his frends who hee hopeth wil not examine that he writeth whether it haue weight or not but will take all for gold that hee giueth if it looke yelow Thus against all truth to affirme Eliachim to be hie priest is too bad And to offer by such proofe as could not but be vncertain euen to himselfe to proue so waighty a matter whereupon so great controuersie in religion hangeth doth not onely proclaime that all may heare it the weaknesse of his cause but also that his indeuour is to keepe vnder the truth that it appeare not And thus much to lay open his falshood in his first reason Now let vs see the weakenesse of his second To binde and loose saieth hee is to commaunde and to punish and to dispence and to remitte But Peter coulde binde and loose What nowe will Maister Bellarmine conclude Therefore saith hee hee is iudge and prince of all that are in the church we will not much stand with him in his maior although it might haue beene vttered in plainer termes For this authoritie of binding and loosing is so committed vnto the church that the power to do it is tied not to the man but to the ministerie not to the materiall church but to the word And therefore wee cannot simply say that to bind and loose is to commaund or punish but to commaund according to the word and to punish according to the direction of it For wee must not imagine that God must be the executioner of our owne decrees or tyed to allowe of our iudgements but that wee are the proclaimers of his iudgements and must pronounce what God in his reueiled word hath already set downe And also the word of dispensing though it may perchaunce haue a good vnderstanding as if thereby we meane the meane the ordering and bestowing of the word in respect whereof the ministers are called stewards or disposers of the secrets of God so must we take heede that thereby we giue not to any man saint Peter or any other libertie to dispense at their pleasure and to order as they will the people of God For as magistrates if they do not gouerne according to law abuse their authoritie and doe degenerate into tyrants so ministers of the word if they swarue from the word are but seducers The maior I say beeing rightly vnderstood wee doe yeld vnto and the minor is also true that Peter could binde and loose But master Bellarmines conclusion doth not agree with these propositions neither can it folow if they be graunted It hangeth no better together then Daniels image of sundrie mettalles that could not long hold together But this must be master Bellarmines conclusion to bind and loose is to commannd punish dispense and remit in such sort as I haue alreadie shewed but saint Peter could binde and loose therefore saint Peter might commaund punish dispense and remit as hath beene shewed This must be master Bellarmines conclusion but this will not serue master Bellarmines turne For euery minister should so doe and not Peter onely And all this is doone by the ministery of the word in euery pastours seuerall charge if the minister be faithfull in his office Seeing his second argument concludeth nothing against vs what doth his third and last argument He promiseth by the fathers to proue that these keis are a soueraigne and chiefe authoritie ouer the whole church What will he bring vs a catholike erposition receaued by all or most of the godly learned at all times in all places agreed vpon with one consent For otherwise it is not catholike No. But hee telleth vs of two of the fathers onely And the one of them being himselfe a pope and in such times as that before his dayes this superioritie ouer all had bin sundrie wayes sought for by the Bishop of Rome his credit is in this point not much worth against vs. As for Chrisostom who is the other witnes that must prooue that by the keies Christ meaneth this vinuersal iurisdiction First he reasoneth in that very place where these words are against the Arrians or some such heretikes as made Christ not equall to the father aud insulteth against them by occasion of this place The father saith hee gaue vnto Peter the reuelation of the sonne But the sonne gaue vnto him partly that hee might sowe through the whole earth this reuelation both of the father and of the sonne partly that he being a mortall man should be indued with heauenly power and haue the keis of the kingdome of heauen And it foloweth there in Chrisostom how then is he lesse that wrought this in Peter So then to proue Christ to be equall vnto the father in power he sheweth that he wrought if not more mightely yet as powerfull in Peter as the father did And vpon this occasion he thus amplifieth this excellency of Peter as also he doth a litle before in respect of that vniuersall church that Christ committed to him which charge the rest also had For all the apostles were generall Preachers wheresoeuer God called them And therefore Chrisostom doth say of them all not of Peter only that they were the teachers of the world And in another place that there were two paires of the apostles that held this headship And yet Peter might better then any of the rest be called the pastour or head of the church that were of the twelue because the charge of the Iewes wheresoeuer they were in any place were cōmitted to him without any limitation of nation or countrie wherein they liued Seeing therefore his proofes whereby he indeuoureth to proue these keis to signifie that vniuersall and soueraigne authoritie ouer the whole church are either so false or faultie that they are not worth alleaging as are his two reasons taken out of scripture or so feeble that they can haue no strength as this out of Chrisostome I see no reason why we should yeld either to scripturs so falsly or foolishly applyed or much lesse to the sayings of men so hardly construed For as before I haue admonished it is one thing to haue an excellency or superioritie among others in some respects of other mens yeldings another thing to haue iurisdiction of his owne right and interest ouer all other The first we confesse was in Peter but that wil nothing at all helpe the Pope or the iurisdiction of the church of Rome Against the interpretation of the popish church thus I reason If these keis belong to all them that haue ovtained that grace of God to be called to the function of a bishop I speake not of the hononr but of the office then is no chiefe authoritie signifieth thereby for where many are equall there is no man chiefe But these keies belong vnto all such as Theaphilact doth testifie therefore no such chiefe authoritie is signified thereby For my minor proposition that euery bishop or pastour hath such authoritie or such
had beene knowen to be sufficient proofe of the supremacy What needed they so notoriously to falsifie the council What needed the fathers to take such paines and to be at such cost as to send for true copies of that council to Constantinople Alexandria and Antioche to trie whether the fathers in that council of Nice had giuen such power to the bishop of Rome if in these words To thee will I giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen Christ had promised or in these feed my sheepe Christ had giuen such fulnes of power ouer all others to the bishop of Rome Seeing therefore that proofe seemed not strong enough in those times the graunt which they had from Phocas did them no great good to shewe what right they had to that supremacy although thereby they got possession thereof For if by his gift they claimed then they confessed this their authority to be from man and that from too wickes and bloudy a murdering man to doe any great good in Christ his church or for setting downe of any order whereby all should be ruled Then also it might haue beene called in question whether he by his authoritie could subiect all men for euer to that church of Rome or not To make their title therefore as good as they could they deuised another helpe They fained this gift to be from Constantine the first emperour that publickly allowed of christian profession And they make him to giue not onely his palace of Lateran and many other temporallties to the bishop of Rome as master Bellarmine would haue it thought but they bring him in speaking these words We decreeing doe ordaine that he the bishop of Rome shall haue the supremacie as well ouer the foure principall seates of Antioch Alexandria Constantinople and Ierusalem as also ouer all churches in the whole earth And that the pope for the time being of that holy church of Rome shall be hier and Prince of all princes in the world Is this onely to giue temporalties But the falshood of the donation of Constantine doth shine more bright then the noone day although the papists make great account of the same Yea Melchior Canus altogether a papist yet he did either see more or dealt plaiulier in this matter then did master Bellarmine For although he be loth to denie it or to diminish the credit of it yet he bringeth moe reasons against it then hee with all his felowes can be able to answere So that we neede not seeke for arguments out of Laurentius Valla or others to confute it For euen hee hath giuen it a more deadly wound then can be healed againe He confesseth that the lawyers take it to be but a fained matter and therfore cal it chaffe for it is indeed so called in their owne distinctions He acknowledgeth that Eusebius Ruffinus Theodoret Socrates Sozomenus Eutropius Victor and other authors of credit who most diligently wrote all that Constantine did haue not onely made no mention of that donation but also doe affirme that he so deuided his empire among his three sonnes as that the one of them had Italie And that Ammianus Marcellinus in his fifteenth booke writeth that Constantius Constantines sonne had the rule of the citie of Rome and made Leontius his liuetenant there And lastly that all Histories record that many Emperours after that time ruled in Italie yea and in Rome What can be more plaine Their owne Lawyeares confesse it to be fained no good story recordeth it but y e contrary Rome after this gift was the imperial citty and seat Therefore either Constantine gaue no such thing from him and his heires or his gift was nothing worth Melchâ— or Canus also doubteth of the very foundation of this fable which is the leprosie whereof they faine that Constantine was healed plainly affirming that in any good author he readeth no such thing But not he only doubteth hereof but long before him it hath beene spied by Anthonius B. of Florence in his history by Volateran writing of Constantine by the cardinal Nicolas Cusam a fast friend and faithful to that Romish church that this donation was not in the old coppies of Grecians decrees And therfore when it was added themselues accompted it but chaffe and no good corne And these and such reasons made Pius the second pope of that name to maruell in a certaine dialogue written by him being a Cardinall that the Lawyers were so mad as to make any question of that matter which neuer was And that wee may see how all things in this donation of Constantine are but fained whereas the donation maketh Siluester the Pope to whome this gift was giuen yet in another place the same thing is said to be giuen vnto Melchiades that was bishop before Siluester And he is made to speake as though it had beene done before his time also And yet this Melchiades was pope about two or three yeares before Constantine was Emperour and died long before he gaue peace and quietnes to Christians as in the Cronicle of Eusebius who lined in those daies it may appeare What needeth this point of their doctrine any aduersary Themselues doe fully confute one another And the prouerb is in this found true when theeues fal out true men come by their goods For these decrees if they be well considered it is not hard to spie falshood in them both And therefore we may take heede how we trust them seeing that in these two we see plainly how the one is contrarie to the other and both contrary to the truth There are also some impossibilities in the said donation which doe sufficiently prooue it to be but a fraudulent deede For the occasion of this gift is there set downe Namely that Constantine beeing baptised is healed of his leprosie and thereupon giueth these things to Siluester of whome he was baptised And yet besids many other ancient histories of good credit Saint Hierom doth plainly write that he was baptised at the latter end of his life and that not of Siluester bishop of Rome for hee was dead and also Marke that succeded him but of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia some six or seauen yeares after Siluester was dead How then could these things be giuen to Siluester at the baptisme of Constantine Siluester being dead so long before Or howe at his baptisme in Rome when he was baptised in Nicomedia the chiefe citie of Bithinia many hundred miles distant from Rome But it is strange that they are so impudent as to name Constantinople at this time for one of the principall seats of bishops as in this donation they do which was called not by that name before Constantine in the tenth yeare of his raigne did build it but while Siluester and Marke his successor liued it was called Bizance And about twentie or thirty yeares after the death of Constantine was there a councill at Constantinople wherein y t sea of
make that which is right wrong For hee can as they tell vs doe all things aboue right against right and without right Yea hee is lorde of lordes and hath the authoritie of the King of kings ouer his subiects But what will you more To doubt of the popes power it is no lesse then sacrilege As also it is alleadged out of Thomas of Aquine against the errors of the grecians question 66. That to say that the pope hath not supremacy ouer the whole church is like the errour of them that say the holighost proceeds not from the sonne But such are heretickes against the godhead as it cannot be denied and therefore doubtlesse by the iudgement of Thomas of Aquine they that do but doubt of the popes supremacy are hereticks against the godhead And is this that Thomas of Aquine that glorious Saint and clarke whose only sentence weigheth more then all the protestantes wits and wordes in the worlde as saith in a spitefull pamphlet our weeping cardinall of England who can neuer bee merry vntill be see the ruine and desolation of his naturall contry In which respect I pray God hartely that hee may nightly water his bed with teares and moysten alwaies his breade with weeping rather then he should see or his eies behold the destruction of this land which he and such other tigers whelps so greedely gape for And I doubt not but our good God which hath hitherto very often not mercifully onely but miraculouslie also and mightely preserued and vpholden the only proppe and staie of this our flourshing lande will still pleade her cause against all her foes and preserue her soule the soule of his turtle Doue against all their secret and malitious practises I confesle indeede that our sinnes which abound daily more and more doe iustly deserue that this pretious iewel should be taken from vs. And it is onely Gods mercie that hath preserued vs these many yeares euen his free and great mercie But if we could turne to the Lord vnfainedly we neede neither feare the suites or teares nor traiterous deuises of such hipocrites neither yet the might or malice of all those conspirators But if the Lord should as in iustice he may giue vs ouer to be a prey vnto their teeth yet the truth of our cause is grounded still vpon Gods word And the Israelites were Gods people still although when they rebelled against the Lord hee did sometimes deliuer them to be punished euen of his owne enemies and wicked ones And I beseech the Lorde make vs more patiently to beare his deserued wrath if it shall please him to lay it vpon vs then we haue vsed thankfully his vndeserued grace and fauour which hetherto he hath shewed vnto vs and continued amongst vs. And thus much by occation of that vndue commendation that Allen giueth vnto Thomas of Aquin. But him and such like I leaue to their owne fancies And to the godly I say onely with Saint Iames my bretheren haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Let our cares be attentiue to marke and our hearts ready bent to receaue that which in due examination we find to be well spoken without beholding of the person or regarding any thing more then the word that is taught And thus haue I briefly shewed how this vniust authoritie which the pope chalengeth and into the which most craftely hee crept is in part most lewdly by him abused not onely in that he claimeth to haue a proude name ouer his bretheren and the whole church but also that he dare match himselfe with God and directly to oppose himselfe against his will But as in many things much so in nothing more doth the bishop of Rome darken Gods glorie or thrust himselfe into Gods place then in that he being himselfe a sinfull man yea a seruant to sinne euen set and sold to doe wickedly dareth yet take vpon him to forgiue sinne And that not as one that would preach and proclame vnto the penitent sinners Gods grace and mercy but as one that commendeth vnto the people his owne power to pardon and forgiue men their offences Wherein hee first offendeth in that he taketh more vpon him then belongeth to him or to any man For seeing our sinnefull act whether it be against God or man is therefore imputed to vs as siune and is indeede sinne because it is a breach of Gods Lawe it is very absurde to imagine that any man can dispense with vs for this sinne but only that good God against whose lawe we haue transgressed And for this cause the godly when their sinne was vnto them a heauy burthen haue made their suite and mone vnto God because he onely can heale that sore and helpe that sickenesse as that one example of Dauid in steed of many may prooue vnto vs Psal 51. 1. Haue mercy vpon me O Lord according to thy great mercie and according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities And although his sinnes were exceeding great as after he confesseth yet because none could pardon them but God only therfore euen to him he commeth against whom he had offended to him he confesseth his fault of him he seeketh for release to him he sueth for pardon For of all men it is true that Iob saith who can make that cleane that is conceiued of vncleane seede there is not one And therefore God proclaimeth by his prophet Esay I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And first we bowe the knees of our heart to our good God yeelding vnto him immortall thankes and praise who dealeth thus gratioufly with vs vnwoorthy and sinnefull wretches as that hee doth not onely freely forgiue vs for Christ his sake all our sinnes and blot out all our offences and put away all our transgressions with an assured purpose neuer to cal them to remembrance or to charge vs with them in his iust iudgement but also for the better quieting of our fearefull and troubled consciences hath giuen power and commandement to his ministers by proclaiming to the penitent this his free pardon ministerially to heale the soule wounded with sinne to bind vp the broken and contrite heart and to raise by form the pit of despaire them whom the clog of conscience accused of sinne had pressed downe This euen this we acknowledge to be an vnestimable benefit and a great fauour that God sheweth to vs vile wretches that that mercy which he hath sealed vp for vs in heauen he hath caused to be made known here on earth by the ministery of the gospel And this is all the power that is giuen to man to proclaime vnto vs that pardon that God only giueth To tell vs that if our sinnes were as crimson they being for Christ his sake pardoned shal be as white as snow and if they were like
his at their good leisure to answere No inuisible body can haue a visible head for that were a monster in nature But the vniuersall or catholike church is an inuisible bodie for things that are vniuersall are not seene with the eie but conceaued in the minde and vnderstanding Therefore the catholike church must not haue a visible head But all this that Maister Bellarmine hath hitherto spoken of the necessity of hauing one supreme gouernour of the whole church is rather an inducement to make men thinke that they haue some reason for this supremacie in the church then any strong argument whereby they thinke to cary away the weight of the matter But the very strength and staie of this their doctrine is contained in this one syliogisme whatsoeuer iurisdiction Christ gaue to Peter and not to the rest of the Apostles all that belongeth to the church of Rome but Christ gaue vnto Peter iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall church and not to the rest of the Apostles therefore the Bishop or church of Rome hath iurisdiction ouer all churches or ouer the vniuersall church And in this argument is contained not onely all that Maister Bellarmine can say but all that they all can alleadge for this matter and therefore it is the more diligently to be examined And to beginne with the minor wherein is affirmed what iurisdiction or power ouer others Peter had Maister Bellarmine doth confidently and plainely affirme That Saint Peter is appointed of Christ himselfe in Christ his place the head and prince of the church or these are his verie words What is Christ wearie of his office hath hee giuen ouer his interest hath he resigned his right vnto Saint Peter If hee haue so done it is more then Saint Paul knew who after that Christ had left the world yet still he tooke Christ for the head of the church as appeareth by his epistle to the Ephesians and to the Colossians Yea Saint Peter himselfe seemeth not to know so much For when hee calleth him the head corner stone he meaneth doubtlesse in the building of Gods spirituall house which is the church And yet master Bellarmine seemeth to tell vs 〈◊〉 when hee telleth vs that Saint Peter is head in Christs place For Christ must leaue his place before S. Peter can be in his place A meaner place would very well haue contented Saint Peter As for many of them who in our fathers dayes and ours haue bragged that they are Peters successors deserue not to bee dog-driuers out of a poore parish church wherein godly christians are assembled much lesse to be vniuersall bishops ouer the whole world Neither standeth the church of Christ now in neede of any such lieutenant seeing Christ is much more effectually with his church now then hee was with the people of the Iewes when he was conuersant vpon the earth For he that promised that hee would be with vs alwaies euen vnto the end of the world and that hee would pray the father and he should giue vs another comforter which should abide with vs for euer enen the spirit of truth he I say by the same spirit whom he hath made his vicar generall as before I aleaged out of Tertullian doth husband the earth of our hearts to make them fruitfull and is Christs vicar in all places with all persons to supply all their wants So that hee which in respect of his bodily presence could at no time be but in one place by the piercing power of his spirit is at once euery where And therefore is he much more present now in the spirit then before in the flesh because before he could be at once but with a few of the faithfull whereas now he is withal at one instant It is therefore ouermuch boldnes in master Bellarmine either to thrust Christ out of his office to lay the same vpon Peter or else to imagine that Christ is not better able by his spirit then by the pope to execute the same His iudgement is also very hard wherein he pronounceth that to say that saint Peters supremacy is not instituted by Christ it is not a simple errour but a detestable heresie This I am sure of that not onely some priuat men as Cyprian haue thought all the Apostles to be of as great honour and power as was Peter but euer some councils haue thought that the B. of Rome who thinketh by succession from Peter he hath as good right thereto as Peter had yet had not from Christ any right to the supremacy For the sixt council of Carthage where Faustinus and others were legats from the pope would not yeld that souerainty to the bishop of Rome although his legats did most earnestly seeke it not onely by their diligent indeuour but also by aleaging false canons of the Nicen councill thinking thereby to haue deceiued them And although this were a great foile to the church of Rome yet their ambitious and aspiring minds would not suffer them to be quiet but within a little time after they attempt the like in the counsell of Chalcedon Paschasinus and Lucentius being the popes legates Paschasinus alleaged a decree as if it had beene out of the Nicen councill That the the church of Rome always had the supremacie but the councell finding that there was not there anie such decree did ordaine that the bishop of Constantinople should haue as great euen such like priuiledges as the bishop of Rome had Which had beene more wickedlie ordained of them if Rome by Christ had the supremacie then wee maie imagine so manie godlie fathers assembled togither would haue done Yea that we maie knowe that at that time if bishops of Rome had anie priuiledge aboue other bishops they did not thinke it was so by Christs institution they set downe the reason why the church of Rome was more honoured then the rest Euen because it was the imperiall citie as also Ireny long before them did testifie And this made the fathers of the councell of Chalcedon the bolder to yeeld to Constantinople which they called newe Rome such priuiledges because it was now become also an imperiall citie Thus wee see these learned writers Ireny and Ciprian and all the fathers of these two councels learned and manie did not thinke nor would confesse that this supremâ—cie was Christes institution and yet master Bellarmines sharpe penne hath prickt them all with one dash as guiltie not of simple errour but of pestilent heresie Nowe wee must needes imagine that he would neuer burst out into these excessiue speeches as if hee were rauished and besides himselfe as in these two pointes mentioned it maie appeare vnlesse his opinion rested vpon a sure ground Let vs therefore examine his proofes and trie the waight of his reasons This most necessarie controuersie as the church of Rome esteemeth it hath not in all the scriptures anie good warrant euen in master Bellarmines owne opinion
to Peter but that we deny not But it is Maister Bellarmines bad hap many times to take great paines fortify where y â— enimy assaulteth him not to prooue that which no body denieth That we may ioine in some issue we will easily confesse that the keies were deliuered to Peter What then Were they deliuered to him alone No Maister Bellarmine himselfe confesseth and that oftentimes neither can he deny it if he would the fathers doe so generally affirme it that this great authority was committed to all the Apostles Wherein then do we dissent Forsooth Maister Bellarmine telleth vs that the other Apostles had this authority but as Christes legates or by especiall commission but to be vnder Peter Whereas Peter had it as his ordinary iurisdiction Now this he should proue but he leaueth it with a bare affirmation so that you are not bound to beleeue him But we see that which here is promised vnto Peter alone whether because he alone tooke vpon him to answere Christes question or that Christ therein would signifie the vnity of the church as some of the fathers affirme or because he was a figure of the church as Saint Augustine saith that I say which is here promised to him alone is in Matthewe xviii promised to all and that Maister Bellarmine himselfe cannot deny although he affirme it to be in all but Peter a legantine in him an ordinary power And this promise is perfourmed to all Iohn the xx in these words receiue the holy ghost whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes yee retaine they are retained And Theophilact doth expound these wordes of Matthew the sixteenth which here I haue in hand by this place of saint Iohn saying that in that place of saint Mathew that is promised that is here giuen and that this power belongeth vnto all What can be more plaine to prooue that although Christ spake vnto Peter onely in that first place to thee will I giue the keies yet they were giuen to all Why should we then trust the bare assertions of maister Bellarmine or any other that the keies are not in like maner giuen to all when wee see that Gods worde maketh no difference betweene them But master Bellarmine because we goe about trewly with Theophilact to expound this promise to thee I wil giue the keies by that of Iohn whose sinnes so euer ye remit they are remitted c. would faine make vs beleeue if we will trust him of his bare word that Theophilact and we are deceiued and that Christ in these words of saint Iohn doth onely giue power of order whereas in Mathew he promiseth power of Iurisdiction And the better to perswade vs he telleth vs that to keepe a mans sinnes is not a matter of so great power as to bind a mans sinnes And yet saint Ambrose whose credit is far aboue maister Belarmines doth vse the words of remitting loosing retaining and binding indifferently the one for the other And therefore this is but a blinde cauill to keepe the light of the truth vnder a bushell If we prooue out of Cyprian that all the Apostles were of like honour and power They were saith he alike in their apostleship and had all one authoritie ouer christian people but were not alike among themselues The wordes of Cyprian haue no limitation but maketh all of like power and of like honour But maister Bellarmine like false mates that doe wash and clippe the coyne whereby they make it of lesse value so doeth hee by such sâ—eights seeke to diminish the force of such authorities as are brought against him But what reason hath hee so to expound Saint Cyprian Because hee saieth in that Booke that beginning proceedeth from a vnity to shew that the church is one Thus then doeth hee reason The Church proceedeth from one or from vnitie Therefore Peter is aboue all the Apostles Let other iudge of his argument I see not out of this how he can prooue that Peter hath such superioritie ouer the Apostles as that hee may exercise iurisdiction ouer them which is that the church of Rome must prooue if Peters supremacie shal do them good Seeing therefore it appeareth by that which hath beene spoken that not Peter onely but all the apostles in like manner receiued the keies as Saint Hierome testifieth that is power to retaine or remit to binde and loose although it were saide to Peter To thee I will giue the keies yet it is manifest that for his sake onely it was not spoken or the vse of the keies to him onlie was not promised but in and by him Christ spake to all without giuing lesse power to them or more to him And thus much concerning this question to whom the keies were giuen Nowe must we see what these keies are that so we may examine what that is which they say is giuen to Peter in this promise Maister Bellarmine affirmeth that they all vnderstande by the keies the soueraigne or chiefe pnwer ouer the whole church And that it must so be he proueth thus In the Prophet Esay is described the deposing of one high priest and placing of an other by the deliuering of the keies And the keies of the house of Dauid will I lay vpon his shoulder and hee shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and no man shall open Sincere dealing would become all men especially in Gods cause which is farre from maister Bellarmine as in many other places so heere also For Eliachim of whom the promise was made in this place was not hie priest Indeede Azariah was high priest in the dayes of Ezechiah Neither yet was there euer any such high priest as Shebnah whome God threateneth in that place Whosoeuer marketh either the pedigree of priests in the scriptures or in Iosephus hee shall finde it to bee most false and vntrue that heere maister Bellarmine so boldly affirmeth But this Eliachim was one of the princes whome Ezechiah sent to Rabsache whome in that place the Septuagint do call the Ruler of the house as also in the seuen and thirtieth verse of that chapter And the prophet Esay in the six and thirtie chapter and two and twentieth verse they call him the Maister of the housholde And indeede the Hebrew words do teach him to be one that was ouer the house as also Saint Hierome yea and their owne old translation doe translate those words of Esay And Saint Hierome in his commentaries vppon that place calleth him maister or ouerseer of the house And so Iosephus also doth witnes that he was one of Ezechias especially frends as it may also appeare in that he sent him to Rabsache and his lieutenant or vicegerent or doer for him let the indifferent reader now iudge whether this be good dealing in master Bellarmine thus to abuse the simplicitie of his reader and the credulitie of
that it is dangerous to speake the truth of him But his meaning is that our weaknes and wants will not let vs so speake of him as we should And the popes feare is that if we speake truth of him we must speake otherwise then he would haue vs or were for his honesty Nowe bishops hauing their tongues and pens thus bridled who durst venture to finde any fault If for them to speak the truth be periury what should it be thought in others And thus because he saw that to haue the truth of popes doings known it would be a burning shame he full wisely laieth this blocke in that way and thus maketh vp that gappe And after commeth in to serue their turne that fulnesse of authority and power of the keies which they would so seeme to haue from Christ as that none but they should rule that sterne none but they should haue that iurisdiction So that if they curse none can blesse if they excommunicate none may absolue if they binde no man may loose Wherein they challenge so great priuiledge that they can worke thereby against the law of God the lawe of nature the law of nations They can if you will that they will tell you release the subiectes from the bond of obedience which they owe to their magistrates and the children they can cause to rebell against their parents A perilons practise is this for all princes estates thus to lead the people on the blind side as to make them beleeue that to rebel is to obey and to dishonour their superiours is an acceptable sacrifice to God By these their powerfull keies they also open the dore of immunities and priuiledges of the clergy whereby they are exempt from all corrections and punishmentes vnlesse forsooth it please his holines to deliuer them to the secular power to make them his hangmen But of their owne authority they may not touch him because they are say they the Lordes annointed By which meanes they grew to great sawcines and the state was not a little indangered thereby in many places They had also another practise to maintaine their pride and hold them in their high seate That is auricular confession or that which we call shrift For vnder colour of being ghostly fathers the Popes subtill and sworne friendes had accesse to princes had conference with their counsellours had knowledge of their secrets had opportunity to practise with their false and faithlesse subiectes and they might and did take al occasions by terrifying the consciences of princes in respect of their sinnes which they made knowne to them as if there were no hope of mercy at the hands of God if first they were not reconciled to the Holy Father the Pope and the holy mother the Church of Rome And thus were they euery way distressed their consciences being intangled and their estates indangered But one of their most subtill shiftes was the taking away of knowledge from the people Whereby they became as men that walked in the darke in an vnknowne way They neuer knewe whether they did right or wrong They knew not their own duty They were taught to beleeue as the church beleeued Now although they heard much of the church of Rome yet for the most parte they were not acquainted with it So that the church that must be their direction must be their parson or vicar or perchance their bishop Who if he would leade them out of the way they must needs go wrong Because their light of knowledge was quite put out The Scriptures were either quite taken from them and mens dreames and deuises deliuered to the lay people insteede of them or els they were so corrupted with foolish gloses and so mingled with mens traditions that the true sence and meaning of them was stil vnder a bushell so that it gaue no light at all to them Nowe they not knowing their duty which God had commaunded them to performe to magistrates howe easily might they be drawen aside from the same Yea they through ignorance not beeing able to put a difference betweene trueth and falsehoode howe readily might they be moued to thinke it to be true that they doe say vnto them who were onely reputed and taken for holy Church that the Pope is Christes Vicar that he is so much more excellent then any worldly potentate as the soule is better then the body that there is no lesse difference betweene the glory of the Emperour and the pope then is betweene the brightnesse of the Sunne and of the Moone The pope being like the Sunne and the Emperour compared to the. Moone which hath her light from the Sunne These and other such like blasphemies against the maiesty whome God hath placed vpon earth were accompted good doctrine and strong proofes through want of knowledge And this very effect that ignorance did worke whereby the very brokers for the church of Rome did see themselues and their masters esteemed halfe as Gods and their messages receiued more readily and more constantly kept and more willingly obeied then gods word by a great deale made them to proclaime so lowde and so stiffly to maintaine that ignorance is the mother of deuotion And why should they not when they see that princes are readye by reason of their ignoraunce in Gods trueth to be led and guided by such blind guides euen to the hazarding of their kingdoms And the people therby are withdrawen from al duty so that they may leade both prince and people as Elisha led the Syrians euen into their enemies hands And as this ignorance hath beene a great cause that the pope hath mightily preuailed and aduaunced his seate farre higher than became one of his coate and yet his pride was neuer spied of many euen so at this day for want of knowledge the people are most easily drawen to worship euen the very name of Holy Father and to sucke the breasts of the holy mother the Romish church Whose doctrines if they could examine whose spirites if they coulde trie whose horrible blasphemies against Gods trueth and vnnaturall cruelties against Gods saints if they could with indifferent iudgement consider of if I say the Lord in mercy would vouchsafe them that knowledge they would euen hate the name of a Romish catholike and feare to be of that company and crew that so plainely and stubburnely reiecteth Gods commaundement despiseth Gods magistrates deceiueth Gods people and leadeth them in the waies of death and damnation There are also some other meanes and practises whereby the popes drawe the people into great admiration of them Namely their pardons and indulgences their agnus Dei and such other trash and trumpery whereby they perswade the simple ones that they can effectually and really pardon their sinnes which is Gods office onely take away their iniquities deliuer them from damnation and shield them from all euill And who would not giue all that he hath if he
Christ himselfe as man onely for he was taught of his father what to doe and what to say much lesse then would his vicar of Rome if he had but one sparke of christian humilitie claime such absolute power ouer the whole earth Seeing therefore by this name head hee chalengeth greater power then either any good man would haue in Gods church for the godly can be content to speake of God as God teacheth them and to doe as hee woulde haue them or is fit for any man to haue as his vnruly doings do sufficiently declare we iustly denie that euer any bishop of Rome was of the godly called the head of the church in that sence that it is now vsed as their doings doe plainly teach vs. As for the name Papa or pope it was a common name to all bishops as is confessed by Baronius yea and graunted also in this place by master Bellarmine himselfe And it signifieth as much as father or grandfather so that it seemeth that it was first giuen vnto bishops by godly christians who did honour and reuerence them for their calling And why may not this name be aptly giuen to any diligent bishoppe or pastour in the church of god No master Bellarmine wil haue this name after a more particular maner to be giuen to the bishop of Rome then to any other Then we must learne of Christ not to call any man our father vpon earth For there is but one our father which is in heauen And therefore if he wil otherwise be our father then man may be our father let him seeke for other children for to such a father we owe no obedience The name of vniuersal bishop was giuen in the councill of Chalcedon to the bishop of Rome maister Bellarmine telleth vs. We deny it not But without a fauourable and good vnderstanding that title may be very odious For euen Gregory himselfe a bishop of Rome and no man more vehemently inueieth against that proud title in many plaids His places are so commonly alleadged that I neede not come to any particular But Bellarmine going about to deliuer this title from all suspition of antichristian ambition telleth vs that this name vniuersall bishop may be taken in two sorts One way that a vniuersall bishop should signifie an only bishop that is such a one as woulde haue none to be bishop but himfelfe onely And such a vniuersall bishop saith master Bellarmine Saint Gregory condemneth And doth he not otherwise condemne Iohn of Constantinople his pride but because he would haue no bishop but himselfe No master Bellarmine the stories are more plaine then that such shifts may go for currant The controuersie was whether the bishop of Constantinople should be as now the bishop of Rome is in his owne account a bishop aboue al bishops Read all the histories and it wil easily appeare his indeuour was only to haue the commanding of other bishops Neither could he be called vniuersal if he were the only bishop but rather the singular bishop But master Bellarmine bringeth two or three testimonies out of Gregory wherein he complaineth that Iohn patriarch of Constantinople would be bishop alone Gregories meaning is plaine enough that he saith he would only be bishop because he only would haue the commanding of all that others should indeede be his suffraganes and at his commandement which reason of Gregory against that title of vniuersall bishop if it be wel marked giueth I thinke a wound vncurable to the church of Rome A soueraigne authoritie in one to commaund all saith he is to take away all bishops but that one onely but such soueraigne authoritie ouer bishops the pope doth chalenge in this name of vniuersall bishop as experience teacheth therefore he maketh him selfe the onely bishop And this is the thing that Gregorie so mislyketh in Iohn bishop of Constantinople therefore I cannot see how it can be tolerable in him of Rome But one may be called a vniuersall bishop saith he in another sence as he hath a care of the whole church and so the Pope may be called a vniuersall Bishop But herein master Bellarmine giueth very litle authoritie to the bishop of Rome For this generall care belongeth not onely to euery Bishop but also to euery Christian as Caesar Paronius doeth plainly confesse of whom master Bellarmine doth write that he is a singular good man and without all doubt most learned And therefore I trust hee will by him be perswaded to let this name of vniuersall bishop be a name that may belong to mo then to him of Rome and so not to make it his peculiar title A fourth name of his is that hee is called most holy And here master Bellarmine doth maruelously insult ouer master Luther for insinuating that the names of most high and most holy had not beene hard of in the dayes of Gregorie Master Luther said not so master Bellarmine onely feared that he ment some such matter and therefore quareleth with him and telleth him that he lieth Well Leo the pope is called most holy in three seuerall titles that three Graecians wrote to him It is true master Bellarmine and in the same action in a great number of places besids the bishops yelding their consent do call him most holy He is there also called holy and why would not that name holy which is there also giuen to him as well content the bishop of Rome now as to be called most holy Or why should that be a peculiare name to him alone that was giuen in that place as well to others as to him For Anatolius the patriarch of Constantinople is often called most holy Yea and the council writeth vnto Dioscorus patriarch of Alexandria whome they depriued of his dignitie because he was a manitainer of Futiches that notable heretick yet I say the conncill writing vnto him doe call him also most holy And whosoeuer marketh that councill shall see no titles more common then most holy most blessed or happie mow beloued of God and such like Neither were these things giuen vnto them as names to continue to them and their seate but onely such titles as they thought well bestowed vpon such persons as they vsed them to As Leo bishop of Rome who although he were not without his infirmiries yet sure he was a man of great gifts And they in aboundance of affection towardes him called him most holy Must it therefore be a name hereditary to that sinfull and shamelesse broode that since hath sprong vp in that place It were absurd to thinke that coniurers inchaunters poyseners adulterers and such ruffians and rakehelles should be called by right of their seat most holy And yet now nothing more common then this title His fauourites must not speake of him but with this tearme of most holy Looke all his bulles and writings and you shall see that hee that is most vnholy before God and men yet by a lying
16. Li. 2. cap. 13. The popes legate taken with falsifying Li. 2. cap. 25. Conc. Afric cap. 5 No appeales to the pope Iohn 6. 27. eph 1 22. matth 17. 5. 1. pet 2. 25. Ioh. 14. 16 17. 1. Pet. 5 3. 1. Sam. 2. Num. 16. 2. Helping the distressed churches in their neede Gen. 28. 1. Sam. 21. 10. Matth. 2. 14. Concil Tom. 1. Ad Hemerium Terracon epum. Concil Tom. 1. Decret Innocen Tom. 1. Concil Epist ad Hefich Tom. Concil â— Their bu◠〈◊〉 of mens 〈…〉 â—â—ences The two first steps to the popes supremacy Conncils against supremacy Constantinople stroue for it Phâ—â—as his decre 〈…〉 The 〈◊〉 step vnto the popes supremacy The fourth step He depriueth the Emperour of hauing any thing to doe in the popes election Ioh Rioche compend Hist Benno a Card. of the life and acts of Hildebrand The profe of the supremacy out of gods woâ—d weake and suspected Phocas his decree they thought a reason scarce homest enough The donation Constantine Ce pontif Rom. Lib. 4. cap. 17. lib. 5. cap. 9. Ibidem Pant. 1. Tit. 8. c. 1. L. 3. of catholike concord Themselues agree not to what pope it was giuen Caus 12. q. 1. ca. faturam Cron. Euseb Impossibilities in the donation Conci Constant 1. cap. 2. Niceph. li. 7. c. 34. Theod. li. 1. ca. 16 The imitation of the emperours court for officers Lib 2. epist 100 Tom. concil 2. concil 6. Act. 4. Epist 2. The sift step to supremacy the debasing of princes Platina in const In Constantin The controuersie concerning images In Greg. 3. Reuel 19. 16. Math. 28. 18. Mark 9. 33. 35. Their practises to keepe them great still Epitom Eron Pcriury to speake truth of the pope Presat in Expos Simbol Apostol Power of the keies Releasing subiects of their duty of obedience Immunities of the clergy Shrift Ignorance What it is in the Romish language to beleeue the church The scriptures ether quite taken away or corrupted Ignorance say they mother of deuotion â— Kings 6 19. Ignorance at this day cause of much euill Pardons and agnus deis Marke 8. 24. Declarat contra Nauar. Conâ—â— A potterne of the holy father of Rome Lib. 2. cap. 31. 〈◊〉 2. cap. 12. Ephes 1. Lib. 2. cap. 31. Match 23. 9. Vniuersall bish Actione 3. Bellar ans to that we obiect out of the odious name of vninersal bishop Vniuersal bishop an only bishop A reply against that answere Tom 2. anno 187 De bonis operib in part li. 2. c. 24. Most holy Conc. Chale actione 3. obiect Answer The title of Most holy giuen to sundry Li. 5. Nullitate 11 Christs vicor Christ hath many vicars 2. Cor. 5. â—0 The spirit Christ vicat generall Ioh. 14. 16 17. Father Iames 1. 18. 1. Pet. 1. 23. The bridgroome of the church Vbi peticulum de electione in sexto Cap. Quoniam de Immunit m 6. â— Cor. 11. 2. Epist 237. Bellar. answ to that place of Bernard The reply against his answere Ioh. 3. 29. August in Ioh. Tract 13. Hom. 28. Panorm in l. licet de electione extra ex hostiensi The pope and Christ haue one wife make one consistory Seruant of Gods seruants Gen. 9. 25. Why these names are giuen to the Pope The Pope god Extrauag Iob. 22. Dist 96. â— Satic Psal 82 1 6. Caus 11. q. 1. cap. Sacerdotibus Act Rom. pontif Ioh. â—a Popes saucy with God Psal 53. 1. Psâ—l 49. 20. Cono. Trident. li 2. 〈◊〉 1. num 3. Esa 14. 14. 2. Thessal 2. 3. Dist 40. cap. Non nor Ind. expurgat Matth. 23. 8. Iam. 3. 1. The pope teacheth vs of his owne obiection Answere Ioh. 16. 13. What the spirit teacheth The pope controleth gods word Heb 13. 4. 1. Cor. 7. 2. 9. Mat. 26. 52. 53. Killing of princes meritorious in the popes court Interdictum regni franciae p 67. Rioche Compeâ— temporum in Iulio 2. 1. Pet. 3. 11. Mat. 5. 9. Mat. 5. 〈◊〉 Deuter. 12. 32 Doctrines beside the word Matth. 15. 3 6. 9 Psalm 12. 4. Luth. tom 1. Loc. com de eccl Dist 40. c. si pâ—p Leuit. 20. 20. Leuit. 18. 9. Yo' doubt of the popes supremacie is heresie against God In his inuectiue answer to the English Iustice our sins deserue great plagues Iames 2. 1. The pope forgiueth sinnes God onely can pardon sinnes 1. Iohn 3. 4. Tibi soli peceaui Iob. 14. 4. Esa 43. 25. The ministery of â—econciliation Esa 1. 18. Popery a doctrine of licentiosnesse Ioh. 3. 1â— Rom. 3. 28. Plat. in Bonif. 8. Sleid. li. 21. Plat. in Clem. 6 Marke 2. 7. 1. Pet. 1. 18 19. Another abuse The generall promise of pardon Act. Rom. pontif Mart. 5. Pardon to the penitent Esay 48. 22. Luke 7. Luke 19. 8. Matth. 16. 75. Plaeina Num. 33. 55. Funct Cronol an 686. The popes contention with his brethren The Emperours debarred for hauing any thing to do in the election of the Pope Sigeb Cronic â—nno 773. A pope acknowledgeth the emperour to haue supremacie Dist 63. C. Quia sanct Rom. Pope Steuen the fourth abuseth scripture Rioche Compeâ— temporum Dist 63. C Ego Ludouicus The emperor put from their councils by the pope Dist 96. C. Vbinaâ— Dist 28. C. Consulendum Dist 28. C. consuâ—end â—m â—lâ—â—gie not to be iudged by lay men Funct An. 885. Dist 63. in Synodo The emperours tight restored The Romish shifâ— to debar the emperor for maintaining his right in the elections Panta ex blondo Election by Cardinals Plat in Pasch 2. Plat. in Gelas 2. The emperour confirmed by the Pope Plat. in Innoc. 3. A popelike policie Acts Rom. pontif The popes controll emperours Brut â—ulmen ex Nauâ—l Esâ—c 28. â— Many vile means to get the papacy Hebr. 5. 4. None should without calling take any place Ioh. 10. 1 10. Ier. 14. 13. Ier. 23. 21. Ier. 29. 8. Ioh. 6. 38. Ioh. 1. 19 Ioh. 20. 21. Act. 9. 4. 1. Cor. 15. 10. Bald. In 6. l. Impetrata C. Sententiam rescindi non posse Num. â— â—elin in l. 4. de iureiuran extra in principio Dist 79 C. Si quis pecunia Plat. in Nicoâ— Plat. in Damaso Li. 4. oist c. 29 li. 6. cap. 23. Hieron in cron Socrat. hist eccl li. 4. ca. 62. Plat. in Bonif. 1. Sigeb Crou â—asâ—ie tempor Plat. in Syâ— Bergom A king maketh a pope Rioche Plat. in Bonif. â— fascic tempor Bergomates fascicul tempor A pope made by the gouernour Bergomates Stella A lay man made pope Plat. in Steph. 3. Bargom fascic tempor Blat in M. 2. Abbas Vrsp Platina Bergomat Rioche Platina in Leo. 5. Rioche fascic tempor Platina in Serg. Bale ex Petro Premonstratens Rioche fasci tâ—m â—ergom Act. Roman pontif Fasciul temp Bergom Rioche Plat. fascicul temp Platina fascicul temp Popes murthered but not marâ—ired A pope a theefe Rioche fascicul temp Rioche Bâ—rgom Rioche Rioche Bergomateâ— fascicul tempor fascicu tempor Rioche Elections in worldly respects Rioche Bergomates Stella fascicul
drinke and would not admitte that great monarch to his speech The fourth day with much adoe by the intreaty of a gentlewoman who could do somwhat with the pope and at the suite of some others his holinesse forsooth was content he should be admitted vnto his presence And though this y e emperor his submissiō was such as was thought too lowly and abiect by the nobles of Italy insomuch as they purposed to depose Henry the fourth from the empire as bringing a staine to the same by his ouer humble yeelding vnto the popes excessiue pride yet could it not satisfie the pope For he notwithstanding all that the emperour had doone purposed to bestow the empire vpon Rafe ◠of Sweueland And therefore sent to him the crown emperial with this verse written about it The Rocke to Peter this crowne gaue And Peter bids that Rafe it haue This Henry that was most villainously abused by that prowde beast and his successors is he of whome Paulus Langius bringeth the testimonie of Otho Frisingensis that he was the first emperor of Rome that he could find although he marked diligently in reading that euer was excommunicated or depriued of his kingdome by the bishop of Rome For as Sigebertus saieth this onely new doctrine I wil not call it hereste saith he was not yet bred that the priestes shoulde teach the people that vnto wicked kings they owe no subiection Yea though they haue sworne fidelitie to them yet they owe them no fidelitie neither that they are not to bet called periured that stand against the king but whosoeuer obeyeth the king is to be accounted an excommunicate person but he that is against himlis absolued from all fault and periurie If Sigebert had liued in our times what would he haue said when hee should see this new heresie not onely stiffely and stubbornly yet slenderly and verie vnlearnedly maintained for catholike doctrine by that vnnaturall traitor Allen and his fellowes and a new practise also agreeable thereunto put in bre and highly commended to poison shoote or by any meanes to kill such as the popes will say are heretikes as all are that wil not stoupe vnder his yoke Wel about 500. yeres since it was new heresie for it is verie neare so long since Sigebert did write And therefore it is not that poore proofe of Tho◠of Aquine a man that liued in the dayes of corruption or of Francis of Toledo some seditious papist of our time or of that late Councill of Lateran not much aboue 300. yeares since that can make it a Catholike doctrine But to end this storie of Henrie the fourth Paschalis who was not long after Gregorie did not only prosecute the matter with all extremitie against he said Emperour whilest hee was aliue as did Gregorie before him but euen after he was dead they who for good will and that common dutie that we owe to them that are departed did burie him could neuer haue peace or fauour of pope Paschalis the second vntill they had taken vp his bodie and cast it into the fields Is not this popelike charitie Is not this diuelish enuie a most sure demonstration that they are not led by the spirit of God But to bee short this one thing I dare affirme and I proclaime it to the shame of all them that loue poperie that if you search all stories and peruse all Chronicles and call to remembrance all things that you haue read heard or seene you shall neuer find any that professe the name of Christ be they neuer so rude or sauage not any Turke Iew or infidell wil attempt things so vnnaturall so contrarie to the law of God so far beyond the compasse of humanitie as papists doe and wil do yea and many of the popes themselues haue don and thought they might doe Our late daies giue vs so many examples to proue this to be true that wee need not looke vnto these former stories You see how vnereuerently they haue dealt with these most honourable princes And did not pope Alexander the third as intollerably hehaue himselfe as any man could do when hee making the Emperour lie downe at his feete did treade vppon the necke of the Lords annointed which was woorse then to cut off the lap or a peece of his garment for doing whereof Dauid accused himselfe to haue done wrong But this pope I say treading vpon the necke of Fredericke the first of that name emperour did most prophanely and blasphemously abuse these words of the Psalme Thou shalt walke vpon the lion and aspe the yong lion and the dragon shalt thou tread vnder foot Thereby proclaiming that he he neither had any feare of God or reuerence of the supreme maiestie in earth I omit of purpose to speake of Gelasius the second and Calixtus the second against Henrie the fift the vnnaturall sonne of Henrie the fourth Nether do I rehearse the vngodly dealings of these and some other against manie kings and princes Yea I passe ouer also with silence that villainous treason that Alexander the third wrought and practised with the Turke against this Fredericke the first which had beene the finall destruction of the emperour if the Turke had not beene more mercifull then the pope was faithfull For the pope desiring the death of the emperor moued the Turke to dispatch him as he loued his owne quietnes and withall sent him a liuely counterfet or picture of the emperor wherby he might know him if he came into his hands by which also the emperor being taken of the Turks was knowne when he came before the great Turke For hee brought forth the said picture which y e pope had sent him therby prouing him to be Frederick and withall he shewed the popes letter mouing him to destroy the emperor and therby did it appeare to all that heard thereof that the pope was a traitor to Gods cause the emperors person But I am weary of raking in these chanels And this which is already said is I trust sufficient to point vnto the vnreuerent vnhonest vnchristian proceedings which these godles and prophane vgly monsters vsed after y ◠once they came to their height of honor abusing the colour and pretence of religion and holines to hide their violent and bilanous practises And makng that seuere censure and sharpe chasticement which is onely to be vsed in Gods causes and that vpon the greatest occasions as a very fooles bable wherewith they strike euery one that doth not folowe their vnbridled wilfullnesse But their intollerable and impotent pride doth yet more appeare if we consider their dooings nearer home For you see howe after they had gotten that authoritie which long they sought euen as a man that aimeth at his marke so did they practise and deuise what they could against the soueraine maiestie vpon earth as if all their care were bent to bring him lower as indeede they did spoyling him by litle
and litle of his dominions and so lessening his power and at the last despising his authoritie and wringing it out of his hands as hath beene shewed And as hee could not abide any to be his better or superior so far of so likewise he could not suffer any to haue any gouernment exempt from him neere him in the citie of Rome and therefore were they also sundrie times repining and striuing against those magistrats which in Rome had the gouernment of the citie For hauing brought the emperour to hold of him for the emperour say the Canonists now holdeth his empier of the pope and therefore he is bound to swere homage and fealty to the pope as the vassal is vouÌ„d to his lord hauing I say so subiected the greatest he taketh scorne that any should sit vnder his nose and not be vnder him And therefore pope Leo the third sending certaine presents vnto Charles the great made vnto him suite and obtained it that the people of Rome should be sworne to be subiect vnto him And so from that time which was about the yeare 796. vntil the time of Innocent the second about the yeare 1139 they continued in subiection to the bishop of Rome being gouerned at his appointment 343 yeares But being warie belike of his Tyranicall gouernment they made vnto themselues a pretor senators to rule them concerning their ciuile gouernment as in times past they had wont to haue For indeed this Innocent was a wonderful proud pope of whom it is writen in a booke called Burtum Fulmen and alleaged out of two histories that in the Lateran church at Rome he painted Lotharius the emperour prostrate at his feete and his vassal or seruant receauing of him the imperiall crowne And by this picture were verses written wherein the emperour is made his seruant and it is said that the pope giueth him the crowne as though he could not haue it but by his gift His pride being so immoderate against the emperour it is not like he could keepe any measure with such as were inferiors and so did they shake of his intolerable yoke Nowe the pope not knowing presently how for to amend himselfe or to hinder their purpose yet thought he would so bridle them as that his clergie should be free from their rule He gathereth therefore a council in Lateran where he caused it to be decreed that whosoeuer should lay violent hands vpon a clergieman though he be but a psalmist saith glosse there whom the Dist 23 calleth a singer cap. Psalmista and the Dist 21. cap. Cleros maketh next the dog driuer and doorekeeper should so be accursed that vnlesse it were in time of death he might not be absolued of any but the pope onely For this cause also Onuphrius writeth that the people of Rome were excommunicated and put for euer from chusing the popes and by that meanes that the election of the pope came to the cardinals But Platina as I haue before noted saith that Gelasius the second was chosen by the cardinalles who was before this Inocent Well Lucius the second pope of that name although he had great cause to haue though of other matters for at that time there was a maruelous great plague whereof of his predecessor Celestine the second died as also himselfe was taken away by it yet his proude stomacke not being able to beare the gouernment that then was in Rome by a pretor and senators sought to alter it The pretor or Alderman maior whose name was Iordan told the pope that al the â—egalities belonging to the citie as well without as within the walles belonged to him being pretor by reson of his office that y e pope had hitherto occupied the same by meanes of Charles the great But he demaunded his owne right willing the pope to content himselfe as his ancetours had done with first â—ruites tithes and offerings But his holinesse being as vnwilling to learne a good lesson of Iorden the pretor or Alderman of Rome as were the Pharises to be taught of him whom Christ made to see Thou arte say they altogether borne in sinne and teachest thou vs Deuised more mischiefe against the Romans then did the Pharises against that man that durst teach them for they did but cast him out of their synagogue that is they did perchance excommunicate him But this holy pope who should be to others an example of patience and forgiuing our enemies had this deuise that watching a time when they were all gathered together in council the Pretor Senators and all the chiefe of the citie the pope gathered his soldiers and set vpon the capitoll the place where they were assembled thinking either to haue destroyed them all or else to haue driuen them out of the citie But the Romanes hearing of this pope-like enterprise armed themselues vpon a sodaine and running to the capitoll did so pelt with stones the pope himselfe that within a few dayes after he died Whether of the plague as before out of Stella I aleaged or of these bates it maketh no great matter For they were rid as it seemeth of a furious foole and saued the liues of their chiefe men and for a time retained their libertie This doth Robert Barnes reporte out of Naucler Sum. Anton. and Iacob Colum. Now this question betweene the Romans and the bishop of Rome continued in doubtfull case as appeareth by frier Rioch and others for a season namely whilest Eugenius the third Anaslasius the fourth and Adrian the fourth liued the Romans seeking to haue their liberties of choosing their magistrates confirmed vnto them by the popes the popes on the other side repining against that which the Romans did Yet in the time of Alexander the third they came to this agreement that the magistrates chosen by the Romans should not meddle with their office vntill they had beene sworne to be faithfull to the church of Rome and the pope And thus this controuersie that was betweene the citie of Rome and the pope for fiftie yeares was agreed But Lucius the third being perchance proude then Alexander his predecessor whose pride yet was intollerable not content to suffer so much as the name of Consuls in Rome went aboue to abolish the same and had gotten to him some of the Romans But the citizens rose against him expelled him out of the citie and put out the eies of certaine that fauoured his attempt Thus we see how the bishops of Rome to the end that their authoritie might the more smoothly proceede without controlment did seeke to take these rubs out of their waie Hitherto we haue in part seene in what sort the bishops of Rome being come to their hieght haue deale with their betters and how roughly they haue handled them But perchance their friends wil excuse them because that by doing as they haue done they haue defended will they say the rights and priuileges of the church