punishment How lame then and vnperfect is this spirituall principality which can affoord but one halfe For it is onely then of vse when the Pope will punish and correct a King by Deposing him for all Rewards Indulgences in this life and in the next hee conferres and bestowes as hee is Pope and needes not this Title to doe any good which is in his power And for corrections and punishments all which we are sure he can lawfully doe which is to inflict Church censures vpon those who are vnder his spirituall obedience he doth as he is Pope and needes not this principalitie for that vse neither 20 But for irregular actions and such as occasion tumult and sedition he must be a spirituall Prince For sayes Bellarmine Though the Pope as he is president of a generall Councell and he is that as he is Pope ought to follow the greatest number of voyces in making Decreesâ— yet as he is chiefe Prince hee is not bound to doe so but may follow the lesser number And yet scarse constant to himselfe he sayes That this libertie belongs to the Pope because he hath the assistance of the holy Ghost Now the Pope as Pope hath the assistance of the holy Ghost for else his Determination in Caâ—hedra in matters of faith were not by his Ordinarie and Direct power and therefore as Pope hee may follow the fewer voyces in a Councell and as Pope or no way he may depose Princes 21 For as though they seeme to place more power or dignitie in Pontificatu then in Apostolatu because the Popes date their Rescripts from the time of their Election to their Coronation thus Anno Apostolatus primo c. and seale but with halfe the seale but after their Coronation they begin to call their gouernment Pontificatum yet all the authority which they haue is certainly in them from theirâ— Election because saies the glosse that conferres praesulatum so they haue fancied imagined a Principatum aboue all these yet certainly all the authoritie they haue is as they are Popes Which serued them to doe mischiefe enough before this title was inuented And to say that they haue authoritie as they are Popes to doe some acts as they are not Popes is such a darke and mistie and drowsie Doctrine as it is the fittest and most proportionall Martyrdome in this businesse for a man to dreame that he died for it 22 For it is strange that theâ—e men can discerne and distinguish in the same office betweene the Pope and a spirituall Prince when as Philip the last King of Spaine could not distinguish betweene the Person and the Office of the Popeâ— for being in so much forwardnesse that he had giuen the D. of Alua Order to besiege Rome because Paul the fourth had brought into Italy an Armie of French to infest the Kingdome of Naples and being solicited by the Venetians to desist from offending the Pope though hee aunswered That his preparations were not against the Pope but against Peter Caraffa his subiect and a Rebell yet when the Venetians replied that if he could seperate Caraffa from the Pope they would intercede no farther else they would giue the Pope their assistance the King saies a Catholique writer gaue ouer because he saw it impossible to distinguish them 23 And as the Doctrine it selâ—e is too inexplicable for any man to aduenture thereupon his liâ—e or such dangers as the lawe esteemes equiualent to this purpose which are all such damages as induce a iust feare So is the Channell and way by which it is deriued to vs so various and muddy as that also should retard any man from such a Preiudice and such an Anticipation of the resolution of the Church herein as it is to seale with life that which no man yet knowes how the Church will determine For in Bellarmine who hath got the reputaâ—ion to be the principall of tâ—is faction though I confesse he found the foundation of it and his best Arguments for it in our Countriman Sanders out of whom and Stapleton and a few more that Church hath receiued more strength then from the late writers of all other Nations his authority and credit is not onely infirmed and impaired in that Baronius a man of as much merit of the Church and rewarded by her with the same Dignitie is of a contrarie opinion but also because auerring that his opinion is the opinion of the Diuines and the other onely of Canonists Diuines themselues for such Baronius and Bozius are haue more then others oppugned it 24 And so that new Order of the Congregation of which both they are beeing as I said before laid for a stumbling block that the world which in such a rage of Deuotion ranne towards the Iesuites might be arrested a litâ—le vpon the contemplation of an Order which professed Church-knowledge as the other did state-knowledge hath exceeded the Iesuites in their owne Art of flattering and magnifying the Pope For they haue maintained his Direct and Ordinarie power whereas the other haue but prouided him a new and specioâ—s Title And so not only such as Carerius layes the imputation of Impious Politician vpon Bellarmine and all his followers in this point And bitterly Anathmatises Bellarmine by name and maintaines this power to be in the Pope either as Pope or not as Christs Vicar But Bozius also calls these men nouos Theologos and sayes They teach doctrine euidently false and such as fights against all Truth And another Catholique writer though hee impugne both these opinions of Bellarmine and Baronius yet he protests that the opinion which Bellarmine calls the Canonists opinion is the more probable and defensible because saies hee that opinion is not against the order of Nature that the Pope should exercise such a power which they maintaine to be directly granted to him but that opinion which they call the Diuines opinion is against Nature since it admits the exercise of such an Authority as is neither by name granted nor necessarie to the ends of the Church And therefore saies this Catholique though the Diuines ouerthrow the Canonists yet they proue not their owne opinion And in another place he saies That though Bellarmine haue giuen as much to the Pope as honestly he could and more then he should haue done yet he was so farre from satisfying the Pope herein that for this opinion the Pope was very neere condemning all his workes as saies he the Iesuites themselues haue tolde mee 25 VVhich disposition of enclining to the Canonists opinion appeares still in the Popes who accept so well the bookes of that purpose that the greatest part of those Authors which I haue cited in this booke of that matter are dedicated to the late Popes So that that Doctrine which is so much denied in the substance and Essence therof that all wayes of the existence thereof are peremptorily denied hath not yet receaued
place Hoc in aeternum nunquam fiet that all Laymen will come vnder them they haue prouided that all Clergie men which be vnder them shall be safe enough as welll by way of Counsell for so Mariana modefies his Doctrine that the Prince should not execute any Clergy man though hee deserue it as by positiue way of Aphorismes as Emanuel Sâ doth That they are not subiects nor can doe treason and by way of Fact and publique troubling the peace of al Christendome as appeared by their late attempt vppon Venice for this Exemption 30 And as the immensnesse of this power auerts me from beleeuing it to bee iust so doeth this also decline me that they will not bee brought to tell vs How he hath it nor How hee got it For as yet they doe but stammer and the Word stickes in their iawes and wee know not whether when it comes it wil be Directly or Indirectly And they are as yet but surueying their Euidence they haue ioyn'd no issue nor know we whether they will pleade Diuine Law that is places of Scripture or Sub diuine Law which is interpretation of Fathers or super diuine law which is Decretals of Popes But Kings insist confidently and openly and constantly vpon the law of Nature and of nations of God by all which they are appointed what to do and enabled to do it 31 Lastly this infames and makes this Iurisdiction suspicious to me to obserue what vse in their Doctrine and Practise they make of this power For when they haue proceeded to the execution of this Temporall power it hath beene either for their owne reall and direct profit and aduantage as in their proceeding with the Easterne Emperours And drawing the French Armies into Italy and promouing and strengthning the change of the family and race of the Kings in France or else the benefit hath come to them by whose aduancement that Church growes and encreases as in the disposing of the Kingdome of Nauarre Or at least the example and terrour thereof magnifies the dignitie and reputation of that Church and facilitates her other enterprises for a good time after as a Shippe that hath made good way before a strong winde and vnder a full Sayle will runne a great while of her selfe after shee hath stricken saile 32 VVhen any of these reasons inuite them how small causes are sufficient to awake and call vp this temporall Authoritie The cause why Childerique was deposed was not sayes the Canon for his Iniquities but because he was Inutilis And this was not sayes the Glosse because hee was Insufficient for then hee should haue an assistant and coadiutor but because hee was Effeminate So that the Pope may depose vpon lesse cause then hee can giue an assistant For to bee Insuficient for the Gouernement is more directly against the office of a King then to bee subiect to an infirmitie which concernes his humanitie not his office 33 And when the officers and Commissioners of the Romane Court come to Syndicate Kings they haue already declar'd what they will call Enormities and Excesses by inuoluing almost all faults whether by Committing or Omitting in generall words As When he doeth not that for which he is instituted when he vseth his prerogatiue without iust cause when he vexes his Subiects when he permits Priests to kisse his hands when he proceeds indiscreetly and without iust reason And lastly For any such hunting as they will call intemperate To which purpose they cite against Kings generally those Canons which limit certaine men and times and maners And which as the Glosse sayes of some of them are meant De venatione arenaria When men out of vaine-glorie or for gaine fought in the Theaters with wild beasts And least any small errour in a King might escape them they make account that they haue enwrapp'd and pack'd vp all in this That it is all one whether a King bee a Tyrant or a Foole or Sacrilegious or Excommunicate or an Hereticke 34 This obedience therfore which we neither find written in the tables of our Hearts nor in the Scriptures nor in any other such Record as either our aduersary wil be tried by or can bind vs must not destroy nor shake that obedience which is Naturall and Certaine Cyril hath made this sentence his owne by saying it with such allowance It is wisely said That hee is an impious man which sayes to the King thou dost vniustly Much more may wee say it of any that affirmes a King to bee naturally impotent to doe those things for which he is instituted as he is if he cannot preserue his Subiects in Peace and Religion which the Heathen kings could doe whose Subiects had a Religion and Ministers thereof who wrought vpon men to incline them to Morall goodnesse here and to the expectation of future blessednesse after death though not by so cleare nor so direct waies as Christian Religion doth 35 The king therefore defends the Liberties of the Church as the nature of his office which he hath acknowledged and Declar'd and seal'd to his Subiects by an Oath binds him to do if he defend the Church of England from foraine vsurpation And a most learned and equall man hath obserued well That sidesâ— And since a Iesuite hath affoorded vs this confession That the Prince hath this Authoritie ouer Bishops that hee may call them as Peeres of â—is Realme And since their Clementines or the Glosser yeeldes to vs That a Church Prelate may bee a Traytor because hee holdes some temporalities how can they escape from being â—ubiect in all other cases since their naturall and nâ—tiue obedience is of a stronger obligation then the accepting or possessing of these Temporalities for if â—ure Diuino the Character of Order did obliterate and wash out the Character of ciuill Obedience and subiection the conferring of any temporall dignity or possession could not restore it for vnder color of a benefit it should endammage and diminish them when a little Temporall honour or profit shall draw their spirituall estate and person to secular â—uâ—iâ—dâ—ction â—or as Azorius will proue to vs the king may call a Bishoppe as a Baron to the Parliament and as the Canonist will prooue to vs he may call him to the Barre as a Traytor 36 To recollect therefore now and to determine end this point the title which the Prince hath to vs by Generation and which the Church hath by Regeneration is all one now For we aâ—e not onely Subiects to a Prinâ—e but Christian Subiects to a Christian Prince and members as well of the Church as of the Common-wealth in which the Church is And as by being borne in his Dominions and of parents in his alleageance we haue by birth-right interest in his lawes and protection So by the Couenant of Almighty God to the faithful and their Seede by being born of Christian Parents we haue title to
him yet he cals him also Golias and himselfe Hymnidicum Dauidem And part of the quarrell was because the Emperour had written Insolentia quaeâ—am certâ—ine vnusuall phrases which were â—ussimus vt quosdam ad nos mitteretis for saies Nicholas Honorius said to Boniface Petimus and other Empâ—rours Inuitamus and Rogamus and Constantine and Irene Rogamus magis quidem Dominus Deus rogat which phrase though Charles the great at that time when it was written repâ—ehended and allowed a whole Chapter in his booke for the reproofe thereof yet not onely that Pope dissembled it but this drawes it into example and precedent 65 And in this letter the Pope giues the Emperour some light that hee is not long to enioy the stile of Romane Emperour for he hauing despised the Romane tongue as Barbarous as euery Prince loues to be saluted in his owne or in an equall language the Pope replies That if hee call the Romane tongue barbarous because â—ee vnderstands it not it is a ridiculous thing to call himselfe Romane Emperour 66 And thus hauing at once receiued and recompensed a benefite by concurring in the aduancement of the French to the Empire they kept good hold vpon that Kingdome by continuall correspondencies and by interceding with those Kings for pâ—rdons and fauours when any delinquents fled ouer to them and by aduising them in all emergent causes and by doing them many seruices in Italy and so establishing the Empire in that family vpon good conditions to them both For so Iohn the eight writes to Charles as well to refresh his benefit in his memorie as the reasons that moued him to conferre it Well knowes your Kingly Highnesse that I was desirous a long time for the profit and exaltation of the Apostolicke Sea to bring you Ad Culmen Imperij And as we with all our endeuour haue desired to giue perfection to your Honour and glorie you also must performe those things which are profitable to the vtilitiâ— and exaltâ—tion of that Seate And there he addes That for Conference about that he came to meete him at Rauenna leauing his owne Church in the cruell hands of enemies And in the next Epistle he sends to the same purpose his Nephew Faruâ—fus Deliciosum consiliarium nostrum Becauâ—e saâ—es he in anothâ—r place We desire greedily to accomplish this And yet at this very time for his better indemnitie hee practis'd with the Esterne Emperour and kept faire quarter with him also as appeares by his Letter to him 67 Hauing thus establish'd a stronger reputation and laide earnest Obligâ—tions vpon France and by example and authoritie thereof in other places also they beganne to feele their stâ—ength and to draw their swords as farre as they would goe which was to excommunication euen in France it selfe 68 But because in the excommunications issuing in â—hese times and in the tiâ—es betweene this and Gregory the seuenth and perchance in some bâ—fore this time there is found often mention of pâ—nishment after eâ—communicationâ— whiâ—h hath occasioned some to erre in an opinion that besides spiâ—ituall câ—nsures temporall penalties were alâ—o inflicted vpon pâ—iuate persons and consequently eradication vpon Princes we wâ—â—l arrest and stay a little vppon the stile and phrase of some of those excommunications by which it wil appeare that they intended nothing but spirituall punishment 69 The first which I haue obserued is a letter of Innocent the first to Arcadius the Emperour whom he thought guilty of the eiecting of the death of Chrysostome His words are Ego minimus peccator segrego te a perceptione mysteriorum Christi This then went no farther then to depriue him of spirituall foode and the Pope if thaâ— Epistle be genuine was very hasty in it for the Empâ—rour discharged himselfe presently by pleading ignorance of the fact which that Bishoppe ought to haue tried before hee had procâ—eded to excommunicâ—tion Chrysostome himselfe whose quarrell it was had taught sâ—fficiently the limits of that iurisdictâ—â—n for he said When the Priâ—st had reprehended Ozias De spreto Sacerdotio he could doe no more for it is his part onely to reprooue and to perswade not to stirre warre and he addes that God himselfe to whom onely it belongs to punish so inflicted a leprosie vpon the King in which saies he we see Humanitatem Diuinae ultionis who sent not lightning nor shaked the earth nor moued the Heauens So farre was Chrysostome from counsayling any such punishment as should be accompanied with tumult 70 And so a iust estimation and true vnderstanding of their liberties in Ecclesiastique causes were the Fathers in the Councell at Ephesus arriued when in that Synodicall Letter to the Emperour which they call Libellum supplicem they make this protestation The scope of our profession prouides that we be obedient to all Princes and Potentates as long as that obedience brings no detriment to our Soulâ—â— health but if it come to that we must dare to vse our libertie Aduersus Regium fastigium And how farre may this courage and libertie carie vs if the Prince command any thing in detriment of our soule As farre as thoâ—e Fathers durst aduenture vpon that ground which they expressed thus to the Emperour If you approue the banishment of Câ—rill and Memnon which were banished by persons Excommunicate then know you that we are ready with that alacritie which becomes Christians to vndergoe any danger with them that is to suffer as they goe 71 But about this time of Iohn 8. it was very frequent that Excommunications had a farther comminatorie clause For so against a Bastard of Lotharius who had broke an Oath made to a French King he sayes VVe depriue him of all Christian Comunion and if he perseuer let him know that Anathematis vinculis innodabitur So to an Earle and hâ—s Lady which had seduced a Nunne from her profession â—e sayes We seperate them from the body and blood and all fellowship with Christians and if they neglect to restore her Anathemate innodamus So in the next Epistle he threatens a Bishop that refus'd to come to him Know that you are to be Excommunicate and if you perseuer A Communione alienandus And against another Bishop and his whole charge he pronounces Priuation from the Communion seperation from the Church and except they conuert Maioris damnationis sententiam and with such as these his time abounds 72 And his predecessour Adrian the second had gone thus farre towards the King of France when hee attempted to inuade his Brothers Dominion VVe admonish you by our Apostolique Authoritie and by all spirituall meanes which we may vse we perswade you and in a Fatherly effection command you to forbeare elsâ— we will performe tâ—at which belongs to out Ministerie But in another letter to his Nobles he threatens them That if they aide the Father to warre against the Sonne who was then in his displeasure They shall