same resistance yet they were forced in the end to giue way to the exaltation of the Constantinopolitane Church so that after the time of Iustinian the Emperour they neuer made any more words about this matter Whereby we see that to be true of Hierome Orbis maior est vrbe that is The world is greater then any one city of the world though Rome it selfe The Church of Hierusalem as being the place of Christs passion whence the preaching of the Gospell tooke beginning was euer much honoured yet was it not so much as a Metropolitane Church at the first but the B Clergy there of were subiect to the Bishop of Caesarea as their Metropolitane the Bishop of Antioch as their Patriarch as Hierome writing to Pammachius against Iohn of Hierusalem testifieth And thereupon Leo writing to Maximus Bishop of Antioch blameth Iuuenall Bishop of Hierusalem for seeking to subiect Palaestina to himselfe chargeth him with insolent boldnesse for that attempt But the Fathers of the fifth generall Councell thought good to honour the Church of Hierusalem where Christ suffered and rose againe from death and therefore whereas the Bishoppe thereof had formerly but a bare title and a preeminence in sitting before other they made him a Patriarch in order the fifth and that hee might haue Metropolitanes subject vnto him they tooke some parts of the Diocese of Alexandria and Antioche from the Bishops of those Churches and put them vnder him So that now we haue fiue Patriarches of the Christian Church Touching these the eighth generall Councell taketh order that no man shall offer any indignity to any of them To these they were wont to wish all prosperitie and long life in the conclusion of their Councels Without these no Councell was holden to bee full and perfect These might convocate the Metropolitanes of their seuerall divisions and holde a Patriarchicall Councell which was of greater authoritie then either those in the seuerall provinces or of a whole Nation formerly mentioned because it consisted of more and more honourable Bishops yet had the Patriarches no greater authoritie ouer the Metropolitanes within their larger circuites then the Metropolitanes within their lesser compasse These were by the order of the eighth generall Councell to confirme the Metropolitanes subject vnto them either by imposition of hands or giuing the Pall but inferiour Bishops they might not meddle with but were to leaue them to the ordering of their Metropolitanes CHAP. 32. How the Pope succeedeth Peter what of right belongeth to him and what it is that he vniustly claimeth VVE deny not but that blessed Peter had a kinde of primacie of honour and order that in respect thereof as all Metropolitanes doe suceede him as being greater then other Bishops in honour and place so the Patriarches yet more specially and amongst them the Romane Bishops in the first place We will not therefore put our Adversaries to so much paines as some other haue done to proue that Peter was at Rome that he dyed there and that the Bishop of Rome succeedeth him But this is it which we say that he succeeded him in the Bishopricke of that Citie and in the honour of being one of the prime Bishops of the world as the Bishops of Alexandria and Antioche likewise did but not in the condition of being vniversall Bishop that is such a one in whom all Episcopall power and authority is originally invested from whom it is deriued to others and who may limite and restraine the vse of it in other as seemeth good vnto himselfe Por Peter was not such an Apostle but had only a joint commission with the rest who were put into it immediatly by Christ as well as he though hee were in some sort the first man in it We deny not therefore to the Romane Bishop his due place among the prime Bishops of the World if therewith he will rest contented but vniuersall Bishop in sort before expressed we dare by no meanes admit him to be knowing right well that euery Bishop hath in his place and keeping his owne standing power and authority immediatly from Christ which is not to be restrained or limited by any but by the company of Bishops wherein though one be chiefe for order sake and to preserue vnity in such sort that all things must take their beginning from him yet he can do nothing without them The Bishop of Constantinople as I haue alreadie noted in the time of the second generall Councell obtained to be one of the foure Patriarches by reason of the greatnes of his Church and citie and in the fourth holden at Chalcedon to haue equall priviledges with the Bishop of Rome but not contenting himselfe long with this equality soone after he sought to be aboue him and would be called vniversall Bishop seeking thereby to subiect to himselfe all other Bishops and Churches in which proud claime he was resisted by Gregory the 1 who professeth that whosoeuer assumeth this title ouerthroweth the dignity honour of all other Bishops in his pride is like Lucifer may rightly be thought to be a fore-runner of Antichrist Paul the Apostle saith Greg. when he heard certain men say I am of Paul I am of Apollo I of Cephas trembling quaking exceedingly to heare and see this tearing and renting asunder of the Lords body through which his members joyned themselues in companies factiously vnto other heads cryed out aloud saying Was Paul crucified for you or were yee baptized in the name of Paul In such sort therefore did hee decline the particular subiecting of the members of the Lords body to certaine Heads as it were besides Christ yea though they were the Apostles themselues And what wilt thou be able to answere to Christ the Head of the vniuersall Church in the tryall of the last Iudgement which goest about by assuming the title of vniuersall Bishoppe to put vnder thy selfe all the members of his mysticall body Who is it I pray thee whom thou proposest to thy selfe for imitation in taking to thee so perverse a title but hee who despising the Legions of Angells joyned with him in society as companions sought to climbe vp aboue them to the heighth of singularity that neither hee might seeme to bee vnder any nor any might bee found ouer whom hee was not who also said I will ascend into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the Starres of heauen I will sit in the mountaine of the testament in the sides of the North I will ascend aboue the heighth of the cloudes and will bee like vnto the most high For what are thy brethren all the Bishoppes of the vniuersall Church but the starres of Heauen whose life and tongue or speech doe shine in the midst of the sinnes and errours of men as it were in the midst of the darkenesse of the night whose name and honour while thou seemest to trample vnder thy feete in that thou seekest by this title
nothing of the dependance of all other Churches on the Church of Rome in their faith and profession nor that all Churches haue kept the faith in that Church that is in cleauing to it as to their Head and Mother as Bellarmine vntruly fansieth But all that is heere saide is nothing else but that vndoubtedly the same faith was giuen and deliuered to all other Churches that was deliuered by blessed Peter and Paul to the Church of Rome the chiefest of all The two next Greeke Fathers that are produced to testifie for the supremacie are Epiphanius and Athanasius who report that Vrsacius and Valens sworne enemies of Athanasius repenting them of their former errours came to Iulius Bishop of Rome to giue an account and to seeke fauour and reconciliation Surely the producing of such testimonies as these are is nothing else but meere trifling and they that bring them know right well that they no way proue the thing questioned the circumstances of this narration touching Vrsacius and Valens are these The cause of Athanasius as himselfe testifieth was first heard in his own Province by an hundred Bishops and he there acquitted Secondly at Rome by more then fiftie Bishops at the desire of Eusebius his Adversary and lastly at Sardica by three hundred Bishops where he was likewise acquitted To the decrees of this Synode Vrsacius and Valens his enemies making shew of repentance subscribed confessing they had played the Sycophants neither rested they there but they wrote to Iulius Bishop of Rome to testifie their repentance and to desire reconciliation and likewise to Athanasius himselfe It were strange if any man could proue the absolute supreme power cōmanding authority of the Bishop of Rome ouer all the world by this testimony wherin nothing is foūd of submissiō to Iulius or of seeking his fauor cōmuniō more then the fauour and communion of Athanasius and all other Catholique Bishops adhering to him The Epistle of Athanasius to Felix Bishop of Rome is a meere counterfeit as that worthy and renowned Iuel hath proued at large by vnanswerable demonstrations and therefore it needeth no answere The allegation of the accusation of Dionysius of Alexandria to Dionysius of Rome joyned with it by Bellarmine is of the very same stampe and yet if it were not proueth nothing against vs. For there is no question but that in matter of faith men may accuse any erring Bishop to the Bishop of Rome and his Westerne Bishops and that they may iudge and condemne such a one though the Pope be not supreme head of the Church The fifth Greeke Father that they alledge is Basil who as they say in an Epistle to Athanasius attributeth to the Bishop of Rome authority to visit the Churches of the East to make decrees and to reuerse the decrees of generall Councels such as that of Ariminum was Truly to say no more the alledging of this testimony sheweth they haue very little conscience that alledge it For these are the circumstances of Basils Epistle whereof let the Reader iudge Basil writing to Athanasius whom hee highly commendeth for that whereas other thinke it well if they take care of their owne particular churches his care was no lesse for the whole church then for that which was specially committed to him aduiseth him that the onely way to settle things put out of order in the Easterne churches by the Arrians were the procuring of the consent of the Westerne Bishops if it were possible to intreat them to interpose themselues for that vndoubtedly the rulers would greatly regard and much reuerence the credit of their multitude and people euery where would follow them without gainesaying But seeing this which was rather to be desired would not in likelihood easily be obtained he wisheth that the Bishop of Rome might be induced to send some of good discretion and moderation who by gentle admonitions might pacifie the mindes of men and might haue all things in readinesse that concerned the Arimine Councell necessary for the dissoluing and shewing the inualidity of the acts of that Councell I doubt not but the Reader vpon the bare view of these circumstances will easily perceiue that this Epistle of Basill maketh very much against their opinion that alledge it For hee preferreth and rather wisheth a Councell then the Popes owne interposing of himselfe if there had beene any hope of a Councell Besides these whom the Pope was to send were not to proceed iudicially and by way of authority but by intreaty and gentle admonitions to pacifie the mindes of men therefore here is nothing of visiting the Churches of the East or voiding the acts of the Councell of Ariminum by way of sentence and formall proceeding as Bellarmine vntruly reporteth but onely a reaching forth of the hand of helpe to the distressed parts of the Church by them that were in better state and a manifesting or declaring of the inualidity of that Councell the vnlawfull proceedings of it and the reasons why it neither was nor euer ought to be admitted The sixth Greeke Father brought to be a witnesse of the Popes supremacie is Gregorie Nazianzen who saith that the Romane Church did euer hold the right profession as it becommeth the citty which is ouer all the world This testimony is no lesse abused then the former as it will easily appeare to him that will take the paines to view the place alledged Nature saith Nazianzene doth not affoord two Suns yet are there two Romes the lights of the whole world the old and the new seate of the Empire The one of these lights appeareth at the rising and the other at the setting of the Sunne and both iointly send forth a most excellent glittering brightnesse The faith of the one was a long time and now is right knitting and ioyning the West to the sauing word of Life as it is fitte the Mistresse and Lady of the world should be In which words it is euident that hee speaketh of the greatnesse of the cittie of Rome in respect of her ciuill and temporall soueraignty and not in respect of the spirituall power of the Church and therefore it is strange that Bellarmine should deny the same For though in the time of Nazianzen the Emperour made his abode for the most part at Constantinople and not at Rome yet he calleth Rome the Mistresse of the world in respect of the ciuill state thereof as appeareth in that he speaketh of two famous cities two lights of the world and nameth the one the old Seate and the other the new Seate of the Empire The seuenth Greeke Father is Chrysostome who if we may beleeue Bellarmine being deposed by Theophilus Bishoppe of Alexandria and put from the Bishopricke of Constantinople in a Councell of Bishops writeth to the Bishop of Rome by his authority to voyde the sentence of Theophilus and to punish him whence it will follow that Chrysostome acknowledged the Romane Bishop to bee supreme Iudge of
Rome tooke the oath of fealty to the Emperour Ludouicus father to Lotharius This oath was taken in the time of Fredericke the first in Verona The forme of the oath was this I do sweare that frō this time forward I will be faithfull and true to my Lord Fredericke Emperour of Romanes against all men c. And that I will neuer go about to take from him his royalties c. These were the differences betweene Fredericke Barbarossa and the Pope and the opposition grew so great and strong that diuerse of the Cardinals conspired against the Emperour and gaue large summes of money to Adrian the Pope to excommunicate him And this conspiracy was confirmed with oathes that none should draw backe or seeke the Emperours fauour without the rest And that if the Pope should dye they should choose none but one of the conspiring Cardinals to succeede him But as Dauid sayd They shall curse but thou shalt blesse so GOD that spake by the mouth of Dauid turned all that these conspiratours did to a contrary effect For it came to passe that some few dayes after the Pope had denounced excommunication against the Emperour at Anagnia going forth to refresh himselfe with some fewe accompanying him hee dranke of the water of a certaine well and presently a Flye entred into his mouth and stucke so fast in his throat that by no skill of Physitions it could bee drawne out till hee had breathed out his last breath Yet were not the conspirators discouraged by this accident but after his death the greater part of Cardinals chose Rowland the Chancelor a professed enemy to the Empire and one of the conspiratours in contempt of Fredericke and the Germane Nation though there were some other that chose Cardinall Octauian and named him Victor This Rowland naming himselfe Alexander the third after he came to the Popedowe had many dangerous conflicts with the Emperour and was oftentimes put to the worse by him in so much that in the end hee was forced to disguise himselfe and in the habit of a Cooke to flye to Venice where hee liued for a certaine space in base condition till in the end being knowne hee was honourably entertained and kindly intreated by the Venetians which when Fredericke vnderstood of hee was greatly displeased with them for entertaining his enemy and sent his Sonne with a great Nauy and strong army by force and violence to fetch him thence But such was the ill hap of the yong Prince that beeing incountred by the Venetians hee was by them taken prisoner neither could his deliuerance by any meanes be procured vnlesse Fredericke would come in Person to Venice and seeke to be reconciled to the Pope This hard condition the Emperour yeelded to for his Sonnes sake went to Venice in person and was reconciled to the Pope vppon this condition that hee should restore to the Pope the citty of Rome and whatsoeuer belonged to the royalty of it and that hee should do such pennance as hee should inioyne him which beeing yeelded vnto he came to the doore of Saint Markes Church and all the people looking on the Pope commaunded him to prostrate himselfe on the ground and to aske forgiuenesse and then treading on his neck said It is written thou shalt goe vpon the Aspe and Basiliske and thou shalt treade vpon the Lyon and the Dragon and when Fredericke said vnto him Non tibi sed Petro cuius successor es pareo that is I doe not thus submit my self to thee but to Peter the Pope answered mihi Petro that is thou shalt doe it both vnto mee and vnto Peter This storie so liuely describing the insolencie and pride of the Pope which hitherto hath gone for current is now by certaine Romanists called in question so little doe they regard their owne Historians and so freely may they cast aside whatsoeuer standeth in their way Howsoeuer we see how mainely the Popes did striue after they had gotten a kind of ciuill dominiō vnder the Emperours to cast off their yoake wholly and not content therewith sought to be Lords also ouer the Emperours and to make them acknowledge that they holde their Empire from them How and vpon what occasiō Leo the third with the consent of the people of Rome proclaimed annointed Charles the Great King of France by inheritance and of Italy by conquest and Emperour of Rome I haue shewed before Yet as Sabellicus noteth the opinions of men in the world were greatly altered and changed after this new inauguration for whereas before the Empire was thought to be frō Heauen and the gift of God Now many began to think it to be the gift of the Pope Whereupon wee reade that Adrian the fourth vpon the report of some villanies offered to the Bishop of Landa in the parts of Germany as hee returned frō Rome and not so pursued sought out and revenged as was expected by Fredericke Barbarossa then Emperour writeth vnto him and maruailing at his negligence in revenging wrongs offered to men of the Church putteth him in mind what benefites he had receiued frō him and the Church of Rome as namely the fulnesse of Imperiall dignitie and honour the crowne appertaining thereunto and professeth that hee would haue beene willing to haue conferred greater benefites then these vpon him knowing right well how much good he might doe vnto the Church This Letter being brought to the Emperour by two Cardinals Bernard Rowland offended the Emperour Princes exceedingly especially in that it was said in the Letter that the fulnesse of dignitie and honour was cōferred vpon the Emperour by the Pope that hee had receiued the Imperiall crowne of his hand and that it would not grieue him if he had receiued greater benefites of his hand They which heard this Letter read were induced to make a strict construction of the words and to thinke the Pope vttered them in the sense which they conceiued because they knew well that certaine Romanists had not feared to affirme that the Emperours had hitherto possessed the Empire of Rome and the Kingdome of Italy by the Popes gift and that they had not onely vttered such words but that by writing they had affirmed the same and by painting liuely represented it that so it might be transmitted sent ouer to posterities For in the Palace of Lateran they had painted the manner of Lotharius the Emperour his receiuing the Crowne of the Pope and written ouer it these words Rex venit antè fores iurans prius urbis honores post homo fit papae sumit quo dante coronam That is the King doth come before the gate first swearing to the cities state the Popes man then doth hee become and of his gift doth take the Crowne This painting and superscription being reported to the Emperour the yeare before when hee was neare the citty by certaine faithfull and trusty subiects of his greatly displeased him But the
Oracles of GOD to them pertained the adoption and glory and the covenants and the giuing of the Law and the seruice of GOD and the promises of whom were the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer the propitiation for sinnes the merite of reconciliation the glory of Israel and the light of the Genâ—…iles to whom God gaue a name aboue all names that at the naming thereof all knees doe bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth in whom all things appeare full of mercie and full of marueile God before all eternities yet made man in time begotten before all times yet borne in time borne of a woman yet a Virgine inclosed in the wombe of Mary his Mother yet euen then knowne of Iohn his fore-runner yet in the wombe of Elizabeth his Mother likewise who sprang for joy at the presence of the Eternall Word He was borne in Bethlehem the meanest of the cities of Iudah wrapped in swadling bands and laid in a manger yet glorified by the Angels pointed to by a starre and adored by the Sages that came from farre He was no sooner borne into the World but Herod sought his life so that he was forced to flye into Egypt whilest he did yet hang on his mothers brests but he ouer-threw brake in pieces all the Idoles of Egypt The Iewes saw no beauty in his face nor glory in his countenance yet Dauid in spirit long before pronounced that hee was fairer than the sonnes of men and being transfigured in the mount his face did shine like the Sunne and gaue a taste of that glory wherein hee will returne to judge the quicke and dead he was baptized as a man but forgaue sinnes as God not washed by those waters but purifying them rather and filling them with sanctifying force and power he was tempted as a man but ouer-comming as GOD maketh vs confident because he hath ouercome the world he was hungry but fed many thousands and was the true Bread that came downe from Heauen he thirsted but cryed aloude If any man thirst let him come vnto me and promiseth to euery one that beleeueth in him that riuers of waters shall flow out of his belly He was weary but promised rest to all them that are weary and come vnto him he slept but waking stilled the tempest and commaunded the winde and the sea he payed tribute but out of the mouth of a fish taken in the sea hee prayed but heareth our prayers he wept but wipeth all teares from our eyes hee was sold for thirty pence but redeemed the World with a great and inestimable price hee was ledde as a sheepe to the slaughter but he is the great shepheard that feedeth the Israel of God hee was beaten and wounded but cureth all our weakenesse and healeth all our sicknesse hee died was buried and descended into hell but he rose againe and ascended into heauen where he sitteth on the right hand of the highest Majestie till all his enemies be made his foot stoole This was hee whom all the Fathers looked for all the Prophets prophesied of whom all the Ceremonies Sacrifices and Iewish obseruations led vnto in whom that which was foretold was fulfilled that which was imperfect supplied and all things changed into a better estate so that by his comming all things are become new a new Priesthood a new Law a new Couenant new Sacraments and a new people that worship not at Ierusalem or in the Temple alone but without respect of place worship God in spirit and trueth CHAP. 5. Of the Christian Church THE societie of this new blessed people began in the Apostles whom Christ the anointed Sauiour of the World did chose to be his followers to be witnesses of all the things he did suffered among sinfull men To these our Sauiour Christ after his resurrection gaue most ample Commission to teach the Nations and people of the world and to preach repentance and remission of sinnes in his Name opening their vnderstandings that they might vnderstand the Scripturâ—… that so it beâ—…oued him to suffer and to rise againe the third day whereof they were witnesses Yet commaunded he them to tarry in Ierusalem till they were indued with power from aboue which was performed vnto them in the feast of Pentecost when all they that looked for the redemption of Israel by this anointed Sauiour and had beene his followers after his departure from them and returning to the heauens were assembled into one place and suddainly heard as it were the noyse of a mighty and rushing winde and there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like fire and sate vpon euery of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the spirit gaue them vtterance so that though there were dwelling at Ierusalem men that feared God of euery nation vnder heauen yet they all heard them speake in their owne tongues the wonderfull workes of God Heere was the beginning of that blessed company which for distinctions sake wee call the Christian Church as consisting of them that beleeue in Christ now alreadie come in the flesh And though the Church of the Olde and New Testament be in essence the same yet for that the state of the Church of the New Testament is in many respects farre more glorious and excellent the Fathers and Ecclesiasticall Writers forthe mostpart appropriate the name of the Church to the multitude of beleeuers sincethe comming of Christ call the faithfull people that were before by the name of the Synagogue If this difference of names be retained onely for distinction sake that men may know when we speake of that moity of the people of God that was before and when of that other that is and hath beene since the comming of Christ we dislike it not The Greeke words which we turne Church and Synagogue the one originally and properly signifieth a multitude called out or called together which is proper to men the other a multitude congregated and gathered together which is common to men with brute beasts If any man hauing an eye to the different originall significations of these words doe therevpon inferre that the people of GOD before the comming of Christ did seeke nothing but earthly outward and transitory things and so were gathered together like brute beasts and like oxen fatted to the day of slaughter we detest and accurse so wicked and damnable a construction And herein surely the Catechisme of Trent cannot well be excused which abusing the authority of Augustine vpon the Psalme 77 and 81. affirmeth that the name of Synagogue is therefore applyed to the peâ—… that were vnder the Law because like brute beasts which most properly are said to be congregated or gathered together they respected intended and sought nothing but onely outward sensible earthly and
and in the new there are eight Hugo cardinalis repeateth certaine verses expressing which bookes are Canonicall and which Apocryphall the verses are these Quinque libros Moisi Iosue Iudicum Samuelem Et Melachim tres praecipuos bis sexque Prophetas Hebraeus reliquis censet praecellere libris Quinque vocat legem reliquos vult esse Prophetas Post hagiographasunt Daniel Dauid Hester Esdras Iob Paralipomenon tres libri Solomonis Restant Apocrypha Iesus Sapientia Pastor Et Machabaeorum libri Iudith atque Tobias Hi quia sunt dubii sub canone non numerantur Sed quia vera canunt Ecclesia suscipit illos Here he numbreth the bookes Canonicall and Apocryphall as wee do And the same Hugo in prologū galeatum speaking of the bookes reiected by vs saith that these bookes are not receiued by the Church for proofe of doctrine but for information of manners And in another place he saith they are not counted amongst the Canonicall Cardinall Caietan sayth those bookes only are to be accounted Canonicall which Hierome so accounted and admitteth none of those that are now questioned this he wrote at Rome as himselfe telleth vs in the yeare 1532. From the Church of Rome which was the principall amongst these of the West let vs proceed to see what other Churches thought of this matter Thomas Aquinas proposing the question whether the soules of them that are departed doe know what things are done here it being obiected that the dead do often appeare vnto the liuing as Samuel appeared vnto Saul concerning Samuel he answereth that it may be sayd that he appeared by diuine reuelation according to that in Eccle siasticus 46. or else if the authority of that booke be not admitted because it is not in the Canon of the Hebrewes it may be sayd that that apparition was procured by the diuel Antoninus Archbishop of Florence affirmeth that the authority of the sixe bookes questioned is not sufficient to proue any thing that is in controuersie and that Thomas secunda secundae and Lyranus in his prologue before the booke of Tobias do say that those bookes are not ofsoe greate authority that any sufficient proofes may be drawne from them in matters of faith as from the other bookes And therefore pronounceth he thinketh they haue such authority as the writings of the Fathers approued by the Church And he mentioneth a certaine worke intitled Catholicon the authors name is not knowne but the same author as hee telleth vs pronounceth that none of these books were receiued for proofe of matters of faith but only for information of manners By this of Antoninus who was present at the councell of Florence it will easily appeare to be meerely supposititious that we find in the abridgment of that councell by Caranza that these bookes were pronounced to be canonicall for had they bin so neither would hee nor others haue reiected them after the holding of this councell neither would such a decree haue bin omitted by all others that put out the councells at large and abridged Radulphus Flaviacensis in his commentaries vpon Leuiticus speaking of bookes pertaining to the sacred history hath these words The books of Tobias Iudith and of the Macchabees though they be read for the edification of the Church yet haue no perfect authority Beda after the history of Ezra addeth thus farre the diuine scripture containeth the course of times what things afterwards wee found digested among the Iewes they are taken out of the booke of Macchabees Iosephus the writings of Africanus It appeareth by the Epistle of Hilarie B. of Arles that in Massilia in some other places of France there were that tooke exception to Augustine alleaging a place out of the booke of Wisdome cap. 4. Raptus est ne malitia mutaret intellectam eius and affirmed that this testimonie as not beeing canonicall should haue beene omitted Hugo de sancto victore hauing reckoned the 22 bookes of the old Testament sayth there are besides certaine other bookes as the Wisdome of Solomon the booke of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Iudith Tobias and the booke of Macchabees which are read but are not written in the canon these hee matcheth in authority with the writings of the Fathers Richardus de sancto victore deliuereth his opinion of the same bookes in the same sort and maketh them to be of no greater authority then the writings of the Fathers Petrus Cluniacensis abbas after an enumeration of all the bookes that are canonicall sayth there are yet besides these authenticall bookes 6 other books not to be rejected Iudith Tobias Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Macchabees which though they attaine not to the high dignitie of the former yet they are receiued of the Church as containing profitable and necessarie doctrine Ockam to the same purpose saith that according to Hierome in his Prologue before the booke of Proverbes and Gregory in his Moralls the booke of Iudith Tobias and the Macchabees Ecclesiasticus and the booke of Wisdome are not to be receiued for confirmation of any matter of faith For Hierome saith as Gregory also doth that the Church readeth the bookes of Iudith Tobias and the Macchabees but accounteth them not amongst the Canonicall Scriptures So also it readeth those 2 volumes of Ecclesiasticus and Wisdome for the edification of the people but not for confirmation of points of faith and Religion Richardus Radulphus Archbishop of Armach and Primate of Ireland saith it is defined in generall Councels that there are 22 authenticall bookes of the Olde Testament Thomas Waldensis Provinciall of the Carmelites heere in England an enemy to Wickliff whose workes were greatly approued by Pope Martin and the Cardinals at that time hath these wordes The length breadth and depth of the city are equall for as in breadth it can enlarge it selfe no farther then to the loue of GOD and our neighbour nor in heigth nor depth then to GOD the rewarder of all so in length which is the Catholique Faith it cannot growe beyond the 12 Articles contained in the Symbole and found scattered in some of the 22 bookes especially seeing the Holy Ghost sayth in the conclusion of all Canonicall Scripture Let him that will take of the water of life freely I professe vnto euery one that heareth the words of this prophesie if any man shall adde GOD shall adde to his plague Lyra writeth thus Now that I haue by Gods helpe written vpon the Canonicall bookes of holy Scripture beginning at Genesis and so going on to the end trusting to the helpe of the same GOD I intend to write vpon those other bookes that are not Canonicall such as are the book of Wisdome Ecclesiasticus Iudith Tobias and the bookes of Macchabees and addeth that it is to bee considered that these bookes which are not Canonicall are receiued by the Church and read in the same for the
and what hereticall after many convincing reasons hee addeth this in the conclusion The defining of things in this kinde pertayneth principally to the professors of that science to which nothing may bee added and from which nothing may bee detracted but of this sorte is the profession of diuines and therefore Moses sayth in the person of God Deuteronomie 4. Yee shall not adde vnto the word I speake vnto you neither shall yee take from it to which that of Solomon answereth Proverb 30. where speaking of the word of God hee sayth Adde nothing to his words least thou be reproved found a liar And hence it is that the holy Ghost doth terribly threaten by Iohn the Evangelist in the last of the Revelation all them that adde or take any thing from the holy Scripture saying If any man shall adde more then this God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are in this booke and if any man shall take any thing from the words of the Prophesie of this booke God shall take his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy city By all which it is euidently collected that nothing is to bee added to the holy Scripture nor nothing to be taken from it Cardinall Cameracensis agreeth fully with Ariminensis before cited for first hee distinguisheth principles and conclusions theologicall principles he maketh to be the verities of the sacred canon conclusions to bee those verities which are not sound formally and in expresse words or precise tearmes in Scripture but may necessarily be deduced from things so contayned whether they bee articles or not whether they bee determined by the Church or not determined and then pronounceth that that onely is a theologicall discourse which consisteth of sayings and propositions contayned in the sacred Scriptures or of such as may bee deduced from them and that then onely wee say a thing is theologically proued when it is concluded out of the words of holy Scripture To these wee may adde Waldensis his words are these That Wickliffe affirmeth that neither Friars nor Prelates may define any thing in matters of faith vnlesse they haue the authoritie of sacred Scripture or some speciall revelation I dislike not but I condemne his way wardnesse craft and thinke it necessary least we wrest the Scriptures erre in the interpretation of them to follow the tradition of the Church expounding them vnto vs and not to trust to our owne private singular conceipts â— Gerson acknowledgeth as much as the rest his wordes are these What evils what daungers what confusions haue followed the contempt ofsacred Scripture which is sufficient for the government of the Church or else Christ was an imperfect lawgiuer experience will teach vs. The authour of that most pious and worthy worke called Destructorium vitiorum hath sundry things for confirmation of this poynt As sayth hee corporall things here below may in some sorte bee known without the benefit of corporall light for one may know the length breadth and other dimensions of such a thing and may in the darke discerne whether it bee long or short but whether it bee faire or foule white or black wee cannot certainely know So it is in things that are to bee discerned intellectually for though Philosophers excelling in mundane wisedome lacking the light of faith had some kinde of knowledge of God as that hee is the beginning cause of all things yet could they not know how faire how good how mercifull and how glorious hee is neither did euer any man knowe it but either by diuine revelation or by the information of the holy Scripture so that the holy Scripture is that light by which in this state of wayfaring men wee may haue sufficient knowledge of all things necessary to saluation whence it is that the Psalmist sayth Thy word is a lanthorne to my feete a light to my steppes But as experience doth teach that hee that will bee lighted by the light of a candle must haue the candle before him and must follow it but that if hee shall cause it to bee brought after him in the darkenesse of the night it will not giue him light to any purpose so they that walke in the darkenes of this life if they desire to be lighted by the candle of Gods word and to direct their goings in the way of trueth without falling they must haue the light of Gods word before their eyes and must follow it by well doing But even as if a candle be carried out in the darkenesse of the night where bruite beasts as horses and the like are they will runne from it whereas birds will come towards it So bestiall men that are like horses mules flie from the light of the Scriptures according to that of Iohn 3. Every one that doth euill hateth the light neither doth hee come to the light least his workes should bee reproued For confirmation of that hee sayth hee alleadgeth a most excellent discourse of Bishop Grosthead who intreating of that history in the 1 Kings 19. where the Angell of the Lord sayd to Elias goe forth and stand in the mountaine before the Lord and hee stood and saw and behold a winde passed by him overthrowing the mountaines and tearing the rockes in sunder but the Lord was not in the winde and after the winde an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake and after the earthquake fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voyce and there was the Lord sheweth that God is not found in any other science but in the holy Scripture only which is giuen by diuine inspiration and for farther illustration hereof noteth that there were three wels digged by Isaak Genesis 26. For he digged the first and the Philistins stroue for it likewise the second and they claymed it also wherefore hee left them both and digged a third which hee peaceably enjoyed and called the name of it Robooth that is latitude because the waters of it were inlarged and to the first of these wells hee compareth naturall scâ—…ences to wit the seaven liberall arts as logicke in which there is much brawling contending to the second such science as wee learne for gaine sake and to get preferment as is the knowledge of humane lawes according to those verses Dat Galenus opes sanctio Iustiniana Ex aliis paleas existis collige grana To the third hee compareth diuine knowledge and sayth that that well was rightly named Robooth that is latitude because the waters of it were inlarged So the heavenly doctrine was published to all parts of the world by the Apostles and other faithfull preachers according to that of the Psalmist Their sound is gone forth into all the earth and the Lord inviteth his elect to come and drinke the waters of this well saying all yee that are thirsty come to these waters and the wordes of Christ moue all
wordes When a Lay man saith the Lords prayer or any other devoutly his affection is lifted vp toGod reficitur affectus non intellectus sed quandò intelligit reficitur affectus intellectus and this the Apostle sheweth to be true in respect of the publique prayers because if the people vnderstand the prayer or blessing of the Priest melius reducitur in deum devotius respondet Amen And then proceeding to those words If thou blesse c. hath these words What shall hee doe that supplieth the place of the vnlearned Which words import as much as what doth it profite the simple people that vnderstand not as if he should say litle or nothing because they know not how to conforme themselues to him that is the minister of the Church by answering Amen and that for this cause in the Primitiue Church the blessings and all other things pertaining to the publique seruice of God were in the vulgar tongue but after that people were multiplyed and increased and they had now learned to conforme themselues to the Priest by standing when the Gospel is reade and by adoring the Eucharist the seruice was in Latine and that it sufficeth now that the Clearke doth answere for the whole people Here is confession that the people profiteth litle or nothing when the praiers and blessings are in a tongue they vnderstand not that therefore the Primitiue Church had the seruice in the vulgar that while it is in Latine they cannot themselues but another must answere Amen for them and that yet now they haue learned by standing or kneeling differently to conforme themselues to the Priest according to the different things he doth which a deafe man that neuer heard word may doe by obseruation of the eye it is well enough But Cardinall Caietan vpon the same place hath these words Out of this doctrine of the Apostle Paul it may be gathered that it were better more for the edification of the Church to haue the publique prayers that are reade in the hearing of the people pronounced in a tongue common to the cleargy and people and vnderstood of them both then in Latine And when hee was challenged by the Parisians for saying it were better to haue the prayers said in the Church in the vulgar rather then in the Latine tongue his answere was that they recited not his words fully for he had not said it were better but it were better for edification nor that the prayers should be said but that the publique prayers should be said in the vulgar tongue and this his assertion hee said was grounded vpon the authoritie of the Apostle Cardinall Contarenus proposing the question what is to bee thought of such prayers as ignorant men make without vnderstanding answereth that it is to be conceiued that they are of force in respect of the affection of the mind and intention they haue to pray vnto God though they know not what they desire or pray for but that they want the fruit which they should haue if they vnderstood those prayers that they vtter with their mouthes for then they would direct the intention of their mindes and their desires to God for the obtaining in particular of such things as with the mouth they pray for and they would bee more edified by the pious sense and vnderstanding of their prayers And he concludeth that they pray not in vaine but that they would pray better if they vnderstood the meaning of their prayers And to the same purpose Harding against Bishop Iuell saith it were better the people should say their prayers in their owne tongue that they might the better vnderstand them Innocentius the 3d seemeth to haue had due consideration hereof therfore he prescribeth that because in sundry parts there are mixed within the same city or diocesse people of different languages hauing in the vnity of the same faith different rites and manners the Bishops of such Cities or Diocesses shall prouide fit men to celebrate divine service according to the diversities of their rites and languages to minister the sacraments of the Church vnto them instructing them both by word and example Some restraine the words of Innocentius to the Greeke and Latin tongues only as if he had only allowed the hauing of the seruice in different tongues in those citties and places where Greeks and Latines met But I see not why these words should be thus restrained seeing there is no question but this Pope would allow that which Iohn the 8◠his predecessour others had don in permitting nay in cōmanding the seruice to be in the Slauonian tongue And besides how he could say that the Greeks in some parts of the world agreed with the Latines in the faith whom he so bitterly reproueth for very maine differences in religion and who as Thomas à Iesu testifieth most stiffely hold their owne religion though they liue vnder Princes of the Roman profession I know not Wherefore to grow to a conclusion it appeareth that anciently all Churches that euer most of the Christian Churches had their seruice in a tongue vulgarly vndestood that if any had not it was either because they knew not how to write any thing in their owne tongue or because that which was their naturall tongue ceased to be so after they first had the seruice in it that many had soe in the West Church when Luther first shewed his dislike of Romish errors abuses that there neuer wanted worthy diuines Bs Praelates of great esteem who vrged the vnfitnesse of hauing it in a tongue not vndestood the necessity of the vulgar that all in whom there was any sparke of grace sought to haue it vnderstood And therefore as I noted before out of Iohn Billet sundry Churches though they had their seruice in Latine yet caused the same things that they read in Latine to be expounded in the vulgar others as the Bs in the third councel of Tours that such things should be read to the people in the vulgar as might informe instruct them in all points of Christian faith religion their words are these We all with vnanimous cōsent haue thought fit to ordain that euery B. shall prouide and haue homilies containing necessary admonitions that so they that are vnder him may be taught our meaning is that these homilies shall containe instructions touching the catholike faith according to their capacities concerning the euerlasting rewards of the good eternall damnation of the wicked the resurrection last iudgment such works course of life whereby men may attain or whereby they are sure to be excluded from eternall life And we ordaine that euery B. take care to translate the same homilies plainely and perspicuously into the vulgar Roman or German tongue that all may the more easily vnderstand the things that are vttered vnto them Among other articles proposed in the councell of Trent by the Embassadors of Ferdinand
were ordained of three Bishops like the Suffragan Bishops of our time the later were but Presbyters The second that the Councell appointing the rurall Bishop to be ordained by the Bishop of the Citty meant to forbid that there should be any more such rurall Bishops as haue Episcopall ordination whereunto the concurrence of three Bishoppes at the least is required thereupon hee thinketh the Councell of Antioche permitting rurall Bishops to ordaine Sub-deacons and the Decretall of Damasus forbidding them so to do may be reconciled for that the Councell permitting the ordination of Sub-deacons to rurall Bishops speaketh of such as were ordained of three Bishops and the Decretall of Damasus forbidding them to meddle in such ordination of such as were but meere Presbyters But whosoeuer shall take a view of the Decretall epistle of Damasus shall finde that hee condemneth the intermedling of any rurall Bishops whatsoeuer in ordination and shutteth them out of the Church as men that neither haue nor can haue any place in the same What is Chorepiscopus sayth Damasus but a country Bishop and if hee be a country Bishop what doth he in the citty the Canon altogether forbidding that there should be two Bishops in one city If he be not in the city but in some countrey village and in such place where there neuer was any Bishop before the canon forbidding Bishops to be ordained in meane cities villages or forts or in any place whatsoeuer were bishops haue not bin placed in former times least the authority name of Bishops grow into contēpt what I pray you shall he be For behold neither doth the place agree with his ordination nor his ordination with the place because if such rural Bishops haue receiued the imposition of the hands of many Bishops haue bin ordained as Bs they should not haue bin consecrated in a country village such as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth the canon forbidding Bishops to be placed in villages small forts or litle citties Giue me therefore a reason sayth he I pray you of the constituting of these men or if you cannot as I know you cannot lay your hand on your mouth and assure your selues that they haue no place nor authority in the Church of God diuers things making voyd their ordination and whatsoeuer thing they attempt to doe by vertue of such ordination Whereof the first is for that they are wont to bee ordained by one Bishop wherein their ordination is against the canons concerning Bishops which will haue Bishops ordained by the imposition of the hands of 3 Bishops at the least The 2◠for that if they be ordained by many bishops yet they are placed in some village litle fort or smal city or at least in some such place where lawfully Bishops may not be ordained or formerly haue not bin where the authority and name of a Bishop wil grow into contempt or if they be placed in a city they are placed there with another Bishop whereas the canons permit not 2 Bishops in one city The third is for that if they haue bin ordained at large neither placed in city nor country village as it hath bin reported vnto vs of some their ordination is voyd because the canons do voyd all ordinaons at large so that which way soeuer we turne vs we shal find that these men neither haue nor can haue any Episcopal authority or place This is the resolution of this great Romane Bishop who wholly rejecteth this kinde of rurall Bishops and will not haue them at all to intermeddle in any thing peculiarly pertaining to the Episcopall office But some man will say May not a Bishop when he is growne aged infirme and vnable to sustaine and beare the weight of that great office haue a Coadiutor or assistant Surely there is no doubt but that he may haue one joyned vnto him to beare part of his burthen but that that other should haue Episcopall ordination the Canons permit not whereupon S. Augustine now aged and distracted with multiplicitie of manifold businesses concerning the state of the whole Church desirous with the consent of his Cleargie and people to haue Eradius a Presbyter of his Church joyned vnto him as a Coadiutor while he liued designed to succeede him after his death would by no meanes haue him ordained a Bishop but to continue a Presbyter still though himselfe had beene ordained a Bishop while Valerius yet liued His words are these Adhuc in corpore po sito beatae memoriae Patre Episcopo meo Valerio Episcopus ordinatus sum sedi cum illo quod Concilio Niceno prohibitum fuisse nesciebam nec ipse sciebat Quod ergo reprehensum est in me nolo reprehendi in filio meo erit Presbyter ut est quando Deus voluerit futurus Episcopus Obsecro vos obstringo per Christum ut huic Iuveni huic Presbytero Eradio quem hodiè in Christi nomine designo Episcopum successorem mihi patiamini refundere onera occupationum mearum c. that is While my Father Bishop Valerius yet liued I was ordained a Bishop and sate together with him which I knew not to haue bin forbidden in the Nicene Councell neither did he know it What therfore was disliked in me I will not haue to be blamed in my sonne hee shall continue a Presbyter as he is when God will hee shall bee a Bishop I beseech you and earnestly entreate you for Christs sake that you will giue mee leaue in some sort to ease my selfe and to cast the burthen of my employments vpon the shoulders of this yong man this Presbyter Eradius whom this day in the name of Christ I appoint and designe the Bishop that shall succeede mee My counsell shall nót bee wanting to him neither will I faile to supply what shall be any way defectiue or wanting in him Thus wee see a Coadiutor was allowed but yet such a one as should be but a Presbyter and therefore long after the time of Augustine when Zacharias Bishop of Rome associated another Bishop as a Coadiutor to Bonifacius the Bishop of Mentz he confessed it to be a thing that was forbidden and worthy reprehension but that vpon his importunity of speciall fauour he had yeelded so much vnto him that he might haue such a Coadiutor whom with the advice of his brethren hee might appoint to succeede him when hee should die But notwithstanding the Canons forbidding any such thing to bee done and the dislike of many the greatest Bishoppes of the world yet in the later ages of the Church the Bishops giuing themselues to ease or attending secular businesses and greatly neglecting their Episcopall function again reduced into the Church these rurall Bishops whom they named Suffraganes To these they committed the doing of such things as are most proper vnto Bishops as ordination confirmation but kept the power of Iurisdiction to themselues or gaue it to some
quicquid ego de vobis boni audio mihi imputo that is Whereas there were many Apostles yet in respect of the chiefty that Peter had as being Prince of the Apostles his Sea only grew to be in chiefe authority which in three places is yet the See but of one and the same Apostle For he exalted that Sea in which he pleased to rest and end this present life Hee beautified that Sea in which he placed Marke his Scholer and he firmly and strongly setled that Sea in which hee sate seauen yeares though with purpose in the end to leaue it When as therefore there is one See of one Apostle in which by diuine authority three sit as presidents whatsoeuer good I heare of you I impute it to my selfe And againe in the same place to Eulogius hauing spoken to him of the dignitie of Peters chaire in which he sate he saith He hath spoken to me of Peters chaire who himselfe sitteth on Peters chaire This is the opinion of these Romane Bishops touching the reason of the exaltation of the Seas of Rome Alexandria and Antioche aboue other Episcopall Seas who how partially soeuer they may be thought to be affected to the chaire of Peter yet herein do they mainly crosse the conceipt of the Romanists at this day in that they teach that other Bishops succeede Peter in the chaire and that chiefty and primacy he had as well as the Bishop of Rome The dignity of these 3 Apostolicall Churches was cōfirmed in the Nicene Councell and each of them confined within the ancient bounds and limits thereof Let the ancient custome say the Nicene Fathers continue in Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria may haue power ouer all these seeing the Bishop of Rome hath the like custome In like sort in Antioche and other prouinces let euery Church retaine and keepe her owne degree and honour Bellarmine much troubleth himselfe about this limitation and bounding of these Patriarches as preiudiciall to the illimited iurisdiction of the Romane Bishop and therefore though it be most cleare that there was a particular assignation of Churches to euery of these Patriarches yet hee seeketh to auoyd the euidence of these words For whereas Ruffinus sayth it was decreede by the Councell of Nice that the Bishop of Alexandria should haue care and charge ouer Aegypt as the Bishop of Rome hath of the Churches neere that city and Theodorus Balsamon in the explication of the Nicene canons with Nilus in his booke against the primacie interpreteth the words of the Nicene decree in this sense that the Bishoppe of Alexandria should haue the charge of Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis and the confirming of the Metropolitanes in those parts because the Bishop of Rome who hath a care of the West confirmeth the Metropolitanes of the West hee maketh this construction of the words of the councell Let the Bishop of Alexandria haue the charge of Aegypt seeing the Bishoppe of Rome was wont to permitte him soe to haue before any Councell had decreed it And soe hee sayth Nicolas the Pope in his Epistle to Michael the Emperour vnderstandeth the words which yet is most vntrue for Nicolas sayth no such thing but onely that the Councell maketh the custome of the Romane Church the patterne for others to follow But the eight generall Councell which no doubt vnderstood the words of the Nicene Fathers farre better then Bellarmine sheweth plainely that the meaning of the Nicene Canon was that the Bishop of Alexandria should haue power ouer Aegypt and the prouinces pertaining to it to confirme the Metropolitanes in the same seeing the like custome preuaileth in the Romane Church And this Councell confirmeth the same distinction of the bounds of iurisdiction within which euery Patriarch is to containe himselfe both for old Rome and new and for the other Churches of Alexandria and Antioche The Canons of the Nicene Councell translated out of the Arabian tongue and published by Turrian Pisanus and Binnius will fully cleare this point if our Aduersaries giue any credit vnto them For in the eighth of those Canons the decree about the meaning whereof wee contend is thus set downe Constitutum est vt Episcopus Aegypti id est Patriarcha Alexandrinus praesideat habeat potestatem totius Aegypti that is It is ordained that the Bishop of Aegypt that is the Patriarch of Alexandria shall sit as President and haue power ouer all Aegypt and ouer all places Citties and Townes which are round about it because soe it is fit and because likewise the Bishop of Rome that is the Successour of Peter the Apostle hath power ouer all the Citties and places which are about Rome And in like sort let the Bishop of ANTIOCH haue power ouer that whole prouince c. But because perhaps these Canons though published by themselues as rare secrets of Antiquity lately brought to light will be of litle credit with them I will adde one reason more which to me seemeth very forcible to confirme our interpretation of the words of the Nicene Fathers There was aunciently a great contention betweene the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople about the Churches of Bulgaria either of these Churches making claime thereunto and seeking to bring them within the compasse of their owne Iurisdiction which contention could not haue beene if the one of these two Churches had had an illimited extent of Iurisdiction But that neither of them had any such illimited Iurisdiction it is euident in that neither Constantinople nor Rome vrge any such thing for iustification of their claime but stand vpon their conuerting of the people of Bulgaria to the Christian faith and the planting of religion amongst them Which either of these pretending rather then other sought thereby to iustifie a title of iurisdiction and authority ouer them Wherefore resoluing that we haue the true meaning of the Nicene canon let vs returne thither whence we haue a litle digressed namely to the discourse of Patriarchical Churches and Bishops set in order and honour before all other These as I haue already shewed were at first but three to which afterwards two other were added First Constantinople and afterwards Hierusalem Touching the Church and Bishop of Constantinople after that city was by Constantine made the seate of the Empire and thereby as much or more honoured then any city in the world the Bishop thereof before little esteemed grew exceeding great and in the second Councell which was the first of Constantinople was made a Patriarch in degree of honour next the Bishop of Rome and before the other two And againe in the Councell of Chalcedon confirmed in the same And though Leo resisted against this act of the Councell of Chalcedon and peremptorily protested that he would not suffer the Church of Alexandria to loose the dignity of the second See and the Church of Antioch of the third and his successours many of them persisted in the
coyne that are kings after the manner of the World This assertion may be proued by many vnanswerable reasons The first is this Christ standing before Pilate and being asked by him if he were a King aunswered That his Kingdome was not of this world Therefore he was not temporall or mundane King This consequence fome deny affirming that Christ intended not in his answer to Pilate to deny his kingdome to be a temporal earthly mundane kingdome but that he meant onely to let him know that he had receiued his kingdome of God that the World neither gaue it him nor chose him to it And therefore he saide Regnum meum non est hinc and not Regnum meum non est hic that is My Kingdome is not hence and not My Kingdome is not here This was the evasion of Pope Iohn the two and twentieth as Ockam testifieth but hee refuteth the same by most cleare circumstances of Scripture and euidence of reason shewing that Christ being accused vnto Pilate as an enemy to Caesar in that he made himselfe a King so cleared himselfe that Pilate pronounced that he found nothing against him which he could not nor he would not haue done if he had confessed his Kingdome to be a mundane Kingdome though hee had deriued the right and title of it from Heauen For Caesar would not haue endured any claime of such a Kingdome though fetched from Heauen Neither durst Pilate haue pronounced him guiltlesse that had made such a claime and therefore Christ when hee saide his Kingdome was not of this World meant not onely to deny the receiuing of it from the World but also the dependance of it vpon any thing in the World the supports of it not being things earthly but heauenly and diuine it no way consisting in riches honour power worldly greatnesse as doe the kingdomes of men but in the power of God Which thing is aptly expressed by Christ himselfe when he saith If my Kingdome were of this world my Souldiers would fight for mee The second reason is this He that is no judge of secular quarrels nor divider of inheritance is no King For these things belong to the office of a King But Christ was no judge of such quarrels and differences therefore hee was no King That hee was no judge of secular quarrels nor divider of inheritances it is evident by his owne deniall thereof Which Saint Ambrose excellently expresseth saying Beâ—… terrena declinat qui propter diuina descenderat nec iudex dignatur esse litium arbiter facultatum viuorum habens mortuorumque iudicium arbitrium meritorum that is Hee doth well decline things earthly who descended and came downe for things divine Neither doth hee vouchsafe to bee a judge of quarrels and an arbitratour to determine the differences of men about their possessions who is appointed to bee judge of the quicke and dead and to whom it pertayneth to discerne betweene the well and ill doings of men And againe Meritò refutatur ille frater qui dispensatorem coelestium gestiebat terrenis occupare that is That brother is worthily reiected and hath the repulse who sought to busie him whom God hath appointed the disposer of things heauenly with things that are earthly The third is because Christ refused to be a King when it was offered him and told his disciples that The kings of the nations haue dominion ouer them and they that are great exercise authoritie But that it should not be so with them but that whosoeuer would be great among them must be their minister The fourth hee that is a King and will neuer meddle with the things that belong to a King is justly to be charged either with wickednes or negligence But Christ neuer medled with any thing pertaining to the office of a temporall king in this world therefore either he was no such king or he may be charged with malice or negligence But neither of these two latter may be admitted therefore hee was no such king The fifth there cannot be two kings of one kingdome vnlesse either they hold the same ioyntly or the one acknowledge to hold the same as of and from the other But Caesar and Christ neither held the kingdome of Iudaea ioyntly neither did Caesar hold it as from Christ nor Christ as from Caesar. Therefore either Caesar was no true king or Christ was no secular king of that kingdome But that Caesar was a true king it appeareth by the testimony of Christ himselfe saying Giue or rather render to Caesar the things that are Caesars Now Caesar claimed tribute as Lord of the countrey and therefore hee was truely Lord and King of it That Caesar held not of or from Christ as man it is euident and much more that Christ who wholly refused to be a king did neuer acknowledge to hold any kingdome from mortall man The sixth that was the kingdome of Christ whereof the Prophets prophesied But they prophesied not of any earthly kingdome therefore Christs kingdome was not earthly That they prophesied not of any earthly kingdome it is euident in that the kingdome they prophesied of was to be confirmed and restored by him but the earthly kingdome of Iudaea was not confirmed by the comming of Christ but vpon the refusall of him vtterly ouerthrowne therefore it was not that the Prophets prophesied of That the kingdome they prophesied of was to be confirmed restored and bettered the words of the Prophets are proofe sufficient Behold the day commeth saith the Lord and I will raise vp vnto Dauid a righteous branch and a king shall reigne and he shall bee wise and shall doe iudgement and iustice in the earth In those dayes Iudah shall be saued and Israel shall dwell boldly And this is the name that they shall call him by The Lord our righteousnesse And againe A little child is borne vnto vs and the principality or rule is on his shoulders His name shall bee called wonderfull the mighty God Father of the world to come the Prince of peace the increase of his gouernement and peace shall haue no end Hee shall sitte vpon the throne of Dauid and vpon his kingdome to order and to stablish it with iudgement and with iustice from henceforth euen for euer Now that the kingdome of Iudaea was not established but vtterly ouerthrowne immediatly after Christs departure hence vpon and for the refusall of him the words of Christ foretelling it and the euent of things answering vnto his prediction are proofe sufficient The day shall come vpon thee saith Christ to Hierusalem the chiefe citie of that kingdome that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and hold thee in straight on every side they shall cast thee to the earth and thy children that are in thee and shall not leaue a stone vpon a stone because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Thus we see it strongly proued that Christ
but that his meaning was to meete certaine abuses whereby the Churches of his Kingdome had beene greeued impouerished and oppressed all discipline of men liuing retyred and in cloysters vtterly ouerthrowne Lastly that God hauing exalted his Church by meanes of the Empire in the head citty of the world it should not be by any meanes that the Church in the head citty of the world should ouerthrow the state of the Empire that the matter began with painting that it proceeded from painting to writing that the writing now begins to be vrged as good authority but that he wil not suffer it nor indure it so to be being resolued first to loose his crowne before hee giue any consent to the abasing of the crowne of the Empire in such sort and therefore requireth the paintings to be raced out and the writings to be recalled that such monuments of enmity between the Kingdome the Priest-hood may not remaine hereupon they beseech the Pope by new letters to mollifie that which was too hard and to sweeten that which was too sowre in the former This so wise iust and reasonable an answer of the Germaine Bishops preuailed so farre with the Pope that he sent other Legates of a milder spirit better temper to the Emperour with new letters wherein he sought to qualifie whatsoeuer was offensiue in the former for touching that he wrote of the benefit the Emperour had receiued of him which so highly displeased the Emperor supposing that he meant that hee had receiued the Imperiall crowne as a meere fauor or good turne from him hee answered that howsoeuer the word Benefit be taken in another sence sometimes yet hee vsed it in that signification which it hath by Originall institution and first imposition So that the word Benefit being compounded of two simple words bene and factum signifieth a good fact or a thing well done and in this sence his setting of the crowne vpon the Emperors head might be called a benefit not as being a meere fauour or good turne but for that it was well and honourably done of him to set the Ensigne of Imperiall maiesty and power vpon the head of him to whom such power pertained and so were things at that time pacified by the good indeauor of the Cardinals and by this mild letter of the Pope But afterwards they brake out againe Whereupon the Pope wrote in this sort to the Emperor Adrian the Bishop seruant of the seruants of God to Fredericke the Romane Emperor greeting and Apostolical blessing The diuine law as it promiseth long life to them that honour their parents so doth it pronounce the sentence of death against them that curse father or mother For wee are taught by the voyce of truth that whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shall be brought low Wherefore sonne beloued in the Lord wee do not a little maruaile that you seeme not to giue so much reuerence to blessed Peter and to the holy Church of Rome as you ought to do For in your letters written to vs you put your name before ours Wherein you incurre the note of insolency that I say not arrogācy What shall I say of the fealty you promised and sware to blessed Peter how doe you obserue it when you require of them who are Gods and the sonnes of the most High to wit Bishops the doing of homage vnto you and exact fealty of them inclosing their sacred hands in your hands and manifestly opposing your selfe against vs shut not onely the doores of the Churches but the gates of the Cities of your kingdome also against our Cardinals sent as Legates vnto you from our owne side Repent repent therefore we advise thee of vs thou receiuedst thy consecration and therefore take heed lest affecting things denyed vnto thee thou lose that which is yeelded to thee To this letter of the Pope the worthy Emperour answered in this sort Fredericke by the grace of God Emperour of Romans to Adrian Bishop of the Catholick Church wishing vnto him a firme adhering and cleauing to all those things which Iesus began to do speak The law of Iustice giueth to euery one that which is his own Neither do wee offend in this behalfe for we derogate nothing frō our parents but giue vnto them in this our Imperiall state all due honour to wit to those our Noble progenitors frō whom we receiued the dignity of our kingdome and our Crowne and not frō the Pope Had Sylvester Bishop of Rome any thing pertaining to Royall state and dignity in the time of Constantine was not liberty restored to the Church and peace by his meanes And hath not your Popedome receiued all such royall dignities as it now enjoyeth from Princes And why then is it so much disliked that when wee write vnto the Bishop of Rome by ancient right and after the old manner we put our name before his and according vnto the rule of Iustice permit him writing vnto vs to doe the like Turne ouer the Histories and Monuments of Antiquity and if you haue not yet obserued it you shall there finde that which we avouch and why should wee not require homage and the performance of other duties due from subiects to Princes of them who are Gods by adoption and yet thinke it no disparagement to hold things pertaining to our Royall state especially seeing hee who was authour and beginner both of your dignity and ours who neuer receiued any thing of any mortall King but gaue all good things vnto all paide tribute vnto Caesar for himselfe and Peter and gaue you an example to doe the like either therefore let them put frō them the things they hold of vs or if they thinke it behoouefull to retaine and keepe them still let them yeeld vnto GOD the things that are GODS and to Caesar the things that are Caesars The doores of our Churches and the gates of our Cities are shut against your Cardinals because wee finde them not to bee Preachers but men desirous of a prey not Confirmers of peace but polling companions to get money not such as come to repaire the breaches of the world but greedily and insatiably to gather golde But whensoeuer wee shall see them such as the Church requireth them to bee men bringing peace enlightning their Country assisting the cause of those of meane degree in equity and right they shall want nothing that is necessary for them To conclude When you thus contend about things little pertaining to Religion and striue with secular persons about titles of honour you seeme to haue forgotten that humilitie which is the keeper of all vertues and that meeknesse that should bee in you Let your Father-hood therefore take heede lest while you moue questions about things vnworthy to be stood vpon you scandalize them who with attentiue eare listen to the wordes of your mouth wait for your speaches as for the latter raine Wee are forced thus to write vnto you because wee see the
wils nor to force them to yeeld obedience and maintenance to any without their liking And therefore anciently as LEO sheweth the custome was that hee should bee chosen of all that was to bee ouer all that the wishes and desires of the Cittizens should bee expected the Testimonies of the people should be sought the will and liking of the noble and honourable should be knowne and the Cleargy should choose All which thinges are wont to be obserued and kept in ordinations by them that know the rules of the Fathers that the rule of the Apostle may be followed in all things who prescribeth that hee who is to be ouer the Church should not onely haue the allowance of the faithfull giuing witnesse vnto him but the testimony also of them that are without and that no occasiō of any scandall may be left while he who is to be the Doctor ofpeace is ordained in peace and concord pleasing vnto God with the agreeing and consenting desires of all And in the same Epistle hee addeth Teneatur subscriptio Clericorum honoratorum testimonium ordinis consensus Plebis That is Let the subscription of the Cleargy be had the testimony of the honourable and the consent of the order and people Cyprian to the same purpose writeth thus The people beeing obedient to the precepts of the Lord and fearing God ought to seperate themselues from a sinnefull and wicked Ruler and not intermingle themselues or to haue any thing to do with the sacrifices of a sacrilegious Priest especially seeing they haue power eyther to chuse such Priestes as are worthy or to refuse such as are vnworthy And a little after in the same Epistle hee hath these words For which cause it is diligently to bee obserued and kept as from the tradition of God and the Apostles which thing also is obserued and kept with vs and almost throughout all Prouinces that for the due performance of the worke of Ordination when any Ruler and Gouernour is to be ordained the Bishops of the same Prouince which are nearest should come together vnto that people ouer whom he is to be sette and that the Bishoppe should be chosen in the presence of the people which most fully and perfectly knoweth the life of euery one and hath perceiued by their conuersation what kind of workes they are wont to do Which thing also we see to haue bin don in the Ordination of Sabinus our Colleague to wit that vpon the voyces of the whole brotherhood and the judgment of the Bishops which came together which sent their letters expressing their opiniō of him the Episcopall dignity was cōferred vpon him with the imposition of hands he was ordained into the voyd roome of Basilides That in the time of Chrysostome the people had interest in chusing their Pastors it is euident out of his booke of Priest-hood The Fathes of the Nicene Councell as wee finde in Theodoret write to the Church of Alexandria and to the beloued brethren of Egypt Lybia and Pent◅polis in this sort If haply any Bishop of the Church de fall asleepe let it be lawfull for such of the sect of Meletius as haue beene not long since restored to the Communion of the Church to succeede into the place of him that is dead if so be that they shall seeme to bee worthy and the people shall chuse them yet so notwithstanding that the voyce and consent of the Bishop of the Church of Alexandria bee added to seale and confirme the same And touching the election of Nectarius the Bishoppes of the first councell of Constantinople write thus Wee haue ordained the most reverend and beloued of God Nectarius Bishop before the whole Councell with all consent and agreement in the presence of Theodosius the Emperour beloued of God and of the whole cleargy the whole city likewise with vnanimous consentagreeing thereunto And Leo provideth and taketh order what shall bee done when they that should elect agree not His words are these When ye goe about the election of the chiefe Priest or Bishop let him be advanced before all vpon whom the consenting desires of the Cleargy and People concurre with one accord and if their voyces be divided betwixt twaine let him be preferred before the other in the iudgment of the Metropolitane which hath more voyces and merits but let none be ordained against their wils and petitions least the people despise or hate the Bishoppe which they neuer affected and lesse care for religion when their desires are not satisfied And Grego◅y the Bishoppe of Rome long after allowing the election by the people hath these wordes If it be true that the Bishop of Salona bee dead hasten to admonish the cleargy and people of that city to choose a Bishoppe with one consent that may bee ordained for them And to Magnus about the election of the Bishoppe of Millaine hee saith Warne the Cleargy and people that they dissent not in choosing their Priest but that with one accord they elect some one that may bee consecrated their Bishoppe By all which testimonies wee see what interest aunciently the people had in the choyce of their Bishops and how carefull good Bishops were that they should haue none thrust vpon them against their wills that they should proceede to election with one accord if it might bee or otherwise that such should be ordained as were desired by the greater part and that all things might be done peaceably and without tumult But how much in time they abused this their power it is too evident For Nazianzene reporting the choyce of Eusebius to bee Bishoppe of Caesarea sayth the Citty of Caesarea was in a tumult and the people divided about the choyce of their Bishoppe and the sedition was sharpe and hardly to bee appeased and that as men distracted in many mindes some proposing one and some another as is often seene in such cases at length the whole people agreeing on one of good calling among them commended for his life but not yet baptized tooke him against his will and with the helpe of a band of souldiers that was then come to the Citty placed him in the Bishops chaire and offered him to the Bishoppes present mixing threates with perswasions required to haue him ordained and pronounced their Bishop Likewise at Antioch as Eusebius reporteth there was raised a grieuous sedition about the deposing of Eustathius and after when another was to be chosen the flame therof so increased that it was like to haue consumed the whole city For the people being diuided into two parts the Magistrates of the citie supported the sides and bandes of souldiers were mustered as against an enemy and the matter had vndoubtedly beene tryed by the sword if God and the feare of the Emperour writing to them had not asswaged the rage of the multitude But howsoeuer such was the dissention that eight whole yeares the place was without a Bishop When