the great he dyed and Ludouicus his sonne succeeded him Lotharius succeeded Ludouicus and Ludouicus his sonne succeeded him Carolus Caluus his vncle succeeded Ludouicus Carolus Crassus his brother Ludouicus son succeeded him This Carolus Crassus for his vnfitnesse was put from the Empire and Arnulphus his nephew son of Carlomaine was chosen in his place who was the last of the race of Charles the great that was crowned Emperour whom Ludouicus his son succeeded but was neuer crowned In whom dying without childrē the race of Charles did wholy cease After him Otho the Duke of Saxony was greatly desired but refusing to bee Emperour in respect of his old age the French by his aduice chose Conradus and Conradus when he dyed named Henry the sonne of Otho Duke of Saxony who reigned in East-France But vpon the death of Ludouicus the third the Lombards possessed themselues of the Empire in Italy eight of them successiuely holding it for the space of 50 yeres till Otho the sonne of Matilda daughter of Theodoricus king of the Saxons Henry the king who succeeding his father being very famous for the things he had done in France Germany was desired by Agapetus the Pope many nobles of Italy now weary of the tyranny of the Lombards to come and releeue them which he did and entring Italy with 50000. armed men put Berengarius the Lombard from the Empire and Albertus from the kingdome of all Italy was crowned Emperour in Rome by Iohn the twelfth who died Emperour and Otho the second his son succeeded him and Otho the third his sonne succeeded him This third Otho as Nauclerus saith hauing no heires male by the aduice with the consent of the Princes of Germany made a Decree that after the death of the Emperour an election of the new Emperour to succeede should for euer bee made in the citty of Franckford and appointed electors three Arch-bishops of Mentz for Germany of Coleyn for Italy and of Treuers for France and with these foure other secular Princes to wit the Palatine of Rhene who by office should be the Emperors Pantler the Duke of Saxony who should be his Marshall the Marquesse of Branderburge who was to be his Chamberlaine the King of Boheme who was to be chief Butler This ordinance greatly displeased the Romanes yet notwithstanding Gregory the fifth then Pope who was a Germane borne of the Emperours house seeing how hardly Otho the Emperour came to the Empire though it were his inheritance called a Synode and with the consent of the Princes of Germany confirmed the ordinance of the Emperour decreed that these 7 electors should for euer haue power to chuse the Emperor in the name of all who being chosen should bee called Caesar king of Romanos after his coronation by the Pope be named Augustus Emperour Cardinall Cusanus saith the Emperor Otho with the consent of the nobles Primates and both the states of the Clergy people ordained electors in the time of Gregory the 5. who was a Germane decreed that they should haue power for euer to chuse the Emperor in steed of all It is not therefore to be granted saith hee that the Princes electors haue their power of chusing the Emperor from the Pope so that without his consent they should not haue it or that he might take it from them if he would Who therefore gaue the people of Rome power to chuse the Emperor but the law of God nature whence the Electors appointed by the cōmon consent of all the Germanes and other subiect to the Empire in the time of Henry the second haue their power originally from the common consent of them all who by natures right had power to constitute them an Emperour and not from the Bishop of Rome who hath no power to giue to any prouince of the world a King or Emperour without the consent thereof But the consent of Gregory the 5. who as Bishop of Rome in his degree and place had interest to giue voyce in the chusing of the Emperour concurred with the resolution of the Princes people The sixt instance is of Gregory the 7. deposing Henry the 4. who indeed was the first Pope that euer tooke vpon him to depose Emperour or King Wherefore for the better vnderstanding of the whole course of the proceedings of this Pope wee must obserue that in the time of Henry the 3. about the yeare of our Lord 1040. there was an horrible confusion of Gods Church and people in the citty of Rome three seuerall pretenders inuading the chaire of Peter and challenging the name of his successours and which more increased the misery the reuenues of the Church were diuided among these three and seuerall Patriarchicall places assigned to them one of them sitting at S. Peters another at S. Mary the greater and the third named Benedict in the palace of Lateran and all of them liued very lewdly wickedly as Otho saith the Romanes reported vnto him being in Rome A certaine religious Presbyter named Gratian considering this miserable state of the Church taking pitty on his distressed mother moued with the zeale of piety went to the three pretenders and perswaded them for money to leaue the holy seate of Peter assigning to Benedict as being of greater esteeme among them the reuenues of England for his maintenance and as a recompence of his voluntary relinquishing the claime to the Popedome The citizens of Rome admiring the happy atchieuement of this Presbyter chose him to bee Pope as being the deliuerer of the Church from so great a schisme and changing his name called him Gregory the 7. But when Henry the King heard of it he passed into Italy Gratian vnderstanding of his comming met him at Sutrium and to pacifie his wrath offered him a precious Diademe The King at the first honorably receiued him but afterwards calling a Councell of Bishoppes induced him to giue ouer the Popedome as hauing by Symony obtayned it at the first and with the consent of the Romane church placed Suidegerus Bishop of Babenberge in the Papal chaire who was named Clemens This Clemens dyed Popio Patriarch of Aquileia succeeded him and was named Damasus Damasus dyed and Bruno Bishop of the Tullians succeeded him and was named Leo. This man being of a noble race in France was appointed Pope by the authority of the Emperour and hauing put on the Papall purple robe journeyed through France til he came to Cluniack where one Hildebrand was Priour This Hildebrand moued with zeale came to Leo and told him hee did ill to assume the Papall office by vertue of the Emperours nomination being a Lay-man but that if hee would be aduised by him he would direct him into a course whereby he might without offending the Emperour preserue the liberty of the Church in chusing her chiefe Bishop This aduice Leo hearkned vnto and putting off his purple robe put on the weede of
I am si canon ille missae in hunc quem diximus sensum intelligatur nihil habet incommodi superstitiosa tantum absit opinio quia quidam de naturâ energiâ huius sanctissimi sacrificii male edocti virtutem eius ex solo externo opere quod facit Sacerdos in se deriuari putabant tametsi illi nullam viuam fidem adferrent nullam pietatem adhiberent nulla communione vel precum seu orationis sacrificio assensum praeberent quales erant qui nullâ suae nefandae impietatis execrandorum flagitiorum habitâ ratione se huic sacratissimae diuinissimae actioni damnabiliter miscuerunt missam solius externi operis quod sacerdos facit virtute prodesse put antes etsi ipsi nihil probae mentis adferrent That is If the canon of the Masse bee vnderstood in this sense which wee haue expressed there is no euill in it so that men haue no superstitious conceipt of things for there were some who being ill instructed touching the nature of this sacrament supposed that vertue might be deriued vnto them by the sole externe action of the priest although they brought no liuely faith no piety nor gaue any consent to the sacrifice by any communion so much as of prayer of which sort they were who hauing no consideration of their owne horrible impieties evills committed by them persevering in the purpose of sinning damnably presumed to be present at this most holy action and put themselues in a sort into it perswading themselues that the masse by the vertue of the externe worke of the priest alone would doe them good though they brought no motions affections or desires of a good mind with them Hosius was of the same opinion with these before recited When the priest sayth hee lifteth vp the eucharist let men remember that sacrifice wherein Christ being lifted vp to the crosse offered himselfe to God a sacrifice for vs. Let them thinke how bitter the torments were that hee sustained let them know that mens sins were the cause of such his sufferings let them greiue as it is fitte they should for them and let them shew by all meanes that they hate them And because by his precious death hee hath so fully satisfied for all sinnes that there are none that are not abolished let them with good assurance considence goe vnto the throne of grace and whereas wee haue no merit of our owne let them plead that of Christ let them present that his body that did hang on the crosse and his bloud which was shed for the remission of our sinnes to God the Father and let them humbly beseech him to turne away his face from their sinnes and to looke vpon the face of his son Christ who bare our infirmities to looke vpon his face for his merit to remit their sinnes and to graunt that they may deriue vnto themselues all that fruite which that sacrifice of the crosse that is represented on the altar brought to the world Thus he sayth the people were taught by our forefathers and this hee sayth is enough for them to know Notwithstanding hee sheweth that Michael Bishop of Merspurge a man learned godly and truely catholique published certaine sermons touching the sacrifice of the massâ—… which hee wisheth to bee in the hands of all men in these sermons the same explication is made of the sacrament so often mentioned that I haue already deliuered And with him agreeth another learned Bishop Thomas Watson sometimes Bishop of Lincolne in his sermons vpon the seauen sacraments his words are these Christ in heaven and wee his mysticall body on earth doe but one thing for Christ being a Priest for euermore after his passion and resurrection entred into heauen and there appeareth now to the countenance of God for vs offering himselfe for vs to pacifie the anger of God against vs and representing his passion and all that he suffered for vs that we might be reconciled to God by him euen so the Church our mother being carefull for vs her children that haue offended our father in heauen vseth continually by her publique minister to pray to offer vnto God the body bloud of her husband Christ representing renewing his passion and death before God that wee thereby might bee renewed in grace and receiue life perfection and saluation and after the same sort the holy Angels of God in the time of this our sacrifice do assist the priest and stand about the host thinking that the meetest time to shew their charitie towards vs and therefore holding forth the body of Christ praye for mankind as saying thus Lord wee pray for them whom thou hast so loued that for their saluation thou hast suffered death spent thy life vpon the crosse we make supplication for them for whom thou hast shed this thy bloud we pray for them for whom thou hast offered this same thy very body In that houre when Christs death is renewed in mysterie his most fearefull and acceptable sacrifice is represented to the sight of God then sitteth the King on his Mercie-seat enclined to giue and forgiue whatsoeuer is demaunded and asked of him in humble manner In the presence of this body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ the teares of a meeke and humble man neuer beg pardoÌ„ in vain nor the sacrifice of a contrite heart is neuer put back but hath his lawfull desires granted giuen By resorting to this sacrifice of the masse we evidently declare protest before God the whole world that we put our singular only trust of grace saluation in Christ our Lord for the merits of his death his passion not for the worthinesse of any good worke that we haue done or can doe that we make his passion our only refuge For when wisedome faileth which onely commeth by the doctrine of Christ when righteousnesse lacketh which onely is gotten by the mercie of Christ when vertue ceaseth which onely is receiued from him who is the Lord of all vertue then for supplying of these our lacks needs our refuge is to Christs passion then we run as the Prophet saith to the cup of our Sauiour and call vpon the Name of our Lord that is to say we take his passion offer to God the Father in mystery the worke of our redemption that by this memorie commemoration of it it would please his mercifull goodnes to innovate his grace in vs to replenish vs with the fruit of his Sonns passion We are become debtors to Almighty God for our manifold sins iniquities done against him we can neuer pay this debt no scarse one farthing of a 1000 pounds what remedie then haue we but to run to the rich man our neighbour that hath enough to pay for vs all I meane Christ our Lord who hath payde his heart bloud for no debt of his own but for our
that place which the Lord hath chosen shew thee thou shalt obserue to doe according to all that they informe thee according to the Law which they shall teach thee and according to the iudgement which they shall tell thee shalt thou doe thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shall shew thee neither to the right hand nor to the left And that man that will doe presumptuously not hearkning to the Priest that standeth before the Lord thy God to minister there or vnto the Iudge that man shall die and thou shalt take away euill from Israel This was the highest Court amongst the Iewes from this there was no appeale and this Court some thinke to haue enjoyed so great and ample priviledges as that it could not erre and thereupon inferre that Popes in their Consistories cannot erre to whom Christ hath made as large promises of assistance and direction as euer he did to the high Priests and Rulers in the time of Moses Law That the Priests and Rulers in the time of the Law could not erre they indeavour to proue because he was to answer it with hisbloud whosoeuer disobeyed the sentence decree of those Iudges God required euery man without declining to the right hand or the left to doe that they commanded If it be objected that the words of Almighty God requiring all men so strictly to obey the sentence and decree of those Rulers are not to bee vnderstood concerning matters of faith but Causes Ciuill and Criminall and that therefore this place maketh not any proofe of the infallibilitie of their judgment in matters of faith it will bee answered that there is no reason to doubt of their judgment in matters of faith of whose right judgment in matters Ciuill and Criminall wee are assured Surely it is true that if those Iudges in the time of the Law could not erre in matters Ciuill and Criminall they were vndoubtedly much more freed from danger of erring in matters of faith but it is one of the strangest paradoxes as I thinke that euer yet was heard of that the Priests and Iudges in the time of the Law were priviledged from danger of erring in matters of fact and that they were so assisted in their proceedings as that they could not bee mis-led by any passions or sinister affections to pervert judgement and doe wrong For besides that it is refuted by sundry instances of sinister and wicked judgments passed by those Iudges against the Seruants and Prophets of Almighty God it maketh the Ministery and government vnder the Law incomparably more glorious and excellent then the Ministerie of the Gospell For it is by all confessed that the Popes and Councels may erre in things of this nature But that the Priests in the time of the Law did sometimes erre in judgment condemning them whō God would not haue had condemned appeareth evidently by that we read in the booke of the Prophesies of Ieremy where when Ieremy had made an end of speaking all that the Lord commanded him to speake then the Priests and the Prophets and al◅ the people took him and said Thou shalt dye the death And when the Princes of Iudah heard of these things they came vp from the Kings house into the house of the Lord sate down in the entry of the new gate of the Lords House Then spake the Priests the Prophets vnto the Princes to all the people saying This man is worthy to dye but the Princes said This man is not worthy to dye for he hath spoken vnto vs in the Name of the Lord our God Here we see the Priests erred and were resisted by the Princes of the Land but elsewhere we reade that the Princes also were angry with Ieremy smote him and layde him in prison in the house of Iehonathan the Scribe and saide unto the King Wee beseech thee let this man be put to death for he weakneth the hands of the men of war that are in the Citie and the hands of all the people So that both Priests and Princes might did sometimes erre in judgment But some man perhaps will say that howsoeuer they might erre in matters of fact yet they could not erre in any matter of substance pertaining to the worship seruice of God This also is clearely demonstrated to be false their errours in things pertaining to the worship and seruice of God proued by sundry examples In the second booke of Kings wee reade that Ahaz k◅ng of Iudah walked in the waies of the kings of Israel made his sonnes goe through the fire after the abominations of the heathen and offered burnt incense in the high places and on the hils and vnder euerie greene tree This wicked Ahaz sent from Damascus to Vrias the Priest the patterne of the Altar he saw at Damascus and the fashion of it and all the workemanship thereof and Vrias the Priest made an Altar in all points like to that which King Ahaz sent from Damascus So did Vrias the Priest before King Ahaz came from Damascus and the King commanded Vrias to offer sacrifice on the Altar and Vrias did whatsoeuer the King commanded him Yea we reade of many Priests especially about the time of the Maccabees that forsooke the law of God and followed the abominations of the heathen Idolaters and many Iudges and Kings likewise so that Dauid Hezekiah Iosias only excepted there was none of the Kings that did not decline more or lesse to Idolatry The meaning therefore of Almighty God according to the iudgment of the best Diuines was not that Priests and Iudges in the the time of the law should be obayed in all things without exception but when they commanded and iudged according to the diuine law and verity and in the same sort must wee vnderstand the words of Christ when he sayth The Scribes and Pharisees sit on the Chaire of Moses and commandeth the people to obserue and doe whatsoeuer they prescribe to be obserued and done For otherwise Christ should be contrary to himselfe who elsewhere willeth men to beware of the leauen of the Pharisees which S. Mathew interpreteth to bee their doctrine teacheth men by his own example to cōtemn their traditiōs Yea it is most certaine that the Pharisees erred dangerously and damnably in many things notwithstanding their sitting on Moses chaire and therefore Christ doth oftentimes sharpely reproue them for mis-interpreting the law of God Some man perhaps will say they taught lesse then is implied in the Law in that they condemned murther adultery and the like crimes but not lust hatred and such other sinister affections of the heart and that therefore Christ did not reproue them as teaching any thing contrary to the Law but as teaching lesse then is contained in it and comming short of it This euasion will not serue for it appeareth euidently that they did not only come
downe the reasons brought on both sides and first that it was the true Samuel hee sheweth that these reasons are commonly brought First because the Scripture speaketh of him as of his very person not of any counterfeit likenes of him calling him not once but often by the name of Samuel Secondly for that it had bin a great dishonour irreuerence offered to Samuel if so often the Diuell should haue beene called by his name in holy Scripture Lastly for that it is said in Ecclesiasticus in the praise of Samuel the Prophet of God that he prophesied after his death that he afterwards slept againe and that he made known to King Saul his end the ouerthrow of his armies which prediction is not to bee imputed to a lying Spirit seeing hee so certainely foretold what was to come to passe On the other side he produceth these proofes First the Glosse vpon the 29 of Esay sayth the Pythonisse did not raise Samuel but euocated called out the Diuell in his likenesse Secondly it is not likely that God who would not answere Saul by liuing Prophets would send any from the dead to aduise or direct him Thirdly he that appeared vnto Saul sayd vnto him To morrow thou shalt be with me but Saul as a wicked man was to be in Hell the place of torments therefore he that appeared was so Fourthly he that appeared suffered Saul to worship him which true Samuel would not haue done seeing God onely is to be worshipped Fiftly if it were true Samuel that appeared either hee was raised by diuine power or by the power of magicall incantations if by diuine power God should very much haue fauoured magicall arts if at the inuocation of this Pythonisse hee had wrought such a miracle if by the power of Magicke then was he raised by the Diuell and that either with his consent and then he had done euill which he could not doe or without his consent which could not be seeing the Diuell hath no power to force the Saints of God after their death and departure hence Lastly he alleageth the authority of Augustine who bringing the reasons on both sides in the end inclineth rather to this later opinion and that in the Decrees Cap. Nec mirum c. adding that if that decree taken out of Augustine bee the decree of the Church noe man may thinke otherwise but if it be not as he thinketh it is not because Augustine out of whom it was taken disputeth the matter doubtfully and many of the Diuines since the compiling of that decree are of another opinion which they ought not to be if it were the decree of the Church he rather thinketh it was true Samuel that appeared then any counterfeit in his likenesse If any man desire to see the different opinions of the Fathers touching this point let him reade Tertullian in his booke de Animâ the 33 Chapter the annotations vpon the same place of Tertullian But howsoeuer whether it were true Samuel that appeared vnto Saul or a counterfeit in his likenesse I hope it is cleare and euident out of that which hath beene sayd that this apparition no way proueth the imagined Limbus of the Papistes There remaine yet two other places of Scripture to be examined that are brought for confirmation of the same but yealding as litle proofe as this The one is in the prophesies of Zacharie the other in the Epistle of S. Peter The words in the former place according to the Vulgar translation are these Thou in the blood of thy testament hast deliuered thy prisoners out of the Lake wherein there is no water But in the Originall the words are otherwise and Arias Montanus translateth the place otherwise in this sort And thou to wit Ierusalem in the blood of thy testament that is sprinkled with the blood â—…f thy testament reioyce and be glad I haue dismissed thy prisoners out of the lake wherein there is no water So that these words Thou in the blood of thy testament are not appliable vnto Christ but to Hierusalem and the other touching the dismissing of the prisoners out of the lake wherein is no water vnto God the Father who speaketh in this place to HierusaleÌ„ coÌ„cerning Christ her King coÌ„forteth her saying Rejoyce o Daughter of Sion be glad ô Daughter of Hierusalem for behold thy King commeth vnto thee meeke riding on an Asse vsed to the yoke and the fole of an Asse I will destroy the Charriot froÌ„ Ephraim and the Horse from Hierusalem He shall destroy the bowes of the fighters and the multitude and publish peace to the nations He shall rule from Sea to Sea and from the riuer to the end of the Land And thou to wit Hierusalem in the blood of thy testament that is sprinkled with the blood of thy testament reioyce and be glad I haue dismissed thy Prisoners out of the lake wherein there is no water Thus wee see this place according to the Originall verity and the translation of Arias Montanus maketh nothing for the confirmation of that for proofe whereof it is brought Yea though we should follow the Vulgar Translation and take the words to be spoken by Almighty God to Christ his Sonne yet could not our aduersaries proue Limbus out of this place For the Author of the Glosse and many other following the Vulgar Translation vnderstand these words of the deliuerance of the people of God out of the captiuity of Babylon which was as a deepe pit hauing in it no water but mire wherein their feete stucke fast And Hierome himselfe though he vnderstand the words of Christs descending into hel yet mentioneth the other interpretation also in the same place not much disliking it Neither doth his interpretation of Christs descending into Hell proue Limbus For hee speaketh of the prison of Hell where is no mercie calleth it a cruell or fearefull Hell not of Limbus patrum or Abrahams bosome Bellarmine cunningly after his manner to discredite our interpretation of deliuerance out of Babylonicall captivitie maketh as if Caluine onely had expounded the wordes of the holy Prophet in that sort whereas yet many excellent Diuines long before Caluine was borne interpreted them in the very same sort as we doe But if the challenge of novelty faile he betaketh himselfe to another of absurditie improbabilitie pronouncing that our Interpretation hath no probabilitie first because in the wordes immediatly going before there is a prophesie concerning Christ vttered vnto Hierusalem in these words Reioyce O daughter of Sion for behold thy King commeth c. Which the Evangelists expound of Christs comming into Hierusalem and then secondly an Apostrophe to Christ in the words questioned But first heerein he is deceiued for the speech of Almighty God to his Church begun in the former words is still continued in these shewing what fauours for Christs fake he had still meant to bestow on her whereas
according to the Translation they follow there is first a speech directed to the Church concerning Christ then an Apostrophe to Christ and then thirdly a returne unto the Church againe Secondly if that were graunted which he vrgeth touching the supposed Apostrophe it would not proue that there is no probabilitie in our Interpretation For this consequence will neuer be made good in the Schooles Christ is prophesied of in the words immediatly going before in these words God speaketh vnto him by way of Apostrophe therefore they cannot be vnderstood of deliuerance out of Babylonicall captivitie seeing it is certaine that Christ deliuered the Israelites out of all the miseries out of which they escaped But saith Bellarmine if wee admit this Interpretation in what bloud of the couenant may wee vnderstand the Iewes to haue beene deliuered out of Babylonicall captivitie Surely this question is soone answered For their deliuerance out of the hands of their enemies and all other benefites were bestowed on them by vertue of the couenant betweene God and them which was to be established in the bloud of Christ in figure whereof all holy things among the Iewes were sprinkled with bloud as the Booke of the Covenant the Altar the Sanctuary and People Wherefore seeing this place maketh nothing for the confirmation of the Popish errour touching Limbus let vs come to the last place brought for proofe thereof which is that of S. Peter concerning Christs going in spirit and preaching to the spirits in prison see whether from thence it may be proued any better S. Augustine vnderstandeth the words of the Apostle as I noted before of Christs preaching in the dayes of Noe in his eternall Spirit of Deity not of preaching in Hell in his humane Soule after death but this interpretation of S. Augustine first Bellarmine rejecteth as contrarie to the Fathers secondly endeauoureth to improue it by weakening the reasons brought to confirme it and by opposing certaine reasons against it The first of the Fathers that he alledgeth is Clemens Alexandrinus who indeede vnderstandeth the words of S. Peter not as S. Augustine doth but of Christ preaching in Hell after his death in his humane Soule but not conceiuing to what purpose preaching should serue in Hell if there were not intended a conversion sauing of some there he runneth into a most grosse dangerous error cōdemned rejected as well by Bellarm. his companions as by vs so that his authority as contrary to Augustines interpretation needed not to haue beene alledged nor would not haue beene if Bellarmine had meant sincerely For Clemens Alexandrinus affirmeth as hee well knoweth that so many Infidels as beleeued in Christ and listened to the wordes of his preaching when hee came into Hell were deliuered thence and made partakers of euerlasting saluation against which errour himselfe being Iudge Saint Augustine not without good cause disputeth in his Epistle to Euodius The second auncient Writer that hee produceth for proofe of Christs preaching in Hell after his death is Athanasius who indeed doth expound the wordes of Peter of Christs going in Soule to preach in Hell after his death but no way expresseth in what sort to whom to what purpose or with what successe he preached Epiphanius whom he produceth in the third place doth not so interprete the words of Peter himselfe but onely vpon another occasion citeth the epistle of Athanasius to Epictetus wherein hee doth so interprete them So that the authority of Epiphanius might haue beene spared Ruffinus in his explication of the Creede interpreteth the words of Peter as Athanasius doth Cyrill in the place cited by Bellarmine speaketh of Christs preaching to the spirits in Hell but saith nothing in particular of this place of Peter S. Ambrose doth not speake of this place but that other of preaching the Gospell to the dead So that there are no moe Ancient writers cited by Bellarmine that doe precisely interprete this place of Peter of Christs preaching in Hell in his humane soule after death but onely Clemens Athanasius Ruffinus and Oecumenius On the other side we haue S. Augustine Beda the authors of the Ordinarie and Interlincall Glosses Lyra Hugo Cardinalis and other interpreting the words as wee doe so that our Aduersaries haue no great aduantage in respect of the number of Interpreters and yet if they had it would not helpe them for confirmation of their supposed Limbus seing some of the Fathers cited by him as namely Clemens Alexandrinus speake directly of preaching in the lowest Hell for the conuersion of Infidels which they dislike as much as wee Wherefore let vs proceede to examine the reasons that are brought either of the one side or the other to confirme their seuerall interpretations of these words and let vs see how Bellarmine weakneth the reasons brought by S. Augustine and improueth his interpretation by reasons brought against it The first reason whereby S. Augustine confirmeth his interpretation is for that mortification in the flesh and viuification in the Spirit mentioned by the Apostle cannot be vnderstood of the body Soule of Christ as they that follow the other interpretation doe vnderstand them seeing Christ neuer dying in soule could not be said to be quickned in it Besides that the very phrase of the Scripture opposing flesh and Spirit in Christ doth euer import the infirmity of his humane nature and the power of his Deitie and in other men that part that is renued by the sanctification of the Spirit and that which is not yet so renued Against the former part of this reason of S. Augustine Bellarmine opposeth himselfe saying that it is not good seeing a thing may be sayd to be quickned that was neuer dead if it be preserued from dying kept aliue But he should know that onely those thinges may be said to be quickned in that they were preserued from dying which otherwise if they had not beene so preserued might haue beene killed or dyed of themselues Which cannot be verified of the Soule of Christ that could neither die of it selfe nor be killed by any other and therefore the Soule of Christ cannot be said to bee quickned in this sense The place in the seauenth of the Acts brought by Bellarmine to proue that those things may bee said to bee quickned that were neuer dead besides that it is nothing to the purpose is strangely wrested For S. Stephen in that place speaketh nothing of viuification or quickning in that sense we now speake of it but of multiplying increasing saying that After the death of Ioseph there rose vp another King in Egypt that knew not Ioseph who euill intreated our Fathers and made them cast out their infants and new borne children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that they should not increase multiplie and therefore Bellarmine should not in reason so haue pressed the Latine word of viuification vsed by the Vulgar translatour seeing the
Ambrose vpon Luke that the words of Almighty God which we read in Hieremie are to be vnderstood of a temporall kingdome and the words of the Angell of a spirituall and eternall kingdome That Christ was not a temporall King by right of election hee proueth by that of Christ himselfe when he saith O man who hath made me a judge or a diuider among you And by that of S. Iohn where he saith that When Christ knew they meant to come take him make him a King he fled againe himselfe alone into a mountaine So that he neither was chosen nor would haue accepted of any such choise That by right of conquest and victory hee was not a temporall King it appeareth in that his warre was not with mortall Kings to depriue them of their kingdomes but with the prince of darkenesse according to that of the Apostle To this purpose did the Sonne of God appeare that he might dissolue the workes of the Diuell And that againe Now is the Prince of this world cast out And that of Saint Paule who speaking of Christ sayth That spoyling principalities and powers hee made a shew of them openly triumphing ouer them in himselfe So that his warrefare was not by carnall weapons to get himselfe an earthly kingdome but by spirituall weapons mightie through God to get a spirituall kingdome that hee might reigne in the hearts of men by faith and grace where Sathan reigned before by infidelity disobedience and sinne Lastly that he was no temporall king by any speciall gift of God his Father it is euident out of his owne words when he saith My kingdome is not hence For as the Fathers note vpon these words Christ meant by so saying to put Pilate out of doubt that he affected no temporall kingdome And therefore the sence of his words must needes be this I am a King but not in such sort as Caesar and Herod My kingdome is not of this world that is The supports of it are not things of this world it doth not consist in honour riches and power of this world This thing the Cardinall farther proueth to be true because he came to minister and not to be ministred vnto to be judged and not to judge and by his whole course of conuersation shewed the same neuer taking vpon him to do any kingly act For whereas hee cast out the buyers and sellers out of the Temple it rather pertained to the Priestes office then the kings according to that which wee read in the old Testament that the Priest draue the king himselfe out of the Temple when disorderly he presumed to do things not pertaining to him and yet he did it not by any Priestly or kingly authority but after the manner of Prophets by a kind of diuine zeale like that wherewith Phinchees was moued to kill the adulterer and adulteresse and Elias to slay the Prophets of Baal This most true opinion of the Cardinall that Christ was no temporall king is farther confirmed in that such a kind of kingdome had not beene necessary Nay it had beene an hinderance to the worke he had in hand which was to perswade to the contempt of glorie honour riches pleasures and all such other earthly things wherewith the Kings of the earth abound and by suffering death to ouercome him that had the power of death and to reconcile the world vnto God And besides in that all the places where any mention is made of the kingdome of Christ are necessarily vnderstood of a spirituall and eternall kingdome So in the Psalme I am apointed of him a King to preach his commandement And againe in the booke of Daniel In their dayes shall God raise vp a kingdome which shall not be destroyed for euer And of his kingdome there shall be no end Whereas the kingdomes of men continue but for a time and therefore if Christ had beene a King in such sort while he was vpon the earth as men are he had ceased to be so when hee left the earth And then it could not haue beene true that of his kingdome there should be none end Nay seeing the kingdome of the Iewes was possessed by the Romanes at or immediately after the time of the departure of Christ out of the world and afterwards by the Saracens and Turkes how could that of Daniel haue beene fulfilled that his kingdome shall not be giuen to another people if his kingdome had beene like the kingdomes of men So it is true that Christ came into the world to be a king and that GOD gaue him the seate of Dauid his father But this kingdome was diuine spirituall eternall and proper vnto him in that hee was the Sonne of God and in that he was God and Man But a temporall kingdome such as the sonnes of men haue he had not And heereupon Saint Augustine bringeth in Christ speaking in this sort Audite Iudaej Gentes audi circumcisio audi praeputium audite omnia regnae terrena non impedio dominationem vestram in hoc mundo c. that is Heare O Iewes and Gentiles heare circumcision and vncircumcision heare all ye kingdomes of the earth I hinder not your dominion and rule in this world because my kingdome is not of this world Feare not therefore with that most vaine and causelesse feare wherewith Herod feared and slew so many innocent babes being cruell rather out of feare then anger and so forward shewing that the Kingdome of Christ is meerely spirituall and such as no way prejudiceth the kingdomes of men Which the Glosse confirmeth noting that Christ while hee was yet to liue longer in this world when the multitudes came to make him a King refused it but that when hee was ready to suffer he no way reproued but willingly accepted the hymnes of them that receiued him in triumphant manner and welcommed him to Hierusalem honouring him as a King because hee was a King not hauing a temporall and earthly kingdome but an heauenly Whereunto Leo agreeth shewing that Herod when hee heard a Prince was borne to the Iewes feared a successour but that his feare was vaine and causelesse saying O caeca stultae aemulationis impietas quae perturbandum putas divinum tuo furore consilium Dominus mundi temporale non quaerit regnumqui praestat aeternum that is Oblinde impietie of foolish emulation which thinkest to trouble and hinder the Counsels of God by thy furie The Lord of the World who giueth an eternall Kingdome came not into the World to seeke a temporall kingdome And Fulgentius accordeth with him saying The golde which the Sages offered to Christ shewed him to bee a King but not such a King as will haue his Image and superscription in the coyne but such an one as seeketh his image in the sonnes of men Whence it followeth he was no temporall or mundane King seeing they haue their images and superscriptions in their
same fulnesse of authority in as ample independent sort as before because the benefite of Christ tendeth to no mans hurt grace ouerthroweth not nature therefore still they remaine independent and subiect to none in the same power and in the exercise of it If they shall say they are subject to none while they vse their authority well but that if they abuse it they lose the independent absolutenesse thereof their saying will bee found to bee heteticall For if vpon abuse of independent authority they that haue it lose and forfeit it ipso facto then authority and abuse of authority or at least extreme abuse of it cannot stand together which is contrary to that of Saint Augustine where he saith Nec tyrannicaefactionis perversitas laudabilis erit si regia clementia tyrannus subditos tractet nec vituperabilis ordo regiae potestatis si Rex crudelitate tyrannicâ saeuiat aliud est namque iniustâ potestate iustè velle vti aliud est iustâ potestate iniustè velle vti that is Neither shall the peruersnesse of tyrannicall vsurpation euer be praise worthy though the tyrant vse his subiects with all Kingly clemency nor the order of Kingly power euer be subiect to iust reprehension though a king grow fierce and cruell like a tyrant For it is one thing to vse an vnlawfull power lawfully and another thing to vse a lawfull power vnrighteously vniustly The third reason may bee this If God did giue to the Pope authority to depose Princes erring and abusing their authority hee would giue them the meanes to execute that their authority reacheth vnto to wit ciuill greatnesse armies of Souldiers walled cities towers and strong holds both for defence and offence and all other thinges necessary for the putting downe of wicked Kinges But the Pope as Christs Vicar hath none of these neither was hee at any time as a temporall Prince the greatest monarch of the world and so able to represse the insolencies of all hereticall pagan and wicked Kings hindering the peaceable proceeding of the Gospell of Christ therefore he hath no such authority For to say that God giueth authority not the meanes whereby it may execute and performe that which pertaineth to it is impious The onely meanes the Pope hath to depose Princes are two but neither of them within the compasse of his power to dispose of The first is the raising of subjects against their Prince The second is the raising of neighbour Princes The former of these meanes is very defectiue seeing as Bellarmine rightly obserueth out of Ecclesiasticus Such as the Ruler of a citie is such are they that dwell in it And therefore if the King bee an hereticke the most part of his people will bee so too and rather assist him for the maintenance of his heresie then resist against him for the suppressing of it Which thing as he saith experience teacheth For when Ieroboam became an Idolater the greatest part of the kingdome worshipped Idols When Constantine reigned Christian Religion flourished When Constantius reigned Arrianisme prevailed and ouerflowed all When Iulian swayed the Scepter the greatest part returned to Paganisme So that Iouian being chosen after his death refused to bee Emperour protesting that being a Christian hee neither could nor would bee Emperour ouer infidells Whereupon they all professed that howsoeuer they had dissembled before yet they were still in heart Christians and now would shew it againe So that wee see the first meanes for the suppressing of erring Princes is no meanes or a very vncertaine one And a second is worse then the first For I neuer read in any Diuine of what religion soeuer that one King is bound to make warre vpon another vpon the Popes command for the suppressing of heresie And therefore the Pope may breath out excommunications till he be breathlesse but can goe no farther by any meanes that God hath giuen him Fourthly thus we reason Either the power of the Pope is meerely Ecclesiasticall and spirituall or it is not If it bee not then hath hee ciuill authority from Christ which they deny If it be then can it inflict no punishments but meerely spirituall and Ecclesiasticall For of what nature each power is of the same are the punishments it inflicteth The temporall power inflicteth onely temporall outward and corporall punishments as losse of goods imprisonment banishment or death The spirituall only spirituall as suspension excommunication and the like Now I suppose the losse of a kingdome with all the riches and honour of it captivity banishment or death vpon resistance against the sentence of deposition is a temporall and externall punishment of the worst nature and highest degree that may be Lastly if soueraigne Kings may bee put from their Kingdomes vpon abuse of their authority either they forfeit and lose the right of them ipso facto and are depriued by Almighty God and then the Pope can but declare what God hath already done as any man else may vpon perfect vnderstanding of the case or else other neighbor Kings or their owne subjects are to depose them and the Pope is onely to put them in mind of their duty and as a spirituall pastour to vrge them to the performance of it and then he deposeth thē not but they Or lastly the power of assuming their authority to himself vpon their abuse thereof pertaineth vnto him and then in ciuill authority he is the greatest and ouer all which yet these men deny For hee that is to judge of Princes actions and vpon dislike to limite restraine or wholly take their power from them is supreme in that kinde of authority And if he may take ciuill authority from other and giue it to whom he pleaseth there is no question but hee may giue it vnto himselfe and so hath power vpon all defects of Princes to take into his owne hand that which formerly pertained to them and to doe the acts that were to be performed by them Now as these reasons strongly proue that the Pope cannot depose Princes in ordine ad spiritualia so the weaknes of the reasons brought to proue it will much more confirme the same Their first reason is taken frō the perfection and excellency of the Ecclesiasticall or spirituall power which they say is greater and farre more excellent then that which is ciuill Whereunto we answer with Waldensis that though the spirituall power be simply more perfect excellent then the ciuill yet either of these in the performance of things pertaining to them is greater then the other and each of them independent of the other Ambrose was greater then Theodosius in respect of the administration of diuine things might either admit him to or reiect him from the Sacraments But Theodosius in respect of all temporall things was greater then hee and might cōmand him send him into banishment or take away all that he had The Sun is more excellent then the Moon
interpreteth the words of Almighty God in this sort Constitui te super Gentes super regna vt euellas id est euellendo denuncies transferendos inde habitatores destruas quantum ad occidendos disperdas quantum ad fugientes per diuersas vias dissipes quantum ad morientes in fuga vel captiuitate aedifices plantes id est denuncies Iudaeos reaedificandos plantandos in terrasua c. that is I haue set thee ouer nations and kingdomes that thou mightest plucke vp that is that thou mightest denounce and foreshew that the inhabitants being plucked vp out of their places shall bee carried into another place that thou mayst destroy that is denounce the destruction of such as shall be slaine That thou maist scatter that is denounce and foreshew the dispersion of such as shall flie diuers wayes That thou maist ouerthrow that is declare and foreshew the ouerthrow of them that shall die in flight or in captiuitie That thou maist build and plant that is foreshew that the Iewes shall be builded and planted againe in their owne land which was fulfilled in the time of Cyrus who gaue liberty to the people to returne into their owne countrey and to reëdifie the temple and in the time of Artaxerxes who gaue leaue to Nehemiah to reëdifie the citie of Hierusalem as we may reade in the bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah The authour of the interlineall Glosse interpreteth the words in this sence that the Prophet was appointed by almighty God ouer kingdomes and people to plucke vp vices and sinnes to destroy the kingdome of the Divell and to build the Church of God Saint Hierome likewise interpreteth the words in the same sort Considerandum est saith he quòd quatuor tristibus duo laeta succedunt Neque enim aedificari poterant bona nisi destructa essent mala nec plantari optima nisi eradicarentur pessima c. that is Wee must consider that two joyfull happy things succeed foure grievous and sorrowfull thinges For neither could good things be builded if euill things were not first destroyed nor the best things bee planted if the worst things were not first pluckt vp by the rootes For euery plant which our heauenly Father hath not planted shall be plucked vp by the rootes And euery building which hath not a foundation vpon the Rocke but is builded vpon the sand is digged downe and destroyed by the word of God and Iesus shall consume it by the spirite of his mouth and destroy it by the comming of his presence that is hee shall destroy for euer all sacrilegious and peruerse doctrine and that also which is lifted vp against the knowledge of God and the confidence that men haue in their owne wisedome he shall-scatter destroy and cast downe that in steed of these things the things that sauour of humilitie may be builded and the thinges which agree with Ecclesiasticall veritie may be builded and planted in the place of the former thinges which were destroyed and pluckt vp Here is pulling vp of all false doctrine and throwing downe whatsoeuer is lifted vp against the knowledge of God that those things that sauour of humilitie and are agreeable to Ecclesiasticall verity may be builded and planted And thus to plucke vp and to plant to cast downe and to build vp pertayneth to Hieremies office and calling but for deposing of Kings and transferring kingdomes no auncient writeâ—… could euer finde any thing in this place The third example that they produce is that of Vzziah who after much prosperitie in all that hee tooke in hand and many glorious victories obtayned not contenting himselfe with the honour of a King but presuming to come into the Temple to offer incense and intruding vpon the Priests office also was by them resisted told it would be displeasing to allmighty God that he did But he waxing angry would not desist till beeing stricken with leprosie and the verie earth trembling and quaking for horrour of so vile a fact hee was by the Priests and the remorse of his own conscience forced to goe hastily out of the Temple This leprosie departed not from him till his dying day and therefore hee was by vertue of Gods lawe constrained to departe from the society of men and to dwell apart and Iotham his sonne ruled ouer the kings house and iudged the people of the land How this place will proue that the deposing of Kings belongeth to Priests I knowe not for surely Vzziah was not deposed but being forced to liue in an house apart by himselfe and in that respect vnfitte for the gouernment his sonne supplied his place in iudging the people of the land but hee continued king still and if hee had beene cleansed from his leprosie before his death no doubt might and would haue resumed his kingly dignitie and the publique administration of iustice Wherevpon wee shall finde that Iotham is said to haue reigned no more but 16 yeares because after his fathers death in his owne right he reigned no more Though otherwise wee finde mention of things that fell out in the 20 yeare of his reigne So including the time of his ruling for his father in his right So that here was nothing done by the Priests but that which pertained to their priestly office which was to keepe the holy places attend the Altars to iudge of the plague of leprosie But for deposing the King they medled not The fourth example is of Iehoiada the high Priest deposing Athaliah and setting vp Ioash as they tell vs. The storie is this Iehosaphat dieth and Iehoram his sonne succeedeth him This Iehoram marrieth Athaliah the daughter of Ahab the sonne of Omri and hee walked not in the wayes of Iehosaphat and Asa kings of Iudah but of wicked Ahab whose daughter hee married Whereupon God stirred vp the spirite of the Philistines and Arabians and they came and tooke away all the substance that was found in his house and his wiues and sons so that none was left him but Iehoahaz or Ahaziah his youngest sonne After this Iehoram dieth and Ahaziah reigneth in his stead who followed the counsell of Athaliah and did wickedly in the sight of the Lord. This Ahaziah going to Iehoram the sonne of Ahab and being found with him when Iehu came to execute iudgement against the house of Ahab was there slaine by Iehu After his death Athaliah his mother destroyed all the Kings seede of the house of Iudah and vsurped the kingdome But Iehoshebeath the wife of Iehoiada the Priest sister to Ahaziah stale away Ioash the Kings sonne from among the Kings sonnes that hee should not be slaine and hee was hid in the house of God sixe yeares all which time Athaliah reigned But in the seauenth yeare Iohoiada waxed bold tooke the Captaines of hundreds in couenant with him and went about in Iudah and gathered the Leuites out of all the cities of Iudah and the
chiefe-fathers of Israel they came to Ierusalem and all the congregation made a couenant with the King said The Kings sonne must reigne as the Lord hath said of the sons of Dauid Hereupon the King is proclaimed Athaliah is slaine the house of Baal destroied the Altars and idols that were in it broken down In all this narration there is nothing that maketh for the chiefe Priests power of deposing lawfull kings if they become heretiques For first Athaliah was an vsurper no lawfull Queene Secondly here was nothing done by Iehoiada alone but by him and the Captaines of hundreths and the chiefe Fathers of Israel that entred into couenant with him Thirdly there is great difference betweene the high Priest in the time of the Lawe and in the time of Christ. For before the comming of Christ the high Priest euen in the managing of the weightiest ciuill affaires and in iudgement of life and death sate in the Councell of State as the second person next vnto the King by Gods owne appointment Whereas our Aduersaries dare not claime any such thing for the Pope And therefore it is not to bee maruailed at if the high Priest beeing the second person in the kingdome of Iudah by Gods owne appointment and the Vnckle and Protectour of the young king whom his wife had saued from destruction bee the first mouer for the bringing of him to his right and when things are resolued on by common consent take on him not onely to commaund and direct the Priests and Leuites but the Captaines souldiers also for the establishing of their King the suppressing of a bloody tyrant and vsurper For all this might be done by Iehoiada as a chiefe man in that state and yet the Pope be so farre from obtaining that he claimeth which is to depose lawfull kings for abusing their authority that hee may not presume to do all that the high Priests lawfully did and might doe as not hauing so great preeminence from Christ in respect of matters of ciuill state in any kingdome of the world as the high Priest had by Gods owne appointment in the kingdome of Iudah Israel In the old Law saith Occā the high Priest meddled in matters of warre in the judgment of life and death the losse of members vengeance of blood it beseemed him well so to do But the Priests of the new Law may not meddle with things of this nature Wherefore from the power dominion which the high Priest of the old Law had it cannot be concluded that the Pope hath any power in tēporal matters The fifth example is of Ambrose repelling Theodosius the Emperour from the communion of the Church after the bloody and horrible murther that was committed at Thessalonica by his commandement The story is this The coach-man of Borherica the Captaine of the souldiers in that towne for some fault was committed to prison Now when the solemne horse-race and sporting fight of horsemen approched the people of Thessalonica desired to haue him set at liberty as one of whom there would be great vse in those ensuing solemne sports which being denied the citty was in an vprore and Botherica and certaine other of the magistrates were stoned to death and most despitefully vsed Theodosius the Emperour hearing of this outrage was exceedingly moued and commaunded a certaine number to be put to the sword without all iudiciall forme of proceeding or putting difference betweene offendors and such as were innocent So that seauen thousand perished by the sword and among them many strangers that were come into the citty vpon diuerse occasions that had no part in the outrage for which Theodosius was so sore displeased were most cruelly and vniustly slaine Saint Ambrose vnderstanding of this violent and vniust proceeding of the Emperour the next time he came to Millaine and was comming to the Church after his wonted manner met him at the doore and stayd him from entring with this speech Thou seemest not to know O Emperour what horrible and bloudy murthers haue beene committed by thee neither dost thou bethinke thy selfe now thy rage is past to what extremities thy fury carried thee perhaps the glory of thine Imperiall power will not let thee take notice of any fault thy greatnesse repelleth all checke of reason controlling thee but thou shouldest know the frailty of mans nature and that the dust was that beginning whence we are taken and and to which we must returne Let not therefore the glory of thy purple robes make thee forget the weakenesse of that body of flesh that is couered with them Thy subjects O Emperour are in nature like thee and in seruice thy fellowes for there is one Lord and commander ouer all the maker of all things Wherefore with what eyes wilt thou behold his temple or with what feete wilt thou treade on the sacred pauement thereof wilt thou lift vp to him those hands from which the bloud yet droppeth wilt thou receiue with them the sacred body of our Lord or wilt thou presume to put to thy mouth the cup replenished with the precious bloud of Christ which hast shed so much innocent bloud by the word of thy mouth vttering the passion of thy furious minde Depart therefore adde not this iniquity to the rest and decline not those bands which God aboue approueth With these speeches the Emperour was much moued and knowing the distinct duties both of Emperours and Bishops for that he had bin trained vp in the knowledge of heauenly doctrine returned to the Court with teares sighes A long time after for eight moneths were first past the solemne feast of the Natiuity of Christ approached and all prepared themselues to solemnize the same with triumphant ioy But the Emperor sate in the Court lamenting powring out riuers of teares which when Ruffinus maister of the pallace perceiued he came vnto him and asked the cause of his weeping to whom weeping more bitterly then before he said O Ruffinus thou makest but a sport of these things for thou art touched with no sence of those euils wherewith I am afflicted but the consideration of my calamity maketh me sigh and lament for that whereas the doores of Gods Temple are open to slaues and beggars and they goe freely into the same to make prayers vnto their Lord they are shut against me and which is yet worse the gates of heauen are shut against me also for I cannot forget the words of our Lord who saith Whomsoeuer ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heauen To whom Ruffinus replied I will runne if it please thee O Emperour to the Bishop and intreate him to vnloose these bands wherewith hee hath bound thee No saith the Emperour it is to no purpose so to doe for he will not bee intreated I know his sentence is right and iust and that he will not transgresse the law of God for any respect of imperiall power Yet when Ruffinus was