the effects thereof Luther appeals to a Council Par 27. Why Luther's Doctrine did not make greater advances a Schism among the Protestants the Protestants abuse the liberty of the Gospel of the Academy of Paris of Zwinglius and Calvin that Luther took a great many of the Romish Ceremonies that the riches of the Church have been one cause of the progress of Protestant Religion Par. 28. The Pope recovers from the fright which Luther had put him into that he now acts more cautiously than heretofore that Priests and Monks live more regularly at present of the reestablishing of Learning in the Church of Rome the ways of enticing Protestants to that Church that the House of Austria has mightily contributed to the Papal Grandeur Par. 29. Of the Temporal Dominions of the Pope of the Countries that are under his Jurisdiction of the Popes Militia of the Popes Interest in relation to Germany France and Spain that the Pope need not fear the Power of the other States in Italy Par. 30. Of the Popes Spiritual Dominions that the Pope has different Interests from those of other Princes the Foundation of the Papal Monarchy that the absolute Power of Popes can't be prov'd from Scripture nor from the example of the Apostles in General nor from that of St. Peter in particular how the Papists Answer these Objections Par. 31. Why the Sovereignty of the Roman Church could not well admit of any other Form than a Monarchical that there could not be invented a more regular Monarchy than that of the Popes why this Monarchy ought to be Elective why the Popes don't Marry of the Conclave why the Popes are generally Italians why they usually chuse an old Man for Pope why they don't chuse one of kin to the last Pope nor one that is too much devoted to the French or Spanish Interest of the Colledg of Cardinals of the Dignity of Cardinals of their Number of their Election that the Popes always endeavour to enrich their Kindred with the spoils of the Church of the Cardinal Patroon why the chief Ministers of the Pope are his Nephews Par. 32. Of the Celibacy of the Ecclesiastics of their great number the several sorts of Ecclesiastics Par. 33. That the Doctrine of the Church of Rome does very well square with the Popes Interests that it prohibits the reading the Holy Scriptures of Traditions of Venial and Mortal Sins of the Remission of Sins of Works of satisfaction of the merit of good Works of Works of Superrogation of Ceremonies and Feasts of forbidding the Cup of the Sacrament of Marriage of the forbidden Degrees of extreme Vnction of Purgatory of the Adoration of Relicks of the Invocations of Saints and of Canonisation other means that the Clergy uses to drain the Purses of ignorant People Par. 34. That Vniversities have been no small means of supporting the Papal Authority that the Professors were the Popes Creatures that the Philosophers were his Slaves of the Scholastic Divinity and Philosophy that the same Pedantry is yet in vogue Par. 35. Why Jesuits intrude themselves into the Government of Schools and Colleges the service they render thereby to the See of Rome that they have insinuated themselves into the Courts of Princes of the Censuring Books that the Romish Priests inspire their auditors with an ill opinion against Protestants of the false rumors they spread to their own advantage Par. 36. That the Excommunication of the Popes is not so terrible as it used to be Par. 37. The Reasons that oblige these People to stick to the Romish Religion that a great many of them do it for Interest others through ignorance why some of them are guilty of Atheism that there is Preferment in the Roman Church for all sort of People why the Princes of the Roman Religion do not abandon it Par. 38. Of those States whose Interest it is to maintain the Authority of the See of Rome of Italy of Poland of Portugal of Germany that Charles the Fifth neglected the occasion of making a Reformation in Germany what had probably happened if Charles had turned Protestant of Spain of France of the Formalities that the Nuncioes are oblig'd to observe in France a project of making a Patriarch in France that the Pope has an aversion for the French Monarchy of the principal support of the Popes of their conduct heretofore in respect of the Spaniards and also in respect of the French Par. 39. How the Popes stand dispos'd towards Protestants why they have favour'd them upon certain occasions Par. 40. If there are any hopes of an accommodation between the Pope and Protestants the Reasons of the Impossibility that such propositions are chimerical and dangerous of the strength of Protestants and Catholicks of the Protestant States Divisions between the Protestants other inconvenients of the Jealousie that reigns between the Protestant States of the Huguenots of France of Poland how strong the Protestants are in Germany if they are able alone to defend themselves without the aid of France and Swedeland that the security of the Protestant States does not depend on Treaties of the Sovereign States of the Protestant Religion of the means of maintaining the Protestant Religion whether the Lutherans and Reformed may be brought to any accommodation of the Socinians and Anabaptists THE HISTORY OF Popedom THE POPEDOM may be consider'd Two ways First As it's Doctrine which is singular and different from that of other Christians does fall in with the Holy Scripture and does either impede or promote the means of our Salvation the consideration thereof as 't is taken in this Sence we leave to the Divines And Secondly As the Pope does not only make a very considerable Figure amongst the rest of the Italian Princes but does also pretend to the Soveraignty of Christendom at least in all Spiritual Affairs and does in effect Exercise such a Supreme Authority over all the States of Europe that have the same Sentiments in Religion with him 'T is this second Consideration which particularly and immediately belongs to the Politicians since such a spiritual Soveraignty does not only bridle the Supreme Power of every State but is altogether absurd and inconsistent with the nature of such a Power Hence is it That Religion is so confounded and intangled with the politick Interests of Rome that he who will understand the latter must be perfectly inform'd of the Rise of that spiritual Monarchy and by what means it is Arriv'd to so prodigious a Growth and what Intrigues are used to preserve its usurped Greatness For thereby will likewise appear what relation it has with the Controversies so rife at present among the Western Christians and how far one may attribute those disagreeing Sentiments of Religion either to different Interpretations of the Scriptures or to the prospect of Temporal Interests After a strict Examination of which we will leave it to the Judgment of Wise and Impartial Men to determine whether there can be any hopes of a
of the Law of Nature and especially those the breach whereof is not obnoxious to the punishment of any Civil Laws and does recommend to every one the performance of his charge as far as it concurs with the Laws of Nature and Honour with the greatest Zeal and Fidelity imaginable so that there is no sort of Philosophy in the World nor any other Religion whatsoever that can compare with the Christian in those points as may be seen at first sight by any one that will take the pains to make a parallel of them together so that it is not only the obligation of every particular man in as much as he is one day to give an account to God for his Soul to embrace the Christian Religion but all those whom God has entrusted with the Supreme Power are particularly bound for reasons before mentioned to introduce and maintain it in their States and that by an obligation which does necessarily follow the exercise of their Office Now tho' these effects are not every where equally visible among Christians and that there are found some who lead as irregular and disorderly lives as the worst of Turks and Infidels the blame is not to be laid upon the Christian Religion but is to be imputed to the malice and perverseness of mankind who only hide their impiety under that Sacred Veil and do little trouble themselves to put in practice the most excellent Lessons which the bestof Religions does continually suggest to ' em Sect. 5. But as all these things cannot be doubted of by the more Learned sort of Men so there occurs here a very considerable question namely Whether the Christian Religion does indispensibly require that the external Direction of it should depend of any other than those who have the Supreme Power and Administration of Affairs in every State Or which is the same in effect Whether the external Government thereof should reside conjointly in the Priests and Clergy or in any one of them without any dependance on the Supreme Secular Powers Or else Whether there must be but one Soveraign Director of the Christian Religion whom all other Christian States shall blindly obey All which Quaeries as some think do finally terminate in this Whether each State ought to regulate its self according to its own Interest and Advantage Or Whether all other States ought to make themselves Slaves to one and seek to render it great and flourishing by their own Loss and Destruction By the external Government or Direction of the Christian Religion we understand such a Power which exerts it self in the choice it makes of certain Persons to be employ'd in the publick exercise of Divine Service reserving to its self the Jurisdiction and free Liberty of enquiring into the Carriage and Demeanour of those Persons The Administration and Disposal of all such Goods as shall be Consecrated to Religion and Pious Uses by Enacting such Laws as shall be thought necessary for the Support and Maintaining of Religion in deciding all Differences and Disputes that upon any occasion may arise among the Clergy and other things of the like nature And we distinguish this external Direction from the Minister of the Church which consists in Teaching Preaching and Administring the Holy Sacraments which beyond all dispute does alone belong to the Clergy but this question is to be understood de Ecclesia jam plantata constituta non de adhuc constituenda plantanda of the Church which is already Established and not of that which is yet to be founded For the Christian Doctrine originally proceeding from the Divine Revelation and Inspiration of the Holy Ghost no Human Power can be admitted to the Direction thereof before that it be manifested and laid open by those that are immediately Authoriz'd by God for that purpose So likewise when our Saviour after his Resurrection sent out his Disciples as his Apostles and Embassadors over all the World to promulge and introduce the Doctrine of the Holy Gospel they did not receive this Commission and Plenipotential right of Preaching here and there from the Supreme Magistrate but from God alone to which therefore the King was as much oblig'd to submit as the meanest of his Subjects they being the immediate Messengers of God and to receive their Doctrine with all humility and obedience Besides it would be very unreasonable and ridiculous to aspire to the Direction of Affairs whereof they had not the least Cognizance From whence it does also necessarily follow that this question is to be understood of those Supreme Powers which themselves do profess the Christian Religion and not of Infidels or Hereticks for to commit the Care and Direction of our Religion to such were to set the Wolf to keep the Sheep Sect. 6. This question may be consider'd three several ways 1. Whether such a Necessity does arise from the Nature of each Religion in general Or 2. Whether it be a peculiar Effect of the Christian Religion And Lastly Whether it is grounded on any positive Command and Order of God That such should proceed from the common and universal Nature of every Religion we can in no wise perceive Nor can a sensible man be easily brought to believe That to serve God rightly he must of necessity make a Schism in the State and introduce two jarring Powers independant of each other Such a Division or Composition of the Soveraign Power in the same Republick is the ready means of fomenting an unquenchable Fire of Distrusts Fears and internal Jealousies whereas on the contrary there is no absurdity or contradiction in serving God and committing the external Direction of Divine Service to the Soveraign Powers with this restriction that the Soveraign will not undertake to impose any False or Heretical Opinions on us In like manner as every one is naturally oblig'd to serve God so he likewise has the Power of Instituting such external Signs of his Adoration as he is perswaded to be most pleasing and agreeable to God But so soon as Mankind set themselves to the forming and composing of civil Societies they abandon'd all their right and power to those to whom belong the direction and management of the whole Society The ancient Patres-Familias or Fathers of the Family before the construction of any Republick have this right solely seated in themselves and which from them was wont to descend to the first born of the Family as Haereditas Eximia the more Excellent and Eminent Part of their Inheritance But so soon as men with one common accord united themselves into civil Societies and Common-weals this Power was transferr'd from the Head of each Family to the Head of the Republick and this was done upon very weighty reasons for if it had been left to every mans fancy and pleasure what sort of Ceremonies he would observe in the external Adoration of God the strange and contrary varieties of serving God would have produc'd nothing but Hate Contempt and irreconcileable Dissentions amongst the
Followers would not conform themselves in every point to his Sentiments but pretended that they had likewise something to say for themselves Hence did arise several Differences and Disputes among them which whilst there was no body whose Authority was sufficient to decide 'em and each one obstinately persisted in his Opinion quickly occasion'd Schisms amongst them and made them forgetting their Common Enemy to fall foul upon one another This gave the Papists a very fair occasion to say The Hereticks were confounded amongst themselves not knowing what they should believe and were wandring in an inextricable Labyrinth since their falling away from the Romish Church Hereto did not a little contribute those who abusing the Name of the Holy Gospel led an impious and scandalous life as if the Gospel-Freedom consisted in the abandoning themselves to all sorts of Debauchery This their ill Conduct gave occasion to the Pope's Followers to blacken the Doctrine of Luther because he had so severely reprehended the scandalous Lives of their Clergy and thereby had gain'd himself a strong Party And it was likewise a great misfortune that a very little after the preaching of Luther there sprung up great swarms of Phanaticks as the Anabaptists and such-like and that the Bores in Germany made a dangerous Insurrection all which Disturbances were by the Pope's Creatures attributed to Luther's Doctrine so that a great many Princes began to suspect it as if it were the Introducer of all sorts of Licence and Irregular Liberties amongst the Mobile which they esteem'd a greater Evil than the Oppression of the Clergy So that they oppos'd themselves with all their might against this new and seemingly seditious Doctrine of Luther Some are of opinion That the Academy of Paris had a great share herein for Luther imagining that the French Clergy were discontented with Leon the Tenth upon the account of the Pragmatick Sanction concerning the Election of their Bishops and therefore would not let slip so fair an occasion of revenging themselves on him 'T was in these Thoughts that Luther was so willing to submit to their decision his Disputes with Eckius but unfortunately for him for they condemn'd his Opinions in very rude and jocquant terms Spain too found it to be her Interest to take into her protection the Chair of Rome and therefore violently oppos'd the Protestant Religion and so vigorously supported the solemn League in France that Henry the Fourth to gain the Crown was absolutely forced to abjure his Religion Some have likewise observ'd that the advancement of the Protestant Religion was not a little retarded first by Zuinglius and afterwards by Calvin who introducing a too great and hasty Reformation as well in things relating to the external form of the Church as in the essential points of Faith fell from one extream into the other Now Luther had chang'd very few of those things to which the People had been accustomed for he left in the Church the Ornaments Bells Organs and Candlesticks and retain'd likewise the greatest part of the Mass excepting that he added thereto several Prayers in the Vulgar Tongue so that he was look'd upon by the greatest part as a Reformer only of some Abuses that had slipt into their Religion But just as it appeared that this Revolution was like to be universal Zuinglius interven'd in Switzerland and Calvin in France who instead of observing Luther's method began immediately to preach against the Presence of Christ's Body in the Eucharist abolisht entirely all sort of Ornaments and Ceremonies broke in pieces the Altars and Images extirpated all sort of Order in the Hierarchy or Government of the Church and despoil'd the Religion of all that which might serve to attract the Eyes and the external Senses Whereupon the common People conceiv'd a great aversion against them and cleav'd with much more zeal and attachment to the Religion which they received from their Ancestors The Riches of the Church did also not a little contribute to the progress of Luther's Doctrine whilst several laid hold on the opportunity of appropriating them to themselves and perhaps did no less hinder it whilest most of the great Prelates stuck fast to the Church of Rome who perhaps would have ventur'd to have shaken off the yoke if the fear of losing their fat Benefices had not kept them faithful to their Masters Interests as we see that it happen'd in France where the Prelates themselves as well as the common People before the Reformation did mightily despise the Pope's Authority but afterwards were great sticklers for the Chair of Rome and stirr'd up the peoples hatred against the new Doctrine as soon as they perceiv'd that if that prevail'd they must out Sect. 28. But after that the Pope and his Creatures were a little recover'd out of the terrible consternation so puissant an opposition had put them in and that his Adversaries began to fall out among themselves he establish'd his Affairs in a much better condition than at first and stood so vigilantly upon his Guard that the Protestants are not only incapable of doing him any more mischief but he does proceed every day to get signal advantages over them for that which Luther took an occasion to hurt him most by is now quite taken away or at least is more prudently and modestly practis'd by him si non castè saltem cautè And the Weapons which Luther us'd against the Pope are now by the same advantageously turn'd against their Master for the Popes do no longer so impudently insult over Soveraign Princes as they were wont to do but use them with much more civility and moderation 't is true in the last Century Paul the fourth did handle the Spaniards something roughly as Paul the fifth in the Age wherein we live did deal with the Venetians much after the same rate but their differences were quickly termined by a prudent mediation before the business came to be too high and the Popes have been since convinced that such heats are very prejudicial to their States as in effect Paul the fifth was immediately brought to reason when the French Ambassador made him believe that the Venetians had sent for Ministers from Geneva and that he should shortly hear they were all turn'd Protestants Besides the Papal Chair has no more been fill'd by such notorious Debauchees as Alexander the sixth or by any of so Martial and fighting an humor as Julius the second but on the contrary they endeavour to put their plots in execution with less noise and more cunning and by appearing outwardly very zealous for the peace and quiet of Christendom The scandalous Merchandizing of Indulgences and a too gross Simony is by them suspended whilest they endeavour to drain the Peoples purses by more honourable and plausible means the Bishops likewise in general are much mended and comport themselves with more modesty and gravity than they did before Luther's time and there is now to be found amongst their Clergy very Wise and
Tributary Slaves doom'd to maintain so great a Militia at their own Expences The first are singular in this That they are obliged to abstain from Marriage which they pretend is upon the account of a more particular Holiness and that they may uninterruptedly addict themselves to the exercise of the Charge But the true reason is That they may not be embarassed with the care of Wife and Children to the prejudice of the Church's Interest or oblig'd to side with the Prince under whose Dominion they live nor cheat the Church of its Income to supply the necessities of their Families but that they may devote themselves wholly to the Pope and yield him a blind Obedience and execute his Orders against all but more especially against the Princes whose Subjects they are whose Anger they dread the less because they are not joined or united to the Republick by so streight Bands as the rest are and have but one body to take care for whereas a Wife and Children are look'd upon to be the greatest and dearest Pawns of our Fidelity but a single man can easily get his Bread in any Country In fine the Pope endeavours by all sort of waies to free them from the Dependance and Jurisdiction of their lawful Soveraigns to subject them entirely to his own The Clergy also could never have satisfy'd their Avarice with so rich a Harvest had they been oblig'd to have scrap'd up for their Wives and Children nor so fair a Pretext of begging for the Church and not for themselves But in the mean while those that first introduced Coelibacy or a single Life among the Romish Clergy were wonderfully overseen in not finding out at the same time a fit Receipt for the Gift of Continency which had been very seasonable We may guess at the multitude of the Clergy by the computation which Paul the Fourth is said to make thereof viz. That he had under his Jurisdiction Two hundred and eighty eight thousand Parishes and forty four thousand Cloisters especially if that of the Convents be just We may again divide the Clergy into those that are simply Priests and those that have made particular vows as the Monks and Jesuites which may pass for the Pope's Life Guard The pay of these Troops consists in honourable Charges great Revenues an easie Labour idle daies and a constant Kitchin but those that are kept more strict have their Heads fill'd with a particular Holiness and Merits and Advantages above the rest Sect. 33. The means which the Pope makes use of to keep the Laity in subjection are the accustoming them to a belief that he and his Ghostly Militia are the Promoters of their Salvation and the Lords of their Consciences which is the strongest Argument in the World to lead them into a perpetual Slavery and Submission to their Wills but that it may be more serviceable to their Spiritual Monarchy they have accommodated thereto some of the Articles of the Christian Religion and since made some additions of others tending to the same end So that if you take good notice of the Disputes and Contestations which they of the Romish Religion have with their Adversaries you will alwaies find some Interest mingled therewith concerning the Authority Power or Revenues of the Clergy The chiefest of these Doctrines is concerning the Power and Authority of the Pope of his Superiority over the Councils and of his Infallibility which last point the Jesuites have stretch'd as far as possible for that being once granted all the rest is an easie and natural consequence thereof But the Sentiments of the Ancient Christians with whom if I am not mistaken the Sorbon at present holds viz. That the Councils are at least equal if not above the Popes are directly opposite to the grounds of the Papal State for this Opinion once stiffly maintain'd would destroy the Monarchy and on its Ruins erect a Democracy and in effect to grant the Pope such almighty Prerogatives and yet subject him to his Creatures and Vassals are things incompatible and inconsistent with one another For that which the Holy Writings of the Fathers have attributed to the Church must be only understood of the Pope just as in ordinary Discourse we ascribe that to a whole Kingdom which is done by the King alone The reading of the Holy Scriptures is forbid the Laity and only permitted to the Clergy which does not alone contribute to the Grandeur of the Priests as if they were the only persons worthy to approach the Divine Oracles but does also more particularly hinder the Laity from finding any thing contrary to the Interests of the Clergy and becoming too wise and refusing any longer blindly to receive the Fables of their lying Priests So that the Laity not being permitted to search into Matters of Divinity nor to examin them seriously are oblig'd to referr themselves wholly to their Priests Hence is it that they appropriate to the Pope the Right of interpreting the Scriptures and of giving an absolute decision of all controverted points to the end that none may be alledg'd that are prejudicial to his Interests They give out too That the Scriptures are imperfect and therefore to be supply'd by Traditions to the end that when they would preach up any Doctrine advantageous to the Holy Chair of which there is not the least tittle to be found in the Scripture they may appeal to Tradition and so spare themselves any farther demonstration In the Doctrine of sins they have a distinction betwixt venial and mortal sins as also of particular cases and exceptions all which does only tend to the profit and advantage of the Priests and all that infinite number of Books of Confession enough to lade a whole East-India-Fleet are not writ for the amendment of sins but to the end that by the Taxes therein contain'd the Dominion of the Clergy may be confirm'd and their avarice satiated The comfortable Doctrine of the Remission of Sins is intirely accommodated to their Interest for whilst it is no advantage to the Clergy that a truly penitent sinner should obtain remission of his sins by the confidence he has in the merits of Christ alone therefore they teach that to the attainment of a full and perfect forgiveness of sins a man must reveal even the least particulars of all and every sin to the Priest whereby they do not only make the people to be at their Devotion and give them such impressions as are most conformable to their Interests but they do more particularly thereby discover all the secrets and designs of Families and the humor and inclinations of the people and by that means have the best intelligence of all that is done tho' they are forbid to reveal what is imparted to them at Confessions for without that caution of secresy they could never have been able to have establish'd a thing so contrary and so ungrateful to humane nature They promote also the works of Satisfaction according as the Father-Confessor
proportionably augmented whilest there were not a few that were glad to be fed by a fat Kitchin and make good cheer without taking any care for the provision thereof and it was not enough that each Church had its ordain'd Priests Chaplains and other necessary Servants but the most considerable must have an addition of Canons and Prebends which places consisting of so great profit and so little pains were soon fill'd by men of all sorts and sizes and thus the inconveniences of a single life which the Popes not without a great deal of pains and opposition had introduc'd in the eleventh and following Centuries were sweetned by the Honours and large Revenues of these Charges which they so quietly enjoy'd Besides all Christendom swarm'd with a prodigious number of Monks and Nuns which springing up in the times of Persecution in the fourth and fifth Centuries have afterwards strangely increas'd These sort of people at the first were content to get their living by their own Industry many of 'em gave all their goods to the poor without being in the least oblig'd thereto and liv'd under the care and inspection of the Bishops according to the Discipline that was prescrib'd them in the Canons In the seventh Century through all the Western Empire was the Monastical way of living extreamly in fashion and all places were fill'd with Cloysters in the founding of which the Princes and Great Men did seem to vie with each other but after that their Liberality was as it were quite exhausted by the Endowments and Gifts made to so many old Monasteries and that there was not place enough for such as desir'd to be receiv'd into those Orders There was at length in the thirteenth Century form'd an Order of Mendicants or Begging Monks which made a greater show of Holiness forasmuch as they would not be thought to go into a Cloyster in hopes of a plentiful and lazy Life but renouncing all the pleasures of the World they would live by Alms and the Beggars-Basket The Fancy of a singular Merit and Supererrogative Holiness induced the People to this Austerity and Hardship of living or rather an unbounded Ambition and Pride so natural to all mankind that not contented to live up to the Commandments of God and barely to fulfil what he prescribes they had rather deserve Heav'n than accept it as a pure Gift of their Creator or purchas'd for them by the Merits of their Redeemer and the desire they have of Superiority and Preference above the rest does even extend it self to the other life To the embracing of this single and solitary Life some are carried by despair others out of a prospect of ease and laziness others are thrust into Cloysters by their Parents and Relations either out of a motive of Religion or Poverty or else for fear of ruining their Family by the division of their Goods amongst a great many Children From these Monks has the Pope form'd his Pretorian Band or Regiment of Guards whom he has not alone quarter'd as troublesome Companions upon the Laity but does make use of 'em also as spies over the actions of the Bishops and rest of the Clergy Therefore it is that the Popes have with so much zeal maintain'd the privileges of the Monks especially when in the thirteenth Century they would have forc'd themselves from the Bishops Jurisdiction and subjected themselves immediately to the Pope and the Pope has found out the way to carry himself so evenly with them that altho' there are great Jealousies betwixt their Orders as for example betwixt the Franciscans and Dominicans yet he holds the Balance always so even and dispenses his Favours so impartially that one Order cannot be oppress'd by the other nor has reason to complain of the Pope's injustice These Monks are very prejudicial to the ordinary Priests insomuch as they attract to themselves the greatest part of the Alms Legacies and Gains proceeding from the Burials of the Rich besides the Direction of Consciences and Administration of the Sacraments which has drawn upon them the immortal hatred of the Bishops and Secular Priests which those other don't much value whilest they are under the care and protection of the Pope and besides when a Bishop at any time oppos'd the Pope the Monks like so many Blood Hounds were immediately after his heels and by their bawlings and exclamations soon made him lose his Credit with the People by whom their Hypocrisy and pretended Sanctity made them much respected so that the Bishops were forced to truckle to the Pope's Authority because the People would afford them no Support or Assistance thus the Monks were set as so many spies over the Conduct of the Bishops which when they found blamable they did not fail immediately to signify to the Generals that resided always at Rome so that the Pope might make a timely opposition against their practices In short these Monks were not the least cause of the Bishops not resisting the growing Power of the Pope for finding it always in vain they were forced with the rest to yield to the mighty Torrent Tho' there were a great many of 'em likewise that were well enough contented to submit to this slavery in hopes of sharing the Prey with their Chief and because they were thereby freed from the Jurisdiction of their Temporal Princes whose power they more dreaded than that of a distant Tribunal the Judges whereof being of the same Trade as they were not so terrible to them for one Crow will not pick out its fellow's Eyes In the mean while 't is most certain that a great many Bishops especially of this side the Alps do with a great deal of impatience groan under the yoke of Rome which did appear sufficiently in the Council of Trent where the French and Spanish Bishops did with great earnestness endeavour that it might be declar'd quod Residentia Episcoporum sit Juris Divini or that by the Divine Appointment each Bishop is oblig'd to reside in his own Church as all the Jansenists of France and the Low-Countries do maintain Now the wisest could easily penetrate what lay hid under this specious Doctrine for if God has commanded that it must necessarily follow that he would afford the way and means of putting it in practice qui dat jus ad finem dat jus ad media and then by consequence it is no longer needful to run to Rome and buy the permission of exercising their charge And it cost the Pope a great deal of pains and a great deal of fears before he could oblige the Council of Trent to desist from a design which extreamly shook his usurp'd Authority and therefore we may be assur'd that that shall be the last General Council nor will the Pope ever more venture his Authority in such like Assemblies which besides will be but very useless things as long as the Jesuits and others teach That the Pope is above the Councils and That he cannot err and That the Councils themselves
be free especially whilst it seem'd very strange to them that the Pope who was a Clergy-man should likewise be a Temporal Prince 't was upon this Account that Rome took up Arms and drove out of their City Pope Leo the third who betaking himself to Charlemain was by him Re-establish'd in his Popedom But on the other side the Pope conjointly with the People of Rome declar'd Charlemain Emperor whereby he became Sovereign over the Exarchate of Ravenna and other places of Italy which had rais'd themselves into free States out of the Ruins of the Western Empire so that afterwards the Pope himself held those Lands dependently of the Emperor who was likewise named Advocatus et Defensor Ecclesiae which lasted till the time of the Emperor Henry the fourth Sect. 21. But at last this Advocacy or Protection of the Emperor began to seem tedious to the Popes because they could not be elected without the Emperors consent and confirmation who us'd likewise to curb them when they grew insolent and proceeded even sometimes to the deposal of them Now to shake off this heavy Yoke of the Emperor the Popes left no stone unturn'd and took a wonderful deal of pains before they could attain to their desire 'T was therefore they labour'd so earnestly to give the Emperors their hands full of work sometimes in Germany sometimes in Italy thereby to weaken their power and authority To which the German Bishops did not a little concurr who were not well pleas'd to be under the Subjection of the Emperor and receive their Bishopricks at his hands Therefore they conspir'd with the Pope to establish an absolute Sovereignty in the Church And to put this their design in Execution they found no time more convenient or proper than the Reign of Henry the fourth who by reason of his dissolute life and Government was in perpetual dissention with his States of Germany Therefore when Gregory the seventh who was before nam'd Hildebrand ascended the Papal Chair being a proud ambitious and resolute man he began to exclaim against the Emperor giving out that the distribution of Ecclesiastical Benefices did not belong to him because he made a scandalous Traffick of them selling them to people of an ill repute and installing them therein before they had taken Holy orders and because the Emperor undertook to defend his just Rights the Pope thunder'd out an Excommunication and animated the Bishops and the other Sates of Germany against him and gave him so much trouble and vexation that at last he was fain to abandon his Right of bestowing the Bishopricks and leave them wholly in the Pope's disposal But the Pope's main aim was not so much to free the Bishops from the Emperor's jurisdiction as to make himself Supreme in Italy and to bring all the Princes in Subjection to the Papal Chair And some are of opinion that he might at last have effected what he had begun whilst Europe at that time was divided into so many little Lordships and most of 'em had weak and inconsiderable Princes and a great many of them either out of devotion or else for fear of being swallow'd up by the Great Ones chose freely to submit themselves to the Papal Chair and to pay him Tribute So that if there had but succeeded three or four Popes as Couragious and cunning as Gregory covering their design with the veil of Religion and taking the specious pretext of Defending the peoples interest against the oppression of their Princes they had made themselves temporal as well as Spiritual Monarchs And the Pope did not only pretend to slip his neck out of the collar and free himself from the Emperor's power but he did likewise endeavour to make him take his turn and to submit him to his own Authority for he made himself Judge of the Emperor's Actions summon'd him to appear before his Tribunal and answer to the Complaints which his Subjects made against him and by reason of his Non-appearance he declar'd him Excommunicated and fallen from the Empire and altho' his Son Henry the fifth endeavour'd to recover what the Popes had squeez'd out of his Father and seizing upon Pope Paschal obliged him to restore to him his right of investing the Bishops yet the Clergy of Europe were so discontented therewith and teas'd him continually till they had forced him in the Year 1122. to resign for ever that Right to the Pope Not long before the same dispute arose in England which at last in the Year 1107. was thus adjusted The King should no longer insist upon his Right of investing the Bishops and they in acknowledgment of that Favour should do him Homage which Article was not very pleasing to the Pope who had been better contented if they had refus'd to pay any sort of submission to their King as he did effectually forbid the Bishops of France to do but Lewis the sixth and his Successors stood up so stoutly in defence of this their Right that the Pope was forced with shame to quit his pretensions Besides fearing to draw upon his Head two Powerful Monarchs of Germany and France he thought it better to keep in with one whom he in time of need might oppose against the other especially whilest it was not so much his interest to weaken the French King with whom he had not so many Feathers to pluck as to humble the Emperor who was then very Powerful in Italy and endeavoured to bring into subjection the City of Rome besides he knew that Germany was not so streightly United as France and whilest the other Princes were jealous and apprehensive of the Emperor's Greatness they easily agreed with the Pope to humble him a little which design they palliated with the pretence of Protecting the Papal Chair and the Church's Authority 'T is true Frederick the first and the second used all their efforts to re-establish the Imperial Power o'er the Pope but ineffectually whilest Italy was divided into the two Factions of the Guelphs and Gihelines the former of which held with the Pope the latter with the Emperor and caus'd so obstinate and implacable quarrels that it was impossible for the Emperor to reduce Italy to a perfect Obedience And after the death of Frederick the second whilst all things were in a strange confusion by reason of the long Interregnum that then Succeeded the following Emperors thank'd God that they could maintain themselves Peaceably in Germany without troubling their Heads any more with the affairs of Italy so that the Popes have quietly exercis'd their Sovereignty as well personally as in respect of the Goods of the Romish Church Sect. 22. But this Greatness could not terminate the Pope's Ambition but was the occasion of his starting another Doctrine which serv'd to extend his power far beyond that of all other Princes for it maintain'd a sort of an indirect Authority right of examining and animadverting on the actions of all the temporal Soveraigns and tho' it was not said in
shall find convenient to impose them now these bring no small profit to them for tho' the impos'd pennance mostly consists in Prayers Pilgrimages Fastings Whippings and such like yet the rich are always condemned to some pecuniary mulct which must be converted to the Benefit of the Convents Churches and the Poor under which they comprehend the Begging Friars who therefore them themselves minimos Fratrum according to the fifteenth of St. Matthew that their bag might be the better fill'd Now this interpretation of the Scripture has burthened Christendom with more than an hundred thousand idle Bellies Besides The first sort of Penitence may easily be redeem'd by Money if they on whom 't is impos'd should find it too grievous and in effect What rich man is there that would not shew himself respectful and liberal to his Holy Father that he may be merciful to him and make his pennance more light and easy 'T is no hard matter to guess why good works are reckoned amongst the means of obtaining Salvation for as soon as they proceeded to give the definition of good works they placed in the first rank all Gifts and Liberalities bestow'd on the Clergy Churches and Convents and other acts introduc'd by the Pope and his Creatures out of a principle of Hypocrisy and Superstition to which they added this Doctrine That the Monks and Friars could not only satisfy for their own sins but that they had also an inexhaustible stock of Supererrogatory Merits remaining to be bestow'd for the use and service of the sinful Laity from which Superfluity they have erected a Magazine of an extreamly profitable Merchandice which cost them nothing either to stow or keep which neither grows mouldy nor musty by length of time which never diminishes and which in a word cannot be restor'd by the buyer tho' he should afterwards chance to discover the insignificancy and unprofitableness thereof They have likewise burthen'd the exercise of Religion with so many unnecessary Ceremonies Holy-Days and superfluous Processions built so many useless Churches Chapels and Altars only that the swarming drones of the Clergy may have just something to do and not seem to be always and wholly idle and to the end that they may still get a little by these and the like Fopperies This is likewise the reason of their multiplying the Sacraments to the number of seven since the administration of each one brings in grist to the Priest's Mill They have introduc'd the Mass without Communicants baptizing it a Sacrifice for the Living and for the Dead to the end that the Dead as well as the Living may be put under Contributions Besides nothing of Importance is taken in hand by a pious Catholick till he has made a Mass be said for his good success There is no Man of Quality that dies without ordering a good number of Masses to be said for his Soul for which the Priest must be well greas'd in the Fist It happen'd once by chance or forgetfulness that the Cup was not administred to the Laity afterwards it became a Law and tho' the Institutions of Christ and the practice of the Church for several hundred Years together was directly contrary to this encroachment yet they obstinately persisted therein lest it might be said the Church has err'd and that the Clergy might enjoy a Prerogative above the Laity nay so far their impudence proceeded that as if they design'd to mock both GOD and Man they give the Laity the unblest Cup which in a scornful manner they name the Washing Cup as if they had eaten some unclean thing and must wash their Mouths after it Marriage must be turn'd into a Sacrament tho' it seem never so absurd and ridiculous that the Clergy alone may take cognizance of all Affairs thereunto belonging which being almost innumerable are very profitable to them and of no less consequence for thereon depend the Estates Inheritances and Successions not only of private Persons but many times of Kingdoms also hence it was that Mary the first Queen of England found herself oblig'd to re-establish Popery in her Kingdom whilst without the Pope's Authority she could never have past for Legitimate thus Philip the third King of Spain saw himself indispensably engag'd to espouse the Pope's Interest because amongst other obligations it was not the least that he permitted him to be born of his Father's Sister's Daughter which could hardly have receiv'd a Dispensation amongst other Christians Now the same Religion that scruples not to dispense with the nearest Bonds of Consanguinity has introduc'd an endless Roll of forbidden Degrees and likewise forg'd a new sort of spiritual Affinity Why To afford the Priests a more frequent occasion of Dispensations which brings in an inestimable Revenue In the extream Unctions the Clergy have found out a very proper expedient of giving the dying person a friendly admonition to make some pious Legacies all which tends to their profit Nor is there any other design in the Fiction of Purgatory than to wheedle those that are just departing and who then little value the goods they must leave to others to give a good part thereof to the Clergy to the end that by their Prayers and Masses they may the sooner get out of a place so terribly hot and thirsty The adoration likewise of Relicks does not make the least part of the Clergy's Revenue for with an old rotten knuckle-bone they will reward the greatest Services that the Pope's most faithful Creatures shall have rendred to him The Invocation of Saints has furnish'd them with a very fair and specious pretext of building so many the more Churches of Instituting more Holy-Days of providing more Priests to officiate and of extorting more Money from the Laity to maintain them Besides the Canonization of Saints which depends on the Pope's breath does contract a greater respect and admiration of his power as if he could dispose of Charges and Offices in Heaven and that God Almighty were oblig'd to receive all the Candidates the Pope should present him by which means he can dispose of the wills of other Princes Subjects offering so considerable a Reward to their Ambition and Credulity on condition that they will maintain his Interests to the very last To which we may add That since Superstition has got the upper hand none but Ecclesiasticks have been admitted into the number of Saints and especially such of them who by some rare Master-piece of Hypocrisy and a false and affected Devotion have render'd themselves Famous o'er the World And if this Honour has at any time been granted to a Secular Person either he or those that sollicited it for him must have merited it by no common Services As to the rest I shall not trouble my self to particularize how the Clergy have cheated poor simple people of their Money by the invention of Miracles Images Apparitions Exorcisms Indulgences Jubilee-Years forbidden Meats and a thousand such like Tricks and Devices Sect. 34. After these means the
can pretext so specious Causes as is the restauration of the Catholick Religion and Goods of the Ecclesiasticks they must have quite lost all knowledge of preceding times besides the Treaty of Nimmigen has shewn how vain and fruitless all such Projects are The Independent Protestant States need not fear being oblig'd to abandon their Religion by any violent means for as the uniformity of Religion cannot remove the Jealousies of State which is notoriously evident from France and Spain England and Holland so neither can the difference of Religion produce this effect that in case any potent State of the Romish Perswasion should undertake to oppress a neighbouring Protestant all the Papists should forsake the one and immediately join with the other especially if they had any Interest in the preservation of the State that should be in danger of ruine The lastingness and conservation of the Protestant Religion in those States where it is profess'd does chiefly consist in the care that is taken to maintain it within the Country whereto they have no need of such subtile and artificial Devices as are us'd in the support of the Popedom but the most simple and ordinary means are sufficient for it mostly consists herein That the Schools and Churches be provided of learned and pious Teachers That the Clergy by a sound Doctrine and virtuous Life give a good Example to their Flocks That every one be easily grounded in the true Fundamentals of their Religion and especially such as are to be employed in Affairs of State that they may be able to defend themselves against the Artifices of the Papists chiefly when they happen to travel in Popish Countries And lastly That the Clergy qualifie themselves so as to be able to baffle their Adversaries and refute all their Quirks and Sophistical Arguments Some are of opinion that it would be no small advantage to us if the two head Parties of the Protestants which only differ in some particular opinions whilst the Interests of their Religions is one and the same could be brought to an accommodation and union under one head the which they imagine to be very feasible if we would lay aside all Hate Animosities Self-Love Pride Opiniatrety and unreasonable Preventions But if we examine well the Genius and Humor of most of the World we shall find this postulatum to be extravagant for if a man should consider the Controversies written on the subject of Religion impartially and unprevented he would stand amaz'd to see how the writers turn and wind themselves on all sides to maintain the opinion they have once laid down without having the least regard to its Agreement or Repugnance to the Scriptures And how often they renew Disputes and Questions which have been refuted a thousand times Besides It can never happen that one opinion should be thought as good as the other for such an indifference in any one point would shew that they did not much matter all the rest Furthermore 't would be very dangerous to make those Articles wherein we cannot agree problematick nor can I tell by what Authority we presume of our own Heads to make any Article Fundamental or Problematick Some are likewise of the mind that we should draw up a Scheme of all the points in which both parties agree and try if from thence may be form'd a perfect System of Divinity which from the beginning to the end should be compos'd ad formam justae Artis So that if this project could succeed altho' there should remain some different opinions yet if they did not dissolve the union and continuity of the whole body we should in the main agree concerning the means of attaining Eternal Happiness and all the rest would not be sufficient to hinder us from uniting in one Church But to judge rightly of this opinion one ought first to see a model of such a projected System For my part I know no better means than to commit the matter wholly to Divine Providence which in its own time will perhaps furnish expedients that the Wit of Man could not have imagin'd For 't is certain that unseasonable means will only serve to create new Schisms and Divisions In the mean while both parties notwithstanding the diversity of their Sentiments ought to unite against the common Enemies and to be really perswaded that the Pope is no better a Friend to the Lutheran than to the Calvinist As for what belongs to those little Sects of Socinians Anabaptist and such like 't is impossible to hope for any reconciliation with them whilst those believe that the Christian Religion is nothing but a Philosophy purely Moral and these know not what to believe themselves to which we may add That these last have filled their Heads with a sort of a new Polity which would render them very dangerous to a State where they had the upper hand but whether the Socinians have the same Sentiments I cannot well determine since they are not as yet become so powerful in any Republick as to be able to occasion any Troubles or Revolutions THE END Laus Deo