bene of diuine institution hee would haue said first a Pope armed with two swords Temporall and Spirituall secondly Cardinals and so forward from Principallity to Principallity Hierarchicall But contrariwise Saint Peter forbiddeth his true successors all domination saying 1. Pet. 5.2.3.5 Feede the flocke of God c. not as hauing domination ouer Gods heritage but as being ensamples to the flocke which hee so ordaineth that saith he yee submit your selues euery man one to another 2. Cor. 11.5 12.11 Gal. 2.9.11.14 And Saint Paul witnesseth that hee was nothing inferiour to the very chiefe Apostles that Iames Peter and Iohn who were counted to bee pillars had giuen him the right hand of fellowship And indeed when Peter was come to Antiochia he withstood him to his face for hee was to bee reproued in constraining the Gentiles to do like the Iewes And if Saint Peter was reproued by one of his companions by a stronger reason was he bound to render an account to the whole Councell assembled in the capitall Church in which Iames sate Act. 8.14 namely in Ierusalem as wee reade in the Actes Hee also obeyed the other Apostles who sent him with Saint Iohn into Samaria Now note that Saint Paul saith not that Iames whom he nameth first Peter and Iohn were pillars but saith they were counted so noting the opinion of the vulgar for the holy building of the Church is not a iustice set vpon three pillars much lesse vpon one onely fantasy of man for to turne euery way but on twelue pillars that is to say the twelue Apostles as is said in the Reuelation Reuel 21. And Saint Hierome in the middle of the discourse against Iouinian hath these wordes The fiâ—menesse of the Church is equally foundâ—d â—pon all the Apostles Note hee saith equally Who also haue all of them for solide Basis that corner-stone of many refused the stone out of which springeth forth the water of life the stone besides which none can lay any other foâ—ndation 1. Cor. 3. Vpon which also both the doctrine discipline of the Apostles haue bene builded to wit IESVS CHRIST Wee reade also that the Apostles were assembled in the Church of Ierusalem Actes 17. a Church priuiledged aboue all others because that out of it haue come the Prophets and Apostles it was taught by the Maister himselfe sprinkled with his bloud honoured with his passion and marked with his sepulcher and of the same was the Apostle Saint Iames called by the Ancients Clem. Epist 1. the Bishop of the Apostles who remoued not thence though the other Apostles were ambulatory who was a Prince of the bloud royal cousin germane to our Sauiour and was president in the first Councell Act. 17.23 in which hee gaue his opinion last and collected the voices as wee reade in the Actes neuerthelesse hee tooke not vpon him for that any principallity For the letter written by aduice of this company beareth not the title of his name but of the name of all The Apostles and the Elders c. greeting Within the bounds of like modesty haue the holy Byshops of all Christendome contained themselues till the yeare sixe hundred and seuent and for proofe hereof we need but the Canon it selfe taken out of Saint Chrysostome which hath these wordes Whosoeuer desireth Primacy on earth Can. mult §. quicunque dist 4. shall finde confusion in heauen amd shall not bee found in the number of the seruants of God c. This Aristocraticall forme then of gouerning the Church by a common councell of Pastors and Deacons dured a long time in the Church so long as the persecutions banished the ambition of Priests which were in nothing different from Bishops For as for the place of Saint Hierome aboue alleaged Hier. Euagrio hee speaketh as hauing regard to his times wherein already the Bishop was distinguished from the Priest in that hee conferred orders which the simple Priest did not But it was not so from the beginning nor a long time after the Apostles Hier. 3. ad Titum And witnesse Saint Hierome himselfe vpon the Epistle to Titus saying that there was no difference of power and charge the one from the other and that it is by custome and not by truth of diuine disposition that such a degree is inuented And to proue that the Priest and the Bishop were one and the same person in the Church he alleageth the 20 of the Actes Act. 20.17 where it is said that Saint Paul sent from Miletum to Ephesus for the Priests of the Church Item that of the Phillipians where Saint Paul saluteth the Saints which are in Phillipi Phillip 1.1 with the Bishops and Deacons For seeing hee nameth many Bishops hee intendeth to speake of Priests because by the new order of such superiority there is but one Bishop in euery Citty Secondly if there had bene there Priests others then them hee calleth Bishops hee would not haue forgotten them seeing he omitted not Deacons 1. Pet. 5.1 Lastly Saint Peter not onely calleth them Priests or Elders to whom hee wrote but also calleth himselfe a Priest or Elder with them and a companion in the Presbitery Saint Paul also ascribeth ordina ion to the assembly of Priests and enioyneth the Hebrews to obey not one sole Bishop but their ouer-seers And if among the Apostles there had bene some greater then others it would not haue bene said I am of Cephas and I of Apollos for either they would haue reclaimed the greatest or hee that had an inferiour Pastour would haue bene still But this Aristocraticall forme hauing displeased some passed to the great Citties who would attribute to themselues some second prerogatiue aboue Bishops and to haue Patriarches of equall authority namely in Ierusalem Antioch Alexandria and Rome Which the Synode Nic. syn c. 6. held about the yeare 400 of our Sauiour winked at Soone after the Emperours hauing translated their seate to Constantinople by reason of the warres of Italy this dignity was communicated to the Bishop of the place Zeno in l. decreuimus 16. l. priuilegia 17. C. de sacros Eccl. Iust Nou. 123. c. 9. de sacros Episcopis l. 24. Constinopolitana C. de sacros Ecclesijs l. Certissimè 34. C. de Episc aud yea greater by measure as ambition grew Thence came a law of Zeno their Emperour in the yeare 476. another of Anastasius by which the Church of Constantinople is exalted and priuiledged aboue others As Mother of the Orthodoxall Churches And Iustinian ordaineth that all Bishops of what Prouince soeuer they bee should repaire to the Bishop of Constantinople and in the Law 24. That the Church of Constantinople is the head of all others And not onely the said Church is called Mother but the Patriarke of Constantinople is called Oecumenicall that is to say vniuersall and superiour to all others in two diuerse Lawes L. Cum velimus 7. C. de summa trinit
40. can nemo causa 9. q. 3. Gal. 2. Act. 11. assembled together or separately who dare not say to him why doest thou whatsoeuer seemeth him good Against the practise of S. Peter who receiued the reproofe of S. Paul rendred a reasoÌ„ to the Church of Ierusalem for that he had Preached the Gospell to the Gentiles Wherefore Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome in the yeare of our Lord sixe hundred and foure compared such a (b) Greg. li. 4. Epist 82. ad Iohan. â—eâ—unatore Pa riarch Constantinopolit Idem lib. 6. c. 194. registro ad Mauritiâ— man to Lucifer who said in the 14 of Esay that hee would mount aboue the starres For saith he what else are the Bishops of the Vniuersall Church thy brethren but starres of heauen before whom thou wouldest preferre thy selfe by a high name to wit Bishop of Biâ—hop what other thing sayest thou but that which Lucifer said I will ascend vp to heauen and will exalt my throne aboue the starres of heauen For this great Gregory knew that which Saint Peter from the Lord IESVS had commanded in his Catholike Epistle 1. Pet. 5. Bee yee subiect one to the other and enioineth Pastors to feed their flocks not as hauing domination ouer the Churches 1. Cor. 14.12 and Saint Paul declareth that the Spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Spirit of the Prophets But these Doctors of nouelty puffe vp the pride of a man and hurt charity saying Can. si Papa dist 40. Let no man presume to reproue him though hee leâ—de infinite companies of soules with him for to suffer eternâ—ll paines with the first slâ—â—e of hell These are the very wordes of the Cannon Because saith Bellarmine Bel. de Pont. l. 4. c. 2. God permitteth not that the Pope should define any thing without reason insomuch that they hold that if the Emp rour the Kings Can. Nemo iudicabit Can. 9. q. 3. the Clergy al the people were together they should not haue the power to iudge such a man 2 The second degree is to set himselfe aboue the CouÌ„cel aboue the clergy in body for seeing God promiseth to be present in the midst of them which are assembled in his name Mat 18.20 Moscon de maiestat milit Eccl. l. 1. c. 1. p. 27 Ioh. Selua li. de Beneficijs part 4. pag. 8. in 28. tract tomo 15. part 1. fol. Iacobatius de Concil lib. 1. art 1. num 36. That man which setteth himselfe aboue this company whereof the holy Ghost is president and moderator exalteth himselfe aboue that which is called God So Mosconius holdeth that the popes opinion must rather bee stucke vnto then to the opinion of all the rest of the world besides contrary thereto And that one may appeale from the Councell to the pope but not from the decree of the pope to the decision of the Councell this is said by Iohannes Selua a Spaniard Baron in paraenet 3 Angels are said to bee of God and his messengers of these same writeth Cardinall Baronius against the Venetians Know yee not that wee shall iudge the Angels Abusing the place which speaketh of all the faithful and not of Church-men onely which faithfull as assistants of the Iudge IESVS shall sit at his right hand in the day of iudgement shall assist at the condemnation which our Sauiour shall pronounce against the wicked and against the euill Angels saying Go yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels 4 The Apostles are also said to bee of God hee which receiueth you receiueth mee Neuerthelesse they exalt this power aboue the Apostles saying that according (a) Cap. pro pasuit 4. li. 3. decreta tit 8. de coÌ„cession praeb gl verbo dispensare c. to the fulnesse of power of right he may dispense aboue the Law yea that hee may dispense (b) Gl. verbo fiat Can. lector 34. dist against the Apostle Item against the Canons of the Apostles (c) Can. Presbyter dist 82. Although saith that Canon according to them same a Priest that is a fornicator ought to bee deposed neuerthelesse not without the authoritie of Syluester Neither can that euasion serue their turne which say that the pope (d) Vide gl cap. authoritatem cau 15. q. 6. dispenseth of the Gospell in interpreting it For first of all who euer heard dispensation called an interpretation of the Text Secondly if it be by way of interpretation why is it rather deferred to the pope then to Sorbonists of Paris who haue better skill then hee But I deny that such interpretation as he giueth by dispensation is lawfull neither yet for the whole Church in body seeing it is God alone that commandeth and the Churches part is to obey to heare the voyce of the Bridegroome and to learne of him in silence and this the Iuris-consults can tell It pertaineth vnto him alone to enterpret the Law which hath the * L. 12. Si Impeâ—tis c. de legibus Si enim in praesenti leges condere soli Imperatori concessum est leges interpretari solodignum Imperio esse oportet Nehem. 8. right to make it The reason is because he that enterpreteth it maketh himselfe aboue the Law for after hee hath giuen his opinion hee will bee followed rather then the Letter which shal no more be enquired after Wherefore Nehemias made the people vnderstand the Scripture not after his owne fantasie but by reading the same that is to say by the Scripture it selfe 5 The Law likewise is of God being written with his owne finger and forbidden to adde to or diminish it as touching the substance and matter neuerthelesse the second commandement is cut off in many Masse-bookes and Popish Psalters Synod Ausburg anno 1548. and that by the decree which the Pope caused to be made in the Synode of Ausburg quite racing out this commandement Thou shalt make thee no grauen image neither any similitude of things that are in heauen aboue c. 6 The Gospell likewise is of God For it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth Rom. 1.16 Neuerthelesse these seducers hold that against (a) Can. Ideo permittente can 25. q. 1. v. glos capitis proposuit de concess praeb tit 8. lib. 3. decret in verbo dispensare the generall Law the Pope may giue priuiledges They also esteeme it a greater crime and they punish him more seuerely that transgresseth the Popes decree in eating flesh without dispensation in time of Lent then if hee were a theife murtherer and adulterer altogether Wherfore these wordes are inserted in the Canon (b) Cap. Honoratus 74. dist not making account of the commandements of God but euen despising our letters And that becausé they make so great estimation of the Canons and doctrines of the Pope that such as dare voluntarily transgresse the same Can. violatores
by the vsurpation of the Gothes and Vandales Rome hauing bene in a short time thrice sacked the yeare 414. vnder Honorius by Alaricke in the yeare 459. vnder Martian by Gensericke King of the Vandales and lastly by Totilla King of the Gothes in the time of Iustinian who expelled thē in the yeare 552. But the King of Lombardes dispossessed him and held Italy two hundred yeares after till he was expulsed by Charles the Great During which hurliburlies there remained to the Emperour the Exarchate of Rauenna of which place the Bishop in the yeare 558. would haue attributed to himselfe the name of Vniuersall Byshop because hee alone in Italy acknowledged the Emperour On the contray the Bishop of Constantinople pretended this authority because of the seate of the Empire Which ambition Gregory the great Bishop of Rome a learned and good man blamed in many of his writings saying Greg. 16. Epistol Indict 15. Epist 194. 288. c. That he should be the Anti-christ which would seeme God ouer all men but that hee was his fore-runner which exalted himselfe aboue Priests Whence it followeth that the first degree of Anti-christian ambition was to exalt himselfe aboue his fellow-officers in the Church and that the accomplishment of this mysterie is to exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God 2. Thes 2. or which is adored Notwithstanding Boniface the third successour of Gregory was not of this opinion but receiued the title of Vniuersall Byshop by meanes of Phocas who hauing slaine the Emperour Mauritius and his family vsurped the Empire and made himselfe Lord of Constantinople CHAP. V. The Christian Kings are grounded in title and possession of the rights and authority aboue declared PHARAMOND the first King of French-men beganne to raigne in the yeare foure hundred and seuenteene Three of his successours were Pagans Du Haillan in the end of the raigne of Clouis Clouis was the first Christian he came to the Crowne in the yeare 484 and continued in possession of the Royall authority before spoken of For he assembled a counsell at Orleans in which were many Prelates namely 32. Bishops and caused two Monkes guilty of high Treasō to be executed In the same manner continued his Successours vntill Boniface the third which may bee said to haue bene the first Pope For as touching the name it was before common to other Prelates as Saint Hierome in many of his Epistles calleth Saint Augustine Hier. Epist ad August to 2. and Alipius by the name of Popes as the name of Priests and Bishops were taken in the same signification for said Saint Hierome Hier. Euagrio Vbique fuerit Episcopus siue Romae c. siue Regij eusdem est meriti sacerdotij c. What is the Byshop more then the Priest except the ordination c. Euery Byshop whether hee bee of Rome or of Alexandria hath like merite and the same Priest-hood richesse nor pouerty doe neither exalt nor debase the Byshop c. Notwithstanding after sixe hundred yeares the said Boniface the third then Byshop of Rome together with the name tooke vpon him the effect And as Adam gaue the name according to the nature of the thing and as in truth it was Boniface the third and his successors challenged to themselues the things after the abuse of the name Whence it is obserued by Historians Beda Sigibert c. Durand 4. rational Ado. Onufrius that he was the first that vsed in his Decretals these termes We will we ordaine wee command and enioyne Now that which hath very much aduanced such vsurpations hath bene the confusions of the warres of Italy and the negligence of our last Kings of the first race out of which King Pepin taking occasion to assume the Crowne and to trans-ferre it into his family made himselfe bee crowned by the Pope in the yeare seuen hundred fifty and fiue to the end hee might make vse of the credite that from those times the Pope had in the Christian Churches and that hee might the more oblige him to maintaine his cause he gaue to the Pope the Exarchate of Rauenna and that which hee holdeth in Romania And by this meanes these two Lords obliged themselues each to other without disbursing penny for the least Byshop in France could haue crowned Pepin as valuably as Pope Zacharie and the Exarchate pertained not to the King but to the Emperour Paul Emil. du Tillet others to mittigate whose indignation the King made that donation in the name of Constantine who was dead more then three hundred yeares before Which I report for to shew that the greatnesse of Popes proceedeth from the liberality of our Kings and that they should bee very ingratefull if they did not acknowledge it toward them Moreouer Pepin changed the ceremonies obserued in the Gallicane Church and brought in the Romane ceremonies by the mediation of Renny Arch-bishop of Reines About the same time arose the controuersie about Images which the Greek Churches would not receiue into their Temples Epiphanius Byshop of Salamina tare in peeces a picture set vp in the Temple and Serenus Byshop of Marseille beate downe an image The Emperour Phillipicus surnamed Bardanes maintained himselfe in the right of Kings and in the yeare 713. made a decree concerning Images which dured till Constantine the second who confirmed it in the yeare 782. whereat his mother Irena being prouoked as superstition easily inciteth weake mindes shee assembled a Councell at Constantinople during the Emperours minority for to establish her Images but the people opposed themselues thereunto and chased away the Prelates which afterwards were assembled againe by this woman at Nice but when shee could not install her Images shee put out the eyes of the Emperour her sonne and sent him into exile in which hee died Meane time in the yeare 776. King Charles the Great passed into Italy subdued Didier King of the Lumbardes tooke him prisoner and brought him to Lyons and soone after being requested by Pope Leo to deliuer him from the hand of Campul and Syluester his enemies hee went thither and by the same meanes made himselfe bee crowned Emperour and confirmed to the Pope the donation of King Pepin his father and from that time forth by trans-action betweene the King and the Emperour the Empire was diuided and the westerne part remained to Charlemaigne who approued not the decisions of the Greekish Synode but wrote a booke entituled a Treatise of Charlemaigne against the Greekish Synode touching images which booke is extant to this day But that which serueth to our purpose is that the King by this meanes maintained himselfe in possession to make Lawes for the Church of which there are many in a booke called the Capitularie decrees of Charles the Great And as Pepin his predecessor had done in the Cittie of Bourges so did hee also assemble many Councels in diuers places of his kingdome as at Mayence at Tours at Reines at Chaalons
at Arles and the sixt most famous of all at Francfort in which he himselfe was present in person and there condemned the errour of Felician and the Councell of Nice falsely called the seuenth generall Councell Sigeb in the yeare 773. Now in this place it is worth the obseruing that the election of Byshops and Arch-bishops yea of the Bishop of Rome was subiect to the confirmation of the Emperour for want of inuestiture made by him they should not haue bene consecrate as the Canons do witnesse Can. Vota can Agatho 63. dist where wee read the confirmation of Saint Ambrose by the Emperour Valentinian From this ancient prerogatiue common to the Emperours it commeth that Charlemagine hauing parted the Empire and agreed with the Emperour of the East assembled a Councell at Rome that hee might make passe a new title in his person and an acknowledgement by the Clergy touching this authority to confirme Byshops which from all antiquity belonged to the Emperours his predecessors Whence it is manifest that the Popes haue absurdly termed this declaration and acknowledgement a priuiledge and fauour of Rome or gratification to King Charles the Great for it is a right and prerogatiue common antient and Diuine And at that time was made the Cannon Hadrianus Can. Hadrianus Can. in Synodo 63. distinct and after thâ—â— which beginneth In Synodo which truth is farre from the doctrine of the Cardinall Iesuite who would faine perswade the people that the authority of Emperours and Kings is grounded on the good liking and fauour of the Pope and that they cannot vse the same longer then it pleaseth him Now a while after crept in the question that so much troubleth the world about the interpretation of these wordes of our Sauiour This is my body For the cleering of which point and to know the meanes whereby a Christian man Communicates in the merite of the death and Passion of our Lord and Sauiour King Charles the Balde who beganne to raigne in the yeare eight hundred fourty and one went not out of his owne kingdome to seeke the vnderstanding of those wordes of the Gospell in the Court of Rome but consulted with one of the most learnedst Clegy-men of his subiects named Bertram a Priest whose discourse wee haue yet worthy to bee preserued for by it wee may learne that the opinion pretended to be new in these daies was as then esteemed most ancient And if it would please the Disciples of Loyola to referre themselues to this good Priest there would be no more disputing in France about the Sacramental words neither should wee debate so much about hoc est yea if they were sent for the peace of the Church Thus wee haue shewed how our Kings haue maintained their right and authority during the two first races in which time was preached none other doctrine then that of the ancient Canons which haue these words It is a generall paction (a) Can. quae contra 8. dist 93. in summa 94. dist c. qui culpatur 23. q. 3. textus gl cap. Si Episc 18. dist of humane society to obey the Prince Which was confirmed by the example of the King of Israel who commanded Hilkijah the high Priest and by the testimony of Saint Hierome saying Wee must (b) Cap. principibus 23. q. 5. be faithful to Princes and Superiour powers otherwise none can hope for reward at Gods hands Now among other Kings the Canonists themselues say that the King of France is the (c) Cardin. Clem. 1. pr. de immunit Eccl. King of Kings that he shineth among others as the morning starre (d) Bard. ca. 1. §. 1. de prohi feud alien Idem Consil 415. part 1. Notwithstanding the great extent of countries that the King of Spaine possesseth at this present by the meanes in history declared For yet at this day he is your Maiesties Leige-man both for Maiorca (e) Petrus Iac. in pract sub rubr de success regnum vers item noÌ„ aduertunt De Grassalio 1. iure li. 1. Regaliar a Fiefe of Magalon a Church of Gaule Narbonnois and for the Earledome of Flanders which belongs (f) Gaguin li. 4. 5. c. 1. Bald. Anth. statuimus v. iuxta hoc C. de Episc Cler. to the iurisdiction of the Parliament of Paris and is chiefest of the three Earledomes numbred among the Peeredomes of France Neither can the Kings renunciation being prisoner make to the contrary forasmuch as the feare of being still detained hindred it to bee a full consent and maketh the pretended ratification for the Kings children were then prisoners in Spaine Itaque semper suberat metus causa Imo per filios pater plerumque magis torquetur and the (g) Cardin. consilio 137. incipiens Redemptor Mar. soz consilio 53. example of the King of Cyprus serueth well to this purpose Secondly the King of Spaine caÌ„not preuaile with this consent because the right and iurisdiction thereof being a royall (h) Lucas de Penna l. quicunque 11. lib. Cod. de omni agro de sero demaine belonging to the Crowne cannot be alienated This royall dignity so high aduanced in euery kingdome was the cause that the Canonists made no difficulty as in these daies the Iesuites do to acknowledge the King for the Vicar of IESVS CHRIST in his owne (i) Felinus ca. cum non liceat de praescr Bal. cap. significantibus de off delegati Kingdome yea they entituled him corporall God and Gods (k) Bald. de loco prohibit feud alien de pace Constantiae delegate vpon earth these are their termes We haue had also many kings in such reputation with the Clergy that no Prelate aduentured to approue parricides or to absolue their subiects from their obedience but haue Canonized them and inrolled them in heauen Such do Hystories report to bee king Dagobert Charles the Great and Saint Lewis vnto which number mauger the enemies of the State wee will adde Henry the Great your Maiestes father an excellent and most valiant Prince and Martyr In like number is acknowledged in this kingdome certaine markes and testimonies of a speciall fauour of God granted to our Kings the gift of healing the Kings-euil the oyle of vnction the Flower-deluces and the Oriflambe or holy-standerd of France whereas all antiquity fabulous or true haue giuen but one Palladium to great Troy but one Buckler to stately Rome and but one signe of the Crosse in heauen for a presage of victory to the good Emperour Constantine Which prerogatiues acknowledged by Popes caused Innocent the fourth to grant tenne daies of indulgence (l) Thom. 4. sent q. 19. art 3. in sol vlt. arg gl in v. teneretur in proem prag sanct to them that should pray for the King and Clement added an hundred more Now for asmuch as the King of France is so absolute thence it coÌ„meth that his kingdome is not reckoned among the Fiefes for he doth
mā of sinne the things that pertaine personally and soly to our Lord IESVS CHRIST excluding all others for behold how a Bishop of the Councell of Lateran speaketh directing his speach to the Church and comforting it and promising deliuerance from Pope Leo the tenth Oratio per Simonem Begnium Episcopum Modrusien in sess 6. Lateran Concilij Weepe not daughter Syon for heere commeth the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid God hath raised thee vp a Sauiour who shall saue thee from the hands of them that wast thee and shall deliuer the people of God from the hand of persecutors O Lyon most holy wee haue expected thee for Sauiour we haue hoped that thou shouldest come to deliuer vs wee sigh after thee for the calamities and things that haue bene ill done wee cry vnto thee that thou maist finish our miseries reioycing in the hope of future victory and abusing the wordes of the Psalme which speaketh to God Psal 34. Fight for vs against our aduersaries take the sword and the buckler rise vp to helpe vs iudge our persecutors and deliuer the Tabernacle of thy Spouse which the hands of the wicked haue polluted Gl. can Non nos beatū dist 40. Thus high exalted they say that this man sinneth not not that he hath licence giuen him to sin but because such infirmity of sinne is taken away from him and that Saint Peter hath transported ouer vnto him his innocency and his merites Gl. verbo quis enim d. can nou nos dist 40. that it is a great sacriledge to dispute of his power and that the crimes hee committeth are excused as the theft of the Hebrewes the man-slaughter of Sampson and the adulterie of Iacob c. thence it commeth that they call his decrees Per tuas tit 32. extrac de maioritate obedientia Oracles and Diuine answeres his decrees are numbred among the holy and Canonicall Scriptures Which new proposition is wholly contrary to the ancient disposition of the Canons In Canonicis dist 19. taken out of Saint Augustine which saith Can. qui nefriat duobus seque dist 9. c. Ego solis dist 10. that we must distinguish of the authority of the Canons that is to say of the old new Testament from the writings of men how holy or learned soeuer they be which may be corrected by one more skifull or by the Councell but the holy Scripture cannot And yet the Pope challengeth like authority to his letters as to the Canonicall Scripture With like boldnesse proceedeth that which is said in the Canon that the Sheepe ought not presume to reproue the Pastor Can. Oues cau 6. q. 1. nor the people accuse their Bishop Notwithstanding Saint Paul admitteth the witnesse of two or three of the flocke Can. sors nō est cau 26. q. 2. By these decreees the writings of Popes are iudged more perfect then the Law of God or then the Gospell Wherefore against the saying of our Sauiour My yoake is easy Math. 11. and my burden light these men say that the Popes yoake must (a) Can. In memoriam distinc 19. be borne though it be heauy And forasmuch as the succession of Saint Peter seemeth burdensome to the Pope his flatterers attribute to him the Vicar-ship of the sonne of God excluding all other Bishops and Patriarches Cap. quanto li. 1. decretal tit 7. de translatione Episcopi vide gl v. veri dei cap. vnico de iureiur gl v. vicarium in Clement saying That hee executeth not on earth the function of a meere man but of a true God They say further that the Pope is able to change the nature of things that hee hath his authority heauenly that of nothing hee maketh something that his will sufficeth for all reason that none may bee so bold as to say vnto him why dost thou so that hee can dispense aboue the Law that of iniustice he can make iustice that he hath fulnesse of power And for his abhominations are quoted the texts of the Canon-Law And else-where it is said That euery creature is subiect to him Can. omnes dist 22. cap. vnico Ne sede vacante in extra c. 1. de constit c. 2. de translat c. fundahmenta 17. de Elect. in 6. Clem. dudū gl in verbo vndecunque de iudicjs in Clem. c. 1. that he hath the rights of Empire heauenly and earthly beeing Gods Vicar to whom the fulnesse of heauen and earth appertaineth From this ambition proceedeth that which is of the interpretation of the word Pope as who should say (b) Gl. verbo Papa in proemio Clement Papae by admiration so they say hee is wonderfull which is the name that the Prophet Esay giueth to IESVS alone (c) Esay 9. His name shall bee wonderfull and hee also calleth himselfe the wonder and astonishment of the world In consequence of which imaginary All-mightinesse hee shutteth heauen openeth hell deposeth Kings and Princes as it pleaseth him So he falsely boasteth of hauing dispossessed King Childericke the third the Predecessour of Pepin Not (d) Can. Alius 15. q. 6. gl v. iudicio can duo dist 99. so much for his sinnes as because saith hee hee was vnprofitable for such a gouernement As falsely doe they say that hee translated the Empire of the (e) L. gl v. diuinitus c. semper dist 69. alibi Can. venerabile extra de Elect. East into the West that he can dispense souldiers and subiects of the oath of fidelity due to (f) Can. nos sanctorum Can. iuratos milites c. 15. q. 6. their Soueraignes To bee short hee weareth a triple Crowne to represent the Trinity (g) Can. satis 69. dist Can. cuncta per mundu Can si Papa dist 20. Can. Nemo iudicabit Can. 9. q. 3. Sect. 4. de ceremon c. 6. lib. 1. tit 7. for he calleth himselfe God and to shew that it is not in the sence that other men are called Gods this is added That he cannot bee bound nor loosed by secular power nor of all the Clergy together because being God he cannot be iudged of men To testifie this all-mightinesse hee blesseth a sword on Christmasse night which hee giueth to some Prince his fauourite But he neuer sendeth them the Law or Gospell of God it is to bee thought considering the exploits of armes haue bene done in Bohemia and in the country of Vaux that the blessed swordes of the two last midnights haue bene distributed to the Generals of those sacred warres And as our Sauiour called God his Father Ioh. 17. Mat. 19.16 Holy Father so these men giue the superlatiue to the Pope Most holy Father Yea in abstracto Your Holinesse Diuine Maiesty Our Lord Vice-God And what would our Sauiour say to this who said when hee was in the world Why calst thou me good there is none good but God Whereby he would teach the man
hee spake to that hee should first confesse him to bee God before he gaue him the title of good But what should wee say if in the Kings chamber of presence some great man did cause himselfe to be stiled Your Maiesty Would he be excused of crime by such as haue authority And who is it perceiueth not by this the mystery and name of blasphemy foretold of by Saint Iohn Reuel 13. which should bee written vpon the forehead of such a head For whereas the chiefe Priest did weare vpon his Miter this inscription Exod. 28. Holinesse to the Lord This man of sinne will be entituled Holinesse of the Prelate of Rome Now seeing these Tiara's and ornaments more stately do publish abomination against the honour of the most High Let vs be rather of those lesser vtensiles of which Zachary speaketh on which is grauen openly Holinesse pertaineth to the Lord Zechar. 14. excluding all creatures 9 Yet this is not all for Kings also must be submitted vnto him Wherefore they say that the spirituall and temporall sword are in his disposition the one for to execute it personally by excommunications and Anathema's the other to cause it be borne by his subiects Lib. Extrauag communium c. Vnam sanctam de maiori obedientia See al that is alleaged by the glose of the chapter Nouit verbo iurisdictionem li. 2. decretal tit 1. de iudicijs Emperours Kings and Princes and bee drawne forth or sheathed ad nutum vel patientiam Pontificis according as the Pope will suffer it or make signe with the head for saith hee Wee declare and define that it is necessary to saluation in all things and in all places for all creatures to bee vnder the Bishop of Rome How is there any Article necessary to Saluation omitted in the Apostles Creed And neuerthelesse hence it is hath crept in the adoration of him reiected by Saint Peter who said to the Centurion (a) Act. 10.26 rise vp for I am a man also as thou art and by Saint Paul and Barnabas who rent their garments seeing that the inhabitants of Lystra in Lycaonia would haue giuen them an honour due to God alone (b) Act. 14. Wee are men as yee are And by the Angell who saith to Saint Iohn (c) Reuel 19.10 See thou doe it not I am thy fellow seruant Worship God And it serueth not to say that there is two kindes of worship and that men kisse the hands and garments and bow the knee before Princes for this kinde of worship is ciuill by reason of the homage due vnto them But Kings or Emperours doe not owe worship to the Pope for why more to a strange Bishop then to their owne Pastours which administer the Sacraments vnto them Yea why to either of them both seeing that ciuilly Kings and Emperours are greater then they all And as for religious worship that is alone referred to God euen by the Angels themselues Now to take away all equiuocation these new Doctors haue sufficiently expounded themselues one of the Popes Clerkes saying in an oration hee made to Leo the tenth incerted in the ninth Councel of Lateran in these wordes Your feete haue receiued voluntary kisses from them whose terrible hurts were feared that as before so againe is fulfilled in you the onely true and lawfull Vicar of CHRIST and of God this Prophesie All the Kings of the earth shall worship him and all nations shall serue him As if the Prophesies concerning our Lord IESVS onely should haue any other accomplishment then in his person or that religious worship ought to be conferred to man seeing we know that the humanity euen of our Sauiour is not adored of Christians but in as much as it is one same person with the God-head Wherefore the Creede of Ephesus translated out of Greeke into Latine by the Iesuite Peltanus hath these expresse termes Symbol Ephes Wee confesse that IESVS CHRIST our Lord ought to be worshipped wholly yea with his body but that he ought not to bee worshipped according to his body For the Arrians for this occasion were called idolaters by Athanasius Cyrill and Theoderet for that they worshipped a God which they said was created So saith Ireneus Iren. de incarnat cap. 25. CHRIST hath worshipped with vs yet he must be also worshipped for euery knee ought to bow before him but that is in regard of one of the natures And Saint Augustine giueth an example of it Aug. de verbo diu sermo 58. of the Kings Crowne being on the ground or vpon his head Now if religious worship ought to bee denied to all other humanity then to that which is personally vnited with the God-head who is hee dares challenge it but the God-man IESVS CHRIST Vnlesse it bee that man of sinne of whom it is written that hee should sit as God in the Temple of God 2. Thess 2. behauing himselfe as if he were God This is hee of whom Saint Hierome saith Hier. ad 11. c. Zachar. that the sword is vpon his right eye and hee boasteth that he seeth more cleerely in matter of the Sacraments then all the Prophets that haue gone before him For who is it vaunteth to see more cleerely but they which take away the cup as superfluous from the lay-people change the forme and matter of the Sacraments Can. Romanus de consecrat dist 4. c. praeter in fine dist 32. and adde vnto them twice so much as the sonne of God hath ordained suffering Baptisme to bee performed by a silly nurce keeper or midwife and approuing that which is conferred by a Pagan but the Sacraments that hee hath ordained are reserued to the highest in dignity among his Prelates and although this man armed with two swords sitteth in the Temple of God yet the faithfull are not bound to submit themselues vnto him but as soone as they perceiue the abuse they ought to imitate holy men in the like occurrence namely Moses and Iosias of whom one brake in peeces the Golden Calfe the other the brazen Serpent So the Prince and Magistrate may destroy idols and reforme abuses that they may saue the bodies and soules of idolaters The same did our Sauiour driuing the money-changers out of the Temple And if the tirranny and violence or hardnesse of the Apostasie bee such that one cannot bee in it without transgressing the Law of God and that admonition will not serue the turne the examples of Elias Micheas Isay and Ieremie vnder the Law and of the Apostles who turned to the Gentiles and the testimonies of the Doctors of the Church do shew what must be done So cryeth Ieremy Iere. 51.9 Wee would haue cured Babell but shee could not be healed forsake her and let vs go euery man to his owne country And wee need not feare the being schismatickes for such a separation for they are schismatickes which are the cause of separating Secondly in that the synagogue
earth Bulla Iulij 3. sess Latran Non Decembris 1512. giueth Law to Temporall powers in Temporall things for there is read a Bull in this same Councell whereby Iulius the second forbiddeth faires to bee kept at Lyons and will haue them bee kept in another Citty ad Gebenensem ciuitatem To conclude hee setteth himselfe aboue the Church which he prostrateth disheuelled at his feete and calleth his seate Babylon of which speaketh Saint Peter in his first Catholicke Epistle 1. Pet. 5. And to the end that in the mouth of two witnesses this truth may bee confirmed I will bring forth yet another Parasite that was Generall of the order of Preachers 2. Sess in Orationem Caietani and had for recompence of his blasphemies a Cardinals hat his wordes may bee thus enterpreted speaking of the Church It shall obtaine if you will and command it if you imitate the power perfection and wisedome of God Almighty whose place on earth you ought to hold not onely in honour of dignity but in affection of will Gird your swords for you haue two one which is vnto you common with other Princes of this world the other which belongeth in such sort vnto you that none can haue it but from you c. Set forwards set forwards happily destroy the nations that desire warre seeing you raigne Priest and King c. And speaking of the mercy of the Pope the same will make you most excellent aboue all the Kings of the earth ergo the Popes mercy is diuine it will make you worthy to be worshipped gracious a friend and most-like vnto God And because we suppose many of quality will come to this Synode by the mercy of God and yours c. Magne regnator Deúm tam lentus audis scelera Senec. Tam lentus vides ec quando saeua fulmen emittes manu CHAP. IX That the Pope exalting himselfe aboue Kings in the manner as Cardinall Bellarmine will haue it exalteth himselfe also aboue all that is called God in Temporall things THE Teachers of nouelties submitting peace and war obedience rebelliō of subiects to the wils of Popes remember not what was in the beginning and that which we haue aboue proued For when the Magistrate hath bene a beleeuer hee hath euer bene aboue the Church to reforme it both in head mēbers being the Guardian to whose trust is committed the Law of God whereof hee is to haue a Copie which is cleere in points necessary to saluation and if there be obscurity in any place it is cleered by the reading of the same Neh. 8. according as Nehemiah practised and of this forme of enterpreting we need none other witnesse then Pope Clemēt who saith that we must not take a sense out of the Scriptures Clem. epist 5. ad discipulos Can. relatum dist 37. c. but must take the sense of truth from the Scriptures and he yeeldeth the reason of it because all men may take from them a full and firme rule of truth And if some Christian Emperours would not take knowledge of Ecclesiasticall causes it followeth not but that they had the authority and right to do it Deut. 17. For not onely the Priests and Leuites which did their duty tooke knowledge of thē but also the Iudge established by the Soueraigne Magistrate So when Ruben and Gad Iosh 22. with the halfe Tribe of Manasses had builded an Altar neere Iordan it is said that all Israell gathered together in Sylo to examine the matter sent ten of the principall of euery tribe vnto thē So Gedeō being established Iudge destroyed the Altar of Baal c. Cyrus Esd 1.16 Neh. 1. Darius Artaxerxes ordaine that the Temple shal be builded againe Esdras Nehemias take cōmission from thē In like maner vnder the Gospel Constantine Valentinian Theodosius assemble Councels We will say they bee present in the Councell after the example of Constantine not to make shew of our power but to confirme the faith c. and it is chiefely said that they which were of the Senate made decrees Cyrill Also Saint Cyrill reporteth that the Councell of Ephesus sent to Theodosius and Valentinian for to render them a reason of what was passed touching the condemnation of Nestorius And the Councels of Aix and of Arles Art 3. In praef Conc. Cub wrote to Charlemaigne praying him to confirme their decrees yea they did beseech him by his wisedome Ca. 45. nō in f. praef mag Can. vtinā 96. distinct Also Pope Nicholas writing to the Emperour Michael acknowledgeth that when there was debating concerning the Articles of faith Emperours were wont to be present in Ecclesiasticall Assemblies According to this power of Emperours vnder the Law of Moses the Church hath bene reformed not in the members onely but also in the head Salomon deposed Abiathar and Moses reproued Aaron and Eleazer Constantius also the sonne of Constantine the great deposed Liberius though without cause The Emperour Otho deposed Pope Iohn the twelfth Plat. in vita Greg. 6. Abbas Vesp an 1406. Sigismond deposed three together at one time and Henry the third as many namely Bennet the ninth Siluester the third and Gregory the sixt The French Kings haue also deposed and created many specially Boniface the eight was displaced by Phillip the Faire who translated the seat to Auignon where it continued 74. yeares and there were resident in that place sixe Popes one succeeding the other by the appointment of the King And this right of deposing Popes is treated of by a certaine Chancellour of the Vniuersitie of Paris Gerson one of the most learned Sorbonists of those times in his booke de Auferibilitate Papae That is farre from being absolute Lords in Spirituall and Temporall things For if euen in Spirituall things lawfull Councels haue required the approbation and authorization of Emperours it followeth that the authority and Soueraignety is wholly theirs velitis iubeatis as in the people of Rome so farre is it off that the Pope or his Colledge can determine any thing soueraignely Also the Kings of France and the Gallicane Church haue preserued to themselues appeales as in case of abuse from such decrees yea so often as Rome abuseth her pretended iurisdiction the Lord Chancellour giueth (a) Can. filijs 17. q. 7. can boni principes 96. dist can Tributum 22. q. 8. letters in case of abuse Now wee must know that wee call notorious abuse (b) L. ob qua §. Idem l. 1. §. sciendum de Aedil edicto when the act that is made is voide when it is against the nature of the act or else made by a man that hath no power (c) Inn. Pan. dd Can. Cum olim de causa possessionis to do it so as that not onely by the authority of the Prince but of priuate (d) L. prohibitum l. defensionis doct de iu. fi li. 10. c.
truth the new Doctors belye the Gospell and hold it expedient that the humanity of our Sauiour bee on earth but not to gouerne the Church and make a sinfull and partiall man to gouerne it who sheddeth the bloud of them for whom IESVS CHRIST shed his bloud and will not haue men beleeue the truth which teacheth that the corporall presence of CHRIST the most perfect head of all men and his carnall gouernance is taken away from vs into heauen that so they might establish Liuetenants in a charge which no mortall man can or ought to haue after the Ascension of the Generall And as new Pharisies who expected a Messiah triumphing ouer Temporall powers and subduing nations by materiall armes these picture forth a successour with mixt power who is ashamed of the simplicity of the Gospell and is an enemy to the crosse of CHRIST which hee cannot endure but grauen or painted And since the Ascension of our Lord IESVS 1. Cor. 3.16 whom wee know no more according to the flesh these men will haue gouernours that are carried on mens shoulders succeding herein the opinion of the Israelites when Moses was so long in the Mount saying to the Priests Exod. 32.23 make vs Gods to goe before vs for as for this man wee know not what is become of him These are likewise those same which the parable of our Sauiour denoteth Luk. 19.12 saying A certaine noble-man went into a farre country to receiue for himselfe a Kingdome and so to come againe c. but his Citizens sent an Embassadour after him saying wee will not haue this man raigne ouer vs but the Lord being returned saith Vers 27. Bring hither those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them and slay them before mee So let it bee done to all such as will not continue seruants till the Kings returne who is gone to take possession of the Kingdome of heauen and to prepare a place there for vs that they may know that as the Iewes doe in vaine expect a Messiah triumphing in that manner as they would haue it so with as little ground they haue hoped for another Anti-christ then him whom the Iesuites paint forth with his double sword See more of this in a Treatise I haue made of Catholicke Vnity Chap. of the Church sect 6. Mat. 20.26 Mar. 10.43 Can. Constan seque dist And they in all the succession of the Apostles finding but one key of heauen would get the key of earthly Empire and as our Sauiour had said Thou art Peter these men adde Thou art Constantine Pepin and Lewis And because our Sauiour had forbidden superiority among the Apostles these men insert a Canon in these wordes The Emperour Constantine gaue this priuiledge to the Byshop of the Romane Church to be the head of all Byshops as the King is the head of Iudges And the following Cannons adde that hee gaue him also his Pallace his Crowne and Imperiall Ornaments because it was not (a) Idem habetur ca. 17. fundamenta li. 1. 6. decretal De Electione See the abhominations of this Canō reasonable that the Emperour should reside in the same Cittie where the Pope is and then to shew their thankefulnesse they forged that the Emperour was a leaper against the records of all Histories (b) Euseb 5. libris de vita Constantini Plin. li. 21. cap. 1. Mantuan lib. de patientia c. 30. cap. 1. Nesede vacante cap. extra d e consuet Clem. pastorali can 2. de re iudic And vpon this supposition or forgery they build that the Pope is appointed ouer Kings and Kingdomes and succeedeth the Empire vacant and may transport Empires from one nation to another and depose Emperours hauing the exercise of two swordes Behold how of one absurdity many do arise For first that same Donation is false as the learned (c) Hottom brutum fulmen cap. 12. Crimen falsi Hottoman verifieth by twenty sixe reasons And (d) Bartol Proemio digest nu 14. videte nos sumus in terris Eccl. ideo quod illa donatio valuit Bartoll himselfe saith it is true for no other reason but because hee wrote in the territory of Rome and therefore durst not write the contrary The best proofe against this falshood is that Constantius the sonne of Constantine neuer forsooke Rome and the dominions thereof but deposed Liberius Bishop of Rome who became for this occasion an Arrian and subscribed against Athanasius as Saint Hierome (e) Hieron in cap. Fortunatianus Catalogo scriptorum Ecclesiastic Athanasius in Epistola ad solitarium vitam agētes witnesseth But these Doctors must confesse that the great goods that Popes possesse haue proceeded frō the liberality of the Kings Pepin Charles Lewis Also in the confirmation (f) Ego Ludouicus 63. dist volater l. Geor. 3. that beginneth Ego Ludouicus there is no mention made of Constantine but only of Pepin and Charles the grand-father and father of Lewis Now the reason why this donation was published in the name of Constantine Du. Tillet was for that the Emperour tooke it ill as then that the King gaue away that which hee pretended to belong vnto him So this augmentation of titles hath caused the diuerse enterpretation of the word to feede either as a King in commanding or as a Byshop in preaching Aug. de verbo domini ser 20. tract 10. 124. in Ioan Cyril li. 4. dial de Trinit as Saint Augustine and Saint Cyrill enterprete it But Cardinall Baronius passeth further for he maketh to feed the flocke to be as horses feed on grasse saying against the Signory of Venice Holy Father kill and eate I know the word Feed signifieth three things to command as a King to exercise the Ecclesiasticall Ministery and the last to eate but the distinction is knowne according to the subiect whereto it is applyed As therefore it were impertinent to conclude for a King that hee is to Preach the Law of God and administer the Sacraments because the Lord said to Dauid 1. Kin. 2.11 2. Sam. 5.2 Thou shalt feede my people Israel so as wide from the purpose will the Iesuites cōclude that the Pope is to command ouer the Temporallity of Kings because our Sauiour saith to S. Peter Iohn 21. Feed my sheep for that is meant onely of the feeding for which hee had commission Otherwise it would follow by such equiuocations and abusing of words of many significatiōs that an asse turned out to feed in the third signification should be furnished with a Miter a Crosier staffe But to returne to our discourse with what audaciousnesse do they vaunt that the grounds of the Romish Bishops superiority ouer others is taken frō the law of God or diuine right seeing that it is the gift of the Emperour For if hee gaue it it followeth that hee had it before hee granted it and if the Pope receiued it frō