an heretick sent to Rome and after examination was imprisoned and lay there in great misery the space of nine months then giving a clear confession of his faith before the Inquisitors he was condemned to be burnt August 19. The same night Pope Paul IV. dieth and in a tumult of the people all the prisons were broken up and the prisoners set free among others this man escapes and at last comes home Iohn Willock and Christopher Goodman had been preachers in England and in Queen Marie's persecution fled into Scotland Iohn Dury had been a Monk in Dumfernlin and so many others were Monks in severall parts of the Nation So they had no earthly riches nor authority and yet it pleased God by such
at least of the most learned in the Chapter to the admission of such as shall have function in the Church and that al 's many other of the Chapter as please may be present and vote at the said admission That Ministers and Readers be planted throghout the realm and Readers especially be appointed at every church where it may be done conveniently who being found qualified by the Bishop or Superintendent and entring by the lawfull order of the true reformed Church shall Minister the sacrament of baptism and solemnize marriage after the lawfull orderly proclamation of bans That all Common churches be disposed as Benefices to qualifyed persons That no disposition be made of any Deanry Provestry collegiat church or other Benefice whereunto other churches are annexed till it be provided how the Minist of every one of these severall churches shall be sustained of the fruits of the same churches if it be possible by speciall assignation of so much yearly stipend as shall be found reasonable that who shall have the title of Abbot Prior or Commendator be learned or well qualified because he must have place in Parliam That the King's Letters commendatory under the Signet being directed to the Archbishop or Bishop of the bounds where the Abbay or Priory lyeth he shall try his ability learving and upon his testimoniall from his Ordinary shall compeat before the King or his Regent and give his oath in form as the Bishop gives And because the persons of the Convent are departed this life the Ministers serving the Churches of the Abbey or Priory shall be the Chapter or assessors to the Commendator in giving any infeftments tacks rights or dispositions of rents concerning the living That the person admitted Commendator may be promoted if he shall be found worthy to be a Senator in the Colledge of Justice or employd by the King in necessary affaires of the Common wealth That first of all it be provided how the Ministers of the Churches belonging to the Abbey or Priory shall be sustained of the fruits belonging to the same Churches Sundry other articles conclusions were agreed upon concerning the disposition of Provestries prebendaries collegiat-Churches founded upon remporall landes or annualls as also of chaplanries of the like foundation for support of the schools the chapters of Metropolitan and cathedrall churches the Kings recommendation with licence to chuse a bishop the form of the edict to conveen the Chapter for his election the testimoniall of the Dean and the Chapter to be returned unto the King or his Regent the confirmation provision regall assent upon the Chapter 's certificat the Kings command to consecrat him his oath to be taken before the King or his Regent the Kings restitution of the temporalities the form of a Letter to be directed to the Ordinary or the See waking to the Dean of the Chapter in favors of a person to be promoted unto an Abbacy or Priory the testimoniall of the Ordinary returned to the King or his Regent the gift of provision upon the Ordinarie's certificat the form of tryall of Bursares or Fellowes and their gift or provision the form of oath to be given by any person provided to any Benefice of cure at his admission and of Bursares of Arte of Theology Lawes Medicine at the time of receiving them into the Universities These Articles and forms were considered by the Counsell and approved by the Regent in the Kings name upon the first day of February following This gallimafry made with such hast could not be well maâ—e here a fair shew of restoring Benefices unto the Church but in effect it was only to put Church-men in titles to the end Noble men might get the greater security from the Titulares of the temporall landes to be fued unto them ease of the â—iths and pensions to their seruants and dependants It had been good for the well fare of the Church that such titles had never been hatched or suffered to keep any life The Bishop of this forge were called Tulchan Bishops A tulchan is a calves skinn stuffed with straw to cause a cow give milk so the title of Bishop helped to cause the Bishoprick yeeld commodity to the Lord who procured it unto him Edicts were affixed upon the churches-door and Abbey gate of Santandrews upon the Lords day February 3. By the Earle Mortons direction On fridday February 8. Patrick Adamson in his Sermon spake of three sorts of Bishops My Lord Bishop My Lords Bishop and the Lords Bishop My Lord three sorts of Bishops Bishops said he then was the Bishop in time of Popery my Lords Bishop is now when my Lord gets the Benefice and the Bishop serves for a portion to make my Lords right sure The Lords Bishop is every true Minister of the gospell Master John Douglas was chosen howbeit many opposed to the election George Scot Minister at Kirkady took instruments that he consented not John Knox preached on Februay 10. in presence of the Earle Mortoun and refused to consecrat or ordain as they called it John douglas yea there publickly he denounced auathema to the giver and to the receiver After noon the Superintendent of Fife went up to the pulpit he taught on Tit. c. 1. And after Sermon he followed the same order which was used at the admission of Superintendents But when the Bishop was demanded Whether he would be obedient unto the Church and usurpe no power over the same he answered I will claim no greater power than the Counsell and generall assembly shall prescribe It is likly that these bb and the Court aimed at a greater power than was already agreed upon and that they hoped to obtain at the generall assembly what they pleased having sped so well at the Convention in Lieth where it was agreed that Archbb. should exerce no greater jurisdiction in their spirituall function than the Superintendents but marke what followes Whill the same be agreed upon Hence appeares that farther was intended John douglas answers unto eyery demand out of writ The Bishops of Caitnes the Superintendent of Lothian and David Lindsay sate by him and rising layd their hands on him and embraced him in signe of admission When John Rutherford Provest of the old colledge had said that Master John Knox's repining had proceeded from malecontement the next Lords day John Knox said in Sermon I have refused a greater Bishoprick than ever it was and might have had it with the favor of greater men than he hath this but I did and do repine for discharge of my conscience that the church of Scotland be not subject to that order So far in that historicall Narration Hence appeares 1. What John Knox meaneth in his Letter unto the assembly by the word tyranny to wit episcopacy and by the two points of the battell that this work of setting up Bishops at that time was done without the knowledge of the assembly seing it was not proponed by the assembly nor specified
namely for Glasgow because it is lately erected and hath not such provision as other Uniuersities 6. That all daies which heretofore have been keept holy besids the Lords day to wit Jule-day Saints-dayes and such others be abolished and a civill penalty be appointed against the keepers hereof by ceremonies banketting playing and such other vanities 7. That all Ministers and Readers who by infirmity and age become unable may have their stipends enduring their life 8. That the Clerk of the assembly be answered of the ordinary stipend appointed before in respect of his labours multiplied by writing letters Gratis for use of Minsters c. Concerning the Question Whither Bishops as they are now in Scotland have their function from the Word of God or not And whitâ—er the Chapters that are appointed for creating them ought to be tolerated in this Reformed Church for better resolution heerof the Assembly appoints John Craig James Lowson and Andrew Melvin Principall of the Colledge of Glasgow on the one part and George Hay John Row and David Lindsay on the other part To conveen reason and conferre upon these questions and to report their judgement and opinion c. After two daies these make report viz They think it not fit to answer unto the first question presently but if any Bishop shal be chosen which hath not such qualities as the word of God ptescribes let him be tryed by the Generall assembly de novo and so let him be deposed But the points wheron they agree concerning the office of a Bishop or Superintendent are 1. The name of Bishop is common to all them that have any particular flock over which he hath a peculiar charge alswell to preach the word as to Minister the Sacraments and to execute ecclesiasticall discipline with consent of his Elders and this is his chief function by the word of God 2. Out of this number may be chosen some to have power to oversee and visite such reasonable bounds besides his own flock as the Generall Church shall appoint and in these bounds to appoint Ministers with consent of the Ministers of that Province and consent of the flock to whom they shall be appointed also to appoint Elders Deacons in every particular congregation where are none with consent of the people thereof and to suspend Ministers for a reasonable cause with consent of the Ministers foresaid 8. The Church hath power to cognosce decern upon heresies blasphemy witchcraft and violation of the Lords day Not prejudging the punishment of the Civill Magistrate 9. There is no law that when two persons have committed fornication nor promise alledged by the woman the man may be compelled by any particular Church at the suit of the woman or her parents to marry her or pay her dowry 10. Children begotten before marriage are lawfull children Note If wee compare what was done before in the assemblies this question concerning the Bishops was not a new motion made by Andrew meluin come lately from Geneua he had not power to command the meanest Minister and far less to overrule the Assembly The Church from the beginning of the Reformation did oppose that kind of Bishops and howbeit some of the Popish Bb. had embraced the Reformation yet had they not any power but according to commission and wee have heard how John Knox in his letter carried the office of Episcopacy under the name of tyranny and when the conclusions at Lieth were obtruded upon the Church thogh they did yeeld for a time yet that office was limited and in effect but the name remaining nevertheless the Assembly did protest against the very names and whatsoever power was yeelded unto Master Meluin said then The corruptions in the estate of Bishops are so great that unlesse the Bishops be removed it can not go weell with the Church nor can religion be preserved in purity But he said not â—o much as Beza had written before in the year 1572. and experience hath confirmed their words how far was these Nations gone in atheism if God of his mercy had not stopped them In that assembly were sixe Bishops besids Superintend yet none of them did oppose the sifting of the question nor the conclâ—sions 2. Howbeit in these conclusions they express not the negative because they would not plainly oppose the particulare interest of the Counsell seeking security of the possessions by the title of Bishops yet these affirmatives take away the pretended office and more followes XIII The Assembly conveenes at Edinburgh Aprile 25. in the year 1576. 1576. The XXX Assembly were present sixe Bb Superintendents c. John row is chosen Moderator 1. Plurality of Offices is obiected against Robert hamiltoun Minister at Santandrews the matter was long debated and concluded that in respect of that congregation two offices are incompatible in his person 2. Concerning the advice of the Brethren in the former Assembly concerning Bishops this assembly after long disputation upon every Article thereof doe resolutely approve and confirm that advice and every article thereof and for the better execution thereof the Assembly ordaines Bishops which have not as yet received the charge of a particulare congregation to declare the next day what particular flock they will take the charge of 3. Sixe Ministerâ— and the Superintendent of Anguise are appointed to visite the Colleâ—ges in the University of Santandrewes and consider the manner and estate thereof and make report unto the next Assembly 4. It is concluded that they may proceed against the unjust possessors of the patrimony of the Church in respect of the notorious scandall to wit by doctrine and admonition and if need be with other censure of the Church And the patrimony of the Church where upon the Ministry the Schools and the poor should be sustained is ex Jure Divino leaving further disputation of this matter untill May. 1. and then the description of the patrimony of the Church to be enquired and reasoning to be for full resolution of the question 5. Certain Brethren are appointed to make Overtures concerning the policy and jurisdicton of the Church some to conveen at Glasgow some in Edinburgh some in Santandrews and some in Montross upon the first tuisday of July and to make a generall meeting of two or one at least from every one of these four in Sterline the last of July To communicat and cognosce of all their travells and to conferre universally together and to report what they shall conceive in this matter unto the next Assembly which is appointed to be in Edinburgh October 24. or if a Parliament shall conveen the assembly ordaines the Ministers of Edinburgh to make intimation thereof unto the Bb. Superintendents and Commissioners of visitation that the Assembly may be conveened four daies before the Parliament and that the Barons or other Commissioners appointed by the Provinciall Assemblies be exhorted to be present It is to be observed that the wholl matter of jurisdiction was no committed
to dis-agree from a good order to be complained on unto the Gen. assembly next coming And the order which every presbytery takes shall be sighted and thereof one good order shal be established for all 5. The day of the Exercise shall be also the day of Ecclesiasticall process and if the brethren find it necessary for a process they may appoint days times places thereunto besids the day of Exercise 6. It is not thought expedient that the Presbytery shall be astricted to send their Moderator unto the Assembly but liberty to chuse whom they think most expedient for confort of the Church 7. It is not thought meet that visitation be excep ère nata and the same not to be limited unto the Moderator but to any two or moe as the Presbytery shall direct for the necessity of the matter according to the book of Policy 8. The Clerk and Moderator shall subscribe in grave matters and form of proceeding in name of the eldership and whill God provide some better contribution every particulare Church of the Eldership shall contribute for the Scrib's entertainment 9. The Ministers of the parish shall execute the summons concerning his parish and bear the burden of the things that are directed by the Presbyteâ—y or some depute by him within his parish 10. The order of admission of Elders is referred to the order used in Edinb which is approved 11. The Moderator of the Presbytery is to designe Manses and gleebs where it is râ—quisite and for satisfaction of the Act of Parliament that they have a speciall commission for that effect Untill it please God to move the King that the Law may be reformed Providing the Moderator do nothing without advice of the Presbytery 12. How many Churches shall be in every Presbytery it is referred unto them who have commission to establish presbyteries 13. The form of process in weighty matters is to be in writ at the discretion of the presbytery pro re nata in lesser things to be verball 14. If any will not receive the office of an Elder and traveleth not in the word wee may exhort but not compell 15. Ordaines every presbytery within their own bounds to try their Ministers and if any offence shal be found to punish it according to the quality and estate of the crime before the next generall assembly 16. The Presbyteries shall try and examin the persons desiring to enter into the function of the Ministry and if they find them qualified to provide them unto Churches XII Ordaines a fast to be keept in all churches of the realm with doctrin and instruction of the people to begin the first Sunday of Juny next and to continue untill the next sunday inclusivè using in the mean time exercise of doctrin according to the accustomed order And the Kings Majesty to be certified by the Commissioners that are sent to him and to be supplicated that he would be pleased to authorize it by proclamation for that effect The causes are 1. universall conspiracies of Papists in all countries against Christians for execution of the bloody Acts of Trent 2. The oppression and thralldom of this Church of God 3. Wasting the rents thereof without remedy 4. Falling from former zeall 5. Flocking hither of Jesuits Papists 6. Manifest bloodshed incest adulteries with other horrible crimes defiling the land and unpunished 7. The danger wherein the Kings Majesty stands through evill company about him by whom it is feared he may be corrupt in manners Religion 8. Universall oppression contempt of the poore c. XIII The next Assembly is to be at Edinburgh Octob. 24. unless some necessary occasion interveen and advertisement to be made by the Eldership of Edinburgh and Ministers of the Kings house For clearing the process against Robert Mongomery it is heer to be added that about February 22. he went to Glasgow with purpose to preach the Sunday following but a number of the Students in the Colledge entred into the Church on Saturday at night to hold him out and keept the pulpit for their Principall Thomas Smeton That day his Text was He that entereth not by the door but by the window is a thief and a Robber and he inveighes against simoniacall entries into the Church The next Sunday Rob. Mong comes to the Church with a great number of Gentlemen and displaceth the ordinary Minister David Weemes and he made the Sermon And because the Chapter of Glasgow refused to conveen unto his election he caused summon all them of the Chapter to compear before the Counsell They again caused summon him to compear before the Synod of Lothian to hear the sentence of excommunication pronounced against him He informes the King of this citation and causeth warn the Synod to appear the 12. day of Aprile before the King and Counsell at Sterlin discharging in the mean time all proceeding in that business Robert Pont with some others compearing at the day in name of the others protestes that albeit they had compeared to testify their obedience unto his Majesty yet he did not acknowledge his Majesty and Counsell judges in that matter it being a cause ecclesiasticall and that nothing done at that time should prejudge the liberties of the Church and Lawes of the Realm The Counsell rejectes the protestation and did inhibit the Ministers to proceed against Mongomery Because the Generall Assembly was at hand they yeeld obedience in this only they caused warn him to compeare before the Assembly B. Spotswood hath thâ—se particulares but inverted and it is clear by Mongomerie's words in face of the Assembly that all these things were done before this Assembly Here is not an end of this business but after this Assembly he under took to settle himself at Glasgow and procured Letters from the King unto the Gentle men of these parts to assist him The Presbytery of Glasgow knowing what he had done intend process against him for usurping the place of the ordinary preacher Mathew Stuart of Minto being Provest of the City came and presented a warrant from the King to stay all proceedings against the Bishop and willeth them to desist John Howeson Minister at Cambuslang being then Moderator replieth that they will proceed noth withstanding that warrant Whereupon the Provest pulleth the Moderator on t of his seat and carrieth him prisoner to the Tolbuith The rumor of this went quickly through the Kingdom and in time of the fast that was appointed by the Assembly this fact was lamented by the Ministers Among others John Dury preaches against the Duke of Lennox as the cause of all this trouble Wherefore the King will have him removed out of the town and caused command the Magistrates to put him out of their town within 24. hours They not daring to disobey yet unwilling to use their Minister in that maâ—ner dealt with him to depart quietly Upon this occasion advertisement was sent unto all Presbyteries to send their Commissioners unto Edinburgh according to
either willfully with stand or ungraciously tread the same under your feet for God doth not disclose his will to any such end but that you should yet now at the length with all your main and might endeavour that Christ whose easy yoke and light burthen wee have of long time cast off from us might rule and raign in his Church by the scepter of his word only May it therefore please your wisdomes to understand Wee in England are so far from having a Church rightly reformed according to the prescript of Gods word that as yet wee are not come to the outward face of the same For to speak of that whereof all consent and whereupon all writers accord the outward marks whereby a true Church is known are the preaching of the word purely Ministring the sacraments sincerely and ecclesiasticall disciplin which consistes in admonition and correction of faults severely Touching the first namely the Ministry of the word although it must 2. Against corruptious in the Miâ—istry be confessed that the substance of doctrin by many delivered is sound good yet herein it faileth that neither the Ministers thereof are according to Gods vvord proved elected called or ordained nor the function in such sort so narrovvly looked unto as of right it ought and is of necessity required For vvhereas in the old Church a tryall vvas had both of their ability to instruct and of their godly conversation also novv by the letters commendatory of some one man Noble or other tag rag learned or unlearned of the basest sort of the people to the slander of the gospell in the mouthes of adversaries are freely received ...... Then they taught others novv they must be instructed themselves and therefore like young children they some of them must learn Catechismes Then election was made by the common consent of the wholl Church now every one picketh out for himself some notable good Benefice he obtaineth the next advouson by money or by favor and so things himselfe to be â—ufficiently chosen Then the Congregation had authority to call Ministers in stead thereof now they run they ride and by unlawfull sute and buying prevent other suters also Then no Minister was placed in any congregation but by consent of the people now that authority is given into the hands of the B. alone who by his sole authority thrustes upon them such as many times alswell for unhonest life as for lack of learning they may and do justlâ— dislike Then none was admitted to the Ministry but a place was void before hand to which he should be called but now Bb. to whom the right of ordering Ministers doth at no hand appertain do make 60. 80. or a 100. at a clap and send them abroad into the Counâ—ry like masterless men Then after just tryall and vocation they were admitted to the function by laying on of the hands of the company of the Eledrship only now neitheir of these being looked unto there is required and all be a surpless a vestiment a pastorall staff besids that ridiculous and as they use it to their new creatures blasphemous saying receive yee the holy Ghost Then every Pastor had his flock and every flock his shepherd or els shepherds now they do not only run fysking from place to place a miserable disorder in Gods Church but covetously joyn living to living making shipwrack of their own consciences and being but one shepherd nay would to God they were shepherds and not wolves have flocks Then the Ministers were Preachers now bare Readers and if any be so well disposed to preach in their own charges they may not vvithout my Lord's licence In these days they vvere knovvn by voice learning doctrin novv they must be discerned from others by popish and anti-Christian apparell as cap govvn tippet c. Then as God gave utterance they preached the vvord only novv they read homilies Articles injunctions c. Then it vvas painfull novv gainfull then poor and ignominious novv rich and glorious And therefore titles livings and offices by Anticrhist devised are given to them as Metropolitane Archbishop Lords grace Lord Bishop Suffâ—agan Dean Archdeacon Prelate of the Gatter Earle County Palatine High Commissioners Justices of peace and Quorum c. All which together with their offices as they are strange unheard-of in Christs Church nay plainly in Gods word forbidden So are they utterly with speed out of the same to be removed Then Ministers were not tied to any form of prayers invented by man but as the spirit moved them so they powred out hearty supplications to the Lord Now they are bound of necessity to a prescript order of service and book of common prayer in which a great number of things contrary to Gods word are contained as baptism by women privat communions Jewish purifyings observings of holy days c. patched if not altogether yet the greatest peece out of the Pop's portuis Then feeding the flock diligently now teaching quarterly then preaching in season out of season novv once in a month is thought sufficient if tvvice it is judged a vvork of supererogation then nothing taught but Gods vvord novv Princes pleasures mens devices popish ceremonies and Antichristian rites in publick pulpits are defended Then they sought them now these seek theirs These and a great many other abuses are in the Ministry remaining which unless they be removed and the truth brought in not only Gods justice shall be powred forth but Gods Church in this realm shall never be builded for if they who seem to be workmen are not workmen indeed but in name or els work not so dâ—ligently and in such order as the workmaster commandeth it is not only unlikly that the building shall go foreward but altogether impossible that ever it shall be perfected The way therefore to avoid these inconveniences and to reform these deformities is this your wisdoms have to remove advousons patronages Impropriations and B. authority claming to themselfs thereby right to ordain Ministers and to bring-in that old true election which was accustomed to be made by the congregation you must displace these ignorant unable Ministers already placed and in their roomes appoint such as can and will by Gods assistance feed the flock you must pluck down and utterly overthrow without hope of restitution the court of Faculties from whence not only licences to enjoy many benefices are obtained as Pluralities Trialities Totquots c. But all things for the most part as in the court of Rome are set on sale licences to marry to eat flesh in times prohibited to lie from Benefices and charges a great number beside of such abominations Appoint to eveâ—y congregation a learned diligent preacher Remove Homilies articles injunctions a prescript order of service made ouâ— of the Masse-book Take avvay the Lordship the loytering the pomp the idleness and livings of Bishops but yet employ them to such ends as they vvere in the old Church appointed for
mean time all Commissioners Presbyteries that they give not Collation or admission to any person presented by these new patrones Untill the next Generall Assembly V. James Gibson presenteth a supplication craving that he may be heard to purge himself of contumacy for not compearing in the last Assembly and to repone him into his function And being admitted he declares first before the brethren of the Conference which report that he had declared upon his conscience that the cause of his absence was not rebellion stubborness or ill will but only in respect of the good affection he had to the wee l of the Generall Church being informed that if he had compeared and had not been punished the affaires of the Church would been cast off The Brethren judge this reason sufficient to purge him of contumacy but not to be reponed VI. Three Ministers were directed unto his Majesty to conferr and understand by what meanes Religion may stand and be continued unto Posterity VII All Ministers are exhorted in their Sermons to declare the prejudice done unto the Church by the spoil of the patrimony thereof and publickly to oppone against such abuse VIII The Assembly considering the appearing ruin of the Evangell within the realm for want of provision unto Ministers and Schools and Colledges Give their Commssion unto certain Ministers to compear before his Majesty and Counsell on such dayes as his Majesty shall appoint To conferre and advise upon this Head and to crave humbly of his Majesty that the assignations may be given about Novenber 1. unto Ministers Readers and that these which are already provided ad vitam and that others which are content with their assignations be not altered untill they may obtain better provision and to report answer unto the next assembly IX The assembly gives commissioon and authority unto the Presbytery of Edinb to call before them Papists and apostates which shall happen to resort into that town or bounds and specially to summon the Lords Huntly Seton c. X. The Assemby thinketh meet and ordaines that in time coming so oft as it shall please God to conveen the Gen. church of this realm the first day of the assembly there be a publick fast and humiliation both of the inhabitaints and Pastors there conveening and the pulpit both before and after noon be occupied by the ordinary Pastors of the place To the effect it may please God to give his blessing unto the convention and good issue unto their travells And intimation hereof to be made in that town the Sunday before the assembly After this Assembly James gibson seeing that he could not be restored into his function went into England and lived there When certain newes was brought of the dispersing of the Spanish Navy the king caused solem thankes-giving unto God for this deliverance to be given in all the Churches of the kingdom beginning in his own Court for example unto others XXVI The hope of the Papists now failing by the overthrow of that 1589. Huntly subscribes the Confession practized contrarily Navy they begin to make a form of submission Huntly at the Kings desire subscribes the ConfessioÌ„ of faith and was reconciled unto the Church But immediatly he excused himself by a Letter unto the Prince of Parma then Governor of Flanders professing that he was so pressed by the King that hee must either yeeld or depart out of the Countrey or to have taken the fields which he could not wee l do all hope being taken from him by the return of the Navy but in what he had failed he shall endeavour to amend by some good service seing God had put him in such credite with the King as he had broken his former guards and made him establish others about his person by whom at all occasions he might assure himself and be Master of the King and so when the promised support shall arrive he shall spoil the heteticks of his authority and make sure the Catholick enterprises c. This Letter was dated at Edinburgh Januar 24. 1589. Others also sent Letters to the same purpose And the Jesuites lurking in the Countrey advised these Lords to attempt somewhat by themselves which might move the King of Spain more readily to send them succourse a plot was layd to take the King from the Chancelor Maitlane and the Treasurer the Lord Glames under pretence that the Nobility were neglected and publick affaires ill mannaged They said this way they might procure the assistance of other Noble men and the country would resist the less when no mention is made of religion This plot goeth-on and in the very nick of time when Huntly thought to have catched the Chancelor in the Kings chamber of presence the Chancellor upon suspicion retieres escapes and advertiseth the King of his suspicion The next day the King examineth Huntly and finding the truth committes Huntly into the castle of Edinburgh but after a few days upon new promises gives him liberty These Papists will not yet cease in Aprile Huntly and these Lords in Anguise make an open insurrection at Aberdien The King goeth against them when they heard that he was at Cowy they come to the bridge of Dee but their courage failes and they evanish afterwards they offer themselves unto any punishment the King wil impose They were put to an assise convict and warded the King delayeth to pronounce sentence At this time the Assembly conveenes at Edinb Juny 17. James melvin is chosen Moderator The 51. Assembly I. The King gives his presence he speakes of his good affection toward the Church and craves that Patrick Galloway be appointed one of his Ministers The Assembly by the mouth of the Moderator rendreth his Majesty humble thankes for the beginnings he had made in suppressing the enemies of religion they entreat to prosecute the business and made offer of their humble service to the uttermost of their power As for that he craves they acknowledge his Majesty may command any Minister within the realm to attend himself and â—his Court II. It is appointed that at the conveening and loosing of every Assembly the role of Commissioners shall be called and all absents be censured III. Universall tryall shall be made of all the Ministers within every presbytery and the tryall to be of their life doctrin especially of simony if any be suspect to have entred that way the tryall shall be by questions and preaching and where any shall be found unqualified he shall be deposed without respect of age or other condition And this tryall shall be concluded before the next Provinciall Synod which is now appointed to be Septemb. 3 As every presbytery will answer unto God and his Church IV. It is appointed that in every presbytery they shall dispute concerning the mariage of adulterers and report their judgement unto the next assembly V. The Act made in the last assembly concerning the giving of admission upon the presentation of late
subjects the colder adversaries against them who intend any commotion For remedy it is thought good that his Ma. be informed hereof that by his care and providence so ungodly counsels and plots may be disappointed and that Ministers deal with their congregations auditors upon all occasions both publickly in their teaching and in their privat conferences with the Noble men and others of credit and power to persuade them of the Kings honest mind toward the established religion and the execution of justice and of his steadfast resolution to hazert his estate life and crown in the cause of the Gospell with the standing falling whereof he thinks his own standing and â—alling to be inseparably conjoyned And that they mark carefully the actions of all men specially of such as either for religion or execution of justice or the necessity of their own estate do grumble against the present government and are enclined unto novation And whom they shall find in any extraordinary kind of business bâ—sids their custom they should acquaint his Majesties Ministers thereof not ceasing in the mean while to bring them unto a quiet mind And for this effect in all their ordinary meetings as of Sessions presbyteries and synods there should be a privat and particular inquisition in this point if need shall require and his Majesty should be advertised with all expedition As also it is thought expedient that his Majesties Ministers should inform the Presbyteries of things occurring so far as the good of Religion shall require And that this advertisment should be extracted and sent with diligence unto every presbytery XVIII The next assembly is appointed to be at Aberdien the last tuysday of Iuly in the year 1604. In one copy I have found this modell following The order of proceeding in the Provinciall Synods 1. The seÌ„cing or sitting down 1. By the Moderator that last was in exhortation prayer and delivering the books of the Assembly with the Acts formed booked and subscribed by him and ordering by liet and votes the election of another Moderator 2. By the chosen Moderator in appointing the hours of meeting and other things concerning good order in censuring the absents from the preceeding Assembly and noting if all the members be present when the role of Ministers Elders and Commissioners is to be called II. things to be treated 1. The books of every Presbytery should be sighted whether the Presbyteries be duly keept in conveening exercizing having monthly common-heads and disputes visiting the Churches 2. Pastors in their office severally or together Severally it is to be enquired into their teaching at their own Churches and disciplin every one is to be enquired concerning the place of Scripture handled by them since the last Assembly and the administration of the communion and diligence in examination of young and old passing before in the points of Catechism and concerning their keeping the Session weekly and things done therein for which effect they should bring their books containing those and the names of baptized and married persons and of slanderous or scandalous persons 2. They should be examined in their manner of conversation whether it be not only without scandall but edificative 3. Concerning their provision by stipend or Benefice gleeb manse c. 2. If Ministers have questions or bils for resolution or furtherance in their office livings let them be answered If any bils or accusations against them be given by any let them be heard and so if by any of them 3. If any appellations references or summons be from Presbyteries let them be decided 4. If any references from the last generall Assembly or supplication unto the next Parliament or generall Assembly or any instructions thereunto 5. Concerning the people whether any scandalous persons and their repentance III. Conclusion absents are to be marked appointing time and place of the next Assembly thanksgiving It may be marked that this nomination of Voters in Parliament was not according to the cautions that were concluded in the Assembly of the year 1600. but they were lesse looked-upon afterwards when others were chosen who were not in this number As for Robert Bruce he saw that the other Ministers who had confessed their fault were not restored unto their places and therefore he would not make the publick confession as it was enioyned him for his refusing he was confined some years in the north and then to his own house of Kinnaird III. Aprile 3. year 1603. the King had a publick Speach in the great Some occurrents in Aun 1603. 1604. church of Edinburgh two dayes before he took journy unto England there he thanked God that both Church and kingdom were setled in that estate which he intended to change no way his subjects living in peace He promised again the same concerning the disciplin Aprile 5. unto the Commissioners of the Synod of Lothian meeting him above Hadintoun but he would not yeeld to release Andrew Melvin and John Davidson from their confinement nor grant Robert Bruce to re-enter into Edinburgh A little before Ormeston made supplication for John Davidson but the King said His hands were bound up by a promise unto the Commissioners of the generall Assembly Though the chief Watch-towers of the Church towit Edinbuâ—gh and Santandrews were spoiled of their faithfull watch-men yet the plotters of Episcopacy perceived that their course could not be easily advanced as they would unless the Church were deprived of their liberty to indict hold free generall Assemblies And because they were accountable unto those assemblies they endeavoured that no assembly should bee untill they had purchased power to over-rule them nor then but when they pleased This was perceived by the judicious Ministers who used means for preserving the liberty of the Church The Synod of Fife dealt with John hall to entreat that â—he assembly might conveen before the ensuing Parliament An. 1604. according to the custom in former times Afterwards he aâ—ported that he had written so unto the King but could not obtain it The presbytery of Edinburgh wrot unto Patrik Galloway then at Court for the same effect after sundry delaying answers he promised at last to return for that end but when he and the entitled Bishop of Ross returned they report in a full convention of Ministers directed from the Synods that the King said It is needless because nothing is to be handled in the next Parliament but the union of the two Kingdoms whereby the order and disciplin of the Church should be no way prejudged The Ministers alledged The Union can not be concluded without union of the Churches in government and form of worship and that the Voters in name of the Church were tied by cautions not to propound in Parliam or other Convention without express warrant and direction of the Assembly The new-named Bishops and other advancers of that course were not pleased with such answers and brake up the Conference as they were wont when they