only to Creatures under Heaven intend to give it to Creatures in Heaven for they appropriate it elsewhere to God by which they greatly differ from Aquinas and such Papists § 71. Note also that whether well or ill both these adverse Councils curse Pope Honorius as an Heretick see Crab. p. 560 c. § 72. Another Argument which the first 7th Council at Const. useth against Images in Churches is that Christ himself hath chosen and instituted such an Image as he would be represented by and that is the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament and therefore we must not presume to make another as if he had not done it well This sheweth that this General Council and the Church then held that the Bread was not nullified nor become Christ's Essence but was the Image or Representation of his broken Body and so called The Body of Christ as we say of Caesar's Image This is Caesar. But the adverse Council or the Answer raileth at this as an abominable Speech Crab. p. 567. as if the Sacrament might not be called The Image of Christ though de re they seem not at all to differ saith the Constantine Council Imaginem totam electam viz. substantiam panis mandavit apponâ— ne scilicâ—t humanâ effigie figurata idolatria induceretur A Deo tradita Imago Carnis ejus panis scilicet Divinus impletus est Spiritu Sancto cum poculo quoque sanguinis lateris illius vivificantis Haec igitur vera incarnatae dispensatienis Christi Dei nostri Imago sicut praedictum est quam ipse nobis verus naturae vividus Creator propriâ voce tradidit § 73. Note also Crab. p. 568. that the Constantin Council plead That this use of Images began neither by the Tradition of Christ nor of the Apostles nor of the Fathers And that the Answer saith that The Veneration of Images was delivered with many other things without Scripture from the Apostles time c. Here note 1. How those Papists in particular which I have elsewhere answered are confuted who say that Tradition is universal sure known constant and no Churches pleaded Traditions against each other at least in necessary things or Faith but if we have not the right now it must be because the Councils went all to Bed in one mind and rose in another You see here that the 2d Nieene Council took the Doctrine of the former to be Anathematized Heresie and that 338 Bishops in one of the Councils and the most under many Emperors and 350 Bishops in the other Council pleaded Tradition against each other But sure any Man that hath read the Fathers of the first 300 or 400 years will easily see which of them was in the right excepting the sign of the Cross. 2. Note also that it is here confessed that there is no Scriptural Tradition of this use of Images § 74. In the Definitions of the Constantine Council it is to be noted 1. That they are not so much against the intercession of the Virgin Mary or Saints as the Protestants mostly are nor as the Papists make them For Crab. p. 589. they say Defin. 15. If any confess not holy Mary ever a Virgin properly and truly the Parent of God and superior to every Creature visible and invisible and doth not with a sincere Faith crave her Intercessions as having this liberty with him that is born of her God let him be Anathema And Defin. 17. If any confess not that all who from the beginning to this day before the Law and under the Law and in the Grace given of God being Saints are venerable in the presence of God in soul and body and doth not seek their intercessions as having liberty with God to intercede for the world according to Ecclesiastical Tradition let him be Anathema Were not these Men high enough in Creature-worship to escape the Curse of Hereticks 2. I noted before how they do Defin. 7. conclude that Christ's Body glorified is not proper Flesh and yet not incorporeal but his true Body § 75. That you may see that this Council were of one mind in the conclusion they all say Omnes se credimus Omnes idem sapimus Omnes approbando probando volentes subscripsimus c. We all thus believe against Images We are all of one mind We all subscribe willingly as approving c. Only Germanus George and Manzurus supposed to be Damascene are found among the Anathematized Dissenters Crab. p. 592. § 76. The 7th Action of the Nicene Synod containeth their Definition in which they deny indeed Latria to Images but yet say more than before That they that see the Pictures may come to the memory and desire of the Prototypes as by the sight of the Cross and by the holy Gospels and holy Oblations For the honour of the Image resulteth to the Prototype and he that adoreth the Image in it adoreth the described Argument So that they that began lower in the conclusion came up to Adoration They all profess full consent and curse all that bring Scripture against Images and that call them Idols c. They curse the last Council as Rugiens Conciliabulum and three dissenting Bishops and three former Patriarchs of Const. two more Bishops they add They curse all that receive not Images and all that salute them not in the Name of the Lord and his Saints and that care not for unwritten Tradition of the Church Next they write an Epistle to the Empress and her Child applauding them and adding that Denying Latria to them they judge them to be adored and saluted and pronounced every one Anathematized that is so minded as to stick at and doubt of the Adoration of Images and this as empowred by God's Spirit so to curse them which Anathema say they is nothing else but separating them from Christ. Judge now what the use of such Councils was To curse Men and separate them from Christ and that if they do but doubt of adoring Images Reader if thou believe that in these Heretications Separations and Damnations of such they were of Christ's mind and did his work and served not his Enemy against him and his Church I am not of thy mind nor am ever like to be Another Epistle they wrote to the People and one Tharasius sent to Adrian § 77. Some Canons of theirs are added of which this is the third Every Election of a Bishop Priest or Deacon which is made by Magistrates shall remain void by the Canon which saith If any Bishop use the Secular Magistrates to obtain by them a Church let him be deposed and separated and all that communicate with him The 4th Canon is Paul saith I have desired no Mans silver or gold c. If therefore any one exacting money or any other thing or for any affection of his own shall be found to drive from his Ministry or to segregate any one of his Clergy or to shut the venerable Temple forbidding in it
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
Paulus persuadeth the Emperor to publish a Typus requiring all the Bishops to lay by the Controversie and Name of One and of Two Wills and Operations of Christ. But this which was approved in Pope Honorius is cryed down as Heretical in the Emperor Pyrrhus returneth to his Opinion and Paul dying he is again put in his place at Constantinople Binnius no better answereth the Objection that the Emperor's Edict said but what Pope Honorius said than by saying that the time made the difference It was good in Honorius's time and bad after to be quietly silent in such a Case § 16. They say there was a Council in Numidia another at Byzacene at Carthage another of 68 Bishops about the Monothelites § 17. CCI. Another Council was at Toletum uâ—der King Chindascrindus § 18. CCII. The Pope with one of his little Councils at Rome for the foresaid Italian Bishops yet disowned him and obey the Patriarch of Aquileia presumed to condemn Paulus Const. Pyrrhus and the Emperor's Edict Typus Wherefore his Agents at Constantinople were cast out beaten their Altar overthrown c. § 19. Martin is made Bishop at Rome He condemneth the Emperor's Edict of Silence as to Two Wills and Operations or One. The Emperor sendeth for him he is brought Prisoner to Constantinople laid in Irons under several Accusations banished and dyed Here the Pope pretendeth that Truth must not be silenced The Emperor saith Peace must not be broken for needless words Quer. Whether he be a Martyr that suffers for oppugning such Peace § 20. CCIII His Laterane Council An. 642. is very largâ—ly recorded in which the Emperor's Edict with Cyrâ—s Alex Sergius Pyrrbus Pauluâ— Constant. are condemned and two Operations and Wills asserted § 21. CCIV. Passing by a Synod at Orleance An. 653. another Council was held at Toletum against incontinent and ignorant Priests Kings here used to preach to the Bishops by their Letters and Decrees Dukes and Lords here subscribed § 22. Eugenius is Pope and dyeth Vitalianus succeedeth him Constans the Emperor cometh to Rome giveth them gifts and communicateth with them It 's said he kill'd his Brother Theodosius and after was kill'd himself Mezentius usurpeth the Empire Constantine Pogonatus Son to Constans conquereth him and reigneth Pope Vitalianus helpeth him and therefore expecteth his help Rome stood so much between the Eastern Empire and the Western Kings Goths Lombards Franks c. that both sides flattered the Roman Clergy though they oft suffered from both The Empire to keep them from turning to the Goths c. and the Goths to keep them from turning to the Empire And they that had most need of the Popes most advanced them and they that had least need and most dominion kept them under § 23. CCV Another Council at Toletum An. 655. called by K. Recessuinthus not the Pope made divers good Canons for Church-order among which the tenth is that because all the Canons oft made could not keep Bishops and Priests from Lechery they tryed this additional way to decree that all their Children begotten of their Servants Maids c. should be uncapable of inheritance and should live in continual servitude to the Church King Recaredus made a Law that Bishops and Priests Concubines should be whipt with an hundred Stripes and others that they should be sold for Slaves § 24. CCVI. The King of France Clodoveus called his Bishops together at a Village called Clypiacum and made a Sermon to them and they applauded him § 25. CCVII. He called another Synod at Cabilone for Church-order where Can. 10. it was decreed that all Ordination of Bishops should be null that was otherwise made than by the election of the Comprovincials the Clergy and the Citizens A threefold Lock is not easily pickt Let England understand this to be the old Canons and Custom § 26. CCVIII A Concil Emeritense called by King Recessuinthus made more Orders for regulating Bishops and Priests c. § 27. CCIX. A Synod at Rome justified a Bishop of Crete wronged by his Archbishop § 28. CCX Another at Toletum under King Wamban An. 675. sought to reform the Bishops and Clergy § 29. CCXI. An. 675. the same King Wamban had a Synod at Braccara for reforming the Clergy Can. 5. was to correct the Bishops that had turned Piety into Pride and Vanity going to the Solemnities of the Martyrs with Reliques hanged about their necks carried in Chairs by Deacons in white c. O what hath the Pride of Prelates done in the world § 30. Pope Adeodatus and after him Donus reigned at Rome and the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Antioch were Monothelites and Constantine needing the West having lost the East took part with Rome After Donus came Agathy in whose time the Bishop of Ravemia after long rejecting the Bishop of Rome as heretical returned to communion with him Constantine sent to Rome to require the Bishop to keep Missionary Legates at Constantinople and intreated them to lay by Philosophical Controversies and preach the pure Scripture that the Churches at last might have Peace But alas how long was that counsel vain § 31. CCXII. Beda saith an English Council met An. 679. under Theodorus to own the Catholick Faith Bed l. 4. c. 13. § 32. CCXIII. The same year 679. A Council at Milan told the Emperor their opinion for Two Wills and Operations § 33. CCXIV. A Synod at Rome prepared matter for the General Council against the Monothelites This tended to please the separating Bishops of Italy that divided from the Pope for seeming to desert the Calcedon Council by condemning the tria Capitula § 34. CCXV Now cometh the 3d Council of Constantine called the 6th General Council in which 289 Bishops condemned the Monothelites that were for One Will and Operation Constantine Pog. being against them Macarius Patriarch of Antioch was the chief of them who would have consented to name neither One nor Two but when they had done all professed that he would be cast into the Sea before he would say there were in Christ two Wills and Operations thinking that he held to Cyril and the first Ephesian Council against Nestorius George Bishop of Constantinople deserted him and he was deposed and banished to Rome no hard Banishment but for ill company § 35. A long stir there was among them perusing former Writings Macarius and his Party producing many which others said were falsified so little certainty is there oft of Copies The Epistles of Sergius Const. Honor. Rom. are read which I should think peaceable and honest but the General Council damned and cursed them both as Hereticks The Papists say General Councils may err in matter of Fact How much more then in matter of Faith which is more obscure and matter of Fact is much of the matter of our Faith No Man's name had so strange a Fate against Hereticaters as the great Hereticater Cyril's who in this Council in Cyrus artic and many others was fully proved to
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
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
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
Church-History OF THE GOVERNMENT OF BISHOPS AND THEIR COUNCILS ABBREVIATED Including the chief part of the Government of Christian Princes and POPES and a true account of the most troubling Controversies and Heresies till the REFORMATION Written for the use especially of them I. Who are ignorant or misinformed of the state of the Antient Churches II. Who cannot read many and great Volumes III. Who think that the Universal Church must have one Visible Soveraign Personal or Collective Pope or General Councils IV Who would know whether Patriarchs Diocesans and their Councils have been or must be the cure of Heresies and Schismes V. Who would know the truth about the great Heresies which have divided the Christian World especially the Donatists Novatians Arrians Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites c. By RICHARD BAXTER a Hater of false History LONDON Printed by B. Griffin for Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in Ludgate-Street MDCLXXX THE PREFACE THE great usefulness of History needs not many words to prove it seeing natural inclination it self is so much for it and reason and experience tell men that they cannot spare it as to Natural Civil or Religious use God himself hath highly commended it to us by writing the Sacred Scriptures so much Historically yea and making some of it part of the necessary Articles of our Creed Children that yet understand not the Doctrinal part of the Bible do quickly take delight in the Historical part which prepareth them for the rest Ignorant and ungodly persons that have no true sense of Sacred Doctrine can yet understand and with lesse aversness and weariness read the history Melancholy and sad persons who can hardly bear long Doctrinal studies are often eased and recreated with useful History Man is a part of the Vniverse and every man is a part of the world of mankind and therefore thinketh the case of the whole to be much of his concerne And were not narrow selfishnes much of our Pravity we should take the universal and publick good and Gods Love to it and Pleasedness and Glory in it to be much more our end and the object of our desire and delight than any personal felicity of our own It is a Monster of inhumanity in the Doctrine of the Sadducees Spinosa Hobbes and their bruitish followers that they set up Individual self interest as a mans chiefest end and object of rational Love and desire and own no Good but that which Relatively is Good to me that is either my personal life and pleasure as the end or other things as a means thereto Though Grace only savingly cure this base inhumane maladie yet common reason beareth witness against it and only sense and reason captivated by sense do patronize it Put not the question to a reasonable man though wicked what he can do or doth But what in reason he should do and he cannot deny but that he should think of a more excellent person at the Indies that never will do anything for him as more amiable than himself much more many thousands such And as Goodness and Amiableness are all one so that which is best should be loved best And he that would not die to save his Country is worse than sober Heathens were And he that would not rather be annihilated than all or halfe the world should be annihilated is so basely selfish that I should sooner believe that analogical Reason ruleth some bruites than that true Reason determineth this mans choice Spinosa taketh the Knowledge of our Union with Universal nature which he calleth God to be mans perfection and his chief good in comparison of which sensual Pleasure Riches and Honour are but troubles further then they are a meanes hereto And if he had better known God as the Creator and Governour and end of the material Vniverse which he took to be God and had joyned holy Uniteing Joyful Love to the Universe and specially to the Heavenly Society and above them all to God himself unto this Knowledge and extended it to the perpetuity of an Immortal state he had been happily in the right which missing he became a pernicious seducer of himself and others But thus nature and Grace do loudly tell us that each part should be greatly concerned for the whole and therefore every one should desire to know as much of the whole as he is capable and as tendeth to his duty and delight And how small a parcel of Time or Men or Actions are present or in our daies How little knoweth he that knoweth no more than he hath lived to see What Religion can he have who knoweth not the History of Creation Redemption or the giving of the Holy Ghost or the planting and propagating the Church and also what will be when this life is ended But it is not all History that is needful or useful to us There are many things done which we are not concerned to be acquainted with But the History of the Church of the propagation of the Christian faith and what the Doctrine was that was then received and how it was practised promoted and defended and how it was corrupted invaded and persecuted is of so great use to posterity that next to the Scripture and the illumination of Gods Spirit I remember nothing more needful to be known When Philip Nerius set up his Oratorian exercises at Rome as to win the people they found it necessary to use large affectionate extemporate prayers and expositions and Sermâ—â—s so the next thing found necessary was to bestow constantly one exercise in opening Church-History to the people And this did both entice their attentions by delight and also by fitting reports more to the Papal interest than to the truth did greatly bewitch them into a confident beliefe that the Papal sect was all the true Church and all other Christians were but sectaries and branches broken off and withered and therefore to be burned here and hereafter abusing Joh. 15. 5. c. And I have oft thought that the right use of such an Historical exercise in an ordinary congregation would be of great use to the ignorant vulgar and unlearned zealous sort of Christians For I find that for want of the knowledge of Church-History and how things have gone before us in all former times many errours and sins are kept up that else would more easily be forsaken To instance in some few I. As it was the craft of Baronius who performed that exercise in Nerius his Conventicles at Rome to write afterward his Church-History in Latin so voluminously that few but the Clergie byassed by interest would read it and so the Clergy might be the credited reporters of all to the vulgar so to this day the Papist-Priests contrive to be the Masters and reporters of Church-History as well as of unwritten Tradition and to keep the Laity so far ignorant of it that when they tell men confident stories for their advantage few or none may be able to contradict them and so their report
yea this Emperour that made him Great § 125. A book of concord by the Pope and Emperour that Images are neither to be contemptuously broken nor adored Bellarmines words against it He revileth the Popes words that Princes are Governours of the Church § 127 128. Confuted Faith and Love may be without Images § 129. It was the right of the Empire to consent or not to the chosen Pope § 132. Platina wisheth for a Ludovicus to reform the luxurious Clergy then § 133. A Paris Council write an excellent Book They tell of some struck with Thunderbolts Convulsions c. for and as working on the Lords day And say Beati Petri vicem gerimus § 136. The Emperour making his three Sons Kings they Rebel He conquereth Pipin Lotharius rebelleth again Ebbo and a Council of Bishops wickedly depose him absent and unheard and force him to resign his Scepter on the Altar and thrust him into Prison Thus was the best of Princes that most advanced the Clergy used by them on Religious pretense Ludovicus restored the second time Lotharius rebelleth still till pardoned Ludovicus dyeth § 137. The form of his condemnation by the Bishops at large with all the Articles of Accusation and his penance at the Bishops high Court of Iustice. § 139. The Emperour restored by force the Bishops recant and he forgiveth them Ebbo resigning § 140. The Wars between Ludovicus Sons Lotharius justly conquered § 145. The Bishops depose him upon impeachment as they did his Father by his will § 146. Images restored at Constantinople by Theodora a Woman she sped as Irene Photius Patriarch § 148 149. The Bishops suddenly turn again § 150. Strife for the Popedom § 151. Lotharius and his brothers agree § 153. The Archbishop of Rhemes fled and the seat vacant was ten years Governed by two Presbyters § 152. Carolus Calvus alienateth Church-lands § 153. Pope Leo and his City Leonina He writeth Massing Rules and deposeth Priests that cannot read till they amend § 154. Singing Liturgies the occasion of imposed forms § 155. A Council at Mentz punisheth murder even of Priests but with putting them from the communion § 157. CHAP. 10. Councils about Ignatius and Photius with others Hinâ—marus's description of Godescalcus and his Heresie § 1. Canons that Arch-Presbyters examine every Master of a Family personally c. That none denyed Communion have any Office civil or Military § 3. Whether unconstrained sufferers are Martyrs § 4. A hard case about the nullity of Ebbos Ordinations Two Popes differ § 5. Ignatius case § 8. Remigius and eleven more at Valence make notable decrees about Predestination Redemption Perseverance and choice of Bishops § 9. The Clergy and People to choose Bishops § 9 10. Lotharius turneth Monk § 11. No Pope Joan. § 12. Two strive for the Papacy Anastasius against Images repulst § 13 14. Thunderbolts in the Church § 16. John Bishop of Ravenna forced to submit to the Pope § 17. The Schism between Ignatius and Photius § 18. Bishops for the Emperours divorce censured by the Pope despise him § 19. Pope Nicolas against Hincmarus Against the Greek Emperour His notable Epistle He maketh the greater number of Bishops and People no sign of truth nor fewness of errour § 21. Baptism valid by one that is no Priest nor Christian. § 22. None proper Patriarchs but Apostles Successours § 22. All other Churches and Dignities made by Rome and Rome by Christ. § 24. Peter had the Empire of Heaven and Earth Ill. chosen Popes not Apostolical § 25. Many other Papal Vsurpations against Oaths Princes c. § 26 c. People still chuse Bishops § 29. None may hear Mass of a fornicating Priest § 30. Lay men must not judge or search the lives of Priests K. Charles saith none but the Bishops may depose him § 32. Photius setled by Councils § 31 33 35. Divers Councils for K. Lotharius divorce against the Pope § 38 39 40. The Pope curseth them § 41 and curseth his Legates at Const. § 42 and at Metz § 46. Hincmarus and the Pope's Contention § 43 44. Historians say the Papacy was void eight years and others but seven days § 50. Photius and his Counsels despised the Pope His deposition by Basilius a Murderer § 51. Basilius craveth the Popes pardon for the Bishops because they had almost all been deceived or false by following the upper Powers and the Churches would else be left destitute § 52. What nullifying Ordinations hath done § 53 Men wrongfully excommunicated to be received by other Bishops Presbyters to annoint the sick because the Bishops cannot visit all § 56. A Const. Council ejecteth Photius where the Bishops that were for him turn again and condemn him crying peccavimus save some few Subscriptions denyed and why § 57. This eighth General Council decreeth equal honour to Christs Image as to the Gospel Forbiddeth Patriarchs to require Bishops to subscribe to them but only to the Faith and deposeth them that do it § 58 Curseth them that say man hath two Souls All Bishops to be worshipped by Princes and not go far to meet them nor light from their Horses to them nor Petition them on great Penalties § 58. Princes as profane may not be present at Councils nor have been impudent § 58. No Lay man may dispute Ecclesiastical Sanctions be he never so wise or good But a Bishop must not be resisted though manifestly destitute of all virtue of Religion § 59. They decree that Photius be not called a Christian § 60. Bishops above Kings as Heaven above Earth § 61. The Pope but one Patriarch cannot absolve them that many Patriarchs condemn § 62. Nicetas Life of Ignatius in brief § 63. The Pope deposed by a Const. Council The Bishops wrote not Photius condemnation with Ink but with Christs blood and yet restored him and honoured him as the Emperour turned Photius deposeth and re-ordaineth and requireth subscription to him § 63. Votes hereon § 64. The Contention between Rome and Const. for ruling the Bulgarians and the effects § 65. The Pope's Monarchy then unknown § 66 68. The French Bishops against the Pope gave Ludovicus's Kingdom to Charles Calvus § 70. The King Hincmar and Bishops against the Pope § 71 72. Deposing and blinding Hincmaru's Laudunensis The Romans imprison Pope John § 75. His Acts decree for perjury § 76 77. Going to Rome merits the pardon of Murder § 77. Service in the Sclavonian Tongue forbidden them § 78. Auspertus Bishop of Milan refuseth to obey the Pope Sclavonian Service yielded to The Bishop of Vienna rejecteth a Bishop of Geneva Aptandus sent by the Pope because he was never baptized made Clerk nor Learned The Pope tells him that he himself had none of these when he was consecrated Bishop of Vienna § 77. Whether the Right of Emperours was only by the Pope's Guift § 78. Binius resolution One Church had two Bishops § 81. A General Council at Constant. restoreth Photius expungeth filioque condemneth the last
of Christ that hate the Doctrine and Life and Cross of Christ that by pleading for Godliness and Concord may be the effectual Enemies of both and may fight against Christ in his own Livery under his Colours and with his own Arms. Whose God is their Belly who glory in their shame who mind earthly things being Enemies to the Cross of Christ The History of whom you will find in the following part of this Treatise § 40. But here I must above all remember the Reader that he is not for this Corruption of the Clergy and Government of the Church to think that the Church here ceased to be a true Church or that the Ministry was lost or that it became unlawful to hold Communion with any such Churches much less to think hardly of Christianity it self as if it were no better than false Religions because so many of its Pastors were so bad None of God's Counsels were frustrate by mans sin None of his Promises to his Church have failed For all this Christ is the Saviour of the World the Prince of Righteousness and Peace that came to destroy the Works of the Devil and to save his people from their Sins and all that are given him of the Father shall come to him and he will cast none of them out nor shall any take them out of his hands § 41. I. Let it be still remembred that as the Chronicles of Kingdoms mention only the publick Actions of Princes and great Men but name not the poor and private sort so also our Church-History of Councils and publick things say little of godly private Christians but of Patriarchs and great Prelates who yet are themselves but a very small part of the Christian World II. Note also that every Bishop had many Presbyters whose work was not to strive for superiority nor trouble the world in Councils where usually they came not and so had not a quarter of the temptations that the Bishops had And though we find mention sometimes of the Presbyters also that were naught yet the number so reproved and proved bad is not proportionable to the number of Prelates compared among themselves that miscarried in Councils The Presbyters that staid at home and followed their work in private with the Flock and came not on the Stage in publick affairs kept up the substance and practice of Religion III. And the private Christians had yet less temptation and were not so overwhelmed with worldly things nor carryed away by pride and ambition and covetousness as the ruling party were IV. And the Monks and other retired Christians that saw the Prelates sin and sâ—ares though many of them had their failings too yet no doubt kept up much serious piety and a holy life V. And no doubt but very many of the Bishops themselves were humble holy faithful men that grieved for the miscarriages of the rest Though such excellent persons as Gregory Neocesareae Gregory Nazianzen Gregory Nyssen Basil Chrysostome Augustine Hillary Prosper Fulgentius c. were not very common no doubt but there were many that wrote not Books nor came so much into the notice of the world but avoided contentious and factious Stirs that quietly and honestly conducted the Flocks in the ways of piety love and justice And some of them as S. Martin separated from the Councils and Communion of the prevailing turbulent sort of the Prelates to signifie their disowning of their sins VI. And oft times when the Prelates were at the worst God raised up some very Godly Princes that maintained Religion more than the Clergy and were an honour to it when the Bishops dishonoured it VII And it is not to be contemned that much piety was kept up among great numbers of Christians whom for some mistake the rest reviled and condemned as Schismaticks or Hereticks Little know we how many holy souls were among those that are in Epiphanius Catalogue Of the Audians and some others he seemeth to confess as much himself The Novatians were tolerated in almost all the Empire and had their Churches and Bishops having the testimony of the Orthodox that they were usually of sound faith and upright lives and stricter than other Christians were And God pardoneth the infirmity of a small mistake in judgment when men are sincerely addicted to his service Now and then a cruel Prelate did prosecute them but so did not the gentler sort as Atticus Proclus c. at Constantinople c. nor the Emperours themselves save when so instigated VIII And though the Churches in the Roman Empire kept up this grandure of Patriarchs Metropolitans and rich Prelates that after over-topped Kings it was not so in other parts of the Christian world but the Clergy lived more humbly and quietly The Scots under Columbanâ—s and their other Presbyters long lived in great piety without any Bishops And when the Scots Presbyters Finan Aidan c. ordained Bishops in Northumberland they were commonly humble holy men like themselves And both Scots and Britains so much misliked the Romane-grandure and way that when Augustine the Monk came in they would not subject themselves to the Pope or any Foreign Prelates nor so much as eat and drink with the Missionaries And the like we may say of some other Extra-imperial Churches The Spaniards themselves not only while Arian Goths of whom see the testimony of Salvian to the shame of the Orthodox but after Recaredus days for many ages lived in great quietness while Italy France and Germany were employed in Hereticating Cursing Excommunicating or bloudy Wars The great Empire of Aâ—assia as the crediblest History saith never had Bishops to this day but only one called the Aâ—uâ—â— while the whole Clergy are exercised though in too much ignorance in their Priestly Office Brocardus that lived at Ierusalem testifieth that those Eastern Christians called by the Papists Nestorians Iacobites Eutychians were commonly plain honest Religious people free from Heresie and of better lives than even the Religious of the Church of Rome and that there were not worse men at Ierusalem than the Romaâ— Catholicks The Armenians have many Bishops and one chief but live though too ignorantly and superstitiously yet in great austerity of life IX In all ages since Prelacy swelled to the corruption of the Churches and annoyance of the Peace of Kings and Kingdoms there have been still a great number of pious lamenters of the Corruptions of the Church that have groaned and prayed for reformation Insomuch that Dr. Field maintaineth that even in the Church of Rome there have been still considerable numbers of Doctors that owned truth and piety and misliked the Papal usurpations and errours The Waldenses and Albigenses exceeding numerous said they had continued from the Apostles and so from the days of Sylvester or Constantine had dissented from the Roman pride and corruptions And God hath made the Protestant Churches since the Reformation as his Vineyard where truth and piety have prospered though Satan hath been still at work
Churches 3. The Office of Presbyters is changed into semi-Presbyters 4. Discipline is made impossible as it is for one General without inferiour Captains to Rule an Army But of this before § 55. Much more doth this become unlawful 1. when deposing all the Presbyters from Government by the Keyes of Discipline they put the same Keyes even the Power of decâ—etive Excommunication and Absolution into the hands of Laymen called Chancellours and set up Courts liker to the Civil than Ecclesiastical 2. And when they oblige the Magistrate to execute their Decrees by the Sword be they just or unjust and to lay Men in Goals and ruine them meerly because they are Excommunicated by Bishops or Chancellours or Officials or such others and are not reconciled And when they threaten Princes and Magistrates with Excommunication if not Deposition if they do but Communicate with those that the Bishop hath Excommunicated 3. Or when they arrogate the power of the Sword themselves as Socrates saith Cyril did Or without necessity joyn in one person the Office of Priesthood and Magistracy when one is more than they can perform aright § 56. And it becometh much worse by the tyrannical abuse when being unable and unwilling to exercise true Discipline on so many hundred Parishes they have multitudes of Atheists Infidels gross ignorants and wicked livers in Church-Communion yea compel all in the Parishes to Communicate on pain of Imprisonment and ruine and turn their censures cruelly against godly persons that dare not obey them in all their Formalities Ceremonies and Impositions for fear of siâ—â—ing against God And when conniving at ignorant ungodly Priests that do but obey them they silence and ruine the most faithful able Teachers that obey not all their imposing Canons and swear not and subscribe not what they bid them § 57. Undoubtedly Satan hath found it his most successful way to fight against Christ in Christs own name and to set up Ministers as the Ministers of Christ to speak indirectly against the Doctrine Servants and interest of Christ and as Ministers of Light and righteousness and to fight against Church-Government Order Discipline and Unity by the pretences of Church Government Order Discipline and Unity and to cry down Schism to promote Schism and to depress Believers by crying up Faith and Orthodoxness and crying down Heresie and Errour Yea to plead God's Name and Word against himself and to set up Sin by accusing Truth and Duty as Sin § 58. II. That which I take for Lawful Indifferent Episcopacy is such as Hierome saith was introduced for the avoiding of divisions though it was not from the beginning When among many Elders in every single Church one of most wisdom and gravity is made their President yea without whom no Ordinations or great matters shall be done The Churches began this so early and received it so universally and without any considerable dissent or opposition even before Emperours became Christians that I dare not be one that shall set against it or dishonour such Episcopacy § 59. Yea if where â—â—t men are wanting to make Magistrates the King shall make Bishops Magistrates and joyn two Offices together laying no more work on them than will consist with their Ecclesiastick work though this will have inconveniencies I shall not be one that shall dishonour such or disobey them § 60. III. The Episcopacy which I dare not say is not of Gods institution besides that each Pastor is Episcopus Grâ—gis is that which succeedeth the Apostles in the Ordinary part of Church-Government while some Senior Pastors have a supervising care of many Churches as the Visiters had in Scotland and are so far Episcopi Episcoporum and Arch-bishops having no constraining power of the Sword but a power to admonish and instruct the Pastors and to regulate Ordinations Synods and all great and common circumstances that belong to Churches For if Christ set up one Form of Government in which some Pastors had so extensive work and power as Timothy Titus and Evangelists as well as Apostles had we must not change it without proof that Christ himself would have it changed § 61. But if men on this pretence will do as Rome hath done pretend one Apostle to be the Governour of all the rest and that they have now that Authority of that Apostle and will make an Universal Monarch to rule at the Antipodes and over all the World or will set up Patriarchs Primates Metrâ—politans and Arch-bishops with power to tyrannize over their Brethren and cast them out and on pretence of Order and imitating the Civil Government to master Princes or captivate the Churches to their pride and worldly interests this will be the worst and most pernicious tyranny § 62. And as it is not all Episcopacy so it is not all Councils that I design this History to dishonour No doubt but Christ would have his Church to be as far One as their natural political and gracious capacities will allow And to do all his work in as much love peace and concord as they can And to that end both seasonable Councils and Letters and Delegates for Concord and Communication are means which nature it self directeth them to as it doth direct Princes to hold Parliaments and Dyets In the multitude of Councellours there is safety Even frequent converse keepeth up amity In absence slanderers are heard and too oft believed A little familiarity in presence confuteth many false reports of one another which no distant defences would so satisfyingly confute And among many we may hear that which of few we should not hear How good and pleasant is it for Brethren to dwel together in Unity And the Concord of Christians greatly honoureth their holy profession as discord becometh a scandal to the world But all this and the measures and sort of Unity and Concord which we may expect and the true way to attain it I have fuller opened in a Treatise entitled The true and only tâ—rms of the Concord of all Christian Churches § 63. When Christians had no Princes or Magistrates on their side they had no sufficient means of keeping up Unity and Concord for mutual help and strength without meetings of Pastors to carry on their common work by consent But their meetings were only with those that had nearness or neighbourhood And they did not put men to travel to Synods out of other Princes Dominions or from Foreign Lands much less did they call any General Councils out of all the Christian Churches in the world But those that were capable of Communion by proximity and of helping one another were thought enough to meet for such ends § 64. And indeed neither nature nor Scripture obligeth us to turn such occasional helps into the forms of a State-policy and to make a Government of friendly consultations And therefore though where it may be done without fear of degenerating into tyranny known times of stated Synods or meetings of Pastors for Concord are best as once a
happen on a Sunday Easter day is the Sunday after This is one of the things that about 2000 Ministers are silenced for not Declaring Assent Consent and Approbation of yea to the use of it and so to keep Easter at a wrong time But how Sylvester came to have power to say all and to banish men and Constantine sit by and say nothing I know not Dedit eis anathema damnavit eos extra urbes suas Cap. 3. He Decreed that no Presbyter shall accuse a Bishop no Deacon a Presbyter c. and no Layman any of them And that no Prelate shall be condemned but in 72 Testimonies nor the chief Prelate be judged of any one because it is written The Disciple is not above his Master And no Presbyter shall be condemned but in 44 Testimonies no Cardinal Deacon but in 36 c. And what may they not then do or be Cap. 5. He Decreed clarâ voce thaâ— no Presbyter should make Chrisme because Christ is so called of Chrisme The 12. Cap. is Nemo det poenitentiam nisi quadraginta annorum petenti Let no man give repentance or penance but to one that seeketh forty years Cap. 14. Let no man receive the witness of a Clergy-man against a Lay-man Cap. 15. For no man may examine a Clergy-man but in the Church Cap. 16. Let no Clerk Deacon or Presbyter for any Cause of his enter into any Court because Omnis Curia à Cruore dicitur every Court is so called from blood and is an offering to Images For if any Clergy-man enter into a Court let him take his Anathema never returning to his Mother the Church Cap. 17. Let no man put a sunning Clergy-man to death no Presbyter no Deacon no Bishop that is over a Clerk or Servitor of the Church may bring him to death But if the Clergy man's cause so require let him be three days deprived of honour that he may return to his Mother-Church Cap. 18. No Deacon may offer against a Priest a Charge of filthiness Cap. 20. No man shall judge of the Prime seat because all seats desire justice to be tempered of the first seat The Subscribers were 284 Bishops what did the other 57 45 Priests and 5 Deacons and the two following and Constantine and his Mother Helena O brave Pope and Clergy O patient Council that subscribed to one man and pretended to no judgment O humble Constantine that subscribed to all this and said nothing And a womans subscription perfecteth all And O credulous Reader that believeth this CHAP. III. The Council of Nice and some following it § 1. XXX WE come now to the first General Council General only as to the Roman World or Empire as the History and Subscriptions prove and not as to the Whole World as the Papists with notorious impudence affirm which I have elsewhere fully proved This Council was called as is probably gathered Anno 325 in the 20th year of Constantine though others assign other years That they were congregate about the Arian Heresie and the Eastern Controversie is commonly known As also what wisdom and diligence Constantine used to keep the Bishops in peace Who presently brought in their Libels of accusations against each other which he took and burnt without reading them earnestly exhorting them to peace and by his presence and prudent speech repressing their heats and contentions whereby the Synod was brought to a happy end as to both the controverted Causes And Eusebius Nicomed and Arius were brought to counterfeit repentance and consent to the Nicene Faith which Constantine perceiving being set upon the healing of the divided Bishops and Churches he commanded that Arius should as reformed be received to Communion which Athanasius refusing caused much calamity afterward § 2. Because the Case of the Meletians is brought in by this Council I think it useful for our warning in these times to recite the sum of their story out of Epiphanius p. 717 c. Haer. 63. Meletius saith he was a Bishop in Thâ—bais in Egypt of sincere Faith even to the death In Diocletians Persecution Peter Bishop of Alexandria and he were the chief of the Bishops that were laid in Prison as designed to Martyrdom while they were there long together with many fellow-prisoners many called to Tryal before them were put to death and many for fear subscribed to Idolatry or denyed Christ And when they had done professed repentance and craved peace of the Church As it had been in Novatus his Schismes so it fell out here Peter Bishop of Alexan. was for peace and pardon Meletius and most of the other suffering prisoners were against it and said If they may thus revolt to save themselves and be presently pardoned it will tempt others to revolt Peter seeing his opinion was rejected rashly took his Cloak and hang'd it like a Curtain over the midst of the prison-room and said Those that are for me come to me on this side and those that are for Meletius go on that side to him Whereupon far most of the Bishops Priests Monks and people that were in prison went to Meletius and but few to Peter A â—ouler Rupture than that of the English Fugitives at Frankford This unhappy word and hour began the misery among good men expecting death From that hour they keep all their meetings separate Shortly after Peter was Martyred and Meletius was judged to the Mines As he went thither through the Country he every where made new Bishops and gathered new Churches so that there were two in the several Cities Those old ones that followed Peter called their Meeting The Catholick Church The other called theirs The Martyrs Church But yet they held a Unity of Faith Even the sufferers that laboured in the Mines divided and did not pray together At last Meletius and the rest were restored unto peace and at Alexandria Alexander and he lived in familiarity and Meletius was he that detected Arius and brought him to Alexander to be tryed But when Meletius was dead Alexander grew impatient at the private separate Meetings of his followers and troubled them and vexed them and began to use violence against them and would not have them depart from his Church They refused still and this bred stirs and Tumults Alexander persecuting them and following them yet more sharply they sent some men eminent for piety and parts to the Emperours Court to Petition for Liberty for their private Meetings without impediment Of these Paphnutius and Iohn their Bishop and Callinitus Bishop of Pellusium were chief who when they came to Court being named Meletians the Courtiers rejected them and drove them away and they could not get access to the Emperour On this occasion being put to wait long at Constantinople and Nicomedia they fell into acquaintance with Euschius Bishop of Nicomedia the Head of the Arians who pretending repentance was become great with the Emperour who was all for the Clergies peace and concord To Eusebius they open all
Lover of Truth he used to do such things as these which are familiar with men of exquisite honesty who through their excellent study of Godliness use this great liberty of Speech Therefore when he saw things ill carried in the Churches he sometimes spake his thoughts and could not forbear blaming them As if he saw any of the Clergy over covetous of Money be it Bishop or Priest he would reprehend them or if any abounded in luxury and pleasures or if they corrupted any part of the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church he would not bear with them but blame them Which was troublesome to men of a dissolute life And therefore he underwent the greatest contumelies being exagitated by the hatred and malicious words of them all But he being thus tossed about and beaten and reproached did bear it all with an equal mind and thus long continued in the Communion of the Church Till some that were more vehemently offended with him for these Causes cast him out But yet he patiently bore all this but being more earnestly intent for the promoting of the Truth he still studied not to be drawn away from the Conjunction and Society of the Catholick Church But when he and his friends were still beaten and suffered unworthy usage groaning under these evils he took Counsel of the violence of these calamities and contumelies And so he separated himself from the Church and many falling away with him a new Divorce was hereby made For he did not in any thing depart from the right faith but he with his partakers held in all things sincere Religion Though in one small matter they are too stiff About the Father Son and Holy Ghost they judg excellently and as the Catholick Church and swerve not a jot and the rest of the order of their Lives is truly most excellent and admirable so that not only He himself but even the Bishops Priests and all the rest of them live by the labour of their hands Indeed they had a conceit that the Body did partake of the Image of God and they thought that to please Constantine the Nicene Council had altered the Custom and Tradition of the Church about Easter But these were not the causes of their departure from the Church but the violence of dissolutâ— Bishops that cast them out as being impatient of their strictness and opposition to their sin § 8. About Easter saith Epiphanius p. 821. Neque â—ruditis ignotum est quà m saepe diversis temporibus de illius festi celebritate varii Ecclesiasticae disciplinae tumultus ac contentiones obortae sint praesertim Polycarpi ac Victoris aetate cùm Orientales ab Occidentalibus divulsi â—acificas à se invicem literas nullas acciperent Quod idem aliis temporibus accidit velut Alexandri Episcopi Alexandrini Crescentii quemadmodum contra se mutuò scripserint acerrimè pugnaverint Quae animorum opinionumque distractio ex quo semel post Episcopos illos qui ex circumcisione ac Iudaeorum sectâ ad Christum se converterant agitari coepit ad nostra usque tempora eodem est tenore perducta By which we see 1. With what caution Tradition must be trusted 2. How early Bishops began to divide the Church about things indifferent § 9. That men that all in the main fear God should thus contend abuse and persecute one another is sad and hath even been a hardening of Infidels But alas the remnant of corruption in the best will somewhat corrupt their conversations It is a sad note of Epiphanius ib. p. 816. I have known some of the Confessours who delivered up Body and Soul for their Lord and persevering in confession and chastity obtained greatest sincerity of faith and excelled in piety humanity and Religion and were continual in fastings and in a word did flourish in all honesty and virtue yet the same men were blemished with some vice as either they were prone to reproach men or would swear by the name of God or were over talkative or prone to anger or got gold and silver or were defiled with some such filth which yet detract nothing from the just measure of virtue § 10. But as God made a good use of the falling out of Paul and Barnabas so he did of Audius his unhappy case Being cast out of the Church he took it to be his dâ—ty to Communicate with his own party and a Bishop that suffered for the like made him a Bishop and the Bishops accused him to the Emperour that he drew many people from the obedience of the Church and hereupon the Emperour banished him into Scythia Dwelling there he went into the inner parts of Gothia and there instructed many of the barbarous in the principles of Christianity and gathered many Monasteries of them wâ—o lived in great religious strictness p. 827. But it is hard to stop short of extreams when men are alienated by scandal and violence They caâ—â—e to so great a dislike of the Bishops of the common Churches that they would not pray with any man how blameless soever that did but hold Communion with the Church Vranius a Bishop and some others joyning with them made Bishops of the Goths Note out of Epiphanius p. 827 828. what Country was called Gothia in those times § 11. It is not to be past over that at the Nicene Council the first speaker and one of the chief against the Arians was Eustathius Bishop of Antioch And when Eusebius Nicomed was made Bishop of Constaâ—tinople he pretended a desire to see Ierusalem and passing through Antioch secretly hired a Whore to swear that Eustathius was the Father of her child and getting some Bishops of his Faction together they judged Eustathius to be deposed as an Adulterer and got the Emperour to consent and banish him And after the Woman in misery confessed all and said that it was one Eustathius a Smith that was the father of her child § 12. In Pisanus's Conâ—il Nic. Bin. p. 332. this Eustathius is made the first Disputer against a Philosopher And whereas the great cause of the Arians Errour was that they could not conceive how the Son could be of one substance with the Father without a partition of that substance Eustathius tells the Philosopher that took their part and urged Faciamus hominem ad Imaginem c. that The Image of God is simple and without all composition being of the nature of fire but he meaneth sure but analogically § 13. In the same Pisanus lib. 3. p. 345. Bin. the description of the Church is There is one Church in Heaven and Earth in this the Holy Ghost resteth But Heresies that are without it are of Satan Therefore the Pope was not then taken for the Head of the Catholick Church For he pretendeth not to be the Head of them that are in Heaven See what the Catholick Church then was § 14. Note that 1. the Council of Nice nameth none Patriarchs 2. They nullifie the Ordination
of scandalous and uncapable men Can. 9. and 10. Which will justifie Pope Nicholas forbidding any to take the Mass of a Fornicating Priest 3. That Rural Bishops were then in use and allowed by the Council Can. 8. 4. That no Bishop was to remove from one Church to another Can. 15. which Euseb. Nicom soon broke 5. Even in the Arabick Canons the 4th si populo placebit is a Condition of every Bishops Election 6. The 5th Arab. Canon in case of discord among the people who shall be their Bishop or Priest it is referred to the people to consider which is most blameless And no Bishop or Priest must be taken into anothers place if the former was blameless So that if Pastors be wrongfully cast out the people must not forsake them nor receive the obtruded 7. Those Ordained by Meletius were to be received into the Ministry where others dyed If by the suffrage of the people they were judged fit and the Bishop of Alex. designed them Sozom. l. 1. c. 23. § 15. XXXI The next Council in Binnius and in Crabs Order is said to be at Rome under Sylvester with 275. Bishops But this is confessed to be partly false if not all And is the same that is before mentioned which ordered that no Bishop should ordain any Clerk nisi cum omni adunatâ Ecclesiâ But with all the Church united or gathered into one Which Canon seemeth made when a Church was no more than could meet together and when the People had a Negative Voice But the Concil Gangrense is Binnius's next though Crab put afterward some of the forementioned also said to be in Sylvesters days and yet Sozomen and some others say that the Council of Nice was in Iulius days though most say otherwise Here were sixteen Bishops who condemned some Errours of Eustathius of Armenia or rather one Eutactus as Bin. thinks who was too severe against Marriage as if it were sinful and against eating Flesh and against receiving the Sacrament at the Hands of a married Priest he made Servants equal with their Masters he set light by Church-Assemblies he drew Wives to leave their Husbands for Continency and on pretence of Virginity despised married Persons These superstitions they here condemned § 16. XXXII An. 335. The Council at Tyre was held for the Tryal of Athanasius where he was unjustly condemned and thereupon by Constantine banished though his innocency was after cleared Had not his severity against the Meletians driven them to joyn with the Arians against him Epiphanius saith they had not been able to make head thus against him Constantines Epistle to the Alexandrians lamenting and chiding them for their Discords is well worth the translating but that I must not be so tedious See it Bin. p. 391. § 17. XXXIII The next is a Council at Ierusalem An. 335. where Arius Faith was tryed approved and he restored to Alexandria and the favour of Constantine The Creed which he gave in was this We believe in one God the Father Almighty and in the Lord Iesus Christ his Son begotten of him before all Ages God the Word by whom all things were made which are in Heaven and in Earth Who came down and was Incarnat◠and Suffered and Rose again and Ascended to the Heavens and shall come again to Iudge the Living and the Dead And in the Holy Ghost The Resurrection of the Flesh The Life of the World to come and the Kingdom of Heaven In one Catholick Church of God extending it self from one end of the Earth unto the other Arius with this protesting against vain Subtilties and Controversies desireth the Emperour to accept of this as the Evangelical Faith and the Council and the Emperour receive him as for the joyful restoration of Unity and Peace and so would undo what was done at Nice The Emperour was so greatly troubled at the continued divisions of the Bishops that he was glad of any hope of Unity and Peace But this proved not the way § 18. XXXIV An. 336. A Council was called at Constantinople in which they accused condemned and banished Marcellus Ancyranus an Adversary to the Arians as if he had denyed the Godhead of Christ upon some wrested word though it was their denying it that offended him Here also Arius was justified and Athanasius condemned But Arius dyed shortly after § 19. XXXV The next is a Council of 116 Bishops at Rome in or about An. 337. under Iulius in which the Nicene Creed was owned and the Arians condemned and nothing else down that is recorded § 20. XXXVI The next was a Council at Alexandria which vindicated Athanasius from his Accusations when Constantinus junior sent him home from his Banishment § 21. XXXVII The next was a Council at Antioch of near 100 Bishops of which 36 were Arians the most Orthodox and the holy Iames of Nisibis one yet they deposed Athanasius and the Arians it 's like by the Emperours favour carryed it In his place they put George a Cappadocian suspected to be an Arian whom as I said before the People murdered burnt and scattered his Ashes in the Wind and he was one of the Arians Martyrs Unless England had ever been Arian I cannot believe them that say that this is the St. George that the English have so much honoured § 23. This Arian Council finding that the Emperours favour gave them the Power made many Canons against Non-Conformists The first Can. is against them that keep not Easter at the due time The second against them that come to the hearing of the Word but communicate not publickly in the Lords Supper and Prayers and against them that keep private Meetings and that communicate with them Can. 4. Was to make their Case hopeless that exercise the Ministry after they are Silenced or Deposed be they Bishops Priests or Deacons Can. 5. Was that if any Priest or Deacon gathered Churches or Assemblies against the Bishops Will and took not warning he was to be Deposed And if he go on to be oppressed by the exteriour Power as Seditious There is their Strength Can. 6 and 7. None suspended by his own Bishop was to be received by another nor any Stranger without Certificates Can. 8. Country-Priests may not write Canonical Epistles but Rural Bishops may Can. 9. No Bishop must do any thing without the Metropolitane save what belongeth by Ordination and Guidance to his own Church Can. 10. Though the rural Bishops are consecrated as true Bishops yet they shall only govern their own Churches and Ordain such lower Orders as they need but not Ordain Presbyters or Deacons without the City-Bishops to whom they are subject Can. 11. Casteth out all Bishops or other Clergy-men that go to the Prince without the Metropolitane's Counsel or Letters Can. 12. Deposed or silenced Ministers must not go to Princes for relief but appeal to a Synod Can. 13. Bishops must not go or ordain in other Diocess unless sent for by the Metropolitane else their Ordinations there
Council hath the like Canons adding to this aforesaid as Gratian citeth it Vniversalis autem nec etiam Romanus Pontifex appelletur To which Binnius hath no better an answer than 1. That it is only swelling titles and not the superiour power that is forbidden 2. That the Africans had no power to make Laws for Rome But 1. Sure the Name is Lawful if the Power be Lawful 2. They that could make no Laws for Rome might declare their Judgment of Gods Laws and that Rome might make no Laws for them This Council also forbiddeth going beyond Sea with Appeals § 34 XCII The next Carthage Council hath 104 Canons for Discipline most very good Divers Canons lay so much on the Bishop as plainly shew each Bishop had but One Altar Can. 14. That the Bishops Cottage be not far from the Church Can. 15. That the Bishop have but vile or cheap houshold stuff and a poor table and diet and seek his authority or dignity by his faith and desert of life 16. The Bishop must not read the Gentiles Books 19. Nor contend for transitory things though provoked 20. Nor take on him the care of Family or common business but only be vacant to the Word and Prayer 23. The Bishop shall hear no Cause but in the presence of his Presbyters else it shall be void that is sentenced without them unless confirmed by their presence 28. The unjust condemnation of Bishops is void 30. And judgments against the absent 35. The Bishop to sit higher than the Presbyters at Church and their Meetings but at home know that they are his Colleagues 51. A Clerk how Learned soever in Gods Word must get his living by a trade 52. That is by a trade or husbandry without detriment to his Office 53. All Clerks that are able to work should learn both trades and Letters 55. The Bishop must not admit an accuser of the brethren to Communion Nor to enter into the Clergy though he amend Many against Clergy-men that are flatterers betrayers foul-tongued quarrellers at discord scurrilous of filthy jeasts that swear by creatures that sing at feasts of former scandal c. 83. The poor and the aged of the Church to be honoured before the rest 88. He that goeth to any Shows or Sâ—ghts on publick days instead of going to the Church-assembly let him be Excommunicate 98. A Lay-man must not teach when the Clergy are present unless they bid him 100. A woman must not baptize § 35. XCIII An. 398. Another Council was at Carthage of 73. Bishops for Discipline § 36. XCIV An. 399. Theophilus held a Synod at Alexandria against a dead man Origen The occasion Baronius and Binnius thus deliver Melania a Woman of greatest Nobility in Rome in Valens the Arians Pesecution hid five thousand Monks and a while susteined them and when they were banished with great zeal followed them to maintain them out of her substance or estate When they were restored from banishment she built for her self a Monastery at Ierusalem in which besides fifty Virgins that dwelt with her she entertained and maintained holy Foreign Bishops Monks and Virgins twenty seven years Whereby it happened that both she and Ruffinus were by Didymus Alexandrinus a man blind but of great learning and fame too great an admirer of Origen's works entangled as their accusers said in Origen's errours and received and divulged his Book called Periarchon After 25 years absence in Egypt and Palestine returning to Rome with great fame of Holiness and bringing with them a piece of the Cross they with fraud bring to Origen's Periarchon that is Translated and Corrected by Ruffinus Another Woman Marcella accuseth them of Origen's errours which they deny and geting Communicatory Letters from Pope Siricius forsake Rome where such Merits and Holiness would not procure an aged Lady a quiet habitation without being Hereticated because she highly valued Origen's Works which had divers errours and who hath not Hereupon Pamachius and Oceanus write to Hierome to publish Origen's Periarchon entire and detect his errours which he did shewing that Ruffinus had mended some and left others unmended This occasioned stirs against Hierome and a Council call'd at Alexandria an 399. where Origen is condemned Theophilus by his Legates expells Origen's followers out of Egypt and Palestine Being expelled they go to Chrysostome to Constantinople and complain of Theophilus as persecuting them that were innocent Catholicks and desired his help He undertaketh to reconcile them to Theophilus Epiphanius followeth them to Constantinople and requireth Chrysostome to Excommunicate them and Expel them Chrysostome durst not do it against people professing truth and piety without a Synod Whereupon Epiphanius irregularly accuseth Chrysostome and publickly inveyeth against him in his own Church of the process of which more anon § 37. For the better understanding of these matters I will insert somewhat of Theophilus and Chrysostome out of Socrates because he is a most credible Historian and saith they were things done in his own days Theophilus was noted for a Lordly Prelate Isidore Pelusiota saith more When Chrysostome was to be Ordained Bishop of Constantinople Theophilus refused to Ordain him because he would have preferred to it one Isidore a Presbyter of his own But Eutropius a Courtier having got Articles against Theophilus shewed them to him and bid him choose whether he would Ordain Chrysostome Bishop or stand at the Bar and answer those crimes Theophilus was so afraid at this that he presently Consecrated Chrysostome Socr. l. 6. c. 2. But presently after began busily to devise how he might work him mischief which he practised privately by Word and by his Letters into foreign Countries But was vexed that his malicious practices had not better success for he thought to bring in this Isidore cap. 5. § 38. One of the Articles against Theophilus was this When Theodosius was going to fight against Maximus the Tyrant Theophilus sent presents by this Isidore to the Emperour with two Letters charging him to give the presents and one of the Letters to him that should have the upper-hand Isidore got him to Rome to hearken after the Victory But his Reader that kept him company stole away his Letters Whereupon Isidore in a fright took his heels presently to Alexandria § 39. Another thing to be fore-known to this story is in Socrat. l. 6. c. 7. The schisme of the Anthropomorphites now rose from Egypt some of the more unlearned thought that God had a body and the shape of a man but Theophilus and the Judicious condemned them and inveighed against them proving that God had not a body The Religious of Egypt hearing this flocking in blind zeal to Alexandria condemned Theophilâ—â—s for a wicked man and sought to take away his life Theophilus very pensive devised how to save his life He came to them courteously and said When I fasten mine eyes on you methinks I see the face of God These words allayed the heat of the Monks who said If that
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
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
Calamitous Divisions which these Prelates and their Councils made He said that Cyril writ against Nestorius that there was but one nature in Christ c. Haec omnia impietatis plena He tells how Cyril preposessed the Bishops before they met and made his hatred of Nestorius his Cause How he condemned Nestorius two days before Iohn of Antioch came How afterward they condemned and deposed one another How Nestorius was in hatred with the Great men of Constantinople which was his fall How Iohn and Cyril's Bishops or Councils would not Communicate with each other How they set Bishops against Bishops and People against People and a mans Enemies were those of his own household How the Pagans scorned the Christians hereupon For saith he no man durst travel from City to City or from Province to Province but each one persecuted his neighbour as his enemy For many not having the fear of God by occasion of Ecclesiastical zeal made haste to bring forth the hidden enmity of their hearts against others he instanceth in some Persecutors and sheweth how Paulus Emisseuus helpt to heal them § 29. In the eleventh Action two Bishops strive for the Bishoprick of Ephesus Bassianus and Stephen that had been Dioscorus Agent And in their Pleas each of them proved that the other intruded by violence into the place both he that first had it and he that thrust him out and took his Seat and one of them made his Clergy swear to be true to him and not forsake him And while the Bishops were for one of them the Judges past Sentence to cast out both and all consented § 30. But after all the crying up of Leo ' s Epistle this Synod set so light by Leo as that some say against his Legates Will they made a Canon 28. That every where following the Decrees of the Fathers and acknowledging the Canon which was lately read made by the 150 Bishops we also Decree the same and determine of the Priviledges of the holy Church of Constantinople new Rome For the Fathers did give or attribute rightly the Priviledges to the Throne of old Rome because that City ruled or had the Empire And moved by the same consideration the 150 Bishops Lovers of God gave or attributed equal Priviledges to the Throne of New Rome rightly judging that the City which is honoured with the Empire and the Senate and enjoyeth equal Priviledges with ancient Queen Rome should also in things Ecclesiastical be extolled and magnified being the second after it The Popes Legates hand Boniface is subscribed to all and Eusebius Doril thus subscribed Sponte subscripsi quoniam hane regulam sanctissimo Papae in Vrbe Roma ego relegi prescentibus Clericis Constantinopolitanis eamque suscepit And this Council was after over and over approved by the Roman Bishops § 31. It in is this Canon notorious 1. That the whole General Council and so the universal Church did then believe that the Popes or Roman Priviledges were granted by the Fathers that is by Councils and stood not by divine appointment 2. That the reason that the Fathers granted them was because it was the Imperial Seat Had they believed that the Apostles had instituted it they had never said that the Fathers did it for this reason and that Constantinople should be equal or next it for the same reason 3. The Church of Constantinople never claimed their Prerogative jure divino as succeeding any Apostle and yet jure Imperii claimed equal Priviledges By all which it is undeniable that the whole Church in that Council and especially the Greeks did ever hold Rome's Primacy to be a humane institution upon a humane mutable reason What the Papists can say against this I have fully answered against W. Iohnson in a Book called Which is the true Church § 32. The Question now is What concord did these late Councils procure to the Churches Ans. From that time most of the Christian World was distracted into Factions hereticating damning deposing aâ—d too many murdering one another One party cleaved to Dioscorus and were called by the other Eutychians These cryed up the Sufficiency of the Nicene Councils Faith as that which they were baptized into and would have no addition nor diminution and condemned the Calcedon Council and excommunicated and deposed those that would not Anathematize it Those that were against them they called Nestorians On the other party were those that had cleaved to Nestorius by name and had been persecuted for his Cause And these were a separate Body and cryed down the other as Eutychians Those called Orthodox or Catholicks cryed down Nestorians and Eutychians by name indeed defending the same Doctrine as Nestorius except as to the fitness of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the chief of Nestorius his first adherents perceiving that indeed they were of one judgment united with these against the Eutychians I have shewed that all of them seemed to make all this stir but about some Words which one party took in one sense and the other in another For these words the Bishops cast the Christian World into confusion destroyed Love and Unity under a pretence of keeping the Faith so that the Church was lamentably militant Bishops against Bishops in continual enimity and rage The Emperours at their wits end not knowing how to end the Ecclesiastical odious Wars And the Heathens hardened and deriding them all and their Religion § 33. When the Council was ended and Proterius made Bishop of Alexandria in Dioscorus stead the City was in so great discontent that the Emperour Martian was fain to send a Lay-man to mollifie them for they would not endure a Calcedonian Bishop They set more by Dioscorus than before so that Binnius incredibly saith they offered him Divine Honour § 34. It was not long till Martian dyed and then they let the World know that it was Emperours and not Popes or Councils that they regarded They thought then they might shew their minds and what they did Liberatus in Breviario Evagrius Nicephorus and others tells us at large But I will give it you in the words of the Egyptian Bishops which conformed to the Council Bin. p. 147. One Timothy Elurus of Dioscorus Party who had gathered separated Congregations before since the Council of Calcedon got some Bishops of his own Party to make him Archbishop The people soon shewed their minds though it deposed their Archbishop They set up Timothy and he presently made Ordinations of Bishops and Clerks c. while he thus went on a Captain Dionisius came to drive him out of the City The people rage the more against Proterius He gets into the Baptistry to avoid their rage a place reverenced even by the Barbarians and the fiercest Men But these furious people set on by their Bishop Timothy neither reverencing the Place the Worship nor the Time which was Easter nor the Office of Priesthood which is a Mediation between God and Man did strike the
an Arch-Deacon son to Pope Hâ—rmisâ—â—a Silverius was accused by many witnesses of Treason in offering to lâ—t in the Goâ—hs into the City and was banished and Vigilius puâ— in his place and had the keeping of him and famished him to death and succeeded him So that here were a while two Popes at once one chosen by an Arian and the other a perfidious Murderer that undertook to restore those that were ejected as Hereticks And was this man to be communicated with any more than Acacius Euthymius or Macedonius § 105. Theodosius a Bishop of Alexandria refusing to subscribe to the Calcedon Council was ejected and banished by Iustinian and Paulus as Orthodox put into his place who being accused of Murder was also put out and banished and Zoilus put into his place § 106. But Theodosius is said by Liberat. and others to have first deserted the place being wearied with the Peoples Wars The case was this A new controversie was started whether the body of Christ was corruptible or incorruptible The division about this was so great that the Church divided and chose two Bishops Those that were for the incorruptability had Gainas for their Arch-Bishop and were called by the other Phantasiastae and Gainites Those that were for the corruptability had Theodosius for their Arch-Bishop and were called by the other corrupticolae and Theodosians Most communicated with Gainas but the Soldiers were for Theodosius Liberatus Breviar c. 20. saith that they fought it out and The People fought for Gainas many days and being slain by the Soldiers lost their greatest part but yet a greater number fell of the Souldiers And Narses was overcome not with Arms but with the concord of the Citizens The women cast stones on them from the tops of the Houses But the Souldiers did that by Fire which they could not do by Arms. And saith Liberatus That City is divided with that Schism to this day some being called Gainites and Phantasiasts and the other Theodosians and Corrupticolae § 107. The Case of the Orthodox Paul that succeeded him is described by Liberatus c. 23. He intending to put out Elias the Master of the Souldiers as a Heretick by a power received from the Emperour one of his Deacons discovered it to Elias by Letters Paulus fearing the fate of Proterius and getting the Letters got Rhodo the Emperours Augustal Magistrate to secure the Deacon who by one Arsenius Murdered him for which alledging the command of Paulus the Bishop and the Emperours command to obey Paul the Emperour put to death the Magistrate Rhodo and deposed Paulus and put Zoilus in his place § 108. There is in Liberatus c. 22. An Epistle of Pope Vigilius in which he performeth his promise to the Empress and owneth Communion with Authimus c. and denyeth two natures c. But Baronius and Binnius take it for a forged Epistle when as we have scarce a more credible Writer than Liberatus § 109. Niceph. l. 17. c. 26. saith that Vigilius when Rome was again taken by the Goths fled to Constantinople There he fell out with Mennas the Orthodox Patriarch Cui Agathon Papa quod nunquam antea factum est manus imposuit saith Niceph. c. 9. and eo insolentiae progressus est he grew so insolent that he Excommunicated Menna for four Months which so provoked Iustinian that he sent men to apprehend him and when he fled to the Altar they drag'd him away and Anastasius in lib. Pontif. saith They tyed a rope about his neck and drag'd him about the streets till the evening and made him glad to communicate with Menna But at last he was restored to his Bishoprick § 110. Two heinous crimes Evagrius chargeth Iustinian with 1. Insatiable covetousness and extortion But he used to do very great good works 2. Encouraging Murderers see Evagr l. 4. c. 31. so that men were no where safe but they that killed them as in an act of manhood were protected § 111. And though he was the great Zealot for the Orthodox against all Hereticks he dyed a reputed Heretick in so much that Evagrius over boldly pronounceth That when he had set the whole World on tumults and sedition and at last received what was due for his lewd practices he departed into endless torment prepared for him by the just judgment of God l. 5. c. 1. An arrogant sentence And will Orthodox Zeal for the Church do no more to save a Soul from Hell CHAP. VII Of the Controversies de tribus Capitulis and the Fifth Council called General and many other § 1. EVagrius l. 4. c. 38. tells us that Iustinian fell from the right Faith affirming That the Body of Christ was every way incorruptible and that he wrote an Edict in which he said That the Body of the Lord was not subject to death or corruption that it was void of natural and unblameable affections c. which Opinions he purposed to compel both Priests and Bishops to subscribe but they put him off as expecting the Opinion not of the Pope but of Anastasius Bishop of Antioch then famous for his skill and gravity But Anastasius would not be moved and Justinian threatning to banish him dyed before he did it or published his Edict So hard was it then to escape Heresie § 2. So hot was Iustinian in this Error that he ejected Eutychius that resisted him at Constantinople saith Niceph. l. 17. c. 29. Iulianus Halicarnas and Gainas raised this holding that Christ's hunger thirst and suffering were all immediately voluntary and not as ours by natural necessity They said that as we all hold Christs Body incorruptible after his resurrection so did they before it yet consubstantial with ours The Orthodox distinguished of Corruption 1. Blameless Passions of Hunger Thirst Weariness c. 2. Dissolution of the Bodies Elements The first they said Christ was subject to before the Resurrection but not after nor we The later not at all The Hereticks that held the contrary were called the Aphthartodocitae saith Nicephorus Quá multi mortales correpti sunt non solum ex eis qui honores magistratus gesserunt sed eitam Hierarchae primarii Monachi vitâ illustres ex sacerdotali ordine alii ut ipse Imperator Justinianus The Hereticators and Damners are divided about Iustinian's soul and name some place him yet in Heaven and others in Hell If it be true that Nicephorus saith of him my Vote should go against the Damners viz. Nil tale de Christo propter summum ipsius erga illum amorem desiderium audire constituerit Princeps etenim iste tanto in Christum pietatis ardore flagrasse ab eis qui res illius memoriae posteritati mandarunt dicitur quanto alius qui ante eum imperium obtinuerunt nemo termaximo illo Constantino semper excepto Itaque propter vehementem in Christum amorem illius gratiâ multa etiam violenter fecit c. And if it came from vehement love to Christ all I
his Constitutum in defence of the tria Capitula by vertue whereof the Western Churches should be united and the contempt of the Calcedon Council should be avoided which the Impugners of the tria Capitula did fraudulently contrive and that the Universal Church should learn by this example that no man that dyed in the true Faith should be condemned when he is dead But did Vigilius stop here No saith Binnius But when after the end of his Council the Church received yet greater damage and the Emperor persecuted them that contradicted the Synod and it was feared that the whole East would be divided and separated from the Roman and Western Church unless the Bishop of Rome approved the fifth Synod then Pope Vigilius in a Cause which could bring no prejudice to the Orthodox Faith did well and justly change his former sentence and approved the Synodal Decree for condemning the tria Capitula and revoked and made void his Constitutum which he before published in defence of the tria Capitula The prudent and pious Pope that came to the Popedom by Bribery Tyranny and Murder of his Predecessor did in this prudently imitate St. Paul about Circumcision c. O what certainty and constancy is here in the Papal judgment For a Pope about one Cause to judge for it against it and for it again in so short a time And all this upon reason of Policy and State Did the same so often change and prove first true and then false and then true again But the Papists excuse is that it was de Personis non de Fide Answ. But 1. Is it lawful to take the same thing for true and false good and bad de Personis as our interest requireth 2. Why are the Persons condemned but on supposition that their Faith was condemnable 3. You confess that it was for the advantage of the Eutychian Faith and the depression of the Faith of the Calcedon Council that the tria Capitula were condemned Reader If all this will not tell thee how much need there is of a surer and more stable support of our Faith than Popes and Councils yea and better means of the Churches Unity and Concord I must take thee for unteachable what have such Councils done but set the Churches together by the ears § 23. Liberatus in his Breviary saith c. 3. 10. 24. that Theodore Mopsu his Works were approved by Proclus Iohan. Antioch the Emperor the Council of Calced c. But Binnius saith Nimis impudenter incautè Yet all acknowledge Liberatus a most credible Historian and lived in Iustinian's time He saith also that Nefandissimum haereticum Theodoretus Sozomenus laudarunt adeo ut hac de causá uterque magnam nominis sui jacturam passus fuerit c. But wise men are apt to think as hardly of such as can cry out Nefandissimum haereticum against all that speak as unskilfully as this man did as of charitable men that praise them for what is good while they disown their frailties and imperfections If it be as he saith many thought that â—heodoret assumed his own name from this Theodâ—re by reason of his high esteem of him it 's like he had some special worth though he hath many culpable expressions And Sozomen is an Historian of so deserved reputation that it seemeth to me no argument of Pope Gregory's Infallibility that he saith lib. 6. ep 95. Sozomenùm ejusque Historiam sedes Apostolica recipere recusat quoniam multa mentitur Theodorum Mopsuestiae nimium laudat atque ad diem obitus sui magnum Doctorem Ecclesiae fuisse perhibet I think the Author of Gregory's Dialogues did plura mentiri and yet that Gregory was Magnus Ecclesiae Doctor § 24. The Controversie whether Vigilius were the Author of the Epistle to Menna I pass by But methinks Binnius is very partial to justifie so much what he did after Silverius ' s death as beginning then to have right to his Papacy and to give him so differing a Character from Sanctissimus Papa before while he possessed the same Seat as these words of his express Cum omnium c. seeing that Villany or Crime of Vigilius did exceed the Crimes of all Schismaticks by which making a bargain with Hereticks and giving money by a Lay-man he by force expelled Silverius Bishop of the prime Seat and spoiled of his Priestly induments or attire banished him into an Island and there caused him to dye it should seem no wonder to any man if a desperate wretch homo perditus the buyer of another's Seat and a violent Invader a Wolf a Thief a Robber not entering by the true door a false or counterfeit Bishop and as it were Antichrist the lawful Pastor and Bishop being yet living did add most pernicious Heresie to his Schism Yet this man became the most holy Pope by the vertue of his place as soon as he had but murdered Silverius and was accepted in his stead and then it became impossible for him to err in the Faith § 25. CLXXIV Anno 553. A Council was called at Ierusalem by Iustinian's Command who sent to them the Acts of the Constantine Council de tribus Capitulis to be by them received the Bishops all received it readily save one Alexander Abysis who was therefore banished and coming to Constantinople say Baronius and Binnius was swallowed up and buried by an Earthquake If this was true no marvel if it confirmed the Emperor in his way But I doubt the obedient Bishops were too ready to receive such reports § 26. CLXXV The same year 553. the Western Bishops held a Council at Aquileia out of the Emperor's power where as Defenders of the Council of Calcedon they condemned the fifth Constantine Council aforesaid and so saith Binnius separated themselves from the Unity of the Catholick Church and so continued for near an Hundred years till the time of Pope Sergius who reduced them Were not these great Councils and Bishops great Healers of the Church that about condemning some written Sentences of three dead men thus raise a War among the Churches Were Hereticks or Hereticaters the great Dividers § 27. But here followeth a Case that raiseth a great doubt before us Whether the Pope alone or all his Western Bishops when they differ from him are the Church After the death of Vigilius the Secular Power procured Pelagius the Archdeacon to be made Pope the Western Bishops disclaiming Iustinian's Council and Pelagius obediently receiving it and the Popedom there could not be three Bishops got that would ordain him as the Canons required so that a Presbyter Ostiensis was fain to do it Besides the Question Which now was the Church here are other hard Questions to be solved Qu. 1. Whether Iustinian's Election of a Pope was valid And if so Whether other various Electors may do it as validly Qu. 2. Whether a Presbyter's Ordination of a Bishop or Pope was valid If so Whether Presbyters may not
of 12 Bishops They are mostly forbidding Bishops to take money for their Ordinations Consecrations and other Actions And the first Canon requireth them to walk to all their Parishes and see that the Clerks did things rightly that Catechumens learnt the Creed and to preach to the People to forbear Murder Adultery Perjury False-witness and other mortal Sins to do as they would be done by and to believe the Resurrection Judgment and Recompence according to Works § 40. CLXXXIV An. 572. a Concilium Lucense did receive from Martin Bishop of Braccara 84. old Canons of which the 67th was against reading Apocrypha or any thing but the Canon of the Old and New Testament in Church § 41. After Iustinian's death his Sisters Son Iustinus was Emperor a sensual and covetous man who murdered presently a Kinsman of his own name upon suspicion that he was too great yet he drew up a good Profession of Faith exhorting all the Bishops to agree in it But Chosroes King of Persia invaded his Empire because the Greater Armenia which was then under the Persians as the Lesser was under the Romans to avoid the Persians persecutions had revolted to the Empire and destroyed their Rulers The Persians conquered so much of the Eastern part of the Empire and Iustine's Soldiers made so little resistance as drove him out of his wits and his Wife by intreaty got the Persians to make a Truce Tiberius was then made Caesar and afterward Emperor upon Iustine's death and Iustinian his Captain repelled the Persians and recovered much of what they had conquered § 42. An. 576. Divers Kings of France by War among themselves destroyed Churches and confounded all and a Council at Paris was called but in vain to have persuaded them to Peace § 43. After Benedictus Pelagius 2d was Bishop at Rome Tiberius an excellent Emperor quickly dyed and by his choice Mauritius succeeded him Pelagius by Gregory his Deacon wrote against the Bishops that would not condemn the tria Capitula And when all his writings prevailed not he got Smaragdus the Exorchate to force them by the Sword The great remedy which Rome hath trusted to § 44. CLXXXV Mâ—â—veus Son and Heir to Chilperic King of France marrying his Uncles Widow offended his Father and fled to St. Martin's Church at Tours and forced Bishop Gregory to give him the Sacrament The King could not get the Bishop to deliver him up he fled and the King called a Synod at Paris to judge Pretextatus a Bishop whom he accused for marrying him and confederating with him § 45. CLXXXVI The two Bishops forenamed Salonius and Sagittarius being again accused of Adultery and Murder and being freed by professing Repentance King Guntheramus called a Cubilone Synod and accused them of Treason and so deposed and banished them § 46. CLXXXVII An. 582. King Gunthram called a Synod at Mascou to revive the old Canons for restraining the Lust and Vices of the Bishops and Clergy § 47. CLXXXVIII An. 583. A Concil Brenacense is called to try Gregory Bishop of Tours falsly accused of charging the Queen of living in Adultery with a Bishop an Archdeacon and a Deacon bore false Witness but all came to light and Gregory was cleared by his Oath § 48. CLXXXIX An. 587. A Council at Constantinople increased the Church-divisions which continue to this day wherein Iohn Bishop of Constantinople was decreed to be called The Universal Bishop which Pope Pelagius could not endure O what hath this Question done to the World Who shall be the chief or greatest So much of the image and work of Satan hath been found in the professed Servants of a crucified Saviour and in those that have worshipped the Cross In this Synod Gregory Bishop of Antioch was tryed and acquitted of a false Accusation of Incest with his Sister another man's wise § 49. Pelagius writeth against Iohn's Universal Title saying Universalitatis nomen quod sibi illicitè usurpavit nolite attendere c. Nullus enim Patriarcharum hoc tam profano vocabulo unquam utatur quia si summus Patriarcha Universalis dicitur Patriarcharum nomen caeteris derogatur Sed absit hoc absit à fidelis cujusquam mente hoc sibi vel velle quempiam arripere unde honorem fratrum suorum imminuere ex quantulâcunque parte videatur Quà propter Charitas vestra neminem unquam suis in Epistolis Universalem nominet ne sibi debitum subtrahat cum alteri honorem offert indebitum Adversarius enim noster Diabolus qui contra humiles saeviens sicut Leo rugiens circuit quaerens quem devoret non jam ut cernimus caulas circuit Omnia qui soli uni Capiti cohaerent videlicet Christo per electionem pompatici sermonis ejusdem Christi sibi studeat membra subjugaâ—e Nec mirum quod ille tentater qui initium omnis peccati scit esse superbiam c. And so he goeth on exhorting them rather to dye than to submit to the Title Universal and resolving Excommunication against the User of it § 50. Binnius saith It is ridiculous hence to impugn the Primacy of the Church But Qu. 1. Is it not impudent after this for them to use the Title of Universal Qu. 2. Doth not this allow us to separate from them that usurp it Qu. 3. Doth not Pelagius here plainly distinguish between the place of Prime Patriarch which he claimeth and Universal Bishop or Patriarch which he damneth Qu. 4. Doth he not describe this damned Usurpation to be a subjecting all Christ's members to himself Qu. 5. Doth not the Pope now use both the name and thing as far as he can attain it Qu. 6. Did not Pelagius and Gregory know that Iohn did no more intend to put down all other Patriarchs or Bishops by this Title than the Pope doth Qu. 7. Doth not the Pope now claim that as by Divine Right which Iohn claimed but as of Humane Modesty can deny none of this § 51. CXC An. 587. Nine Bishops at Lyons repeated six old Canons about Women c. § 52. CXCI. An. 589. King Gunthram finding all things grow worse and that all was long of the Bishops onely saith Binnius called a Council at Mascou where the stricter keeping of the Lords-day was commanded § 53. Here Binnius noteth that Priscus is called Patriarch and that the Bishops of Venice Istria and Liguria continuing still separate from Rome chose Paulinus Bishop of Aquileia their Patriarch Quem sibi loco summi Pontificis supremum Antistitem constituerent Qu. Did the Bishops then believe that the Pope's Universal Government was essential to the Catholick Church And that none were the Church but his Subjects § 54. CXCII King Gunthram An. 589. by a Council at Valence setled his Benevolences on the Churches § 55. CXCIII An. 589. At Toletum King Recaredus called a Council and renounced Arrianism and recited several Canons among others that Bishops and Priests Wives might dwell with them but not lie with them And they
assert One Nature of God incarnate after the Union and yet called Orthodox and those that said as he and much less were damned Hereticks Some that confessed two Natures yet denying two Wills after the Resurrection supposing the Humane Will called Natural had been laid by were here damned with the rest § 36. CCXVI An. 681. King Ervigius held another Council at Toletum for the Royal Power and reforming the Clergy The Pope had so little to do and the Kings so much in all these Spanish Councils that it 's strange Spain is now become so servile to the Pope Binnius is forced to confess here To. 3. p. 110. that The study and labor of chusing fit men to be made Bishops was in the power or hands of the Gothish Kings which by the indulgence of the Roman Popes is in the Spanish Kings even to our times which he proveth O indulgent Popes who let go what they cannot keep An. 682. Some Synods in France did we know not what § 37. Leo 2d is made Pope by the Emperor and because he confirmed the Acts of this Council which damns Honorius as an Heretick the Papists know not which way to turn themselves Baronius would have Leo's Epistle forged Binnius will have either the Acts corrupted by Theodore Const. before they were sent to Leo or that necessity compelled him to this hard condition by the iniquity of the times and that Heresie else would have revived c. so that by their reckoning they that relie all on Tradition and Fathers leave not Fathers Councils or Traditions certain for one Age. § 38. CCXVII An. 683. K. Ervigius had another Synod of 48 Bishops at Toletum for restoring some guilty of Treasons securing the King c. § 39. Constantine Pogon restored to Rome the power of making Popes without the Emperor which the Gothish Kings and other Emperors had long denied them § 40. Benedict 2d is made Pope A new Controversie in his time is raised The Spanish Bishops write an Epistle in which they assert Three Substances in Christ his Divinity his Soul and his Body and say withall that a Will begat a Will that is the Divine Will begat the Humane The numbers of One Two and Three had so confounded Men in those times that the words frightned the Pope and he expostulated and warned them to take heed in what sense they used them which hath made it a question whether this Pope were not erroneous himself § 41. CCXVIII Another Council at Toletum against the Monothelites § 42. Pope Iohn 5th was the first Consecrated without the Emperor since the liberty granted Theodoric King of France called a Council An. 685. in which he deposed several Bishops § 43. Constantine Pog. dying Iustinian 2d his Son is Emperor Binnius saith he was not sound in the Faith a hard thing then And that he repented of the liberty granted in chusing Popes and so ordered that the Exarch of Ravenna approve them by which Bribery was used with the Exarchs And while the Soldiers and Clergy could not agree they were fain to consent to a third Conon to be Pope § 44. Conon being dead Theodore and Paschal strove for the Popedom and got their Parties to stand it out for them Paschal promised the Exarch a great Sum of Gold to make him Pope When they could not agree Sergius a third was chosen The Exarch forced him to pay the Gold and so he got the Soldiers love and the Popedom § 45. CCXIX. An. 688. Another Toletan Council writ a defence of their assertion that Christ had three Substances and that Voluntas genuit Voluntatem § 46. CCXX A Council at Caesar-Augusta made five Canons the last was that when the Kings dyed the Queens should lay by their civil Habits and be put into a Monastery and profess Chastity § 47. CCXXI An. 692. Was the famous great Council called the Quini-Sextum at Constantinople by Iustinian 2d's Order why it should not be called a 7th General Council I know not It was called by the persuasion of Callinicus Constant. to make a full Body of Canons for Practice because the 5th and 6th Councils made none Binnius saith It could not be a General Council because the Pope was not there by himself or his Legates and yet confesseth that neither was he or his Legates at the first Constantine Council and yet it was universal And why doth not another Bishops absence E. G. Alexand. Ierusal c. null a General Council as well as the Popes The Papists rail at this Council as a Convention of Malignants Bin. p. 154. and against Balsamon that defendeth it as a wicked Greek Impostor the word wicked in these Mens writings is a term of art and interest and no moral term They recited abundance of old Canons many of great use One would wonder whence the anger against them ariseth It was per summam nequitiam saith Binnius that they called themselves a General Council And the Holy Ghost was not with them because the Pope was not with them p. 154 155. and they ordained many things contrary to Apostolical Constitutions and the Canons of General Councils Reader you see here 1. How little trust Papists lay on that part of Tradition which dependeth on Councils 2. That it is the Pope one Man that is the certainty of Tradition and Iudgment without whom Councils are nothing 3. That if the Pope be absent all the other Bishops assembled in Councils by the command of Emperors may be called Knaves and wicked Malignants Alas how few Bishops adhered to the Pope when Italy was not yet cured of Separation from him in comparison of those that met in these Eastern Councils which they revile 4. You see here how far they are from truth that say the Universal Church still cleaved to the Pope when most by far of the Bishops in the world forsook him you see Luther was not the first § 48. Note that Tharasius Bishop of Constantinople An. 692. in the 2d Council of Nice tells them that it was the same Bishops that met in the 6th General Council at Constantinople who met again here under Iustinian And were not the Bishops of the place so near the time competent Judges of the matters of so notorious Fact And were the same Bishops an infallible General Council at the 6th Council and yet all wicked Schismaticks or Knaves and wicked Men when they meet again but to make Church-Canons for Reformation If this do not tell you how truly Binnius saith in their own judgment that Councils have just so much authority as the Pope giveth them what can tell it you § 49. Yea Binnius makes this Council to be Monothelites And were the same Men Orthodox in the 5th or 6th Council ten years before and Hereticks in this Is this the constancy of the Church and Bishops Faith § 50. The 13th Canon is one that displeaseth them in which the practice of the Church of Rome in separating Priests from
Bishop of Mentz and his great agent even about this foresaid English Council which was to set up Church-Images and recommended him to many Christian Princes And why was all this and what was his rare merit He took this Oath to the Pope Bin. p. 178 In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ our Saviour in the Reign of Leo the great Emperour c. I Boniface Bishop by the Grace of God do Promise to thee Peter Prince of the Apostles and to thy Vicar Pope Gregory and his Successors by the Father Son and Holy Ghost the inseparable Trinity and this most Holy Body of thine that I will exhibite all faith and purity of holy Catholick faith and in unity of the same faith God operating will persist in which all the salvation of Christians is proved undoubtedly to consist and will no way consent whoever perswadeth me against the unity of the common and universal Church but as I said will exhibite my faith and purity and concourse to thee and to the Profits of thy Church to whom by the Lord the Power of binding and loosing is given and to thy aforesaid Vicar and his Successors in all things c. Nothing is more meritorious with a Pope or any Prelate of that Spirit than to be absolutely devoted to him and swear obedience to him Indeed they that are fully fallen from God as Satan is would be as Gods to the world themselves and have all men depend upon them and obey them § 7. What Arguments moved the Emperor to be against Images specially the 2d Commandment and how Gregory thought that it was not the Images of God and Christ and Angels and Saints that were forbidden you may see in his Epistles too long to be here recited § 8. Here Binnius inserteth three Roman Councils One cursing unlawful Marriages Another persuading Corbinianus to keep his Bishoprick who would fain have laid it down And a third for Images against the Iconoclasts the Emperor's Heresie § 9. Gregory 3d succeedeth Gregory 2d He sendeth his Epistles for Images to the Emperor The first Messenger durst not deliver them The rest were stopt at Sicily and kept Prisoners The Lombards infested Italy and Rome The Pope importuneth the French King for help Alphonsus is made King in Spain against the Saracens and first called himself Catholick King Two Councils Binnius saith were held at Rome for Images The Title of the second is Pro Imaginum Cultu for the Worship of Images An. 732. Image-worship was then avowed But the Eastern Churches did more obey the Emperor § 10. Pope Zachary coming next in whose time Italy was distressed by Luitprandus King of the Lombards who took four Cities from the Pope because he protected Trasimundus Duke of Spoleto The Romans helped Trasimund on condition he would restore to them the four Cities he performeth not his promise wherefore Pope Zachary turned to Luitprand and to win him Salutaria illi praedicavit saith Anastasius and he promised him to restore the four Cities For the performance whereof this Pope travelled to him himself noted by Anastasius as a great act of self-denial as venturing his life for the Cause of God that he would go to the King to ask for four Cities which he happily obtained § 11. In this Pope's time the Crown of France was translated from the King and his Line to a Subject his Major Domûs Charles Martell the great French Conqueror was the Pope's Patron against the Emperor who was his Sovereign Gratian. d. 16. q. 1. post Can. 59. tells it us as a matter of Church-credit that when he was dead he was damned to Hell much blood and defending Popes that rebel against their Sovereign are a very likely proof Carolomannus succeeded him who after two years Reign resigned his Crown and chose a Monastery Chilperic that came after proved very dull and sensual and giving himself to his pleasure let the business of Government lie most on the hands of Pepin who was his Major Domûs who thereby got the power and the respect that was proper to the King while the King grew into contempt And if Kings cannot keep up their Power and Honour by the meer dignity of their place without personal worth and performance why should Popes Prelates and Priests whose Power and Honour as a Physicians depend upon their Worth and Work expect to keep up their Power and Honour meerly by their Offices Pepin won first the Nobles of France and then the Pope For as Baronius and Binnius p. 197. tell us It seemed to the most Potent Pepin Major Domus and to the rest of the chief Men and to all the People that he that had not the Matter and Force of the Kingdom should not have the name of a King and on the contrary he that had the Riches Power and Virtue should also have the name of King And because these Princes and People were Christians they judged that these their Councils would neither stand ratified to Posterity nor be acceptable enough to God unless they received Authority and Force from the common Father and Pastor of the Christian Church the Vicar of the Lord Christ and Successor of St. Peter Therefore they send Legates to Rome to Zachary of whom Bishop Burchardus Herbipol was the chief who were to ask the things aforesaid of him He consented and decreed and wrote back that Chilperic being thrust into a Monastery St. Boniface should declare and anoint Pepin King in Germany and France Boniface Bishop of Mentz obeyed Pope Zachary and by the Authority of the See Apostolic deposed Chilperic called also Childeric and placed Pepin in his stead Thus Ieginhart in Vit. Car. Mag. Annal. Franc. an 751. Paul Diac. li. 22. Marianus Scotus li. 3. Regino li. 2. an 749. Sigebert in Chron. Lambert in Hist. Germ. Otho Frising li. 5. 21. Ado. aetate 6 fol. 213. Aimoinus li. 4. c. 65 c. Yea say they the Hereticks of our times deny not the History But they sharply impugn two circumstances The first is that it was a great wrong to Chilperic that the Kingdom was taken from him The second that the said Translation was made by the consent of the Council Nobles and Commons without the Authority of the Apostolic Seat Serarius proveth that the cause of the Translation of the Kingdom was just 1. Because all the best men did desire and wish it and did by their counsel and help co-operate to it 2. Because St. Bishop Burchardus did as Legate sollicite the Pope for it 3. Pope Zachary commanded it to be done 4. And the most Holy Boniface at the Pope's command did execute it 5. And being approved by Divine Testimony it is recited in the sacred Canons 15. q. 6. c. alius 6. And by none of the old Historians not praised or disallowed Only our new Hereticks that love Novelty Arrogance and Rebellion by their perverse judgment by Contumelies and Lyes disallow it And that it was by the Authority
of an Hospital to the King and to the Physician May not one rule and punish by the Sword and another by the Word by Teaching and the Church Keys Is it not one thing to Fine and Beat and Banish and Kill a Man and another to sentence him unmeet for Church-Communion Marvellous that God permitteth the world to be deluded by such a blinded or blinding Clergy though as learned as Bellarmine that would make these things seem inconsistent and separate what God hath conjoined See here to what the Roman Clergy would reduce Kings they must be no Governors of the Church And if all the Kingdom be Christians are they not all the Church And so the Christening of the Subjects deposeth the King and maketh the chief Priest King that Christeneth them If he had said that Kings govern Churches but not as Churches but as parts of the Kingdom he had said falsly For they govern them as Churches though not by the same sort of Government as the Pastors do as they govern not Hospitals by the same sort of Government as the Physicians § 129. In Eugenius's Epistle it is honestly and truly said that If there had never been a painted or a forged Image neither Faith Hope nor Love by which Men come to the Eternal Kingdom would have perished I am of Bellarmine's mind now that this was none of the Pope's Epistle but the honest Emperor's and his Clergy Councils He thought it too bad for a Pope and I think it too good for a Pope He thinks that the Pope must be mad if he would have so condemned his Predecessor Adrian's Acts as this Epistle doth and I doubt he was not so honest as to do it But did not Bellarmine know how much more sharp and virulent Accusations Popes have laid on one another § 130. CCXLVI So powerful was Pius's Attempts to reform the Clergy that it drove Pope Eugenius the 2d for shame to call a Council at Rome not from the Antipodes but of 63 Bishops An. 826. who repeated some old Canons and among other things forbad such Feasts and Plays as our Wakes arâ— on any Holy-days to be used § 131. Valentine was next chosen Pope Collectis in unum Venerab Episcopis Gloriosis Romanorum Proceribus omnique amplae urbis Populo in Pal. Later saith Anastasius but he lived but 30 or 40 days Historians agree not of it § 132. Gregory the 4th succeeded who saith Platina would not undertake the Papal Office till Ludovicus the Emperor had considered of the choice and confirmed it Which saith Platina Ludovicus did not out of Pride but lest he should lose the Rights of the Empire being by nature gentle and most humane and had ever upheld the Rights of the Church He setled Benefices on every Priest that Poverty might not hinder them You see here that the great Friend of the Church yet took that for the right of the Empire that none should be Pope against his consent § 133. Platina adding how he reformed the Clergy forbidding them gay Attire Ornaments Sumptuousness and Vanities saith thereupon Would thou hadst lived in our times O Ludovicus For the Church wanteth thy holy Institutions and Censure so much hath the Ecclesiastical Order poured out itself to all Luxury and Lust. So describing their abominable Pride and Vanity § 134. Pope Gregory added so much to the good works of his Predecessors by mending building adorning so many Temples Pillars and Posts with Stones Vestments Silver c. and removing the Bones of Saints if he mistook not that it is no wonder if Rome grew into greater pomp and splendor than ever before § 135. This godly Emperor having three Sons by his first Wife and marrying a second having two Sons by her the Sons of the first Wife hated the second Wife thinking her Son Charles had too much favor One Son Pepin apprehended his Father and the eldest Lotharius came in and approved it and the 3d joined with them and wickedly deposed him from his Kingdom of which anon § 136. Ludovicus called Councils at Paris Mentz Lyons and Tholouse for Reformation some say upon the warning of a Maid that being possessed of the Devil and speaking Latine said that this Devil executed Judgments on the Land for their Sins Injustice c. CCXLVII. The Council at Paris wrote a large Book for Reformation An. 829. with the rest of this Emperor's Constitutions worthy to be Translated for the common good that all â—ight see the difference between Reformers and turbulent Hereticks and Hereticators and proud aspiring Prelates The Book is a Treatise of pious Directions The 50th Chapter reproving the breach of the Lord's day saith that By sight and by certain relation they have notice that many working on that day have been killed with Thundeâ—bolts some punished by sudden Convulsions some by visible Fire their Flesh and Bones being in a moment consumed and turned into ashes and many other such terrible judgments Therefore they require that as the Iews keep their Sabbath all Men much more do spiritually observe this day of the Lord. The second Book doth notably shew the duty of Kings and Magistrates The last Chapter requireth those that are far from the Church to meet for Prayer in other places as being acceptable to God In the 8th Capitul Bin. p. 569. the Bishops say Beati Petri vicem indigni gerimus So that the Pope is not Peter's onely Successor others represent him if this Council did not mistake § 137. CCXLVIII We come now to a Council which sheweth you that the good Canons made by the Emperor for Church-Reformation were far from reforming the generality of the Bishops It is the Council at Compendium which too compendiously deposed the godly Emperor of whom the world was not worthy Calumniators pretended that one Bernhard a Courtier lay with Iudith the Emperor's second Wife The Sons of his first Wife hating her Pepin whom his Father had made King of Italy on this pretence Trayterously raiseth Arms against his Father Lotharius the eldest Son too much consenting persuaded his Father to let a meeting without Arms at Neomagus prevent a War At that meeting the Nobles Parentis Imperium legitimè prorogabant saith Binnius p. 575 and Pepin took up Arms again The Father conquereth his Son and taketh him Prisoner and might justly have taken away his life but he was stol'n out of Prison in the night Ludovicus depriveth him of his Kingdom of Italy and divideth it between his two Sons by the second Wife Charles and Rodolphus Hereupon Lotharius the eldest rebelling knew not how to conquer his godly and prosperous Father but by the Bishops Them he draweth into his Conspiracy that as Binnius himself saith Ut quem filii armis imperio deponere non possent horum saltem nundinariorum Antistitum suffragio judicio honore ac potestate imperiali privaretur successit impiis conatus impiissimus The last means of Treason was a Council of the base mercenary
Marriage with Waldrada The two great Archbishops of Colen and Triers are the Leaders The Pope is against it and accuseth the Bishops of owning Adultery They appear at Rome and he condemneth them of Impudency while with some immodest words they undertake to justifie the thing of which more anon He chargeth the Bishops of heinous Villany and they despised him He condemneth the Concilium Metense in which the Adultery was allowed § 20. This Pope falls out with Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes justifying against him the cause of Rothaldus whom he had deposed He sends Messengers to the King of Bulgaria converted in his days whom the Emperor's Officers stop and abuse The Adversaries of Images were still strong at Constantinople Anast. Bin. p. 670 c. Epist. 2. He useth a notable Argument for Images viz. God is known only in the Image of his Works Why then may we not make Images of the Saints But why must Men be compelled to do it or else be Hereticks and why must they be worshipped Epist. 5. He is pitifully put to it to justifie the Election of Nectarius and Ambrose and yet to condemn that of Photius for being a Lay-man And Ep. 6 the same again in the instance also of Tarasius § 21. The 8th Epistle of this Pope Nicolas to the Emperor Michael doth shew that he had now shaken off the Imperial Power and therefore chargeth his Letters as full of Blasphemy Injury Madness c. partly for being so sawcy as to bid the Pope Send some to him which he saith was far from the godly Emperors Partly for blaming the deeds of the Prelates when he saith Their words must be regarded and their authority and not their deeds Partly for calling the Latine Tongue barbarous and Scythian in comparison of the Greek which he saith is to reproach God that made it Partly for saying that the Council that deposed Ignatius and set up Photius was of the same number of Bishops as the first Council of Nice where this high Pope's answer is worth the notice of our Papists Bin. p. 689. The small number hurteth not where Piety aboundeth Nor doth multitude profit where Impiety reigneth Yea by how much the more numerous is the Congregation of the malignant by so much the stronger are they to do mischief Nor must men glory in numbers when they fight not against the Rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness Glory not therefore in multitude because it is not the multitude but the cause that justifieth or damneth Fear not little Flocks c. This Doctrine was then fittest for the Pope in his Minority But the Letter is a Book pleading for the Roman Grandure and striving to bring the Emperor with others under his power § 22. In his Answer and Laws to the Bulgarians he difliketh their Severities against one that had pretended to be a Priest when he was not and had baptized many concluding that he had saved many and that they were not to be re-baptized Bin. p. 772. No not though he were no Christian that baptized them as after Consul Cap. 104. p. 782. To the Case Who are Patriarchs he saith properly they only that have succeeded Apostles which were only three Rome Alexandria and Antioch but improperly only Constantinople and Ierusalem But why then are not Ephesus Corinth Philippi c. Patriarchates And why had the rest of the Apostles no Successors Had they no Churches § 23. This Pope having Western security threatned Excommunication to the Emperor of the East unless he would depose Photius and restore Ignatius and threatned Lotharius for the cause of his rejected Wife and the Marriage of another as aforesaid and swaggered against Hincmarus Rhemensis for his deposing Rothaldus a Bishop and forced him to yield and condemned his Synod at Metz and would have proved that Pope Benedict had not confirmed it He and other Popes did make the Contentions of Bishops as well as of Princes a great means of their rising taking the part of him that appealed to Rome as injured and very oft of the truly injured By which means they had one Party still for them and all injured persons were ready to flie to them for help He Excommunicated the Bishops of Colen and Triers The poor Bishops that would fain be on the stronger side began now to be at a loss to know whether the Emperor or the Pope was the strongest They followed the Emperor and resisted the Pope a while The King and Hincmarus forbad Rothaldus going to Rome and imprisoned him But the Pope wearied them out by reason of the divisions of the Empire and Kingdom into so many hands of the French Line that being in continual suspicion of each other they needed the Pope's help Bin. p. 790. He ordereth Pennance instead of just death for one Cumarus that had murdered three of his own Sons viz. That for three years he pray at the Church-door and that for seven years he abstain from Wine three days in a week and for three years to go without shoes allowing him to eat Milk and Cheese but not Flesh and to enjoy his Possession but not have the Sacrament for seven years § 24. His Decretals begin That the Emperor's Iudgments and Laws are below the Canons and cannot dissolve them or prejudice them Tit. 4. 1. He saith All Patriarchal Dignity all Metropolitical Primacy all Bishops Chairs and the dignity of Churches of what Order soever were instituted by the Church of Rome But it 's he only did found it and erect it on the Rock of Faith now beginning who to St. Peter the Key-bearer of eternal life did commit the Rights both of the Terrene and the Celestial Empire Reader Had not the abuse of Humane Patriarchal Power and of Excommunications got up very high when this bold Pope made this Decree What! All Churches in the World made only by Rome Was not Ierusalem Antioch and many another made before it Did Christ say any thing of Rome Did not other Apostles build Churches by the same Apostolick Commission as Peter had Is not the Church built on the foundation of Prophets and Apostles Christ being the Head-corner Stone Did not others build the Church of Rome before Peter did it Did not Peter build other Churches before Rome Where and when did Christ give Peter the Imperial Power of Earth and Heaven did he not decide the Controversie who should be the chief or greatest with a prohibition of all Imperial Power With you it shall not be so § 25. But the next Dectee casteth Rome as low as this over-raised it If any one by Money or Humane-Favor or by Popular or Military Tumult be inthroned in the Apostolick Seats without the Concordant and Canonical Election of the Cardinals of that Church and then of the following Religious Clerks let him not be accounted a Pope or Apostolical but Apostatical By which Rome hath had so few Popes indeed and so many
Magistrate or Earls but he and all his Company shall obey the Bishop and come to him Cap. 10. No Bishop shall be Deposed but by twelve Bishops no Presbyter but by six Bishops no Deacon but by three Cap. 21. In Controversies Lay-men must swear but Clergy-men must not be put to swear Cap. 22. There is allowed Tryal by fire Per ignem Candenti ferro Caute examinetur § 6. CCCIV. A Council at Nantes made more disciplinary Canons § 7. Who was next Pope is not agreed Platina and Onuphrius say that Boniface was rightly Chosen and Reigned but twenty six days saith Platina or fifteen saith Onuphrius others saith Platina say twelve years Baronius and Binius saith that he was no Pope and that he did but invade the Pope-dome and was homo nefarius a wicked man twice before this Degraded First from his Deaconship and next from his Presbyterate Damned in a Romane Synod under John the Ninth He addeth that both of them Boniface and Stephen got the place by Force Fear and Tyranny and so it was but one Intruder that thrust out another Intruder But how then is the Succession secured Why it 's added Yet Stephen is numbred with the Popes by the common Sentence or Opinion because to avoid the danger of Schisme though he was homo scelestissimus a most wicked man yet all the Clergy approved bim and the whole Catholik Church took him for Christs Vicar Peters Successor How prove you that why because Fulke Bishop of Rhemes owned him A Noble proof that all the Christian World did so § 8. Say Barronius and Binius he began his Pope-dome with that Sacriledg as to take the Corps of Formous out of his Grave and cloathing him in his Pontifical Robes he set him in a Chair and saith Platina there judged him as no Pope because he had been first a Bishop which indeed by the old Canons nullified his calling For Formosus was the first Pope that had been before a Bishop as is said unless the Emporour Basil truly charged Macrinus with the same Having Expostulated with the dead man why he being a Bishop would take the Pope-dome he cut off his three four Fingers with which he had Anointed and cast them into the River Tyber and commanded that all that he had Ordained should be Ordained again and so Conform to him And they wonder with what face of Reason Onuphrius rejecteth all this as a Fable when the Antient Monuments Synodal Acts and Historians testify it Do you wonder at this why it is because he was not willing it should be believed a Reason that is not strange to your selves § 4. CCCV Pope Stephen called a Council in which his usage of Pope Formosus was approved Bin. ex Baron p. 1047 so ready were the Bishops to follow the strongest side in such things as the Papists mention with abhorrence And say they this portentum attended the Synod That the Laterane Church the chief Seat of the Pope by the impulse of an evill Angel fell down quite from the Altar to the doors the Walls not being able to stand when the Chief Cardinal Door was shaken with the Earthquake of so great a Villany § 10. But here the Authors calling us Novatores as if such Popes were of glorious Antiquity are hard put to it to Vindicate against us the Popes infallibility And how do they do it Why 1st They say that all that Stephen did against Formosus a man stricken with Madness did it fulfilling the perswasion of his boyling Rage But in the lawful use of his Papal Authority he defined nothing against Faith or good manners For the Bishops that were for this Cause called to the Council and the Presbyters not unlike to Stephen himself did prosecute Formosus with the same hatred and therefore pronounced that Sentence against him which they fore knew would be pleasing to a man smitten with Fury so that we confess violent Tyranny but no Errour in Faith defined or approved by him Lawfully using his Papal Authority And yet it were no prejudice to the Papal Seat if we grant that a false Pope not lawfully Chosen but invading and obtruded did err in asserting Articles of Faith Thus the Author Ans. 1. But if you grant this is not your Succession interrupted 2. And was your Church a true Church when an Essential part was Null 3. Howver was it the Holy Church when an essential Part was such a Villain 4. Will not your Argument as well prove every Bishop Priest or man Infallible For no one of them all can define falsly against an Article of Faith as long as he lawfully useth his Power For it is no lawful use of power that so defineth and belieth God 5. But is all your foundation of Faith come to this It is then but saying when ever your Pope and Church Erreth that they did not use their Power lawfully And what relief is that to the deceived How shall we know when your Popes have used it lawfully and when not and so what is true among you and what false 6. And were your Roman Council of Bishops and Priests all as bad as this Villainous Pope and ready to please him in their Decrees And was this a Holy Church and like to be an Infallible Council And must the World follow them 7. And how then shall we know that it was not just so with many other former and following Councils and that it will not be so with you again O miserable shifts against plain Truth § 11. The same great Authors after Luitpraudus l. 1. c 9. say that Stephen an Invader of the Papal Seat by the faction of the Nâ—bles against Adelbert Prince of Etruria was thrust into prison An. 900. and after he had been Pope Six Years being strangled in the same Prison ended his Days by Gods Vengeance in an infamous Death Yet Platina saith that he died the first Year and third month of his Reign and Onuphrius saith he sate one year two moneths and ninteen days § 12. It 's strang that Luitpraudus saith that Stephen condemned the Corps of Formosus for being a Bishop before when Platina and Onuphrius say that he himself was Episcopus Anagninus when made Pope § 13. And Platina saith that This Controversie against Formosus was great and of ill Examples seeing that after this it was almost always kept as a Custome that following Popes did either Infring or wholly undoe the Acts of those that went before them And yet were they Infallible § 14. The next Pope was called Romanus whose Life Platina thus Describeth Romanus as soon as he was Pope presently Abrogateth and Condemneth the Decrees and Acts of Stephen For these Popes thought of nothing but to Extinguish the Name and Dignity of their Predecessors than which nothing can be worse or the part of a narrower mind For they that trust to such Acts as these having no Virtue themselves endeavor to rase out the
he was taken up again the first time and buried again But I suppose that it was but his Fingers that were cast in the first time and the Corps after or else he was found after the first time Platina saith It is reported but not of any certainty that some Fisher-men found the Corps and buried it â—t St. Peters Church and that while it was doing the Church Images bowed to it It 's well Vncertainty was put into the Story and that some thought this moved Sergius to envy but that indeed it was because Formosus party were against his Papacy It seems by this that the Fisher-men found him after the first casting into Tyber or else his burial by them could not be called the occasion of Sergius fact So little rest had this Popes Carkass being twice buried twice taken up twice judged and executed after death and twice cast into Tyber But saith Platina Popes now seeking and getting the Popedome by liberty and ambition disregarding Gods Worship exercised enmity against one another no otherwise than do the cruellest Tyrants glutting their own lusts the more securely when there are none left to restrain Vices This wicked Man for almost seven Years enjoyed the fruits of his iniquity § 24. Here Baronius and Binius forget to answer the great difficulty 1st How the Roman succession escaped from being interrupted 2. And also where was the Roman Church while such Reigned as were no Popes 3. And also where was its Holiness and Infallibility when it had the worst of Men as they say themselves thus set over them as their Heads But they are careful Nequis pusillanimus ex hoc facto scandalum accipiat lest weak minded persons should be scandalized by this And they tell us as a wonderful providence of God That so great was the reverence to the Church of Rome that even when such Men invaded the Popedome unlawfully being even in the Churches censure rather Apostatical than Apostolical yet those that did but hear who was Pope especially the Northern Countries that were far off obeyed them so that any Man may understand by how great a providence God Governeth the universal Church which when it was set on Fire at the will of Whores and all mischiefs and scandals did increase and it was feared it would be divided by a great schisme yet God defended it from all heresy and schisme all Nations persisted in one bond of Faith and Covent of Obedience Indeed Gods providence is wonderful that saveth his true Church from such wicked usurpers and keepeth a Union of all in Christ But this is no honour to the wicked usurpers when now fifteen schismes had divided them and many more afterward nor was it any honour or blessing to them that gave up their Kingdoms to such usurpers If these were no Popes but intruding Whore-mongers was it a blessing to the World to be deceived and to take those for Popes that indeed were none But had not they then a seeming Church and indeed none when an essential part was Null § 25. CCCVIII They say that Anno 909. A Council at Soissons ordered some Reformation § 26. Leo called Philosophus Son to Basilius Macedo this while was Emperour in the East who being formerly suspected and imprisoned by his Father upon some suggestion of Photius and Santabacenus was revenged on them when he Reigned and deposed Photius and put him into a Monastery This is the rest that Ambition procureth Thus Sin is the misery of the Sinner Alexander his Unckle was Gardian to Leo's Son the Father being Dead Nicholas had before been made Patriark and upon offence deposed and Euthymius put in his place But Alexander deposed Euthymius and restored Nicholas and having spent thirteen Months in Drunkenness and Lust Bled to Death and Constantine seven Years old with his Mother Zoe Reigned alone Constantine Ducas rebelling is subdued The Bulgarians Conquered by Leo Phocas General who thereupon aspiring to the Crown was slain Eight Years after Zoe is removed and one Romanus Lecapenus made Guardian and Caesar He advanced three of his Sons to the like honor to strengthen himself and made his other Son Theophilact Patriark instead of Stephen though he was but sixteen Years old He Married his Daughter to the Bulgarian King and then began to despise the Emperour and prefer himself God punished this by permitting his own Son Stephen to depose and banish him into an Island At last Constantine awaked and deposed them all and ruled himself in Drunkenness and Debauchery fifteen Years and then dyed or as some say was killed by Romanus's Sons After him Nicephorus Phocus a succesful Warrior but a bad Man Ruled The Church called him bad for oppressing them with Taxes His Wife Theophanon and Iohn Trimisces who succeeded killed him Thus hath the World been Governed and this is the profit of Ambition § 27. The next Pope is Anastatius the 3d. who sate two Years and two Months In this time the Eastern Emperour Leo published Constitutions which Baronius and Binius p. 1053. deride as ridiculous in imitation of Iustinian because he presumed to make Church Laws § 28. Lando was the next Pope Anno 912. and sate 6. Months and 22. Days say Baronius and Binius This Man at the importunate instaâ—ce of that most potent most noble and most impudent Whore Theodora who had prostituted one of her Daughters Marozia to Pope Sergius and the other Theodora to Aldebert Marquess of Tuscia and hereby had obtained or kept the Monarchy of the City who was Pope if this Whore was Monarch did create John whom she most filthily doted on a Presbyter of Ravina the Bishop of Bononia and Peter Arch-Bishop of Ravenna being Dead he made him there Arch-Bishop And a little after so filthy an act he Died. Luitpraud l. 2. c. 13. § 29. Next cometh this same Man Anno 912 Iohn 10. saith Platina and others the Son of Pope Sergius by the Whore Marozia say some but it s not like because Marozia killed him But it s more probable as Onuphrius noteth that it was not this Iohn but the next that was Son to Sergius and Marozia This Pope saith Baron and Bin. is he that the famous Whore Theodora for great comeliness of person doted on and saâ—th Luitpraud got him made Arch-Bishop of Ravenna and after Pope of Rome that she might not lye with him so seldome as the distance between Rome and Ravenna would necessitate So say they this impudent Man being powerful at Rome by the strength of a Whore is made a false Pope and wicked invader of the Seat where they shew how this Whore obtained her power But was this no interruption of the succession neither nor a nullifying of the Papal Church while he sate 13. or as Onuphrius 14. Years and more No saith Baron and Bin. He that was an Invader Theif and Robber by the after Consent of the Roman Clergy became the lawful Pope of Rome 1. We see then what the
Romane Clergy were that would have such a Pope 2. But they give no proof of any such Consent but say It is verisimile 3. And where was the Church till that Consent or at least its Holiness 4. Can such Mens Consent make a Pope of an uncapable person Will no Wickedness incapacitate § 30. Say the foresaid Authors in this Popes time Sisevandus Bishop of Compostella finding the great diversity of the Roman and Moâ—â—rabick Liturgy altered his by the Popes consent After Herveus one Seulphus was Arch-Bishop of Rhemes Heribert Earl of Aquitane considering that the Bishop of Rhemes Anointeth the King of France bargained to have his Son made next Bishop that thereby he might get the Crown In hast Seulphus is Poysoned because they could not stay till he dyed Heribert ' s Son not yet Five Years old is made Arch-Bishop O scelus in auditum say Baronius and Binius This monstrous Election say they never before seen or heard of in the Christian World nor perhaps thought of Pope John did not only not disallow but ratifyed And by this Fact the Infamous Pope gave an Example to many Princes not only in that but the following Ages Alas for Grief to procure Lads that were their Kindred to be thrust into the Chief Seats or Bishopricks to the great Mischief of the Church A Work say they indeed worthy such a Pope whom an Infamous Woman by an Infamous Work had thrust into St. Peter's Chair Qu. Were such Villaines as Infallible as others Did their Love Honesty and Chastity fail and yet Were they secured against the Failing of their Faith Or Had they a Sincere Faith that had no other Grace And Could these forgive Sins and deliver Souls out of Purgatory When he had sate Fourteen Years or Sixteen saith Baronius and Binius Marquess Wido by the Perswasion of his Wife Marozia Pope Sergius Whore for the sake of his Brother Peter whom they hated cast him out of his Seat into a Prison where shortly after he was Choked with a Pillow And so the Invader and unjust Detainer of the Apostolick-Seat had an End worthy of his Wickedness And he that by the Impudent Mother Theodora had violently seized on the Holy Seat by her as Impudent Daughter was by God's just Iudgment Ejected Imprisoned and Deprived both of it and of his Life Ex Luitpr Frodoaldo Baron § 31. CCCIX Anno 912. A Synod at Confluence decreed as against Incest That none Marry within the seventh Degree of Kindred Was that Divine Law § 32. Two or Three other Synods at Trosâ—etum are mentioned about small Matters and One at Duisburge to Excommunicate some that put out the Bishops Eyes § 33. The next Pope is Leo the Sixth and Dyed after Seven or Six Months and Fifteen Dayes § 34. Next Anno 929. succeeded Stephen the Eighth or Seventh and sate but two Years one Month and fifteen Dayes How they were so fast dispatched I omit § 35. Next comes the Son of Marozia Pope Sergius his Bastard call'd Iohn the Eleventh His Mother and Father-in-Law Wido got him in Anno 931. even when he was a Lad under Age. His Brother Albericus saith Baronius did keep this Pope in Prison to his Death But the Case was this vid. Bin. p. 1055. Wido being Dead Marozia offereth the Dominion of Rome to his own Brother Hugo on condition he would Marry her He accepteth the Condition and secretly entering the Castle of St. Angelo after he had committed Incest with her his Brother's Widow he despised the Romans When his Son-in-Law Albericus by his Mother Marozia's Command poured out Water to wash his Hands he stroke him on the Face for pouring too much To Revenge this Wrong Albericus stir'd up the Romans to a Defection and having by Assault of the Castle put to Flight bis Father-in-Law Hugo he commanded his Mother Marozia and his Bastard-Brother the Counterfeit Pope John to be kept in Prison in which the violent Invader dyed being violently cast out after for five Years and some Months he had rather filthily Defiled tban Ruled the Apostolick-Seat Saith Binius out of Luitpraudus and Baronius Calling him a Monster and yet Magnifying Rome because such were Obeyed § 36. CCCX Anno 932. A small Council at Erford in Germany under King Henry decreed 1. That Holy-Dayes be kept for an Honourable Commemoration of the Twelve Apostles and Fasting on the Evens 2. That no State-Meetings be kept on the Lord's Dayes or other Holy-Dayes nor Christians then cited to the Courts of Justice 3. Nor when he is going to Church 4. That scandalous Ministers be tryed 5. That no private Christian make or impose any Fast on himself without the Bishop or his Missionaries Consent An unreasonable Usurpation Must the Bishop needs know all the Reasons that every Man hath for Fasting and be Judge of them But sure the Bishop's Diocess had not then so many hundred Parishes and so many Counties as they have now Else by that time the Bishop and his Commissary had heard a Hundred Thousand or Fifty Thousand Persons tell him what Reasons they had to Fast besides the common Fasts at any time or on any special Occasions much of his time would be taken up § 37. Anno 935. A Council at Rhemes against Church-Robbers c. § 38. Anno 936. Leo the Seventh was made Pope after Iohn the Eleventh In that time Hugo that was got away from Albericâ—s had got an Army and Besieged Rome A Match was made for Albericus to Marry Hugo's Daughter And so Marozia's Husband and Son were agreed by the means of Odo Abbot of Cluniac § 39. Henry King of Germany the Glory saith Baronius and Binius of Christian Religion dyed at this time who after many other Nations Couverted also the King of Denmark to the Christian Faith and left his Son Otho the Heir of his Piety and Valour Yet are not other Papists ashamed to say That all these Nations were Converted by the Pope who was the great Scandal that hindred the Conversion of the World § 40. But say the same Authors Manassâ—s Bishop of Arles now troubled the Churcb Being an Ambitious Man not contented with his Seat by the means of Hugo King of Italy he also invaded the Bishopricks of Verona and of Trent and of Mantua and of Milaâ— it self O now the Church prosper'd Saying That he did it by the Example of the Prince of the Apostles who at once possessed Rome Antioch and Alexandria Ex Luitpraud And could the Pope blame him that would be Bishop at the Antipodes and have all the World But it s strange that Men should talk of Bishops Ambition as of a strange thing in the Year 937. § 41. Anno 939. Pope Stephen the Nineth was chosen by Otho of Germany without the Cardinal-Clergy who had neither Power nor Virtue enough to choose And the City was under the Power of Albericus who Tyrannized over them And because he had not the Choice
The Council was called Anno 963. out of Italy France and Germany besides Roman Cardinals and Nobles The Emperor first asked Why Pope John was not there The Roman Bishops Cardinals Presbyters and Deacons and all the People answered We wonder your Holy Prudence should ask us this Question seeing he so openly manageth the Workâ— of the Devil that it is not unknown to the Babylonians Iberians or Indians The Emperor required particular Accusations Then Peter a Cardinal-Presbyter said That he saw him Celebrate Mass and not Communicate A Bishop and a Cardinal-Deacon said That they saw him Ordain a Deacon in a Stable of Horses Benedict and many others said That he Ordained Bishops for Money and Ordained a Boy of Ten Years old Bishop of Tudortine Of Sacriledge there needed no Witness but Eye-sight Of Adultery they said that they saw it not but they certainly knew that he abused the Widow of Ragnerius and his Father's Concubine and Anne a Widow and her Neece and made the Holy-Palace a common Bawdy-House and Stews That he put out the Eyes of his Spiritual Father Benedict and kill'd him thereby That he killed John a Cardinal Subâ—Deacon by cutting off his Virilia That he set Fire on Houses went Armed and Harnassed as a Souldier They all both Clergy and Laity cryed out that he Drunk a Health of Wine to the Devil Diaboli in Amorem That he at his Play at Dice would crave the Help of Jupiter Venus and other Demons c. The Emperor said That Bad Men often accuse the Good and lest Malice or Livor should move them he adjured them as before God to speak nothing untruly against the Pope and without certain Proof His Adjurations were most Vehement The Bishops Deacons Clergy and all the People of Rome answered as one Man and said If both the Things read by Benedict the Deacon and filthier and greater Villainies were not committed by Pope John Let not St. Peter Absolve us from the Bond of our Sins Let us be found tyed with the Bonds of Anathema or Cursed from Christ and be set at Christ's Left-Hand at the Last Day with those that said to Godâ—he â—he Lord Depart from us we would not have the Knowledge of thy Wayes If you believe not Vs believe your Army that saw him c. The Emperor being satisfyed by his Armies Witness also the Council moved that Letters of Summons might be sent to the Pope to appear and answer for himself A Leteer was written as from the Emperor and Bishops telling him That the things charged on him were such as it would be a Shame to hear of Stage-Players which if all were numb'red the Day would fail That not a Few but All both Clergy and Laity accused him of Murder Perjury Sacriledge and of Incest with his own Kindred and with two of his own Sisters They say also Horrid to hear That you drunk Wine in Love to the Devil ask't Help of Jupiter Venus and other Demons at your Dice c. We crave you would come and answer for your self and swear nothing shall be done to you besides the Canons The Pope reading this sent this Answer We hear that you will make another Pope If you do so I Excommunicate you from God Almighty that you may have no License to Ordain any nor to Celebrate Mass. After this more Bishops came out of Germany and they write again to the Pope telling him That if he will not appear and answer they shall despise his Excommunications and turn it upon himself He would not be found The Emperor seeing he would not appear told the Council how treacherously he had dealt by him intreating him to come and help him and after broke his Oath and joyned with his Enemies The whole Clergy Bishops and all the People cry out An un-heard-of Wound must be cured with an un-heard-of Cautery and declaring the Mischief he had done craveth that this Monster of incurable Vice might be cast out of the Roman-Church and another put in his Place that will go before them with good Example Then they all cryed up Leo the Proto-Soriniarius which thrice repeating upon Consent they Ordained him and swore Fidelity to him § 54. If now Baronius and Binius say That the Clergies Consent can make an uncapable Monster a true Bishop let any one tell us 1. Whether this Council did not prove that the Church did not consent to Iohn 2. Or Whether his utter Incapacity many express Canons and the Bishops and Councils Consent did not Eject him and Authorize Leo § 55. But here we come to the Core of all the Papists Cheats When they tell us themselves of all this Wickedness they cry out O the happy Church of Rome that though it fail in Manners yet never faileth in Faith Answ. 1. If General Councils are sufficient Witnesses that judged Popes Hereticks it hath failed in Faith 2. Hath that Man true Faith that wanteth all things requisite to a Lawful Bishop and that drinketh to the Devil and prayeth to Jupiter and Venus and Liveth in all Wickedness What a thing is Popish Faith 3. Did Christ mean to pray only that St. Peter might have such a Faith as will stand with Wickedness and Damnation What the better is any Man of a wicked Heart and Life for a dead Opinion call'd Faith that will damn him the more deeply for sinning against it 4. It is not possible but that serious true Belief of so great Things as God and Christ and Glory will bring a Man to serious Repentance and Reformation § 56. Here Baronius and Binius become this Monster 's Advocate and say That there never was a Council of Orthodox Men that sinned more against the Canons and Traditions than this false Council How false is a Devil-worshipping Pope a Murderer and common Adulterer and incestuous Villainies in comparison of all his Neighbor-Bishops 1. They say They could not call a Council without him Answ. 1. He was no Pope 2. It 's a Trayterous Fiction to say That an Emperor may not call his Subject-Bishops together to a Council 3. VVhat if Devilish Villains will make Murders and Perjury and Rebellions to pass for Duties and never call Councils Must the Devil therefore be made Lord of the Catholick-Church without Remedy 4. VVho gave your Pope that Priviledge If Council or Princes they can take it from him If Christ prove it or Shame be to him that yieldeth it 5. That Man is so ignorant of Church-History or Impudent as not to be worthy to be disputed with that denyeth That Princes have called Councils even the Greatest and most Honored II. They say There should be Seventy-Two Witnesses and there was scarce one besides the Accusers Answ. 1. The whole Council and People of Rome and Army are VVitnesses under the most direful Imprecations 2. The Pope may go on safely till God take him in Hand if he must pass for Innocent till he will lye with his own Sisters or murder Men and cut
Emperor and the new Pope Clement Guibert Raven § 87. CCCLXX An. 1085. A Council at Quintilineburg condemned two Heresies The first was the Royalist Heresie of Loyalty called the Henricians from Henry the Emperor who thought that the Pope and Prelates had not authority to depose Kings and Emperors but were to be Subjects to them An Heresie if such that most Kings are very much inclined to as taught them by St. Paul Rom. 13. and by St. Peter himself You see O Princes if you will be the Popes and Prelates Executioners that you must come at last to the Stake your selves and fall under the Law de Hereticis comburendis unless you will be Servants your selves or trust to some peculiar chalibeate remedies The great argument of the Pope was The Disciple is not above his Master One Gunibert undertook to prove That the Pope had no such power but what he had usurped and taken to himself but might be judged But the foresaid Argument struck all dead But might not these Prelates have understood 1. That the Pope himself may have a Master in Philosophy Physick c. And is he not for all that Above his Master 2. Is the King above no Master that teacheth him in any Art or Science 3. Are not Christ's words plainly to be understood of Superiority and Inferiority in eodem genere The Disciple as such is not above his Master but as a King he may or else Princes give up their Kingdoms to every Schoolmaster that they choose 4. This Doctrine sets not only Popes and Prelates but every teaching Priest or Preacher above the King for to such the King may be a Disciple 5. This tendeth therefore to tempt Princes to be utterly ignorant and brutish for fear lest by learning any thing of any Master they should give away their Kingdoms And if Children be Kings by inheritance what a snare is here laid to undo them 6. Doth not the Holy Ghost say Let every Soul be subject and were not Peter and the Apostles some of these Souls Did not Christ himself and Peter pay Tribute But remember again you that are Subjects to such Councils and Prelates that it is by them judged Heresie to be Loyal and to plead for the Clergies subjection to Kings § 88. The Heresie of Wecilo was here also condemned that said as they report him That when the secular Men were spoiled of their Estates and Goods it 's like by the Ecclesiasticks they were not bound to obey the Ecclesiasticks and might be received by others when they were Excommunicate It was therefore decreed That whoever was Excommunicate by his Bishop that Bishop not being himself Excommunicate or deprived of his Office though it were unjustly done should by no means be received to Communion by any other unless absolved in the Ecclesiastical manner And so God must be disobeyed that commandeth the Faithful to worship him in Sacramental Communion whenever any proud malicious or drunken Prelate will forbid him And must so live and die unless his Masters will repent of their injuries When as it is usual for one injury to engage a Man to more or to continue it for the justification of the first § 89. Another Decree of this Hereticating Council was What days to keep the Spring and Summer Fasts on and that none eat Cheese or Eggs in Lent This is the Roman holiness and way to Heaven Many Archbishops and several Cardinals were here Excommunicate also for being for the Emperor against the Pope § 90. CCCLXXI But the Wars of Councils continuing a Council was called by the Emperor at Mentz where the deposition of Gregory and the substitution of Clement whose Legates were present was confirmed and the Condemners again condemned And so we have done with the Life Letters and Councils of Hildebrand § 91. Pope Gregory dying Clement alone was Pope one year and then the Italians chose Desiderius an Abbot called Victor the 3d. This was the 23d Schism or two Popes at once Victor lived but a year and three months and 24 days Historians tell us of Famines and dreadful Prodigies in those days In that little time he raised an Army which beat the Saracens in Africk § 92. CCCLXXII A Council at Capua chose this Victor An. 1087. and when he was brought to Rome they found Pope Clement in possession and keeping it by Arms but when they had fought Victor's Soldiers proved Victors and his Title to be best § 93. CCCLXXIII Victor had a Council at Benevent where he damned Pope Clement and his Bishops An. 1087. The grand Controversie of those times of the Pope against the Emperor and other Princes was about Presentations to Bishopricks or Investitures which the Pope said belonged to no Lay-man Victor ' s Council again judged such Presentations or Collation of Bishopricks to be Sacriledge and such Simoniacs that used them And here it 's worth the noting that they decree Bin. p. 1293. That Penance and Communion may be received from none but a Catholick And if no Catholick Priest be there it is righter to persist without visible Communion and to communicate invisibly with the Lord than by taking it from a Heretick to be separated from God For there is no Communion of Christ and Belial nor of a Believer with an Infidel But every Heretick is an Infidel And a Simoniac because an Heretick is an Infidel For though Catholicks because of the Hereticks being over them cannot have visible and corporal Communion yet while in mind they are joined to Christ they invisibly receive his Communion Let it be here noted 1. That this Council confesseth that the Sacrament and visible Communion is not of necessity to salvation And why not the same of visible Baptism when it cannot be had on lawful terms 2. That therefore it is no sinful Separation to refuse such Church-Communion as cannot be had on lawful terms or but from Hereticks Simoniacs or Sacrilegious 3. That this sheweth that the Church of Rome hath their Succession oft interrupted For by the testimony of their most flattering Historians and of General Councils many Popes have been Simoniacs Ergo saith this Council Hereticks and Infidels Ergo no Popes Ergo their Faith failed 4. That this maketh their Bishops Priests and Churches in all their own Kingdoms where Princes have the presenting and investing of Bishops to be all void and null as being Infidels And that not only among Protestants none should communicate with any Bishops that have their Presentation and Investiture from Kings but must separate from them as Infidels but even in Papists Kingdoms they must do the same § 94. Victor commended Odo or Otho Ostiensis for his Successor who is chosen in his stead against Clement and called Urban the 2d He made their old Patroness Mathildis in her age to marry with an Italian Duke Welpho on condition that they should never have Carnal Copulation The Emperor came to Rome and set up Clement Urban or Otho being one
both to summon a Council they cunningly would not agree of the place and so forced the doing it without them § 265. CCCCLXVII To put a shew on the business Greg. calleth a Council at Aquileia whether by long delays he creepeth with a few to do nothing § 266. CCCCLXVIII And the other Pope Bened. 13. Anno 1409 also calleth his Council in Arragone of his Subjects which calleth it self a General Council and pronounce him the true Pope and no Schismatick or Heretick and Greg. to be the Usurper but exhort him to endeavour Unity § 267. CCCCLXIX The two Popes giving no better hopes some of the Cardinals of both sides slipt from them and by the Countenance of the Florentines and King Ladislaus chose Pisa for a General Council where they met and summoned both the Popes who scorned them and they deposed them both as Hereticks and Schismaticks saith Binius forbidding all Christians to obey them and they chose a third Alexander 5. and the two old ones kept up still and so there were three Popes at once § 268. An. 1409. Alex. 5. is chosen much commended but died in eighteen Months some say saith Antoninus poysoned by a Clyster But to shew himself a Pope in that little time he deposed King Ladislaus and gave his Kingdome to Lewis Duke of Anjou § 269. Balthasar Cossa is next chosen called by some Ioh. 21. by others 22. by others 23. and by Platina Ioh. 24. so little are they agreed of their succession Platina saith the Cardinals of Greg. were yet poor and he hired them with Money to Create him He got Sigismund King of Bohemia chosen Emperour and would have had the Council to be at Rome Italy continued still in blood the Popes having parcelled it into so many small Principalities to secure it against the Emperours no part of the whole World lived from Age to Age in such continual War and confusion This Pope saith Onuphrius Panvinus viz. fuit bello armis quam Religioni aptior utpote qui neque fidem norat neque Religionem rebus profanis magis quam Divino cultu accommodatus How he was accused deposed imprisoned how the other two Popes Greg. 12. and Bened. 13. were all deposed with him and Martin 5. chosen the next Chapter sheweth CHAP. XIII The Council of Constance Basil and some others § 1. CCCCLXX AN. 1414. the Council of Constance was called by the means of the Emperour Sigismund and the consent of Pope Iohn who the more trusted the Emperour because he had promoted him There were then three Popes Bened. 13. in France whom the Kingdomes of France Spain Arragon England and Scotland followed and Greg. 12. and Iohn 23. at Rome that divided the rest of the Papalines It was not certainly to represent the Trinity but to profane the Name and abuse the Kingdome of the blessed Trinity Oct. 28. P. Iohn called by them Sanctissimus Dominus Noster entereth the City Nov. 5. The Pope began the Council Nov. 16. was the first Session the Pope speaking to them and his Bull being read shewing that he would have had the Council at Rome but the miserable case of Rome by contention and confusion hindering it was agreed with the Emperour to be at Constance commanding to be there for the peace of the Church and appointing a Weekly Mass to be said for obtaining Gods blessing and pardoning a years penance for every Mass to every Mass-Priest that said it exhorting all to fasting and prayer for good success charging them to look after Errours especially those that rose from one Iohn Wickliff and also to reform the Church c. March 2. 1415. The Pope took an Oath for the peace of the Church to lay down his Popedome if the other two Popes would do the same and the Emperour kist his feet The Cardinal of Florence read these Decrees 1. That the Council was lawfully called 2. That it will not be dissolved by the departure of the Pope or other Prelates 3. That it be not dissolved till the present Schisme be healed and the Church reformed in Faith and Manners in Head and Members 4. That it be not removed but on just cause 5. That the Bishops depart not § 2. In the fourth Session they decreed that the general Council representing the militant Catholick Church hath its power immediately from Christ to which every man of what State or dignity soever though it be Papal is bound to obey in the things that belong to Faith and the extirpation of the said Schism and the general reformation of the Church in head and members 2. That the Pope withdraw not himself or the Officers and if he should or should thunder out Church censures against them or any adhering to the Council they are void 3. That no Translations Promotions or Cardinals be made to the prejudice of the Council 4. That three of each Nations be chosen to judge of departures c. But the Pope fled and sent them word that it was not for fears but for his health § 3. Sess. 5. The Emperor being among them they decreed again the Power of the Council as immediately from Christ which the Pope and all must obey and that the Pope is punishable if he disobey that he is bound to surrender in any case of great and evident profit to the Church that he unlawfully departed that if he will return and perform his promise he shall be safe Next they proceeded to condemn the Books of Iohn Wickliff and to prosecute Iohn Huss Next they applied themselves to the Emperour to reduce the Pope who told them he was in the hands of the Duke of Austria but if they pleased he would write to him or try to fetch him by force c. § 4. Sess. 6. They order the Procuration for the Popes Resignation to be demanded and Process to be made against Iohn Huss and Hierome of Prague A Letter is read from the University of Paris to the Pope to submit to the Council § 5. Sess. 7. They accused Hierome of Prague for not appearing and summoned the Pope promising him safe Conduct sed salvâ Iustitiâ c. § 6. Sess. 8 They condemned Wickliff's Bones to be dig'd up upon 45 Articles instead of 260 which they had gathered Art 1. was 1. That the substance material of Bread and Wine remain in the Sacrament of the Altar 2. The Accidents of Bread remain not without the substance 3. Christ is not identically and really in his proper bodily presence in the Sacrament 4. If a Bishop or Priest live in mortal sin he Ordaineth not Baptizeth not Consecrateth not 5. The Gospel saith not that Christ instituted the Mass. 6. God ought to obey the Devil 7. If a man be contrite aright outward confession is needless and unprofitable 8. If the Pope be a Reprobate and wicked and so a Member of the Devil he hath no power over the faithful given him by any but Caesar. 9. Since Vrban the
6. none is to be taken for Pope but we must live as the Greeks under our own Laws 10. It is against Scripture that Church-men have possession that is they should not labour to be rich 11. No Prelate should excommunicate any one unless he know that God hath first excommunicated him And he that so excommunicateth is thereby a Heretick or Excommunicate 12. A Prelate that excommunicateth a Clerk who appealed to the King or to the Council of the Kingdome is thereby a Traytor to the King and Kingdome 13. They that give over Preaching or hearing Gods Word for mens Excommunication are Excommunicate and in the Day of Judgment shall be judged Traytors to Christ. 14. It is lawful for a Deacon or Presbyter to preach the Word of God without the Authority of the Apostolick Seal or a Catholick Bishop 15. No one is a Civil Lord or a Prelate or a Bishop while he liveth in mortal sin The meaning of this is no open wicked man is a Subject capable of such Authority given by Christ as shall warrant him to use the place but his acts may be valued to others in many cases Dispositio materiae est necessaria ad formam recipiendam As an Infidel can be no Bishop or Pastor 16. Temporal Lords may take away temporal goods from the Church from a Possessor habitually criminal and not only in act Not from the sacred use in general but from that man that forfeiteth them 17. The people may correct their Delinquent Lords This is not to be believed to be Wickliff's sense till they cite his own words which no doubt limit it to the cases 18. Tythes are meer Alms and the Parishioners may take them away for their Prelates sins 19. The special prayers applied by Prelates and Religious men to one person profit him no more than the general ones caeteris paribus 20. He that giveth Alms to Fryars is thereby Excommunicate that is he sins by cherishing wilful idleness 21. He that enters the private Religion either of the Possessing or the Mendicant Fryars becomes less fit and able to keep the Commandments of God 22. Holy men that made private Religions thereby sinned 23. The Religious living in private Religion are not therein of the Christian Religion 24. Fryars are bound to get their living by the labour of their hands and not by begging 25. They are Simoniacal that bind themselves to pray for others for a temporal reward or price 26. The prayers of Reprobates wicked men availeth not to any 27. All things come to pass by necessity 28. The Confirmation of Youth the Ordination of Clerks the Consecration of Places are reserved to the Pope and Bishops for covetousness of temporal gain and honour 29. Universities Studies Colledges Degrees and Masterships in them are introduced by vain Gentility and profit the Church as much as the Devil doth 30. The Excommunication of a Pope or any Prelate is not to be feared because it is the Censure of Antichrist 31. They that found Cloysters sin and they are Diabolical that enter them 32. To enrich the Clergy is against Christs Rule 33. Pope Sylvester and the Emperour Constantine erred in inriching the Church 34. All the Order of Begging Fryars are Hereticks and those that give to them are Excommunicate 35. They that enter Religion as Fryars or any Order of them are thereby disabled from keeping Gods Commands and so of coming to Heaven unless they forsake them 36. The Pope and all his Clergy that have Possessions are therefore Hereticks and the Secular Lords and Laicks that consent to them to their great riches 37. The Church of Rome is the Synagogue of Satan and the Pope is not the immediate and nearest Vicar of Christ and the Apostles 38. The Decretal Epistles are Apocryphal and seduce from the Faith of Christ and the Clerks that study them are fools 39. The Emperour and Secular Lords were seduced by the Devil to inrich the Church excessively he meaneth with temporal goods 40. The Election of the Pope by Cardinals was introduced by the Devil 41. It is not necessary to Salvation to believe the Church of Rome to be the Supreme among other Churches 42. It is foolish to trust to the Indulgences of the Pope and Bishops 43. Oaths made to strengthen humane Contracts and Civil Commerce are unlawful 44. Augustine Benedict Bernard are damned unless they repented of having possessions and instituting and entering private Religions and so from the Pope to the lowest Religious Fryar they are all Hereticks 45. All Religions that is Orders of Fryars were introduced by the Devil This Article about Necessity of Events I see in Wickliff's Books is his own and many here cited are true but no doubt but many of them are perverted by their wording them and leaving out the Explicatory Context The Council forbad his Books and condemned them to be burnt and reprobated every one of all these foresaid Articles with all the 260. The Duke of Austria most humbly begged the Emperours pardon for receiving the Pope § 7. Sess. 9. The Citation of the Pope is read and Commissaries and Judges appointed and a Letter read from the University of Paris instigating the Council to their duty for their honest Chancellour Gerson was here § 8. Sess. 10. The Popes Suspension was read The Sess. 11. the Articles against the Pope are read which were proved which were in sum as followeth Art 1. That the Pope Iohn from his Youth was of a naughty disposition impudent a lyar rebellious against his Parents given to most Vices and so was and still is accounted of all that know him Cardinals Arch-Bishops Bishops c. witness it 2. He gathered riches by Symony and wicked means 3. By these Symoniacal riches he purchased a Cardinals place at great rates 4. Possessing Bononia as Legate by tyranny and cruel exactions inhumanely and impiously he ruined the people without all Justice or Piety c. 5. Getting thus to be Pope like a Pagan he contemned all Divine Offices 6. That he is the oppressor of the poor the persecutor of Justice the Pillar of the unjust the Statue of Simoniacks the servant of the Flesh the dregs of Vices a stranger to Virtue flying publick Consistories wholly given to sleep and other fleshly desires wholly contrary to Christ in life and manners the Glass of Infamy and the profound Inventer of all wickednesses or malice so scandalous to the Church that among faithful Christians that knew him he was commonly called THE DEVIL INCARNATE 7. That as a Vessel of all sins he repulsed the worthy and gave all Offices Benefices and Church-promotions to the bad that would give most Money for them 8. Hereby the whole Church Clergy and People fell under infamy and scandal 9. That of all these he was oft admonished and humbly intreated 10. That he was worse after than before laying all pretence of Justice and openly selling all to the worst that would give him money 11. That growing
before divers Prelates and other honest men by the Devils perswasion be pertinaciously said asserted dogmatized and maintained that there is no Life Eternal nor any after this And he said and pertinaciously believed that mans Soul dieth with the body and is extinct as are the Bruits And be said that the Dead rise not contrary to the Article of the Resurrection c. He sent an Epistle to the Emperour to beg mercy c. § 9. Sess. 12. The Articles being shewed the Pope his Answer is recited Viz. That he repented of his filthy departure and ratified all the Councils Process against him and would give no other Answer to their Charge affirming that the Council of Constance was most holy and could not err and was the Pisane Council continued and he would never contradict the Council but publickly confess that he had no right in the Papacy That he would be much pleased that the Sentence against him might be quickly passed and sent him which with all reverence he would receive and as much as in him lay confirm ratifie approve and divulge and did then ratifie approve and confirm all their Process against him and promise never to gainsay them The Council decreed that when the Papacy was void none should be chosen without them and they that attempted it should be punished and the Election be void Next the Definitive Sentence of Deposition was past against him Next they decreed that none of the three present Popes should ever be elected again § 10. Sess. 13. The Council decreed that though Christ after Supper instituted and to his Disciples administred the Sacrament in both kinds Bread and Wine c. And though in the Primitive Church the faithful received it in both kinds c. yet the contrary custome of the Church should be a Law which may not be reprobated without the Churches Authority or changed And to say that this is sacrilegious and unlawful is erroneous and the pertinacious Assertors to be proceeded against as Hereticks that is burnt Thus they take power to change Christs Sacrament and that when they suppose it to be his very blood that they deny men and make it Heresie and death to obey God before them This was the Reforming Council Next they decree that any Priest that giveth the Sacrament in both kinds shall be excommunicated and used as a Heretick even by Secular Power that is burnt § 11. Sess. 14. Carolus de Malatestis recited in the name of Gregory 12. his Renunciation of the Papacy and Greg. approved the Council The Council absolveth all men from his obedience c. confirm some of his Acts require the third Pope to resign and declare him if he refuse a notorious Schismatick and pertinacious Heretick § 12. Sess. 15. After a severe Decree for silence and no contradiction the Articles of Heresie charged on Iohn Huss were read the sum of many is as followeth 1. As Christ is both God and Man so the consecrated Host is the Body of Christ at least in Figure and true Bread in Nature 2. That he declareth to the heretical lyars about the consecrated Host that they can never declare or understand an accident without a subject 3. This is my body is such a figurative speech as John was Elias 4. The madness of feigning an accident without a subject blasphemeth God scandalizeth the Saints and deceiveth the Church 5. It s foolish and presumptuous to desine that the Infants of the faithful are not saved dying without the Sacrament of Baptism 6. The light and brief Confirmation by Bishops solemnized only by the Rites said over was introduced by the Devil and to delude the people in the belief of the Church and that the solemnity and necessity of Bishops may be the more believed 7. Against Oyl anointing Children and the Linnen Cloth as a light Ceremony c. 8. Vocal Confession made to a Priest introduced by Innocent is not so necessary as he defineth He that by thought word or deed offendeth his Brother it sufficeth him to repent by thought word or deed 9. The Priest hearing Confession as the Latines do is grievous and groundless c. A good life is a good sign of a true Minister The ill life of a Prelate substracteth the Subjects acceptation of Orders and other Sacraments and yet in case of necessity they may receive of such piously praying that God will make up himself by these his Diabolical Ministers the work or end of the Office which they are sworn to Ancient persons that despair of children may lawfully marry for temporal commodity or mutual help or to excuse Lust. Words of Marriage de praesenti I take thee for my Wife frustrate words de futuro to another I will take thee for a Wife The Pope that falsly calls himself the servant of the servants of God is in no degree of Evangelical service but worldly and if he be in any order it is in that of Devils serving God more culpably by sin The Pope dispenseth not with Simony being the Capital Simonist vowing rashly to keep a most damnable state That the Pope is summus Pontifex is ridiculous Christ never approved such a Dignity in Peter or in any other The Pope is the Patron of Antichrist not only that single person but the multitude of Popes from the time of the Churches Donation the Cardinals Bishops and other their Complices is the compounded monstrous person of Antichrist And yet Gregory and other Popes that did good in their lives fruitfully repented at last Peter and Clement and other helpers in the Faith were not Popes but Gods helpers to edifie the Church of Christ. That this Papal Preeminence had its rise from the Gospel is as false as that all Errour arose from the first Truth There are twelve Procurators and Disciples of Antichrists the Pope Cardinals Patriarchs Arch-bishops Bishops Arch-deacons Officials Deans Monks forked Canons false Fryars and Questors It s as clear as the light that he is greatest and next Christ in the Church Militant that is most humble most serviceable and most loveth the Church in the love of Christ. He that unjustly possesseth any good thing of God taketh anothers by theft Grace is necessary to dominion He meaneth 1. Not of right before men but God 2. Nor of special grace only I suppose Without the Law of Christ inwarldly Charters and Papers give not ability and justice We must not by gifts cherish a known sinner being a Traytor to God Divers are against temporal power or right in wicked men in mortal sin But I suppose that he meaneth only such a defect as will disable himself before God to receive his approbation and reward but not such as will disoblige th◠Subject or lose his property in foro humano Many more there be that Fryars and the foresaid twelve Orders of Antichrist are not of God and some Philosophical Opinions which how far Huss held them I take this Catalogue for no proof without his words
Rome by the Emperour Charles the 5th army under Charles Duke of Bourbon and all the progress of their broils Historians have at large recorded and therefore I shall pretermit § 64. The day before Charles the 5th was chosen Emperour the Senate of Electas chose Iohn Frederick Duke of Saxony but he ingenti animo recusavit refused it and being asked whom he thought most eligible he said none but Charles was fit For this noble mind he was offered 30000 Florens of money which he constantly rejected And when they urged him that 10000 might be given to his servants he said let them that will take it but he that taketh any shall not stay to morrow with me and taking horse went his waies lest they further troubled him Thus saith Erasmus Epist. l 13. â—p 4. I was assured of by the Bishop of Liege that was presenâ—t See Bâ—â—â—â—zar Chronol p. 533. § 65. The Reformation forced the German Bishops to make many reforming Canons at Colen c. Among those of an Augustine Synod our own strife about communicating maketh me think of no loss of time to recite their Catalogue of persons that were to be denied the Sacrament of Communion viz. as followeth 1. Heathens Infidels and Hereticks 2. The Excommunicate 3. All men at a time of common Interdict 4. Men that go from their own Parishes for it 5. Those that are under age And distracted possessed Ideots 6. Those that are troubled with crudity of stomacks till cured 7. Infamous persons as Juglers Players Jesters c. 8. Women that wear Mens apparel 9. Separatists and Conventiclers 10. The Sect of the Beggars of Lyons 11. The superstitious 12. Those that have not contrition and confession living in sin 13. That live in notorious wickedness as Adultery Usury c. till their actual reformation 14. Deserters of Marriage unallowed 15. Those that play much at Dice 16. That are given to drunkenness gluttony comessations spend daies in Taverns And if they amend not they are to be put to death 17. That detain other mens goods 18. That break and spoil Temples 19. That encroach on others lands and grounds 20. Servants that being corrected refuse their duty to their Master after it 21. They that use false weights and measures 22. That pay not Tythes 23. That delay to execute Testaments 24. That obstinately despise the Customes of the Church and meet elsewhere 25. That disturb the Preachers or go out of Church contemptuously 26. That will not hear Mass and stay the end 27. That use unnecessary labour on the Lords day or holy daies 28. That marry secretly 29. That slothfully or contemptuously refuse to learn the Lords prayer and Creed 30. That blaspheme or prophanely swear 31. That reproach and dishonour Priests 32. Murderers Enemies revengeful and oppressors 33. That preserve not carefully their Childrens Lives 34. That make Laws against Church Liberties or Judge by such Laws or lay burdens and exactions on Churchmens persons or goods 35. Those that judge that money received on Usury is not to be restored § 66. The Reformers accusations of the Popish Clergy had this effect to make them confess many of their faults especially drunkenness and Whoredome as being the cause of the peoples distaste and desertion see the Orations at the Councils of Augusta and Trevers and the Council at Trevers made strict Canons against them especially for removing Concubines from the Priests And one at Colen 1549. is large for some reformation but especially careful to keep out true Reformation forbidding the books of Protestants by name Among other things they forbid baptizing Children in private houses except Kings Children c. And another Council at Mentz hath the whole sum of the Roman Doctrine and Discipline at the best save the matters of the Papacy and these late provincial Councils made Canons in the frame of them not much of our English Canons and our Articles of Religion set together And another Council at Trevers repeateth their disciplinary Canons in part and addeth more § 67. The History and Canons of the Council of Trent are sufficiently published and Pope Pius his Oath conjoyned so that I need not speak of that which I intend not to make any part of the matter of this Epitome which extendeth but to the time of Luthers Reformation 68. Even after the Reformation the Pope could not live in Italy without fighting Pope Iulius the 3d fought with Octavius Farnesius at Parma Pope Paul sought with the King of Spain but was beaten He set sixteen Cardinals over the Inquisition the defence of his Kingdome He imprisoned Cardinal Morrovius suspected of heresie absolved after by Pope Pius the 4th who yet strangled Caraffa and beheaded Cardinal Leonard Count Montarius c. § 69. Cardinal Charles Borrhomeus sainted by them at divers Millane Councils shewed a great deal of Reforming and some deforming zeal In the first Council I shall note that they decreed that men once admitted to the Communion and returning to their sin be no more admitted till the Priest see that they have actually reformed their lives And that before any young persons first receive they shall some dayes be examined and taught the use and reason of the Sacrament Priests notoriously criminal must not say Mass till they amend their lives No Physician must give physick to any after four dayes sickness that is not confest to the Priest on pain of excommunication Bishops are forbidden to stand when Princes sit no not for saying Grace at meat nor otherwise to depress and abject themselves to Princes Parish Priests must have a book of the Names Sex Age and State of every Parishioner Whores are to dwell in their assigned places and to be known by their apparel from others Dancing Playes Dice Selling c. forbidden on the Lords dayes and holy dayes Indeed the Roman Religion was never set out with greater advantage of piety and reformation than in the copious Decrees of Carolus Borrhomeus in the Milan Councils To which a Council at Aquileia added endeth Binnius his History of Councils § 70. In all this History of Councils Bishops and Patriarchs it appeareth that Corruptio optimi est pessima As the sacred Ministry in pious humble wise peaceable and sincere men hath been Gods great means of planting ordering preserving and encreasing his Church and converting edifying and saving Souls and such to this day are as Paul called Timothy not the Church A Pillar and Basis of the truth in the Church which is the House of the Living God the Husbandmen that still cultivate the Vineyard of the Lord while with self-denial and faith and heavenly minds they labour to promote holy WISDOME LOVE SPIRITUALITY and PEACE abhorring pride and worldly designs and being mostly little noted in the Histories of the Church as not appearing in the turbulent and publick affairs of the world so contrarily Pride and worldliness seeking Dominion favour and wealth to feed also sensuality with fleshly pleasure by Satans great diligence
have corrupted sacred Societies Doctrine Worship Discipline and Conversation and when the Prince of pride and darkness the God of this World could not directly expugne Christianity he hath under pretence of Government Unity and Advancement to the Church set his Malignant Ministers in the Chairs and Pulpits of the Church to do his work and fight down piety love and peace in the name of Christ and as it were by his Authority and instead of persecuting Heathens Satan hath set up contentions dividing and silencing and persecuting Prelates to smite the true Shepherds and scatter the Flocks and as for Faith and Order to tread down the true life of Faith Love and Order and to be the Capital Enemies of the Church while they would make themselves its Heads Advancers and Defenders so that the chief good and the chief mischief hath come to the Church by the means of the Pastors And no Schismes no Heresies no Persecutions have been more grievous than those that have been caused by a tyrannical and contentious Clergy witness all the Conciliary Episcopal Schismes Wars and Bloodshed mentioned in this Collection witness the many hundred thousand Albigenses Waldenses and Bohemians murdered as for the Faith and Church witness the 30000. or 40000. at once murdered at the French Massacre witness the horrid cruelties of the Inquisition witness the Volumes of burned and otherwise murdered Protestants and witness the Irish Zeal stirr'd up by their Clergy that murdered two hundred thousand in so narrow a room as that small Country and in so few Weeks And whoever is the Antichrist certainly in Rome and the Militant Tyrannical Church-Clergy is found the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus and as proud contentious Patriarchs and Prelates ruined Religion and the Empire in the East and gave it up to Mahometan darkness and cruelty so have they under the name of Christianity impugned the Christian Interest in the West I end with G. Heebert Only the West and Rome do keep them free From this contagious infidelity And this is all the Rock whereof they boast As Rome will one day find unto her cost Sin being not able to extirpate quite The Churches here bravely resolv'd one night To be a Churchâ—man and to wear a Mitre The old debauched Ruffian would turn Writer I saw him in his Study where he sate Busie in controversie sprung of late A Gown and Pen became him wondrous well His grave aspect had more of Heaven than Hell Only there was a handsome picture by To which he lent a corner of his eye As Sin in Greece a Prophet was before And in old Rome a mighty Emperour So now being Priest he plainly did profess To make a Jest of Christs three Offices The rather since his scattered juglings were United now in one both time and sphere From Egypt he took petty Deities From Greece Oracular Infallibilities And from old Rome the liberty of pleasure By free dispensing of the Churches Treasure Then in memorial of his Ancient Throne He did sirname his Palace Babylon Yet that he might the better gain all Nations And make that name good by their transmigrations From all these places but at divers times He took five Vizards to conceal his Crimes From Egypt Anchorisme and retiredness Learning from Greece from old Rome stateliness And blending these he carried all mens eyes While Truth sate by counting his Victories Whereby he grew apace and scorn'd to use Such force as once did captivate the Iews But did bewitch and finely work each Nation Into a voluntary transmigration All post to Rome Princes submit their Necks Either to his publick Foot or private Tricks It did not fit his Gravity to stir Nor his long Journey nor his Gout and Fur Therefore he sent out ABLE MINISTERS States-men wiâ—â—in without door Cloysterers Who without Spear or Sword or other Drum Than what was in their Tongue did overcome And having conquer'd did so strangely rule That the whole World did seem but the Popes Mule As new and old Rome did one Empire twist So both together are one ANTICHRIST Yet with two Faces as their Ianus was Being in this their old crackt Looking-glass How dear to me O God thy Counsels are Who may with thee compare Thus Sin triumphs in Westerns-Babylon Yet not as Sin but as Religion Of his two Thrones he made the later best And to defray his journey from the East Old and new Babylon are to Hell and Night As is the Moon and Sun to Heaven and Light CHAP. XIV LEst this treatise be mistaken abused to the dishonour of the Christian Religion Church or Ministry I adde two papers which I long agoe published for the Ministry 1. Against profane Malignants 2. Against Sectarians especially those called Seekers as also Papists others that for interest or faction deny or vilifie the Pastors One sheet for the Ministry Against the Malignants of all sorts AS mans first felicity was attended with the malice of the Serpent so is the wonderful work of his Restauration The promise of Reconciliation by the seed of the woman is joyned with a proclamation of open war with the Serpent and his seed The enmity was hottest in the Devil and his seed against Christ himself who bare and overcame it and is become the Captain of our salvation that his Church may overcome by his Cross and Strength and Conduct The next degree of malice is against his officers the most eminent the General Officers had the hottest assault and his ordinary Officers bear the next That we shall be hated of all men for the name of Christ Mat. 10. 22. is still verified to our experience Not only the openly prophane abhor us for our work sake but false-hearted professors that turn from the truth do presently turn Malignants against the Ministry and many weak ones that are better minded are dangerously seduced into a guilt of the sedition To all these I here proclaim in the name and word of the Lord Numb 16. 26. Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their sins Which I shall now open to you 1. The office of the Ministry is an undoubted Ordinance of God to continue in the Church to the end of the world No man can pretend that they ceased with the Apostles for it is Gods will that ordinary fixed Presbyters shall be ordained in every Church Acts. 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 2. And Pastors and Teachers are appointed for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and edifying of the body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man Ephes. 4. 11 12 13. A Ministry authorized to Disciple the Nations baptize and teach them is instituted by Christ as King and Saviour and have his Promise to be with them alway to the end of the world Mat. 28. 18 19 20. The same necessity and work continueth
worthy to be talkt with that believe no body and confess themselves such Lyars that they would have no body believe them It was not all that saw Christs Miracles or Resurrection or the Apostles miracles It seems the rest were not bound to be Christians Even as Clem Writer told me that no man is bound to believe that Christ did Rise again or the rest of Christianity that seeth not Miracles himself to prove it adding withall that indeed Antichrist may do Miracles and so it seems for all the talk miracles themselves would not serve if they saw them 11. Is it not to put a scorn on God Almighty to lay that the Glory of all his most miraculous works should be buried to all that saw them not and that Parents should not tell them to their Children or Children should not believe them if they do 12. It s injurious to Posterity that the knowledge of the most wonderful works of God shall be only for the good of them that see them and that all ages after shall be never the better 13. It tends to make men mad and as Ideots that must know and believe no more then they see what kind of folks must these be that know not that there is either Prince or Parliament City or Countrey or any folks in the world but those they have seen This will stand with trading converse Subjection Societies and its doubtful whether such are capable of managing estates or should not be put under others as Ideots 14. Children cannot learn to read nor speak without some kind of belief of them that teach them nor can they obey their parents nor learn any trade nor obey Physitians so that this conceit of incredulity is against the Nature livelihood and life of man 15. And they would tie God to be at the beck of every unreasonable Infidel that shall say Though all the Town have seen thy Miracles yet I will see my self or else I will not believe 16. They expect that God should overturn the course of Nature for if Miracles be as ordinary as the operations of Nature they are confounded 17. And by this they would cross themselves and make Miracles uneffectual For if they were ordinary few would be moved by them as any proof of a Divine Testimony were it as ordinary for the Sun to go backward as forward who would take it for a Miracle To this Clem Writer answers me that Miracles were convincing in the first Age when they were common Answ. How common Not as natural operations Nor so as for all Countreys or persons to see them 500 saw Christ at once after his Resurrection 5000. were once miraculously fed but as this was not every days work so what was this to others And in that it was but for an age and rarely in after ages shews that they were not for every mans eyes 18. What need we more proof then actual experience that God doth not often now work miracles And he that saith the Gospel and Christian faith and Church and Ministry are therefore ceased its like will not take it ill to be taken himself for an Heathen or Infidel 19. And we have experience of millions that still do actually and stedfastly believe in Christ without Miracles and many have laid down their lives on that belief therefore without miracles men may believe But to this Clem Writer saith to me These believers of all sorts condemn each other as Hereticks Answ. But not as Infidels None but the ignorant or passionate condemn all other sorts as Hereticks The sober do not And it is not enough to prove you a bastard if an angry Brother call you so 20. Because this sheet alloweth me not room I intreat the Reader to peruse these Texts which tell him aloud that the word and works of God must be believed by Tradition though without Miracles Exod. 10. 1 2. 12. 14 17 26 27 42. Deut. 11. 2. to the 22. 29. 22. to 28. Iosh. 4. 6 7. 22. 24. to 32. Psalm 48. 13. 78. 1. to 9. 102. 18. 145. 4. 89. 1. Ioel. 1. 2 3 4. Acts 1. 8. 2. 32. 5. 30 31 32. 10. 38. to 42. 13. 30 31. 1. 22. 4. 33. 22. 15. 26. 16. 23. 11. 2 Tim. 2. 2. Iohn 20. 29. 19. 35. 15. 27. 12. 17. 5. 33. 1. 15 32 34 Luke 4. 22. 1 Pet. 5. 1. And that you would read my Determination of this very Question in my Book against Infidelity I proceed to the next Proposition 3. This ordinary Ministry for teaching ruling and publick worship was ordained by Christ to continue till his coming and doth yet continue and did not cease when the extraordinary Ministry ceased I prove it Matth. 16. 18. Vpon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it The Church never did nor can subsist without its Officers who are an Essential part of it as it is a Political Body and the first and most eminent part as it is a Community And therefore if the Ministry be extinct the Gates of Hell have prevailed against the Church And then Christ is overcome or hath broke his promise and then he were not Christ So that if Christ be Christ the Church and Ministry continue So Luke 1. 33. He shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Isa. 9. 6 7. Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end Psalm 145. 13. Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and thy Dominion endureth throughout all Generations Christ ruleth by his Officers in his Church if Church or Ministry had an end his Kingdome had an end and he reigned not for ever Matth. 28 20. Loe I am with you alway even to the end of the world To this express promise Clem. Writer hath no wiser an answer but that it is conditional If they teach men to observe all things that Christ hath commanded then he will be with them else not Repl. This is your forgery here is no such words but an absolute promise His being with them is to support and help them in his work And will you feign Christ to promise them help on condition they do it without The further Cavils against this Text and others the London Ministers in their Vindication have answered at large Eph. 4. 11 12 13. The Pastâ—rs and Teachers are given to the Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man c. Extraordinary and ordinary Officers are here conjoyned who between them are to perfect the building the first laying the foundation and the others building thereon 1 Tim. 6. 13 14. I give thee charge in the sight of God that thou keep
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
to the Catholick and Apostolick Faith and not the Faith of any man I look to God himself and not to the person of any man nor care I for any man but for my soul and the true and sincere Faith The Egyptian Bishops cryed out Let no man separate him that is indivisible No man calleth one Son two The Eastern Bishops cryed Anathema to him that divideth Basil Seleuciae said Anathema to him that divideth two natures after the union and Anathema to him that knoweth not the property of the natures The Egyptian Bishops cryed out As he was born he suffered There is one Lord and one Faith None calleth one Lord two This was Nestorius voice The Eastern Bishops cryed Anathema to Nestorius and Eutyches The Egyptian Bishops cryed Divide not the Lord of Glory that is indivisible Basil Bishop of Sileuc reported how rightly he had spoken at Ephesus and how the Egyptians and Monks with noise opposed and cryed Cut him in two that saith Two Natures he is a Nestorian The Lay Judges asked him If he spake so well why did he condemn Flavianus He said Because he was necessitated to obey the rest being 130 Bishops Dioscorus said Out of thy own mouth art thou condemned that for the shame of men hast prevaricated and despised the faith Basilius Seleuc. said If I had been called to Martyrdom before the Iudges I had endured it but he that is judged of a Father useth just means Let the Son dye that speaketh even things just to a Father But the Eastern Bishops better cryed out We have all sinned we all beg pardon And Thalassius Eusebius and Eustathius leading Bishops cryed the same We have all sinned we all crave pardon After this the Acts of Ephes. and Const. were read § 19. By what I have recited out of Binnius and others these two lamentable things are undeniable I. That this doleful Contention Anathematizing and ruining each other was about the sense of ambiguous words and that they were of one mind in the matter and knew it not The Egyptians Eutychians took two Natures and two Sons to be of the same sense which the others did not And they thought that the rest had asserted a Division of the Natures when they meant but a Distinction And the rest thought that the Egyptians had denyed a Distinction who denyed but a Partition or Division II. And it is plain that while all sides held that Nestorius did hold that there were Two Sons which he expresly denyed that they cursed Nestorius in ignorance and maintained his Doctrine except of the aptitude of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while they curse his person or name The Doctrine of this Council is found and Nestorius's was the same for two natures in one person and one Son This is true whatever Faction say against it III. That these Bishops though we honour them for all that was good in them were so far from the Martyrs Constancy that they turned as the Emperours Countenance and the Times and worldly Interest turned voting down Things and Persons in Councils and crying omnes peccavimus in the next Only Peter's Ship saith Binnius scaped drowning at Ephesus and yet here at Calcedon under Martian all are Orthodox IV. But that which is worst of all is that yet the same men that cry peocavimus are here violent against any mercy to the Egyptian Bishops and Monks with whom they had joined at Ephesus § 20. When an Epistle of Cyrils was read the Illyricane Bishop cryed out We all believe as Cyril did Theodorete that had been for Nestorius against Cyril and cast out by Dioscorus spake more warily and said Anathema to him that saith there are two Sons We adore our Lord Iesus c. All the Bishops cryed We believe as Cyril Had not Cyril's name better hap than Dioscorus and Eutyches that followed him as far as they could understand him and spake the same words as he The Orientals cryed We believe as Cyril The Egyptians cryed We believe as Cyril We are all of the same opinion and mind Let not Satan get place and advantage among us The Eastern Bishops cryed Leo and Anatolius are of this mind The Emperour and Senate are of this mind The lay Judge Senate and all the Council cryed The Emperour the Empress and all of us are of one mind The Egyptian Bishops cryed All the World are of this mind We are of a mind And who would think that yet they were disagreed even to Hereticating and Deposing Persecuting one another O but say to the Egyptian Bishops If you are all of this mind Why did you communicate with Eutyches and condemn Flavianus Dioscorus appealed to the Records And here Eustathius Beryl shewed what labour Cyril used to explain his own meaning in his Epistles to Acacius Valerianus and Successus Bishops and that these are his words We must not understand that there are two natures but one nature incarnate of God the Word And this saying he confirmed by the Testimony of Athanasius The Oriental Bishops cryed out This is the saying of Eutyches and Dioscorus yet these men just now were all of Cyril ' s mind◠Dioscorus said We affirm neither confusion of natures nor division nor conversion Anathema to him that doth Doth not this shew that they all agreed in Distinction of Natures as also Cyril did The Judges say Tell us whether Cyril ' s Epistles agree to what is here reported of them by Eustathius Eustathius sheweth the Book and saith If I have said amiss see the Book Anathematize Cyril's Book and Anathematize me The Egyptians applaud Eustathius saying Eustathius reporteth Cyril ' s words in which were We must not understand two natures but one incarnate nature of God the word And Eustathius added He hath saith there is but one nature so as to deny Christs flesh which is consubstantial with us let him be Anathema And he that saith there are two natures to the Division of the Son of God let him be Anathema one would have thought this should have ended their quarrel And Eustathius added of Flavianus himself that he received these naked words and gave them the Emperour Let it be ordered that his own hand be shewed The Judges said Why then did ye depose him Eustathius answered Erravi I erred § 21. Let it be here noted that these Eutychian words of Cyril are here openly proved past denial yet shamelesly doth Binnius say that this is Eustathii allegatio pessima haeretica What to repeat a mans Words Secondly Is it not here plain that they were all of a mind and did not or through faction would not know it when Eustathius by a clear distinction had proved it and none of them did or could contradict him § 22. Dioscorus said that Flavianus in the words following contradicted himself and was deposed for holding two natures after the union adding I have the testimony of the holy Fathers Athanasius Gregory Cyril in many places that we