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
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
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
true wonder of the world and changer of the Age did affirm the Pontifical Authority so much to exceed the Royal Power as the Sun doth the Moon and applieth to the former that of the Prophet Jeremy Ecce constitui te super gentes regna See I have set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down c. Of this Power that Pope made experiment by deposing the Emperour Otho IV whom saith Nauclerus as rebellious to the Apostolical See he first did strike with an Anathema then him persevering in his obstinacy did in a Council of Prelates held at Rome pronounce deposed from Empire The which Authority was avowed by that great Council under this Pope the which according to the men of Trent did represent or constitute the Church wherein it was ordained that If a Temporal Lord being required and admonished by the Church should neglect to purge his Territory from Heretical filth he should by the Metropolitan and the other Comprovincial Bishops be noosed in the band of Excommunication and that if he should slight to make satisfaction within a year it should be signified to the Pope that he might from that time denounce the Subjects absolved from their Fealty to him and expose the Territory to be seised on by Catholicks c. Before that Pope Paschal II. deprived Henry IV. and excited enemies to persecute him telling them that they could not offer a more acceptable Sacrifice to God than by impugning him who endeavoured to take the Kingdom from God's Church Before him Pope Vrban II. called Turban by some in his Age did preach this Doctrine recommended to us in the Decrees that Subjects are by no authority constrained to pay the Fidelity which they have sworn to a Christian Prince who opposeth God and his Saints or violateth their Precepts An instance whereof we have in his granting a privilege to the Canons of Tours which saith he if any Emperour King Prince c. shall wilfully attempt to thwart let him be deprived of the dignity of his honour and power But the great Apostle if not Authour of this confounding Doctrine was Pope Gregory VII a man of a bold spirit and fiery temper inured even before his entry on that See to bear sway and drive on daring projects possessed with resolution to use the advantages of his place and time in pushing forward the Papal Interest to the utmost who did lift up his voice like a trumpet kindling Wars and Seditions thereby over Christendom His Dictates and Practices are well known being iterated in his own Epistles and in the Roman Councils under him extant Yet it may be worth the while to hear him swagger in his own language For the dignity and defence of God's Holy Church in the name of Almighty God the Father Son and Holy Ghost I depose from Imperial and Royal Administration King Henry Son of Henry sometime Emperour who too boldly and rashly hath laid hands on thy Church and I absolve all Christians subject to the Empire from that Oath whereby they were wont to plight their faith unto true Kings for it is right that he should be deprived of Dignity who doth endeavour to diminish the Majesty of the Church Go to therefore most Holy Princes of the Apostles and what I said by interposing your Authority confirm that all men may now at length understand if ye can bind and loose in Heaven that ye also can upon Earth take away and give Empires Kingdoms and whatsoever mortals can have for if ye can judge things belonging unto God what is to be deemed concerning these inferiour and profane things And if it is your part to judge Angels who govern proud Princes what becometh it you to doe toward their servants Let Kings now and all Secular Princes learn by this man's example what ye can doe in Heaven and in what esteem ye are with God and let them henceforth fear to slight the commands of Holy Church but put forth suddenly this judgment that all men may understand that not casually but by your means this Son of iniquity doth fall from his Kingdom So did that Pope not unadvisedly in heat or passion but out of settled judgment upon cool deliberation express himself in his Synods at Rome This Pope is indeed by many held the inventour and broacher of this strange Doctrine And even those who about his Age did oppose it did express themselves of this mind calling it the novel Tradition Schism Heresie of Hildebrand Pope Hildebrand saith the Church of Liege in their answer to the Epistle to P. Paschal is authour of this new Schism and first did raise the Priests lance against the Royal Diadem Who first did girt himself and by his example other Popes with the sword of war against the Emperours This onely Novelty saith Sigebert not to say Heresie had not yet sprang up in the world that the Priests of him who saith to the King Apostate and who maketh hypocrites to reign for the sins of the people should teach the people that they owe no subjection to bad Kings and although they have sworn Allegeance to the King they yet owe him none and that they who take part against the King may not be said to be perjured yea that he who shall obey the King may be held excommunicate he that shall oppose the King may be absolved from the crime of injustice and perjury Indeed certain it is that this man did in most downright strains hold the Doctrine and most smartly apply it to practice yet did he disclaim the invention or introduction of it professing that he followed the notions and examples of his predecessours divers of which he allegeth in defence of his proceedings We saith he holding the Statutes of our Holy Predecessours do by Apostolical authority absolve those from their Oath who are obliged by Fealty or Sacrament to Excommunicate persons and by all means prohibit that they observe Fealty to them And so it is that although for many successions before Pope Hildebrand the Popes were not in condition or capacity to take so much upon them there having been a row of persons intruded into that See void of vertue and of small authority most of them very beasts who depended upon the favour of Princes for their admittance confirmation or support in the place yet we may find some Popes before him who had a great spice of those imperious conceits and upon occasion made very bold with Princes assuming power over them and darting menaces against them For Pope Leo IX telleth us that Constantine M. did think it very unbecoming that they should be subject to an Earthly Empire whom the Divine Majesty had set over an Heavenly and surely he was of his authour's mind whom he alledged although indeed this Pope may be supposed to speak this and other
absolute Monarch upon earth for the Power of St. Peter in their opinion was the same which now the Roman Bishop doth challenge to himself over the Pastours and People of God's Church by virtue of succession to him Saint Peter's Power being the base of the Papal and therefore not narrower than its superstructure but what domination comparable to that hath ever been used in the world What Emperour did ever pretend to a rule so wide in extent in regard either to persons or matters or so absolute in effect Who ever beside his Holiness did usurp a command not onely over the external actions but the most inward cogitations of all mankind subjecting the very Minds and Consciences of Men to his dictates his laws his censures Who ever thundred Curses and Damnations on all those who should presume to dissent from his Opinion or to contest his pleasure Who ever claimed more absolute Power in making abolishing suspending Laws or imposing upon men what he pleased under obligation of Conscience and upon extremest penalties What Prince ever used a style more imperious than is that which is usual in the Papal Bulls Let it be lawfull for no man whatever to infringe this expression of our will and command or to goe against it with bold rashness What Domitian more commonly did admit the appellation of Lord than doth the Pope Our most Holy Lord is the ordinary style attributed to him by the Fathers of Trent as if they were his slaves and intended to enslave all Christendom to him Who ever did exempt his Clients and Dependents in all Nations from subjection to Civil Laws from undergoing common burthens and taxes from being judged or punished for their misdemeanours and crimes Who ever claimed a power to dispose of all things one way or other either directly or indirectly to dispose even of Kingdoms to judge Sovereign Princes and to condemn them to depose them from their authority absolving their Subjects from all allegiance to them and exposing their Kingdoms to rapine To whom but a Pope were ever ascribed prerogatives like those of judging all men and himself being liable to no judgment no account no reproof or blame so that as a Papal Canon assureth us let a Pope be so bad as by his negligence and male-administration to carry with him innumerable people to Hell yet no mortal man whatever must presume here to reprove his faults because he being to judge all men is himself to be judged of no man except he be catcht swerving from the Faith which is a case they will hardly suffer a man to suppose possible To whom but to a Pope was such Power attributed by his followers and admitted by himself that he could hear those words applying to him All Power is given to thee in Heaven and in Earth Such Power the Popes are wont to challenge and when occasion serveth do not fail to execute as Successours of St. Peter to whom therefore consequently they ascribe it and sometimes in express terms as in that brave apostrophe of P. Gregory VII the Spirit of which Pope hath possessed his Successours generally Goe to therefore said he directing his Speech to Saint Peter and Saint Paul most Holy Princes of the Apostles and what I have said confirm by your Authority that now at length all men may understand whether ye can bind and loose that also ye can take away and give on Earth Empires Kingdoms and whatever mortal men can have Now if the assuming and exercising such Powers be not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that exalting ones self that being called Rabbi Father Master which our Lord prohibiteth what is so what then can those words signify what could our Lord mean The Authority therefore which they assign to Saint Peter and assume to themselves from him is voided by those Declarations and Precepts of our Lord the which it can hardly be well conceived that our Lord would have proposed if he had designed to constitute Saint Peter in such a Supremacy over his Disciples and Church 7. Surveying particulars we shall not find any peculiar administration committed to Saint Peter nor any privilege conferred on him which was not also granted to the other Apostles Was Saint Peter an Ambassadour a Steward a Minister a Vicar if you please or Surrogate of Christ so were they by no less immediate and express warrant than he for As the Father sent me so also I send you said our Lord presently before his departure by those words as St. Cyprian remarketh granting an equal Power to all the Apostles and We saith Saint Paul are Ambassadours for Christ we pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to God and So let a man esteem us as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Was Saint Peter a Rock on which the Church was to be founded Be it so but no less were they all for the Wall of Jerusalem which came down from Heaven had twelve foundations on which were inscribed the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb and We saith Saint Paul are all built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himself being the chief Corner stone whence Equally saith St. Hierome the strength of the Church is setled upon them Was Saint Peter an Architect of the Spiritual house as himself calleth the Church so were also they for I saith Saint Paul as a wise Master-builder have laid the Foundation Were the Keys of the Church or of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to him So also were they unto them They had a Power to open and shut it by effectual instruction and persuasion by dispensation of the Sacraments by exercise of Discipline by exclusion of scandalous and heretical Persons Whatever faculty the Keys did import the Apostles did use it in the foundation guidance and government of the Church and did as the Fathers teach impart it to those whom they did in their stead constitute to feed and govern the Church Had Saint Peter a Power given him of binding and loosing effectually So had they immediately granted by our Saviour in as full manner and couched in the same terms If thou shalt bind on Earth it shall be bound in Heaven said our Lord to him and Whatsoever things ye shall bind on Earth they shall be bound in Heaven said the same Divine mouth to them Had he a privilege to remit and retain sins it was then by virtue of that common grant or promise Whos 's soever sins ye remit they shall be remitted and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Had he power and obligation to feed the Sheep of Christ all or some so had they indefinitely and immediately so had others by Authority derived from them who were nominated Pastours who had this charge laid on them Take heed unto your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost
had a peculiar or sole faculty of catching men why might it not by as good a consequence as this whereby they would appropriate to him this opening faculty Many such instances might in like manner be used III. They produce those words of our Saviour to Saint Peter Feed my sheep that is in the Roman interpretation Be thou Vniversal Governour of my Church To this allegation I answer 1. From words which truly and properly might have been said to any other Apostle yea to any Christian Pastour whatever nothing can be concluded to their purpose importing a peculiar duty or singular privilege of Saint Peter 2. From indefinite words a definite conclusion especially in matters of this Kind may not be inferred it is said do thou feed my Sheep it is not said do thou alone feed all my Sheep this is their arbitrary gloss or presumptuous improvement of the Text without succour whereof the words signify nothing to their purpose so far are they from sufficiently assuring so vast a pretence for instance when Saint Paul doth exhort the Bishops at Ephesus to feed the Church of God may it thence be collected that each of them was an Universal Governour of the whole Church which Christ had purchased with his own bloud 3. By these words no new power is assuredly at least granted or instituted by our Lord for the Apostles before this had their Warrant and Authority consigned to them when our Lord did inspire them and solemnly commissionate them saying As the Father did send me so I send you to which Commission these words spoken occasionally before a few of the Disciples did not add or derogate At most the words do onely as St. Cyril saith renew the former Grant of Apostleship after his great offence of denying our Lord. 4. These words do not seem institutive or collative of Power but rather onely admonitive or exhortative to duty implying no more but the pressing a common duty before incumbent on Saint Peter upon a special occasion in an advantagious season that he should effectually discharge the Office which our Lord had committed to him Our Lord I say presently before his departure when his words were like to have a strong impression on Saint Peter doth earnestly direct and warn him to express that special ardency of affection which he observed in him in an answerable care to perform his duty of feeding that is of instructing guiding edifying in faith and obedience those Sheep of his that is those Believers who should be converted to embrace his Religion as ever he should find opportunity 5. The same Office certainly did belong to all the Apostles who as Saint Hierome speaketh were the Princes of our Discipline and Chieftains of the Christian Doctrine they at their first vocation had a commission and command to go unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel that were scattered abroad like sheep not having a shepherd they before our Lord's Ascension were enjoyned to teach all Nations the Doctrines and Precepts of Christ to receive them into the fold to feed them with good instruction to guide and govern their Converts with good Discipline Hence All of them as Saint Cyprian saith were shepherds but the flock did appear one which was fed by the Apostles with unanimous agreement 6. Neither could Saint Peter's charge be more extensive than was that of the other Apostles for they had a general and unlimited care of the whole Church that is according to their capacity and opportunity none being exempted from it who needed or came into the way of their discharging Pastoral Offices for them They were Oecumenical Rulers as St. Chrysostome saith appointed by God who did not receive several Nations or Cities but all of them in common were entrusted with the world Hence particularly St. Chrysostome calleth Saint John a pillar of the Churches over the world and Saint Paul an Apostle of the world who had the care not of one House but of Cities and Nations and of the whole Earth who undertook the World and governed the Churches on whom the whole world did look and on whose soul the care of all the Churches every-where did hang into whose hands were delivered the Earth and the Sea the inhabited and uninhabited parts of the World And could Saint Peter have a larger Flock committed to him could this charge feed my sheep more agree to him than to those who no less than he were obliged to feed all Christian people every-where 7. The words indeed are applicable to all Christian Bishops and Governours of the Church according to that of St. Cyprian to Pope Stephen himself we being many Shepherds do feed one flock and all the sheep of Christ for they are styled Pastours they in terms as indefinite as those in this text are exhorted to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud to them as the Fathers commonly suppose this Injunction doth reach our Lord when he spake thus to Saint Peter intending to lay a charge on them all to express their love and piety toward them in this way by feeding his Sheep and People Which Sheep saith Saint Ambrose and which Flock not onely then Saint Peter did receive but also with him all we Priests did receive it Our Lord saith Saint Chrysostome did commit his Sheep to Peter and to those which came after him that is to all Christian Pastours as the scope of his discourse sheweth When it is said to Peter saith Saint Austin it is said to all Feed my Sheep And we saith Saint Basil are taught this obedience to Superiours by Christ himself constituting Saint Peter Pastour after himself of the Church for Peter saith he dost thou love me more than these feed my Sheep and conferring to all Pastours and Teachers continually afterward an equal power of doing so whereof it is a sign that all do in like manner bind and do loose as he Saint Austin comprizeth all these considerations in those words How could these great Masters more clearly express their mind that our Lord in those words to Saint Peter did inculcate a duty no-wise peculiar to him but equally together with him belonging to all Guides of the Church in such manner as when a Master doth press a duty on one Servant he doth thereby admonish all his Servants of the like duty whence St. Austin saith that Saint Peter in that case did sustain the person of the Church that which was spoken to him belonging to all its members especially to his Brethren the Clergy It was saith Cyril a lesson to Teachers that they cannot otherwise please the Arch-pastour of all than by taking care of the welfare of the rational Sheep 8. Hence it followeth that the Sheep which our Saviour biddeth St. Peter to feed were not the Apostles who were his Fellow-shepherds designed to feed others and needing not to be
Discipline should never insist upon the duty of Obedience to the Pope or charge those Schismaticks with their rebellion against him or alledge his Authority against them If we consider that the Pope was Bishop of the Imperial City the Metropolis of the World that he thence was most eminent in rank did abound in wealth did live in great splendour and reputation had many dependences and great opportunities to gratify and relieve many of the Clergy that of the Fathers whose Volumes we have all well affected towards him divers were personally obliged to him for his support in their distress as Athanasius Chrysostome Theodoret or as to their Patrons and Benefactours as St. Hierome divers could not but highly respect him as Patron of the cause wherein they were engaged as Basil Gregory Nazianzene Hilary Gregory Nyssene Ambrose Austin some were his partizans in a common quarrel as Cyril divers of them lived in places and times wherein he had got much sway as all the Western Bishops that he had then improved his Authority much beyond the old limits that all the Bishops of the Western or Latine Churches had a peculiar dependence on him especially after that by advantage of his Station by favour of the Court by colour of the Sardican Canons by voluntary deferences and submissions by several tricks he had wound himself to meddle in most of their chief Affairs that hence divers Bishops were tempted to admire to court to flatter him that divers aspiring Popes were apt to encourage the commenders of their Authority which they themselves were apt to magnifie and inculcate considering I say such things it is a wonder that in so many voluminous discourses so little should be said favouring this pretence so nothing that proveth it so much that crosseth it so much indeed as I hope to shew that quite overthroweth it If it be asked how we can prove this I answer that beside who carefully peruseth those old Books will easily see it we are beholden to our Adversaries for proving it to us when they least intended us such a favour for that no clear and cogent passages for proof of this pretence can be thence fetched is sufficiently evident from the very allegations which after their most diligent raking in old Books they produce the which are so few and fall so very short of their purpose that without much stretching they signifie nothing 28. It is monstrous that in the Code of the Catholick Church consisting of the decrees of so many Synods concerning Ecclesiastical order and discipline there should not be one Canon directly declaring his Authority nor any mention made of him except thrice accidentally once upon occasion of declaring the Authority of the Alexandrine Bishop the other upon occasion of assigning to the Bishop of Constantinople the second place of honour and equal privileges with him If it be objected that these discourses are negative and therefore of small force I answer that therefore they are most proper to assert such a negative proposition for how can we otherwise better shew a thing not to be than by shewing it to have no footstep there where it is supposed to stand how can we more clearly argue a matter of right to want proof than by declaring it not to be extant in the Laws grounding such right not taught by the Masters who profess to instruct in such things not testifyed in records concerning the exercise of it such arguments indeed in such cases are not merely negative but rather privative proving things not to be because not affirmed there where in reason they ought to be affirmed standing therefore upon positive Suppositions that Holy Scripture that general tradition are not imperfect and lame toward their design that ancient Writers were competently intelligent faithfull diligent that all of them could not conspire in perpetual silence about things of which they had often fair occasion and great reason to speak In fine such considerations however they may be deluded by Sophistical Wits will yet bear great sway and often will amount near to the force of demonstration with men of honest prudence However we shall proceed to other discourses more direct and positive against the Popish Doctrine II. Secondly we shall shew that this pretence upon several accounts is contrary to the Doctrine of Holy Scripture 1. This pretence doth thwart the Holy Scripture by assigning to another the prerogatives and peculiar Titles appropriated therein to our Lord. The Scripture asserteth him to be our onely Sovereign Lord and King To us saith it there is one Lord and One King shall be King over them who shall reign over the house of David for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end who is the onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the One Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy The Scripture speaketh of one Arch-Pastour and great Shepherd of the Sheep exclusively to any other for I will said God in the Prophet set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed the Sheep and There saith our Lord himself shall be one Fold and one Shepherd who that shall be he expresseth adding I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep by Pope Boniface his good leave who maketh Saint Peter or himself this Shepherd The Scripture telleth us that we have one High-Priest of our Profession answerable to that one in the Jewish Church his Type The Scripture informeth us that there is but one Supreme Doctour Guide Father of Christians prohibiting us to acknowledge any other for such Ye are all Brethren and call ye not any one Father upon Earth for one is your Father even he that is in Heaven Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ. Good Pope Gregory not the seventh of that name did take this for a good argument for What therefore dearest Brother said he to John of Constantinople wilt thou say in that terrible trial of the Judge who is coming who dost affect to be called not onely Father but General Father in the World The Scripture representeth the Church as a building whereof Christ himself is the chief Corner-stone as a Family whereof he being the Pater-familias as all others are fellow-servants as one Body having one Head whom God hath given to be Head over all things to the Church which is his Body He is the One Spouse of the Church which title one would think he might leave peculiar to our Lord there being no Vice-husbands yet hath he been bold even to claim that as may be seen in the Constit. of Pope Greg. X. in one of their General Synods It seemeth therefore a Sacrilegious arrogance derrogating from our Lord's Honour for any man to assume or admit those Titles of Sovereign of the Church Head of the Church our Lord Arch-Pastour Highest-Priest Chief Doctour Master Father Judge of Christians upon what
to become over-dilatory Pope Liberius for such reasons did request Constantius that Athanasius his cause should be tryed at Alexandria where he saith he that is accused and the accusers are and the defender of them and so we may upon examination had agree in our sentence about them Therefore divers ancient Canons of Synods did prohibit that any Causes should be removed out of the bounds of Provinces or Dioceses as otherwhere we shew 2. Such an Authority as this pretence claimeth must necessarily if not withheld by continual Miracle throw the Church into sad bondage All the World must become slaves to one City its wealth must be derived thither its quiet must depend on it For it not being restrained within any bounds of place or time having no check upon it of equal or co-ordinate power standing upon Divine Institution and therefore immutably setled must of its own nature become absolute and unlimited Let it be however of right limited by Divine Laws or Humane Canons yet will it be continually encroaching and stretching its power untill it grow enormous and boundless It will not indure to be pinched by any restraint It will draw to it self the collation of all preferments c. It will assume all things to it self trampling down all opposite claims of right and liberty so that neither Pastour nor People shall enjoy or doe any thing otherwise than in dependence on it and at its pleasure It will be always forging new prerogatives and interpreting all things in favour of them and enacting sanctions to establish them which none must presume to contest It will draw to it self the disposal of all places the exaction of goods All Princes must become his Ministers and executours of his Decrees It will mount above all Law and Rule not onely challenging to be uncontrollable and unaccountable but not enduring any reproof of its proceedings or contradiction of its dictates a blind Faith must be yielded to all its Assertions as infallibly true and a blind obedience to all its Decrees as unquestionably holy whosoever shall any-wise cross it in word or deed shall certainly be discountenanced condemned ejected from the Church so that the most absolute tyranny that can be imagined will ensue All the World hath groaned and heavily complained of their exactions particularly our poor Nation it would raise indignation in any man to reade the complaints This is consequent on such a pretence according to the very nature of things and so in experience it hath happened For It is evident that the Papacy hath devoured all the privileges and rights of all Orders in the Church either granted by God or established in the ancient Canons The Royalties of Peter are become immense and consistently to his practice the Pope doth allow men to tell him to his face that all Power in Heaven and in Earth is given unto him It belongeth to him to judge of the whole Church He hath a plenitude as he calleth it of Power by which he can infringe any Law or doe any thing that he pleaseth It is the tenour of his Bulls that whoever rashly dareth to thwart his will shall incur the indignation of Almighty God and as if that were not enough of Saint Peter and Saint Paul also No man must presume to tax his faults or to judge of his judgment It is Idolatry to disobey his commands against their own Sovereign Lord. There are who dare in plain terms call him Omnipotent and who ascribe infinite power to him And that he is infallible is the most common and plausible opinion so that at Rome the contrary is erroneous and within an inch of being heretical We are now told that If the Pope should err by enjoyning vices or forbidding vertues the Church should be bound to believe vices to be good and vertues evil unless it would sin against Conscience The greatest Princes must stoop to his will otherwise he hath power to cashier and depose them Now what greater inconvenience what more horrible iniquity can there be than that all God's people that free people who are called to freedom should be subject to so intolerable a yoke and miserable a slavery That tyranny soon had crept into the Roman Church Socrates telleth us They have rendred true that definition of Scioppius The Church is a stall or herd or multitude of Beasts or Asses They bridle us they harness us they spur us they lay Yokes and Laws upon us The greatest tyranny that ever was invented in the world is the pretence of Infallibility for Dionysius and Phalaris did leave the mind free pretending onely to dispose of body and goods according to their will but the Pope not content to make us doe and say what he pleaseth will have us also to think so denouncing his imprecations and spiritual menaces if we do not 3. Such an Authority will inevitably produce a depravation of Christian Doctrine by distorting it in accommodation of it to the promoting its designs and interests It will blend Christianity with worldly notions and policies It certainly will introduce new Doctrines and interpret the old ones so as may serve to the advancement of the power reputation pomp wealth and pleasure of those who manage it and of their dependents That which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make a trade of Religion will be the great work of the Teachers of the Church It will turn all Divines into mercenary slavish designing Flatterers This we see come to pass Christianity by the Papal influence being from its original simplicity transformed into quite another thing than it was from a divine Philosophy designed to improve the reason to moderate the passions to correct the manners of men to prepare men for conversation with God and Angels modelled to a systeme of politick devices of notions of precepts of rites serving to exalt and enrich the Pope with his Court and Adherents Clients and Vassals What Doctrine of Christian Theology as it is interpreted by their Schools hath not a direct aspect or doth not squint that way especially according to the opinions passant and in vogue among them To pass over those concerning the Pope his Universal Pastourship Judgship in controversies Power to call Councils Presidency in them Superiority over them Right to confirm or annull them his Infallibility his double Sword and Dominion direct or indirect over Princes his dispensing in Laws in Oaths in Vows in Matrimonial cases with all other the monstrous prerogatives which the sound Doctours of Rome with encouragement of that Chair do teach What doth the Doctrine concerning the exempting of the Clergy from secular jurisdiction and immunity of their goods from taxes signify but their entire dependence on the Pope and their being closely tyed to his interests What is the exemption of Monastical places from the jurisdiction of Bishops but listing so many Souldiers and Advocates
of Rome as obnoxious to imputation of novelty but if it be not consonant to the Scriptures let them confute it or if it be not consentaneous to the Fathers who have preceded or if it be not apt to confute the irreligious c. It was not his judicial authority which they did insist upon to maintain his Epistle but the orthodoxie and intrinsick usefulness of it to confute errours upon which account they did embrace and confirm it by their suffrage XIII If the Pope were a Sovereign of the Church as they make him it were at least expedient that he should be infallible for why otherwise should he undertake confidently to pronounce in all cases to define high and difficult Points to impose his Dictates and require assent from all If he be fallible it is very probable that often he doth obtrude errours upon us for matters of Faith and Practice Wherefore the true fast friends of Papal interest do assert him to be infallible when he dictateth as Pope and setting himself into his Chair doth thence mean to instruct the whole Church And the Pope therefore himself who countenanceth them may be presumed to be of that mind Pighius said bouncingly The judgment of the Apostolick See with a Council of domestick Priests is far more certain than the judgment of an universal Council of the whole earth without the Pope This is the Syllogism we propose The Supreme Judge must be infallible The Pope is not infallible Therefore The Major the Jesuits Canonists and Courtiers are obliged to prove it being their Assertion and they do prove it very wisely and strongly The Minor is asserted by the French Doctours and they do with clear evidence maintain it The Conclusion we leave them to infer who are concerned It is in effect Pope Gregory's Argumentation No Bishop can be Universal Bishop or Universal Pastour and Judge of the Church because no Bishop can be Infallible for that the lapse of such a Pastour would throw down the Church into ruine by errour and impiety Therefore the Vniversal Church which God forbid falls when he falls who is call'd Vniversal The state and order of our Lord's family will decay when that which is required in the body is not to be found in the head But that he is not infallible much Experience and History do abundantly shew The Ancients knew no such pretender to infallibility otherwise they would have left disputing and run to his Oracular Dictates for information They would have onely asserted this point against Hereticks We should have had Testimonies of it innumerable It had been the most famous point of all I will not mention Pope Stephanus universally approving the Baptism of Hereticks against the Decrees of the Synod of Nice and other Synods Nor Pope Liberius complying with Arianism Nor Pope Innocent I. and his followers at least till Pope Gelasius first asserting the Communion of Infants for needfull Nor Pope Vigilius dodging with the Fifth Synod Nor Pope Honorius condemned by so many Councils and Popes for Monothelitism But surely Pope Leo and Pope Gelasius were strangely deceived when they condemned Partaking in one kind Pope Gregory was foully out when he condemned the worship of Images and when he so declaimeth against the title of Vniversal Bishop and when he avowed himself a Subject to the Emperour Mauritius and when he denied the Books of Maccabees to be Canonical and when he asserted the perfection of Holy Scripture Pope Leo II. was mistaken when he did charge his infallible Predecessour Honorius of Monothelitism Pope Nicholas was a little deceived when he determined the attrition of Christ's Body Pope Vrban II. was out when he allowed it lawfull for good Catholicks to commit murther on Persons excommunicate Pope Innocent IV. erred when he called Kings The Pope's Slaves Surely those Popes did err who confirmed the Synods of Constance and Basil not excepting the determinations in favour of General Councils being Superiour to Popes All those Popes have devilishly erred who have pretended to dispose of Kingdoms to depose Princes to absolve Subjects of their Oaths Pope Adrian II. did not take the Pope to be infallible when he said he might not be judged excepting the case of Heresie and thereby excuseth the Orientals for anathematizing Honorius he being accused of Heresie There is one Heresie of which if all Histories do not lie grievously divers Popes have been guilty a Heresie defined by divers Popes the Heresie of Simony How many such Hereticks have sate in that Chair of which how many Popes are proclaimed guilty with a loud voice in History The hand says St. Bernard does all the Papal business shew me a man in all this greatest City who would admit thee to be Pope without the mediation of a bribe Yea how few for some Ages have been guiltless of this Heresie I may be answered they were no Popes because their Election was null but then the Church hath often and long been without a Head Then numberless Acts have been void and Creations of Cardinals have been null and consequently there hath not probably been any true Pope for a long time In the judgment of so many great Divines which did constitute the Synod of Basil many Popes near all surely have been Hereticks who have followed or countenanced the opinion that Popes are superiour to General Councils the which there is flatly declared Heresie Pope Eugenius by name was there declared a pertinacious Heretick deviating from the faith It often happeneth that the Pope is not skilled in Divinity as Pope Innocent X. was wont to profess concerning himself to wave discourse about Theological points he therefore cannot pronounce in use of ordinary means but onely by miracle as Balaam's Ass. So Pope Innocent X. said that the Vicar of Jesus Christ was not obliged to examine all things by dispute for that the truth of his decrees depended onely on divine Inspiration what is this but downright Quakerism Enthusiasm Imposture Pope Clemens V. did not take himself to be infallible when in his great Synod of Vienna the question whether beside remission of sin also vertue were conferred to Infants he resolved thus very honestly The second opinion which says that informing grace and vertues are in baptism conferred both upon infants and adult persons we think fit with the consent of the holy council to be chosen as being more probable and more consonant and agreeable to the Divinity of the modern Doctours Which of the two Popes were in the right Pope Nicholas IV. who decided that our Lord was so poor that he had right to nothing or Pope John XXII who declared this to be a Heresie charging our Lord with injustice XIV A Sovereign is in Dignity and Authority Superiour to any number of Subjects however conjoined or congregated as a Head is above all the Members however compacted He is not Supreme who is any-wise subject
Can. 10. Si quis dixerit haec septem Sacramenta ità esse inter sâ— paria ut nullâ rationâ— aliud sit alio dignius anathema siâ— Sess. 7. Can. 3. Novae legis septem sunt Sacramenta c. P. Eug. in Instr. Arm. Bellarmine could find none before him Vid. de Sacram. 2.25 Multa diâ—untur à veteribus Sacramenta praeter ista septem Bell. de Sacr. 2.24 Many things are by the Ancients called Sacraments besides these seven Matt. 23.8 2 Cor. 1.24 1 Thess. 5.21 Col. 2.8 Matt. 15.9 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.9 Provisi de beneficiis quibuscunque curam animarum habentibus in Romanae Ecclesiae obedientiam spondeant ac jurent Conc. Trid. Sess. 24. cap. 12. de Ref. nâ—c non veram obedientiam summo Pontifici spondeant profiteantur Sess. 25. cap. 2. de Ref. Caetera item omnia à Sacris Canonibus Oecumenicis Conciliis ac praecipuè à Sacrosancta Tridentina Synodâ— tradita definita declarata indubitanter recipio atque profiteor simúlque contraria omnia atque haereses quascunque ab Ecclesia damnatas rejectas anathematizatas ego pariter damno respuo anathematizo P. Pii IV. profess Hanc veram Catholicam fidem extra quam nulla salus esse potest Ibid. Rom. 14.1.15.1 7. Totam Theologiam à capite usque ad calcem retexuerunt ex divina Sophisticam fecerunt Erasm. praef ad Hieron Formaliter justos Sess. 6. Can. 10. Ex opere operato Sess. 7. Can. 8. Character Sess. 7. Can. 9. Sess. 5. Can. 5. Rom. 7. Cùm mandatum Dei in paradiso fuisset transgressus statim sanctitatem justitiam in qua constitutus fuerat amisisse Ibid. Can. 1. Sess. 6. Can. 11. Sess. 6. Can. 11. Aut etiam gratiam qua justificamur esse tantùm favorem Dei Sess. 6. Can. 12. Sess. 6. Can. 24. Non autem ipsius augendae causam Vt nullus remaneat reatus poenae temporalis exolvendae Sess. 6. Can. 30. Sess. 14. de poenit Can. 15. Sess. 6. Can. 32. De Sacramentis Si quis dixerit esse plura vel pauciora quà m septem Sess. 7. Can. 1. Sess. 7. Can. 3. Sess. 7. Can. 8. Non imprimi characterem in anima Sess. 7. Can. 9. Hoc est signum quoddam spirituale indelebile Ibid. Sess. 7. Can. 11. Sess. 7. Can. 13. Sess. 4. Fidem minutis dissecant ambagibus Vt quisque linguâ nequior Solvunt ligà ntque quaestionum vinculà Per Syllogismos plectiles Prudent in Apotheos * Rom. 16.5 Col. 4.15 Philem. 2. †Vbi tres Ecclesia est licèt Laici Tert. de Exh. Cast. cap. 7. * Act. 8.1.14.27.5.11 1 Cor. 1.1 Col. 4.16 1 Thess. 1.1 2 Cor. 1.1 Apoc. 2.1 c. Rom. 16.1 †Act. 9.31 Gal. 1.2 1 Cor. 16.1 19. 2 Cor. 8.1 ‖ Rom. 16.4 1 Cor. 4.17.11.16 Act. 16.5 Apoc. 2.7 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 14.23 * Ecclesia Plebs Sacerdoti adunata Pastori suo Grex adhaerens Cypr. Ep. 69. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. ad Trall Matt. 16.18 Eph. 3.10 Gal. 1.13 1 Tim. 3.15 Act. 12.1.2.47.20.28 1 Cor. 10.32.12.28.15.9.14.12 Ephes. 1.10 Col. 1.18 20. Ephes. 5.25 32. Apoc. 19.7 Matt. 22.2.25.1 Matth. 24.13 1 Tim. 3.15 Heb. 3.5 1 Pet. 2.5 Eph. 2.21 Matth. 16.18 Apoc. 3.12.21.2 10. Gal. 4.26 Heb. 12.22 Psal. 132.13 Is. 2.22 Mic. 4.1 1 Pet. 2.9 Heb. 12.23 Act. 20.28 Eph. 5.25 1 Cor. 12.13 Rom. 12.5 Eph. 4.16 Col. 2.19 1 Cor. 12.26 1 Cor. 12.13 Eph. 4.16 Col. 2.19 Heb. 3.6 1 Tim. 3.15 Matt. 10.25 Heb. 12.22 Apoc. 3.12.21.2 10. Eph. 2.19 Phil. 3.20 1 Pet. 2.9 Ezek. 37 2â— * Joh. 10.16 Ezek. 37.24.24.23 †Joh. 17.20 21. Ex quo vocantur Sancti est Ecclesia in terra Aug. in Psal. 128. Since men are called Saints there is a Church upon Earth Sancti ante Legem Sancti sub Lege Sancti sub Gratia omnes hi perficientes Corpus Domini in membris sunt Ecclesiae constituti Greg. Mag. Epist. 24. Saints before the Law Saints under the Law Saints under the Gospel all these make up the Body of Christ and are reckoned among the members of the Church One great house hath vessels of honour and dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 Rom. 9.21 Matth. 3.12.13.38 47. Joh. 15.2 Matt. 13.30 Rom. 9.6.2.28 Joh. 1.18 Sicut lilium in medio spinarum ità proxima mea in medio filiarum Vnde filias appellat nisi propter communionem Sacramentorum Aug. de Vnit. Eccl. cap. 13. As the Lily among Thorns so is my Love among the Daughters Why doth he call them Daughters but for the communion and agreement in Sacraments Non ad eam pertinent avari raptores foeneratores Videntur esse in Ecclesia non sunt Aug. de Bapt. c. Don. 4.1.6.3 Ecclesiam veram intelligere non audeo nisi in sanctis justis Aug. de Bapt. 5.27 I dare not understand the true Church to be but among holy and righteous men Pax autem hujus Vnitatis in solis bonis est Sicut autem isti qui intus cum gemitu tolerantur quamvis ad eandem Columbae unitatem illam gloriosam Ecclesiam non habentem maculam aut rugam aut aliquid ejusmodi non pertineant Idem de Bapt. 3.18 Nec regenerati spiritualiter in corpus membra Christi co-aedificentur nisi boni c. Aug. de Vnit. 18. Multitales sunt in Sacramentorum communionâ— cum Ecclesia tamen jam non sunt in Ecclesia Idem de Vnit. Eccl. cap. 20. There are many such who communicate in Sacraments with the Church and yet they are not in the Church Omnes mali spiritualiter a bonâ— sejuncti sunt De Bapt. 6.4 All evil men are spiritually severed from the good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Str. p. 514. I call the Church the Congregation of the Elect. My sheep hear my voice Joh. 10.27 16. Tit. 2.12 Regula fidei sola immobilis irreformabilis Tert. de Virg. vel 1. Rom. 6.17 Col. 2.7 Heb. 3.6.13.9 1 Cor. 15.58 Eph. 4.14 Phil. 1.27 Jud. 3. 2 Tim. 1.13 Heb. 2.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.2 2 Cor. 13.11 Phil. 1.27 Phil. 3.16 1 Cor. 1.10 Rom. 15.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.4 2 Thess. 3.16 Rom. 16.17 Tit. 3.10 Matt. 7.15.24.11 Act. 20.29 30. 2 Pet. 2.1 Eph. 4.14 Gal. 1.8 3.28 26. De societate Sacramenti confoederantur Tertull. in Marc. 4.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. 1.3 apud Epiph. haer 31. Reges Quorum etsi divisa sunt regna aequaliter tamen de singulis dispensationem exigit unámque de eis verae de se confessionis hostiam laudis exspectat ut etsi dispositionum temporalium videatur esse diversitas circa ejus fidei rectitudinem unitatis coâ—fonantia teneatur P. Leo 2. Epist. 5. ad Ervigium R. Hisp. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.10 Rom. 16.17 2 Joh. 10. Nec Christianus videri potest qui non permanet in Evangelii ejus fidei