against him As for Saul he was not cast out by Samuel Samuel onely denounced Gods will which was to him revealed how that Saul should be cast from his kingdom and he did therefore by divine appointment anoint David in his steed But notwithstanding it appears by the Scripture that although Saul stood excommunicate as being rejected of God yet he continued still king and both David and the Israelites did obey him David calling him his Lord and Anointed 1 Sam. 24.7 God forbid saith he that I should lay hands upon him for who shall smite the Lords anointed and be guiltless 1 Sam. 26.9 And the like was of Jeroboam the Priest did not impose the punishment onely denounce the judgement that was to come upon him by way of Prophecie And whereas Azariah was shut from men being a leper and his son Jotham set up to rule in his stead this doth not prove that Excommunication which the Jesuites would perswade to be the figure of the spiritual leper doth ipso facto dethrone a King Azariah continued King till his death he was called King in the 22 yeer of his Raign which was the last yeer of his Raign 2 Kin. 15. So that Jotham was not King but Vice-gerent during his fathers leprosie and then his father dying he claimed an absolute power in his own right not by vertue of his fathers seclusion And whereas Athaliah was deprived of her kingdom by Jehoiada the Priest that was by vertue of Joash whom the Priest preserved in the Temple he being the right heir and Athaliah an Usurper and murderer of old Azariahs children onely Joash escaped her bloody treachery and after that the people did adhere to make Joash their king and did promise to put themselves under his Government whereupon the high-Priest did command Athaliah the usurper to be put from the throne for that Joash was both heir in blood and had the general approbation of the people 2 King 11. They clapped their hands and said God save the king And for Elijahs withstanding King Ahab it was because of his Baalitish Prophets whom by a miracle he demonstrated to Ahab to be the cause of the famine and the drought which he shewed by prayer for rain and Ahab being herewith convinced gave consent that the Baalitesh Priests should be delivered up which by consent of the people by a publike Decree were put to death by Elijahs hands But none of these examples do prove that Priests have a right to depose Kings though the contrary may be proved that Kings deposed Priests as Saul slew Abimelech for taking part with David Joash commanded Jehoiadahs sons to be put to death and Solomon displaced Abiathar the high-Priest from his primacy and dignity for following Adonijahs faction The Scripture recites nineteen Kings of Israel and fourteen of Judah who brake the Covenant made with the Lord and followed strange gods and drave the people to apostacie yet was not one of them deposed by a Priest or a Prophet for they knew that they â—eld their authority from God not from them and therefore with David all agreed to subscribe Who can lay his hand upon the Lords anointed and be guiltless Now as there can be no proof produced from the Old Testament so much less from the New but positively and plainly to the contrary Christ himself commanding tribute to Caesar and Rom. 13. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers and 1 Tim. 2. Let prayers and supplications be made for princes and 1 Pet. 2. Submit your selves for the Lords sake whether to the king as supreme or unto governours sent by him Again Christ said to his Apostles The kings of the Gentiles bear rule and exercise dominion Vos autem non sic Luke 22.25 There must be no strivings amongst them who should be the greatest which Christ manifesteth by setting a childe amongst them Matth. 18. By all which texts of Scripture it is plain that Ministers of the Gospel and successors of the Apostles are to submit to pray for but not oppose kings neither are they to look after worldly power and lordship Christ himself denying to meddle with the dividing of the land betwixt the two brethren Luke 12. For this was praeter his business he came about Now if the Pope would be thought to be Peters successor let him follow Peters precept and let him imitate Christ who commanded Peter to follow him let him do his Masters business Let him never think to intangle himself with the temporal affairs of this world let him never think of disposing of earthly Crowns but seed his flock and instruct them in the ways of godliness that they may with meekness temperance patience and snffering attain to a crown of glory being strengthned through the might of Christ his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness Col. 1.11 For such is the will of God that by well doing they may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2.15 Let him not think to turn Peters keys into Hercules club and when a Prince will not hearken to him he may dethrone him for he hath no warrant for his so doing And the power of the keys given to Peter did not extend to this nor may the Pope claim any such priviledge by vertue thereof When Christ said to Peter The power of the keys doth not warrant the Popes deposing of Kings Whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven He did not thereby give him power to pull down kings for that after he enjoyned Cesars tribute and Peter himself after submitted and taught rules of obedience Nor was this power given to Peter alone of binding and loosing but to the rest of the Apostles also John James Bartholomew c. had the like power as I have shewed in the second Chapter And admit Kings be so included under the power of the Keys yet that doth not prove any power in the Priest to dethrone him onely to denounce Gods judgements against his sin and to admonish him and to pray for him but he must not meddle with his Temporal Regiment nor so far extend his Ecclesiastical power as to dis-engage Subjects from their Allegiance to such a Prince for that is against the practice of the Apostles and against the precepts of Christ And certainly if the Apostles or Peter had had any such power by vertue of the Keys they would never have suffered it to have been depressed without giving testimony to the world of the injury done unto them Peter if he suffered at Rome and Paul whom all stories agree to have suffered under Domitius Nero never so much as denouncing him Ethnick or uncapable to rule because a persecutor of Christs Saints nay they were so far from this that they commanded others for conscience sake to obey Heathen Princes and that because of their power which is from God which power as
made use of to cheat King John out of his right served likewise to delude King Philip of his vain hopes which Instrument bringing so much honour and profit to the See of Rome was afterwards with great insultation and triumph glased in Gold and was called the Golden Bull and Pope Innocent the third having so good successe against these Kings he procured presently after in a Gouncell of Lâ—teran that the Popes should be declared above Kings as appears in the 14 chapter This is that Magna Charta by which his Holinesse claimes a superintendency in England who please duly to consider will find that it is a thing of scorn and mockery to Rome and of no dishonour or damage to the Crown of England For King John subscribing that Bull and making the Kingdome tributary was against the Law of the Land For the King cannot dispose of those things that are inherent in the Crown much lesse of the Crown it self to make it tributary and this Moore a great Roman Catholike confessed that unless it were by consent of the Nobles And the Commons of the Land it could not bind the successours of the King which is the true Rule of our Law and agreeable to the antient Constitutions of our Land and whereas Steph. Langton was confirmed Bishop that confirmation unlesse it had been by the Kings consent gave him no right to that place for the consent of the Monks to his election without a Conge deslier against the Kings consent who had sole right to collate to the See of Canterbury in respect that of that time the Bishops were not elegible did not at all help the matter for Stephen Langton was admitted anno 1205. and the Roll for making them elegible was not till the 17 of King John which was 12 years after his installment so that had it not been that the King consented to it and did repell his electing of Grey Langton had been an usurper notwithstanding the election of the Monks befides the Monks could not elect him nor any other without the Kings Writ of Conge Deslier This Langton as I have said before was a man so much qualified that he could not want his Holinesse favor for he was a second Hildebrand a meer State incendiary and knew how to trouble the clear waters and make them fit for his Holinesse to fish for gudgeons Pâ—â— Favors Railors And would the Doctor but conspire to plot some mischief against his mother Country no doubt he might be preferred as Allen was to the dignity of a Cardinall But I hear he is a man of another temper and therefore I much honour him and am sorry he hath betaken himself to the company of those whose respects towards him will grow cold for as he is a meek and sober man he is uselesse to his Holinesse and must never think to find any extraordinary favour or honour from him for it is a Papall maxime not to Canonize Innocents amongst Saints time hath made the Popes experienced and master builders of their Spiritual Babell they are grown Cunning architectors and know how to fit every piece serviceably in the rearing up of the Babilonish Tower The Doctour was presently discovered not to be fit for an ignation of whom it is required to be active stirring and turbulent But he would serve for a Carthusian who spend their time in more confined and retirednesse Ex quovis ligno non fit mercurius But this by the way I return to the Golden Bull. As the installing of Langton had been void notwithstanding the election had not the King consented to a new Conge Deflier so was the donation of that tribute to the Pope void and null notwithstanding the Golden Bull The Golden Bull. which Bull though it received so much honour as to be entombed in Gold and laid up for an everlasting Monument of Romes acquired wealth and dignity Yet in my judgement serves for no other use but to take up a room in the Treasury of their Superstitious Trumperies and instead of being consecrate to the memory of Pandulphus and serves to put posterity in mind of his course imployment to cheat Princes and the Popes wickedness to set him a work about unlawfull designes which when they were at chieved to their desire became of no validity and so this sacred Monument instead of Glory becomes a lasting Record of their shame and foolery I wonder in what forme this Magna Charta was enclosed when it received its Golden-outside The Golden Bull Anno 1217. sure it is was made like a Nut and did thereby Hierogliphick its short continuance for it was not long preserved it proved deaf presently after For that very year it was Sealed King John dyed and Hen. 3d his sonne succeeded him who sent Hugh Biggod a Noble man and others to the Generall Councell at Lyons in France to require that Bull to be Cancelled in respect that it passed not by consent of the Councell of the Realm which the Pope put off for that time under pretence of more weighty affairs and still keeps the same amongst his other Monumentall Trophies nor did England at any time since seek to have the Nut restoâ—ed but waves all interest to it and freely proclaims that any who please may crack it and take the Kernell for their pains By vertue of this grand Charter the Pope had in conceit under his jurisdiction the Kingdome of England but it was but in conceit for he regained no more benefits or vertuall prerogative from thence then the Turk doth who tacitely by his title of being Lord of Europe stiles himself Lord thereof Hen. 3d never paid any tribute nor acknowledged it due nor any of the three succeeding Edwards and Anno 6. R. 2. all the Kingdome willingly bound themselves by a Law to maintain the Crown of England against all Papall citation suspension excommunications and censures whatsoever which they judged free and subject to none save God The power of Magistracy being innate not affixed to England The next Argument the Papists make to prove the Popes Ecclesiastical power in England The King styled Defender of the Faith by the Pope is from Hen. 8. his accepting the style of Defender of the Faith as an honour proceeding from his Holinesse whereby they would perswade that the King is not to meddle with matters of Faith within his own Realms unlesse by deputation or consent of his Holinesse to which I answer I have proved that by the antient Lawes of the Kingdome the King is superintendent within his own Dominions as well in cases Ecclesiasticall as Civill in Scripture Kings are called Nursing Fathers of the Church Isai 49.23 and this right was in the Crown before ever Hen. 8. had it promulged by the Pope for R. 2. in a Commission granted by him used these words Nos zelo fides Catholicae cujus sumus esse volumus defensores in omnibus c. wherefore for the Pope to give this stile
Council at Ravenna and sentenced the Acts of Pope Steph. which were in a Synod by him decreed to be burned The Council of Constantinople took away the cup which another Council restored and which decree of the Council of Constantinople and the now present practice of Rom's Church in that point is utterly against the doctrine of Christ and the practice of the Apostles and the Primitive Church as I shall shew in the sixteenth Chap. The Council of Nice declared Angels to be circumscriptible and the souls of men and that they have bodies and are visible and circumscriptible which is against the rules of our faith for we believe that God is the Creator of all things visible and invisible and if Angels and Spirits be visible then are there no invisible things as one argues upon this point But I do not much urge this in regard some hold that spirits may assume visible shapes nor doth my argument much rely upon this mistake in that Council I need not rifle much into Councels to pick out contradictory Canons sith the Councils themselves declare they are not infallible insomuch that the whole Council prayeth at the end of every Council in a set form of prayer that God would pardon their ignorance and errors quia conscientia remordente fabescimus c. and because our own conscience accusing us we do faint lest either ignorance hath drawn us into error and hasty will driven us to decline from thy will and pleasure of heavenly Father c. In which it appears that they confess the frailty of that Assembly that it may not onely err in matter of fact through ignorance but in faith also by declining from justice Lame and frivolous therefore are those distinctions Alledged that the contrary decrees of later are but the explications of former Councils by which the Papists would deceive the world that Councils do but declare and explain the meaning of former Councils but do never gainesay any by a contrary decree for the contrary is absolutely proved to you already in that they are diametrically opposite one to another and besides the four first Councils were reputed and taken to be so holy that Gregor the Gr. in regist primo libr. 24. and Masilius def pac dict 2. fol. 229. affirm they are to be believed sacred tanquam quatuor Evangelia and if a later council shall decree any thing contrary to them it shall not be received into the Church How then can the Church of Rome for shame claim universality to her self and supream jurisdiction the Church of Rome being but equal with Alexandria and declared to those Councils sicut Alexandria as I have proved in the second chapter But the Church of Rome by vertue of her new-acquired attributes of universality infallibility and supremacy may declare as she please and none to question her for it and she has her champions with Sophistry to make good whatsoever she proposes and therefore whereas those first councils were accounted sacred by the ancient Fathers even as the four Evangelists and therefore none might add to or diminish from them notwithstanding Rome may by her new prerogatives being declared above Councils do what she please and so upon the matter all Religion is by her made arbitrary we having neither Scripture Fathers nor Councels but must be interpreted by her after her own fancy and no other sence to be received of any thing though never so plaine but what she gives and whatsoever interpretation she makes through never so repugnant to the plaine text words and sense of Scripture Councils and Fathers must not be denyed but understood to be growings and explanations of the first faith spun out of the stock or depositum Ecclesiae with which delusive pretences of her strange contexture drawn from her own Spiders womb she entangles the lesser and small flies but the more sollid break the net of her artificial cunning and leave her in the snare she prepares for others and hereupon she has in the Council of Milan added a new Symbole of faith to the Nicene Creed which she cals new rules of faith which indeed are new articles of faith Explanations of Councils as common under one kind worshiping images supremacy c. which cannot be as they would have them understood explanations for explanations are declarative illustrations of a truth involved in some former article and not additions of a doctrine newly conceived for truth I allow that out of the depositum Ecclesiae Depositum Ecclesiae as the Doctor says fol. 123. there may be growings in faith and knowledge and new articles imposed upon the people by representatives in collective or Provincial Councels which upon new questions and disputes may resolve being the proper interpreter and reconciler of differences and by the authority of Scriptures frame new articles which before were not thought of as occasion to that purpose may be administred and having framed such articles by authority of the Church may deliver them to be received as matters of faith by which the people by the approbation of the civil magistrate of the respective jurisdictions are bound But if those be contrary to what former Councils have resolved it proves their decrees peccant as Romes supremacy by the Laterne and Trent Councils as against the first Councils of Nice and Constontinople or if those new rules or articles of faith be not warranted by Scripture they are not binding to absent provincials as I shall shew in the twelfth Chapter for it is cleer and evident that the Scripture is above the authority of any Council that ever was since the Apostles Council at Jerusalem and it self doth in matters of points necessary judge it self Infra 102.112 as is in that Chapter plainly proved though all those points were not at first digested into a Symbole of faith Scriptures above Councils For if by authority of explanation the Church represented in ordinary councils shall not be bound by Scripture so that she shall not frame new rules contrary to the plaine letter of those points of our salvation the Holy Ghost has set down in the Scriptures we do then submit the whole matter of our salvation unto the power of humane judgements and so make void the dictates of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures at the wils and discretions of mortal men which though they were Angels sent from heaven in that case are not to be believed shall they teach contrary to that the Apostles here delivered therefore I say because all points of salvation may not be methodized into a certaine Symbole and rule of faith the Church as occasion may require may out of the treasure of the Scriptures take new rules but those rules must not impugne the plain letter of Scripture which because such a Council is fallible must be made the square and rule to judge that Council by Now because God has promised his Spirit to his Church and Councils are the representation of
Basil which was raised against his crown and dignity and dismounting those Canons to proclaim in a loud volley of their own artillery his holiness the Pope not only above Councels which was the former dispute but above Scripture too and that from henceforth none shall have voices in the General Councel An Oath to be enjoyned those that sit in Council but such as shall first swear obedience to the Pope and promise to defend his Canon Law which oath put Bellarmine to hunt about for an evasion and lib. 1. de concil cap. ult he would have it understood that this oath is only intended of obedience to the Pope whilst he is Pope but not against the deposing of an heretical Pope which is a mist the Cardinal would throw before the eyes of the people that a man should not see the gross violation of priviledges and grand abuse offered and henceforth to be exercised upon the liberty freedome and preheminence of so sacred and reverend a Lady as a General Councel is and of right ought to be whenas whosoever knows the Popes Canons Popes Canons which teach that the Pope cannot err in his judicial decrees of faith and mannors that no Councels are of force without the Popes confirmation that all Councels confirmed by him are approved by the holy Ghost That he can excommunicate and depose all Emperors and princet and many such like strange and horrible positions plainly understands that he is bound by this oath to maintaine those Cannons of the Popes which are in themselves another powder plot to blow up the General Councels For if they were but to obey him whilst he taught and ruled according to God and the holy Canons none would be averse from it for by that rule every one might have liberty to examine him which I believe Bellarmine would not grant wherefore it was but a meer evasion of the oath for that time whenas he knew well enough the oath was positive enjoyning obedience to the then known Canons of the Pope which in themselves are destructive to Councels had not the late Laterane and Trent Councels decreed already his holiness to be above any Councel so that since these decrees of those two Councels since this oath to be enjoyned to them that shall come to sit in Councels and since these Canons made and forced upon the consciences of them that shall be members of that Councel it may no longer be properly called a Councel but rather a conventicle of Pope Parasites who came thither forestalled in Judgement and pre-obliged by oath to maintaine the Pope in his present Canonical power whenas by this means nothing that shall reflect upon his unjust usurpations can or may there receive a free debate or if it should and be there decreed against the Pope yet he being above that decree may alter it in his closet at Rome at pleasure and till this be rectified we may all bid farewell to General Councels nay such is their impudence and vaine glory now that they have attained to this pitch of height that they may teach what they please no power being to question them that they stick not boldly to affirme that the first Councels of Nice Constant c. had not been of force had not the Pope been there and had he not been there they had erred For he is the onely head and infallible legislator of rules pertaining to faith he is the onely interpreter of the Scriptures the Sphynx that can lay one all former decrees and the holy Writ it self be it never so plaine to be a riddle to expound it according to his own sense and best a vaile He may call all Bishops of the Christian world to decide and determine controversies in Religion Abuse of General Councils but yet salvo jure they must decree nothing against what he please to decree in his chaire at Rome For as for himself he never comes at a General Councel for if he should the Emperor must sit above him and that stands not with his princely highness and magnificence besides the Easterne Churches do not acknowledge his primacy and should he come there it might give an occasion to have that questioned which the old Fox would not have brought into dispute because that thereby the unjustness of his claim to others as much transcendent prerogatives would be laid open to the world The Bishops as I said may meet at his beck fast long pray long consult gravely deliberate maturely decree soberly command strictly and accurse severely But neither they nor any other shall tell what shall be of force for all shall be as please his holiness sitting in state in his only-infallible chaire at Rome wherefore a Romane Bishop Melchior Canus lib. de locis 5. cap. 5. non itaque quod in humanis concessionibus fit plurimum apud nos sententia prevalet c. It is not saith he with us as it is with other humane assemblies where plurality of voices prevaile for lo here matters are not to be judged by number but by weight and the Councels saith he receive their weight from the gravity and sole authority of the Pope and the Papists of Rhemes upon the 15. of the Acts alledge that the determination of Councels is needless because his holiness the Pope alone is infallible and therefore say they they are but called for the contentation of the weak not for necessity sake which if this was the Religion of the primitive Church let their own Councels the fathers of the primitive times and their own consciences in the presence of God witness First Councils abused they deeree Canons in Councels under paine of Anathema and yet the Pope may withstand them salva conscientia whereupon their Angelical Doctor Thomas Aquinas 4. con pag. 422. touching that Canon of the Ephesine Councel that none under pain of damnation should frame any other Symbole or adde any other thing to that of the Nicene Council answers to excuse the new Symbole set forth in the Millain Council that that Anathema is onely to private men and doth not binde the Pope Is not this a strange exposition of a learned Doctor As if the Councils of Nice and Ephesus prefumed that private men should make new Articles of Faith and enjoyn them as canons of the Church or as if they had allowed the Bishop of Rome any Legislative power to frame new Rules without a Council I blush to see how the Popes parasites to help a lame dog over the stile will bolster up his Holiness in whatsoever he propounds and shall either receive a cloak to blinde its contradictions from former principles and practices or if they cannot easily dissemble the grosness of the Tenent will enforce it upon his Holiness score of infallibility or else by vertue of an Index expurgatorius alter the Rules and Canons of the first Councils and make them speak new doctrines sutable to the humour and present tenents of the Church of Rome
or if the Popes genius cannot see far enough to advance the Papal Throne they will in his name and by his authority make Scriptures Infra 12 Chap. Councils and Fathers noses of wax make the dead Fathers speak things they never thought or uttered and put new faces upon the old Fathers and Councils As for example S. Fathers Councils a bused by the Popes Parasites Austin de civitate Dei lib. 15. cap. 23. speaking of Canonical Scripture says Those Scriptures are to be taken for Canonical which the most part of the Christian churches so take amongst which those Churches be that deserve to have Apostolike Sees and to receive Epistles from the Apostles the word Sees is turned into See as I have already alleadged Ante Ch. 2 The sixth canon of the first Council of Nice which made Rome equal with Alexandria is corrupted and fifty false canons are added to the twenty canons of the same Council and the Jesuites would hereby perswade the world that his Holiness supremacie which was shortened by the Fathers of the Nicene Council being alive is enlarged by his Holiness they being dead and contrary that Council his Holiness gives leave to Abbots to consecrate Bishops which Abbots are not quatenus Abbots infra sacros ordines and contrary to the fifth canon he absolveth those that are excommunicated by other Bishops Contrary to the sixth canon he invades the Diocesses of other Patriarchs which Eutiches condemned in the Council of Chalcedon He believeth that Christ hath a body neither solid nor palpable nor like to ours for such is that transubstantiated body he maintains to be in the Sacrament He has further abused the Fathers of the Chalcedon Council who being alive said Let the See of Constantinople be as well advanced as the See of Rome being the next unto it which words are filthily corrupted by a negative added to the last words Let her not be advanced in matters Ecclesiastical as she let her be the next unto it So in like manner he hath abused the eight and twentieth canon of the Council of Carthage speaking how the Churches of Africa should not appeal beyond seas he has added this clause Vnless it be to the See of Rome I might instance a thousand more of the like nature but these particulars may serve to give a light unto their dark proceedings Hercules is known by his foot and by this brief epitome of the Church of Rome's tricks and juglings for note Reader where thorowout the Book I name the Pope I thereby generally understand the Church of Rome with Fathers and Councils you may ghess what multitudes of errours and wrongs she daily commits not making conscience to abuse the dead Fathers which were they alive could not think much at it because the dictates of the holy Ghost the Scripture it self is not free from his abuses in points that contradict his new profitable tenents and to make the Rules of Councels stand upon new pantables which his Holiness has shod them with to make them tread Papal measures in To this pass are general Councels come those of old speak new language those of later times teach things contrary to the old nor are these modern Councels free in their Constitutions every member thereof must be engaged by Oath to maintain the Pope in his new-usurped priviledges and should they freely debate and decree any thing yet it is to no purpose being subject to alteration controlment or denial of his Holiness and therefore since they are brought to this pass who will give ear to their Edicts or honour them as a Representative of several Churches united in that body sith thus by the practice of the Church of Rome general Councels are brought into this servile condition and made subordito the Pope it behoves Provincials to reform themselves and to call Provincial councils to that purpose and no longer to expect the decision of Controversies from a General Council which is thus made servile to the Pope to decree to please the people but in no ways to displease the Pope Sith then General Councils are brought to this pass I say it behoves Provincials as they tender the purity of doctrine delivered by Christ and the dictates of the holy Ghost by the mouth of the Apostles to be preserved in the several Churches of Christ without being perverted to please the humours of men To cast off these wicked designers of the Churches slavery and introducers of errour and innovation and to desire the assistance of the holy Spirit of God to direct them in their own respective Provincial Councils which they may by the example of the Primitive Churches and by authority of the first Councils lawfully convene without any Rule or Order from the See of Rome for their so doing and no longer unless those things may be amended and that they have sufficient assurance thereof from the See of Rome to appeal to any General Councels called by the Pope CHAP. XI That there may be Provincial Councils called without the Popes approbation which councils have power to reform Schisms and Heresies and may enjoyn Rules of Faith which the people by the consent of the civil Magistrate are bound to obey and especially that the church of England hath this power THat the Metropolitanes of distinct Provinces have power to call Councils for reformation of any Schisms or decision of any Questions or Doubts in Religion it was the practice of the Primitive Churches and if the Pope of Rome have any preeminence of Jurisdiction in order to Councils it was but derived from the power of Councels as I have proved before and therefore the same power giving authority to other Provincials to call Councils they are not debarred of this priviledge by any Order or Decree of the Church of Rome they not being under her jurisdiction or power especially those Provincials which were not by Suffragans represented in the late Laterane and Trent-Councils which gave this supremacy over Councils to the Pope And that this was granted to all Metropolitanes of distinct Provinces may appear by these ensuing presidents and warrants so to do By the General Councils of Chalcedon the 19 Canon it is decreed Quod oporteat per Provinciales bis in anno Concilia celebrare and this is likewise agreed by the Council of Antioch can 20. and by the first Council of Nice and by the the 18 Canon of the Council of Antioch that one Bishop should not meddle in the Diocess of another and herewith agrees the first Council of Constantinople Can. 2. Provincial Councils and several Provincials to meet in one with out the Popes approbation By the Council of Carthage Can. 19. if any difference arose it was to be referred to the Metropolitan of the Province who should call the Bishops of his Province together and if they could not resolve the doubt it was to be transmitted to a General Council and if any party thought himself agrieved at
by approved of as most good and convenient And some there be which though made trim and comely by kings favours legal Liveries given by good and bounteous Princes as heirboons to them and their posterity could wish a Royal Master to go in and out before them in defence of such hereditary freedom concurring with the other in opinion That Monarchy is the best and safest Government for avoiding of factions in the Commonwealth and preserving a muâ—â—al confidence and alacrity betwixt the Magistracie and the People for that the king is but one and trusted by them and consented unto to govern whereas oftentimes in Democratical States the major part sways and perhaps disposes of particular interests when the party concerned neither ever heard of or trusted any particular man of that major part nor had any vote to elect any one of the same qualification of that major part Besides as the king is but one he is sooner perswaded to Justice and moved to Mercy then a multitude they might as well make choice of such heirs as of any other and that the rather because they had formerly prayed and in faith were perswaded that God would give righteousness to the kings son And when he is installed in the Throne notwithstanding he succeed his father yet he may not properly be said a king by descent but made so by the consent of the People Now sith the title and power of Governing is given by consenting to have such power over them I will consider how far the king and how far the people are bound each to other First for the People I conceive that sith this power of the King 〈◊〉 derived from the stipulation of the People the People on their parts as they expect to have the King to govern them with regardfulness stand firmly bound to observe their Covenant made with the King Wherefore if they submitted themselves under Absolute Kings as the kings of Judah or the Emperours of Rome c. those kings were to take their sons and appoint them to their chariots c. and shall command their servants young men c. and when they cry the Lord will not hear them for that they have covenanted for him so to do they being thereof advertised before 1 Sam. 8. and that Covenant is not to be cancelled without the Prince his allowance Plutarch records how that Lysander and Dionysius two Heathens had an Apophthegm That children were to be mockt with toys and men with oathes But I hope Christians will hearken to the holy Ghost which both by the mouth of Moses and S. Paul commands them to perform their promises as in the sight of the Lord. Moses in Numb 30.3 commands that he that makes a promise should not break it but do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth for it is saith one Vinculum animae according to that of S. Paul Gal. 3.15 Though it be but a mans covenant yet when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addes any thing thereto Wherefore the people having by stipulation put themselves under that Government and that Government over them being Absolute they may nor so much as say unto that absolute king What dost thou but are as Joshua says Chap. 1.27 to obey him in all that he commands Again Kings bound As by that stipulation the People are bound to submit to the will of that Absolute Monarch so on the other side if between the King and the People when the King is appointed over them by their crowning and acclamations of Vive le Roy it be conditioned and agreed that such a king shall be over them yet nevertheless subject to such and such qualifications the king is bound to perform those unto them for it 's his Covenant and the people are onely bound by the pledge of their faith to obey him upon those terms and not else And therefore if such a king on his part break his conditions with such a people they may having power to convene a Dyet or Parliament the commencement and determination of such Assembly not depending upon the will of the Prince depose such a king and proceed to a new election and this I conceive with submission to better judgements is not against any texts of Scripture for that obedience generally enjoyned to kings in Scripture is meant of absolute Kings to whom the people having submitted themselves could upon no terms disclaim their subjection to them however every one stands bound for conscience sake to any qualified Monarch indispensably according to the condition of his stipulation to be obedient to him As the power of Kings is meerly from this stipulation with the People who put themselves in subjection to such a mans government None bound to obey onely such as promise to obey so this mutual personal Contract as it shall not extend to the heirs of the king so neither to the heir of the party promising That it doth not extend to the heir of the king is manifest because of the personal confidence of the peopole in such an one to go in and out before them and to be over them and likewise because of their personal promise onely to that king which promise if it had extended to the heir the people needed not to have met at Shechem to make Rehoboam son of Solomon king And in all countries and kingdoms the people meet and crown their new king for that he personally is to govern them and they personally submit to him which obedience had it grown from the faith pledged to the old king it had been needless to have had a meeting to make a new king I must confess that quilibet potest renunciare juri per se introducto the people may make a Covenant to be obedient to such a King and his heir and his heir by vertue of that Covenant shall be over them and according to the connditions of that stipulation both such heir as king and such people engaged as subjects are indispensably bound But yet such stipulation to obey the heir of the king doth not binde the heir of the party promising for that as I said before the power of governing the people is derived from their voluntary subjection to be under that Government which subjection is personal and bins no further then the party promising It is true that such were the conditions of the kings of Israel and Judah that by the promise of the people their sons and servants were bound that being foretold them by Samuel and so they condescending unto it it becomes de modo concessionis due and to be obeyed And thus it was with the Jews under the Romane Emperours in which respect all the Land of Jewry was bound it being taxed under Augustus Cesar Luk. 2. and this being generally proclaimed and known and the sons and servants not gainsaying it they as it were represented by their parents and masters are likewise bound to this obedience though not personally
never have obeyed him had not the holy Father of Rome perswaded them of the legality thereof So now Pepin was mindful of this great courtesie and makes good the Proverb Manus manum fricat These employments and great Authorities which the Pope had thus acquired though the onely ship of this advancement was that unconscionable perswading the people of France contrary to their Faith and Allegiance pledged to depose Childeric made him proud and puffed him up so that he began to insult over the people who not liking of such tyrannous proceedings especially from a Ghostly father and knowing that he was but a Deputy and had not right inherent in himself to govern and command them did therefore expel Leo the third from Rome who appealing to his Patron Charles King of France Charles the Great made Patron by Adrian predecessor to Leo. Ante ch 4. wrought so much with that King that he came to Rome and appeased the matter of difference and pacified the people and restored Leo by which action he did not onely please the people but the Pope likewise Wherefore the people having a long time conspired to shake off their obedience to the Eastern Empire and now that opportunity was offered them by reason that that Empire was much decayed and for that at that present there was but a woman to govern them Irene being the Empress they did with one consent proclaim Charles Emperour of Rome giving him the title of Cesar and Augustus and he was crowned by Pope Leo anno 801. Charles the Great son of Pepin being thus by the consent of the Romanes climbed up into the Imperial Chair began to reflect upon the justice and right of his possession Wherefore as Blandus and Platina two Popish Writers affirm he fearing to have too many irons in the fire and not altogether relying upon the Peoples choice and consent to have him Emperour for that it might not be lawful for many of them so to do in respect they stood already bound by stipulation made with the Empress not to cast off their Allegiance from her which Covenant could not lawfully be dissolved without consent of parties or that Irene had forfeited her interest to their obedience did therefore make his peace with Irene the Empress and Nicephorus her successor that by their consents and approbations he might rule in the western Empire which was by them confented unto And thus it continued in the blood of Charles till the yeer 920. when Henricus Auceps was chosen Emperour by the Saxons and Francones Henricus Auceps which continued in his blood by way of succession till the Empire was made Elective and Henricus Claudus 1002. was by vertue thereof elected Emperour Now I submit to the Readerâ— whether any thing from hence may be evinced to prove any right in the Pope to dispose of the Empire First it is evident that the Bishops of Rome were subject to the Emperours and were but equal with them of Alexandria And though they were in after-times made Universal Head yet still they remained subject to the Emperour having nothing to do with the disposing thereof And when Pepin was made King of France it was not by the donation of the Pope but by the people of France onely the Pope declared his opinion concerning the lawfulness of their casting off Childeric And when the Popes were by Pepin made Governours of Italy it was but as substitutes to Pepin and not in their own right And for Charles the Great being made Emperour it was the People of Rome that did it it may be that the Pope was instrumental to perswade the people thereunto but that which made him Emperour was the salutation of the People Salve Cesar c. Besides Charles the Great procured the consents of the Empress and her Successor to confirm him in his Regiment which is a manifest proof that no right of donation was at all in the Pope as Sigebert and others testifie concerning this very point That the Pope never took upon him an absolute right solely to dispose of the Empire but as instrumental to the People to inaugurate and crown him after the People had consented to have him over them Che crowning of the Emperours And the Popes crowning of the Emperours doth not prove any right at all in him to be disposer of that Crown any more then the Bishops of Canterbury their inaugurating the Kings of England doth prove a right in them to dispose of that Crown for this was the Office of the Priests as may appear by the examples of Samuel who anointed Saul and Zadok who anointed Solomon and Jehoiadah who anointed and crowned Joash Which act of theirs was done as they were Priests not as they had any Temporal right to dispose of those Kingships 'T is true Emperour elective that Gregory the fifth being neer kinsman to Otho the third did by his favour and consent procure that the Empire should be Elective the Emperours thereof to be chosen by seven Electors the Archbishops of Mentz Triers and Collen the King of Boheme the Duke of Saxony the Marquess of Brandenburg and the Count Palatine of Rhene This Constitution was enacted anâ—o 994. and was done by the approbation of the Emperour the Pope not so much as having any right at all appointed to him to give a voice in the Election And I wonder how they can pretend any title to dispose thereof for by reason of their spiritual Function they cannot and by colour of any Temporal right they may not And although the Councel of Lateraneâ— heâ—d under Innocent the third did declare them to be above Kings yet the succeeding Popes did not rely upon that Edict as being too little to be given to their Pontifical Seat in regard it was declared conditionally i. e. in case any King became Ethnick and therefore Boniface the eighth did make a Law himself more full and of ampler power for says Appendix Puldensis Constitutionem fecerat in qua se dominum spiritualem temporaleÌ„ in universo mundo asserebat And if from this Edict this Regal power must be ascribed to them it is strange and unreasonable Shall the Pope by a Decree of his own making rob others of their right I am sure there is no right in such a Constitution To transfer a property in any thing requires the consent of the owners otherwise it is Robbery not a lawful Contract And yet because this is done by his Holiness who cannot erre as his flatterers tell him it must be construed against all Principles and Rules of Law and Nature to be a lawful Constitution and binding unto Kings Which if they be so tame as to suffer themselves to be fettered with this Paper-gin when the heirs of their bodies may not succeed them they will finde but few to pity them This is the Popes Royal Charter by which he entitles himself to this Celestial power and this is the chief and principal Canon of the
by which he would have her distinguished to be a true Church to become Brands and Stigmatizings of her errors and falling from the Primitive Church 3. Another reason the Doctor enforces is this that there are many words in peoples Languages which are hard to be understood and therefore they may as well have all in Latine for that the common people do not understand every word they speak This seems to me a very strange Argument whilst he thus strives to clear this point he doth more condemn it or obscure the truth for this is ignotum per ignotius because the common people do not understand all the words of their Language therefore they shall understand none at all he may perchance perswade some fool that is blind of the one eye to put out the other to make them both alike but he must bring stronger reasons and prove himself a better Scholar else it will be hard for him to turn our English into Latine and make the Lyturgie of other Churches to speak the Romane tongue When Vitalianus decreed the Latine service Greek was more generally known then the Latine insomuch that in several parts of Italy the Latine was not spoken as in Calabria the Greek was spoken in Itruria the Tuscan in Apulia the Mesapian tongue the Latine being onely the proper language of the territories of Latium in which Rome is situate neither was any thing generall wrote but in the Greek tongue so that if it was convenient to have the Lyturgie in one tongue universally the alteration from the Greek into Latine was at first unlawful in respect of the narrowness of the language in those daies it being done onely out of ostentation and for the glory of the Romane See to make others receive the Latine Lyturgie after she had surreptitiously acquired the title of Universality 4. Whereas the Doctor alledges If the Lyturgie should be in distinct proper languages of several people whether could the Church of Rome understand the errors therein nor they be sure there were none in it This argues Romes intolerable arrogancy as if none could be Christians which had not received the faith from her whenas the Apostles were sent to all Nations and preached the Gospel in their own languages and having received the faith by Apostolical plantation it is equally just with them to correct Rome as she to correct them both being herein bound to the Discipline of a general Councel sending thither some one or other which shall in some general language there make known their case Besides this argument of the Doctors has given Rome a most deadly blow for if Rome be the onely Catholick Church and her Bishop have all Apostolical power devolved upon her own head certainly she is either enabled to teach all Nations or else it will follow that those people which have not yet received the faith must still remain in darkness because Rome wants the gift of interpretation of tongues and knows not how to make them understand the Gospel of Jesus and for that faith comes by hearing not by dumb shewes unless Rome be able to make such people understand service and prayer they will think her Priests are mad It is not his praising God with an understanding heart that can edifie them though the Priest should praise the Lord upon the Harp they will but think as the Negroes did when they first heard Bag-pipes that they were living creatures and ascribe Deity to them and so instead of preaching Jesus or offering praise to him they would make the people commit Idolatry if the Priest knew not how to perswade them of their errors much less to make them sensible of the Church of Rome's prescribed rules and so by this means the Doctor has confessed the people to want Brains correspondent to his universal head And whereas the Doctor alledges The difference of languages that all Languages are not of equal extent and therefore incongruities would arise Besides sayes he the inconvenience of having it in Latine is but in part and that to the ignorant I conceive these reasons make rather against it then otherwise It is true all Languages are not of the same latitude in some Languages one word comprehending several word in another language God has given to every Nation several gifts of tongues Reason taught men to reduce out of confused and indictinct sounds articulate sillables and peculiar words to signifie their own meaning and time and Art hath perfected those beginnings so that now every Nation abounds in its own language the languages of the Nations being at first made different according to the different imaginations of several people at the first composing of such languages but yet nothing that is imaginable but they have or can give a name whereby to represent to their senses the nature of the thing or if they already have a name for any thing and do not know the reason of that denomination yet they rest satisfied with the articulate sound of the words which brings unto their mind the thing intended and meant Now because of those several Nations and people which at first invented several different languages insomuch that in the language of one Country one word may comprehend a parephrasis of another that therefore such a Countries language is too short it must not be imagined For though to strangers it seem imperfect yet amongst themselves it is sufficiently to describe the thing intended wherefore I should think that understanding the Doctors objection it were fit that every Nation had a Lyturgie in its own proper language it perchance may seem to some to breed incongruities but indeed it doth not it denotes the difference of languages in respect of latitude or extent but it retains a royal and concuring sense and understanding of the thing presented to their fancy without which the people must for ever remain in darkness and lockt up in ignorance which was not Gods will he commanded his Apostles to teach all Nations and sent them especially to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Matth. 10. God is light and Jesus is the tender day-spring from on high which hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet in the way of peace Wherefore for Rome to take away this light to let this inconvenience as the Doctor says to be upon the ignorant is not to discharge the office of Peter and Paul who were sent out to bring into light them that sit in darkness Matth. 4. To them that sate in darkness is light risen up Jesus came into the world a light says S. John John 12.46 that whosoever believeth in him should not abide in darkness Whether Jewes or Gentiles we are one sheep under one Shepherd Christ Jesus John 10.16 Wherefore for the Doctor to extenuate this error of Rome to say that the inconvenience is onely to the ignorant is to me a strange Divinity for The whole