Against Preaching when silenced § 184. The Pope twice banished by the Romans The Emperour excommunicate and deposed fights it out The Pope dyeth § 186. A mortal sin to have two Benefices if one will maintain him § 187. The Emperour again excommunicate A merry Excommunication § 191. Rebellions § 192. Conrade and King Henry § 193. Bishop Grosthead's notable Letter to the Pope and its reception § 195 196. Obedient disobedience All Power for edification ib. The Pope calls the King of England his Slave whom he can imprison c. § 196. The Cardinals Speech to quiet the Pope A Defection foretold § 196. Grosheads death He taketh them for Hereticks that tell not great men of their sin c. The Pope Antichrist for destroying souls The Popes pardoning Letter The Pope described § 198. Miracles at Robert Grosheads death The Pope would have burnt and damned his Corps In a vision he mortally woundeth the Pope § 198 199. H. III. pawneth his Kingdom to the Pope § 200. The 13th General Council at Lyons excommnnicateth and deposeth the Emperour and absolveth his Subjects § 202. Guelphus for the Popes Gibelius for the Emperour § 203. The English Parliament demand the choice of the Lords Iustice Chancellour and Treasurer § 204. The Plot of King Henry and the Bishop of Hereford to get money by the Pope § 206. The Parliament resist it M. Paris talks too boldly of the King § 206. Buying Bishopricks Brancaleo at Rome mastereth the Pope § 208 209. Sewale Archbishop of York against the Pope doth Miracles § 212. Rome not ruled by the Pope § 214. Near three years vacancy of the Papacy § 219. Cardinal Portuensis jeast 220. The foolish Pope John sadly confuted § 224. King Peter of Arragon deposed § 226. The Popes Tenth peny denyed § 228. Two years more vacancy The Greeks enmity to Rome § 229. Pope Celestine cheated to resign and imprisoned § 233. Boniface the VIII his conflict with the King of France taken prisoner and dyeth Platina's good Counsel to all Rulers § 224. The Clergy not to be taxed by Princes § 235. The Pope setled in France by Clement V. Continueth 70 Years § 236. Above 2 years vacancy ibid. 40. Articles of the King of France against Boniface VIII Three Herisies of Petrus Joannis 1. The rational soul as such is not forma corporis humani 2. Grace habitual not infused in baptisme to Infants 3. The Spear pierced Christ before his death § 242. The Heresie of the Beguines and Beguardes for perfection § ibid. Pope Clements Decrees De fide 1. Of the form of the body the soul. 2. Infants infused Grace 3. Vsury a sin 4. To be restored The contrary to suffer as Hereticks § ibid. The falshood of some of these new Articles of Faith § 243. Magistrates excommunicated that disgrace wicked Priests § 247. Or compel them to answer to them § 248. Popes and Councils condemn each other as Hereticks § 250. The Pope claimeth the Empire by Escheate § 251. The Priest to take the name of every Parishoner that being confessed and confirmed they may communicate only by his counsel § 252. The Greek affairs § 256. A Toletane Council Decree that their Provincial Constitutions bind only ad poenam not ad culpam lest Christians Consciences be burdened § 257. After seventy years residence at Avignion forty years more there were two Popes and sometime more one at Avignion and one at Rome Discord chooseth an honest Pope but Concord an Anti-Pope Their Wars The Pope drowneth Cardinals in Sacks and makes twenty nine new ones in one day § 260. Italy still the most unpeaceable warring place of the World § 262 263. The Popes bloody way of curing Schism § 263. The Council of Pisa thinking to have but one Pope made a third § 267. Who Deposed King Ladislaus § 268. CHAP. 13. The Councils of Constance Basil c. That at Constance called by Pope John 21 alias 22 or 23 or 24 by Sigismund the Emperours means Councils above the Pope § 3. Wickliffs Articles § 6. One is that they are Traytors to Christ who give over preaching and hearing Gods word for mens Excommunications § 6 54. heynous Articles against Pope John commonly called The Devil incarnate An obstinate Heretick denying the life to come c. § 8. He ratifieth all himself and with other two Popes is deposed § 9. A decree against giving the Sacramental Cup though Christ and the Ancient Church used it § 10. Articles against John Hus as Wickliff's More as his own § 12 13. Excommunication must not make us leave off Preaching Against Hierome of Prague breaking safe Conducts § 14 15. The third Pope depos'd § 16. Decrees for frequent General Councils Popes Elections regulated A new Pope chosen § 17. The Fate of P. John and the rest § 18 19. Continued Wars at Rome against the Pope and in Italy § 23. The Council at Basil. The Bohemians case Their four Articles 1. For the full Sacâ—ament 2. For correcting publick Crimes 3. For liberty to preach Gods Word 4. Against the Clergies civil Power all eluded § 24. Bishop Augustinus de Roma's errours Phanatick Pardon of all sins confest with a contrite heart sold for money and fasting § 27. Their Catholick Verities 1. For Councils Supremacy 2. They may not be dissolved removed prorogued but consenting 3. It s Heresie to oppugn these § 28. P. Eugenins deposed as a pertinacious Heretick c. § 22. Queries hereon § 30. The immaculate Conception decreed § 31. Two Popes again § 32. Epistles of and against the Pope § 33. Four Treatises against the Bohemians four great Articles § 34 35. God only pardoneth the fault and the Pope part of Church Penances Whether silenced Preachers must cease Vnjust Sentences not regardable confessed The Council confirmed § 35 36. A Council at Briges confirmeth this § 37. The Council at Florence Two General Councils at once § 38. The Romans still fight against the Pope § 39. Constantinople lost ib. P. Pius 2. his Character and Sentences For Priests Marriage Yet for Rome's Vniversal Headship to be received as necessary to salvation § 44. P. Paul 2. a just and clement Simoniast and Tyrant Tormenteth Platina and many others Accuseth them of Heresie for praising Plato and Gentile Learning c. Against Learning § 45. P. Sixtus Wars and treachery § 46. Denying the Decrees of a General Council de fide of the immaculate conception of B. M. no Heresie § 47. P. Inoc. 8. fights to be King of Naples § 49. Pope Alexander the Sixth his ugly Character and his Son Borgia's Villanies Both drinking the poyson prepared for others The Pope dyeth of it § 50. Pius 3. § 51. P. Julius 2. Italy in blood still by him § 52. Councils against the Pope The King of France excommunicated § 53 54. The Anti-Council at Lateran against the Pisane against the French pragmat Sanction The not able Titles of the Pope § 55. Decreed that Simoniacal Election of Popes is
Tarasius At last An. 797. his Mother Irene and Stauratius found means to apprehend him and murder him that is put out his Eyes of which he dyed which some celebrate as a pious Act it was done by her that set up Images But within one year Nicephorus deposed and banished her into Lesbos where she dyed and he took the Empire to himself § 95. Binnius p. 445. saith That the Emperor banished Theodore Studita for reproving his Marriage and when he added crime to crime Merito jussu Matris quam imperio exuerat zelo justitiae non regni oculis imperio vitâ orbatus est By the command of his Mother in her zeal for justice he was deservedly deprived of his Empire Eyes and Life What is not just with such Historians that maketh for their Interest And how contemptible is their Censure of good or evil Men which hath no better Measures § 96. He tells us also p. 444. that the Spanish and French Bishops at these times of their own heads without the Pope added Filioque to the Creed which hath to this day made so great a stir It seems they thought that the Pope's Authority was not necessary to it § 97. He adds that Charles the Great being dead the People grew bold and rose up again against the Pope which occasioned Rapines Flames and Murders that Ludovicus the new Emperor was fain to take his Fathers Office and come to Rome to save the Pope and suppress the Rebels § 98. The Venetian Duke killing a Patriarch Iohan. Gradensis Paulus Patriarch of Aquileia called a Synod to crave aid of Charles § 99. CCXXXV An. 806. A Council was held at Constantinople in the Cause of the foresaid Ioseph that had married the Emperor to his second wife who had been ejected by Tarasius from his Bishoprick and the Emperor calling a Council they restored him wherefore Theodorus Studita called them a Council of Hereticks and Adulterants because they restored the Causer of the Emperor's Adultery But how few Emperors have not found Councils of Bishops ready to do their Will § 100. Charles the Great making his Will divided his Empire between his three Sons giving them Laws of Communion and Succession that if one dyed without Children his Kingdom be divided between the other two but if he have such Sons as the People will choose they succeed their Father Commanding all three that they be the Defenders of the Bishop of Rome as he and his Father and Grandfather had been to their commodity § 101. CCXXXVI An. 809. Was another Council at Constantinople which was gathered to condemn honest Theodorus Studita Plato and such as had been against the restoring of Ioseph of which saith Binnius When the Bishops there Congregate had brought the most holy Plato in Chains to be judged and had passed the Sentence of Anathema on the Universal Catholick Church that was against their Error they made a most wicked Decree that the Marriage of Constantine with Theodota his Wife yet living thrust into a Monastery should be said to be lawful by dispensation They added for the Emperor's sake this wicked and shameless Sentence That the Laws of God can do nothing against Kings and that if any imitate Chrysostom and shed his Blood for Truth and Iustice he is not to be called a Martyr That Bishops have power to dispense with all the Canons Remember that Papists confess all this to be wicked We have not the Acts and Speeches of these Councils preserved § 102. CCXXXVII An. 809. A Council was held at Aquisgrana about the Procession of the Holy Ghost and the word Filioque in the Creed Of which they sent some Messengers to the Pope who approved the thing but dissuaded them from adding it to be sung in the Creed and after inscribed the Creed without Filioque in Latin and Greek in two Silver Tables to shew that it should not be changed which yet after it was by the Pope's consent The French Annals say that in this Council they treated of the state of the Church and conversation of the Clergy but determined nothing for the greatnesses of the matter § 103. CCXXXVIII An. 113. Yet under Charles the Great a Council was held by his Command at Arles where many very good Canons were made for the Reformation of the Bishops and Priests § 104. CCXXXIX The same year the same Charles had a Council at Tours which made 51 as honest Articles as if Martin himself had been amongst them even against all kind of sin and for all godly living Among others the 37th Canon tells us that the custom of not kneeling in Prayer on any Lords-day no not at the Sacrament nor on any Week-day between Easter and Whitsuntide was yet in force on other days they required humble kneeling § 105. CCXL Yet another Council did Charles call the same year at Chalons Cabillonense in which he ordered Schools for the restoring of Learning our Alcuin being his Persuader greatly esteemed by him Learning then being almost worn away and Ignorance taking place till he greatly revived it no less than 67 Canons were here made most very good ones but praying for the Souls of the Faithful departed and anointing the Sick are there enjoined § 106. Among many good Canons the 13th is against the Oath of Obedience to the Bishop and to the Church The words Translated are these It is reported of some Brethren Bishops that they force them that they are about to ordain to swear that they are worthy and will not do contrary to the Canons and will be obedient to the Bishop that ordaineth them and to the Church in which they are ordained which Oath because it is very dangerous we all ordain shall be forbidden § 107. The 15th Canon saith It is said that in some places the Archdeacons exercise a certain domination over the Parish-Presbyters and take Fees of them which is a matter of Tyranny rather than of order of Rectitude For if the Bishops must not Lord it in the Clergy but be Examples to the Flocks much less may these do it § 108. The 25th Canon complaining how the old Excommunicating and Reconciling was grown out of use they desired the Emperor's help how they should be restored § 109. Can. 33. They say That Confession to God and Man are both good but that Confession made to God purgeth sin and that which is made to the Priest teacheth how their sins may be purged § 110. The 45th Canon is against them that by going to holy places Rome or Tours think to have their sins forgiven § 111. CCXLI. Yet another Council the same year 813 was held under Charles M. at Mentz in Germany to the like purpose many godly Canons being made § 112. CCXLII. Yet another under Charles at Rhemes for Instructing and Catechising and many good things like the former § 113. CCXLIII But we have not done with Images yet An. 814. There was a Council
have been to his People the Captain of safety and of peace when the Divine Piety had decreed to have mercy of his People by an unheard of and invisible manner and by preaching in our ages For these things therefore and in all these things which are before recited confessing himself guilty before the Priests or Bishops or all the People with tears and protesting that in all these things he sinned he desired publick Pennance that so he might satisfie the Church by repenting which he had scandalized by sinning and as he was a scandal by neglecting many things so he professed he would be an example by undergoing due Pennance And after this Confession he delivered to the Bishops the Paper of his Guilts and Confession for future memorial and they laid it on the Altar and then he put off his military Girdle and laid it on the Altar and stripping himself of his secular Habit he took the Habit of a Penitent put on him by the hands of the Bishops that after so great and such Pennance no Man after may return to a secular Militia These things thus done it pleased them that every Bishop should write in his own Papers how the matter was done and should strengthen it by his own subscription and offer it to Prince Lotharius thus strengthened in memory of the Fact To conclude it seemed good to us all that were present to put the sum of all the Papers and of so great a business into one Breviate and to roborate it by the subscription of us all with our hands as is hereafter demonstrated The Author of the Life of Ludovicus addeth ' Pullâque indutum veste adhibitá magnâ custodiâ sub tectum quoddam retrudunt Here you see the Tryal of the godly Emperor the Articles exhibited against him in the High Court of Episcopal Justice and the use of Penance and of laying on of the Bishops hands in investing him in the Garb of perpetual Penance What wonder if the Pope ascended to such power when ordinary Bishops in the best governed and instructed Countrey then in the world obtained such power even by the name and abuse of the POWER OF THE KEYS Saith Binnius Thaganus therefore justly for this cause declaimeth against Ebbo Bishop of Rhemes the Leader as impudicum crudelissimum Episcopum And what were they that would thus follow him § 140. CCXLIX But the next Council was forced to do better for usually the Bishops followed the stronger side in Theodorus Villa they caused Ebbo to depose himself from his Bishoprick and the rest excused themselves that they did it by necessity and fear and were all forgiven Bin. p. 575. And yet will the Bishops say that this Emperor was not humble and merciful § 141. CCL After his Restauration An. 836. Ludovicus caused a Council at Aquisgrane to renew the Laws for the Reformation of the Clergy and Abbots with the Instructions and Rules for Kings themselves at large laid down And here they determined that all Bishops hereafter that were Rebels and Traytors should be deposed and Lay-men anathematized But they sufficiently minded the Power and Dignity of the Bishops to be upheld § 142. There is a Treatise in Binnius p. 583. in which the Statutes of the Synods of Aquisgrane are opened and confirmed by Scripture § 143. CCLI An. 836. Binnius tells us that in the deposing of the Emperor Agobertus Bishop of Lyons and Bernard Bishop of Vienne having been Leaders with Ebbo at the Council at Theod. Villa fled and the Emperor and all his Sons save Lotharius being here present at a Council at Lyons they being summoned appeared not and Sentence was put off because they were absent § 144. An. 839. Pepin the Emperor's Son dying he passed by his disobedient Nephew Pepin and divided that Kingdom of Aquitain only between his Sons Lotharius and Charles whereupon his Son Ludovicus was offended and with them of Aquitain raised Rebellion again and by a Convention at Cabilone and after it reconciliation was made § 145. The Emperor Ludovicus Pius dying An. 840. aged 64 his Sons fell together in Wars for his Kingdoms Lotharius the eldest that had used his Father so trayterously and unnaturally sought too great a part for himself and came to a War with Ludovic and Charles who conquered him and put him to a shameful flight An. 841. in which Fight say Historians a greater slaughter was made of the French than was ever known in the memory of man This was the man that deposed his Father for the slaughter of the Subjects by his Wars against him The next year they fought again and he was again overcome § 146. CCLII It 's easie then to conjecture which way the next Council which was at Aquisgrane would go The conquering Princes made the Bishops their Counsellors when they had made Lotharius flie out of the Countrey what they should do with his Kingdom and saith Binnius they received the answer which Nithardus li. 1. describeth in these words ' The Bishops considering the deeds of Lotharius from the beginning how he had driven his Father out of his Kingdom how he had made the Christian People perjured by his Covetousness how oft he had frustrated the Oath he made to his Fathers and his Brethren how oft since his Fathers death he had attempted to disinherit his Brethren how many Murders Adulteries Burnings and all kind of heinous deeds the Universal Church suffered by his most wicked Covetousness And that he neither had any knowledge of governing the Commonwealth nor could men find any footsteps of goodness of will in governing For which causes deservedly and by the just judgment of God Almighty they said he fled first in Battel and then from his Kingdom Therefore all the Bishops unanimously agree and consent that for his wickedness God hath cast him out and hath delivered his Kingdom to his Brothers that are better than he But the Bishops did not give them this liberty till they openly asked them whether they would govern it as their ejected Brother did or according to the will of God They answered that as far as God should enable them they would govern themselves and theirs according to God's will By God's Authority say they we warn exhort and command that you undertake it and rule it according to the will of God So far Nithard § 147. You see here that it is no wonder that the Pope took upon him to set up and take down to make and unmake Kings when the subject Bishops did it by their greatest Sovereigns And you see here God's just judgment on a rebellious Son and the shameful mutability of a temporizing Clergy And how presumptuous Bishops have abused Religion the use of the Keys and the Name of God to the confusions and calamities of the world But Lotharius after this Deposition reigned § 148. All these times Images were cast out in the Eastern Empire even all the Reign of Leo the 5th and of Michael
the Pope curseth his Legates at Constantinople with Photius and Gregory Syracusanus because they all crossed his will which must everywhere bear rule § 43. CCLXXVI In a Council at Senlis Hincmarus Rhemensis got Rhotaldus Bishop of Soissons deposed and thrust into a Monastery and another put in his place notwithstanding the Pope's opposition An. 863. § 44. CCLXXVII Hereupon the Pope in a Council at Rome condemneth this Council at Senlis and decreeth That unless Hincmarus and the other Bishops do within 30 days restore Rhotaldus they shall be forbidden their Ministery and used as they used Rhotaldus But they did not obey him but put it to the venture And whereas the King had forbidden Rhotaldus to go to Rome and the French Bishops pleaded this as a just restraint the Pope answered That no Imperial Laws must take place against Ecclesiastical And so it came to the question Whether the King or the Pope was King of France or had more power over the bodies of the Subjects Thus did the Papacy ascend § 45. CCLXXVIII A Council of Bishops and Lords together at Pistis made Orders for Repentance and restraint of Rapine and Plunder c. An. 863. § 46. CCLXXIX An. 864. In a Council at Rome the Pope deposed and excommunicated Rodoaldus Portuensis his Legate with Ioh. Hiâ—â—densis for joining with the Synod at Metz against his Orders § 47. CCLXXX In another Council at Rome An. 865. the Pope restoreth Rhotaldus For Hincmarus at last let him out of Prison and let him go to Rome but would neither go nor send thither any Legates himself as the Pope required for his own and the Synod's defence § 48. CCLXXXI An. 866. A Synod at Soissons wrote to the Pope about Hincmarus and against encouraging false Ordinations unless after privately confirmed c. § 49. CCLXXXII The Pope was so busie and troublesom with the French Bishops making himself Judge in matters that he knew not and restoring those that they deposed that An. 867. a Synod at Trâ—cas wrote to inform him of all that had passed for 33 years how Ebbo and his Synod of Bishops had slandered and deposed the Emperor Ludovicus Pius and how he did it to please Lotharius and when Ludovicus was restored how he fled and when Ludovicus was dead how Lotharius with the base temporizing Bishops restored him and after he had been condemned and resigned his place returned to the exercise of it and ordained divers and how upon the prevailing of Charles against Lotharius he was cast out again and how after Lotharius got the Pope to appoint the hearing of all again when he was condemned and how after this he was made a Bishop in Germany and Rhemes was ten years ruled by two Presbyters and how the Pope Paschal chose this Traytor to preach to the Heathens near him and how Hincmarus was chosen c. as aforesaid Such trouble did a Vsurper put the Churches to § 50. Platina saith that some say that after the death of Pope Nicolas the place was void eight years seven months and nine dayes But others say that it was void but seven dayes so uncertain is the Papal History of succession The next that we find inthroned is Haedrian 2d § 51. Michael at Constantinople having been long ruled much by Bardas who was for Photius at last giving up himself to drunkenness and other sins by the perswasion of Basilius he killed Bardas and made Basilius Caesar And after a while his vice gave Basilius the opportunity to kill the Emperor when he was drunk See Dion Petavius Hist. li. 1. chap. 12. Yet this Basilius washed his hands and made many Protestations that he had no hand in his blood This made for the Popes advantage Women and Rebels and Traytors and discordant Princes did much in raising him This Regicide Emperor as a second Phocas finds it useful to quiet his party by a change countenanced by the Bishop of Rome And so he sets himself against Photius and sets up Ignatius again and searching Photius's servants finds a book written of the Acts of the late great Council at Constantinople which was for him and against Ignatius and a defence of that Council against the Bishop of Rome in which he dealt severely with the Pope This Book the new Emperor sends to the Pope and there it is read stampt upon stab'd with a knife and openly burnt and a miracle is said to be at the burning of it some drops of rain that fell not quenching the fire but increasing it But their calling Photius a knave and burning his books and condemning the council that was for him will hardly keep the readers of his yet-preserved learned writings from suspecting that the Popes cause was not unquestionable or at least that the Pope was not taken for the universal Vice-Christ when Photius and his council did so little regard him No wonder then if the Acts of a great council when they were against the Pope are called Nesandissimi Conciliabuli prophanat a Volumina quibus sanctissimum Papam Nicolaum susurâ—â fauce latraverat Yet our new Papists would make men believe that none but a few Hereticks refused subjection to the Pope before Luther Were these Councils Hereticks § 52. Here the Emperor Basilius was put to a hard strait about his Bishops He wrote to the Pope vid. Bin. p. 825. 826. that almost all his Bishops had miscarried both those ordained by Photius and those Ordained by Ignatius they had turned with the times not knowing how the times would turn and incurred such guilt that he desired the Pope to pardon them lest he should want Bishops silencing one party would not serve turn while all had been so far guilty Tum à sanctissimo Patriarcha Ignatio consecrati secundum scripturae suae confessionem in veritate non permanserunt nec non et de his summis Sacerdot ibus atque Abbatibus qui diversimodè scripserunt quorum alii vi vel tyrannide alii verò simplicitate aut levit ate quidam verò seductione et versutiis quidam verò muneribus et honoribus diversimodè decepti sunt Imò verò dicendum est quod pene omnes sacrati tam priores quam posteriores qui sub nobis sunt malè et ut non opportebat tractati sunt Quatenus non Ecclesiae nostrae summis Sacerdotibus et Sacerdotibus qui sub omni regimine nostro sunt commune occurrat naufragium propemodum universis illis de falsis et impotabilibus gustantibus iniquitatis Rheumatibus Super his itaque postulamus compatientissimum Sacerdotium tuum ut manum porrig at humanitatis et eorum dispenset salutem c. saith Basilius ibid. § 53. Here also another difficulty arose as there ever doth in ravelled works The Pope had been against Hincmarus and his Council for deposing the Bishops ordained by Ebbo And yet to subdue the Greeks he was for the deposing of those ordained by Photius This made him seem contrary to himself
other mens Preaching might not win Souls as well as his these Popes could not endure the crossing of their ambition when Kingdoms took not them for their Lords Epist. 188. Is to justifie a man that baptized his own Child in danger of death for which Anselm Bishop of Lemovic judged him to be separated from his Wife Were not these two Bishops judicious Casuists Was either of them in the right After many other Epistles striving with and for the Bulgarians as belonging to his Diocess he Epist. 195. chideth Methodius Archbishop of Pannonia for turning from his Laws and in special for celebrating Divine Service in the Sclavonian Tongue which is barbarous commanding him to do it only in Latine or Greek You see how the Pope would edifie the Barbarians if he be their pastor This is the first Papal decree that I remember against publick prayers in a known tongue But alas his neighbour Italian Bishops had not yet fully learnt the extent of his authority sending for many Bishops on pain of excommunication to wait on him and to obey him old Auspertus Archbishop of Milan was one that disobeyed him and being forbidden to officiate by him conformed not to his silencing and suspending decree but went on in his office as a Nonconformist The Pope sent two Bishops as Legates to admonish him He kept them at the dore and set light by their message for which the Pope chideth him Epist. 196. Epist. 197. He flattereth King Ludovicus to come to Rome and own him in hope that he may be Emperor and all Kingdoms subject to him Epist. 199 200 201 202 203. He consenteth to the restoring of Photius but chargeth him to give up the Bulgarians to his jurisdiction Many persons in many Epistles he exhorteth to break their Covenants with the Pagans and chideth and threatneth them that did it not Epist. 247. The inclination of Stentopulcher a Pannonian Lord to the Church of Rome brought down the Popes heart to dispense with Methodius and changed his judgment to give very fair reason why Mass and Gospel and all might be used in the Sclavonian and all tongues only to keep up the honour of the Latine tongue and his authority he commandeth that though the rest be done in the Sclavonian yet the Gospel be first read in Latine and then translated and read over again in the Sclavonian Epist. 250. 251. He approveth of Photius's restitution Epist. 256. He is fain to chide Auspert Bishop of Milan that Instead of fearing his sentence he laid in prison two Monks sent by the Pope and taken on the high way But his heart came down at last and he speaks Auspertus fair and alloweth of his ordination of Ioseph Episc. Astensis though irregular Epist. 260 and commandeth his Arch-Deacon to obey him Epist. 261. After this he excommunicateth the Archbishop of Ravenna and a great stir there was about that also Epist. 292. He had made one Optandus Bishop of Geneva But Opteramus Archbishop of Vienna took it to be an usurpation on his right and laid the Popes Bishop in a miserable prison so far was he yet from being where he would be Epist. 294. Having excommunicated Athanasius Bishop of Naples for not breaking his Covenant with the Saracens he absolveth him on condition that yet he will break it The matter was that the Italians not able to resist the Saracens those that lay next them under their power sought to save themselves by truce and tribute by which means the Saracens had leisure to come further near to Rome and so the Pope to keep them from himself compelled by excommunications the Lords and Bishops of other parts to break their league and stand up in arms to their own destruction That you may know what Bishops now ruled the Churches Epist. 295. The foresaid Bishop of Vienna giveth one reason why he rejected Optandus ordained Bishop of Geneva by the Pope viz. Because he never was either baptized made Clerk acclamed or learned To which saith the Pope This should be covered in silence because let us speak it with your charity your holiness having nothing of these was yet consecrated in the Church of Vienna was not here good succession and a holy Church Bishops unbaptized that were no Scholars and no Christians Epist. 296. One Bishop by an armed band of men carrieth away another out of the Church and the Pope interposeth Epist. 297. He again soliciteth Michael King of the Bulgarians to become his subject The poor men that had chosen Christ were so perplexed between the Priests that strove who should be their Vice-Christ and King of Kings that it seemed as hard to them to resolve the doubt as it before was to be Christians Yet Epist. 307. sheweth the Bishop of Ravenna being dead that yet the Roman usurpation was not grown so high as to take the choice of the Bishop out of the People and Presbyters hands except in long neglected vacancies as Geneva aforesaid Had not this Pope been kept under by Gods judgments suffering the Saracens so to ruine Italy as that he still needed the help of Princes he had been like to have overthrown Rome by his usurpations setting both Princes and Prelates against him But necessity made him a flatterer of the two Emperors of the West the Emperor of the East the King of France the King of Bulgaria the Princes of Pannonia and all that he needed as ambition made him still striving by Tibi dabo claves and Anathematizing to affright the world to his obedience I say not worse of him than Baronius Binnius c. who have no other way to deny the Histories of Pope Ioan than by saying that this mans baser compliance made him called Pope Joan. Baronius ad an 879 n. 55. reciteth an Epistle of this Popes so greatly complying with Photius even against the Filioquen that Binnius would haveus believe that Photius forged it And epistolam ipsam aeterna oblivione dignam nolui saith he hisce adjungi § 81. CCXC. An. 876. a Concilium Ticinense maketh Charles Emperor when the Pope that had crowned Ludovicus before calleth Charles praescitum praeelectum et praedestinatum hereto with all honourable Elogies And here cometh in a great controversie between the Papists and the Protestants viz. Whether Kings succeed by inheritance or by the election and making of the Pope The Pope thought the craft of putting in a big usurping word was as good as a Law to prove their own power to make Kings and unmake them Accordingly this Pope when he durst stay from Rome in France no longer lest he lost all being imprisoned for refusing the right Heir Charles returneth and speaketh some big words and turneth forced consent into super-Kingly commands and saith Bin. p. 1010 eligimus merito et approbavimus solemnitèr ad Romani Imperii sceptra proveximus et Augustali nomine decoravimus c. And to disable the Kingly claim of inheritance he saith Neque enim sibi honorem
not temporal estates under them to take any oath of allegiance or fidelity to any Lay-man The 44. is to invalidate Lay-Ruler's Laws about ecclesiastical matters as Glebes Mortuaries c. the rest I pass by § 196. In this Council besides the Albigenses and Abbot Ioachim Almaricus a learned man was condemned they say he said that All Christians were Christs members and they add how truly is doubtfull suffered by the Iews with him that Christ's body was no more in the sacrament than in another thing That Incense as offered in the Church is Idolatry That every Christian is bound to believe that he is a member of Christ That if Adam had not sinned there should have been no generating in Paradise nor difference of sexes We must take these things on the report of such as Sanders with some other that they charge on him for which when they had killed him with grief they dig'd up his corps and burnt it as they were then burning multitudes of the living § 197. In this Council Stephen Laughton Arch-Bishop of Canterbury was deposed for taking part with the Barons of England against King Iohn whose case was now become the Pope's when he had given him his Kingdom in so much that when the Arch-Bishop confessed and begged absolution his Holiness answered By St. Peter Brother thou shalt not so easily get absolution who hast done so many and so great injuries not only to the K. of England but to the Church of Rome § 198. Let the Reader note that 1. General Councils are the Papists religion 2. That this is one of their greatest approved General Councils 3. That therefore by their Law and Religion they are bound to exterminate all Protestants and that all Princes must be deposed that will not execute it and their dominion given to others that will 4. That all Protestants and others called Hereticks are dead men in Law and want but judgment and execution where their Law is in force 5. That the Henrician heresie is one that is judged such by their Councils 6. That therefore not only all Protestant Kings but all Papists that are for the safety and power of Kings against the Popes pretended power of condemning and deposing them are Hereticks to be exterminated and burnt by many Canons 7. Therefore Kings are beholden to the Protestant reformation disabling the Pope to execute his Laws and Religion for their Crowns and lives 8. That when ever any King or others set up Popery and the power of their Laws and Councils in a Kingdom that is reformed the subjects are presently dead men in Law being to be destroyed as Hereticks though Policy or want of power may hinder the execution 9. Qu. Whether it be lawful for any King or in his authority so to destroy his Kingdom or to make all or the generality of his subjects dead men in Law 10. Whether by these Laws the Pope and his consenting Bishops have not published themselves to be hostes Regum et Regnorum if not humani generis and are not so to be esteemed § 199. Note also that D. Heylin in his Certamen Epistolare against me answereth that it is not Kings but temporal Lords that are mentioned in this Council and that he and Bishop Taylor and Bishop Gunning and Bishop Pearson in their dispute published by Terret or Iohnson and others before them have maintained that these Canons were but proposed by Pope Innocent and not consented to and passed by the Council But to the first It is clear 1. that by Domini Temporales Councils ordinarily mean Emperors and Kings as well as any others 2. That the words of the Council are express eâdem nihilominus lege servatâ circa eos qui non habent Dominâ—s principales And to the 2d I answer 1. The Church of Rome actually taketh this for one of their approved General Councils and will not be beholden to our Bishops for their friendly favour and excuse And therefore it is all one to us whether the Council consented or not 2. Mr. Henry Dodwel in his late considerations how far Papists may be trusted by Princes c. pag. 167 pag. 174 c. hath fully answered all the reasons given by these Bishops as Terret did in part before and hath added abundant proof that these Canons were passed in that Council 1. From the Council at Oxford where Stephen Laughton himself was 2. From Mat Paris who is alledged for the contrary 3 From Gregory 9th's decertals 4 From the case of Iohn Blunt elect Bishop of Canterbury recited by Mat. Paris an 1233. 5. From Otto the Pope's Legate in M. Paris an 1237. and that London Council 6. From the Popes Letter to Otto an 1238 in M. Paris 7. From Honorius the 3d's condemnation of Rich. de Marisco Bishop of Durham 8. From P. Clement the 5th's Bull for King Philip the Fair. 9. From the Council of Tarragon 10. From the Council at Vienna under Clement 4th 11. From the General Council at Lyons under Gregory 10th 12. From the Sabine Council in Spain 13. From a Council at Toledâ— under Benedict 12th 14. And from the Council of Trent 15. From the Common sense of the Case of Abbot Ioachim 16. And of the word Transubstantiation 17. And of annual confession All taken as setled by this Council So that as the Papists will not accept of this Charity of our Bishops in excusing their Religion from this part of guilt so there is little place indeed for an excuse § 200. The Papists themselves though they have many other Councils and instances to prove the Popes Claim and Practice of deposing Princes yet will not let go this as being a famous General Council But when here in England they would excuse their Religion from Rebellion they use to say that this being not an Article of Faith but a Canon of Practice they are not bound to take it as infallible To which the said Mr. Henry Dodwell ibid. pag. 185. hath largely answered to which I refer the Reader adding only that That which must be Believed to be of God is not alway matter of practice yet what must be done as by the wiâ— of God must alwaies be first the matter of faith we must believe that it is God's will before we can obey it as his will The full answer see as aforecited § 201. In the performance of the Laws of this Council multitudes called hereticks were burnt Their St. Dominick preaching to the people to perswade them to take arms under the Sign of the Cross to destroy the Hereticks for to get pardon of their sins so that from first to last many hundred thousand some say two millions but that seemeth too much were killed in France Savoy Germany Italy and other Countreys see Sam. Clerk Martyrol and Arch-Bishop Vsher deâ—success Eccles Thus hath Papal Rome been built and maintained by Blood Rebellion and Confusion under pretence of Church Purity Unity and Government and all by
Governours besides Magistrates but such as Philosophers in their Schools who were appointed to set up Holy Societies for Divine Doctrine Worship and Holy Living and to Guide them accordingly by Teaching Worship and Government by the Word forbidding them the Sword or Force they are said to have the Keys of the Church and the Kingdom of Heaven because as Grace is Glory in the seed the Church is Heaven in the seed and the Pastors were the Administrators of Sacraments and Church-priviledges and therefore the Judges who were fit for them who should be Baptized who should Communicate and in what rank and who should be denied these admonished or excluded and who should as far as belongeth to others be judged meet or unmeet for Heaven And so the Christian Societies were to be kept clean and not to be like the polluted World of Infidels And the Pastors had no other power to use but were to judge only those within and leave them without to Gods own judgment and to the Magistrate who was not to punish any one for not being in or of the Church or for departing from it which is a grievous punishment it self But Magistrates being then Heathens the Christians were hard put to it for the decision of their quarrels For the love of the world and selfishness were but imperfectly cured in them They went to Law before Heathen Judges with each other and this became a snare and a scandal to them S. Paul therefore childeth them for not ending differences by Christian Arbitrators among themselves as if there were none among them wise enough to Arbitrate Hereupon the Churches taking none to be wiser or trustier than their Pastors made them their Arbitrators and it became a censurable scandal for any to accuse a Church-member to a Magistrate and to have Suits at Law By this means the Bishop becoming a Stated Arbitrator thereby became the Governour of the Christians but with his Presbyters and not alone But because Bishops had no power of the sword to touch mens bodies or estates but only to suspend them from Church-Communion and Excommunicate them or impose penitential Confessions on them therefore they fitted their Canons which were the Bishops Agreements to this Governing use to keep Christians under their Government from the Magistrates And so they made Canons that a Fornicator or Adulterer should be so long or so long suspended and a Murderer so long and so of the rest § 36. And when Constantine turned Christian he had many reasons to confirm this Arbitrating Canonical power to the Christian Bishops by the Civil Sanction 1. Because he found them in possession of it as contracters by mutual consent and what could a Christian Prince do less than grant that to the Christians which they chose and had 2. Because the advancement and honour of the Teachers and Pastors he thought tended to the honour of their Religion and the success of their Doctrine upon the Heathens with whom they dwelled Grandure and Power much prevail with carnal minds 3. Because he had but few Magistrates at first that were Christians and none that so well knew the affairs of Christians as their own chosen Bishops And he feared lest the power of Heathen Magistrates over the Christians might injure and oppress them 4. He designed to draw the Heathens to Christianity by the honouring of Christians above them 5. And withal his interest lay most in their strength For they were the fastest part of his Souldiers and Subjects that for Conscience and their own Interrest rejoyced to advance and defend him to the utmost when he lost many of the Pagans and they were not of the spirit of the old Pretorian Souldiers that set up and pulled down Emperours at their pleasure Had Constantine faln the Christians had much faln with him and had the Christians been weakned he had been weakened They were become his strength And he fore saw not the evils that afterwards would follow Some must govern and there were then no wiser nor better men than the Bishops and Pastors of the Churches And their interest in the Christian people that chose them was greatest As now all differing parties of Christians among us Papists Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists would desire nothing as more conducing to their ends than that the King would put the greatest Power especially of Religion into the hands of those Teachers whom they esteem and follow even so was it with the Christians in the days of Constantine And hereupon Laws were made that none should compel Christians to answer in any Court of Justice saving before their own Bishops and so Bishops were made almost the sole Governours of the Christians § 37. By this means it is no wonder if multitudes of wicked men flock'd into the Church and defiled and dishonoured it For the Murderer that was to be hanged if he were no Christian was but to be kept from the Sacrament if he were a Christian and do some confessing penance which was little to hanging or other death And so proportionably of other Crimes Bad Christians by this device were multiplyed The Emperour also being a Christian worldly men are mostly of the Religion of the Prince or highest powers § 38. And no man that can gather an effect from an effectual cause could doubt if neither Nazianzen or any Historian had told it him but that proud and worldly men would strive then to be Bishops and use all possible diligence to obtain so great preferment Who of them is it that would not have Command and Honour and Wealth if he can get it While the great invitation to the sacred Ministry was the winning and edifying of Souls those that most valued Souls desired it yet desired it to be kept from such Poverty and Persecution as exposed them to hinderance and contempt But when Riches Reputation and Dominion were the Baits who knoweth not what sort of Appetites would be the keenest Christ telleth us how hardly Rich men are good and come to Heaven Therefore when Bishops must be all Great and Rich either Christ must be deceived or it must be as hard for them to be honest Christians as for a◠Camel to go through the Needles eye And thus Venenum funditur in Ecclesiam § 39. The World being thus brought into the Church without the cure of the worldly mind and the Guides being so strongly tempted to be the very worst no wonder if the Worldly Spirit now too much rule the Church and if those that are yet of the same Spirit approve plead and strive for what they love and despise the business of the Cross and Christian Humility and Simplicity to this day And if Bishops have done much of their work accordingly ever since Constantine and much before it hath been the Devils Work to carry on his War against Christ and Piety under Christ's own name and the pretence of Piety as an Angel of Light and Righteousness and Unity and to set up Pastors over the Church
assert One Nature of God incarnate after the Union and yet called Orthodox and those that said as he and much less were damned Hereticks Some that confessed two Natures yet denying two Wills after the Resurrection supposing the Humane Will called Natural had been laid by were here damned with the rest § 36. CCXVI An. 681. King Ervigius held another Council at Toletum for the Royal Power and reforming the Clergy The Pope had so little to do and the Kings so much in all these Spanish Councils that it 's strange Spain is now become so servile to the Pope Binnius is forced to confess here To. 3. p. 110. that The study and labor of chusing fit men to be made Bishops was in the power or hands of the Gothish Kings which by the indulgence of the Roman Popes is in the Spanish Kings even to our times which he proveth O indulgent Popes who let go what they cannot keep An. 682. Some Synods in France did we know not what § 37. Leo 2d is made Pope by the Emperor and because he confirmed the Acts of this Council which damns Honorius as an Heretick the Papists know not which way to turn themselves Baronius would have Leo's Epistle forged Binnius will have either the Acts corrupted by Theodore Const. before they were sent to Leo or that necessity compelled him to this hard condition by the iniquity of the times and that Heresie else would have revived c. so that by their reckoning they that relie all on Tradition and Fathers leave not Fathers Councils or Traditions certain for one Age. § 38. CCXVII An. 683. K. Ervigius had another Synod of 48 Bishops at Toletum for restoring some guilty of Treasons securing the King c. § 39. Constantine Pogon restored to Rome the power of making Popes without the Emperor which the Gothish Kings and other Emperors had long denied them § 40. Benedict 2d is made Pope A new Controversie in his time is raised The Spanish Bishops write an Epistle in which they assert Three Substances in Christ his Divinity his Soul and his Body and say withall that a Will begat a Will that is the Divine Will begat the Humane The numbers of One Two and Three had so confounded Men in those times that the words frightned the Pope and he expostulated and warned them to take heed in what sense they used them which hath made it a question whether this Pope were not erroneous himself § 41. CCXVIII Another Council at Toletum against the Monothelites § 42. Pope Iohn 5th was the first Consecrated without the Emperor since the liberty granted Theodoric King of France called a Council An. 685. in which he deposed several Bishops § 43. Constantine Pog. dying Iustinian 2d his Son is Emperor Binnius saith he was not sound in the Faith a hard thing then And that he repented of the liberty granted in chusing Popes and so ordered that the Exarch of Ravenna approve them by which Bribery was used with the Exarchs And while the Soldiers and Clergy could not agree they were fain to consent to a third Conon to be Pope § 44. Conon being dead Theodore and Paschal strove for the Popedom and got their Parties to stand it out for them Paschal promised the Exarch a great Sum of Gold to make him Pope When they could not agree Sergius a third was chosen The Exarch forced him to pay the Gold and so he got the Soldiers love and the Popedom § 45. CCXIX. An. 688. Another Toletan Council writ a defence of their assertion that Christ had three Substances and that Voluntas genuit Voluntatem § 46. CCXX A Council at Caesar-Augusta made five Canons the last was that when the Kings dyed the Queens should lay by their civil Habits and be put into a Monastery and profess Chastity § 47. CCXXI An. 692. Was the famous great Council called the Quini-Sextum at Constantinople by Iustinian 2d's Order why it should not be called a 7th General Council I know not It was called by the persuasion of Callinicus Constant. to make a full Body of Canons for Practice because the 5th and 6th Councils made none Binnius saith It could not be a General Council because the Pope was not there by himself or his Legates and yet confesseth that neither was he or his Legates at the first Constantine Council and yet it was universal And why doth not another Bishops absence E. G. Alexand. Ierusal c. null a General Council as well as the Popes The Papists rail at this Council as a Convention of Malignants Bin. p. 154. and against Balsamon that defendeth it as a wicked Greek Impostor the word wicked in these Mens writings is a term of art and interest and no moral term They recited abundance of old Canons many of great use One would wonder whence the anger against them ariseth It was per summam nequitiam saith Binnius that they called themselves a General Council And the Holy Ghost was not with them because the Pope was not with them p. 154 155. and they ordained many things contrary to Apostolical Constitutions and the Canons of General Councils Reader you see here 1. How little trust Papists lay on that part of Tradition which dependeth on Councils 2. That it is the Pope one Man that is the certainty of Tradition and Iudgment without whom Councils are nothing 3. That if the Pope be absent all the other Bishops assembled in Councils by the command of Emperors may be called Knaves and wicked Malignants Alas how few Bishops adhered to the Pope when Italy was not yet cured of Separation from him in comparison of those that met in these Eastern Councils which they revile 4. You see here how far they are from truth that say the Universal Church still cleaved to the Pope when most by far of the Bishops in the world forsook him you see Luther was not the first § 48. Note that Tharasius Bishop of Constantinople An. 692. in the 2d Council of Nice tells them that it was the same Bishops that met in the 6th General Council at Constantinople who met again here under Iustinian And were not the Bishops of the place so near the time competent Judges of the matters of so notorious Fact And were the same Bishops an infallible General Council at the 6th Council and yet all wicked Schismaticks or Knaves and wicked Men when they meet again but to make Church-Canons for Reformation If this do not tell you how truly Binnius saith in their own judgment that Councils have just so much authority as the Pope giveth them what can tell it you § 49. Yea Binnius makes this Council to be Monothelites And were the same Men Orthodox in the 5th or 6th Council ten years before and Hereticks in this Is this the constancy of the Church and Bishops Faith § 50. The 13th Canon is one that displeaseth them in which the practice of the Church of Rome in separating Priests from
hem And also I shall meyntem ne techen ne defenden errours conclusions techynges of the Lollards ne swych conclusions and techings that men clepyth Lollardes doctryn Ne I shall her bokes ne swych bokes ne hem or any suspect or diffamed of Lollardery resceyne or company with all wyttyngly or defende in yo matters and if I know ony swych I shall with all the hast that I may do ghowe or els your ner Officers to wyten and of her bokes And allso I shall excite and stirr all tho to good doctryn that I have hinder'd with myn doctryn up my power And also I shall stonde to yhour declaration wych es heresy or errour and do therafter and also what penance yhe wel for that I haue don for meyntenyng of this fals doctryn menyne and I shall fulfill it and I submit me therto up my power And also I shall make no other glose of this myn oth bot as the wordes stonde And if it be so that I come agayn or do agayn this oth or any party thereof I holde me here cowpable as an heretyke and to be punyshed by the law as an heretyk and to forfeit all my goodes to the Kynges will wyth outen any othr processe of lawe And therto I require the Notarie to make of all this the whych is my will an instrument agens me ut ex habundanti idem Willielmus Dynel eodem die voluit recognovit quod omnia bona catalla sua mobillia nobis sint forisfacta in casu quo ipse juramentum praedictum se◠aliqua in eodem juramento contenta de cetero contravenerit ullo modo Here you see whether Papists worship Images and whether they take it not for Heresie which is death not to worship them and whether they leave it to mens liberty or not § 5. Leo Isaurus being Emperor he took the worshipping of Images to be Idolatry and his Empire being invaded by the Saracens who were scandalized by the Christians Images he thought it was a warning to him to reform them and he published his Edict accordingly against the Religious adoration and use of the Images of Angels Martyrs or Saints Gregory Bishop of Rome resisted him and made Men believe that this was to fight against Christ and impiously to despise the Saints The Emperor commanded his Obedience on pain of Deposition He would neither obey nor suffer The Emperor sent Men to apprehend him some say to kill him but he escaped them The Lombards were stirred up to make War against the Emperor as an Enemy of Christ The Pope saith Binnius p. 177. out of Zonaras entered into a League with Charles Martell King of France that if there were need he should defend the Church of Rome against the Emperor their proper Sovereign which League being prudently made the Emperor abstained for fear of Charles who by great Victories was become famous But when the Emperor would not obey the Pope's pious warnings but used Tyranny in the East against the Orthodox then the Pope anathematized him as a known declared Heretick and exhorted all his Subjects in Italy to depart from his obedience Note how Rebellion is the work and strength of the Roman Papacy But do not our Papists now disown all this and profess themselves to be the Loyallest Subjects Answ. If they do let them join Restitution with Confession If the Father seize on another mans Inheritance and the Son keep it and disclaim his Fathers act this is but a dead Confession But hear the next words in Binnius and judge what Doctrine yet they hold Quo facto Sanctissimus Pontifex clarissimum posteris suis reliquit exemplum ne in Ecclesia Christi regere permittantur haeretici Principes si frequenter moniti errori pertinaciter adhaerescant That is BY WHICH FACT deposing the Emperor in Italy and absolving all his Subjects from their Obedience THE MOST HOLY POPE LEFT HIS POSTERITY A MOST CLEAR or Famous EXAMPLE THAT HERETICAL PRINCES MAY NOT BE PERMITTED TO RULE IF BEING OFT WARNED THEY PERTINACIOUSLY ADHERE TO ERROR Note this ye Princes and Rulers that hear of Papal Loyalty 1. It is not lawful for them if they can help it to permit any of you to reign over Christians if they do but judge you Heretical To tolerate you is against their Consciences if to depose you be not above their strength 2. By this Rule you see that they were virtual Rebels to most or many Emperors when they durst not actually rebel 1. When Constantine the Great banished Athanasius it 's like they would have taken him for an Heretick 2. Constantius and Valens being Arrians the Pope did virtually rebel against them and depose them if then they were of the same mind as now 3. Theodosius junior Zeno Anastasius and other Emperors they virtually deposed as Eutychians 4. Iustinian the first they virtually deposed as a Phantasiastick 5. Philippicus and many more Emperors are called by them Monothelites 6. Leo and Constantine and others are called Iconoclastae 7. Many Christian Princes and States now are called by them Protestant or Lutheran Hereticks All these they say are such as may not be permitted and therefore they have interpretatively and virtually rebelled and deposed them 3. You see how great a matter this Excommunication is and how impossible it is by it for Kings and States to continue long in any right to their Dominions For all men err and while there are so many Patriarchs Prelates if not Priests that have the power of Excommunicating all men may expect it For he that is orthodox in the judgment of one Patriarch will be a Heretick in the judgment of another while Rome Const. Alexand. Antioch Ierusal are so seldom of one mind If with the repenting Lollard aforesaid you will swear to hold that for Error which the Archbishop of York saith is such perhaps the Archbishop of Canterbury may be of the contrary mind Those called Arrians Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites Iconoclasts c. have in their turns had most of the known Christian World And he that is Excommunicate by one must be received by none 4. But if it be the Popes prerogative that though more may Excommunicate Kings and Emperours none but he can depose them and disoblige all their Subjects it 's pity but those Princes that are in love with such a Papacy should know by experience what they love For he that will take Satan for his Ruler must bear the inconveniences of his Government 5. You see here how the Empire was weakned and so exposed to the Turk even by the Rebellion of Rome cutting off the Western Empire from it 6. And you see what true Subjects they were to the Arrian Gothish Kings at Rome Spain c. who would have deposed them if they could What wonder if the Goths kept down the Pope § 6. In these times the Pope met with an English Bishop Wilfrid who extraordinarily flattered and adored him and he accordingly made him
Bishop of Mentz and his great agent even about this foresaid English Council which was to set up Church-Images and recommended him to many Christian Princes And why was all this and what was his rare merit He took this Oath to the Pope Bin. p. 178 In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ our Saviour in the Reign of Leo the great Emperour c. I Boniface Bishop by the Grace of God do Promise to thee Peter Prince of the Apostles and to thy Vicar Pope Gregory and his Successors by the Father Son and Holy Ghost the inseparable Trinity and this most Holy Body of thine that I will exhibite all faith and purity of holy Catholick faith and in unity of the same faith God operating will persist in which all the salvation of Christians is proved undoubtedly to consist and will no way consent whoever perswadeth me against the unity of the common and universal Church but as I said will exhibite my faith and purity and concourse to thee and to the Profits of thy Church to whom by the Lord the Power of binding and loosing is given and to thy aforesaid Vicar and his Successors in all things c. Nothing is more meritorious with a Pope or any Prelate of that Spirit than to be absolutely devoted to him and swear obedience to him Indeed they that are fully fallen from God as Satan is would be as Gods to the world themselves and have all men depend upon them and obey them § 7. What Arguments moved the Emperor to be against Images specially the 2d Commandment and how Gregory thought that it was not the Images of God and Christ and Angels and Saints that were forbidden you may see in his Epistles too long to be here recited § 8. Here Binnius inserteth three Roman Councils One cursing unlawful Marriages Another persuading Corbinianus to keep his Bishoprick who would fain have laid it down And a third for Images against the Iconoclasts the Emperor's Heresie § 9. Gregory 3d succeedeth Gregory 2d He sendeth his Epistles for Images to the Emperor The first Messenger durst not deliver them The rest were stopt at Sicily and kept Prisoners The Lombards infested Italy and Rome The Pope importuneth the French King for help Alphonsus is made King in Spain against the Saracens and first called himself Catholick King Two Councils Binnius saith were held at Rome for Images The Title of the second is Pro Imaginum Cultu for the Worship of Images An. 732. Image-worship was then avowed But the Eastern Churches did more obey the Emperor § 10. Pope Zachary coming next in whose time Italy was distressed by Luitprandus King of the Lombards who took four Cities from the Pope because he protected Trasimundus Duke of Spoleto The Romans helped Trasimund on condition he would restore to them the four Cities he performeth not his promise wherefore Pope Zachary turned to Luitprand and to win him Salutaria illi praedicavit saith Anastasius and he promised him to restore the four Cities For the performance whereof this Pope travelled to him himself noted by Anastasius as a great act of self-denial as venturing his life for the Cause of God that he would go to the King to ask for four Cities which he happily obtained § 11. In this Pope's time the Crown of France was translated from the King and his Line to a Subject his Major Domûs Charles Martell the great French Conqueror was the Pope's Patron against the Emperor who was his Sovereign Gratian. d. 16. q. 1. post Can. 59. tells it us as a matter of Church-credit that when he was dead he was damned to Hell much blood and defending Popes that rebel against their Sovereign are a very likely proof Carolomannus succeeded him who after two years Reign resigned his Crown and chose a Monastery Chilperic that came after proved very dull and sensual and giving himself to his pleasure let the business of Government lie most on the hands of Pepin who was his Major Domûs who thereby got the power and the respect that was proper to the King while the King grew into contempt And if Kings cannot keep up their Power and Honour by the meer dignity of their place without personal worth and performance why should Popes Prelates and Priests whose Power and Honour as a Physicians depend upon their Worth and Work expect to keep up their Power and Honour meerly by their Offices Pepin won first the Nobles of France and then the Pope For as Baronius and Binnius p. 197. tell us It seemed to the most Potent Pepin Major Domus and to the rest of the chief Men and to all the People that he that had not the Matter and Force of the Kingdom should not have the name of a King and on the contrary he that had the Riches Power and Virtue should also have the name of King And because these Princes and People were Christians they judged that these their Councils would neither stand ratified to Posterity nor be acceptable enough to God unless they received Authority and Force from the common Father and Pastor of the Christian Church the Vicar of the Lord Christ and Successor of St. Peter Therefore they send Legates to Rome to Zachary of whom Bishop Burchardus Herbipol was the chief who were to ask the things aforesaid of him He consented and decreed and wrote back that Chilperic being thrust into a Monastery St. Boniface should declare and anoint Pepin King in Germany and France Boniface Bishop of Mentz obeyed Pope Zachary and by the Authority of the See Apostolic deposed Chilperic called also Childeric and placed Pepin in his stead Thus Ieginhart in Vit. Car. Mag. Annal. Franc. an 751. Paul Diac. li. 22. Marianus Scotus li. 3. Regino li. 2. an 749. Sigebert in Chron. Lambert in Hist. Germ. Otho Frising li. 5. 21. Ado. aetate 6 fol. 213. Aimoinus li. 4. c. 65 c. Yea say they the Hereticks of our times deny not the History But they sharply impugn two circumstances The first is that it was a great wrong to Chilperic that the Kingdom was taken from him The second that the said Translation was made by the consent of the Council Nobles and Commons without the Authority of the Apostolic Seat Serarius proveth that the cause of the Translation of the Kingdom was just 1. Because all the best men did desire and wish it and did by their counsel and help co-operate to it 2. Because St. Bishop Burchardus did as Legate sollicite the Pope for it 3. Pope Zachary commanded it to be done 4. And the most Holy Boniface at the Pope's command did execute it 5. And being approved by Divine Testimony it is recited in the sacred Canons 15. q. 6. c. alius 6. And by none of the old Historians not praised or disallowed Only our new Hereticks that love Novelty Arrogance and Rebellion by their perverse judgment by Contumelies and Lyes disallow it And that it was by the Authority
of the Apostolick Seat that the Kingdom was translated from Chilperic to Pepin the foresaid Historians do so expresly say that it 's a wonder with what front the innovating Hereticks dare call it in question Lastly It is here to be noted that it was by this same Pope Zachary that the nomination or postulation of Bishops for the vacant Churches in his Kingdom was granted to King Pepin Therefore if elsewhere you read that the Kings of France give Bishops to the Churches remember that it is not done by their own Right but by the Grant of the Apostolick Seat In vain therefore do the innovating Hereticks glory in this Argument who endeavor to subject the Church to Kings So far Binnius after Baronius § 12. From this Story and these words let the Reader think how to answer these Questions Quest. 1. Had not Kings need to take heed of making any one man too great if greatness and exercise of Government give him so much right to the Kingdom Qu. 2. Had not Kings need to look to their manners for their Crowns sake as well as their Souls if Lust Sensuality and Dulness forfeit their Kingdoms Qu. 3. Did not Wars and weakning of the Empire make a great change with Popes when they that were set up and banished at the Emperor's pleasure can now first depose the Emperor in the West for being against Images and Persecuting and then can translate the Crown of France Qu. 4. Was not an ambitious Pope a fit Tool for Pepin and his Confederates to work by to put a pious gloss on their Conspiracy Qu. 5. Did not the Pope rise thus by serving the turns of Conspirators and of Princes in their quarrels with one another Qu. 6. Are Subjects Judges when a King's Sins make him unworthy of the Crown Qu. 7. Yea is the Pope Judge and hath he power to depose Kings if he judge them such Sinners and unfit for Government Qu. 8. Is it a good Reason that a King is justly deposed because Good Men and Holy Bishops are the Desirers and Promoters of it Qu. 9. Would not this Reason have served Maximus against Gratian Was it not Cromwel's Plea If he had but had the Pope and People on his side you see how it would have gone Qu. 10. Is it the mark of an Innovating Heretick to say that the Church should be subject to Kings when Paul and Peter said it of all Christians so long ago Qu. 11. Is it a Note that Protestants love Rebellion because they are against Popes deposing Kings Or is there any heed to be taken of the words of impudent Revilers that dare speak before God and Man at this rate Is deposing Kings the Papists freedom from Rebellion and is our opposing it a character of Rebels Qu. 12. Is it any wonder that Bishop Burchardus desired it and that Bishop Boniface executed the Pope's command who had been translated from England by him to such dignity and had sworn Obedience and Service to him Qu. 13. Is it any wonder that the Pope made these Bishops Saints Qu. 14. I hope they were really godly Men But is it any wonder that some good Men at such a time as that did think it had been for the interest of Religion to have all Power in the Clergies hands especially being themselves Bishops that were to have so great a share How few Bishops are afraid of too much power or ever do refuse it Qu. 15. If the King of France had his Kingdom by the Pope's gift what wonder if he had the power of nominating Bishops also by his gift Qu. 16. Whether he that hath power to give hath not power to take away and be not Judge when the Cause is just Qu. 17. With what face do Papists at once make these claims and yet profess Loyalty to Kings Qu. 18. Whether it concern not Kings to understand on what terms they stand with the Pope and his Clergy that must not be subject to them but have power to depose them Qu. 19. If there be any Party among them that hath more Loyal Principles is it a sign of the concord of their Church that agreeth not in matter of so great moment Or a proof that the Pope is the infallible Judge of Controversies that will not determine so great a Point on which the Peace of Kingdoms doth depend § 13. About the same time they persuaded Rachis King of the Longobards Successor to Luitprand for the love of Religion to lay down his Crown and go into a Monastery so that Monasteries are places for the worst and the best some too bad to reign and some too good lest they should over-master the Clergy § 14. It may be you will think that this Pope Zachary and his sworn Vassal St. Boniface were some very profound Divines that could by their wisdom and piety thus master Kingdoms Doubtless they were zealous Adversaries to Heresies except their own and Successors of the Hereticating and Damning Fathers For Epist. 10. Bin. p. 206 207 208. Zachary writeth to Boniface to expel Virgilius from the Church and Priesthood for holding Antipodes viz. that Sun-shine and Moon-light and Men are under the Earth as well as here which we call over it The words are De perversa autem iniqua doctrina quae contra Dominum Animamsuam locutus est si clarificatum fuerit ita eum confiteri quod alius mundus alii homines sub terra sint seu Sol Luna hunc habito Concilio ab Ecclesia pelle Sacerdotii honore privatum That is But as to the perverse and unjust Doctrine which he hath spoken against the Lord and his own Soul if it be made clear that he so confesseth that under the Earth there is another world and other Men and Sun and Moon call a Council and depriving him of the honour of Priesthood drive him out of the Church That by another world is meant Antipodes or the other side of the Earth inhabited is doubtless § 15. Qu. 1. Did God make Popes to be the Governors of the Antipodes for so many hundred years before they knew that there was any Antipodes And when they excommunicated and silenced those that affirmed it Qu. 2. Were these Popes and Bishops Men of such wisdom as were fit to hereticate Dissenters as they did Qu. 3. Do we not see here what some Councils were and did in those times Qu. 4. Do we not see what Heresie signified at Rome and how little heed there was to be taken of their outcry against some Heresies Qu. 5. Whether was all the World or all the West bound to avoid Communion after with Virgilius Qu. 6. Do we not see here of what Infallibility the Pope is in judging of matters of Faith and how happy the World is to have such a Judge and of what credit his Heretications and Excommunications are Qu. 7. Do we not see how Religion hath been depraved and dishonoured by the Pope and his Clergy calling
and his Son Sergius were the Captains that had wrought this great deliverance to the Church And now they plead with King Desiderius for St. Peter's Rights as still zealous for the Pope The King is angry with them and jealous of their power and seeketh to destroy them and particularly to set their own Pope against them They get the Citizens to stand by them and the King cometh with an Army The Pope seeing which was like to be the stronger side in great wisdom went out to the King and after some days conference with him sendeth to Christopher to render himself to the King The Citizens hearing this forsook Christopher and Sergius Gratiosus seeing they were deserted by the People through the Pope went out first to the King and Pope and Sergius next and Christopher last The Pope was so kind to them that made him Pope that he made them Monks and put them in Sanctuary in St. Peter's Church to save their lives But they had Adonibezek's justice and were soon drag'd out thence and Christopher's eyes put out of which he dyed But Sergius was awhile a Monk and then thrust in the Laterane Cellar Thus went the matters of the Universal Monarch at Rome § 36. A little before the Pope's death Sergius was fetcht blind out of the Cellar and kill'd the next Pope searcht out the Authors and found them to be Paulus Cubicularius and the last Pope's Brother and other great Men and he prosecuted some of them to Banishment but the Archbishop of Ravenna caused Paul to be killed § 37. It was Adrian a Deacon that was then chosen Pope Son to the chief Man in Rome ablest to effect it Upon these stirs Desiderius desired friendship with the Pope but he demanding the Cities which Pepin had given the Church some of which Desiderius still kept and doing the foresaid justice on the Friends of Desiderius he came with an Army and killed many and took many Cities The Pope urgeth the restitution of all his Cities indeed the Emperor's given him by Pepin he still denieth the Pope gets Charles of France to come with an Army for fear of whom the Longobards flie The Dutchy of Spoletum and other Cities yield themselves to the Pope and as a token of subjection receive tonsure Charles besiegeth Desiderius in Papia and forceth his Brother Carloman's Wife and Children that fled to the Longobards to yield themselves to him while the Siege continued Charles went to Rome and was gloriously entertained by the Pope and renewed to him Pepin's gift of all the Exarchate of Ravenna and many Dukedoms and Cities which were none of his own to give and now the Pope is a Prince indeed And Charles returning to the Siege conquereth Papia taketh King Desiderius and winneth all the Longobards Kingdom And thus Strength gave Right according to the Atheists Opinion now stirring that Right is nothing but a power to get and keep Pepin and Charles make themselves Kings and the Pope a Prince that while they share the Emperor's Dominions between them they might be a strength to one another And Desiderius being himself but an Usurper helped by the Pope into the Throne no wonder if when interest changed the same hand take him down How Charles his Brother Caroloman dyed and why his Wife and Sons fled from Charles to the Longobards and what became of them is not well known § 38. Pope Adrian the 1st thus made a greater Prince than any before him did greater works than they had done and ob nimium amorem Sancti Petri ex inspiratione Divina built many great and stately Buildings made all places about his Palace Baths c. fit for splendid pomp and pleasure and all this from meer self-denial and holiness Many Churches also he repalred and adorned and did many other such good works § 39. This great Adrian was before but a Deacon I have oft marvelled to read that Deacons were so ordinarily then made Popes and sometimes Lay-men when yet the old Canons required an orderly rising through the several degrees It was no wonder that then a Deacon at Rome was a far higher preferment than a Bishop For a Deacon and a Priest might be chosen Pope but a Bishop could not For of old when Diocesses and Parishes were all one the Canons decreed that no Bishop should remove to another Church except being Consecrated by others he never consented nor had possession so that every Bishop must live and dye in the place where he was first Ordained so that Rome Const. Alex. Antioch c. and all the great Seats chose either Deacons Priests or Monks to be their Patriarchs and Bishops No wonder then if as Nazianzen saith Orat. 5. it was the custom to have almost as many Clergy-men in every Church as People in regard of the present Honour and the future hopes of Preferment Indeed he carried it that had the greatest Friends which was as commonly the Deacon as the Priest or Archdeacon By which we may conjecture whether the worthiest Men were made Popes For if they were the worthiest why were they by former Popes never made higher before than Deacons Did not the Popes know the worthiest men And if a breach of the Canons in Elections nullifie the regular Succession by this it is evident that the Roman Seat hath no such Succession § 40. By the way the Reader must note that in all the Writings of the Popish Clergy concerning these matters there are certain terms of Art or Interest which must be understood as followeth viz. 1. Sanctissimus Papa the most Holy Pope signifieth any prosperous Bishop of Rome how wicked soever in his life 2. Rex Pientissimus the most Pious King signifieth a King that took part with the Pope and advanced his Opinions and Interest 3. Imperator Sceleratissimus Haereticus Nefandus c. a most wicked Emperor or Patriarch or any other and abominable Heretick signifieth one that was against the Pope his Interest or Opinion Homo mendaeissimus a Lyar is one that saith what the Papists would not have to be true If you understand them otherwise you are deceived ordinarily § 41. About the death of Paulus Cubicularius and others note that it had long been the way of the Church-Canons to contradict God's great Law for humane safety He that sheddeth Man's blood by Man shall his blood be shed and on pretence of being more merciful than God to entice Murderers Adulterers and all wicked Thieves and Criminals to make up the Church of Christ by decreeing that instead of being Hanged or Beheaded if they would but be Baptized they should but be kept for a time from the Sacrament or do Pennance and what Villain would not then be a Christian § 42. Here ariseth a great Controversie with Sigibert a Monk-Historian and Gratian himself which Baronius and Binnius take up viz. the first say That Charles being at Rome a Council there with Pope Adrian gave him the power of chusing the
Apostates that it hath no shew of an uninterrupted Succession to boast of § 26. Tit. 4. c. 7. He claimeth Authority to absolve Men from Oaths and all Obligations made by the violence and constraint of bad Men and so absolveth the Archbishop of Triers A wicked Decree for Perjury As if in materia licita a Man that sweareth for Fear were not bound And as if Man had not Free-will when he is under Fear § 27. C. 6. 8. He decreeth that none can judge the Pope nor retract his Judgments nor judge of them contrary to many General Councils He curseth from Christ all that contemn the Pope's Opinions Mandates Interdicts Sanctions Decrees c. ◠9. Yet he saith that the Church of Rome may change and mend its own Mistakes and Decrees n. 10. ' Tit. 5. C. 1. No Custom may occasion the removal of any thing established by full Papal Authority C. 2. Other mens works approved or reprobate by the Pope's Decrees must accordingly be judged accepted or rejected C. 3. They that have not the Decrees are to be reproved c. § 28. Tit. 6. He brings down Emperors and Kings sufficiently below the Priests confining them to temporal things and not to judge of Priests Tit. 7. He rebuketh the King for letting none be Bishops but those that he liked charging him to admit none at Colen or Triers till the Pope had notice And before he told Emperors that they must take no care what kind of Lords the Priests be but what they say of the Lord nor to note what Popes be but what they do for correction of the Churches For they are by Constantine called Gods and God must not be judged of men Tit. 3. c. 3. He questions whether Lotharius was to be called a King because he was an Adulterer § 29. Tit. 8. c. 1. He decreeth that no Bishops be ordained but by the election or consent of the Clergy and People C. 3. That Primates and Patriarchs have no Priviledges above other Bishops but so much as the Canons give and ancient custom hath conferred § 30. Tit. 11. c. 1. Is this Nullus missam Presbyteri audiat quem scit concubinam habere aut subintroductam mulierem That is Let no one hear the Mass of that Presbyter whom he knoweth undoubtedly to have a Concubine or a Woman subintroduced C. 2. If Priests fall into the snare of Fornication and the act of the crime be manifest or shewed they cannot have the honour of Priesthood according to the authority of Canonical Institution Yet our Canons will condemn him that refuseth to take such an one for the Guide of his Soul or to hear him Yet Can. 5. he saith That we must receive the Sacrament from any Priest how polluted soever and by the judgment of how many Bishops soever he be Reprobated because bad men administring good things hurt none but themselves and all things are purged by faith in Christ. Tit. 14. Lay-men must not judge of the lives of Priests nor so much as search into them § 31. CCLXIV An. 858. A Council at Constantinople placed Photius in the place of Ignatius of which before and more anon Ignatius is banished we have not the History and Reasons of the Council § 32. CCLXV. An. 869. A Council was called at Tullum of the Bishops of twelve Provinces by King Charles where besides other Clergy-mens miscarriages Wenilo Archbishop of Sens was accused of Treasonable Defection by the King In which it's pity that Bishops below the Pope should have or pretend to the Power which the King doth intimate in these words Bin. p. 798. From which my consecration or sublimity of Kingdom I ought not to be supplanted or cast down by any one without the hearing and judgment of the Bishops by whose Ministry I was consecrated King and who are called the Throne of God in which God sitteth and by whom he decreeth his judgments to whose fatherly Correptions and castigatory Iudgments I was ready to subject my self and at present am subject You see here to what power over Kings the common Bishops as well as the Pope were got by pretence of representing Christ and of the Power of the Keys § 33. CCLXVI. An. 859. A Council at Constantinople condemned Ignatius and again confirmed Photius who with the Emperor Michael sent to the Pope to satisfie him of all and profess enmity to Image-breakers § 34. CCLXVII An. 860. In a Council at Confluence the five present Kings of the French Line came to an agreement § 35. CCLXVIII A General Council was held at Constantinople An. 861. where 318 Bishops the same number that was at the first Nicene Council deposed Ignatius and setled Photius to which the Pope's Legates also subscribed the Papists say through fear so that it was Papally confirmed And yet here was much done for Images § 36. CCLXIX The Pope having condemned Iohn Archbishop of Revenna who despised him till the Emperor forsook him in a Council at Rome he submitted himself to the Pope and was reconciled § 37. CCLXX. An. 862. In another Council at Rome Pope Nicolas condemned the Heresie of the Theopaschites that they said made the Godhead to suffer it 's like it was Cyril and the Eutychians old verbal Error by communication of Titles § 38. CCLXXI. An. 862. A Council is held at Aquisgrane in which King Lotharius desireth counsel about his Wife Theutperge the Bishops pronounce it his duty to put her away she having confessed Incest with her own Brother and allow him to marry Waldrade he professing himself unable to contain The Pope condemneth the action and them The Papists say this was but a forged pretence I only note 1. If they would deliberately forge so heinous a thing on a Queen what Heathens could be worse than such Bishops 2. Did the Bishops of that age think that they were bound to obey the judgment of the Pope who thus opposed him § 39. CCLXXII An. 862. In another Council in France in Villa ad sublonarias the three Kings again met for agreement § 40. CCLXXIII Lotharius appealing desireth a Council in France by the Pope's consent All the Bishops of France and Germany meet at Metz and the Pope's Legates with them They and the Legates also subscribe to the King's Divorce and to more which the Pope had before declared against Did Bishops then think the Pope Infallible or not to be opposed The Papists say that the Pope's Legates were bribed § 41. CCLXXIV An. 863. The Pope calleth his own Council at Rome and excommunicateth or curseth them all from Christ and deposeth them quantum in se. But yet offereth forgiveness to all save two if they will subject themselves to him The Bishops stand to it that he cursed them unjustly Must all the Kingdoms be thus ruled and confounded by one Priest till matters between a King and his Wife be managed to his will and satisfaction § 42. CCLXXV In another Council at Rome An. 863.
doth by words saying whoever adores not the Image of our Saviour shall not see his face at his second coming adding by the same reason we venerate and adore the Image of the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Angels as the scripture describeth them and of all the Saints They that think otherwise let them be cursed from Christ. Can. 6. They anathematize Photius because he did excommunicate and anathematize the Pope and all that communicated with him Can. 7. No excommunicate men are allowed to make Images Can. 8. Is too good for the Devil to let the Church enjoy viz. That whereas it is reported that not only the heretical and usurpers but some Orthodox Patriarchs also for their own security have made men subscribe to be true to them the Synod judgeth that it shall be so no more save only that men when they are made Bishops be required as usual to declare the soundness of their faith He that violateth this Sanction let him be deprived of his honour The 10th Can. Condemneth them that hold That Man hath two Souls which they say Photius favoured and cursed them from Christ. The 11th Can. Tells us what men these Bishops were and what they sought It is That all that are made Bishops bearing on earth the person and form of the Celestial Hierarchy shall with all veneration be worshiped by all Princes and Subjects and we will not have them to go far from the Church to meet any commanders of the Army or any Nobles nor to light from their horses like supplicants or abjects that feared them nor to fall down or petition them If any Bishop hereafter shall neglect his due honour or break this Canon or permit it to be done he shall be seperated for a year from the Sacrament and that Prince Duke or Captain two years The 12. Can. Princes as prophane men be not spectators of that which holy persons do and therefore Councils be held without them Either I understand them not or it is in despite of truth that they say Vnde nec alias reperimus Oecumenicis Conciliis unquam interfuisse Neque enim fas est ut prophani Principes rerum quae sacris hominibus gerundae sunt gerunturve spectatores fiant Binnius noteth ex praescripto nempe Canonum turning an assertion de facto into one de jure and an universal into a particular by which licence of expounding what lye or blasphemy may not be justified And why then have so many thousand been cursed from Christ by Councils for unskilfulness in words § 59. The 14th Can. secureth the Bishops admirably in despite of the old reforming honest Canons decreeing that A Lay-man not excepting Kings or Parliaments shall have no power to dispute by any reason of Ecclesiastical Sanctions or to oppose the universal Church or any general Synod for the difficulty of these things and agitating them on both sides is the office of Patriarchs Priests and Doctors to whom only God hath given power of binding and loosing For though a Lay-man exceì in the praise of piety and wisdom yet he is a Lay-man and a Sheep and not a Pastor But a BISHOP though it be manifest that he is destitute of ALL VIRTUE of Religion yet he is a Pastor as long as he exerciseth the office of a Bishop and the sheep must not resist the Shepherd O brave doctrine for the Roman Kingdom A Heathen or Infidel or Mahometan or Arrian Bishop must not be opposed He that is no Christian may be a Bishop How much to be blamed were the General Councils that deposed Popes for Infidelity Diabolism Heresie Simony Perjury Blasphemy Sodomie Fornication Murders c. when a Pope that hath all these and no virtue of Religion is not to be judged by Lay-men or opposed Q. 1. May a Prince save his crown from such 2. May a man save his Wife from such or a woman refuse their copulation or defend her Chastity against them 3. What if such are drunk in the Pulpit are the People bound to be silently submissive 4. Why did Pope Nicholas decree that none should hear Mass from a Priest that liveth in fornication 5. Are Priests above Kings or are they lawless Yet this very Synod of Bishops in their Epistle to Pope Hadrian sayes Cui conâ—ictae Synodo qui tum imperitabant Michael et Basilius noster praesidebant And Basilius and Baanes were now among them And many Princes especially in France and Spain have made strict Laws to amend the Bishops § 60. One of the decrees of this Council was that Photius should not be called a Christian. Bin. p. 899. Col. 2. Yet the Apostle saith of the rejected account him not as an enemy but admonish him as a Brother 2 Thes. 3. § 61. In Bin. p. 899. is an epistle of Pope Stepheus to the Emperor Basilius which containeth the radical doctrine of all the Bishops rebellion and pride viz. that Princes are only appointed for the things of the Body or this life and prelates and Priests for the matters of the Soul and life eternal and therefore that the Prelates Empire is more excellent than the Princes as heaven is above earth Quandoquidem verbis quae ad usum vitae id est rerum praesentium pertinent Imperium a Deo traditum est ita nobis per Principem Apostolorum Petrum rerum divinarum procuratio est commissa Accipe quaeso in optimam partem quae subjicio Haec sunt capita curaeque Principis imperii vestri Nostri verò cura gregis tanto praestantior est quanto altior est terra quà m coelum Audi Dominum Tu es Petrus de vestro imperio verò quid dicit Nolite timere eos qui corpus occidunt Obtestor igitur tuam Pietatem ut Principum Apostolorum instituta sequare magna veneratione prosequare Omnium enim in orbe terrarum omnis or do et Pontificatus Ecclesiarum à principe Apostolorum Petro originem et authoritatem acceperunt O horrid falshood as before confuted § 62. Yet this Council in Breviar in Bin. p. 905. determine of the Pope that being but one Patriarch he cannot absolve one that is condemned by the other many Patriarchs § 63. Laying all together I cannot perceive by historical notice but that both Ignatius and Photius were both better Bishops than most were to be found the first being a very pious man and the other also a man of great learning and diligence But the old contention WHO SHOULD BE CHIEF or greatest made them both the great calamity of the Church I think it not in vain here to transcribe part of the summ of the life of Ignatius as written by Nicetas David Paphlago who was devoted to him though somewhat said already be repeated Ignatius being of the blood Royal was in quiet possession when denying entrance or Church Communion to Bardas Caesar for his reported Adultery he provoked that indignation in him which deposed him Bardas first perswaded the
into a Theatre of Contention and a Field of War § 65. Yet here is one thing further to be noted viz. the foresaid Contention that rose about the Bulgarians These two great Patriarchs of Rome and Constantinople were neither of them yet great enough or satisfied with their jurisdiction their desires being more boundless than Alexander's for the Empire nothing less than all the world will satisfie one of them at least Nicetas saith it was by Famine and a Treaty and kind words of the Emperor that the Bulgarians turned Christians Some Papists would give the honour to the Pope without proof and cannot tell us any thing how the Pope converted them But when they were converted they sent to Rome for some Instructors The 〈…〉 them two and they received them But they put the case themselves to the Council at Constantinople Whether they were to be under the Bishop of Rome or of Constantinople The matter held a great debate The Pope's Legates pleaded that they had already received Bishops from Rome c. The Greeks pleaded that their Countrey was part of the Empire and under the Bishop of Constantinople till they conquered it and that they found there Greek Churches and Bishops who were still there and the Conquest did not translate them from the Bishop of Constant. to Rome How the Controversie ended is hard to know Some say that the Council gave them to the Pope and some say otherwise But this is confessed that this Roman ambition so greatly displeased the new Emperor Basilius that it turned him after against the Pope and inclined him the more to restore Photius which he did when Ignatius was dead § 66. Here I would call the Reader to consider whether the Pope's Universal Government was in those days believed even by that Council which was supposed to be partial by the Emperor's inducement on the Pope's side What place else could there be for such a strife whether the Bulgarians were under the Government of the Bishop of Rome or Constantinople if all the World were under the Bishop of Rome They will say that it was only questioned whose Diocess or Patriarchate they were under But Rome never pretended that they were of that Diocess or Patriarchate as anciently divided But the question was Whose Government they were now fallen under And would any dispute whether e. g. Westminster were under the Government of the King or of the Lord Mayor of London when all the Kingdom is under the King This Controversie clearly sheweth that the Church then took the Pope to have but the first Seat and Voice in Councils but not to be the Governor beyond his circuit § 67. It is here also to be noted that Basil the Emperor's revolt from the Pope was so great that Hadrian is put to write sharply to him as accusing the Bishops of Rome and derogating from them admonishing him to repent but we find not that this changed his mind § 68. Yet one thing more is here to be observed In the life of Hadrian the 2d Bin. p. 882. we find that the Pope taking the advantage of Basil's present state and mind and the interest of Ignatius much depending on him sent a new Libel to be subscribed by all the Bishops before they should be permitted to sit in Council The Greek Bishops grudged at this and complained to the Emperor That the Church of Constantinople by these offered Libels was brought under the power of Rome by the doubtfulness of Subscriptions But though flebiliter conqueruntur they complain with tears the Emperor was angry with them and would have it and some Bishops non sine magno laboris periculo libellos quidem vix tandem recipiunt with much ado were brought to subscribe saying It was novum inauditum The refusers extra Synodum inglorii relicti sunt were shut out till they conformed Oh! that Inglorii was a cutting word § 69. The Emperor hiding his anger against the Pope's Legates for the Bulgarian Usurpation gave them great gifts and sent them home But at Sea they fell into the hands of the Sclavonians who stripped them of their Riches and the Subscriptions and Copy of the Council and kept them Prisoners and threatned their Lives But by the mediation of the Emperor and Pope they were delivered and had some of their Writings again § 70. CCLXXXV An. 879. Carolus Calvus King of France unjustly possessed the Kingdom of Lotharius which by inheritance fell to Ludovicus Ludovicus got the Pope to interpose who sent his Legates to Charles But the Bishops had not yet learned to obey Popes against Kings in power A Council of Bishops called at Metz give the Kingdom to Charles because he was the stronger This was called Concilium Praedatorium a Council of Robbers and Traytors And no wonder when Bishops must be the Givers of Kingdoms Was it not enough for the Pope to usurp such power to be over Kings and dispose of Crowns but ordinary Bishops must do the like § 71. CCLXXXVI Yet another Council against the Pope King Charles had authorized Northman a great man to receive some Goods that were taken to belong to the Church The Pope commandeth Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes and the rest of the Bishops of France to excommunicate Northman Hincmarus and the Bishops refuse to obey him only one Hincmarus Bishop of Laon Laudunum obeyeth him and publisheth the Excommunication A Council is called at Wermâ—ria where Hincmarus Rhem. and the Bishops the King consenting condemn Hincmarus Laudunensis for disobeying his Metropolitan in obeying the Pope He appeals to Rome They will not let him go He writeth Hiucmarus Rhem. writeth largely against him though his Nephew shewing how he broke the Canons how bad a man he was how he had neglected his own Charge left Children unbaptized and for private quarrels excommunicated his Flock and had silenced and suspended the Ministers under him tyranically c. Reader Was the Pope's power yet fully received when a Metropolitan was to be obeyed before him and men condemned for obeying him § 72. CCLXXXVII Yet more sorrow An. 870. a Council is called in Villa Aâ—tiniaco Attigny I will give you the Story in the very words of Binnius translated When Hincmarus Bishop of Laon for the cause in the foresaid Council expressed had got the Rescript of Pope Adrian on his behalf and had notified it to Hincmarus Rhemensis and to King Charles both of them in hatred to the Bishop of Laon decreed That this Synod called Latrocinalis should be called There presided in it Remigius Lugdunensis Ardovicus Vesontiensis Bertulsus Trevirensis with their subject Bishops Herein Hincmarus Rhemensis with King Charles was the accuser of his Nephew Hincmarus whom he had before consecrated Bishop of Laon. The Action brought against him was That he had by Counter-writings defended the rights of the Apostolick Seat which the Archbishop of Rhemes did endeavor to impugn and overthrow And that contrary to his Oath of
Fidelity in which he was bound to the King he had accused King Charles to the Pope of Rome and had without his licence sent forth writings against him And when Hincmarus Laudunensis at the Pope's command was ready for his journey to Rome he was taken and spoiled by his Enemies and brought into this false Council Having heard the foresaid Complaints against him he offered a Libel for his defence but it was rejected and not permitted to be read of which when he again appealed to the Apostolick Seat they did not only not accept of his Appeal but also being prostrate on the ground and pleading for leave to defend himself he was not heard Passing Sentence on him they deposed him from his Bishoprick and binding him in hard and iron bands they cast him into banishment And at last which passeth all cruelty his eyes pulled out they perhaps blinded him that he might have no hope of returning to his Bishoprick So far Binnius And is it credible that such great and holy men as Remigius and Hincmarus even to his own Nephew set up by him would do such things as these for nothing Or that the Pope was then as high as since § 73. CCLXXXVIII A Council at Colen An. 870. for Discipline § 74. CCLXXXIX An. 871. A Concil Duzianse was called of ten Provinces where Hincmar Laudun subscribed a promise of obedience to the King and his Metropolitan But this did not save him Therefore he appealed to the Pope again who interposed for him but all would not do nor serve his turn § 75. Here falls in again the great Controversie of Pope Ioan a Woman but it is too hard for me to decide He that will see what is said on each side may read Blondel before cited Iohn the 8th is he that now reigneth whom some late Writers are willing to believe some called Pope Ioan in scorn for his failings But he is after Benedict the 3d Nicolas and Hadrian the 2d whereas the fere omnes saith Platina the many Writers that mention Pope Ioan place her before them all And they make Iohn to be a better man than these later do Platina calling him Iohn the 9th saith that Carolus Calvus being dead Pope Iohn laboured to have his Son Ludovicus succeed him but the great men of Rome were for Charles King of Germany and therefore laid hold on the Pope and put him in Bonds in Prison his Universal Sovereignty reached not far then But he escaping by the help of Friends fled into France to the King whom he unjustly pleaded for Ludovicus Balbus and there anointed him § 76. Before this the Pope had anointed Carolus Calvus Emperor unjustly confirming what the Bishops had unjustly done as now he did unjustly stand for his Son This contention among Princes was the means of the Pope's power Hear what Binnius himself saith of him pag. 920. The Saracens now depopulated almost all Italy and all humane help failed in which the Pope trusted to expel them and he was fain to buy peace of them by a yearly Tribute which seemed to come by the righteous judgment of God that he might know that by the ill persuasion of carnal prudence he had sinfully chosen created and crowned Carolus Calvus Emperor because he looked for more help against the Saracens from him than from his Brother Ludovicus whom for invading another man's Kingdom he should rather by Church-censure have exagitated as Hadr. 2d did But when Pope Iohn had stay'd a year in France and the Saracens mastered Italy without help he was glad to be Friends with the great men that imprisoned him and to return to Rome and take Charles for Emperor after all Yet is it noted as the rare Honour and Felicity of this Pope that he crowned three Emperors though he did it for two of them trayterously and unjustly the honour of a Pope Platina saith he crowned Charles the rightful Heir Quo ei liberius in urbe vivere liceret that he might live at Rome again lest he should lose all This Charles saith he also subdued the Normans in France and â—orrain and forced them to become Christians and be baptized And yet this is ascribed to the Pope's converting them § 77. This same Pope Iohn the 8th also at the desire of the Emperor Basil and the Patriarch of Ierusalem consented to the restoring of Photius contrary saith Binnius to the Decree of his Predecessors and of a General Council and of all their Oaths § 78. But what are Oaths to a dispensing Pope saith Baronius and Binnius In his time Ludov. 11. the Emperor was compelled by Aâ—algisus Duke of Benevent to swear that he would never more invade his Confines nor revenge his Wrongs But the Pope absolved him from this Oath by the authority of God and St. Peter affirming that which he did to save his life was no hurt to him and that it was not to be called an Oath which was made against the good of the Commonwealth by how many Curses soever it was pronounced Bin p. 920. § 79. There are no less than 310 Epistles of this Pope inserted by Binnius in his Councils The 12th is to plead with the Emperor to forgive and restore Modelgerus a Murderer and will you hear the motive He had fled to Rome and thereby merited pardon Nam pro tanti itineris labore durissimo quem veniendo perpessus est sicut credimus aliquantulùm de peracto scelere indulgentiam meruit ejus utique intercessionibus adjutus cui dictum esse à Domino constat Tibi dabo claves c. Accordingly Epist. 15. he writes to the Bishop to restore him all his Goods and Dignities though it was contrived Murder because God inspired him to go to Rome c. § 80. Many of his Epistles are to summon Bishops to come to Rome and declare or threaten Excommunication against them if they come not such an abused thing was Excommunication by which the Pope made men his Subjects Epist. 76 77 78 79. He striveth to draw back the King of the Bulgarians from the Greek Church to the Church of Rome and denounceth Excommunication even to old Ignatius and all the Greek Bishops of the Diocess of Bulgaria for ordaining and officiating there unless they give up the Bulgarians to Rome Epist. 174. He writes to the said King as if he were fallen from Christ or his salvation lost by submitting to the Greek Patriarch rather than to him as if the Converts of no Apostles but Peter were saved And Tibi dabo Claves and Anathema's now are the two words that must subdue the world The Epist. 175. to the Bulgarian Nobles and Epist. 176. are to the same purpose As the Religion of Saints tends all to Heaven so did these Popes to the advancement of their Kingdom And whereas we now take it justly for a suspicious â—ign of a proud hypocritical Preacher that envieth the auditory and esteem of such as are preferred before him as if
men of Desert whom through sloth and malice they cannot match You shall never find any to envy anothers Fame but one that himself is Contaminated with all disgrace and despaireth that his own Name should ever be Famous with Posterity These are they that by Fraud Malice Craft and evil speaking do Bite Tear Accuse and Worry those that deserve well of Mankind like cowardly or slothful and useless Dogs that dare not set upon wild Beasts themselves but will bite those that are tyed or in their Dens So Platina Ramanus Ruled but three Months § 15. Next Succeeded in the Popedome Theodorus 2. who saith Platina followed the steps of the Seditious For he restored the Acts of Formosus and preferred his followers and Reigned but Twenty days Next came Iohn 9. or 10. as others saith Platina He restored the Cause of Pope-Formosus many of the People being against it whence arose such a Sedition that they hardly scaped a Battle Baronius saith that Ludovicus 4. was deposed and blinded now by Berengarius who assumed the Empire and this Pope Crowned him through fear Yet after he was gone he called Lambert to Rome and with a Synod concuring with him declared the Coronations both of Berengarius and Arnulph to be Null as being extorted and so took Lambert for King and Emperour Did not the Crowns of Princes sit very loose when it was but a Popes pretending that he Crowned them through Fear and they were presently Deposed Would these Popes have been Martyrs or were they Christians or Gnosticks that would sin if they were but put in fear And would not fear have made them own a Heresy as well as other sin On this occasion all was cast into Confusion the Pope was fain to fly to Ravenna for protection to him whom he had Crowned § 16. CCCVI This Pope called a Synod at Rome that called Ovetensis I pass by as of small moment An. 904. in which he condemned the fact of Pope Stephen decreeing that the Dead are not to be judged by men But what became of the Synod of Bishops that had joyned herein with Pope Stephen Why Bin. p. 1049. they turn'd with the times and did as such had used to do They asked forgiveness and said they did it for Fear and so he that hath power by Fear or Hope can make such Bishops and Councils Sin and Repent and Sin again and Repent again as Interest altereth They were pardoned But Formosus preferment from a Bishoprick to the Popedome was Voted to be against the Canons excusable only by necessity and not to be imitated but in cases of necessity His Ordained Clergy were Restored and Re-ordinations and Re-baptizations forbidden as unlawful § 17. CCCVII Another Synod he called at Ravenna for the same use when he fled thither from Rome of 74 Bishops Baronius saith He was another Ieremias sent of God to pluck up and pull down what Pope Stephen had done Platina saith I think this came to pass because Popes were departed from St. Peters steps and chiefly because the Christian Common-wealth had idle slothful Princes that would have Peters ship thus tossed lest the Ruler if he look about him should cast them out as evil Pilots Arnulphus was given to pleasure and Charles the simple or rather foolish of France was little better and so the Hungarians destroyed and killed in Germany and France and the Affricans in Calabria and had little resistance Blood and Misery being the common Lot He addeth That this Pope John dying in the 2d Year and 15th day of his Reign left nothing worthy of Memory behind him but that He revived some Seditions that before were almost extinct And it is a sad question that Herveus Bishop of Rhemes put to him Bin. p. 1048 What to do with those that are Baptized and Rebaptized and yet after Baptism live as the Heathens kill Christians yea the Priests sacrifice to Idols eat things offered to them The Pope durst not use Discipline on these because they were Novices lest he affright them from the Church to Heathenisme again but left them to the Bishops Discretion and Experience to do as he saw best § 18. This Pope had a Corrival which was the 15. Schisme Sergius that had been made Pope with Formosus and was put out and Banished did now get in again but Iohn had the stronger part and cast him out and Banished him once again Onuphr Chron. p. 28. But had he been but strong enough the succession had come down from him as right § 19. Benedict the 4. came next Nothing saith Platina was done in his time that is much to be praised because both Princes Popes and Clergy were grown Debauched bad Princes making Popes by Tyranny Now the Line of Charles the Great lost the Empire Ludovicus the Son of Arnulphus being slain by Berengarius and so they lost both Italy Germany and after France by their own and the Clergies Wickedness § 20. Leo. 5. Came next Anno 907. Who thrust him in I find not but when he had Reigned but 40. days his familiar friend Christopher had list to be Pope and cast him out and laid him in Fetters where it 's said he dyed of Grief where Platina well noteth that The saying is certainly true that Dignities or places of preferment receive more honour from the Men than the Men do from the Dignities or places § 21. Christopher thus got in by sudden invasion kept it longer than Leo did even near seven Months and then he that had been twice Pope before did once again try for it and was too strong for Christopher and put him into a Monastery A Holy place then no doubt For saith Platina This was the only refuge of the Calamitous For in those times bad Clergy Men were thurst into Monasteries by way of Banishment as heretofore into Islands § 22. The Man that did this and got the Popedom was Sergius 3. who had been twice before cast out saith Baron and Bin. p. 1052. That wicked Sergius Nefandus by Albertus Armes got in A Man that was the servant of all Vices and of all Men the most wicked Facinorosissimus invaded the Popedom and so was by all Men taken for no lawful Pope To his horrid Sacriledge he added the most impudent filthyness and by Marozia a great Whore the Daughter of that most famous Whore Theodora he begot his Son John after Pope For many Historians tell us how these two famous Whores did rule Rome and make and unmake Popes § 23. This Pope undid again all that had been done for Formosus and against Stephen For both the King of France and Sergius were Enemies to Formosus for setting up other powers against France and because his party was against Sergius But I wonder that Platina tells us that both Stephen and Sergius took Formosus out of his Grave and the one cut off his three Fingers and the other his Head and both cast into Tyber If this be true
his kindred disregarding the honour of God and the Dignity of the Romane Seat which Errour saith he he so Traditioned or delivered down that it remaineth to this day This is Romane Tradition a Comet then appear'd Famine Pestelence Earthquakes which were thought to be for the Pride and rapacity of the Pope and his contempt of God and Man So Platina § 76. An Instance was given of a Bishop of the contrary Spirit Adelâ—ert Bishop of Prague in Bohemiaâ—ound â—ound the People so contrury to him and bad that he forsook them and Travelled first and then entred into a Monastery And when he had lived there five years the people desired him again and promised Obedience A Council at Rome desired his return vvhich with grief he did But they still proved incorrigble and he again forsook them and vvent to Preach to the Hungarians when he Bapzed the King Stephen and did much good Bin. p. 1071. § 77. CCCXX Arnulphus Arch-Bishop of Rhemes suspected of Treason for delivering up the City of Rhemes to Charles Called a Synod at Seulis to purge himself Excommunicating them that did it Anno 990. § 78. CCCXXI. Hugo Capet having now got the Crown of France and desirous to destroy all the Carolines line upon the aforesaid suspition got a Synod at Rhemes to cast out Arnulphus a Bastard of that Linâ— saying a Bastard must not be a Bishop One Bishop refused The rest for fear of that King consented and cast him out so constant were the French Bishops § 79. CCCXXII Six Bishops and Nine Presbyters and Four Deacons made a Council at Rome to Canonize Vdalric Bishop of Augusta Anno 993. upon the reports of his Holiness and Miracles Here let me at once tell the Reader that he hath no cause to think the most of these Canonizations wholly causeless But that while Pope and Patriarcks confounded all by wickedness and contentious pride God had many faithful Bishops and Presbyters that lived holily in quieter and privater kind of Life And the Popes that would not endure themselves to live a Godly life thought it their honour to have such in the Church that did and to magnify them when dead and past contradicting them Just like the Pharisees Mat. 23. that killed the living Servants of God and honoured the dead and built them Monuments saying If we had lived in those days we would not have killed them § 80. CCCXXIII A Synod was called at Moson to debate the Case between Arnulph and Gerbert substituted at Rhemes who so pleaded his cause that it was put off to another Synod Baron revileth some Writings ascribed to the former Synod at Rhemes saying they were this Gerberts as being Blasphemous against the Pope The Centuriators of Magdeb. mention them at large Did Rome then govern all the World § 81. CCCXXIV Another Council is called at Rhemes and Gerbert that wrote so Blasphemously against the Pope is deposed by the Popes means and Arnulphus restored which Gerbert observing flyeth to the Emperour to Germany seemeth to repent as Baron but surmizeth and gets higher to be Pope himself by the Emperours means as you shall hear anon § 2. Can any Man think that Popes that themselves came in by Tyranny and meer Force and lived in Wickedness could have so great a Zeal as is pretended to do Justice for all others unless for their own ends § 83. Iohn the 16th alias 17 is passed over by Binius Onuphrius saith that he Reigned four Months Platina saith he died the tenth Year and sixth Month and tenth Day a great difference § 84. Gregory the 5th is next made Pope saith Plat. by Otho 3d his Authority for Affinity But saith Plat. The Romans make Crescentius Consul with chief Power who presently made John Bishop of Placentine Pope who came to it by the consent of the Roman Clergy and People to whom the choice belonged though some leave him out Otho cometh to defend his own Pope Crescentius fortifieth City and Castle against him The People dare not resist but open the City Gates Crescentius and Pope John flyeth to the Castle and in hope of Pardon yields Crescentius is Killed by the People in his passage John hath first his Eyes put out and then his Life and Gregory the Eleventh Month is restored Binius saith that Johns Hands were cut off his Ears cut off and his Eyes pulled out and after set on an Ass holding the Tail in his Hand was carried about the Streets § 85. This Pope and Otho the 3d. agreed to settle the Election of the Emperour as now it is on the 7. Electors The cause of great Confusions and Calamities was that the Emperours did not dwell at Rome and so left Popes then to fight strive and sin that else would have lived submissively under them Constantine Carolus Mag. or Otho might have done much to prevent or cure all this The Papists would fain prove this the work of a Roman Synod to settle the Electors that they may prove that it is they that must make and unmake Emperours But they can shew us no such Council Onuphrius hath written a Treatise to prove that this was after done by Greg. 10th For which Binius reprehends him as believing Aventinus But this is a Controversy handled by so many that I shall refer the Reader to them and whether the seven Electors only or all the Feudatories chose Baronius and Binius maintain that all came from the Authority of the Pope that Greg. 5th Ordained the choice of the Emperour to be by all the Feudatories of the Empire that the Council at Lyons under Innocent 4th setled it upon Seven but not all the same that are now Electors and that the Princes after setled it on these same Seven they know not who nor when For the right understanding of many such matters I only mind the Reader of this one thing that as the contention of Princes and the superstitious fear of Anathematizing had made the Papal and Prelatical Power then very great in setting up and taking down Princes so it was usual for their Assemblies even those called Councils to be mixt of Men Secular and Clergy Kings and Princes and Lords being present with the Bishops as in our Parliaments and usually the greatest Princes ruled all Therefore to ascribe all to the Pope and Prelates that was done in such conventions and thence to gather their power to dispose of Empires and Kingdoms is meer deceit § 86. Platina next nameth Iohn 17th alias 18th but saith he was no true Pope its impossible to know who was but that he corrupted Crescentius with money and it cost them both their lives How he was mangled shamed and killed though a Bishop before you heard before § 87. Next an 999. cometh that French Bishop Gerbert before mentioned that wrote so blasphemously as they called it against the Pope as Aeneas Silvius after did till he saw some hope of being Pope himself by the Emperor's favour first made Arch-Bishop
out as is aforesaid by an Army § 34. CCCXLIX In a Council at Barcelon the Spaniards abrogated their old Gothish Laws and made new ones but would not change the Gothish Church rites Here also Alexander was owned § 35. An. 1065. A Council was at Rome against incest § 36. Another for the same the former not prevailing § 37. In a Synod at Winchester William the Conqueror puts down and imprisons Bishops and sets up others for his own interest § 38. CCCL A Council at Mentz was to have separated the young Emperor and his Queen but the Popes Legate hindred it § 39. CCCLI In a Council at Mentz the Bishop of Constance is cast out for Simony and many crimes the Emperor being for him § 40. An. 1072. They say an English Council subjected York to Canterbury and owned Wolstan Bishop of Worcester accused for being unlearned as he was § 41. CCCLII. An. 1073. In a Council at Ersord the Emperor got the Bishops to fulfil his will about some Tythes threatening them that appealed to Rome § 42. Now cometh in the Foundation of the new Church of Rome Hildebrand called Gregory 7th An. 1073. a man of Great wit and for ought I find in the most probable History not guilty of the gross immoralities or sensuality of many of his predecessors but it 's like blinded with the opinion which the Papists Fifth-monarchy men have received and Campâ—nelia de regno Dei opened and pleaded for viz. that Christs Kingdom on earth consisteth in the Saints judging the world that is the Pope and Prelates ruling the Kings and Kingdoms of the earth he did with greatest animosity set himself to execute his opinions And withal the factions of Rome and tyranny of their petty Princes and Whores and debauched Citizens having long made the Papacy the scorn of the world and the lamentation of all sober Christians constrained the better part to beg help from the Emperors against debauched monstrous Popes and their upholders And by this means sometimes the choice fell into the Emperors hands and sometimes when they were far off the City-prevailing-part rebelled and chose without them or pulled down them that the Emperors set up And then the Emperors came and pulled down the Anti-Popes and chastised the City faction and thus between the Italian and the German powers the City was a field of war and the richer by bribes and the stronger by the sword how monstrous villanies soever were set up It was no wonder then if Hildebrand first by Pope Nicholas 2. and Alexander and then by himself did resolve to run a desperate hazard when he had two such great works at once to do as first to recover the debauched and shattered shamed Papacy from this confusion and then to subdue all Kings and Kingdoms within their reach to such a Priest-King as was then under so great disgrace And tibi dabo claves must do all this § 43. Hildebrand however had the wit to settle himself at first by seeking the Emperor's consent And being settled he got Agnes the Emperor's mother and Guardian mostly on his side He then began to claim presentations and investitures and to take the power over the Bishops out of the Emperor's hands and to threaten him as Simoniacal and for communicating with the excommunicate The Emperor after some treaty submitted and was reconciled to the Pope but the Pope said he did not amend The Pope calls a Council at Rome where he excommunicated Simoniacks openly saying that he would excommunicate the Emperor unless he amended Guibert Arch-Bishop of Ravenna being there accuseth the Pope for such threats against the Emperor and got Cincius the Prefect's Son to apprehend him and imprison him The People rise up in arms and deliver the Pope and pull down Cincius's house to the ground and cutting off their noses banish his family out of the City Cincius got to the Emperor Guibert Arch-Bishop of Ravenna Theobald Arch-Bishop of Milan and most of all the other Bishops on that side the Alpes conspire against the Pope And yet they say that all the world were his subjects He calls another Synod of his own Bishops for Synods were still the great executioners where Gibert and Hugo one of his Cardinals that was against him are deposed and curst from Christ. This Emperor also calls a Council at Wormes where by the means of Sigifred Arch-Bishop of Mentz it is decreed that no man in any thing obey the Pope of Rome Roland a Clerk is sent to Rome to command the Pope to meddle with the government no more and the Cardinals are commanded to forsake Gregory and seek for another Pope Now the War began between the Sword and the Keys Gregory by sentence deposed the Arch-Bishop of Mentz and the other Clergy that were for the Emperor and he Anathematized the Emperor himself having first deprived him of all Regal Power and administration as far as his decree would do it The form of his curse and deposition Platina reciteth where are these words I cast him down from his Imperial and Regal Administration And I absolve all Christians Subject to the Empire from that Oath by which they have used to swear Fidelity to true Kings For it is meet that he be deprived of dignity who endeavoureth to diminish the Majesty of the Church Mark O ye Kings and be wise Some told the Pope that the Emperor should not be so hastily Anathematized To whom he answered Did Christ except Kings when he said to Peter Feed my Sheep when he gave him the Power of binding and looseing he excepted none from his power The Emperor wrote Letters to many Christian Princes and States to acquaint them with the Papal Injuries and the Pope wrote his accusations of the Emperor and his own Justification The Empire was presently all in Division One part was for the Emperor and another for the Pope Most of the Bishops of Germany obeyed the Emperor and some were against him as excommunicate Some Councils were for him and some against him And as Abbas Vrspurgensis said they did so often swear and forswear according as Power and Interest moved one time for the Emperor and another against him that Perjury was become a common thing both with the Bishops and the Laity He that will see the many treatises that Learned men then wrote for the power of Princes against the Papal tyranny and rebellion may find them in the Voluminous Collections of Michael Goldastus de Monarchia The party that obeyed the Pope chose another to be Emperor Rodulph Duke of Suevia The Emperor requireth the Pope to Excommunicate Rodulph He refuseth The Emperor calleth a Council of Bishops at Brixia They depose the Pope and make Gibert of Ravenna Pope called Clement the 3d. who saith Onuphrius sate 21 years so long had they two Popes at this 23d Schism or doubling But did the Emperor nothing to prevent all this Yes at the motion of the German Princes to avoid
contention he made an Oath to ask the Pope forgiveness if the Pope would come into Germany The Pope on his way fearing that the Emperor coming toward him with an Army would apprehend him turned back again and betook him to a strong City of his Patroness one Mathildis a woman The Emperor with his Army travelled to him and came to the Gates of the City and in a great and sharp winter frost putting off his Royal Ornaments came barefoot to confess his fault and ask forgiveness of the Pope The Pope would not suffer him to come in He patiently stayed three daies in the Suburbs continually begging pardon and the Citizens moved with Compassion At last the woman Mathildis and Adelai a Savoy Earl and the Abbot of Cluny became petitioners for him and prevailed for mercy with the Pope and he was absolved and reconciled to the Church having sworn a peace and promised Obedience I give you the words of Platina all along And now whether Hildebrand or Henry was the better man in common morals I that knew them not must refer you to the Historians of that age of whom some extol the Pope and depreciate the Emperor and others honour the Emperor and deeply accuse the Pope But if an Emperor that travelled so far inâ—o another Country and put off his ornaments and with his Army waited three daies patiently in the Suburbs of a womans City barefoot in a great frost begging mercy and pardon of a Priest before he could be let in and after this sware obedience to him I say If this Prince did not yet sufficiently submit but deserve to be turned out of his Empire though at the cost of blood and desolation to the innocent Countries it will be hard to know when the Obedience and Submission of Kings is enough to satisfie an ambitious Prelate But the Popes Historians say that the Emperor brake his Covenant It is a hard thing for a King that promiseth Subjection and Obedience to a Pope to be sure to keep his word unless he foreknew what would be commanded him when he hath taken away his Power and Kingdom by parts he may command his life It 's a great doubt to me when God hath made Princes the Rulers of Prelates and Procurators of his Church whether it be not a sin against God and their undertaken office for these Princes to cast off this trust and work because a Pope or Prelate claimeth it The Pope still charged him with sacriledge But I doubt he expounded his meaning when he deposed him for diminishing the Majesty of the Church that is of the Pope and Prelates To proceed in the History In the 3d. or 4th battle it was that Rodulph was slain and It was the Popes denial to disown or excommunicate Rodulph after so low a submission of the Emperor that enraged Henry and made him think of another remedy than to be a Prelates slave The Pope called all the Bishops that cleaved to the Emperor seditious He condemneth Roland the German Legate and sendeth into Germany Legates of his own with a Mandamus We command that no King Arch-Bishop Bishop Duke Earl Marquess or Knight dare resist our Legates c. And the Penalty to the disobedient is terrible viz. We accurse him from Christ and take from him his part of Victory by Arms. Sure if Popes had the power of Victory they need not so oft have fled to Castles nor to have rid on an Ass with the face backward nor to have suffered what many of them have done All this he doth Interpositâ Dei et B. Petri authoritate quâ nulla potest esse major Did Peter ever think that his name would have thus subdued Emperors and Kings The Pope again in a prayer to God and St. Peter reciteth the 2d Psalm and telleth them how the Emperor would cast off his yoke and again curseth him from Christ and deposeth him from all his Government and absolveth all his Subjects from the Oath of Obedience saying that he that may bind and loose in Heaven hath power to take away on Earth both Empires Kingdoms and Principalities and whatever men have to give or take away If we Iudge the ruling Angels how much more their Servants Therefore saith he to the Bishops Let Kings and all secular Princes understand by the example of this man how great your power is in Heaven and how much God esteemeth you and let them fear hereafter to break the commands of the Church Pass this sentence presently on Henry that all may understand that this Son of iniquity fell not from his Kingdom by Chance but by your endeavor Plat. p. 180. Rodulph being killed the Rebels set up the Emperors Son a Lad against his own Father But at that present he was quieted and the Emperor went with an Army into Italy and first Conquered the Army of Mathildis the Popes Patroness and brought his own Pope Clement the 3d. to the Chair and was crowned by him He besieged Gregory in the Castle Guiscard a Norman cometh with an Army to fight for the Pope The Citizens resist him the Emperor being drawn out to Sens. Guiscard burnt and destroyed that part of the City which is between the Laterane and the Capitol and took the Capitol and destroyed it He gave the prey of the City to his Souldiers and delivered Gregory and carried him away to Câ—ssinum and Salernum where he dyed having reigned 12 years Bin. saith that Henry besieged Rome three years before he took it When Robert Guiscard had delivered the Pope he deposed quantum in se all the new Cardinals made by Clement 3. and cursed the Emperor again Gregory himself saith that Italian French and German Bishops were for the Emperor and they were also for Clement 3. How shall we know then which was the true Pope § 44. No less than ten Books of Hildebrand's Epistles are added by Binnius to his life Most of them for the Papal Interest In lib. 2. Ep. 5. He talketh of Philip King of France as he did of the Emperor saying he was no King but a Tyrant and declaring that he was resolved to take his Kingdom from him if he did not amend his wicked life One of his crimes was resisting the Pope that would set Bishops in his Kingdom without his consent Epist. 13. He tells Solomon King of Hungary that his Kingdom is the propriety of the Church of Rome devoted to it by King Stephen and reproveth him for diminishing the Roman Kingdom by accepting Hungary as from the Germans and exhorts him to repent and amend Epist. 18. He again threatneth the King of France to cut off from the Church both him and all that give him any Regal Honour or Obedience O heinous crime to keep the 5th Commandment and Rom. 13. 1 2 3. And that this excommunication shall be oft confirmed upon St. Peter's Altar Epist. 28. He suspends quantum in se the Arch-Bishop of Breme as an Enemy to the
Germans French c You see here that it was far from all the world that was subject to the Pope and took his part in his usurpations Epist. 4. He commandeth a General no more to fight against the King of Dalmatia as belonging to St. Peter § 50. Yet this Pope doth teach them the truth against deceitful pennance or repentance Lib. 7. Epist. 10. viz. We say that it is a fruitless pennance when men remain in the same fault or in the like or in a worse or in one little less He therefore that will worthily repent must have recourse to the Original of his Faith and be solicitous watchfully to keep that which in his Baptism he promised viz. to renounce the Devil and his pomps and to believe in God that is thinking rightly of him to obey his Commands § 51. Epist. 11. He tells the Duke of Bohemia that it is customarily and doubtfully that he saluteth him with Apostolical Benediction Because he communicated with the excommunicate And he denieth his request of using or translating the Divine Service or Offices into the Sclavonian tongue because there were many mysteries in it Thus come up the Prohibition to the peoplee to pray understandingly Epist. 14. He absolveth the Bishop of Liege from an Oath because he took it by force And commandeth him to rise up against the imposer with all his power he being St. Peter's enemy Epist. 21. He tells the King of Denmark of an ill custom among them that whatever ill weather or calamity befell them they imputed all to the ill lives of Priests Epist. 23. He tells our King William the Conqueror that seeing he was on his side and is charged by some with all his bloodshed that now he must be very obedient to him as his Pastor and Peter's Successor And Epist. 25. He tells them that the Papal or Apostolick power is greater than the Kingly and must rule it as the Sun is greater than the Moon Lib. 8. Epist. 1. He laments the Corruption of the Church in Armenia 1. Because they mixed not Water with Wine in the Sacrament when all men know that Blood and Water came from the side of Christ. 2. Because they made not their Chrysm of Balsom but of Butter 3. Because they honoured the memory of Dioscorus O what Heresies Pag. 1254. in Bin. There is an Oath that Robert Duke of Apulia Calabria and Sicily to be true to the Pope and defend him as holding all these from him and there is the Popes grant of them to him laying claim also to his other dominions the denyal of which he patiently beareth at the present § 52. But lest you think that at least the Kingdom of Spain was fast all this while to the Church of Rome Lib. 8. Epist. 2. He writeth thus himself By the Letters of my Legate Richard Abbot of Marseilles you may know how great impiety is gone out of your Monastery of Cluny by the presumption of Robert a Monk who imitating Simon Magus feareth not to rise up against the Authority of St. Peter with all the craft of his malignity and to reduce by his suggestion into their old error an hundred thousand men who by our diligence began to return to the right way But he hopes that the Abbot thinks as he for the honour of the Roman Church He chargeth the Abbot to cast out this man that had so endangred Spain adding And by your Letters diligently acquaint the King who is deceived by his fraud that he hath greatly provoked St. Peter's wrath and indignation against him and his grievous Revenge against him and his Kingdom unless he repent because he undecently handled a Legate of the Roman Church and believed falshood rather than truth Of which that he may worthily make satisfaction to God and St. Peter as he hath disgraced our Legate so let him by due humility and condign Reverence make himself commendable and devout For we think meet to signifie to him by you that we will excommunicate him if he correct not his fault and will solicite all the faithful in the parts of Spain to his confusion And if they be not obedient to my command I will not think much to travel into Spain my self and there to endeavour dura et aspera Things hard and sharp against him as an enemy of the Christian Religion O brave Pope had not these men a notable Knack or hap that could sit and talk down Emperors and Kings and subdue and dispose of Kingdoms by sitting at home and talking big and telling them that St. Peter was angry with them And who was this King but the great Alâ—onsus to whom he writeth himself Epist. 3. to put away his evil counsellors and hearken in all things to the Popes Legate Richard § 53. Epist. 6. l. 8. He commandeth Souldiers to help Michael the Emperor of Constant against the Usurper to make himself judge and get an interest again in the Empire But in vain § 54. Epist. 7. He declareth that divers Princes having sworn and promised him help he resolved to come with an Army to recover Ravenna to the Church Epist. 8. He rejoyceth that they had newly found St. Matthew's body and bids them now take him joyfully for their patron These are the grounds of Popish superstition The body of St. Matthew that preached to the Abassines in another part of the world is found at Salerno in Italy a thousand years after he is dead O that one knew how to be sure that it was his body and how it came thither Divers such findings they glory in § 55. Epist. 10. He writeth to Orzoceus Prince of Calaris or Sardinia to require him as a note of his obedience to St. Peter and concord with the Church of Rome whose use it is to let his Arch-Bishop shave his Beard and to command all the Clergy of his dominion to shave their Beards and if they obey not to force them to it or exclude them And to be sure of success he lets him know how truly I know not that many Princes importuned him to give them leave to invade his Countrey but this righteous ruling Pope denied leave to them all till he had tryed whether he would obey him which if he would do he would not only deny them leave to invade him but also protect him Reader think here 1. Whether Princes held not their kingdoms loosely when they where to lose them if they obeyed not the Pope in so small a thing as the shaving of a Priests Beard 2. Whether it were not a hard thing for the Catholick Church then to have concord when so small a difference as the shaving or not shaving of Beards were put into their terms of Union and Peace Who were the Schismaticks then was it not the makers and imposers of such laws and terms 3. Is it not a high power that is claimmed by Popes when no Priest in all the Christian world may have
so much as his Beard in his own power in which nature hath given him a propriety How much more might the Pope then command all mens purses 4. May way we not see here on what weighty reasons these men condemn God's word of insufficiency and plead for traditions and a necessity of their additional Laws When Scripture hath left out the shaving of mens Beards and we had never had such a Law if such power as the Papal had not made it O what discord and disorder would there be in the Church if we had not so necessary a government and what confusion would toleration introduce if mens Beards were left at liberty But if Paul called the heathen Phylosophy Vain and Science falsly so named 1 Tim. 6. 20. as befooling the world with pedantick trifling and calling them off from their great concernes may we not say then that this is vain Government and Order falsly so named which thus calleth the Church from its primitive purity simplicity and unity when Christians were known by loving one another to these childish games that the Prelates and Priests of the Catholick Church must be known by their being without Beards One would suspect this had its original from Pope Ioane if there were indeed such a person and that it is a Symbol of the Churches sex as it is called Our Mother or at least that Marozia or Theodora instituted it 5. And do you know which were the more inexcusable for silencing and persecuting the preachers of the Gospel The Iews that did it because they thought it took down Gods Law and would bring the Roman Power on them Or the Roman heathens that thought the Gospel destroyed the worship of their forefathers Gods or the Roman Papists that silenced and persecuted men for wearing Beards 1 Thes. 2. 16. § 56. Epist. 11. When some French Preachers had revived Religion in Sweden the Pope desirous to reap where they had sowed sends to the King of Sweden to tell him his joy and that what the French taught them they recieved from Rome and to desire him to send one of his Bishops to Rome to acquaint him with their customs and to receive his Laws and Mandates You see by what means Rome was raised Epist. 15. A Bishop gave up his Bishoprick The Pope chides him and commands him to a Monastery Rather than do so he returneth to his seat again The Pope chargeth him with the Idololatriae scelus the Crime of Idolatry for not obeying him and writes to them not to recieve him or be ruled by him as ever they loved the Grace of God and St. Peter The like he doth Epist. 16. by the disobedient Bishop of Narbon and Epist. 17. by the disobedient Arch Bishop of Rhemes and Epist. 18. 19 20. of the same and all this in St. Peter's name Yea Epist. 20. he requireth the King of France Philip to joyn against the Arch-bishop of Rhemes as excommunicate as ever he would have St. Peter's Grace because his Kingdom and his Soul were in St. Peter's power And it is no wonder that they that believe that the Pope is St. Peter's Vicar and Secretary and that their souls are in his power will give him all their Lands or Kingdoms to save their souls § 57. When the Pope sentenced the Emperor Henry to be excommunicate and deposed and was charged to have done this without authority he wrote his 21 Epist. l. 8. to the Bishop of Metz to prove that he had power to do it and to absolve his Subjects from their Oaths of fidelity saying that the Scriptures were full of certain documents to prove it And his certain documents are Tibi dabo Claves c. and Feed my Sheep And Kings are not excepted They are St. Peter ' s Sheep Bin. p. 1262. he saith that the Head of Priests is at the right hand of God but who knoweth not that Kings and Dukes had their beginning from them that knew not God and affected by blind lust and intolerable presumption to domineer over others the Devil the Prince of the world acting them in Pride Rapines Perfidiousness Murders and all wickedness who while they would have the Priests of the LORD to stoop to their footsteps are rightlyest compared to him who is head of all the Sons of pride who said even to Christ All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Who doubteth but that the Priests of Christ are the Fathers and Masters of Kings and Princes and of all the faithful And is it not notorious miserable madness for a Scholar to endeavour to subjugate his Master and a Son his Father and by wrongful obligations to subject him to his power by whom he believeth that he may be bound or loosed both in Earth and Heaven Did not Pope Innocent excommunicate Arcadius the Emperor and Pope Zachary depose from his Kingdom the King of France not so much for his iniquities as because he was not meet for so great power placed Pepin in his stead and absolved all the French from the Oath of fidelity Ambrose sheweth that Gold is not so much more pretious than Lead as the Priestly Dignity is higher than the Kingly Power Pag. 1263. Yea even the exorcists have power over Devils How much more over those that are Subject to the Devils and are his members And if the exorcist excel so much how much more the Priests And every King when he cometh to his end doth humbly and pitifully beg the Priests help that he may scape the prison of Hell and Darkness and at the judgment of God be found absolved But is there either Priest or Lay-man that when he is dying begs help of the King for the saving of his soul What King or Emperor can by his Office take a soul by baptism from the power of the Devil and number him with the Sons of God and fortifie him with holy Chrism And which is the greatest thing in the Christian Religion can with his own mouth make Christs body and blood Or which of them can bind and loose in Heaven and earth By all which it may be plainly gathered by how great power the sacerdot al dignity excelleth Which of them can ordain one Clerk in the holy Church How much less can they depose him for any fault For in orders exclesiastical to depose is an act of greater power than to ordain For Bishops may ordain Bishops but in no wise depose them without the authority of the Apostolick seat Who then that hath any knowledg can doubt but that Priests are preferred before Kings In a word we must know that all good Christians are more fitly Kings than evil Princes For these by seeking the Glory of God do strenuously rule themselves But the other seeking their own and being enemies to themselves do tyrannically oppress others These good Christians are the body of Christ. The other bad Princes are the body of the Devil These so rule themselves as that they shall
reign eternally with the highest Emperor But the power of the other brings them eternally to perish by eternal damnation with the Prince of darkness who is King over all the Sons of Pride And it is not to be wondered at that bad Prelates consent to an unrighteous King whom for their ill got preferments by him they love and fear who Simoniacally ordaining any do for a base price sell even God himself For as the elect are inseperably united to their head so the reprobate are pertinaciously confederate against the good with him that is head of their militia Let Emperors and Kings see then how much the Imperial and Kingly dignity is to be feared in which very few are saved and those that by Gods mercy come to salvation are not made so good or eminent as many of the poor the Spirit of God being judge For from the beginning of the world to these times of ours we find not in all the authentick Scripture any Emperors or Kings whose lives were so adorned with great virtue and miracles as were an innumerable multitude of the contemners of the World though I believe that by Gods mercy many of them have been saved For to say nothing of the Apostles and Martyrs what Emperor or King was ever famous for miracles like Martin Anthony or Benedict what Emperor or King did raise the dead cleanse the Lepers illuminate the Blind Constantine of pious memory Theodosius Honorius Charles Lewis propagators of Christian Religion defenders of the Church are praised and honoured by the Church but not noted to have shined with such glory of miracles Moreover to what Kings or Emperors names are Churches or Altars dedicated or hath the Holy Church appointed Masses to be celebrated Let Kings and other Princes fear lest by how much in this life they would be preferred before other men by so much the more liable they be to eternal burnings As it is written Wisd. c. 6. Great men shall be greatly tormented For they have as many men to be accountable for as were Subject to them And if one religious man find it so great a work to keep his own soul how great a labour belongeth to Princes for so many thousand souls * And if the judgment of holy Church so bind a man for killing one what will become of them that for this worlds honour murder many thousands Who though they sometime cry Meâ Culpâ for killing many yet are glad at the heart for the extension of their honour and are not sorry that they did what is done nor that they have driven their Brethren into Hell The rest of the Epistle exhorteth Kings to avoid Pride and Tyranny As I cite it historically to shew you the Spirit of Papacy so fas est et ab hoste doceri There is somewhat in it worthy the remembering that greatness prove not pernicious to themselves and others for want of goodness § 58. But sure these Papal arguments savour not of infallibility May not a mean wit discern 1. That goodness giveth not right to places of Government without a call else the best man must be always King And then what Pope had Title to his Seat Right to Heaven will not prove a right to Kingdoms Nor è contra Power to cast out Devils will not prove that the exorcist may cast out the King nor give him Laws 2. What though the King be a Scholar to a Grammarian a Musician a Physician Is it therefore absurd that he be King over these Masters What though he must obey his Physician for his life May he not command that Physician for the common peace What though he cannot do that which a Physician a Musician c. can do May he not rule them for all that 3. What a discontented mind have such holy Prelates that cannot be satisfied with their Title to Heaven their Miracles Sanctity Church-Keys c. unless they may also be above Kings and have the secular power also 4. And what cause have Kings and States to look to themselves that are under such Priests where every Clergy man is their Master And how many superiors then hath every Popish King Even as many as he hath Prelates Priests or exorcists Yet I will confess that if Princes had been as bad still as some of them have been and as such Popes pretended and Popes and Prelates and Priests had been as Infallible Holy Wise and Peaceable as they have pretended and had not proved the shame of Religion and Incendiaries of the Christian World in so many generations it would have tempted men strongly for the interest of Religion and mankind to wish that all power had been committed to the Clergy and that Campanella's Regnum Dei or Fift-Monarchy by Priestly Government of the World had taken place But when their own historians make fourty Popes together Monsters of wickedness and piety at the same time to be translated to the Princes this turneth our thoughts another way Especially when we find still that a proud worldly wicked Clergy are the great confounders of the World § 59. Epist. 23. He sends to his Legates to demand of the King of France that every house do give a penny to St. Peter if they take him for their Father and Pastor It seemeth the Roman Peter must have money Rule and Honour of all the world though he cry it down in others § 60. Lib. 9. Ep. 1. He suspendeth the Arch-Bishop of Rouen in Normandy from consecrating any Bishop or Priest or Church because he had not visited the Pope at Rome when as men and women came to him from the remoter parts of the Earth The Pope loved much company and loved not privacy so well as I do and because he had not sought his pallium though he wrote submissively to him § 61. Even this Pope Ep. 2. l. 9. Professeth to the King of Spain that a Lye is a sin though it come from a pious intention for peace but in Priests it is a kind of Sacriledg And if so Priests had need to take heed that they Lye not by swearing subscribing declaring or professing any falshood though à Pope should command them § 62. In the same Ep. he congratulates that Spain received his Order of service or Liturgie because that which they used hitherto had some things contrary to the Christian Faith What Was the old Spanish Liturgy heresie § 63. Ep. 3. l. 9. The Pope upon the death of Rodulph fearing the Emperors coming into Italy pretendeth that now all men advised him to receive the Emperor for peace into his favour and mercy saying that almost all the Italians were for him and that his Patroness Mathildis was counted mad by her own Subjects who would not fight for her and him and therefore sends to try whether he could get any help from others charging them to see that the next chosen King be one true to St. Peter and to that end sends them an
a Council where he would meet him with Victor Divo is the appointed place between France and Germany The Emperor with Victor and some Kings cometh to the Council Alexander refuseth because he call'd it not and calls another at Tours in France The Emperor angry returneth to Germany and sendeth Victor into Italy where he dyeth and Guido called Paschal the 3d is chosen after him The Romans chose Consuls that were Alexander's Friends and send for him to Rome and receive him The Italians then arm against the Emperor who cometh with an Army into Italy and taketh Ancona The Greek Emperor is drawn to promise the Pope a great Army against Frederick so he would unite the Empire and Churches again This afrighteth the Emperor The Tusculanes and the Abanes had a War with the Romans that oppressed them with Tribute and gave the Romans a grievous overthrow The Emperor besiegeth Rome William of Sicily sends help to the Pope The People of Rome intreat the Emperor for Peace which he promiseth on condition the worthier Pope may be chosen and the Schism ended The Pope Alexander hearing of this flieth secretly by Ship The Plague driveth the Emperor from Rome he goeth into Germany The Pope's Friends in Italy get strength The Greek Emperor Emanuel sendeth yet larger offers to the Pope if he would restore him the Western Empire by Re-union Pope Paschal dyeth The Tusculane Cardinal called Calistus the 3d is chosen in his stead and reigned seven years saith Onuphr But the Tusculanes refusing him he goeth to Alexander and resigneth to him all his right in Tusculum Whereupon the Tusculanes receive Alexander who there heard the Ambassador of Henry King of England purging him of the guilt of the death of Tho. Becket and sent into England two Cardinals with power to examine all the matter who imposed on the King though swearing he was innocent that for Penance he should maintain Soldiers for Ierusalem and for three years should have an Army against the Barbarians and defend the Church-liberties in his Land and not hinder Appeals to Rome All which he sware By which saith Platina he merited that the Title of the Kingdom of England should be transferred on him and his Heirs by the Pope's consent whence it is observed that all the Kings of England do recognize or acknowledge the Rights of the Kingdom from the Pope of Rome A just Reward for their serving the Titular Servant of Servants in his pestilent Ambition That he should thence take them for his Vassals and take himself for the disposer of their Crowns stooping to such Priests doth make them Kings of Kings Yet Alexander hath not got possession of Rome it self so far was he from being received by all the world and so low did he condescend as to offer the Citizens That if they would receive him he would come in peace and meddle with nothing but Divine matters leaving to them the care of secular things And when they would not grant him this much he went to Signia Was this man truly the Bishop of Rome that had no more of the Citizens consent so much as to dwell among them There he Canonizeth the Archbishop of Canterbury Tho. Becket for a Saint The Emperor entereth Italy and taketh many Cities but the Venetians owning the Pope and he being wearied with Wars at Papia treateth of a Peace But this not taking the Emperor shortly returned with another Army into Italy but was so hard put to it by the Millanois and others in one fight that he narrowly escaped death himself This one loss made the Nobles that followed him say That they suffered this because they fought unlawfully against the Church and if he made not his peace presently with the Pope they would go home So that the Emperor was forced to submit to the Pope for fear of being forsaken by his Subjects and Soldiers At Venice they met and the Emperor kissing the Pope's feet credible Historians say That the Pope trod on his Neck scornfully and profanely repeating the words of the Psalm Thou shalt tread on the Lion and Adder c. Ps. 91. 13. But Baronius and Binnius will not believe this though as Fowlis noteth p. 261. it is recorded by Ciaconius Masson and abundance more of their own Historians and preserved in the Archives of the Library at Venice and the Picture of the Story hang'd publickly in the Senate House The Emperor's severity against them of Milan was not for nothing They not only brake their Oath by Rebellion but when his wife Beatrix came to see the City set her on a Mule backward with the tail in her hand and so led her in scorn from one Gate out at the other What may not such provocation do to an Emperor The stir that there was about the Emperor's holding the Stirrup to Pope Urban is recorded by divers Historians And how the Kings of France and England did the like by Alexander And how this on debate was said to be their due The truth is the Papists Princes of Europe themselves are beholden to the Protestants for redeeming them from Servitude and their Kingdoms from the meer will and mercy of the Pope § 176. The Pope having conquered the Emperor by Cursing is past doubt now of Conquering Rome for such Men were Bishops by Conquest and not by Consent To Tusculum he goeth and now demandeth of the Romans that they abrogate the Office of the Consuls But finding this too hard a task to be done at once he maketh a bargain with them that none should by the People be chosen Consuls till they had taken an Oath of Fidelity to the Pope in his own proposed words and that they would never do any thing against his dignity And so Alexander goeth the third time to Rome and calls a Council but quickly dyeth when after twenty years contention he thought he was new setled in peace An. 1185. § 177. Onuphrius after Radavicus Frising Ioan. Cremon Abb. Ursperg c. saith that it was this Pope Alexander that first ordained that the Clergy and People being excluded from the Election of the Pope and so he was no true Bishop the choice should be in the Cardinals shut up in Conclave and go by two third parts of their Votes to avoid Schisms for the time to come Onuphrius saith that he had the writing of Pope Lucius the 3d that saith he was the first that was chosen by the Cardinals scrutiny though the Cardinals in a looser way were lately made Electors before He that is no Bishop is no Universal Bishop or Pope But he that is not chosen by the Clergy or People of that Church is no Bishop The Minor is proved by the Canons of many Councils § 178. The Epistles of Alexander are so full of Usurpation and Treason against Princes that Binnius thought it best to omit them and give you but the Titles But those that concern England are in Mat. Paris whom Binnius referreth you to
though he oft reproach him for speaking truth Many are about Tho. Becket Archbishop of Canterbury and against the Emperor and the King of England forbidding the Coronation of Henry the 3d and suspending Roger Archbishop of York for Crowning him and such like to shew how he was King of Kings § 179. CCCCXXI Of the Councils in Alexander's time recorded by Binnius the first is An. 1160. at Papia called by the Emperor which voted Victor Pope and condemned Roland called Alexander The Letters of the Emperor and the Bishops tell us that this Council consisted of immunerable Bishops and Abbots and that the Emperor after a good Speech departed and left all to their judgments And that it was there proved by the Oaths of many Witnesses that Victor was chosen by the full consent of the People and Clergy and some Cardinals and that twelve days before Roland was chosen and that Roland was present and contradicted not but bid them obey him that was chosen And that after being Chancellor he stole out of the City and the major part of the Cardinals having before the death of the last Pope entered a Confederacy to choose none but one of themselves that confederated against the Emperor they secretly chose Roland the People and Clergy a multitude subscribing all desiring Victor There or four Kings also consenting to accept him when the Council declared him the onely true Pope and Roland a perfidious Usurper Here is all the Romans Clergy and People the Emperor and many Princes and a Council of innumerable Prelates of Germany Italy c. against the major Vote of an upstart sort of Men called Cardinals that had confederated treacherously before And yet the Roman Papacy is by Succession from this Man that was no true Bishop himself CCCCXXII CCCCXXIII CCCCXXIV CCCCXXV An. 1161. Alexander got a Council at Clermont and another at Newmarket and another at Belvacum and An. 1164. another at Tours to curse the Emperour and Pope Victor The French taking his part and the English at last kept up the Schism and Contention The Reader must take this notice by the way that such Meetings as we call Parliaments the Popish Historians often call Councils that they may draw Men to think that what Parliaments did was done by Clergy Power And when Lords Commons and Bishops met in the same Assembly some called them Parliaments and some Councils And as Spelman saith pag. 529. The same Assemblies were indeed mixt and partly Civil or Royal as he calleth them because called by the King and partly Ecclesiastical But among the Romanists Councils are greatly advanced by this ascribing to them the Acts and Power of Parliaments Accordingly the Parliament at Clarendon is called a Council by Binnius CCCCXXVI by the reproachful name of Conciliabulum because they setled the Rights of the King as Ruler of the Clergy and would not let the Pope be King of England which is the Henrician or Royal Heresie to be punished by Fire or other death on Kings themselves when the Pope is big enough to do it In this Council or Parliament Thomas of Canterbury and the rest of the Bishops concurred with the rest for fear But Thomas when he came home repented and imposed so strict Penance on himself that the Pope hearing of it was sain in absolve him § 180. CCCCXXVII An. 1171. Binnius saith that Ireland being given to the Pope as soon as they became Christians the Pope gave it to King Henry the 2d as soon as he had conquered it and a Council at Cassel was called for Reformation Note here 1. That the Pope hath great reason to seek the Conversion of the Kingdoms of the world if they are his when they are converted 2. That it is no wonder if five parts of six of the world be still Infidels or at least that they are unwilling to yield to Popish Christianity when Heathen and Infidel Kings must lose their Kingdoms and become Subjects to the Pope if they turn to Popish Christianity 3. That it hath long been a cunning way of Bounty with Popes to give Princes their own Kingdoms and Conquests when they cannot take them from them CCCCXXVIII An. 1179. was the Synod at Venice for reconciliation § 181. CCCCXXIX An. 1180. Alexander being at peace called a Council at Rome which they call General or the 11th General Council approved at Lateran In which are many reforming Canons and many for the Papal power The first is as aforesaid to confine the power of Pope-making to two third parts of the Cardinals only Another to degrade those ordained by the three Anti-Popes Another that no one have many Churches c. And the last against some called Cathari Patrini or Publicani as Hereticks giving those Indulgences that will fight against them and absolving all Inferiors from all Fidelity and Duty to them c. Some think that these were the Waldenses some the Albigenses But I have elsewhere shewed against Mr. Danvers that there were several sorts then in those Countries some Manichee Hereticks and some good Christians called Waldense and Albigenses but against the Pope and his Superstitions whom the Papists would jumble together to disgrace the best who were as some of their own Writers e.g. Sanders lib. 7. de vis Monar say A portion of the Henricians that is of the Emperor Henry's Heresie that held the Pope's false usurping Excommunications were to be contemned not as from Henry their Teacher that is they were Royalists and against the Pope's ruling the abused world by the Cursing way § 182. To this Council Crab and Binnius have annexed a voluminous Appendix of Decrees of which many are notable As that no Bishop may suspend a Presbyter without the judgment of his Chapter That a Perjured Clergy-man is to be perpetually deprived and may not govern a Church That in case of ambiguity of words we must have recourse to the common understanding of them with divers others § 183. Alexander dying Lucius the 3d is the first chosen by the Cardinals according to Alexander's Lateran Council as is aforesaid And to perfect the Papacy having got the choice of the Bishop out of the hands of the Clergy and People of Rome his Flatterers next persuade him to put down the Order and Name of Senators which attempting his Party by the Cities insurrection had their eyes put out and the Pope forced to leave the City and at Luca while he provoked Princes to send Soldiers to Ierusalem and Asia he dyed § 184. CCCCXXX One Council this Pope had at Verona as they say where the Emperor Frederick met him and sollicited him to restore all the Bishops and Clergy deposed that had adhered to him and the Anti-Popes The Pope consented but said he could not do it without another Council By which it appeareth that this at Verona was no true Council § 185. Urbanus the 3d is next Pope called Turbanus as an Incendiary by Ab. Ursspergens but better
Church Whence did this timerity befal thee It were better that thou advanced and honoured by God should honour those which are zealous for God even when they are dead Henceforth God will give thee no more power over me I wrote to thee in the spirit of humility and love that thou shouldst correct thy many errours But with a proud eye and a bewitching heart thou hast despised wholesome warnings Wo to thee that despispest Shalt thou not be despised And the Bishop Robert departing striking as with a lance the Pope who when as is said he was pricked groaned aloud he left him half dead and with a mournful voice groaning with sighs His Chamberlains hearing him being astonished asked him what the matter was The Pope answering with sighs and groans said The terrours of the night have vehemently troubled me nor shall I ever be well again as I was Oh alas how great is the pain of my side A ghost hath pierced me with a lance An he neither eat nor drank that day feigning that he was inflamed with feavours that streightened his breath And Gods revenge and wrath did not so leave him Not long after the Pope not sensible of Gods warnings by his Servants but setting about warlike and secular matters he prospered not in them though he laid out great care and labour and cost But Wars yea the Lord of hosts being against him his army which at great charges he had sent against the Apulians under the conduct of his Nephew William being scattered conquered and confounded perished with their Captain mortally wounded They say there were there slain of Souldiours and valiant stipendiary's of the Pope four thousand men And the whole Countrey of the Romans lamented the shedding of so much Christian blood The Pope then went to Naples though weakened as with a plurisie in his side or as wounded with a lance And Cardinal Albus physick could not help him For Robert of Lincoln spared not Sinâ—bald of Genoa And he that would not hear him warning him when alive felt him peircing him when dead Nor did the Pope ever after enjoy one good day till night nor one good night till day but sleepless and molested Thus M. Paris § 200. M. Paris p. 896 anno 1254. saith that Henry the third of England obliged himself and his Kingdome unjustly to the Pope under pain of being disinherited to pay all the treasure which the Pope should lay out in his War for the King that is to have made him King of Sicily And that the Pope having no mercy on England prodigally wasted its money but those vast sums got by rapine were all lost § 201. The same Author saith p. 897. that when Pope Innocent lay dying after the stroke of the Bishop of Lincoln and the loss of his Army and his followers lay crying about him he opened his dying eyes and said what do you mourn for you wretches Do I not leave you all rich what would you have more And so he died § 202. CCCCXLIV Anno 1245. Innoncent calls a Council called General their 13th Approved at Lyons of 140 Bishops where he heaped up accusations against the Emperour whom Thaddaeus his agent defended And at last pronounced himself an excommunication and deposition absolving all his Subjects from their Oaths and Allegiance and excommunicating all that should own and help him Here you see that more than one of their approved General Councils are for Rebellion and perjury and the Popes deposing Christian Emperours In the same Council sad Complaints were made from England of the pillaging or woful impoverishing of the land by the Pope and King but the Pope heard all silently and would give no answer § 203. At this Council the Pope importuned the Electors to choose another Emperour some refused and stuck to the Emperour saying that it belonged not to the Pope to make or unmake Emperours Others obeyed him and set up Henry of Hassia But the Emperour while he lived kept up his possession so far as to make the Pope repent and saith Trithemius was a weary of his life But all Germany Italy c. were confounded by the schim or contention one half as is aforesaid called Guelphes following the Pope and Henry the other called Gibelines cleaving to the Emperour Frederick to the shedding of abundance of Christians blood and the desolation of Countreys and the shame of Papal tyranny § 204. Anno 1254. Alexander the 4th was Pope Matth. Paris tells us of a terrible dream that he had of Pope Innocents damnation or misery But the fault of his writing is that he was too credulous of dreams and visions He tells us also of twenty Miracles done at Lincoln for the sake of the late Bishop Robert And that at a Parliament in London the greatest which hath been seen all the Nobles Ecclesiastical and Civil demanded of the King that the choice of the Lord Chief Iustice the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Treasurer should be in the Parliament or their common Council as of old was usual and just and that they should not be removed without notorious faults which the Kings secret Councellours perswaded him to deny Prelates and Nobles being grieved by exactions express it c. § 205. Here the said Monk Matth. Paris exclaimeth O the steril solicitude of the Roman Court their blind ambition Though holy yet often deceived by the Council of bad men Why dost thou not learn to moderate by the bridle of discretion thy violence being taught by thing past and so often chastised by experience In thy losses we are all punished c. Thou now endeavourest to make two German Emperours which must cost inestimable treasure whence soever taken and both uncertain of the dignity c. § 206. At that time the Lords and Prelates of England crying out of the King Hen. 3d. as false and oppressive and pillaging Churches and People to maintain his profuseness the Bishop of Hereford laid a Plot which the King accepted that getting the hands and seals of a few Bishops he would go to Rome and get power from the Pope to gather the King as much money as he needed So to Rome he went and there found the Pope in great grief and care himself for money to pay vast debts that his Wars had cost him The Bishop told him that the King who had engaged his Kingdom to be forfeited if he paid not the Popes debts would help him to money if he would be ruled by him and write to the Bishops and Churches to grant the King such help as they could well do The Pope gladly gave leave to the Bishop to write what he would And home he went and Eustandus a Legate was sent from Rome to see all done saith M. Paris p. 911. anno 1255. The Legate was prepared and ready in all things to the destruction of all England to obey the will of the King which was tyrannical and to bind the oppressed contradictors in the
limina Apostolorum that is himself A terrible Earthquake made him for fear set up a hut of boards in an open Meadow lest the houses should fall on him He digg'd up the body of one Hermane that had twenty years been honoured as a Saint and burnt it as a Hereticks He sent a Bishop to Philipâ— King of France to intreat him to go fight in Palestine and threatened him when he could not intreat him The King imprisoned the Bishop The Pope sent to require him to release him saying openly that the Kingdome of France was divolved to the Church for the contumacy of Phillip and his violating the Law of Nations and bid him Anathematize him and absolve all Frenchmen from the Kings Oath The King let go the Bishop but forbad all his Subjects going to Rome or sending any money thither and not enduring his insolency he assembled his Nobles and declared the Popedome void by Usurpation and unjust enterance of Boniface and appealed to a Council He Coyned money with this Inscription Perdam Babilonis nomen The Pope called a General Council where he gave the Kingdom of France to Albert the Emperour Anathematizing the King The King would not play with him but sends Sciarra and Nogarete to Italy to proclaim his Appeal But Sciarra in a mean habitâ— gets together many friends that the Pope had oppressed and surprizeth him in his Fathers house breaketh open the doors carrieth him from Avignia to Rome a Prisoner where the thirtieth day he died of grief of whom saith Platina Thus died Boniface who endeavoured more to put terrour than Religion into Emperours Kings Princes Nations and People and to give Kingdomes and take them away to expel men and reduce them at his pleasure unspeakably thirsting for gold which way ever to be gotten Let all Princes Ecclesiastical and Secular saith he learn by this mans example to go before the Clergy and people not proudly and contumaciously as he did but holily and modestly as Christ and his disciples and true imitators and choose rather to be loved than feared from whence the ruine of Tyrants deservedly cometh § 235. Anno 1297. CCCCLII Bin. saith a Council Lugdunense decreed that Princes should not tax their Clergy nor the Clergy pay them without the Popes Consent § 236. Anno 1302 CCCCLIII The Popes General Council at Rome excommunicateth the King of France as aforesaid His Army follow their Captain Pope § 237. Benedict the 11th alias the 10th alias the 9th is next chosen Pope much praised who excommunicated Sciarra and absolved King Philip and died before nine Moneths § 238. Anno 305. Entreth Clemens the 5th the Bishop of Bourdeaux who called the Cardinals to France and setled the Popes Court there where it continued seventy years till the Church and great buildings at Rome were desolate and ruinous saith Platina In his time Albert the Emperour was kill'd by his Nephew Italy confounded by Wars The Pope curseth and interdicteth the Venetians the Florentines the Lucenses Requireth the new chosen Emperor of Luxemburge to come to Rome for Coronation He entereth Italy some Cities fight against him some yield At Rome demanding money they resist and it cometh to force and he is driven back After many bickerings and Cities taken he dieth as is said saith Plat. Poysoned in the Eucharist by a Monk Two fight for the Empire Lodovic Bavour and Frederec Austriae Lodovicus conquereth and maketh himself Emperour Clement burneth two as Hereticks maketh P. Caelestine the 5th a Saint writeth his Clementinus and dieth and again there was no Pope for two years three months and seventeen dayes § 239. CCCCLIV A Council at Saltzburge to get money Tenths for the Pope § 240. CCCCLV Another there Anno 1310. declaring some penalties § 241. CCCCLVI Another at Mentz to extirpate the Templats where some of them rusht in and appealed to the next Pope protesting they were killed and burnt wrongfully without being heard speak for themselves § 242. CCCCLVII But the great Council called by them the 15th General Council approved was at Vienna near France on this occasion King Philip having got the Popedome for Clem. the 5th made him promise to condemn Pope Bonif. the 8th and all his Acts When he had possession he found himself in a streight and Nicholas Cardinal Pratensis advised him to please the King with the hopes that a General Council would do it most effectually and to get the Council out of his Country and power which being done the Council frustrated the Kings expectations The King accused Pope Boniface of Simony Heresie and Perjury in forty Articles His crimes were not denyed but they justified him to be a true Pope and found him not an Heretick In this Council the Templars were condemned and put down and their Lands given to the Ierusalem Hospitalers or Knights of Rhodes which they say King Philip thought to have got some say the Templars were falsly accused of Heresies and the Masters and others burnt Others say truely The most probable is that some particular Men of them no new thing among Soldiers committed many Villainies and the rest suffered for their sakes In this Council the Heresies of Petrus Ioanâ—is a Disciple of Abbot Ioachim were condemned which were three 1. That the rational Soul as rational is not the form of humane bodies 2. That habitual grace is not infused in Baptism that is alwayes and to Infants 3. That Christs side was pierced with the Launce before he was dead In this Council the Fratricelli and Dulcinists were Condemned and also eight Heresies of the Beguines and Beguards which were these all for perfection which Quakers and some Fryars now seem to be too much for in profession as we all are in desire 1. That man in this life may get such a degree of perfection as that he may become impeccable or sinless and so to rise to no higher a degree of grace Else say they if one might still increase he might grow better than Christ. 2. That when one hath atteined that degree he ought not to fast or pray Because then sensuality is perfectly subject to the Spirit and reason so that a man may then freely grant his body what pleaseth him 3. That they that have got this degree of perfection and the Spirit of liberty are not subject to humane obedience nor bound to any precepts of the Church for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 4. That thus a man may get final beatitude in all degrees in this life as well as in that to come 5. That every intellectual nature is naturally blessed in it self and the soul needeth not the light of glory for the seeing and enjoying of God 6. That to exercise virtues is a note of imperfection 7. That to kisse a Woman is sin because nature needs it not but copulation is not because nature requireth it when one is tempted 8. That one ought not to rise and to reverence at the elevation of
of Alexandria till the days of Heroclas and Dionysius took one from among themselves and made him Bishop therefore they may make a Presbyter which is less 8. It s at last confessed that in Scripture-times there were no Presbyters under Bishops but the single Churches had single Pastors 9. No man can prove Ordination by fixed Bishops over many Churches now called Diocesan in the first Age The fixed Bishops had no more at first but single Churches Object But you never received power from the Bishop to ordain and therefore cannot have that which was never given your Answ. If they put men into that Office to which God hath affixed the power of Ordination then they do their part to convey the power As if you marry a couple and express not the mans authority over the woman yet he hath it nevertheless by being made her Husband So he that is made a Pastor in City or Country may do the work of a Pastor though each particular was not named Proposition 7. Ordination is ordinarily necessary as a means of our right entrance but not absolutely necessary to the Being of our Office or Power For 1. God having already setled the Office Duty and Power and what Qualifications shall be necessary and giving these Qualifications to men he hath left nothing to man but mutual consent and to judge of the person qualified and solemnly introduce him 2. God hath not tyed himself or us absolutely to the judgment of Ordainers If a Bishop ordain a Heathen or any man void of Essential Qualifications its null as being against a flat Command of God And if Bishops refuse to ordain us Pastors the people must take them without because the Command of Preaching Hearing Sacraments c. is greater than that of Ordination and before it Positives yield to Natural Morals and matters of Order to the substance and end of the Duty ordered See my Christian Concord pag. 82 83 84. 3. Ordination is no more necessary to the Ministry than Baptism to Christianity As those that are first Princes by Title must be Crowned and those that are Souldiers by Contract must be listed and take Colours and those that are Husband and Wife by Contract must be solemnly Married which are celebrating perfecting actions so they that are first heart-Christians by believing or by Parents dedicating them to God must be solemnly entred under the hand of the Minister And those that are by approbation and consent initially Ministers must by solemnization have the Office publickly delivered them by the Ministers of Christ. So that as a man is a Christian indeed before Baptism initially and is justified initially before and in case of necessity may be saved without it the Papists confessing that the Vow will serve so is it in the case of Ordination to the Ministry Proposition 8. It is only Christ and not the Ordainers People or Magistrates that give us our Office and Power Only the people and approvers design the person which shall receive it from Christ and our own consent and the peoples is of necessity thereto and our own as much as theirs and the Ordainers do instrumentally invest us in it but the Power and Duty arise directly from Gods Institution when the person is designed Now I proceed to prove our Calling Argument 4. We have a far clearer Call than the Priests before Christ had to the Priesthood For they were not of the true Line they bought the Priesthood they corrupted Doctrine and worship and were of wicked lives And yet Christ commanded submission to their Ministry Ergo. Argument 5. If we have as clear a Call to our Office as any Magistrates on Earth have to theirs then we are true Ministers of Christ For they are true Magistrates and God is the Fountain of their Power too and its impossible they should have any but from him Or from him but by his means Officers have no power but from the Soveraign The Prince was at first chosen by God immediately as well as the Apostles were by Christ yet no Prince can plead an uninterrupted succession thence and if they may Reign without it we may be Pastors without it and yet I cannot say that we are without it though Princes be Kings were formerly anointed by inspired Prophets and were Prophets themselves And as the continuance of this is not necessary to them so neither to us The differences between their power and ours makes nothing against this Argument If Conquest or the peoples consent or Birth or directing Providences can prove their Title then Consent Ordination Providence with due Qualifications will sure prove ours were it not for fear they should soon hear the Arguments more set home against themselves that are now bent against the Ministers Argument 6. If besides all this God own us by such a blessing on our labours that he maketh us the means of propagating and continuing his Gospel and Church and brings most of his chosen to Vnion with Christ Reconciliation Holiness and to Heaven by our Ministry then certainly we are his true Ministers But experience assureth us of the former therefore so much for Argument Proposition 9. If a Minister be in quiet possession of the place and fit for it the people are bound to obey him as a Minister without knowing that he was justly ordained or called Argum. 1. We must obey a Magistrate without assurance of his Call and Title Rom. 13. therefore a Minister 2. Christ commanded hearing and obeying them that were not called as God appointed because they were Priests or sat in Moses Chair and taught the truth Luke 16. 29. Matth. 23. 2. Luke 5. 14. Matth. 8. 4. Mark 1. 44. 3. Else the people are put upon impossibilities Can all the poor people tell before they submit to a Minister what is Essential to his Call and whether he have all that is so and whether his Orders be true or forged and whether they that ordained him were truly ordained or chosen themselves Not one of twenty thousand knows all this by their Pastors Proposition 10. The Ordinances are valid to the people when the Minister is uncalled and unordained if they know it not He that hath no just Call shall answer for what he doth as an Intruder but the people shall have for all that the fruit of his Ministration and Preaching and Baptism and other acts shall not be null to them 1. The Papists themselves confess this 2. Else scarce a man could tell whether he be baptized or may use any Ordinance because he cannot have an exact account of the Ministers Call no nor know that he is indeed a Christian. I knew divers in the Bishops days that forged themselves Orders and acted long before it was discovered 3. It is the Office which is Gods Ordinance that is blest and valid to the people and not his Call only 4. It is he that sinneth that must suffer and not the Innocent therefore his sin depriveth them not of their due 5.
of 12 Bishops They are mostly forbidding Bishops to take money for their Ordinations Consecrations and other Actions And the first Canon requireth them to walk to all their Parishes and see that the Clerks did things rightly that Catechumens learnt the Creed and to preach to the People to forbear Murder Adultery Perjury False-witness and other mortal Sins to do as they would be done by and to believe the Resurrection Judgment and Recompence according to Works § 40. CLXXXIV An. 572. a Concilium Lucense did receive from Martin Bishop of Braccara 84. old Canons of which the 67th was against reading Apocrypha or any thing but the Canon of the Old and New Testament in Church § 41. After Iustinian's death his Sisters Son Iustinus was Emperor a sensual and covetous man who murdered presently a Kinsman of his own name upon suspicion that he was too great yet he drew up a good Profession of Faith exhorting all the Bishops to agree in it But Chosroes King of Persia invaded his Empire because the Greater Armenia which was then under the Persians as the Lesser was under the Romans to avoid the Persians persecutions had revolted to the Empire and destroyed their Rulers The Persians conquered so much of the Eastern part of the Empire and Iustine's Soldiers made so little resistance as drove him out of his wits and his Wife by intreaty got the Persians to make a Truce Tiberius was then made Caesar and afterward Emperor upon Iustine's death and Iustinian his Captain repelled the Persians and recovered much of what they had conquered § 42. An. 576. Divers Kings of France by War among themselves destroyed Churches and confounded all and a Council at Paris was called but in vain to have persuaded them to Peace § 43. After Benedictus Pelagius 2d was Bishop at Rome Tiberius an excellent Emperor quickly dyed and by his choice Mauritius succeeded him Pelagius by Gregory his Deacon wrote against the Bishops that would not condemn the tria Capitula And when all his writings prevailed not he got Smaragdus the Exorchate to force them by the Sword The great remedy which Rome hath trusted to § 44. CLXXXV Mâ—â—veus Son and Heir to Chilperic King of France marrying his Uncles Widow offended his Father and fled to St. Martin's Church at Tours and forced Bishop Gregory to give him the Sacrament The King could not get the Bishop to deliver him up he fled and the King called a Synod at Paris to judge Pretextatus a Bishop whom he accused for marrying him and confederating with him § 45. CLXXXVI The two Bishops forenamed Salonius and Sagittarius being again accused of Adultery and Murder and being freed by professing Repentance King Guntheramus called a Cubilone Synod and accused them of Treason and so deposed and banished them § 46. CLXXXVII An. 582. King Gunthram called a Synod at Mascou to revive the old Canons for restraining the Lust and Vices of the Bishops and Clergy § 47. CLXXXVIII An. 583. A Concil Brenacense is called to try Gregory Bishop of Tours falsly accused of charging the Queen of living in Adultery with a Bishop an Archdeacon and a Deacon bore false Witness but all came to light and Gregory was cleared by his Oath § 48. CLXXXIX An. 587. A Council at Constantinople increased the Church-divisions which continue to this day wherein Iohn Bishop of Constantinople was decreed to be called The Universal Bishop which Pope Pelagius could not endure O what hath this Question done to the World Who shall be the chief or greatest So much of the image and work of Satan hath been found in the professed Servants of a crucified Saviour and in those that have worshipped the Cross In this Synod Gregory Bishop of Antioch was tryed and acquitted of a false Accusation of Incest with his Sister another man's wise § 49. Pelagius writeth against Iohn's Universal Title saying Universalitatis nomen quod sibi illicitè usurpavit nolite attendere c. Nullus enim Patriarcharum hoc tam profano vocabulo unquam utatur quia si summus Patriarcha Universalis dicitur Patriarcharum nomen caeteris derogatur Sed absit hoc absit à fidelis cujusquam mente hoc sibi vel velle quempiam arripere unde honorem fratrum suorum imminuere ex quantulâcunque parte videatur Quà propter Charitas vestra neminem unquam suis in Epistolis Universalem nominet ne sibi debitum subtrahat cum alteri honorem offert indebitum Adversarius enim noster Diabolus qui contra humiles saeviens sicut Leo rugiens circuit quaerens quem devoret non jam ut cernimus caulas circuit Omnia qui soli uni Capiti cohaerent videlicet Christo per electionem pompatici sermonis ejusdem Christi sibi studeat membra subjugaâ—e Nec mirum quod ille tentater qui initium omnis peccati scit esse superbiam c. And so he goeth on exhorting them rather to dye than to submit to the Title Universal and resolving Excommunication against the User of it § 50. Binnius saith It is ridiculous hence to impugn the Primacy of the Church But Qu. 1. Is it not impudent after this for them to use the Title of Universal Qu. 2. Doth not this allow us to separate from them that usurp it Qu. 3. Doth not Pelagius here plainly distinguish between the place of Prime Patriarch which he claimeth and Universal Bishop or Patriarch which he damneth Qu. 4. Doth he not describe this damned Usurpation to be a subjecting all Christ's members to himself Qu. 5. Doth not the Pope now use both the name and thing as far as he can attain it Qu. 6. Did not Pelagius and Gregory know that Iohn did no more intend to put down all other Patriarchs or Bishops by this Title than the Pope doth Qu. 7. Doth not the Pope now claim that as by Divine Right which Iohn claimed but as of Humane Modesty can deny none of this § 51. CXC An. 587. Nine Bishops at Lyons repeated six old Canons about Women c. § 52. CXCI. An. 589. King Gunthram finding all things grow worse and that all was long of the Bishops onely saith Binnius called a Council at Mascou where the stricter keeping of the Lords-day was commanded § 53. Here Binnius noteth that Priscus is called Patriarch and that the Bishops of Venice Istria and Liguria continuing still separate from Rome chose Paulinus Bishop of Aquileia their Patriarch Quem sibi loco summi Pontificis supremum Antistitem constituerent Qu. Did the Bishops then believe that the Pope's Universal Government was essential to the Catholick Church And that none were the Church but his Subjects § 54. CXCII King Gunthram An. 589. by a Council at Valence setled his Benevolences on the Churches § 55. CXCIII An. 589. At Toletum King Recaredus called a Council and renounced Arrianism and recited several Canons among others that Bishops and Priests Wives might dwell with them but not lie with them And they
lament and condemn the practice of such as kill their children appointing them sharp discipline without capital punishment Had the Church power to free Murderers from death as they long did Was this holy Reformation The 11th Canon saith That they found that in many Churches of Spain men filthily and not regularly did Penance that they might sin as oft as they would and be as oft reconciled by the Priests c. Many reforming Canons were here made There were 67 Subscribers besides the King and of divers Cities two Bishops which was unusual § 56. CXCIV Passing by a meeting at Rome Another Council at Narbon was held by Recaredus who brought over the Goths from Arrianism § 57. The Emperor Mauritius though a great and excellent person was ruined by the mad and uncurable mutinies of his Soldiers and at last with his Family cruelly murdered by Phocas one of his Captains a terrible warning to Princes not to trust too much to Armies § 58. All this while the opposers of the Calcedon Council kept up and were divided in the East into many Parties among themselves Among others the great Peripatetic Iohan. Philoponus was their most learned Defender writing with such subtilty that the Natures really two were to be called One Compound Nature as the Soul and Body of a man are as saith Nicephorus was not easie to be answered by which how much of the Controversie was de Nomine de Notione Logicâ let the Reader further judge he that will see some of his words may read them in Niceph. l. 18. c. 45 47 48. his Notions made men call him a Tritheite § 59. Iacobus Zanzalus being a great Promoter of the Party many ever since have from him been called Iacobites And the divided Parties that opposed the Council called the other Melchites that is Royalists because they took them that followed the Council to do it meerly in obedience to the Emperor for it was not the Pope then that was the Master of Councils § 60. Among the Armenians also some raised the like Heresies about the Natures of Christ some thinking his Deity was instead of a Soul to his Body c. To which they added superstitious Fasts and worshipping the Cross and such like not pleading Reason but old Tradition for their Errors saying they had them from Gregory vide Niceph. l. 18. c. 53 54. But I must go forward § 61. Pelagius dying Gregory called Magnus succeeded him at Rome He continued the Controversie about the Title of Universal Bishop writing many Epistles against it He flattered Phocas the murderous Tyrant with a Laetentur Coeli exultet Terra c. yet was one of the best and wisest of their Bishops He sent Augustine into England who oppressed the British Church and converted the Saxon King of Kent He introduced more Superstitions and greatly altered the Liturgy Of which read Mr. T. Iones of the Hearts Sovereign § 62. CXCIV A Concilium Hispalense of eight Bishops recited three Canons § 63. CXCV. Mauritius before his death desired Gregory to call a Synod at Rome to draw in the Western Bishops that separated and to cast them out if they disobeyed which he did and they refusing his Summons Severus of Aquileia and other Bishops were ruined They thought God destroyed Mauritius for persecuting them Gregory thought God would have them destroyed as Schismaticks The Bishops of Rome for near an hundred years were forced the more to please the Emperor because their own Bishops had cast them off and set up another Head against them § 64. CXCVI. An. 590. A Concil Antisiodorense made divers Canons against Superstitions and some too superstitious as that Women must not take the Sacrament in their bare hands c. § 65. I find it so tedious to mention all the little Synods that henceforth I shall take but little notice of them but of the greater only One under Recaredus at Caesar-Augusta made three Canons about the Arrians One in Numidia displeased Gregory § 66. A Council at Poitiers was called on occasion of two Nuns daughters to the King of France that broke out of the Nunnery with many more and accused the Abbess and got men together and stript her stark naked and drew her out and set all France in a Commotion and were forced to do Penance A Council was called at Metz to reduce the Bishop of Rhemes convict of Treason for Bishops that were Traytors or Murderers were not to dye A Synod at Rome under Gregory absolved a Priest of Calcedon condemned by Iohn of Constantinople what one did the other undid An. 597. Under King Recaredus 13 Bishops made two Canons for Priests Chastity c. Another under him An. 598. A Concil Ostiense made two such more An. 599. A Council at Constantinople did we know not what An. 599. Under King Recaredus 12 Bishops at Barcinon made four Canons against Bishops Bribery c. A Council of 20 Bishops 14 Presbyters and 4 Deacons at Rome made a Canon for Monks Another there An. 601. against a false Monk Another at Byzacen against a Bishop Another in Numidia about a Bishop and a Deacon § 67. Gregory dying Sabinian succeeded him who reproached him and would have had his Books burnt as unsound saith Onuphrius And saith Sigebert Gregory appeared to him in a Vision and reproving him for that and Covetousness knockt him on the head and he dyed § 68. Boniface 3d succeeded chosen by Phocas the Murderer who hating his own Bishop of Const. Cyriacus ordered that Rome should be the chief Church § 69. A Council at Rome forbad chusing a Pope till the former had been three days dead because they sold their Votes for money § 70. Boniface the 4th is made Pope and Phocas giveth him the Pagan Temple called Pantheom for Christian Worship In his time Phocas was killed by Heraclius as he had kill'd Mauritius § 71. An. 610. A Council at Toletum under King Gundemar about the Bishop of Toletum's Primacy which the King setleth by Edict § 72. A Council at Tarraca under King Sisebutus took the shortest way and only confirmed what had been before done for Priests Chastity § 73. Deus dedit was next Pope in whose time the Persians conquered Ierusalem and carried away the Bishop and they say the Cross. § 74. Boniface 5th succeeded Heraclius the Emperor is worsted by the Persians who would not give him Peace unless the Empire would renounce Christ and worship the Sun Heraclius overthroweth them Mahomet now riseth and maketh a Religion of many Heresies § 75. At a Synod at Mascou Agrestinus accused Columbanus of Superstition for Crossing Spoons c. but was refelled § 76. Seven or eight Bishops at Hispalis condemned the Eutychians and called them Acephali CHAP. VIII Councils held about the Monothelites with others § 1. BEing come to the Reign of Pope Honorius at Rome who was condemned by 2 or 3 General Councils for a Monothelite Heretick as Vigilius was by his own Bishops for an