it who tooke a great summe of money to excommunicate him The despites and presumptions of the Pope against him are monstrous i Papir Masson de ep vtb pag. 205. Naucl. pag. 856. at last to purchase his peace he was faine to cast himselfe groueling vpon the floore while the Pope set his foote vpon his necke and insulted ouer him with those words of the Psalme Thou shalt walke vpon the Lion and the Aspe the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou treade vnder thy feete HENRIE the sixth that was sonne to this Fredericke and his wife the Empresse k Rog. Houed annal p 689. were crowned by the Pope holding the Crowne betweene his feete and so setting it on their heads and hauing thus crowned the Emperor he strooke it off againe with his foote to shew that he had power to depose him The next Emperor was PHILIP his brother against whom the Pope so set himselfe that he said l Vrsperg p. 319 Naucl. pag. 898 either he would haue Philips crowne or Philip should haue his miter and thereupon continually opposed himself and stirred vp Count Otho against him m Vrsp p. 324. Naucl. p. 906. who miserably slue him in his priuie chamber After him succeeded OTHO the fourth n Walsiâ— ypod Neâ—sâ—â— p. 46â— Naucl. p. 910. him Innocent who then was Pope excommunicated absoluing his subiects from his obedience and forbidding them to call him Emperor The next Emperor was FREDERICK the seuenth who first was vexed by Honorius o Vrsp pag. 3â—7 Pan â—â—f ColleÌ„ hist Neâ—pol p. 245. then excommunicate by Gregorie for false and friuolous causes without all order of iudgement and others made Emperors against him The treasons warres and businesses that were stirred vp against this Emperor by the Pope are innumerable His complaints hereof are in euery storie p Pâ—â—â—â—e Vin. lib. â— ep 31. that the happinesse of Emperors was alway opposed by the Popes enuie q See Pand. Collenut hist Neap. l. 4. pag. 157. inde Many things are laid against him by the Popes fauourites but yet they all mention the Popes vnreasonable proceeding against him r Kâ—anâ—z ano pag 225. When ALBERT the first sent to Pope Boniface to confirme his election he refused to do it and said that himselfe was both Emperor and Pope in signe whereof the time of Iubilee then being he shewed himself the first day in his Pontificall robes and the next day in the hâ—bâ—t of an Emperor with a naked sword borne before him saying with a lowd voice Behold here are two swords This Boniface is he of whom Å¿ â—â—atin in Bonif 8. they write that he studied with terror rather then religion to subdue Emperors Kings Princes and nations and endeuoured according to the lust of his owne minde to giue and take away kingdomes thirsting after gold more then can be expressed HENRIE the seuenth commonly called of Lucenborow after t Naucl p 999. the Pope and his Cardinals opposing his coronation and u Avent p 597. stirring vp enemies against him w Av nt p 598. Naucler p 991. was at last poisoned by a Monke in the Sacrament LVDOVICVS BAVARVS x Auinionenses â—â—llae vnâ—â—que 〈◊〉 gescebant variâ— ad con tuâ—bandâ—m Germantam dâ—sâ—or dâ—e mâ—â—a serere â—extabant nâ—hil immotum nihil denique in eâ—dë statu relinquere connitebantur Auent pag. 630. Naucl. pag. 996. was excommunicated by Iohn the 22 and miseraby vexed all his life time In his cause it was that Occham and so many other learned men writ in defence of the Emperor against the Pope CHARLES the fourth y Naucl. p. 101. could not obtaine his coronation but on condition that he would not stay in Rome or Italy which yet were part of his kingdom WENCESLAVS z Auent p 645. Theodor Niem pag. 68. was deposed and another put into the Empire against him by Boniface the 9. SIGISMVND who tooke so much paines in the Councell of Constance against Husse and Ierome a Venerat in eandem sententiam Eugenius Naucl. p. 1055. was yet withstood and resisted in his voyage into Italy by Eugenius IONE the Queene of Naples b Pand. Collen p. 221. was depriued of her kingdome by Pope Vrban c Naucl. p. 1024 Pand. Collen p. 227. who consented to her murder MANFRED the King of Naples and Sicily d Naucl. p. 946. had the Duke of Anjou armed against him by Vrban the fourth by whom he was slaine CONRADINVS the King of Naples and Sicily being taken prisoner by Charles brother to the French King e Pand. Collen p. 186. Paral. Vrsperg p. 11. was miserably put to death by the Popes counsell who being demanded what was to be done answered The life of Conradine is the death of Charles and the death of Conradine is the life of Charles PHILIP AVGVSTVS the French King f Mart. Polon append p. 237. Naucl p 982. Paralip Vrsper p 27. was depriued by Boniface the 8 and his kingdome giuen to the Emperour Albert because he would not acknowledge it to be holden of him King IOHN of England g Matth. Paris p 223. Walsing ypodig Neustr p. 461. was pitifully vexed and depriued of his kingdome by the Pope and his Bishops and the French King set vp against him and at last was h See Act. and Monum poisoned by a Monke HENRIE the second about the death of Becket who had wrought many vprores in the State i Gul. Neubridg pag. 169. Math. Paris p. 125. by the Popes appointment was whipt by Monkes IVLIAN and LAVRENCE the Dukes of Florence k Conscio adnuente pontifice Volater pag. 51 by the Popes practise were assaulted in the Church at the time of the eleuation of the hoast and the one grieuously wounded the other murdred outright GEMIN OTTO the brother of the great Turke being prisoner was poisoned l Guicciar hist pag 66. by the Pope hired thereunto by m P. Ioâ—i hist pag. 25. l. 1. a promise of two hundred thousand crownes and the seamlesse coate of Christ The PRINCE of ORANGE was grieuously murdred by n Dinoth de bell ciuil Belg. p 398 inde a Papist who for the same is highly commended by o CoÌ„ment reruÌ„ in â—â—b gest p. 1122. inde Surius the Friar HENRIE the third late King of France after p Meter Belg. hist pag 494. infinite treasons and conspiracies of the Sorbonists against him was at last q Ibid. p. 496. murdred by a Dominican Friar which murder the Pope by r Orat. Sixt 5. in consist an 1589. a solemne oration in the Consistory commended to the skies His successor HENRIE the fourth was wounded by Å¿ Rod. â—otter commen p. 106 a disciple of the Iesuites suborned thereunto by the Iesuites in memory whereof a pillar was erected in Paris against the Iesuites and they banished the Realme There is t Fran.
is quenched the light and zeale and comfortable assurance thereof is taken away and all sorts of people are imboldened to security negligence in seeking that quantity of knowledge whereto God hath enabled them to attaine So that hereby the people of God in whom p Col. 3.16 his word ought to dwell plentifully with all manner of knowledge q Ro. 10.10 that should be able both to beleeue with the heart and confesse with their mouth to saluation r Heb. 5. vlt. that through long custome should haue their wits exercised to discerne both good and euill ſ 1 Pet. 3.15 that should be alway ready to giue an answer to euery one that asketh a reason of the hope that is in them are turned into sencelesse Idols that can neither heare nor see nor vnderstand the which kind of ignorance the ancient Church neuer allowed Thirdly we cōdemne the defining of faith yea entire Catholicke faith by this kind of beleeuing for albeit the faith knowledge of the best of Gods children be intangled as Caluin hath freely confessed with the relickes of much ignorance when many things beleeued necessary to saluation are not yet distinctly vnderstood yet there is a progres increase in knowledge wherby the dullest ignorantest of Gods children are inlightned more and more vntill they reach that quantity of apprehension that the commandement of faith requires In which sense we allow the faith of any man liuing specially the vnlearned to be implicite First when he knowes and apprehends in generall the substantiall articles belonging to faith which are contained in the Scriptures and rule of faith Secondly when the ignorance is only in the particulars whereby the said generall articles are demonstrated as a lay man beleeuing the Vnity and Trinity of Persons in God yet is not able to expresse or conceaue the difference betweene the essence and the Persons nor the different manner of persons proceeding 3. When withall he vses the meanes to increase in knowledge by searching the Scriptures and hearing the word preached and in the meane time obediently submits himselfe to the ministry and direction of the Church herein The implicite faith of such persons as haue this threefold disposition concurring in them we condemne not but this is not it which our aduersaries pleade for who defēd that it is enough to assent to the Church though all this be wanting that is to say to professe himselfe a Romane Catholicke beleeuing as the present Church holds without any knowledge of the things in themselues 8 Note lastly that the distinct knowledge of things beleeued which against this implicitie of faith we require is the knowledge of that which God hath reuealed not of the essence and reason of the things For the vnderstanding whereof we must consider that the Scriptures and Church by their proposition reueale the points of faith vnto vs and bid vs learne beleeue thē as that there is one God the maker of all things and one mediator Iesus Christ that was conceaued by the Holy Ghost borne of the virgine Marie and as followes in the Rule of Faith Which things thus mentioned vnto vs are profound mysteries and haue many abstruse and secret notions belonging to them as for example the deepe reasons of the Trinitie in the Godhead and the Vnion of the two natures in Christ Now when we require knowledge to be ioyned with the faith of these things we meane the knowledge of the Reuelation not of the reason and whole nature of the things reuealed for is any man so presumptuous as to imagine that a supernaturall obiect beleeued by faith reuealed by God can by discourse of reason be reduced to naturall vnderstanding the Apostle t 1. Cor. 2.14 saying The naturall man perceaues not the things of God neither can he know them Or do our aduersaries imagine the knowledge we require to be such as is in humane sciences where conclusions are demonstrated by their principles and things are comprehended in their causes and properties Haue they that power ouer their people to make them beleeue that we require for example men to be able to vnderstand and vtter the manner and reasons how God is one How 3. in Person How the dead shall be raised againe How our nature subsists in the word How the redemption of mankinde could be wrought by the sufferings and death of the Sonne of God How the Sacraments confer Grace How man could be predestinate before the world was made We do not require the world to know these things u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theodor. de prouid l. 10 sub fin which are reserued to the beatificall vision in the life to come but onely in such sort and measure as is reuealed which is by conceauing that God is one that the Persons are 3. that the dead shall be raised againe c. and such things concerning them as may without error be vnderstood * Deut. 29 29. For secret things belong to the Lord our God but things reuealed belong to vs and to our children for euer * The state of the question The true state of the question therefore touching implicite faith is whether the beleeuer besides his generall assenting to the Church and Scripture be also bound to haue in himselfe a distinct knowledge of things propounded him to beleeue so that he can according to any true notion of conceauing apprehend and conceaue that which is reuealed to him in which question the distinction of Necessary as the meanes and Necessary by the command is friuolous because whatsoeuer is omitted against Gods commandement is sinne and consequently damnable without repentance and therefore if knowledge be commanded it is also the meanes of Saluation so farre foorth as the obseruation of the commandements is the meanes But our aduersaries apply this distinction which in some question is of good vse in this place to lay their people a sleepe on their pillow when they shall heare knowledge to be commanded but yet not as a Necessary meanes Now there be twenty wayes to escape from a commandement 9 These things thus premised now I answer my aduersaries arguments made for implicite faith against distinct knowledge The first that I dispute so whotly against that which M. Wootton admits is false For M. Wootton admits no more then he insinuates in his conclusion that a generall beleefe of some points may suffice some persons without danger of damnation and this pleases me well enough for I haue shewed this not to be the question but let my aduersary deale sincerely and hold him to that which is taught in his Church and it will please himselfe neuer a whit When that doctrine allowes ignorance in all points and the other which is somewhat honester allowes it in more points and defines the ignorance otherwise then M. Wootton will do My aduersary therefor hath not M. Wootton on his side nor against me but directly with me
into France whereupon in the time of the Emperour Charles the great and by the appointment of the Apostolicke sea a generall Councell called by the Emperour was celebrated at Francford in France which ACCORDING TO THE TRACT OF THE SCRIPTVRE AND TRADITION OF OVR ELDERS DESTROYED AND VTTERLY ABDICATED THAT FALSE SYNOD OF THE GREEKES whereof a large booke which in my youth I read in the pallace by the said Emperour was sent to Rome by certaine Bishops Nothing can be plainer then this testimonie against all the Replier hath said The like is written in p Ado chron an 792. Rog. Houed contin Bed an 792. Auent aun Boio p g 253. Aiâ—noin pa 450. Visperg pa. 187 Rhegin pag 30 many histories besides And after the death of Charles his sonne Lodowicke held a Councell at Paris which is extant about the same matter of Images wherein the decrees of Nice and the booke written by Adrian in defence thereof against the Councell of Frankford are againe condemned which shewes that the Councell of Frankford had done the same before Hincmarus q Vbi sup sayes By the authoritie of this Councell of Frankford the worship of Images was not a little suppressed but yet Adrian and other Bishops perseuering in their opinion and r Suarum pupparum cultum vehementius promouerunt promoting more vehemently the worship of their puppets after the death of Charles his sonne Lewis in a certaine booke inueyed farre more sharply against the worship of Images then Charles had done The Councell of Paris it selfe Å¿ Concil Paris pag. 19. Francfurt an 1596. in 8. sayes The Epistle of our Lord Adrian the Pope which he directed to Constantine and Irene for the setting vp of Images we made to be read before vs and as farre as we could perceiue as he iustly reprehends those which haue presumed to breake and abolish the images of Saints so himselfe is knowne to haue done indiscreetly in commanding them superstitiously to be worshipped For which cause also he assembled a Councell and by his authoritie decreed and that vnder an oath that they should be set vp and worshipped when it is lawfull indeed to erect them but vtterly vnlawfull to worship them The same Councell of Paris t Pag. 130. affirmes that it would haue hurt neither faith hope nor charitie if no image at all had bene painted or made throughout the world It is certaine therefore that the Councell of Nice was condemned by the Councels of Frankford and Paris both 5 But the Replier sayes All that is found touching this condemnation is but in a forged booke ascribed falsely to Charles This is vntrue twise ouer First because as I haue now shewed many others say it as well as the Booke of Charles Next I proued directly against Cope and the Iesuites that the booke is not forged and Bellarmine and Baronius confessing it to containe the Acts of Frankeford and the Councell condemned therein to be the second Nicene without all doubt testifieth so much It seemes that the pen-man was Albinus our countriman u Trithem de script in Alb. Sixt. Senen l. 4. Hittorp praef ad Lect. de diuin offic Rom. who was very great with Charles and his instructer in all kinde of learning and one of the famousest men in those times For thus writ w Annal. par 1. pag. 405. Roger Houeden and x Flor. hist pag. 215. Matthew Westminster Charles the king of Fraunce sent into England a booke of the Councell which was directed to him from Constantinople In which booke alas for griefe many things are found inconuenient and contrarie to the faith But especially that it was decreed by the consent of almost all the Easterne Doctors no lesse then three hundred or aboue this was the second Nicene Councell that images should be adored which the Church of God altogether abhorreth against which thing Albinus wrote an Epistle maruellously confirmed with the authoritie of the Scripture and in the name of the Bishops and Nobles brought the same with the booke to the King of France Albinus therefore it seemes penned it the Bishops and State approoued it and the Emperour ratified and published it This makes it of more authoritie then if the Emperour alone had done it But who penned it it is impertinent when Bellarmine and Baronius graunt it containes the acts of the Councell of Francford and no man may doubt but the Councell therein condemned is the second Nicene For this is enough to prooue the Nicene Councell to be condemned by the Councell of Frankford whosoeuer were the author of Charles his booke That which the Replier obiects touching the Constantinopolitane Councell named in stead of the Nicene helpes him not Bellarmine y De imag l. 21 c. 14. §. Neque obstat answers Constantinople is set downe in stead of Nice through vnskilfulnesse or want of memorie And z An. 794. n. 33. Baronius though he hold the councell of Constantinople that decreed images should be broken is meant there yet he grants the councell of Nice is meant and condemned also And it must needs be as Bellarmine sayes for though Constantinople be named yet it is added that there it was decreed that images should be worshipped which was not done in the Constantinopolitane but in the Nicene councell All which being put together the testimonies I meane whereby the booke is proued to be Charles his and the Councell meant to be the second Nicene it appeares plainly that the booke is authenticall and the author thereof both knew well enough what the Constantinopolitane and Frankford decreed and set downe the Canon neither by heare-say nor at aduenture nor yet by the imagination of his owne head but with good aduice and vpon certaine knowledge It being the vainest point of a thousand to imagine that Albine and the whole Cleargie of England France Germanie and Italie with the Nobilitie and States should condemne a thing which they vnderstood not and now after eight hundred yeares the true knowledge of all things should come by some reuelation belike to a few arrogant Iesuites who yet can agree in nothing about the same I admonish the Repliar by this example wherein he hath sped so vnluckily not to thinke to deface the truth with boldnesse and bragging but to giue way to the truth and in seeking it to tie himselfe to no mans deuice till he haue better assurance of it For there is scarce one example of antiquitie that we produce against them but his Iesuites are deuided in their answers and speake so contrary one to another that it is easie to see they intend nothing but to be obstinate and resolute And so the example of the second Nicene councell shewes that the Popes councels how generall or approoued soeuer haue erred in defining by the iudgement of the whole Christian world and their errors had beene controlled in former ages as well as the Protestants now controll them so that the things wherein