the Context and Explication All these are mentioned as taken out of Wickliff but Huss is condemned for these following Articles § 13. 1. That there is one holy Vniversal Church of all the Predestinate 2. That Paul was never a Member of the Devil 3. That Reprobates are not parts of the Church for no part of it finally falleth away Predestinating Love never forsaking him 4. Two Natures the Divinity and Humanity are one Christ. 5. The same as afore 6. Taking the Church for the Predestinate it is an Article of Faith 7. Peter was not nor is the Head of the Catholick Church 8. Priests of wicked lives polute the Priestly power 9. The Papal dignity arose from the Emperour and the Popes prefecture and institution flowed from Caesars power Divers of Popes and Priests that live wickedly are not the Apostles Successors Delivering men to Secular powers because excommunicate is to imitate the Scribes and Pharisees above Christ. Ecclesiastical obedience is obedience after the Priests invention without any express authority of Scripture All humane Acts are distinguished into virtuous and vicious A Priest of Christ living after his Law and understanding the Scripture and desirous to Edifie the people ought not to obey the Pope or any Prelate that forbids him to preach and excommunicateth him Every one made a Priest hath a command to preach and must obey it notwithstanding excommunication By Church Censures of excommunication suspension and interdict the Clergy keeps the Laity under their feet for their own exaltation and multiply avarice protect malice and prepare the way to Antichrist It is an evident sign that such Censure proceed from Antichrist in which the Clergy principally proceed against those that open the nakedness of Antichrists wickedness which the Clergy will for themselves usurp If the Popes be wicked men and reprobates then as Judas an Apostle was a thief and traitor and son of perdition so they are no heads of the Church when they are no members The grace of predestination is the bond of the Churches union with the head A wicked and reprobate Pope and Prelate is equivocally a Pastor and truly a thief and robber The Pope should not be called most holy Right election makes not him that cometh not in by Christ to have right Wickliffs 40 Articles were unjustly condemned There is no spark of appearance that there must be one head in spirituals to rule the whâ—lâ—e Church that must alwayes converse with it and be conserved Christ Ruled his Church better throughout the world by his true Disciples dispersed than it is by such moâ—strous heads The Apostles and faithful Priests of the Lord did strenuously regulate the Church in things necessary to salvation before the Office of a Pope was introduced and so would do were there no Pope to the end of the world There is no Civil Lord no Prelate no Bishop while in mortal sin Of which oft before These Articles are mentioned which they say were proved against him It is to be noted that Huss called God to witness that he never preached nor owned many of these Articles which false witnesses brought in against him and yet renounceth nothing that he held And whether he or his accusers better knew his mind and faith its easie to conjecture They condemned Huss to be burnt and condemned another Article that any Subject may kill a Tyrant that is an Usurper by any secret or open means Then they made an Order against Robbers of such as came to the Council and went back § 14. Sess. 16. Deputies are appointed to go to Arragon to the third remaining Pope Bend. 13. to resign and other matters The Sess. 17. was an honourable dimission of the Emperour The Sess. 18. about the Councils Bulls c. The 19. Sess. was against Hierome of Prague where they recite a long Recantation which they say he made and from which they said he afterward revolted Also the Council decreed that they might proceed against Hereticks notwithstanding the safe conducts and promises of the Emperour Kings or Princes by what Bond soever they tyed themselves therein though the Hereticks had not appeared but trusting herein And that the said Emperour Kings c. having done what in them lieth are no way obliged by their promises The 20. Sess. Decreed a monitory against the Duke of Austria on behalf of the Bishop of Trent about estate The rest was about the Ejection of Pope Benedict the 13th They swore to certain Capitula about it § 15. Hierome of Prague having recanted through fear repented and openly professed that he dissembled and stood to his former doctrine and was condemned § 16. Many following Sessions are against Pet. Luna or Bened. the 13th and treating with the Arragonians about him He refused to resign being lest sole Pope I think chosen by more Cardinals than the rest in the 37 Sess. they pass Sentence against him § 17. Sess. 39. It is decreed that there should be henceforth General Councils celebrated One five years after this another seven years after that and thence forward every ten years one Or if there fall out another Schism then within a year none of the contending Popes being presidents with much more about the Councils Next they frame a Profession which every Elected Pope must make viz. That he firmly believeth and holdeth the holy Catholick Faith according to the Traditions of the Apostles of General Councils and other holy Fathers especially the eight holy General Councils viz. Nice Const. 2. Eph. 3. Calced 4. Constant. 5. and 6. Nic. 7. Constant. 8. As also the Laterane Lugdune and Vien and to hold that faith unchanged in every title and to confirm even to life and blood defend it and predicate it and every way to prosecute and observe the rite of Ecclesiastical Sacraments delivered the Catholick Church Sess. 40. There are eighteen heads of reformation named And the form of Electing Popes decreed Sess. 41. An Oath for the Electors Otho Columna Cardinal is made Pope Wickliffes errors again repeated and Husses some Constitutions of Frederic 2. Confirmed and the Council dissolved § 18. Platina tells us that Pope Iohn was deposed only by those that had adhered to him before the other parties came He was kept Prisoner three years none but Germanes whom he understood not attending him Gregory died of grief that Carolus Malatesta had too hastily published his resignation which he hoped to frustrate by delay Benedict refusing to resign the Arragonians and Spaniards forsook him as obstinate The Scot stuck last to him Platina saith Huss and Hierome were burnt for saying that Church men should imitate Christ in poverty when their wealth and luxury was the common Scandal There was great joy at the choice of Martin 5. but Rome and Italy were still in Wars and confusion § 19. Gregory was preferred till he died and this P. Iohn so odiously described by the Council is yet after some years imprisonment made Cardinal Bishop
undivided The Eutychians thought How can that be called Vnity which maketh not one of two And no doubt the Natures are One But One what Not One Nature but One Person Yet to bring off Cyril it may be said that even the Natures are One in opposition to Division or Separation but not One in opposition to distinction He that had but distinguished these two clearly to them and explained the word Nature clearly had better ended all the Controversie than it was ended It 's plain that Cyril and the Eutychians allowed mental distinction though not that the Mind should suppose them divided And it 's certain that the Orthodox meant no more § 3. He that readeth but Philosophers Schoolmen and late Writers such as Fortun. Licetus de natura c. will see how little they are agreed about the meaning of the word Nature and how unable to procure agreement in the conception They that say it is principium motus Quietis are contradicoted as confounding divers Principia and as confounding Active Natures and Passive the Active only being Principium Motus and the Passive Principium quietis And on such accounts the Eutychians pleaded for One Nature because in Christ incarnate they supposed that the Divine Nature was the Principium primum motus and that all Christs actions were done by it and that the humane soul being moved by the Divinity was but Principium subordinatum which they thought was improperly called Principium As most Philosophers say that Forma generica is improperly called forma hominis because one thing hath but one form so they thought that one person had but one proper Principium motus § 4. Alas how few Bishops then could distinguish as Derodon doth and our common Metaphysicks between 1. Individuum 2. Prima substantia 3. Natura 4. Suppositum 5. Persona 6. and have distinguished a right essence and hypostasis or subsistence c. and defined all these Nature saith Derodon de suppos p. 5. is taken in nine senses But the sense was not here agreed on before they disputed of the matter Even about the Nature of Man it is disputed whether he consist not of many natures Whether every Element Earth Water Air Fire retain not its several Nature in the Body or whether the Soul be Mans only Nature and whether as intellectual and sensitive and vegetative or only in one of these And is it not pity that such questions should be raised about the person of Christ by self-conceited Bishops and made necessary to salvation and the world set on fire and divided by them Is this good usage of the Faith of Christ the Souls of Men and the Church of God § 5. But to the History At a Council of Constantinop under Flavianvs Eusebius Bishop of Dorileum accused Eutyches for affirming Heretically as aforesaid that after the Vnion Christ had but one Nature Eutiches is sent for He refuseth to come out of his Monastery After many Citations be still refusing they judge him to be brought by force He first delayeth Then craveth of the Emperour the presence of Magistrates that he be not calumniated by the Bishops He is condemned but recanteth not § 6. A meeting of Bishops at Tyre cleared Ibas Edess from the accusation of Nestorianisme made by four Excommunicate Priests two of them perjured and reconciled him to such Priests for Peace sake § 7. Another meeting of Bishops at Berythum cleared Ibas from a renewed accusation of Nestorianisme being said to have spoken evil of Cyril An Epistle of his to Maris a Bishop was accused which the Council at Calcedon after absolved and the next General Council condemned § 8. CXXIV Another Council is called at Constantinople by the means of some Courtiers in favour to Eutiches where upon the testimony of some Bishops that Flavianus Bishop of Constantinople condemned him himself before the Synod did it and that the Records were altered all was nullified that at the last Synod was done against him § 9. CXXV Theodosius calleth a second General Council at Ephesus an 449. and maketh Dioscorus Bishop of Alex. President Dioscorus forbad Ibas and Theodoret to be there as being Nestorians The Emperour himself was so much for peace and so deeply before engaged in Cyril's cause against Nestorius that he thought it levity to pull down all so soon again the Eutychians perswading him that they stuck to Cyril and the Ephesine and Nicene Council Dioscorus thinking the same that Eutiches and Cyril were of one mind and that it was Nestorianisme which they were against carried matters in this Synod as violently as Cyril had done in the former The Bishops perceiving the Emperours the Courtiers and Dioscorus mind could not resist the stronger side The Bishop of Rome was commanded by the Emperour to be present He sent his Legates with his Judgment in Writing of the Cause The Emperour for bad those to be Speakers that had before judged Eutyches The Roman Legates excepted that Dioscorus presided It seemeth the Eastern Empire and Church then believed not that the Popes precedency was jure divino Dioscorus declareth that the Council was not called to decide any matter of Faith but to judge of the proceedings of Flavianus against Eutyches The Acts of the Constant. Synod after the Emperours Letters being read Eutyches is absolved Domnus Patriarch of Antioch Iuvenal Patriarch of Ierusalem the Bishop of Ephesus and the rest subscribed the absolution which after they said they did for fear when another Emperour changed the Scene This being done the Acts of the former Ephes. Council were read and all Excommunicate that did not approve them So that this Council of Eutychians thought verily the former was of their mind Four Bishops Flavianus Eusebius Doryl Ibas Edes and Theodoret Cyri are condemned and deposed All the Bishops subscribed except the Popes Legates so that saith Bimius In hoc tam horrendo Episcoporum suffragio sola navilula Petri incolumis emergens salvatur p. 1017. Judge by this First Whether Councils may erre Secondly Whether they are the just Judges or Keepers of Tradition Thirdly Whether all the World always believed the Popes Infallibility or Governing power over them when all that Council voted contrary to him Flavianus here offering his appeal was beaten and abused and dyed of the hurt as was said in Concil Calced and by Liberatus But this was no quenching but a kindling of the fire of Episcopal Contentions Theodosius missed of his end § 10. CXXVI Leo at Rome in a Synod condemneth this Ephesian Council § 11. CXXVII Dioscorus in a Council at Alexandria Excommunicateth Leo. § 12. CXXVIII Theodosius the Emperour being dead Martian was against the Eutychians Anatolius at a Synod at Constantinople maketh an Orthodox Profession of his Faith like Leo's § 13. CXXIX And at Milan a Council owneth Leo's judgment § 14. CXXX Now cometh the great Council at Calcedon under the new Emperour Martian where all is changed for a time Yet Pulcheria who marryed him and
made him Emperour and whose power then was great was the same that before had been against Nestorius in her Brothers reign Never was it truer than in the Case of General Councils that the Multitude of Physicians exasperateth the Disease and killeth the Patient The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one nature after union the words one will and one opperation had never done half so much mischief in the Church if the erroneous had been confuted by neglect and Councils had not exasperated enraged and engaged them and set all the World on taking one side or another One skilfull healing man that could have explicated ambiguous terms and perswaded men to Love and Peace till they had understood themselves and one another had more befriended Truth Piety and the Church than all the Hereticating Councils did § 15. If what Socrates writeth of Theodosius junior be true as we know no reason to doubt God owned his Moderation by Miracles notwithstanding his favouring the Eutychians more than he did any ways of violence Socrates saith l. 7. c. 41 42. that Theodosius was the mildest man in the World for which cause God subdued his enemies to him without slaughter and bloodshed as his Victory over Iohn and the Barbarians shew Of which he saith First Their Captain Rugas was kill'd with a thunder-bolt Secondly A Plague killed the greatest part of his Soldiers Thirdly Fire from Heaven consumed many that remained And Proclus the Bishop being a man of great Peace and Moderation hurting and persecuting none was confirmed by these providences in his lenity being of the Emperours mind and perswading the Emperour to fetch home the bones of Chrysostome with honour wholly ended the Nonconformity and Separation of the Ioanites § 16. Before Theodosius dyed Leo Bishop of Rome set Placidia and Eudoxia to write to him against Dioscorus and for the cause of Flavianus Yea and Valentinian himself Theodosius wrote to Valentinian and the like to the Women That they departed not from the Faith and Tradition of their Fathers that at the Council of Ephesus second things were carried with much liberty and truth and the unworthy were removed and the worthy put into their places and it was the troublers of the Church that were deposed and Flavianus was the Prince of the Contentions and that now they lived in Concord and Peace § 17. The Council at Calcedon was called an 451. Dioscorus is accused for his Ephesine General Council and for his violence and defence of Eutiches and the death of Flavianus He alledgeth the Emperours Order to him Authoritatem Primatum tuae praebemus beatitudini If the Popes Universal Rule be essential to the Church then the pious and excellent Emperour Theodosius and the General Council that consented were none of them Christians that knew it but went against it Eos qui per additamentum aliquod aut imminutionem conati sunt dicere praeter quae sunt exposita de fide Catholica à sanctis Patribus qui in Nicaea post modum qui in Epheso congregati sunt nullam omnino fiduciam in sancto Synodo habere patimur sed sub vestro judicio esse volunus Here Binnius accuseth the good Emperour as giving that which he had not but by usurpation and this through ignorance of the Ecclesiastical Canons But were all the Bishops ignorant of it also Or was so good an Emperour bred up and cherished in ignorance of such a point pretended by the Papists to be necessary to the Being of a Church and to salvation The Bishops of Ierusalem and Seleucia also partook of the same power by the Emperour's Grant Dioscorus answered that All the Synod consented and subscibed as well as he and Juvenal Hieros and Thalassius Seleuc. The Bishops answered that they did it against their wills being under fear Condemnation and Banishment was threatned Souldiers were there with Clubs and Swords Therefore the Oriental Bishops cryed out to cast out Dioscorus Stephen Bishop of Ephesus who had been Dioscorus chief Agent there cryed out that fear constrained them The Lay-Judges and Senate asked who forced them Stephen said Elpidius and Eulogius and many Souldiers threatned him They asked Did Dioscorus use violence with you He said that he was not suffered to go out till he had subscribed Theodorus Bishop of Claudiopolis said that Dioscorus Iuvenal and the leading men led on them as simple ignorant men that knew not the Cause and frightned them with defaming them as Nestorian Hereticks Thus they cryed out that they were frightned The Egyptian Bishops answered that A Christian feareth no man and yet they were afraid before they ended A Catholick feareth no man we are instructed by flames If men were feared there would be no Martyrs Dioscorus noted what Bishops those were that said they subscribed to a blank Paper when it was about a matter of Faith But asked who made them by their several interlocutions to speak their consent Hereupon the Acts of the Ephes. Council were read among which were the words of Dioscorus Anathematizing any that should contradict or retract any thing held in the Nicene or the Ephesine Synods Adding how terrible and formidable it was If a man sin against God who shall intercede for him If the Holy Ghost sit in Council with the Fathers he that retracteth cashiereth the Grace of the Spirit The Synods answered We all say the same Let him be Anathema that retracteth these Bishops that curse themselves will easily curse others Let him be cast out that retracteth Dioscorus said No man ordereth things already ordered The holy Synod said These are the words of the Holy Ghost c. Theodorus denyed these words recorded Dioscorus said they may as well say they were not there § 18. Here also Eutyche's Confession at Ephesus was read in which he professeth to cleave to the former Ephesine Council and to the blessed Father Cyril that presided disclaiming all additions and alterations professing that he had himself Copies in a Book which Cyril himself sent him and is yet in his hands and that he standeth to the definition of that Council with that of Nice Eusebius Bishop of Doril. said He lyeth that Council hath no such Definition Dioscorus said There are four Books of it that all contain this Definition Do you accuse all the Synodical Books I have one and he hath one and he hath one Let them be brought forth Diogenes Bishop of Cyrilum said They deceitfully cleave to the Council of Nice The Question is of additions made against Heresies The Bishops of Egypt said None of us receive additions or diminutions Hold what is done at Nice This is the Emperour's Command The Eastern Bishops clamoured Iust so said Eutyches The Egyptian Bishops still cryed up the Nicene Faith alone without addition Dioscorus accused the Bishops for going from their words and said If Eutyches hold not the Doctrine of the Church he is worthy of punishment and fire ex ore tuo My regard is
here stay till it 's done All the most Reverend Bishops clamoured Let them subscribe to the damnation of Dioscorus Thus the poor Egyptian Bishops that had the upper hand under Theodosius were in a streight between the merciless Bishops in the Synod that had lately at Ephesus joyned with them and the furious Bishops and people of their own Country that would have killed them when they came home too common a Case at Alexandria But when all their dejected cryes and begging could get no mercy from the Bishops the Lay Judges had some and moved that they may be made stay in the Town till their Archbishop was chosen of whom you shall hear sad work anon The Popes Legate requested That if they would needs shew them any humanity they should take sureties of them not to go out of the City till they had an Arch-bishop And so it was ended § 25. The next business was with the Abbots of the Monks They had petitioned Martian that a General Council might be called to end their lamentable broils and that without turbations forced subscriptions or persecutions by the secret contrivances of the Clergy and casting men out before due judgment And they gave in a profession of their Faith and petitioned that Dioscorus might be called because the Emperour had promised them that nothing but the Nicene Faith should be imposed which he professed The Bishops all clamoured out their repeated Curse against Dioscorus and their Tolle injuriam à Synodo Tolle violentiam à Synodo Tolle notam à Synodo Istos mitte foras that is Away with them and would not hear their petition But the Lay Judges made it to be read In which the Monks profess to hold to the Nicene Creed and that the Church might not have discord by imposing more Protesting that if their Reverences abusing their power resisted this as before God and the Emperour the Iudges the Senate and the Consciences of the Bishops that they shake their garments against them and put themselves beyond their Excommunication For they would not be Communicators with those that thus refuse the Nicene Faith The Council still urged them to subscribe Leo ' s Letter Carosus and Dorotheus in the name of the rest of the Abbots said They were Baptized into the Nicene Faith They knew no other They were bid by the Bishop that Baptized them Receive no other We believe the Baptismal Creed We subscribe not the Epistle They are Bishops They have power to Excommunicate and to Damn and to do what they will more But we know no other Faith The Arch-Deacon urged Carosus to Subscribe to Leo's Epistle as Expository of the Nicene Faith and to Curse Nestorius and Eutyches Carosus answered What have I to do to curse Nestorius that have once twice thrice and often cursed and damned him already Aeticus said Dost thou curse Eytiches as the Synod doth or not Carosus replyed Is it not written Iudge not that ye be not judged Again he repeated that he believed the Nicene Creed into which he was baptized If they said any thing else to him he knew it not The Apostle saith If an Angel from heaven preach another Gospel let him be accursed what should I do If Eutyches believe not as the universal Church believeth let him be accursed § 26. At last there was a dissention whether Leo's Phrases should be put into their Definition of Faith now drawn up a new A while it was cryed down but at last yielded to when the Illiricane Bishops had first slighted Rome and cryed Qui contradicunt diffinitioni Nestoriani sunt Qui contradicunt Roman ambulent And Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople openly declared That Dioscotus was not condemned for matter of belief but because he Excommunicated Leo and when he was thrice summoned did not appear § 27. After this Theodorets turn came that had been for Nestorius and the Bishops all cryed out Let Theodoret curse Nestorius Theodoret desired that a Petition of his to the Emperour and to Leo's Legate might be read that they might see whether he were of their belief or not They cryed out We will have nothing read presently curse Nestorius Theodoret told them that he had been bred of the Orthodox and so taught and preached and was against not only Nestorius and Eutyches but all men else that held not the right The Bishops interrupted him clamouring speak out plainly cursed be Nestorius and his Opinions cursed be Nestorius and those that love him Theodoret answered I take not my self to say true but I know I please God I would first satisfie you of my belief for I seek not preferment I need not honour nor come hither for that But because I am calumniated I come to satisfie you that I am Orthodox and I Anathematize every Heretick that will not be converted and Nestorius and Eutyches and every man that saith there are two Sons or thinks so I Anathematize The Bishops again took this for dawbing and cryed out say plainly Anathema to Nestorius and them which hold that which is his Theodoret said Vnless I may explain my own belief I will not say it I believe Here they interrupted and all cryed out He is a Heretick He is a Nestorian cast out the Heretick Reader would a man have believed that were not forced by Evidence That this Council was of Nestorius ' s mind and confirmed his own Doctrine of the Vnity of Christs persons and two Natures who thus furiously cryed down Theodoret except as to the aptitude of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And is it not a doleful Thought that the worthy Bishops of the Church even in a General Council should no better know the way of peace And do not these words here translated out of Binnius p. 92. and 106. agree too well with Nazianzen's Character of Bishops and Councils Not but that the Church had always some Learned Godly Wise and Peaceable Men such as Gregory Naz. and Theodoret were and many more especially in Africk but you see that they were born down by the stream of unskilful worldly temporizing violent Men after once worldly greatness made it the way to preferment and it became their business to strive who should be uppermost and have his will But Theodoret when he found that there was no hope of so much as a patient hearing of his Explication and Confession was fain to yield and say Anathema to Nestorius and to him who saith not that the Virgin Mary was the Parent of God and who divideth the only begotten Son into two Sons which was yet cautelously expressed as if he said supposing that Nestorius did so which himself denyed let him be accursed And so Theodoret was absolved and counted worthy to be a Bishop § 28. Iuvenal Hierosol Thalassius and the rest of the Leaders at Ephes Council 2 were pardoned Ibas his Epistle to Maris against Cyril was acquit or at least the Bishop upon the reading of it It is a sad Narrative of the
have Painters enow 2. Where shall we have Money to pay them 3. Where shall we find room to hold them 4. Is not here a new Article of Faith and a new Commandment necessary to Salvation 5. Was not their Church Universal as it stood before all or most here cursed 6. Was it not a hard matter to be saved or be a Conformist on these terms when a Man that did but doubt of Images yea that did not teach them to the People and that from his heart must be cursed 7. Was not such a cursing sort of Bishops a great Curse Shame and Calamity to the Church Did they not tempt Infidels to curse or deride them all while they thus cursed one another even their Councils Tharasius joyfully received all this and Constantine Bishop of Constance in Cyprus said That this Libel of Theodosius drew many tears from him I suppose of joy And now they all saw the way § 60. But now cometh a Crowd more to do their Pennance Hypatius Bishop of Nice Leo Rhodi Gregory of Pisidia Gregory of Pessinunt Leo of Iconium Nicolas of Hierapolis Leo of Carpathium And now Tarasius was sure of them he groweth more upon them and will know of them Whence it was that in the last Council they did what they did against Images whether it was through meer Ignorance or by any reason that drew them to it If through Ignorance he bids them give a Reason how they came to be so ignorant If upon any Reason to tell what that Reason was that it might be refuted Leo Bishop of Rhode answered We have sinned before God and before the Church and before this holy Synod Ignorance made us fall from the Truth and we have nothing to say in our own defence Tharasius would know what Reason now moveth and changeth them some say because it is the Doctrine or Faith of the Apostles and Fathers Another alledgeth a saying as of the Antioch Council and another as of Isidore Pelus which the learned Reader examining may see what proof it was that Images were brought into Churches by it 's worth the noting But another alledgeth the Apostles and Prophets Tradition But what 's the proof And did not the Council at Constant nor the Bishops in the Reign of the three former Emperors know what Tradition was Was it unknown till now How came it now known then Or who told it this Council when the last knew it not Or if the last were false Knaves how shall we be sure that these were honest Men Or that the same Men were suddenly become wise and honest Tharasius asketh one of the Bishops Leo How it came to pass that he that had been ten or eight years a Bishop never knew the Apostolical Tradition for Images till just now He answered Because through many Ages or Times Malice endured and so wicked Doctrine endured and when this persevered for our sins it compelled us to go out of the way of Truth but there is hope with God of our salvation But Constantine Cypr. answereth him You that are Bishops and Teachers of others should not have had need to be taught your selves Leo replied If there were no expression of sin in the Law there would be no need of Grace Another Hypatius replied with the rest We received ill Doctrine from ill Masters Yea but saith Tarasius The Church ought not to receive Priests from ill Teachers Hypatius Bishop of Nice replieth Custom hath so obtained § 61. Hereupon the Synod desired to be informed on what terms Hereticks were to be received when they returned so the Canons were brought and read And though many Canons and Fathers have said that no Repentance for some Crimes must restore a Man to the Priesthood though it must to the Church and there is an Epistle of Tarasius put by Crabbe before this Council in which he determineth that a Simoniack may be received upon Repentance to Communion but not to his Office yet Tarasius here being desirous of their return knowing that these Penitents that renounced the errors of their Education and former practice would draw others to conformity with them did resolutely answer all that was objected against their reception § 62. Here in Crab. p. 472. a question fell in upon their reading the Proofs that repenting Hereticks were by the Church to be restored to their Bishopricks and Priesthood What Hereticks those were And it was answered that they were Novatians Encratists and Arrians and Manichees Marcionists and Eutychians And then one asketh Whether this Heresie against Images was greater or less than all those And Tharasius answereth like a Stoick Evil is always the same and equal especially in matters Ecclesiastical in the Decrees of which both great and small to err is the same thing for in both God's Law is violated O Learned Patriarch worthy to be the setter up of Church-Images A venerable Monk that was Vicar of the Oriental Patriarch answereth That this Heresie is worse than all heresies and the worst of all Evils as that which subverteth the Oeconomy of our Saviour Note Reader how the Patriarchal Thrones did govern the Church and this Council and by what reasons Images and Saints intercessions were set up Arrianism Manicheism Marcionism no Heresie that denied the essentials of Christianity no evil was so bad with them as to deny Church-Images c. And so the late General Council and Bishops for three Emperors Reigns had been under the worst of Heresies and Evils worse than Arrianism itself § 63. But here Constantine the Notary of the Const. Patriarchate happily brought in so pertinent a Testimony as much made for the pardon of the penitent Bishops He read out of the Council of Calcedon how the Oriental and other Bishops that had lately set up Eutyches and Dioscorus in the 2d Ephesian Council cryed at Calcedon We have all sinned we all ask forgiveness And how Thalassius Eusebius and Eustathius cryed We have all erred we all ask forgiveness And after them Iuvenal and after him the Illyrican Bishops cryed We have all lapsed we all ask pardon And so the President was undeniable and effectual These were not the first Bishops that went one way in one Council under one Prince and cryed peccavimus for it as Heresie in the next § 64. But Sabas the Monk starts yet a greater doubt than this and that is whether they had true Ordination and so were true Bishops For seeing they were bred in the times of Heresie which had prevailed under so many Emperors and had Heretical Teachers it 's like they had Heretick Ordainers seeing the late Council shewed what the Bishops then were And the Fact was confest that they were Ordained by Bishops that were Hereticks that is against Church-Images and praying to Saints for their intercession and using Reliques The Bishop of Rome's Vicars pleaded hard against their Ordination but Tarasius knew what a breach it would make in the Church if a General Council
right ends 5. And if he be called to be the Pastor of a particular Church he moveth the people to consent or accept him And thus God according to his appointed Order doth call his Ministers Besides which he afterward 1. Helps them in his work 2. And procureth them liberty and often furtherance from Christian Magistrates 3. And giveth them success Proposition 5. The faithful Pastors of the Reformed Churches are these ordinary Ministers of Christ approved by him and given in great mercy to his people who are bound to know honour and obey them in the Lord. I exclude not all others but I now prove that these are true Ministers Argument 1. They that have all that is essential to true Ministers are true Ministers But such are these Pastors of the Reformed Churches as I prove thus If the Office it self be of Gods Institution and their Qualifications competent and their entrance right in every point of flat Necessity then they have all that is essential to true Ministers But the former is true as I shall prove in the three several parts 1. That the Office it self is of Gods appointment is proved fully before and confessed by all Christians that ever I knew Acts 14. 23. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. 1 Thes. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 7 17 24. Acts 20. 28. 2. For Qualifications they have 1. competent Knowledge 2. and Vtterance 3. and Godliness and these are the Qualifications that God accepteth 1 Cor. 12. 8. 1 Tim. 2. 15. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Mark the Canons of the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 2. 2. They must be 1. Faithful men 2. Able to teach others But such are those in question 1 Tim. 3. A Bishop must be blameless that is not scandalous the husband of one Wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous one that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity To which is added Tit. 1. 8 9. A lover of good men sober just holy temperate holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Let all here note 1. That here is not only the mention of the Vertues necessary to the Being but to the well-being also of a Minister 2. And yet through the great mercy of God all these are the qualifications of multitudes of the Pastors of the Reformed Churches as malice it self must be forced to confess But if any deny it of any particular men as that is nothing to the rest so an unproved accusation is not by honest men to be believed The world knows that the Act for rejecting scandalous insufficient negligent Ministers is very strict and Commissioners in each County forward to execute it and Ministers have enemies enough to search out their faults and yet none are more forward than Ministers themselves to have the Act put in execution so that their standing justifies them before the world Or if any will yet deny them the necessary Qualifications I here challenge and provoke them to accuse all that are guilty and cast them out or else to confess themselves meer slanderers and back-biters and learn more truth and modesty hereafter 3. And for the third point their entrance into the Office They have all that God hath made necessary to a just entrance as I prove They that have a true Ordination and the Peoples consent and the Magistrates allowance have all that God hath made necessary to a just entrance and more than all But the said Pastors of the Reformed Churches have true Ordination and the Peoples consent and the Magistrates allowance That they have true Ordination I shall shew anone in answering all that can be said against it The Peoples consent by Electing or Accepting is known by the fact and so is the Magistrates by Law and fact I put in all this though more than necessary that all Objections may be satisfied at once So that the Enumerations being unquestionable the Conclusion is so to In short All those are true Ministers that are in an Office of Gods own Institution and are competently fitted for that Office by Knowledge Godliness and Vtterance and have all and more than all that God hath made necessary to a right entrance or admission even true Ordination consent of the Flock and the Magistrates allowance But such are the said Pastors of the Reformed Churches therefore they are true Ministers of Christ. Argument 2. Those that have not only the Essentials but excel all other Ministers on Earth that are known to the world are certainly the true Ministers of Christ. But such are the Ministers before-mentioned of the Reformed Churches Ergo. This will be proved at once with the next which is Argument 3. Either these Pastors of the Reformed Churches are the true Ministers of Christ or else there are none such visible in the world But there are such visibly and certainly in the world as was proved else there is no Church no Ordinances no Christianity no Christ For he can be no King without Subjects and Laws no Master without a School and Scholars no Physitian without Patients no Husband without his Spouse no Head without a Body no Intercessor without a Church to intercede for And to believe the holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints is part of our Belief and therefore the Christian Faith is gone if these be gone And that either we or None are Christs true Ministers I prove thus 1. We challenge the Adversary to name us the true Church and Ministry if these be none of them where be they and who are they speak out or give up your wicked Cause If you know not who they be or where then how know you that there are any such True Ministers are like a light that shineth to all the house even the lights of the world and like a City on a Hill that cannot be hid Mat. 5. 14 15 16. 2. But let us try the particulars 1. The Seekers have no Church or Ministry 2. The Quakers have no Ordination that we know of and are every way so unworthy and had no being in the world till a few years ago that he is either no Christian or of a crazed brain that thinks Christ hath no Church or Ministry but them 3. The Anabaptists Socinians Swenlfeldians Familists Paracelsians Weigelians and such like have no more to shew for their Ministry and Churches than we but their Errours and are so few and so lately sprung up that of them also I may say that he that takes them for the only Church or Ministers is either out of the Faith or much out of his wits 4. The Eastern and Southern Churches have no more to shew for their Ministry and Churches than we but are incomparably more ignorant and erroneous few of them doing more
must passe as undenyed truth And thus false History is made the chief foundation of the Roman Kingdom Thus they will face you down that you are ignorant or impudent 1. If you question whether Peter was a true Bishop at Rome yea or ever there which Nilus hath shewed to be somewhat uncertain 2. Or that he setled the Roman Bishop as his successour in a supremacy over all the Christian world 3. Or that the Popes Primacie was over all the Churches on earth which indeed was but as Canterburie is in England in one Roman Empire only 4. They will perswade you that this Primacie was setled by Christ or his Apostles which was done only by Councils and Emperours of Rome 5. They would make you believe that this was from the Apostles daies which began long after 6. They would perswade you that all the Christian world submitted to it even Abassia and all the extra-imperial Churches which is no such matter 7. Yea that before Luther none contradicted the Papal power and claime but all the Christian world were Papists By many such lies they deceive thousands of the ignorant And when they challenge men to dispute by word or writing their last refuge is to bring them into a wood of History that there they may either win the game or end the chase And if a Minister of Christ be not armed here to confute their historical forgeries they will take it for a victory and triumph which made me write my last book against Johnson or Terret to shew Historically the Antiquity of our Church and the novelty of theirs which I could wish young Ministers unacquainted with Church-History would peruse But if our people were truely acquainted how things have gone in the Church from the beginning it would be one of the most effectual preservatives against Popery when now the falsifications are become its strength I have oft thought that it had been greater policy in the Papists if they could to have burnt all Church-History but specially of the Councils that the credit might have depended on their bare word For verily once reading of Crab Binnius Surius or Nicolinus would turn against them any stomack that is not confirmed in their own disease But they have overdone Baronius and now made so great and costly a load of the Councils as that the deficiency of money time wit and patient industry shall save the most even of the Priesthood from the understanding of the truth And such Epitomes as Caranza's leave out most of the culpable part and yet even such they can hardly tolerate II. The more moderate French Papists who magnifie Councils aboue Popes would make us believe that though Popes are fallible and may miscarry yet General Councils have been the universal Church-representative which have a Legislative and Iudicial Vniversal power and that our concord must be by centring in their decrees and all are Schismaticks at least that take not their Faith and Religion upon their trust But if men knew that there never was a General Council of all the Christian Churches but only of the Empire and how wofully they have miscarried it would do much to save them from all such temptations III. The overvaluers of Church grandure and wealth and maintainers of the corrupt sort of Diocesane Prelacy Patriarks c. write books and tell the ignorant confident stories how such a Prelacy hath been in the Church ever since the dayes of the Apostles and that all the Churches on earth consented to it But if the people were acquainted with Church History they would know that the primitive fixed Episcopacy was Parochial or every Church associated for personal present Communion had a Bishop Presbytery and Deacons of their own unfixed Itinerant General Pastors indefinitely taking care of many Churches And that it was the Bishops striving who should be greatest and turning single Churches into an Association of many Churches and to be but Chappels or parts of the Diocesan Church that their power and wealth might be enlarged with their Territories and the turning of Arbitrating Bishops into the Common Indicatures which must govern all Christians and such like which poysoned the Church and turned the species of particular Churches Episcopacy Presbytery and Discipline quite into another thing And to speak freely it was the many blind volumes and confident clamours of some men that rail at us as denying an Episcopacy which the universal Church hath always agreed in which drew me to write this abridgement of the Church History of Bishops Councils and Popes IV. And those that make the Ignorant believe that seditious disobedient Presbyters have in all Ages been the dividers of the Church and the Bishops the means of Vnity concord and suppression of such Schismaticks and Hereticks could never thus deceive the people were but so much Church-History commonly known as I have here collected Read Church-History and believe that if you can V. And many that take up any new opinion or dotage which is but newly broached among them would have been saved from it if they â—aâ— but known how that same opinion or the like was long ago taken up by Hereticks and exploded by the faitbful Pastors and people of the Church VI. And the sectaries who rashly seperate from some Churches because of some forms opinions or ceremonies which almost all Christians on earth have used in the former purer ages and still use would be more cautelous and fearful in examining their grounds and would hardly venture to seperate from any Church for that which on the same reason would move them to separate from almost all Christians in the whole world if not Vnchurch the Church of Christ And ancient errours and crimes would affright us from imitating them VII And those that make new ambiguous words or unnecessary practices to become necessary to Church Communion and hereticate all that differ from them or persecute them at least would be more frightened from such pernicious courses if they well knew what have been the effects of them heretofore VIII And it is not unuseful to Princes and Magistrates to see what hath corrupted and disturbed the Churches in fâ—rmer times and what cause they have to keep the secular power from the Clergies hands and to value those that for knowledge and piety are meet for their proper guiding office and use of the Church Keys but not to corrupt them by excess of worldly wealth and power nor to permit them by striving who shall seem GREATEST WISEST and BEST to become the incendiaries of the Church and world and the persecutors of the best that cannot serve their worldliness and pride The Reader must Note 1. That though much of the History be taken from others the Councils are named and numbred according to Binnius and Crabbe 2. And that because so much evil is necessarily recited I thought it needful in the beginning and end to annex a defence of the Pastors and their office and work lest any should be tempted
and here also had too much success X. And it must be remembred that God hath made use of many proud and turbulent men to propogate and defend the truth of the Gospel And their Gifts have served for the good of the sincere As the husk or chaff and straw is useful to the Corn so many worldly Prelates and Priests have been learned Expositors and useful Preachers and taught others the way to life which they would not go in themselves Besides that their very Papal power and grandure which hath corrupted the Church hath yet been a check to some that would have assaulted it by force and as a hedge of thornes about it Worldly interest engageth Pope Patriarchs and Prelates to stand up for the Christian Religion because they gain by it as Leo the 10th is said to have odiously confessed § 42. And the old Fathers till Constantines time did most of them think that the last thousand years would be a time of fuller glory to the Church as many yet think though I confess my self unskilful in the Prophesies But I make no doubt but though this earth be so far deâ—erted by God the Glorious Kingdom which we shall shortly see with the new Heaven and Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness will fully confute all our present temptations to think hardly of God or the Redeemer because of the present corruptions and dissentions of this lower world § 43. We may conjecture at former times by our own We see now that among the most Reformed Churches too often the most worldly part are uppermost and perhaps are the persecuters of the rest and though they may be the smaller part it 's they that make the noise are the noted part that carry the name and that Histories write of A few men got into places of power seem to be all the Church or Nation by the prevalency of their actions which few dare contradict They may give Laws They may have the power of Press and Pulpit so that nothing shall be published but what they will They may call themselves the Church and call all that obey them not Schismaticks and Sectaries and strangers may believe therefore that it is but some few inconsiderable fellows that are against them when yet the far greatest part may utterly dissent and abhor their pride I have lived to see such an Assembly of Ministers where three or four leading men were so prevalent as to form a Confession of Faith in the name of the whole party which had that in it which particular members did disown And when about a controverted Article One man hath charged me deeply for questioning the words of the Church others that were at the forming of that Article have laid it all on that same man as by his impetuousness putting in that Article the rest being loth to strive much against him and so it was he himself that was the Church whose authority he so much urged at least the effectual signifying part We cannot judge what is commonest by what is uppermost or in greatest power In divers Parishes now where the Minister is conformable perhaps ten parts of the people do dislike it and sometimes you may see but three or four persons with him at the Common-prayers And yet all know that Dissenters are talkt of as a few singular Fanaticks I compare not the Causes but conclude that so also for the Numbers humble Godly persons might be very numerous though only the actions of worldly Prelates do take up most of the History of the Church Yea I believe that among the Papists themselves five to one of the people were they free from danger would declare their dislike of a great part of the actions and Doctrines of their Prelates and that the greatest part that are named Papists are not such throughly and at the heart When the Rulers Scribes and Pharisees were against Christ and persecuted him and the truth the common people so much adhered to him that the persecutors durst not seize on him openly by force but were fain to use a Traytor to apprehend him in the night and in a solitary place lest they should be stoned by the people who said Never man spake as this man speaketh § 44. Let us not therefore turn Church-History into a temptation nor think basely of the Church or Christianity or Christ because of Papal and Prelatical pride and tyranny God can make use of a surly porter to keep his doors yea a mastiff-dog may be a keeper of the house and his Corn hath grown in every Age not only with straw and chaffe but with some tares And yet he hath gathered and will gather all his chosen § 45. Nor is the Ministry it self to be therefore dishonoured For as at this day while a few turbulent Prelates persecute good men and much of the Ministry is in too many Countries lamentably corrupted yet is Religion piety and honesty kept up by the Ministry and never was well kept up without it For the Faithful Ministers labour still and their very sufferings further the Gospel and what they may not do publickly they do privately Yea their very Writings shew that still there are such as God doth qualifie to do his work even among the Papists he that readeth the pious Writings of such men as Gerson and Gerhardus Zutphaniensis and Thaulerus Thomas a Kempis Ferus and many such others will see that Gods spirit was still illuminating and sanctifying souls And he that readeth such Lives as Philip Nerius persecuted by the Bishop as an ambitious Hypocrite for setting up more serious Exercises of Religion than had been ordinarily used among the Formalists to say nothing of such privater men as M. de Renâ—y and many others will see that it is not all Church-tyranny and corruption though very heinous that will prove that Christ hath not a Holy Generation whom he will save § 46. Yea among the very corrupted sort of the Clergy many that are overcome with temptations in that point and take usurpation and tyranny and worldly pomp and violence for Order Government and the interest of the Church have yet much good in other respects Even among the Cardinals there have been such men as Nerius's companion Bellarmine and others that would Preach and practise the common Doctrines of serious piety Yea among the Jesuits there have been divers that have Preacht Written and lived very strictly much more among their Fryars and such Bishops as Sales And though their times and corruptions blemished their piety I dare not think they nullified it § 47. And it sheweth the excellency of the Sacred Office 1. That Christ did first make it as the noble Organical part of his Church to form the rest 2. That he endued the first Officers with the most noble and excellent gifts of his spirit 3. That he founded and built his Church by them at first 4. Yea that he himself preached the Gospel and is called The Minister of the Circumcision the chief
Cure or ever was And if God will in a Second Volume shall prove the sinfulness and novelty of that sort of Prelacy and answer the chief that have defended it CHAP. II. Of Heresies and of the first Councils § 1. THe Apostle Iames saith ch 5. 19 20. Brethren if any one of you do erre from the truth and one convert him Let him know that he that converteth a sinner from the errour of his way doth savea soul from death and hide a multitude of sins By which it is implyed that Errour tendeth unto Death But what Errour is it Is it all Who then can be saved It is of great use to know what Errours are mortal and what not § 2. There are errours that are no sins and errours that are sins Those which are not voluntary either in themselves or in their antecedent causes are no sins Those which are not voluntary either by the act or by the omission of the will are no sins Those which are unavoidable through a necessity which is not moral but natural are no sin As if Infants Idiots Mad-men erre in matters of which they are uncapable Or if any erre for want of any revelation of the truth As if the Papists did rightly charge those with errours whom they burnt for denying Transubstantiation yet it could be no sinful errour because it is necessary and unavoidable For the first discerning principle is sense And if we are deceived while we judge that to be Bread and Wine which all the sound senses of all men in the World perceive as such we have no remedy For whether sense be fallible or infallible it is certain that we have no other faculties and organs to perceive immediately sensible things by I can see by nothing but my eyes nor hear any other way than by my ears If they say that we must believe that all mens senses are deceived when God telleth us so I answer If we do not presuppose that by sense we must perceive things sensible it is in vain to talk of Gods telling us any thing or of any of his Revelations or faith therein For I know not but by sense that there is a Bible or a Man or a Voice or Word to be believed And as humanity is presupposed to Christianity so is sense and reason to faith and the objects accordingly And to say that all mens sound senses about their due placed objects are fallible is but to say that no certainty can be had § 3. Of those errours that are sins it is not all that are effectively mortal or damning sins Else no man could be saved There is no man that hath not a multitude of errours that hath any actual use of reason § 4. Errours are of three sorts 1. Errours of Iudgment to say nothing of sense and imagination 2. Of Will 3. Of Life or practice The Iudgment is to Guide the Will and the Will is to command our practice Therefore those errours are least dangerous that least corrupt the Will and practice and those most dangerous that most corrupt them But every errour contrary to any useful truth is bad as it is a corruption of the judgment tending to corrupt the will and practice § 5. 1. No errour is effectively damning which turneth not the Heart or Will in a predominant degree from the Love of God to the Love of the Creature from the Love of Heaven and Holiness to the prevalent Love of Earth and sinful pleasure riches or honour therein from things Spiritual to things Carnal For God hath prepared unconceivable glory for them that Love him The Kingdom of God consisteth not in meats and drinks but in righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost And he that in these things serveth Christ doth please God and is acceptable to good men Rom. 14. 17 18. § 6. 2. I think no errour is effectively damning which a man doth sincerely desire to be delivered from at any rate and when he that hath it doth faithfully endeavour to come to the knowledge of the truth in the use of such means as God vouchsafeth him He that searcheth the Scripture with a Love to truth and sincerely prayeth for Gods illumination and sincerely practiceth what he already knoweth and is willing to hear what any man can say to his Further information God will hide nothing necessary to his salvation from such a man For this is a work of such dispositive Grace as shall not be received in vain § 7. Obj. But may not one that believeth not in God or Christ or the Life to come say all this that he desireth and endeavoureth to know the truth Ans. 1. These things are so Great so Evident and so Necessary that they cannot be unknown to one that hath the Gospel who hath the foresaid sincere desires and endeavours And as for them that have not the Gospel I have spoken to their case before 2. God that giveth so much grace doth thereby signifie his willingness to give more § 8. Obj. This intimateh that Grace is given according to Merits Ans. 1. Not the first Grace But to him that hath and improveth it shall be given and from him that hath not such improvement shall be taken away even that which he hath 2. No Grace or Glory is given according to Merits in point of Commutative Justice as quid pro quo as if it did profit God But to him that asketh it shall be given We must have a Beggers Merit Begging and thankful accepting And yet that also is of antecedent Grace § 9. On the contrary 1. All errour is damning which excludeth the life of faith hope love and sincere obedience For these are of necessity to salvation without holiness none shall see God Heb. 12. 14. The wisdom from above is first pure and then peaceable and must be shewn out of a good conversation by works with meekness of wisdom Iam. 3. 13 17. He that Loveth not God Heaven and Holiness with a predominant Love ' doth damnably erre § 10. Secondly Therefore all errour of judgment which effectively excludeth the belief of any of the Essentials of Godliness or of Christianity where the Gospel is is damning errour Because a Mans Will and Life can be no better than his belief or judgment is No man can love that God that he believeth not to be amiable nor obey him whom he believeth not to be his Governour nor seeks for a happiness which he believeth not And it is in the face of Christ a Redeemer and Saviour of lost Sinners that Gods amiableness suitably appeareth unto man And it is by his Word and holy Spirit that Christ reneweth Souls § 11. And an ungodly carnal worldly man though he be a learned Preacher of the Truth is damnably erroneous and hath really the sum of manifold Heresies 1. He erreth about the greatest and most necessary things He taketh God to be less amiable than the Creature and Heaven than Earth and Holiness than the Pleasure of
Church and so baptize not into the Church therefore such must be rebaptized Cyprian and many very Godly Bishops consented in this errour § 31. XI To try this business further Cyprian gathered another Council of above 70 Bishops out of Aâ—rick and Numidia and all were desired to declare what was the Tradition of their Fathers And they all agreed that according to Scripture and Tradition the Baptism of Hereticks was a Nullity and it was no rebaptization to baptize such as they baptized see here what strength is in the Papists argument of Tradition in such cases But this Council and their Doctrine Pope Stephen condemned But they never the more altered their judgments not believing his Infallibity or power to judge between them in such matters of Faith In this Council is set down every Bishops Reason of his Judgment § 32. XII When Pope Stephen had condemned these Bishops Cyprian calleth yet a greater Council of 87 Bishops who confirmed the same Doctrine and rejected the Popes opinion and his arrogancies that would make himself to be a Bishop of Bishops and by tyrannical terrour and abuse of Excommunication force others to his opinion And with the Africans in this judgment joyned Firmilian with 70 Asian Bishops and saith Binnius Dionysius Alexandrinus also § 33. But I must here tell the Reader that I mention not these instances to breed ill thoughts in him of these African and Numidian Bishops For as far as I can discern by their Writings and by History they were the Godliest Faithful Peaceable company of Bishops that were found in any part of the World since the Apostles times Cyprian's style and the testimony of all just History which concerneth him as well as his Martyrdome declare him to be a Saint indeed Nazianzen declareth the strange occasion of his Conversion viz. That he loved or lusted after a Christian Virgin and when he could not obtain his will being given to Magick he agreed with the Devil to procure his desire but when he saw that the Devil confest himself unable to do it and so that he was too weak for Christ he forsook the Devil and turned Christian The Papists Binnius Baronius c. conjecture that Cyprian before his death reformed this Errour but their conjecture meerly tells us what they wish without any reason but that he dyed a Martyr and his Successours honoured him As if none might so die and be honoured that had any errour which no man living is without 2. And this may be said to excuse their errour 1. That the strictest men oftner erre on the stricter side against sin than the complying Carnal Clergy 2. That they thought it the safer way to baptize such again on the same reason as we do in case of uncertain baptisme with a si non baptizatus es baptizo te not knowing why there should be any danger in the mistake Much like as in England now the Bishops are for the re-Ordaining of all such as were Ordained by others that were not Diocesanes and yet do not call it re-Ordaining 3. That in those times of Heathenisme and persecution the Christians had no way to maintain their strength but by the Churches Concord nor could they otherwise have kept up so strict a discipline as they did having no forcing power of Christianâ—Magistrates Therefore they were necessitated to be severe with dividers 4. And the ambiguity of the word Heresie was not the least occasion of their errour The Nicene Council afterward rebaptized such as those Hereticks Baptized who corrupted the substance of baptisme it self but not others And Christians at first had more wit and charity than to call every errour a Heresie else there had been none but Hereticks such as denyed some essential point of faith or practice and drew a party to maintain it were called Hereticks in the former times but afterward every Schism or Party that gathered by themselves and set up altare contra altare upon the smallest difference was called a Heresie And so the same name applyed to another thing deceived them The Bishops were men of eminent piety and worth § 34. XIII Anno 263. They say there was a Council at Rome to clear Dionysius Alexand. of the imputation of Heresie occasioned by some doubtful words which he wrote against Sabellius § 35. XIV Anno 266. They say there was another at Antioch against their Bishop Paulus Samosatenus a gross Heretick But he renounced his errour in words and for that time kept his place § 36. XV. Paulus returning to his Heresie and a bad life Anno 272. another Council at Antioâ—h deposed him but he would not go out of the Bishops house and the Emperour Aurelian a Heathen put him out § 37. XVI Anno 303. The next Council was at Cirta in Numidia Secundus Tigisitanus being chief and calling them Here Secundus accused the Bishops one by one as Traditors delivering the sacred books to be burnt in persecution to save themselves which was then judged perfidiousness The Bishops partly excused partly confessed it and asked pardon Till at last Secundus ready to judge them accused a Bishop Purpurius of murdering his own Sisters Sons who told him that he should not think to terrifie him as he had done the rest He had killed and would kill those that make against him and asked him whether he had not been a Traditor himself and beginning to evince it bid him not provoke him to tell the rest Whereupon Secundus his Nephew told his Unkle You see that he is ready to depart and make a Schism and not he only but all the rest and you hear what they say against you And then they will joyn and pass sentence on you and so you will remain the only Heretick Hereticating went then by the Vote Secuâ—dus was nonplust and askt two others what it was best to do And they agreed to leave them all to God and so the Bishops kept their places Augustin cont Crescon l. 3. c. 26 27. § 38. XVII Next they deliver us Consilium Sinuessanum whether true or forged is too hard a controversie It was of three hundred Bishops how big were their Diocesses think you above our Parishes who all came secretly together to a Town now unknown and met in a Gave that would hold but 50 at a time for fear of persecution The business was to Convict Pope Mareâ—llinus of Idolatry for offering sacrifice to Hercules Iupiter and Saturn which he confessed § 39. XVIII Anno 305. Was held a Council of 19 Bishops at Illiberis in Spain where many good things were agreed on But not only to the Idolatâ—oâ— Lâ—psed but to other heinous crimes they denyed Communion to the death notwithstanding repentance And that these Bâ—shops should be Orthodox and yet the Novatians Hereticks it is not easiâ— to give a reason of Their distinction of Penance Sacrament and Communion will not well perform it Therefore Melch. Canus chargeth them with Errour lib. 5. c. 4. and Bellaâ—mine much
was not as the Papists say because Christ prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail but because the Emperours of the West were Orthodox while those in the East were Arians And the Bishops much followed the Emperours Will. That this last was the Cause is notorious in the History That Christs foresaid promise was not the Cause is certain Because whatever promise Christ maketh he fulfilleth But he hath not kept all the Bishops of Rome from failing in their Faith Therefore he never promised so to do The minor is certain by History To pass by Marcellinus and Liberius and Honorius falls which were but like Peters all those wicked men whom Councils deposed as Infidels or Hereticks Simoniacks Murderers Adulterers one as a Devil Incarnate and all those that Baronius and Genebrard stigmatize as Apostatical and not Apostolical 50 together had not this promise fulfilled Nor Sixtus Quintus if Bellarmine judged truly that he was damned For it was not a dead faith but a saving faith which Christ promised Peter should not fail such a saith as had the promise of life He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Whoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life a faith that worketh by love Else Peter might have been a wicked man and damned notwithstanding this Prayer of Christ and Promise If the faith of Constantine senior junior Constans Valentinian Theodosius Honorius Gratian c. had failed the General Councils at Milan and Ariminum tell us how failing the Bishops faith was like to be when Ierome said that the whole world groaned to find it self turned Arian § 2. The blind zeal of Valens made him restless in Persecuting the Orthodox in the East At Antioch he vexed those that would not Communicate with Euzoius the allowed Arian Bishop At Cyzicum Eunomius was put in Eleusius place but his followers built them a separate Church without the Walls Socrat. lib. 4. c. 6 7. He Persecuted the Novatians and exiled Agelius their Bishop at Const. He banished Eustathius Antioch and Evagrius chosen by the Orthodox Bishop of Const. against Demophilus the Arian Fourscore Bishops â—ent to crave Justice of him were put to Sea in a Ship there set on fire and were both burnt and drowned together Socr. l. 4. c. 13. In all the East he deposed abused murdered many that would not for sake the Nicene Creed He set his Officers to suppress their Conventicles At Alexandria he imprisoned Peter that succeeded Athanasius and banished his Presbyters and set up Lucius an Arian Bishop He persecuted the Monks of the Wilderness of Egypt Nitria and Scitis and destroyed their Houses Banished Macarius of Egypt and Macarius of Alexandria their Leaders He persecuted Basil at Caesarea He went in person at Antioch to disturb and scatter the Conventicles of the Orthodox And when he had banished one of their Bishops Meletius enduring Paulinus the Presbyters kept the Meeting when he drove them away a Deacon kept it up At last Themistius a Philosopher made an Oration before him bidding him not marvel that the Christians had such differences for they were nothing to those of the Philosophers who were of three hundred different Opinions and that God would be honoured even under diversity of Opinions This somewhat asswaged him and shortly after in the 50th year of his age he was slain § 3. Gratian and Valentinian junior coming to the Empire Liberty of Conscience and Restoration was given to all Sects except the Eunomians Photinians and Manichees Socrat. l. 5. c. 2. He took Theodosius into the Empire with him And so the Orthodox Party got up again and the Arians after this went every where down save among the Goths § 4. LXXI Theodosius called a General Council at Constantinople where the chief things done were 1. the setting up of Gregory Nazianzene as Bishop 2. The condemning of the Macedonians 3. The giving of the second Patriarchate to Constantinople because it was the Imperial Seat putting under him the Diocesses of Pontuâ— Heraclea and Asia 4. The putting down of Nazianzene again and putting Nectarius in his stead 5. The setling Flavianus at Antioch § 5. Some would perswade us that it was two Councils and not one that did these things But the question is but de nomine In the beginning they dispatch'd part of their work and before they departed Meletius the Bishop of Antioch dying the Bishops returned to Council and more Egyptian Bishops came and did the rest § 6. The Case of Gregory Naz. was thus A Council at Antioch in the reign of Arianisme sent him with three more able speakers to go visit the Churches and draw them from Arianisme He came to Constantinople and an Arian being in possession he got into a little empty Church and there so long Preached till he had recovered much of the City from Arianisme Hereupon Peter Bishop of Alexandria signified by Letters that he would have him be Bishop of Constantinople against the Arian Bishop The Orthodox Party chose him One Maximus that of a Philosopher turned Christian and insinuated into Gregories familiarity by money first and threats after gets Peter of Alexander and the Egyptian Bishops to make him Bishop of Constant supposing Gregory not yet lawfully settled Meletius Antioch being at Const. Ordaineth Gregory Bishop The Council when Convened Confirm him and cast out Maximus that never had possession Theodosius owneth Gregory and putteth out the Arian Bishop and possesseth him of the Great Church The Antiochian Controversie falling in at the death of Meletius Gregory was against Flavian The Egyptian Bishops being for him set against Gregory and resolved to cast him out and choose another He seeing their resolution and offended at their furious carriage in the Council resigneth to the Emperour and departeth some make it as if his resignation was unconstrained but his own words shew that he did it but to prevent the deposition which they resolved on Else he durst not have deserted his Flock that lamented his departure In his place they chose Nectarius a Pretor that was no Christian in foro Ecclesiae as being not yet baptized and so was indeed uncapable and the choice null But the man was honest And Nicephorus saith that they put down his name in a Paper with others leaving it to the Emperour to chuse one of them and that he chose Nectarius § 7. The description of this Council and the good Bishops of his time by Gregory Naz. in his Poems and his Orations is very doleful How implacably factious and contentious they were how fierce and violent leaping and carrying themselves in the Council like mad-men He describeth the People as contentious but yet endued with the love of God though their zeal wanted knowledg Page 528. Orat. 32. The Courtiers he saith whether true to the Emperour he knew not but for the most part perfidious to God And the Bishops as sitting on adverse thrones and feeding adverse opposite Flocks drawn by them into factions like
Canon galleth the Pontificians If Presbyters Deacons or other inferiour Clergy shall in their Causes complain of the Bishops the neighbour Bishops shall hear them and end the business being used by the consent of their Bishops But if they see cause to appeal from them also let them appeal to none but to Africane Councils or to the Primates of their Provinces But if any will appeal to any places beyond the Seas let none in Africk receive them into Communion In this Council was Aurelius Alypiâ—s Augustinus Evodiâ—s and Possidonius and these very great with Pope Innocent one of the best and wisest Popes who excommunicated Theophilus Arcadius and the Empress c. for Chrysostomes cause Yet did this pass then without contradiction Can. 12. of this Council Liturgies were made necessary approved by Councils lest any Heresie should be vended § 56. Câ—lestine and Pelagius being condemned by the Africans especially upon the Accusations of Lazarus and Herotes Bishops said to be holy men Innocent joyned with the Africans but after his death Pope Zosimus having a fair Appeal of Caelestine c. to him absolveth them both and condemneth their Accusers He writeth an Epistle had the cause been good very honest against rash condemning innocent men telling them how greatly they were rejoyced at Rome to find them Orthodox and what false and bad men Lazarus and Herotes were It was Lazarus custome to accuse the Innocent as in many Councils he had done Saint Britius a Bishop of Tours that he got by Blood into the Bishops Seat and was the shadow of a Bishop while a Tyrant had the Image of Empire and then his Patron being slain voluntarily deposed himself The like he saith of Herotes and that neither of them would come personally to Rome but lay in Bed and sâ—nt false Letters of Accusation Therefore he admonisheth the Africans among whom was Augustine to believe such whisperers no more against the innocent But Binnius out of Prosper maketh the accusers holy men and the other wicked Bin. p. 607. § 57. Pelagius sent Zosimus a Confession of his Faith and therein condemning all the late Heresies professeth That he so holdeth free will as yet that we always need the help of God and that they erre who say with the Manichees that a man cannot avoid sin and they that say with Jovinian that a man cannot sin for both deny the freedome of the will But he holdeth that always a man can sin and can forbear sin so as be still holdeth the freedome of the will But subtile Augustine and the rest sent back many harder questions to put to Pelagius and Caelestine for their tryal upon which they after past for Hereticks § 58. CVI. Therefore 217 Bishops in a Council at Carthage having received Zosimus Letters decreed to stand to their former judgment and Innocents against Pelagius and Caelestine till they should confess certain points for Grace drawn up by Paulus Diaconus § 59. CVII Zosimus being dead Boniface and Eulalius strove for the Popedome Both were chosen The Emperour Honorius was sent to for both This Case being too hard for him he referreth it to a Council at Ravenna It proved too hard for them Therefore the Emperour commanded them both to remove from the City and another Bishop to officiate till it was decided by another Council But Eulalius disobeying the Emperours Command and coming into Rome at noon-day occasioned a tumult and the people were neer to fight it out Which the Emperour hearing expelled Eulalius and a Council obeying him confirmed Boniface § 60. Among the Decrees of Boniface one is That no Bishop shall be brought or set before any Iudge Civil or Military either for any Civil or criminal cause So that a Bishop had the priviledge of a bad Physician he might murder and not be hanged For any crime he was to answer but before Bishops who could but Excommunicate and Depose him But another Decree is better against Bishops that fall out and desire to hurt their Brethren But alas to how little effect § 61. CVIII Another Council at Carthage called the sixth and by some the fifth had the famous contention with three Popes Zosimus Boniface and Caelestine successively against Appeals to Rome and the Popes sending Legates into Africa to judge The Popes alledged the Council of Nice for it The African Bishops knew no such Canon They take time for Tryal and send to Constantinople and Alexandria to Atticus and Cyril for their true Copies of the Councils None of them have any such Canon The Fathers write to the Pope to take better heed what he affirmeth for the time to come and to forbear such pride and usurpation alledging that by the Canons all strifes were to be ended by their neighbour Bishops and Councils Here the Papists sweat about these answers and the event Some say as Harding that the Africans continued long some say almost 100 years in Schism And an Epistle under the name of Pope Boniface the second to Eulalius saith the same Others wiser as Binnius see that to lose Augustines authority and have him and all the African Bishops the best of the World against the Papal power would be to heavy a burden for them Therefore they say that the Africans were no Schismaticks that the Canon not found was in the Council of Sardica and that That went for the Council of Nice That the Africans did not deny the Popes power of judging them but only of sending Souldiers and doing it violently by force and such other shifts which the express words of the African Council and Letters plainly confute If any dispute it I appeal to the very words Either another Council or a second Session of the same is called the seventh at Carthage § 62. CIX All this while the Schism continued at Rome and Eulalius partly would not Communicate with the rest each side saying that theirs was the True Bishop and the other an Usurper and Schismatick But Theodosius was for Caelestine In his time another Carthage Council made up their Canons 105. Among which are 6. That no Bishop be called the chief Bishop 33. To deal gentlier with the Donatists 36. To send to them for peace 53. That Bishops latelier ordained may not dare to prefer themselves before those that were Ordained before them 68. For pacifying the Churches of Rome and Alexandria c. § 63. It fell out well for Austin against the Pelagians that by the means of Prosper and Hilary Pope Caelestine was wholly on Austins side and condemned the Pelagians And among his own Decrees one was Nullus invitis detur Episcopus Cleri plebis ordinis Comm. sensus ac desiderium requiratur Many Canons of those times shew that the Bishops Churches were no bigger than that All the Laity could meet to choose or accept the Bishop and have personal Communion § 64. CX An Eastern Council against the Massalians § 65. CXI Next cometh the Nestorian War Pope Caelestine provoked by
Irene will do as the Pope would have her She is as much for Pictures as the Pope himself She calling this Council at Constantinople the old Soldiers bred up under the former Emperors being against Images haeresin medullitus imbiberant saith Binnius p. 396. Would not endure them in Constantinople but routed them At which the Empress being troubled dismissed the Bishops till they had purged the Army of those old Soldiers and then she called the Bishops to Nice and there they knowing their errand before-hand damned themselves and their Brethren that had held the former universal Synod and set up Images again § 55. By the way I appeal from Pride and Ignorance to Christian Sobriety and Reason how the taking down of Images can in the Roman sense be called an Heresie unless it be an Article of Faith that Images must or may be used And can any Man that ever read and believed the Scriptures and the Writings of the first four hundred years believe that having or worshiping of Images or Saints by Images is an Article of Faith or necessary to Salvation The best of them that any Man can plead with Modesty is that they are indifferent or lawful and useful to some Persons The Papists tell us now that they would not compel us to bow toward Images but leave it to our liberty Must it be Heresie and the Christian world cast into distractions about it when yet this Image-worship is Idolatry in the sense of one part of Christians and but indifferent and convenient to the ignorant that have other helps enow in the sense of others O what a Plague hath it been to the world to have a worldly Clergy invade the Churches § 56. At the meeting of this Council we have first the Call and Title in which 1. The Emperor and his Mother are called the Governors of the whole world Orbis Terrarum And yet our Papists as W. Iohnson in his Novelty represt c. would make Men believe that if they find but such a saying of a Council or of the Church it must needs signifie more than the Empire even all the Earth indeed 2. It 's expresly said over and over that this Council was called by the Emperor and by their Decree and Command Tharasius beginneth with telling them the need of Reformation for Images and reporting how they were assaulted at Constantinople when they met there and so removed to Nice c. § 57. Next the Letters of the Empress and her Son are read in which they are before made know what they must do They are told what Paul Const. on his Death-bed said for Images and that Tarasius would not take the Patriarchate till he had promise of a Council to restore them and some hopes of it The Emperor here saith that he called and Congregated the Synod and that ex universo terrarum orbe out of the whole earthly world and yet it was only out of the Roman Empire § 58. When the Bishops business was so well made known by the Woman that called them first three Bishops that had been lately forward speakers against Images in the former General Council under Constantine did humbly confess their sin to the Council and asked forgiveness that is Basil. Ancyrae Theodorus Myron and Theodosius Amorii And first Basil Bishop of Ancyra gave them his Creed in which he professed to believe in the Trinity and to embrace the intercession of the Mother of God and of the heavenly Powers and of all the Saints and with all honour to receive and embrace their holy Reliques firmly believing that he may be made Partaker of their holiness Also that he embraceth the venerable Images which the Oeconomy of our Lord Iesus Christ c. and of the inviolate Virgin our Lady the Mother of God and of the holy Apostles Prophets Martyrs and all Saints and giveth them due honour Rejecting and cursing with all his mind that called the 7th Synod that was gathered by a depraved mind and madness a false Council as alien to all Piety and Religion impiously barking against Ecclesiastical Legislation reproaching venerable Images and commanding them to be taken out of the Churches c. And to shew his zeal and lead others the way he delivereth in nine Curses or Anathemas One against those that demolish Images Another against those that expound the Scripture words against Idols and Gentile Images as against Christians Images Next he execrateth all that embrace not Images so it is now become necessary unto salvation Another Curse is against those that favour them that are against Images c. Was not the Church ill used by her Bishops when they are sure to be cursed by them one year cursing all that be for Images and another cursing all that be not for them Was it such a cursing Clergy to make a cursed Church that Christ ordained And that the Council might not suspect that this Bishop was a Temporizer and changed his Opinion with the Times first he professeth to declare all this With his whole Soul Heart and Mind and next he wisheth That if ever by any means he revolt again from Images he may be alienated from God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Catholick Church And thus he renounceth Repentance cursing himself if ever he repent § 59. Tharasius and his Synod glorifie God for this excellent Confession And next cometh Theodore Bishop of Myros and he doth the like and is joyfully received And next cometh Theodosius Bishop of Amorium and he more dolefully lamenteth that being a sinner and seduced he had blattered out many evils untruly against venerable Images and therefore confessing his fault he condemneth and curseth or detesteth himself resolving hereafter to do the same thing which he had cursed or spoken ill of and to teach it to the world and begging to be received among Christians though unworthy Next he offereth his Libel viz. First I approve receive salute and venerate before all things the intemerate Image of our Lord Iesus Christ our true God and the blessed Mother Virgins who brought him forth without seed whose help protection and intercession I pray for night and day that she may help me a sinner as having that power from him whom she brought into the world Christ our God And I receive and venerate the Images of Saints Apostles Prophets Martyrs Fathers Eremites not as Gods c. And with all my mind I beseech them to intercede with God for me that I may find mercy in the day of judgment On the same account I venerate the Reliques of Saints c. So he proceedeth also to his Curses and first he anathematizeth all that venerate not Images Then he curseth those that reproach them And next that speak evil of them And next he curseth those that do not from their hearts teach Christian People the veneration of holy and honourable Images of all Saints which from the beginning pleased God Qu. 1. Where shall we
not temporal estates under them to take any oath of allegiance or fidelity to any Lay-man The 44. is to invalidate Lay-Ruler's Laws about ecclesiastical matters as Glebes Mortuaries c. the rest I pass by § 196. In this Council besides the Albigenses and Abbot Ioachim Almaricus a learned man was condemned they say he said that All Christians were Christs members and they add how truly is doubtfull suffered by the Iews with him that Christ's body was no more in the sacrament than in another thing That Incense as offered in the Church is Idolatry That every Christian is bound to believe that he is a member of Christ That if Adam had not sinned there should have been no generating in Paradise nor difference of sexes We must take these things on the report of such as Sanders with some other that they charge on him for which when they had killed him with grief they dig'd up his corps and burnt it as they were then burning multitudes of the living § 197. In this Council Stephen Laughton Arch-Bishop of Canterbury was deposed for taking part with the Barons of England against King Iohn whose case was now become the Pope's when he had given him his Kingdom in so much that when the Arch-Bishop confessed and begged absolution his Holiness answered By St. Peter Brother thou shalt not so easily get absolution who hast done so many and so great injuries not only to the K. of England but to the Church of Rome § 198. Let the Reader note that 1. General Councils are the Papists religion 2. That this is one of their greatest approved General Councils 3. That therefore by their Law and Religion they are bound to exterminate all Protestants and that all Princes must be deposed that will not execute it and their dominion given to others that will 4. That all Protestants and others called Hereticks are dead men in Law and want but judgment and execution where their Law is in force 5. That the Henrician heresie is one that is judged such by their Councils 6. That therefore not only all Protestant Kings but all Papists that are for the safety and power of Kings against the Popes pretended power of condemning and deposing them are Hereticks to be exterminated and burnt by many Canons 7. Therefore Kings are beholden to the Protestant reformation disabling the Pope to execute his Laws and Religion for their Crowns and lives 8. That when ever any King or others set up Popery and the power of their Laws and Councils in a Kingdom that is reformed the subjects are presently dead men in Law being to be destroyed as Hereticks though Policy or want of power may hinder the execution 9. Qu. Whether it be lawful for any King or in his authority so to destroy his Kingdom or to make all or the generality of his subjects dead men in Law 10. Whether by these Laws the Pope and his consenting Bishops have not published themselves to be hostes Regum et Regnorum if not humani generis and are not so to be esteemed § 199. Note also that D. Heylin in his Certamen Epistolare against me answereth that it is not Kings but temporal Lords that are mentioned in this Council and that he and Bishop Taylor and Bishop Gunning and Bishop Pearson in their dispute published by Terret or Iohnson and others before them have maintained that these Canons were but proposed by Pope Innocent and not consented to and passed by the Council But to the first It is clear 1. that by Domini Temporales Councils ordinarily mean Emperors and Kings as well as any others 2. That the words of the Council are express eâdem nihilominus lege servatâ circa eos qui non habent Dominâ—s principales And to the 2d I answer 1. The Church of Rome actually taketh this for one of their approved General Councils and will not be beholden to our Bishops for their friendly favour and excuse And therefore it is all one to us whether the Council consented or not 2. Mr. Henry Dodwel in his late considerations how far Papists may be trusted by Princes c. pag. 167 pag. 174 c. hath fully answered all the reasons given by these Bishops as Terret did in part before and hath added abundant proof that these Canons were passed in that Council 1. From the Council at Oxford where Stephen Laughton himself was 2. From Mat Paris who is alledged for the contrary 3 From Gregory 9th's decertals 4 From the case of Iohn Blunt elect Bishop of Canterbury recited by Mat. Paris an 1233. 5. From Otto the Pope's Legate in M. Paris an 1237. and that London Council 6. From the Popes Letter to Otto an 1238 in M. Paris 7. From Honorius the 3d's condemnation of Rich. de Marisco Bishop of Durham 8. From P. Clement the 5th's Bull for King Philip the Fair. 9. From the Council of Tarragon 10. From the Council at Vienna under Clement 4th 11. From the General Council at Lyons under Gregory 10th 12. From the Sabine Council in Spain 13. From a Council at Toledâ— under Benedict 12th 14. And from the Council of Trent 15. From the Common sense of the Case of Abbot Ioachim 16. And of the word Transubstantiation 17. And of annual confession All taken as setled by this Council So that as the Papists will not accept of this Charity of our Bishops in excusing their Religion from this part of guilt so there is little place indeed for an excuse § 200. The Papists themselves though they have many other Councils and instances to prove the Popes Claim and Practice of deposing Princes yet will not let go this as being a famous General Council But when here in England they would excuse their Religion from Rebellion they use to say that this being not an Article of Faith but a Canon of Practice they are not bound to take it as infallible To which the said Mr. Henry Dodwell ibid. pag. 185. hath largely answered to which I refer the Reader adding only that That which must be Believed to be of God is not alway matter of practice yet what must be done as by the wiâ— of God must alwaies be first the matter of faith we must believe that it is God's will before we can obey it as his will The full answer see as aforecited § 201. In the performance of the Laws of this Council multitudes called hereticks were burnt Their St. Dominick preaching to the people to perswade them to take arms under the Sign of the Cross to destroy the Hereticks for to get pardon of their sins so that from first to last many hundred thousand some say two millions but that seemeth too much were killed in France Savoy Germany Italy and other Countreys see Sam. Clerk Martyrol and Arch-Bishop Vsher deâ—success Eccles Thus hath Papal Rome been built and maintained by Blood Rebellion and Confusion under pretence of Church Purity Unity and Government and all by
contrite Confessor have been certainly pardoned without such formalities § 28. In divers following Sessions they prosecute Pope Eugenius and declare the Council at Ferrary to be but a Schismatical Conventicle and they establish these Catholick Verities or Articles of Faith Sess. 33. 1. That a General Council representeth the whole Church and hath its power immediately from Christ and that over the Pope and every other person and that this is a truth of Catholick Faith 2. That such a Council lawfully congregate may not without their own consent be dissolved prorogued or transferred and that this is an Article of Catholick Faith 3. That a pertinacious repugner of these Verities is to be judged a Heretick § 29. Sess. 34. They depose Pope Eugenius as a sentenced notorious obstinate persisting Rebel against the Precepts of the Vniversal Church and a daily violater and contemner of the Canons a notorious perturber of the Peace and Vnity of the Church of God and a notorious scandalizer of the whole Church a notorious Simonist incorrigible perjured person devious from the Faith a pertinacious Heretick with much more sucb § 30. Here I would crave the Readers consideration 1. If this extraordinary Great Council erred in all these matters of fact whether the judgment of a Council be a good proof of the Papists sort of Tradition 2. If they erred in these Articles of Faith whether it weaken not both their Tradition and grounds of their faith and whether such an heretical perjured Popes consent would have made them Infallible 3. Whether their General Councils be not contradictory de â—ide as this and that at Florence and Lateran expresly are 4. Whether a great part of the Church of Rome and their last named Councils be not Hereticks in the judgment of this Council 5. Seeing Pope Eugenius continued when the Council had deposed him as a Simonist and perjured pertinacious Heretick and all their following succession is from him is there not a nulliâ—y in that succession § 31. Sess. 36. They decreed the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary as a point of Faith and yet many of their Doctors take it yet as undetermined and many still are of the contrary mind § 32. After this follow Decrees about Election of a Pope and they make the Duke of Savoy Pope Faelix 5. and so we have two Popes again Onuphrius calls this the thirtieth Schisme He continued Pope above nine years and then resigned to Eugenius for Peace Sess. last They recite the Heresies of Pope Eugenius as against the foresaid Verities § 33. Next is added the Bull of Pope Nicholas the 5. approving the Acts and deeds of the Council at Basil And then are divers Synodical Epistles and Answers specially proving Councils above the Pope and against his Crimes and of the justness of his deposition very large as also against his Conventicle Council and against his Adherents that is most of their Church since with Answers to his Invectives and Monitories to draw men from his obedience In the Appendix are many more Epistles and Orations and a Treatise of the Patriarch of Antioch to prove the Pope above Councils There are many Epistles of the Pope against the Council and of the Emperour to the Council and of many other Princes § 34. The Bohemians Epistles place their main cause upon the four forementioned Articles I. The Sacrament in both kinds II. That the Word of God may be freely publickly and truly preached by those that it belongeth to for they were silenced c. III. That Civil Dominion they mean not all Propriety but Power of the Sword or force over mens Estates and persons which is the Magistrates as a deadly poyson be taken from the Clergy they spake from feeling IV. That publick and great or heynous sins may be extirpated from among the vulgar of the faithful by lawful Powers This was the Religion of the Bohemians and the denying of these was the cause of all their cruel Persecutions and the blood there shed § 35. In confutation of these Demands are adjoyned four Treatises of the four Preachers that spake against them What Cause so great or plain that men cannot talk against with many and confident words I. Ioh. Ragusius acknowledged the regulating sufficiency of the Scripture hath hath an Oration a Treatise against the Sacrament in both kinds II. Aegidius Carberius Decanus Cameracensis hath a Treatise four days Oration against their request for correcting heynous publick sins where much learning and reading is poured out to save sin And in particular it is maintained that the Clergy may not be punished by the Laity some few cases excepted not being therein their Subjects It seems the Bohemians would have had wicked Priests punished And it is specially pleaded that no wickedness of Clergy or Laity will warrant any Nation to separate from their Unity that is Roman Government and to that end the badness of the Church Militant to be endured is described When he cometh to the Popes pardons he denieth that Pardons à culpâ poena are usually the Popes stile whereas I have before cited their express words so speaking often And he honestly maintaineth out of the School-men that God only can give pardon à culpâ save as any Priest as instrumentum animatum may vi clavium dispose the receiver and declare Gods pardon and remit part of the temporal punishment but sometimes the Pope remitteth part of the Church-penances and so it is that Priests are said to forgive sins Mark this against our present Papists that reproach the Protestants for this Doctrine III. Next is Henr. Kalteisen a Dominican Inquisitors Oration against the free preaching of Gods Word by Ministers for this would have undone the Pope and his Clergy The Bohemians whom he confuteth maintained 1. That Gods Word is so perfect that nothing should be added or diminished 2. That the wickedness of Priests is the great cause of the peoples ruine 3. Against Venial sin as against Gods Counsels differing from Laws 4. That every Priest and Deacon is bound to preach Gods Word freely or else sins mortally and after Ordination he should not cease that is when he was forbidden by silencing Bishops or others no not when excommunicated because he must obey God rather than man and that Bishops are bound to preach as well as Presbyters The Answer first noteth that Papa non est nomen Ordinis sed Iurisdictionis that Gods Word is Incarnate inspired written that it is expounded by the same Spirit that inspired it But hath the Pope the same gifts of that Spirit That the Inspired Word is publick or private that the Bishops Decrees in Councils are Gods publick inspired Word see here the Enthusiastical pretence of Episcopal Inspiration is the ground of all the Roman Usurpations and tyrannies and deposition of Princes to them he applieth He that heareth you heareth me whence he gathereth the danger of disobeying that Council and so