their Wives is expresly renounced and it is decreed that no Priest be required to separate from his Wife so be it they abstain at Fasts and necessary Seasons nor any Priest endured to put away his Wife on pretence of piety else he must be deposed § 51. Another is the 16th Canon that maketh Deacons like Overseers of the Poor § 52. The 22d is a hard Canon that Bishops and Priests ordained with money and not by examination and election be deposed and they that ordained them § 53. The 36th Canon displeaseth them also which confess the Church of Constantinople's Priviledges as equal with Rome § 54. The 38th Canon containeth one great cause of the old Confusions viz. That whatever alteration the Imperial Power makes on any City the Ecclesiastical Order also follow it Did God make this Law Are not as many Souls in a Town that 's no City as capable of being a Church as Citizens It is in the Princes power to make and unmake Cities May he accordingly make or unmake Churches What if a King will have but one City in his Kingdom must there be no more Churches or Bishops What if there be no Cities as in many American and Arabian Countries must there be no Churches What if the King will disfranchize most of the Cities and another will make every Market Town a City must Churches be altered accordingly If so O that our King would make us so many Cities as the work and the souls of Men need true Bishops that one might not have a thousand Parishes without any subordinate Bishop But if this hold the Emperor might have taken down Rome and set up Constantinople or any other at pleasure § 55. Can. 50. Forbad Clergy and Laity to play at Dice on pain of Deposition or Segregation And Can. 51. forbids going to Shews Jesters Stage-Plays Huntings The 55th Canon commands the Church of Rome to amend their Customs and not to fast on Sabbath-days Can. 62. Forbids Womens Publick Dancings and Mens and Womens together and their putting on Masquers or Players Apparel or Persons c. Can. 63. Commandeth the burning of false Histories of the Martyrs as tending to bringing Religion into reproach continual joyful Praises to God and holy Exercises and to use no Horse-Races c. The 67th Canon is against eating Blood Can. 72. Nullifieth Marriage with Hereticks Alas good Bishops did you think the Papists would have Hereticated you as Monothelites and nullified all Marriages with you by this Canon But two Hereticks Marriage is not null Can. 78. Commandeth all the illuminate baptized to learn the Belief and every Friday to say it to the Bishop and Presbyters How many Parishes or hundred Parishes had the Bishop then to hear Not so many as ours § 56. The 82 Canon offends the Papists forbidding the Picture of a Lamb to be made for Christ as the Lamb of God The 90th Canon is an old one Not to kneel on any Lord's-day and that this begin on the evening before P. 155. Binnius reproveth them for calling Cyprian Archbishop and he proveth that Africa then had no Archbishop or Primate § 57. CCXXII An. 693. was another Toletan Council called by King Egica Before it the King writeth a Sermon for them wherein he tells them That every Parish that have twelve Families must have their proper Governor But if less it must be part of anothers charge § 58. CCXXIII. An. 694. was another Toletan Council under the same King Egica One would wonder that the Legislative vertue of the Church should be continued to such fertility and multitude of Laws as must follow if in all Countries there be every year a Council How great must the Volumes of Laws be at last Binnius in his Notes on this Council tell us That though Paul would have the believing Husband or Wife stay with the Unbeliever in hope of Conversion yet many hundred years experience hath taught us the contrary that it tendeth rather to hurt than good and therefore now it must be otherwise and they must separate § 59. CCXXIV. Even to those days the number of Pagans and Infidels in most Countries was the greatest and the care of good men was to convert them And therefore we read still of so many baptized at age A Council at Utrecht decreed Willebrood or Willifrid and Suibert being Leaders that the best Preachers should be sent from the Neighbor Churches to convert the Heathens that was better work than striving who should be chief or raging about hard words § 60. CCXXV. A Synod at Aquileia An. 698. condemned the 5th General Council at Constantinople for condemning the tria Capitula of the Council of Calcedon O what Concord Councils caused § 61. Pope Sergius refusing to own the Council of Constant. at Trul. under Iustinian 2d the Emperor commanded that he should be brought Prisoner to Constantinople The Soldiers of Ravenna Sergius having paid them the 100 l. of Gold hearing of it rose up and rescued him and made the Emperor's Officer in fear beg for his life By such Obedience Rome kept up § 62. Tiberius the 2d deposed Iustinian the 2d and cut off his Nose and banished him Iustinian was restored and exposed Tiberius to scorn and killed him and banished Bishop Callinicus to Rome for unfaithfulness to his Prince Iohn the 6th was now Pope § 63. Iohn the 7th is made Pope another Council at Toletum under King Witiza I pass by he was a Greek CCXXVI He gather'd a Synod at Rome to debate Iustinian's Order for the receiving the Trull Concil And our English Willifrid accused by his King was here justified as a Son of that Church And a Synod in England received him when the King was dead § 64. Sisumius made Pope lived but 20 days and Constantine succeeded him who was sent for to Constantinople and honoured by Iustinian § 65. About this time An. 708. Spain was conquered by the Saracens Binnius saith Because King Witiza forsook the See of Rome By which we still see that Rome was forsaken even by the best Church such as Spain then was and was not the Ruler of the World § 66. Bardanes Philippicus by Rebellion deposed Iustinian and was made Emperor and within two years was so used himself by Anastasius his eyes put out and he banished § 67. CCXXVII The Emperor Philippicus and Iob. Constant. called General Council at Constantinople I may well call it General when Binnius saith There were innumerable Bishops which is not said of any other Council They all condemned the 6th General Council and their Opinion of two Wills and two Operations Where it is manifest 1. How great a part of the Church regarded not the Authority of Rome 2. Nor thought a General Council infallible when innumerable Bishops are against both 3. And how strong the Monothelite Party was 4. And alas how bad too many Bishops that can change as fast as Emperors will have them For saith Binnius after Baronius Thus at the
spoken of by Platina he sate above one year It 's said that he dyed of grief for the loss of Ierusalem in his time CCCCXXXI A Council he had at Paris they say for Ierusalem too late § 186. Gregory the 8th succeedeth him two months and dyeth § 187. An. 1187. Clement the 3d succeeded him who importuneth the Christian Kings to recover Ierusalem The Emperor Frederick the King of France and Richard King of England go in person The Emperor was drowned in Asia as he was waâ—â—ing himself in a River The rest do much but all to little purpose but to the great destruction of many Christians The Pope sendeth an Army into Sicily to claim it for the Church because the King dyed childless There also bloody havock is made An. 1188. An Assembly at Paris furthered the Holy War Binnius will call it a Council § 188. Though this Clemens sate but three years and five months he ended the long War between the Romans and the Pope granting them their Senators but deposing their Patricius or Head that Union might not strengthen them § 189. Caelestine the 3d cometh next who to get Sicily from Tancred gets out of a Nunnery a devoted Virgin that was the Heiress and marrieth her to the young Emperor Henry the 6th and giveth him with her the Kingdoms of Sicily and Naples when he can get them and so wholly obligeth him to the Church and to surrender Tusculum which the Romans utterly demolish Sicily the Emperor gets and puts out Tancred's eyes but Naples was too hard for him his Soldiers dying of the Plague How the King of France and the King of England disagreed in Palestine and how the King of France returned home and treacherously joined with Iohn the King's Brother to invade the King of England's Dominions and so called him from attempting the Siege of Ierusalem and how he was taken Prisoner by the way home many Histories acquaint you § 190. Binnius out of Urspergens tells us how this Pope that had sent the King of France into Palestine for his repudiating his Wife after interdicted the whole Kingdom of France the use of holy thing O horrid Villany worse than Heathenish For one Man's Family-sin to forbid so great a Kingdom to worship their God and Saviour Saladine when he had taken Ierusalem dealt better with the Christians O bewitched Princes and People that by their degenerate Prelates would be brought to suffer or submit to such a wickedness contrary to the nature of all Religion O wicked Prelates and Clergy that would obey an Usurper in sucâ— a wicked Interdict But the King of France grievously punished his Clergy for the Fact For it was done by the Pope's Legat and the Bishops at a Council at Divion the CCCCXXXII here § 191. Next cometh the great Pope Innocent the 3d a young man of 30 years old called Lotharius An. 1198. § 192. The Duke of Saxony Otho the 4th succeedeth the Emperor Henry the 6th But Philip of Suevia is his Competitor and the King of France was for Henry's Brother and the Pope for Otho hating Frederick's Line Some say Philip conquered and deposed Otho but Petavius after divers others saith that they agreed that Philip should Reign quietly during his life and Otho afterward succeed him After ten years Otho a Palatine of the Rhine killeth Philip and Otho again Reigneth quietly marrying Philip's daughter But seeking to possess Apulia and Calabria by Arms and not obeying the Pope's Prohibition the Pope Excommunicateth him first and after sentenceth him deprived or deposed which at his command the Archbishop of Mentz publisheth which Otho despising the Pope to shew that he can make and unmake Emperors and Kings sets up Frederick King of Sicily Henry the 6ths Son by Câ—nstantia the Nun formerly saith Binnius which Petavius denieth and commandeth all to take him for Emperor The King of France stands for Frederick and the King of England for Otho Otho is overcome being forsaken and dyeth for grief and Friderick a young man twenty years old prevaileth § 193. Passing by the English and Scottish Councils for the Sabbath or Lords day CCCCXXXIII The Roman Council that deposed the Emperor Otto for rebellion against the Pope was An. 1210. § 194. This Pope excommunicated our King Iohn for rejecting Stephen Laughton Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Yea he deposed him quantum inse and interdicted Gods worship to the whole Kingdom for six years three months and fourteen dayes O wicked Bishops and Priests that would give over the worship of God because an Usurper forbad it The Pope gave the King of France commission to seize on England King Iohn is constrained to please the Pope What wars were hereupon in England and how he gave up his Kingdom at last to the Pope and to hold it as of him our own Historians certifie us yea and how he offered the King of Morocco to turn Mahometan for his help § 195. CCCCXXXIX Next cometh the famous 4th Laterane Council called by the Papists the 12th General approved of 400 Bishops and 800 other Fathers for others they have an 1215. Regn. Frider. 2. In the first Cap. is the Creed and their Transubstantiation asserted as the way of Union between Christ and us we taking his flesh as he took ours and that no one can make this Sacrament but a Priest ritely ordained according to the Keyes of the Church which Christ gave to the Apostles and their successours But the Sacrament of Baptism saveth by whom soever it is ritely done The 2d Cap. condemneth Abbot Ioachim's doctrine who opposed Lombard as making a quaternity for saying that Quaedam summa res est Pater Filius et Spiritus Sanctus et illa res non est generans nec genita nec procedens which the Council owneth The 3d. Cap. is this We excommunicate and anathematize every Heresie extolling itself against this holy Orthodox Catholick faith which we before expounded condemning all Hereticks by what names soever called having indeed divers faces but tails tyed together because they agree in vanity in the same thing And being damned let them be left to the present secular power or their Bailiffs to be punished by due animadversion the Clerks being first degraded from their orders so that the goods of such damned ones if they be Lay-men be confiscated but if Clerks let them be applied to the Churches from which they had their stipends But for those that are found notable only by suspicion unless they shew their innocency by a congruous purgation according to the considerations of the suspicion and the quality of the person let them be smitten with the sword of anathema cursed from Christ and avoided by all till they have given condign satisfaction so that if they remain a year excommunicate they be then condemned as Hereticks And let the secular powers be warned and induced and if need be compelled by ecclesiastical censure what offices soever they are in that as they desire to be
Especially they are large in imposing penalties on those that publickly keep Concubines in their houses and have not the modesty to fornicate more secretly If they put not away their Concubines in two Moneths they must lose the third part of their tythes and after other two months another third part and at last the other third part and after be uncapable of preferment c. These are gentler penalties than a differing opinion is punished with under the name of a heresie § 249. CCCCLXII Anno 1324. A Council at Toletane to the like purposes § 250. CCCCLXIII The two Popes called two Councils against each other as Hereticks were neither in the right Iohn in a Council at Avignion proved Nicolas the 5th a heretick for holding that Christ possessed nothing as Proprietor Nicolas called a Council in Italy which condemned Iohn as a heretick for holding the contrary Thus the hereticators were hereticated § 251. The French now got the Power of the Papacy and another French man was chosen Pope Anno 1334. called Benedict 11. alias 12th He renewed the excommunication and deposition of the Emperor Ludov. and claimed the Empire to himself concluding that being vacant it fell to the Church see to whom Kingdomes escheat whereby he set all Italy in Wars in all the Cities giving them to the Rulers as the Popes Leiutenants and perswading the Romans also to depose the Senatorean power as of the King and to exercise it themselves under the Church He lived above seven years Pope This Pope contrary to his Predecessor defined that souls sufficiently purged enjoy the clear vision of God before the resurrection § 252. CCCCLXIV Anno 1339. A Toletane Council decreed among other things that every Rector of a Church and their Vicars under pain of excommunication do every year write the names of all their Parishioners that come to years of discretion and consign confirm all that are confessed and excite them to come to the Sacrament But if they have not received it let them abstain unless it be by the Counsel of their own Priest And those that confesse not after a year to expel from the Church and deny them ecclesiastical burial § 253. Anno 1342. Another Frenchman Bishop of Roven is made Pope at Avignion Clem. 6. All Italy and Naples was put into the flames of Wars He forced the Germanes to set up another against the Emperor Lodov. Bavarus which was Charles Son of Iohn the 11. of Bohemia Charles sends bound to the Pope a new Senator Nicolas Rentii that ruled all at Rome He made a new Jubilee he laboured in vain to reconcile King Edward of England to the French the English conquering their Navies and taking Calis c. The Colenses and Trevinuses having contributed money as to a Turkish expedition that Pope liberally rewarded them by granting them licence to eat Eggs and Milk-meats on any fasting dayes out of Lent § 254. CCCCLXV Anno 1347. A Toletane Council against Simony c. § 255. Anno 1352. Innoc. the 6th is made Pope of Avignion All Italy was still kept in blood One Barnacellus Lorded it as Ruler at Rome The Pope craftily lets Nicolas Gencii out of Prison to set up against him Nicolas gets the better and killeth him but domincering too much is next kill'd himself 1347. The new Emperor Charles is Crowned in Italy The Romans put the power into seven Citizens called Reformers of the common wealth The Pope sets Hugo King of Cyrus against the Reformers and bids him pull them down But trouble came near him Our King Edward conqerâ—d the French and took the King and his Son Philip Prisoners nobly releasing the Prisoners upon promise that they would fight against him no more which they presently brake The Pope dieth § 256. Having long said nothing of the Greek affairs I here only briefly say that the utter confusion of their imperial Successions by murders and Usurpations and the continued confusions of their Church affairs ever since the divisions of the Orthodox Nestorians Entychians Monothelites c maketh it both a hard and unpleasant task to give any exact account of their Bishops Synods and manifold contentions which furthered the ruine of the Empire Their divisions gave the Latines opportunity to take Constantinople 1204. which they kept 58 years and then lost it Baldwin was the first Latine Emperour whom the Bulgarians conquered and took Prisoner Anno 1205. and kept sixteen months and then put him to death Henry his brother succeeded him 1206 and died 1216. Peter succeedeth him that married his sister or daughter and is quickly slain by Theodorus Lascaris Robert succeedeth his Father Peter 1261. Theodore Lascaris was Emperor chosen by the Greeks and kept Court at Nice He defâ—ated the Turks and slew their Sultan and died 1222. Iohn Ducas his Son in Law succeedeth him and 1255. his Son Theodore Lascaris succeedeth him and died 1259. leaving a Son Iohn of six years old Michael Paleologus putting out Iohns eyes at ten years old usurpeth the Empire and by a stratagem of Alexius Caesar with 800 men taketh Constantinople and feigned a reconciliation with Rome and died 1282 and for his seeming reconciliation with Rome his Son Andronicus and the Clergy denied him Christian burial Andronicus succeeded His Son Michael dying his Grandson Andronicus deposeth and banisheth him and taketh the Throne he reigned 8 years and died 1341. He committed his two Sons to Ioh. Cautacuzenus The Eldest Son Iohn reigned 27 years and Manuel his brother succeeded him 1384. and his Son Iohn succeeded him 1419. Constantine the 8th began 1445 and Anno 1453 May 29th the Turks took Constantinople and set up their Empire § 257. Anno 1355. Under Innocent the 6th was another Toletane Council short and sweet worth the noting by authority of Blastus Arch-Bishop of Toletan Viz. Lest faithful Christians should be burdened with the weight of sin or faultiness by transgressing provincial Constitutions when Divine piety hath mercifully put them under an easie yoke and light burden we ordain the holy Council approving it that the Provincial constitutions of our Predecessors and that shall be made hereafter unless it be otherwise expresly ordained in such as shall be made shall oblige the trangressours only to the penalty of them but not ad culpam to faultiness or sin It s worth the Inquiry how far all other Canons and humane penal Lawes are thus to be expounded § 258. Anno 1362. Another French man is made Pope called Vrban the 5th He sent Aegidius to fight for him in Italy still broil'd in Wars and died § 259. Anno 1370. Petrus Bellfortis that was made Cardinal before he was 17 years old is made Pope of Avignion and called Greg. the 11th So far was all the world from obeying the Pope that Italy still fought against him Thither he sends an Army bloodshed and misery overspreadeth the Country The Pope at last saw that his absence gave his Enimies advantage and not daring to
the Parliaments complaints of Popery Arminianism and Arbitrary Illegalities and after saith Hist. Presb. p. 465. 470. The truth is that as the English generally were not willing to receive that yoak so neither did the Houses really intend to impose it on them though for a while to hold fair quarter with the Scots they seemed forward in it This appears by their Declaration of April 1646 Nor have they lived to see their dear Presbytery setled or their Lay-Elders entertained in any one Parish of the Kingdome that 's false on the other side and yet all must be done by this Parliament as Presbyterians four years before when they were Episcopal distasting only the persons and actions of Bishop Laud Wren and some other present Bishops If I find a man like Schlusselburgiâ—s fall Pell-mell with reproach on all that differ from him or Dr. Heylin speak of blood with pleasure and as thirsty after more as of Thacker Vdall c. or as designing to make Dissenters odious as he and most of the Papists Historians do as the Image of both Churches Philanax Anglicus the Historical Collections out of Heylin I will believe none of these revilers further than they give me Cogent proof I hear of a Scots Narrative of the Treasons Fornications Witchcrafts and other wickedness of some of the Scottish Presbyterians and as for me the Author knoweth not what to call me unless it be a Baxterian as intending to be a Haeresiarcha being neither Papist nor of the Church of England nor Presbyterian nor Independent c. To this I say I have no acquaintance with any Scots Minister nor ever had in my life except with Bishop Sharp that was murdered and two other Bishops and two or three that live here in London therefore what they are I know not save by Fame But though I have heard that Country asperst as too much inclin'd to Fornication I never before heard the Religious part and Ministers so accused Either it is true or false if false shame be to the reporters if true what doth it concern us here or any that are innocent any further than to abhor it and lament it and to be thankful to God that it is another sort of men that are called Puritans in England and that in all my acquaintance with them these 56 years which hath been with very many in many Countries I remember not that ever I heard of one Puritan man or woman save one accused or suspected of fornication and that one yet living though openly penitent hath lived disowned and shamed to this day but I have heard of multitudes that revile them that make a jest and common practice of it Try whether you can make the Inhabitants of this City believe that the Nonconformists or Puritans are fornicators drunkards or perjured and that their accusers and haters are innocent men that hate them for such Crimes But it s possible that you may make men of other Countries or Ages believe it and believe that we wear Horns and have Cloven Feet and what you will but I fear not all your art or advantages on those that are acquainted with both sides But the misery is that faction ingageth men to associate only with their party where they hear reproaches of the unknown dissenters from whom they so estrange themselves that the Neighbours near them are as much unknown to them save by lying same as if they lived an hundred miles from them I remember Mr. Cressey once wrote to me that he turned from the Protestant Religion to the Roman because there was among us no spiritual Books of Devotion for Soul Elevations and affectionate Contemplation And I told him it was Gods just Judgment on him that lived so strange to his Neighbours because they are called Puritans and to their Writings which Shops and Libraries abound with had he read Bishop Halls Mr. Greenhams Mr. Ri. Rogers Mr. Io. Rogers Mr. Hildershams Mr. Boltons Mr. Perkins Mr. Downhams Mr. Reyners Dr. Sibbes c. yea or no better than my own the Saints Rest the Life of Faith the Divine Life the Christian Directory c. or had he read the Lives of Divines called Puritans or but such as two young men published partly by my self Ioseph Allen and Iohn Ianeway he would never have gone from the Protestants to the Papists because of our formality and want of an affectionate spiritual sort of devotion especially knowing what excess of formality is among the Papists and how much it is of the Clergies accusation of the Puritans that they are for too little form and too much pretence of spiritual devotion But if any called Religious or Puritans or Presbyterians be vicious I know no men that so heartily desire their punishment and ejection as those that are called by the same names I thank God that these twenty years while neither Wit Will nor Power hath been wanting against them I have scarce heard of two men if one that have been judged and proved guilty of any such immorality of all the ejected silenced Ministers in this Land I would I could say so of their Adversaries II. And now I must speak to the Accusers speeches of my self I thank you Sir that you feigned no worse against me if I am an Haeresiarcha why would not you vouchsafe to name that Heresie which I have owned I have given you large Field-room in near 80 Books and few men can so write as that a willing man may not find some words which he is able to call Heresie A little learning wit or honesty will serve for such an hereticating presumption 2. I never heard that Arminius was called an Arminian nor â—â—ther a Lutheran nor Bishop Laud a Laudian but if you be upon the knack of making Names you best know your ends and best know how to fit them to it 3. But seriously do you not know my Judgment will not about 80 Books inform you how then can I help it 4. No but you know not what Party I am of nor what to call me I am sorrier for you in this than for my self if you know not I will tell you I am a CHRISTIAN a MEER CHRISTIAN of no other Religion and the Church that I am of is the Christian Church and hath been visible where ever the Christian Religion and Church hath been visible But must you know what Sect or Paâ—â—y I am of I am against all Sects and dividing Parties But if any will call Meer Christians by the name of a Party because they take up with meer Christianity Creed and Scripture and will not be of any dividing or contentious Sect I am of that Party which is so against Parties If the Name CHRISTIAN be not enough call me a CATHOLICK CHRISTIAN not as that word signifieth an hereticating majority of Bishops but as it signifieth one that hath no Religion but that which by Christ and the Apostles was left to the Catholick Church or the Body of Jesus Christ on Earth
both to summon a Council they cunningly would not agree of the place and so forced the doing it without them § 265. CCCCLXVII To put a shew on the business Greg. calleth a Council at Aquileia whether by long delays he creepeth with a few to do nothing § 266. CCCCLXVIII And the other Pope Bened. 13. Anno 1409 also calleth his Council in Arragone of his Subjects which calleth it self a General Council and pronounce him the true Pope and no Schismatick or Heretick and Greg. to be the Usurper but exhort him to endeavour Unity § 267. CCCCLXIX The two Popes giving no better hopes some of the Cardinals of both sides slipt from them and by the Countenance of the Florentines and King Ladislaus chose Pisa for a General Council where they met and summoned both the Popes who scorned them and they deposed them both as Hereticks and Schismaticks saith Binius forbidding all Christians to obey them and they chose a third Alexander 5. and the two old ones kept up still and so there were three Popes at once § 268. An. 1409. Alex. 5. is chosen much commended but died in eighteen Months some say saith Antoninus poysoned by a Clyster But to shew himself a Pope in that little time he deposed King Ladislaus and gave his Kingdome to Lewis Duke of Anjou § 269. Balthasar Cossa is next chosen called by some Ioh. 21. by others 22. by others 23. and by Platina Ioh. 24. so little are they agreed of their succession Platina saith the Cardinals of Greg. were yet poor and he hired them with Money to Create him He got Sigismund King of Bohemia chosen Emperour and would have had the Council to be at Rome Italy continued still in blood the Popes having parcelled it into so many small Principalities to secure it against the Emperours no part of the whole World lived from Age to Age in such continual War and confusion This Pope saith Onuphrius Panvinus viz. fuit bello armis quam Religioni aptior utpote qui neque fidem norat neque Religionem rebus profanis magis quam Divino cultu accommodatus How he was accused deposed imprisoned how the other two Popes Greg. 12. and Bened. 13. were all deposed with him and Martin 5. chosen the next Chapter sheweth CHAP. XIII The Council of Constance Basil and some others § 1. CCCCLXX AN. 1414. the Council of Constance was called by the means of the Emperour Sigismund and the consent of Pope Iohn who the more trusted the Emperour because he had promoted him There were then three Popes Bened. 13. in France whom the Kingdomes of France Spain Arragon England and Scotland followed and Greg. 12. and Iohn 23. at Rome that divided the rest of the Papalines It was not certainly to represent the Trinity but to profane the Name and abuse the Kingdome of the blessed Trinity Oct. 28. P. Iohn called by them Sanctissimus Dominus Noster entereth the City Nov. 5. The Pope began the Council Nov. 16. was the first Session the Pope speaking to them and his Bull being read shewing that he would have had the Council at Rome but the miserable case of Rome by contention and confusion hindering it was agreed with the Emperour to be at Constance commanding to be there for the peace of the Church and appointing a Weekly Mass to be said for obtaining Gods blessing and pardoning a years penance for every Mass to every Mass-Priest that said it exhorting all to fasting and prayer for good success charging them to look after Errours especially those that rose from one Iohn Wickliff and also to reform the Church c. March 2. 1415. The Pope took an Oath for the peace of the Church to lay down his Popedome if the other two Popes would do the same and the Emperour kist his feet The Cardinal of Florence read these Decrees 1. That the Council was lawfully called 2. That it will not be dissolved by the departure of the Pope or other Prelates 3. That it be not dissolved till the present Schisme be healed and the Church reformed in Faith and Manners in Head and Members 4. That it be not removed but on just cause 5. That the Bishops depart not § 2. In the fourth Session they decreed that the general Council representing the militant Catholick Church hath its power immediately from Christ to which every man of what State or dignity soever though it be Papal is bound to obey in the things that belong to Faith and the extirpation of the said Schism and the general reformation of the Church in head and members 2. That the Pope withdraw not himself or the Officers and if he should or should thunder out Church censures against them or any adhering to the Council they are void 3. That no Translations Promotions or Cardinals be made to the prejudice of the Council 4. That three of each Nations be chosen to judge of departures c. But the Pope fled and sent them word that it was not for fears but for his health § 3. Sess. 5. The Emperor being among them they decreed again the Power of the Council as immediately from Christ which the Pope and all must obey and that the Pope is punishable if he disobey that he is bound to surrender in any case of great and evident profit to the Church that he unlawfully departed that if he will return and perform his promise he shall be safe Next they proceeded to condemn the Books of Iohn Wickliff and to prosecute Iohn Huss Next they applied themselves to the Emperour to reduce the Pope who told them he was in the hands of the Duke of Austria but if they pleased he would write to him or try to fetch him by force c. § 4. Sess. 6. They order the Procuration for the Popes Resignation to be demanded and Process to be made against Iohn Huss and Hierome of Prague A Letter is read from the University of Paris to the Pope to submit to the Council § 5. Sess. 7. They accused Hierome of Prague for not appearing and summoned the Pope promising him safe Conduct sed salvâ Iustitiâ c. § 6. Sess. 8 They condemned Wickliff's Bones to be dig'd up upon 45 Articles instead of 260 which they had gathered Art 1. was 1. That the substance material of Bread and Wine remain in the Sacrament of the Altar 2. The Accidents of Bread remain not without the substance 3. Christ is not identically and really in his proper bodily presence in the Sacrament 4. If a Bishop or Priest live in mortal sin he Ordaineth not Baptizeth not Consecrateth not 5. The Gospel saith not that Christ instituted the Mass. 6. God ought to obey the Devil 7. If a man be contrite aright outward confession is needless and unprofitable 8. If the Pope be a Reprobate and wicked and so a Member of the Devil he hath no power over the faithful given him by any but Caesar. 9. Since Vrban the