pretence or under what distinction soever these pompatick foolish proud perverse wicked profane words these names of singularity elation vanity blasphemy to borrow the Epithets with which Pope Gregory I. doth brand the Titles of Vniversal Bishop and Oecumenical Patriarch no less modest in sound and far more innocent in meaning than those now ascribed to the Pope are therefore to be rejected not onely because they are injurious to all other Pastours and to the People of God's heritage but because they do encroach upon our onely Lord to whom they do onely belong much more to usurp the things which they do naturally signifie is a horrible invasion upon our Lord's Prerogative Thus hath that great Pope taught us to argue in words expressly condemning some and consequently all of them together with the things which they signifie What saith he writing to the Bishop of Constantinople who had admitted the title of Vniversal Bishop or Patriarch wilt thou say to Christ the Head of the Vniversal Church in the trial of the last judgment who by the appellation of VNIVERSAL dost endeavour to subject all his Members to thee whom I pray dost thou mean to imitate in so perverse a word but him who despising the Legions of Angels constituted in fellowship with him did endeavour to break forth unto the top of Singularity that he might both be subject to none and alone be over all who also said I will ascend into heaven and will exalt my throne above the stars for what are thy brethren all the Bishops of the Vniversal Church but the stars of heaven to whom while by this haughty word thou desirest to prefer thy self and to trample on their name in comparison to thee what dost thou say but I will climb into heaven And again in another Epistle to the Bishops of Alexandria and Antioch he taxeth the same Patriarch for assuming to boast so that he attempteth to ascribe all things to himself and studieth by the elation of pompous speech to subject to himself all the members of Christ which do cohere to One Sole Head namely to Christ. Again I confidently say that whoever doth call himself Universal Bishop or desireth to be so called doth in his elation forerun Antichrist because he pridingly doth set himself before all others If these argumentations be sound or signifie any thing what is the pretence of Vniversal Sovereignty and Pastourship but a piece of Luciferian arrogance who can imagine that even this Pope could approve could assume could exercise it if he did was he not monstrously senseless and above measure impudent to use such discourses which so plainly without altering a word might be retorted upon him which are built upon suppositions that it is unlawfull and wicked to assume Superiority over the Church over all Bishops over all Christians the which indeed seeing never Pope was of greater repute or did write in any case more solemnly and seriously have given to the pretences of his Successours so deadly a wound that no balm of Sophistical interpretation can be able to heal it We see that according to St. Gregory M. our Lord Christ is the one onely Head of the Church to whom for company let us adjoin St. Basil M. that we may have both Greek and Latin for it who saith that according to Saint Paul we are the body of Christ and members one of another because it is manifest that the one and sole truly head which is Christ doth hold and connect each one to another unto concord To decline these allegations of Scripture they have forged distinctions of several kinds of Churches and several sorts of Heads the which evasions I shall not particularly discourse seeing it may suffice to observe in general that no such distinctions have any place or any ground in Scripture nor can well consist with it which simply doth represent the Church as one Kingdom a Kingdom of Heaven a Kingdom not of this world all the Subjects whereof have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heaven or are considered as members of a City there so that it is vain to seek for a Sovereign thereof in this world the which also doth to the Catholick Church sojourning on earth usually impart the name and attributes properly appertaining to the Church most universal comprehensive of all Christians in heaven and upon earth because that is a visible representative of this and we by joining in offices of piety with that do communicate with this whence that which is said of one concerning the Unity of its King its Head its Pastour its Priest is to be understood of the other especially considering that our Lord according to his promise is ever present with the Church here governing it by the efficacy of his Spirit and Grace so that no other corporeal or visible Head of this Spiritual Body is needfull It was to be sure a visible Headship which St. Gregory did so eagerly impugn and exclaim against for he could not apprehend the Bishop of Constantinople so wild as to affect a Jurisdiction over the Church mystical or invisible 2. Indeed upon this very account the Romish pretence doth not well accord with Holy Scripture because it transformeth the Church into another kind of Body than it was constituted by God according to the representation of it in Scripture for there it is represented as a spiritual and heavenly Society compacted by the bands of one faith one hope one Spirit of Charity but this pretence turneth it into a worldly frame united by the same bands of interest and design managed in the same manner by terrour and allurement supported by the same props of force of policy of wealth of reputation and splendour as all other secular Corporations are You may call it what you please but it is evident that in truth the Papal Monarchy is a temporal Dominion driving on worldly ends by worldly means such as our Lord did never mean to institute so that the Subjects thereof may with far more reason than the People of Constantinople had when their Bishop Nestorius did stop some of their Priests from contradicting him say We have a King a Bishop we have not so that upon every Pope we may charge that whereof Anthimus was accused in the Synod of Constantinople under Menas that he did account the greatness and dignity of the Priesthood to be not a spiritual charge of souls but as a kind of politick rule This was that which seeming to be affected by the Bishop of Antioch in encroachment upon the Church of Cyprus the Fathers of the Ephesine Synod did endeavour to nipp enacting a Canon against all such invasions lest under pretext of holy discipline the pride of worldly authority should creep in and what pride of that kind could they mean beyond that which now the Popes do claim and exercise Now do I say after that the Papal Empire hath swollen to such a
According to which notions St. Cyprian saith that there is a Church where there is a People united to a Priest and a Flock adhering to their Shepherd and so Ignatius saith that without the Orders of the Clergy a Church is not called 3. A larger Collection of divers particular Societies combined together in order under direction and influence of a common Government or of Persons acting in the Publick behalf is termed a Church as the Church of Antioch of Corinth of Jerusalem c. each of which at first probably might consist of divers Congregations having dependencies of less Towns annexed to them all being united under the care of the Bishop and Presbytery of those places but however soon after the Apostles times it is certain that such Collections were and were named Churches 4. The Society of those who at present or in course of time profess the Faith and Gospel of Christ and undertake the Evangelical Covenant in distinction to all other Religions particularly to that of the Jews which is called the Synagogue 5. The whole body of God's people that is ever hath been or ever shall be from the beginning of the world to the consummation thereof who having formally or virtually believed in Christ and sincerely obeyed God's Laws shall finally by the meritorious Performances and Sufferings of Christ be saved is called the Church Of these Acceptions the two latter do onely come under present consideration it being plain that Saint Paul doth not speak of any one particular or present Society but of all at all times who have relation to the same Lord Faith Hope Sacraments c. Wherefore to determine the case between these two we must observe that to the latter of these that is to the Catholick Society of true Believers and faithfull Servants of Christ diffused through all ages dispersed through all Countries where part doth sojourn on Earth part doth reside in Heaven part is not yet extant but all whereof is described in the register of Divine Pre-ordination and shall be recollected at the Resurrection of the Just that I say to this Church especially all the glorious Titles and excellent Privileges attributed to the Church in Holy Scripture do agree This is the body of Christ whereof he is the Head and Saviour This is the Spouse and Wife of Christ whereof he is the Bridegroom and Husband This is the House of God whereof our Lord is the Master which is built upon a rock so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it This is the City of God the new the holy the heavenly Jerusalem the Mother of us all This is the Sion which the Lord hath chosen which he hath desired for his habitation where he hath resolved to place his rest and residence for ever This is the mountain of the Lord seated above all mountains unto which all Nations shall flow This is the elect generation royal Priesthood holy nation peculiar people This is the general Assembly and Church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven This is the Church which God hath purchased with his own bloud and for which Christ hath delivered himself that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle nor any such thing but that it might be holy and unblemished To this Church as those high Elogies most properly do appertain so that Unity which is often attributed to the Church doth peculiarly belong thereto This is that One body into which we are all baptized by one Spirit which is knit together and compacted of parts affording mutual aid and supply to its nourishment and encrease the members whereof do hold a mutual sympathy and complacence which is joined to one Head deriving sense and motion from it which is enlivened and moved by one Spirit This is that one spiritual House reared upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord. This is that One family of God whereof Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence good Christians are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is that one City or Corporation endued with an ample Charter and noble Privileges in regard to which Saint Paul saith we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow Citizens of the Saints and that our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our civil state and capacity is in Heaven or that we are Citizens thereof That one Holy nation and peculiar People the spiritual Israel subject to the same Government and Law that which is called the Kingdom of Heaven enioying the same Franchises and Privileges following the same Customs and Fashions using the same Conversation and Language whereof Jesus Christ is the Lord and King This is the one Flock under one Shepherd This is the Society of those for whom Christ did pray that they might be all one It is true that divers of these Characters are expressed to relate to the Church after Christ but they may be allowed to extend to all the faithfull Servants of God before who in effect were Christians being saved upon the same account and therefore did belong to the same Body To this Church in a more special and eminent manner all those Titles and particularly that of Vnity are ascribed but the same also in some order and measure do belong and are attributed to the Universal Church sojourning upon Earth For because this visible Church doth enfold the other as one Mass doth contain the good Ore and base Alloy as one Floor the Corn and the Chaff as one Field the Wheat and the Tares as one Net the choice Fish and the refuse as one Fold the Sheep and the Goats as one Tree the living and the dry Branches Because this Society is designed to be in reality what the other is in appearance the same with the other Because therefore presumptively every member of this doth pass for a member of the other the time of distinction and separation not being yet come Because this in its Profession of Truth in its Sacrifices of Devotion in its Practice of Service and Duty to God doth communicate with that Therefore commonly the Titles and Attributes of the one are imparted to the other All saith Saint Paul are not Israel who are of Israel nor is he a Jew that is one outwardly yet in regard to the conjunction of the rest with the faithfull Israelites because of external Consent in the same Profession and conspiring in the same Services all the Congregation of Israel is styled a holy Nation and peculiar People So likewise do the Apostles speak to all Members of the Church as to elect and holy Persons unto whom all the Privileges of Christianity
do belong although really Hypocrites and bad men do not belong to the Church nor are concerned in its Vnity as St. Austin doth often teach The places therefore of Scripture which do represent the Church one as unquestionably they belong in their principal notion and intent to the true universal Church called the Church mystical and invisible so may they by analogy and participation be understood to concern the visible Church Catholick here in Earth which professeth Faith in Christ and Obedience to his Laws And of this Church under due reference to the other the question is Wherein the Unity of it doth consist or upon what grounds it is called one being that it compriseth in it self so many Persons Societies and Nations For resolution of which Question we may consider that a Community of men may be termed one upon several Accounts and Grounds as For special Unity of nature or as Vnum genus so are all men one by participation of common rationality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Humanum genus For Cognation of bloud as Gens una so are all Jews however living dispersedly over the World reckoned one Nation or People so all Kinsmen do constitute one Family and thus also all Men as made of one Bloud are one People For Commerce of language so Italians and Germans are esteemed one People although living under different Laws and Governments For Consent in opinion or Conformity in manners and practices as Men of the same Sect in Religion or Philosophy of the same Profession Faculty Trade so Jews Mahometans Arians so Oratours Grammarians Logicians so Divines Lawyers Physicians Merchants Artizans Rusticks c. For Affection of mind or Compacts of good-will or for Links of peace and amicable correspondence in order to mutual interest and aid as Friends and Confederates For being ranged in order under one Law and Rule as those who live under one Monarchy or in one Commonwealth as the People in England Spain France in Venice Genoa Holland c. Upon such Grounds of Unity or Union a Society of men is denominated One and upon divers such accounts it is plain that the Catholick Church may be said to be One. For I. It is evident that the Church is One by Consent in faith and opinion concerning all principal matters of Doctrine especially in those which have considerable influence upon the Practice of Piety toward God Righteousness toward Men and Sobriety of Conversation to teach us which the Grace of God did appear As he that should in any principal Doctrine differ from Plato denying the Immortality of the Soul the Providence of God the natural difference of Good and Evil would not be a Platonist so he that dissenteth from any Doctrine of importance manifestly taught by Christ doth renounce Christianity All Christians are delivered into one form of doctrine to which they must stiffly and stedfastly adhere keeping the Depositum committed to them They must strive together for the faith of the Gospel and earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints They must hold fast the form of sound words in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus that great salvation which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto them by his hearers God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will They are bound to mind or think one and the same thing to stand fast in one spirit with one mind to walk by the same rule to be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment with one mind and mouth to glorify God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are obliged to disclaim Consortship with the Gain-sayers of this Doctrine to stand off from those who do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or who do not consent to the wholsome Words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness to mark those who make divisions and scandals beside the Doctrine which Christians had learnt and to decline from them To reject Hereticks To beware of false Prophets of Seducers of those who speak perverse things to draw disciples after them To pronounce Anathema upon whoever shall preach any other Doctrine Thus are all Christians one in Christ Jesus thus are they as Tertullian speaketh confederated in the society of a Sacrament or of one Profession This preaching and this faith the Church having received though dispersed over the world doth carefully hold as inhabiting one house and alike believeth these things as if it had one soul and the same heart and consonantly doth preach and teach and deliver these things as if it had but one mouth As for Kings though their Kingdoms be divided yet he equally expects from every one of them one dispensation and one and the same sacrifice of a true Confession and Praise So that though there may seem to be a diversity of temporal ordinances yet an Vnity and Agreement in the right Faith may be held and maintained among them In regard to this Union in Faith peculiarly the body of Christians adhering to it was called the Catholick Church from which all those were esteemed ipso facto to be cut off and separated who in any point deserted that Faith such a one saith Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned aside or hath left the Christian way of life He in reality is no Christian nor is to be avowed or treated as such but is to be disclaimed rejected and shunned He saith Saint Cyprian cannot seem a Christian who doth not persist in the Vnity of Christ's Gospel and Faith If saith Tertullian a man be a Heretick he cannot be a Christian. Whence Hegesippus saith of the old Hereticks that they did divide the Vnity of the Church by pernicious speeches against God and his Christ. The Vertue said the Pastour Hermes cited by Clemens Alexan. which doth keep the Church together is Faith So the Fathers of the Sixth Council tell the Emperour that they were members one of another and did constitute the one body of Christ by consent in opinion with him and one another and by faith We ought in all things to hold the Vnity of the Catholick Church and not to yield in any thing to the enemies of faith and truth In each part of the world this faith is one because this is the Christian faith He denies Christ who confesses not all things that are Christ's Hence in common practice whoever did appear to differ from the common Faith was rejected as an Apostate from Christianity and unworthy the communion of other Christians There are Points of less moment more obscurely delivered in which Christians without breach of Unity may dissent about which they may dispute in which they may err without breach of Unity
Power even in Temporal matters This Opinion so common doth not I say in effect and practical consideration any-wise differ from the former but onely in words devised to shun envy and veil the impudence of the other Assertion for the qualifications by reason of the Spiritual Power and at least indirectly are but notional insignificant and illusive in regard to practice it importing not if he hath in his keeping a Sovereign Power upon what account or in what formality he doth employ it seeing that every matter is easily referrible to a Spiritual account seeing he is sole Judge upon what account he doth act seeing experience sheweth that he will spiritualize all his interests and upon any occasion exercise that pretended Authority seeing it little mattereth if he may strike Princes whether he doeth it by a downright blow or slantingly § IV. That such an universal and absolute Power hath been claimed by divers Popes successively for many Ages is apparent from their most solemn Declarations and notorious Practices whereof beginning from later times and rising upwards toward the source of this Doctrine we shall represent some The Bull of P. Sixtus V. against the two Sons of wrath Henry K. of Navarre and the P. of Conde beginneth thus The Authority given to Saint Peter and his Successours by the immense Power of the Eternal King excels all the Powers of earthly Kings and Princes It passes uncontrollable sentence upon them all And if it find any of them resisting God's Ordinance it takes more severe vengeance of them casting them down from their Thrones though never so puissant and tumbling them down to the lowest parts of the earth as the ministers of aspiring Lucifer And then he proceeds to thunder against them We deprive them and their posterity for ever of their Dominions and Kingdoms And accordingly he depriveth those Princes of their Kingdoms and Dominions absolveth their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegeance and forbiddeth them to pay any Obedience to them By the Authority of these presents we do absolve and set free all persons as well jointly as severally from any such Oath and from all duty whatsoever in regard of Dominion Fealty and Obedience and do charge and forbid all and every of them that they do not dare to obey them or any of their Admonitions Laws and Commands P. Pius V. one of their Holiest Popes of the last stamp who hardly hath scaped Canonization untill now beginneth his Bull against our Q. Elizabeth in these words He that reigneth on high to whom is given all Power in Heaven and in Earth hath committed the one H. Catholick and Apostolick Church out of which there is no Salvation to one alone on earth namely to Peter Prince of the Apostles and to the Roman Pontife Successour of Peter to be governed with a plenitude of Power This one he hath constituted Prince over all Nations and all Kingdoms that he might pluck up destroy dissipate ruinate plant and build And in the same Bull he declares that he thereby deprives the Queen of her pretended right to the Kingdom and of all Dominion Dignity and Privilege whatsoever and absolves all the Nobles Subjects and people of the Kingdom and whoever else have sworn to her from their Oath and all duty whatsoever in regard of Dominion Fidelity and Obedience P. Clement VI. did pretend to depose the Emperour Lewis IV. P. Clement V. in the great Synod of Vienna declared the Emperour subject to him or standing obliged to him by a proper Oath of Fealty P. Boniface VIII hath a Decree extant in the Canon-Law running thus We declare say define pronounce it to be of necessity to Salvation for every humane creature to be subject to the Roman Pontife The which Subjection according to this intent reacheth all matters for he there challengeth a double Sword and asserteth to himself Jurisdiction over all Temporal Authorities for One Sword saith he must be under another and the Temporal Authority must be subject to the Spiritual Power whence if the Earthly Power doth go astray it must be judged by the Spiritual Power The which Aphorisms he proveth by Scriptures admirably expounded to that purpose This Definition might pass for a Rant of that boisterous Pope a man above measure ambitious and arrogant vented in his passion against K. Philip of France if it had not the advantage of a greater than which no Papal Decree is capable of being expresly confirmed by one of their General Councils for We saith P. Leo X. in his Bull read and pasâ—ed in the Laterane Council do renew and approve that H. Constitution with approbation of the present H. Council Accordingly Melch. Canus saith that the Laterane Council did renew and approve that extravagant indeed extravagant Constitution and Baronius saith of it that all do assent to it so that none dissenteth who doth not by discord fall from the Church The truth is P. Boniface did not invent that Proposition but borrowed it from the School for Thomas Aquinas in his work against the Greeks pretendeth to shew that it is of necessity to Salvation to be subject to the Roman Pontife The which Scholastical Aphorism P. Boniface turned into Law and applied to his purpose of exercising domination over Princes offering in virtue of it to deprive King Philip of his Kingdom The Appendix to Mart. Pol. saith of P. Boniface VIII Regem se Regum Mundi Monarcham unicum in Spiritualibus Temporalibus Dominum promulgavit That he openly declar'd himself to be King of Kings Monarch of the world and sole Lord and Governour both in Spirituals and Temporals Before him P. Innocent IV. did hold and exemplifie the same notion declaring the Emperour Frederick II. his Vassal and denouncing in his General Council of Lions a sentence of Deprivation against him in these terms We having about the foregoing and many other his wicked Miscarriages had before a carefull deliberation with our Brethren and the H. Council seeing that we although unworthy to hold the place of Jesus Christ on earth and that it was said unto us in the person of Saint Peter the Apostle Whatever thou shalt bind on earth the said Prince who hath rendred himself unworthy of Empire and Kingdoms and of all Honour and Dignity and who for his iniquities is cast away by God that he should not reign or command being bound by his sins and cast away and deprived by the Lord of all Honour and Dignity do shew denounce and accordingly by sentence deprive absolving all who are held bound by Oath of Allegeance from such Oath for ever by Apostolical authority firmly prohibiting that no man henceforth do obey or regard him as Emperour or King and decreeing that whoever shall hereafter yield advice or aid or favour to him as Emperour or King shall immediately lie under the band of Excommunication Before him Pope Innocent the Third that