the Apostles might by vertue of his office controle all others was content to come and giue answere before his inferiors objecting to him his going to the Gentiles yet other inferiors must not learne by this example to bee check-meat with their Prelats because Peter so tooke it at their hands shewing thereby rather a dispensation of humilitie then the power of his office by the which power hee might haue said to them againe It becometh not sheepe nor belongeth to their osfice to accuse their sheepheard 29. For els why was Dioscorus Patriarch of Alexandria condemned and excommunicated at Chalcedon not for any cause of his faith but onely that hee durst stand against the Pope Leo and durst excommunicate the Bishope of Rome for who is hee that hath authoritie to accuse the seat of S. Peter 30. Albeit I am not ignorant what S. Ierome wryteth that Paul would not haue reprehended Peter vnlesse he had thought himselfe equall vnto him 31. Yet Ieremy must thus be exponed by my interpretation that this equalitie betwixt Peter and Paul consisteth not in like osfice of dignitie but in purenes of conversation 32. For who gaue Paul licence to preach but Peter that by authoritie of GOD saying Separato mihi Paulum Barnabam Wherefore be it knowne to al men that my Church of Rome is prince and head ofall Nations 33. The mother of the faith 34. The foundation cardinall wherevpon all Churches doe depend as the doore doth depend vpon the hinges 35. The first of all other seats without all spot or blemish 36. Lady mistris and instructor of all Churches 37. A glasse and spectacle vnto all men to be followed in all whatsoever shee observeth 38. Which was never found yet to slyde or declyne from the path of Apostolicke tradition or to bee intangled with any newnesse of heresies 39. Against which Church of Rome whosoever speaketh any evill is foorthwith an hereticke 40. Yea a verie Pagan a witch and an Idolater or Infidell 41. Having fulnesse of power onely in her owne hand in ruling 42. Decyding absolving condemning casting out or receaving in 43. Albeit I deny not but other Churches bee partakers with her in labouring and carying 44. To the which Church of Rome it is lawfull to appeale for remedie from the Churches although it was otherwise concluded in the generall councill of Millevit an that no man fhould appeale over the Sea vnder the paine of excommunication yet my Glose commeth in heere with an exception Nisi forte Romanam sedem appellauerint Id est Except the appeale bee to the Sea of Rome 45. By the authoritie of which Church of Rome all Synodes and decryes of councils stand confirmed 46. And hath alwayes full authoritie in his hands to make new lawes decreements and to alter statutes priviledges rights or documents of Churches to separat things joyned and to joyne things separated vpon right consideration either in whole or in part either personally or generally 47. Of the which Church of Rome I am head as a King is over his judges 48. The vicar of S. Peter 49. Yea not the vicar of S. Peter properly but the vicar of CHRIST properly and successour of Peter 50. Vicar of IE sus CHRIST 51. Rector of the vniversall Church director of the LORDS vniversall flocke 52. Chiefe magistrat of the whole world 53. Caephas i. caput the head and chiefe of the Apostolick Church 54. Vniversall Pope and Diocesan in all places exempt aswell as everie Bishop is in places not exempt 55. Most mightie Priest 56. Lex animata in terris i. 57. A living Lawe in the earth judged to have all Lawes in the chest of my breast 58. Bearing the rowm of no poore man 59. Being neither God nor man but the admiration of the world and a middle thing betwixt both 60. Having both swords in my power both of the spirituall and temporall jurisdiction 61. So farre surmounting the authoritie of the Emperour that I of my owne power alone without a Councill have authoritie to depose him or to trans-ferre his kingdome and to giue a new election as I did to Frederick and diverse others 62. What power then or Protestat in all the world is comparable to me who haue authoritie to bind and louse both in Heaven and earth 63. That is who haue power both of heavenly things and also of temporall things 64. To whom Emperours and Kings are more inferiour than Lead is inferiour to Gold 65. For doe you not see the neckes of great Kings and Princes bend vnder our knees yea and think themselves happy and well defenced if they maye kisse our hands 66. Wherefore the sawcinesse of Honorius the Emperour is to bee reprehended and his constitution abolished who with his laytie would take vpon him to intermeddle not only with the temporall order but also with matters ecclesiasticall and election of the Pope 67. But heere perchance some will object the examples and wordes of Christ saying that his Kingdome is not of this world and where he being required to divide betwixt two brethren their heritage did refuse it but that ought not to bee no prejudice to my power 68. For if Peter and I in Peter if wee say haue power to bind and louse in heaven how much more then is it to bee thought that wee have power in earth to louse and to take away Empyres Kingdomes Dukedomes and what els so ever mortall men may have and to give them where wee will 69. And if wee haue authoritie over Angels which bee governours over Princes what then maye wee doe vpon their inferiours and servants 70. And for that you shall not marvell that I say Angels bee subject vnto vs you shall heare what my blessed Clerk Antonius writeth of the matter saying that our power of Peter and mee is greater than the Angels in foure things 1. In jurisdiction 2. In administration of Sacraments 3. In knowledge 4. and reward 71. And again in bulla Clemen tis doe I not their command in my Bull the Angels of Paradise to absolve the soule of man out of Purgatorie and to bring it into the glorie of Paradise 72. And now besides my heavenly power to speak of my earthly jurisdiction who did first translate the Empyre from the Greeks to the Almanes but I 73. And not onely in the Empyre am I Emperour the place being emptie but in all ecclesiasticall benefices have full right and power to translate and to depose after my arbitriment 74. Did not I Zacharias put downe Childerick the old King of France and set vp Pipinus 75. Did not I Gregorius the seventh set vp Robert Wisard and made him King of Sicilie and Duke of Cappa c. 76. Did not I the same Gregorius also set vp Rodulphus against Henrie the 4 Em perour 77. And though that this Henricus was an Em perour of most stout courage who stood 62 times in open field against his enemies 78. Yet did not I
Simon Magus and Nero the Emperour in Pauls time were great adversaries yet heere hee meaneth another besides these greater then all the rest not such a one as should bee like to Priest King or Emperour but such as farre exceeding the estate of all Kings Priests and Emperours should be the Prince of Priests and should make Kings to stoup and should tread vpon the necke of Emperours and make them to kisse his feete Moreover where the Apostle sayeth that hee shall sit in the Temple of GOD thereby is meaned not the personall sitting of the Pope in the Citie only of Rome but the authoritie and iurisdiction of his Sea exalted in the whole vniversall Church equall with GOD himselfe For let men giue to the Pope that which hee in his lawes decrees and in his pontificall requyreth and what difference is there betwixt GOD and the Pope If GOD set lawes and ordinances so doth hee If GOD hath his creatures so hath hee If GOD require obedience so doth hee If the breach of GODS commandements bee punished much more bee his GOD hath his religion the Pope also hath his Yea for GODS one Religion he hath an hundreth GOD hath set vp one Advocate hee hath an hundreth GOD hath instituted but a few holy dayes for GODS one hee hath instituted fourtie And if the holie day that GOD hath appoynted bee Simplex The feast that the Pope appoynteth is duplex triplex CHRIST is the head of the Church so is the Pope CHRIST giveth influence to his bodie so doth the Pope CHRIST forgiveth sinne the Pope doth no lesse CHRIST expelleth evill spirits by hispower so pretendeth the Pope by his holy water Furthermore where CHRIST went barefooted vpon the bare ground hee with his golden shooes is caried vpon mens shoulders And where CHRIST was called Sanctus Sanctorum Heeis called Sanctorum Sanctissimus CHRIST never practised but onely the spirituall sword hee claimeth both spirituall and temporall CHRIST bought the Church Hee both buyeth and selleth the Church And if it bee necessarie to beleeue CHRIST to bee the Saviour of the world so is it necessarie to beleeuethe Pope to bee the head of the Church CHRIST payed tribute vnto Caesar hee maketh Caesar pay tribute vnto him Finallie the Crowne of CHRIST was of sharpe thornes The Pope hath three crownes of gold vpon his head so farre exceeding CHRIST the Sonne of GOD in glorie of this world as CHRIST exceedeth him in the Glorie of HEAVEN The image and paterne of whose intolerable pryde and exaltation according as St. Paul doeth descryue him in his Epistle foresaid wee haue heere set foorth not only in these tables to bee seene and by his owne facts to be noted but also by his owne words Registers Clementines Extravagants and Pontificals expressed as in order the LORD willing shall follow The exaltation of Popes aboue Kings and Emperours out of Histories FIrst after that Italy and the citie of Rome were overrunne by the Gothes and Vandals so that the seate of the Empyre was remooved to Constantinople then beganne Ioannes Patriarch of Constantinople to put foorth himselfe and would needs bee called vniversall Bishop of the world but the Bishop of Rome in no case would suffer that and stopped it After this came the Emperours deputy and Exarch of Ravenna to rule Italy but the Bishop of Rome through ayde of the King of Lombards sone quailed him Not long after about the yeare of the LORD fyue hundreth came Phocas the murthrer who slew the Emperour of Constantinople his master Maureits and his children By which Phocas the Bishops of old Rome aspyred first to their preheminence to bee counted the head Bishops over the whole Church and so together with the Lombardes beganne to rule the Citie of Rome Afterwards when the Lombardes would not yeeld to him in accomplishing his ambitious desire but would needs requyre of the Bishop the said Citie of Rome hee stirred vp Pipinus but first deposed Childericus the King of France and so thrusting him into an Abbey set vp in his place Pipinus and his sonne Carolus Magnus to put downe the said King of Lombardes called Aistulphus and so translated the Empyre from Constantinople to France divyding the spoyle betweene him and them so that the Kings of France had all the possessions and lands which before belonged to the Empyre and hee to receiue of them the quyet possession of the citie of Rome with such donations and Lordships which now they challenge vnto them vnder the name of S. Peters patrimonie which they falsely ascrybe to that donation of Constantinus the great It followed then in processe of time after the dayes of Pipinus Carolus and Lodovicus who had indued these Bishops of Rome called now Popes with large possessions when the King of France were not applyable to their becke to ayde and maintaine them against the Princes of Italy who began then to push the saides Bishops for their wrongfull vsurped goods they practised with the Germans to redact the Empyre to Otho first of that name Duke of Spaine referring the election thereof to seven Princes electors of Germany which was about Anno 1002. Notwithstanding reserving still in his hands the negatiue voyce thinking thereby to enjoy that they had in quyetnesse and securitie and so did for a good space At length when some of these Germane Emperours also after Otho beganne a little to spurne against the said Bishops and Popes of Rome some of them they accursed some they subdued and brought to the kissing of their feete some they deposed and placed others in their possessions So was Henricus 4. by these Bishops accursed the Emperour himselfe forced with his wife and chyld to waite attendance vpon the Popes pleasure three dayes and three nights in Winter at the gates of Canossus Besids all this the said Pope raised vp Rodolpus to bee Emperour against him who being slaine in warre then the said Pope Gregory 7. not resisting this stirred vp his owne sonne Henricus 5. to fight against his owne naturall father to depose him which Henricus 5. was also himselfe accursed afterward and excommunicated and the Saxons at last set vp by the Bishops to fight against him After this the Emperours began to bee somewhat calmed and more quyet suffering the Bishops to reigne as they listed till Fredericke the first called Barbarossa came and beganne to stirre coales against them Howbeit they hampered both him and his sonne Henry in such sort that they brought first the necke of Frederick in the Church of Venice vnder their feete to tread vpon and after that the said Bishops crowning Henricus his sonne in the Church of S. Peter set his crowne vpon his head with their feete with their feete spurned it off againe to make him know that the Popes of Rome had power both to crowne Emperours and depose them againe Then followed Philippus brother to Henry aforesaid whom also the Popes accursed about the yeare of our LORD 1198.
decretals extravagants pontificals word for word as it is out of the said bookes heere alledged and quotted FOR as much as it standeth vpon necessity of salvation for everie bumane creature to bee subject to mee the Pope of Rome It shall bee therefore requisite nd necessary for all men that will bee saved to learne and know the dignitie of my Sea and excellencie of my dominion as heere is set foorth according to the trueth and very works of my owne lawes in style as followeth 2. First my institution began in the old Testament and was consummate and finished in the New in that my Preift-hood was prefigurated by Aaron and other Bishops vnder me were prefigured by the sonnes of Aaron that were vnder him 3. Neither is it to bee thought that my Church of Rome hath beene preferred by any generall Councill but obtained the Primacy onely by the voyce of the Ghospell and the mouth of the Saviour 4. And hath in it neither spot nor wrinkle nor any such like thing 5. Wherefore as other seats bee all inferiour to mee and as they cannot absolue me so haue they no power to bind mee or to stand against me no more then the axe hath power to stand or presume aboue him that heweth with it or the Saw to presume aboue him that ruleth it 6. This is the holy and Apostolick mother Church of all other Churches of CHRIST 7. From whose rules it is not meete that any person or persons should declyne but lyke as the Sonne of GOD came to doe the will of his Father so much yee doe the will of your mother the Church the head whereof is the Church of Rome 8. And if any other person or persons shall erre from the said Church either let them be admonished or els their names taken to bee knowne who they bee that swerue from the customes of Rome 9. Thus then for as much as the holy Church of Rome whereof I am governour is set vp to the whole world for a glasse or example reason would what thing soever the said Church determineth or ordaineth that to bee receaved of all men for a generall and a perpetuall rule for ever 10. Wherevpon we see it now verified in this Church that was foreprophecied by Ieremie Saying Behold I haue set thee vpover nations and kingdomes to plucke vp and to breake downe to build and to plant 11. Who so vnderstandeth not the prerogatiue of this my Preist-hood let him looke vp to the firmament where he may see two great lights the Sunne and Moone one ruling over the day the other over the night So in the firmament of the vniversall Church 12. GOD hath set two great dignities the authoritie of the Pope and the Emperour Of the which two this our dignitie is so much weightier as wee haue the greater charge to giue accoumpt to GOD for Kings of the earth and the lawes of men 13. Wherefore bee it knowne to you Emperours which know it also right well that yee depend vnto the judgement of vs we must not bee brought and reduced to your will 14. For as I said looke what difference there is betwixt the Sunne and the Moone so great is the power of the Pope ruling over the day that is over the spirituality aboue Emperours and Kings ruling over the the night that is over the Laytie 15. Now seing the earth is seven times bigger then the Moone and the Sunne eight times greater then the earth it followeth that the Popes dignitie 56 tymes doeth surmount the estate of the Emperours 16. Vpon consideration whereof I say therefore and pronunce that Constantine the Emperour did naught in setting the Patriarch of Constantinople at his feete on his left hand 17. And although the said Emperour wrote to mee alledging the words of S. Peter commanding vs to submit our selves to everie humane creature as to Kings Dukes and other for the cause of GOD. 1. Pet. 2. Yet in answering againe in my decretall I exponed the minds and words of S. Pet. to pertaine to his subjects and not his successors willing the said Emperor to consider the person of the speaker and to whom it is spoken for if the minde of Peter had beene there to debase the order of Priest-hood and to make vs vnderlings to everie humane creature then everie lack might haue dominion over Prelats which maketh against the example of CHRIST setting vp the order of Priesthood to beare domination over Kings According to the saying of Ieremie Behold I haue set thee vp over Kings and Nations 18. And as I feared not then to wryte this boldly vnto Constantine so now I say vnto all other Emperours that they receaving of mee their approbation vnction consecration and Crowne Imperiall must not disdaine to submitte their heads vnder mee and sweare vnto mee their alleadgeance 19. For so you reade in the decree of Pope Iohn how that Princes heeretofore have beene wont to bowe and submit their heads vnto Bishops and not to proceede in judgment against the heads of Bishops 20. If this reverence and submission was wont to be given to Bishops how much more ought they to submit their heads to me being superior not only to Kings but Emperours and that for two causes first for my title of succession that I Pope of Rome haue to the Empyre the rowme standing vacant Also for the fullnesse of power that CHRIST King of Kings Lord of Lords hath given to mee tho vnworthie in the person of Peter 21. By reason whereof seeing my power is not of man but of GOD who by his celestiall providence hath set mee over his vniversall Church maister and governour it belongeth therefore to my office to looke vpon everie mortall sinne of everie Christian man 22. Whereby all criminall offences al 's well of Kings as all other bee subject to my censure 23. In such sort that in all manner of pleading if any manner of person at any time either before the sentence given or after shall appeale to mce it shall bee lawfull for him so to doe 24. Neither must Kings and Princes thinke it much to submit themselues to my judgement for so did Valentinianus the worthie Emperour so did Theodosius and also Carolus 25. Thus yee see must bee all judged by mee and I of no man yea although I Pope of Rome by my negligence or evill demanure bee found vnprofitable or hurtfull either to my selfe or others Yea if I should draw with mee innumerable soules by heaps to hell yet no mortall man be so hardie so bold so presumptuous to reproue mee 26. Or to say to mee Domine cur it a facis Sir why doe yee so 27. For although yee read that Balaam was rebuked of his Asse by the which Afse our subjects by Balaam wee Prelats are signified Yet that ought to bee no example to our subjects to rebuke vs. 28 And though wee read in the Scripture that Peter who receaved power of the Kingdome and being cheife of
concoct and digested with such patience and rypnesse and delivered out with such gravitie of delebiration that nothing is thought in it necessary to be altered or detracted 122. Wherefore it is manifest and testified by the voice of holie Bishops that the dignitie of this my seat is to be reverenced through the whole world in that all the faith full submit themselues to it as to the head of the whole bodie 123. Whereof it is spoken to mee by the Prophet speaking of the Arke if this bee humbled whether shall yee runne for succour and where shall your glory become seing then this is so that so holie Bishops and Scriptures doe witnesse with mee what shall we say then to such as will take vpon them to judge of my doings to reprehend my proceedings or to require homage and tribute of mee to whom all other are subject 124. Against the first sort the Scripture speaketh Deuternomie Thou oughtest not to put thy syth in another mans Corne. Which thing to attempt against mee what is it but plaine sacriledge 125. According to my Canonists which thus defyne sacriledge to consist in three things either when a man judgeth of his Princes judgement or when the holie day is prophained or whē reverence is not given to Lawes and Canons 126. Against the second sort maketh the place of the booke of Kings where wee reade the Arke of GOD was brought from Gaba to Ierusalem and in the way the Arke inclining by reason of the vnruely oxen Ozias the Levit put to his hand to helpe and therefore was stricken of the LORD By this Arke is signified the Prelats by the inclination thereof the fall of Prelats 127. Which also bee signified by the Angels that Iacob did see going vp and downe the ladder 128. Also by the Prophet where hee sayeth hee bowed downe the Heavens and came downe By Ozias and the vnruelie oxen are meaned our subjects 129. Then like as Ozias was striken for putting his hand to the Arke inclyning no more must subjects rebuke their Prelats going away 130. Albeit heere may be answered againe that all bee not Prelats which bee so called for it is not the name that maketh a Bishop but the life 131. Against the third sort of such as would bring vs vnder the tribute and exactions of secular men making the New Testament where Peter was bid to giue the groate in the fishes mouth but not the head nor bodie of the fish No more is the head or bodie of the Church subdued to Kings but onely that which is in the mouth that is the extern things of the Church and yet not they neither 132. For so wee read in the booke of Genesis that Pharaoh in the time of derth subdued all the land of the Egyptians but yet hee ministred to the Preists so that hee neither tooke their possessions from them nor their libertie If then the Prelats of the Church must bee neither judged nor reprehended nor exacted how much more ought I to bee free from the same 133 Which am the Bishop of Bishops and head of Prelats 134. For it is not to bee thought that the case betwixt mee and other Prelats betwixt my Sea and other Churches bee like 135. Although the whole Catholick Apostolicke Church make a brydechamber of Christ yet the Catholick and Apostolick Church of Rome had the preheminence given over all other by the mouth of the LORD himselfe saying to Peter Thou art Peter 136. Thus a discretion and difference must bee had in the Church as it was betwixt Aaron and his children 137. Betwixt the threescore and twelue Disciples and the twelue Apostles betwixt the other Apostles and Peter 138. Wherefore it is to bee concluded an order difference of degrees in the Church betwixt powers rior and inferior without which order the vniversitie of the whole cannot consist 139. For as amongst the Angelicall creatures aboue in Heaven there is set a difference and inequalities of powers and orders some to bee Angels some Archangels some Cherubins some Seraphims 140. So in the Ecclesiasticall hierarchie of the Church militant heere on earth Priests must not bee equall with Bishops Bishops must not bee like in order with Arch-Bishops with Patriarchs or Primats 141. Who containe vnder them three Arch-Bishops as a King containeth three Dukes vnder him in the which number of Patriarchs cōmeth in the stare also of an hundreth fourty two Cardinals or principals fo called Because as the doore turneth by his hinges so the vniversall Church ought to be ruled by them 142. The next hiest order aboue these is mine who am Pope differing in power majoritie and honour reverentiall from these all other decrees of men 144. For the better declaration on whereof my Canonists make three kynds of power in the earth Immediato which is mine immediatly from GOD Derivato which belongeth to other inferior Prelats from me 145. Ministralis belonging to Emperors and Princes to minister for mee for the which cause the anoynting of Princes and my consecration doth differ for they are anoynted onely in the armes or shoulders and I in the head to signifie the difference of power betwixt Princes and mee 146. This order therefore of Priests Bishops and Arch-Bishops Patriarchs and others as a thing most convenient my Church of Rome hath set and instituted through all Churches following therein not onely the example of the angelicall armie in Heaven but also the Apostles 147. For amongst them also there was not an vniforme equalitie or institution of a degree 148. But a diversitie or distinction of authoritie and power albeit they were all Apostles together yet it was granted notwithstanding to Peter themselues also agreeing to the same that he should beare dominion and superioritie over all other Apostles 149. And therefore had his name given him Cephas that is head or beginning of the Apostlehood 150. Wherevpon the order of the Priesthood first in the New Testament began in Peter to whom it was said Thou art Peter and vpon thee will I build my Church 151. And I will give thee the keyes of Heaven and thou being converted confirme thy brethren 152. I haue prayed for thee that thy faith shall not faile wherefore seeing such power is given to Peter 153. And to mee in Peter beeing his successor 154. Who is hee then in all the world that ought not to bee subject to my decrees which hath such power in Heaven in Hell in Earth with the quicke and also the dead 155. Commanding and granting in my Bull sent to Vienna vnto all such as dyed in their peregrination to Rome that the paine of Hell shuld not touch them And also that all such as tooke the holie crosse vpon them should everie one at his request not onely bee delivered himselfe but also deliver three or foure soules whomso ever hee would haue out of Purgatorie 156. Againe having such promises and assurance that my faith shall not faile who then will