most strictly to him and neuerthelesse two of them at least doe but hold by a bare and verie small threed As the third also would stand in the like case but that beeing so neere and terryfying a neighbour of all sides vnto the Pope he holds him by the throat as they say being able to starue him to death with all the Consistorie whensoeuer he will but restraine the transportation of corne out of Sicily and other his dominions round about whereby he commandeth more then he is commaunded not perhaps more then hated if they durst shew it and neuer giues their holy Ghost leaue to sing any other song but that which hee sends him ready prickt from Madrid Now then if these men when they haue done al their vtmost power yea in the stretching of their loue filial duty enlarged kindnes beyoÌ„d that which they can wel warraÌ„t yet can they assigne vnto their father the Pope no more then a generall care of soules with a ministeriall direction onely for order and execution of Canons ouer particular Churches no power at all ouer the vniuersall Church in grosse much lesse ouer a generall Councell much lesse or in the same degree ouer the bodies of men by violence or any temporall punishment but by meere counsell persuasion onely And if not so much as ouer priuate bodies least of all ouer Kings and ciuill Princes which rather they allow and openly acknowledge to haue right and authoritie to commaund both Church and Church-men in some cases to which Princes all men aswell Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill must be most humble and faithfull subiects as being in so much as they be Lords of the territorie established by God Protectors and Defendors of the Church and of both Diuine and Naturall lawes with attribution of the materiall Sword to themselues only priuatiuely and exclusiuely from all others within their owne dominions What stop then any more deere brethren but that you shold gladly yeeld your naturall dutie and allegiance to your naturall king since ye are bouÌ„d to yeeld it euen to the froward 1. Pet. 2.18 That you should willingly giue him but that simple pawne of your loyaltie your oath the simplest that could euer be imagined vpon that great straight and necessitie whereunto the State was brought by that portentuous mischiefe which did once so nearely and daungerously threaten kingdome and vs all as you your selues haue bene most vndoubting eye-witnesses You shall not be Catholikes neuerthelesse and you know how little or nothing besides that is required at your hands your consciences are no waies pressed your thoughts are most free and your words thank God for it and your gracious King may freely expresse them In so much that euerie day some of you God forbid I should say all dispute as peremptorily speake as odiously decide as vnchristianly inueigh as publikely against vs and our Religion here in the midst of London to our selues and one to another to our owne faces as thogh they were in the verie middle of Rome or Seuil very farre from the pittilesse fiers of those hot Countries where they burn without remission not only such as speak the least word I doe not say against God for they let them alone but against the Pope for that is the greater sinne yea euen against those they can by any meanes discouer to haue had at any time any thought or bee able afterwards to haue it against him Onely all you may complaine of is that yee haue not as free and as publike exerâ—ise as we of the rites of your Religion And yet in some sort haue yee it by hooke and by crooke or by a soueraigne transcendency of grace so much haue euer all Magistrates of our Religion abhorred extreame execution of the lawes but being forced thereunto by violent attempts For shame therefore be contented Enioy peaceably that liberty which you may buy so cheape and rather loue the certaine quietnesse of your present estate then the incertitude of another which sure cannot be but troublesome Force not by an vnnatural rebelliouâ— wilfulnesse in so iust in so lawfull a matter your naturall and most gracious King to be most vnvnwillingly and with a great griefe to hâ—s heart more sharp against you then the sweet inclination and meeknes of his royall nature will beare I conclude with an addition to your further encouragement of some decrees d cided and set downe two hundred yeres agoe by the verie same Sorbonne against that false doctrine and such as seemed then to broach it a new whom they neuer failed to condemne and caused them publikely to aske pardon and make satisfaction as Frier Iohn Sarazin Iohn Tanquarell Florentin Iacob Thomas de Blanzy and sundrie others at sundry times did Which decrees yet now of late they haue caused againe to bee printed by their owne Printer Felix de Blanuile in S. Victors streete in Paris and bound together with this present booke with this title Of the power and supremacie of the Pope Against the Sectaries of this age Repeating once more the diffinition of the Church as it is set downe in the title page of this booke to point as it were with the finger that both sprung together out of one the same fountaine Whereby you may see how carefull they haue euer beene to dash the young ones of Babilon against the right rocke of the truth The decrees are these after a long rehearsall of the cause and ceremonies of Sarrazins recantation in presence of the Rector of the Vniuersity and whole scores of Doctors there named one by one as witnesses THat all powers of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction other then that of the Pope are from Christ himselfe in as much as concerneth primary institution and collation but from the Pope and from the Church for limitation and ministeriall dispensation onely That those powers are of diuine right and immediatly ordeined by God That we finde in the Scripture that Christ hath founded his church and expresly ordained other powers differing from that of the Pope That whensoeuer any matters bee ordained in a Councel the whole authoritie which giueth force to the decrees doth reside not in the Pope onely and alone but principally in the holy Ghost and the Catholike Church That by the text of the Scripture and doctrine of the Apostles wee see directly that authoritie of iurisdiction was conferred vpon the Apostles and Disciples when Christ did send them forth That the power of Iurisdiction of inferiour Prelates either Bishops or Curates is immediatly from God according to the doctrine of the Gospell and the Apostles That there is some power that is the power of the Church which of right and incertaine cases can decree against the Pope That any man liuing of whatsoeuer title authority dignity or preeminence hee may be euen though hee were a Pope if onely he haue the vse of reason may commit Simony Finally most heartily intreating you to take in the best part of this my louing
words As thou hast sent me into the world so haue I sent them into the world and for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe that they also may bee sanctified through the truth And a verse farther That they all may bee one as thou O father art in me and I in thee and may also be one in vs that the world may beleeue thou hast sent me And one verse after That they may be made perfect in one c By which words it appeares clerely That Christ hath not deliuered the infallible power of the Keyes somuch vnto Peter himselfe and alone as vnto the vnitie it selfe as S. Cyprian and S. Austen doe confirme 24. quaest 1. can Quodcunque can Loquitur can Alienus Moreouer Iohn 20.21 As my father sent mee so send I you Receiue the holy Ghost whosoeuer sinnes you remit c. Seeing then that true and reall mission is a conferring of iurisdiction by the authoritie of the Apostle Rom. 10.15 And how shall they preach except they be sent And Christ immediatly indiuidually and iointly hath sent all his Apostles and Disciples which did represent the Episcopall and Priestly order as he had beene sent of his father that is with a iust and spirituall authoritie necessary for the gouernment of the Church It followes That the whole hierarchical order consisting of Bishops Priests doth deriue immediatly yet in a proportion and subordination his power and iurisdiction that is his authoritie for the gouerning of the Church from Christ As in Fraunce inferiour Iudges and Magistrates although subiect to Parliaments deriue aswell and as directly their authority from the King as the Parliaments themselues For those that bee are ordained of God And had neuer beene so ordained if there were not some subordination betweene those magistrates and the Ecclesiastical persons And finally the testimony of Paul Acts 20.28 Take heede therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to gouerne the Church of God Which doctrine S. Bernard lib. 3. de Consider ad Eugen. cap. 10. dooth very cleerely make manifest Thou dost deceiue thy selfe saith hee if thou thinkest that as your Apostolicall power was ordained by God to be chiefest so also to be alone If thou be of that mind thou art not of his mind who said Rom. 13.1 That there is no power but from God Therfore that which followes Whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God though it make principally for thee neuerthelesse not singularly For the selfe same who said Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers did not say vnto the higher power as though they were but in one but speakes in the plurall as being in many VVherefore thy power is not alone from God There are some of the middle sort yea some inferiour And as they whome God hath ioyned must not be seuered no more those who are subiect to others must be compared to them Thou dost forme a monster if remouing a finger from the hand thou wilt haue it hang at the head superiour to the hand collaterall to the arme So is it if in the bodie of the Church thou placest the members otherwise then he hath disposed them * Ephes 4 11 who hath set some in the Church to bee Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Teachers for the perfit vnion of the Saints in the worke of the Ministery and edification of the body of Christ Let the Godly rather looke the whole chapter But if any happen to obiect that this power which Christ by an immediate missioÌ„ did transfer to his Disciples doth not so much concern the authority of the outward as of the inward Court The answere is that vniuersally al the ancient fathers of the Church haue absolutly expouÌ„ded it of whatsoeuer power necessary to rule the Church as wel in the inward as in the outward Court And that we are bouÌ„d a great deale more to giue credit to their souÌ„d decisions theÌ„ to the subtle distinctioÌ„s of some Noualists forged at pleasure more easily to maintaine enlarge their liberties extraordinary missions euen to the ouerthrow of common right Besides That the sum of the whole outward iurisdiction reaches no farther then to the power of excoÌ„municatioÌ„ which afterwards Sect. 6 shal be clearely proued to haue immediatly bin deliuered vp by Christ to the Church Yet perhaps they wil pretend that this power of iurisdiction was indeed ordained coÌ„ferred at first by Christ to the whole Church but with such coÌ„ditioÌ„ that it shold be afterwards coÌ„tinued coÌ„ferred to other Bishops by the Popes as successors to S. Peter And therfore now al authoritie coÌ„meth is deriued only from theÌ„ce But thus stop you their mouth That it is most apparaÌ„t by the practise of the primitiue Church by the holy canoÌ„s that al collatioÌ„s of benefices as they are now called haue bin 1400. yeares together made by a coÌ„moÌ„ right that is by holy elections The reason is because al principality so far as concernes coÌ„pulsiue power depeÌ„ds of the coÌ„seÌ„t of men â—s both diuine natural law do confirme against which neither length of time priuiledge of places nor dignity of persons can euer prescribe Which grouÌ„d being thus layed and setled of necessitie these eight next ensuing principles must directly follow The first shall vnfold the definition of the Church Which is a Monarchicall gouernment ordained to a supernaturall and spirituall end tempered with an Aristocraticall order which is the best of all and most conformable to nature by the greatest Pastor of soules Iesus Christ our Lord Who is the only King Monarch absolute Lord Founder foundation and essentiall head of the Church hauing an absolute and purely monarchical command ouer her And who although by his omnipotencie and infinite power hee might haue saued all mankind without the scandall of the Crosse neuerthelesse to confound and ouerthrow the power pride arrogancie and wisedome of the world And teach his Ministers to thinke most lowly of themselues Yet was pleased by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue that no flesh should glory in his presence Cor. 1.25.29 Whereof wee will treate Section 11. From whence we doe also inferre this Article of faith I beleeue one holy Catholike Church to bee of an euerlasting veritie seeing as long as the Euangelicall Law doth stand Christ cannot make any diuorce from the Church his Spouse Which cannot properly bee said of her Simbolicall and Ministeriall head the Pope Whome wee often see to bee absent and present for a time at least without destruction of the Church for who is ignorant that the Apostolike Sea hath sometimes three sometimes seuen yeares beene vacant So that the Commaundement of hauing a Pope is affirmatiue and not negatiue The second principle teacheth That Saint Peter is only the dispenser and Ministeriall head not the Lord Founder or foundation of the Church Titles which belong indeede vnto one Christ
been ordained by Christ to bee the Sheep-heard ouer the whole Church in these wordes Feede my sheepe and that by that diuine speech neither Apostles nor generall Councels are excluded being all Christs sheepe and therefore to be fed by S. Peter the Vicar of Christ To that we answere that by these wordes Christ did giue no other authoritie but ministeriall vnto Peter as we haue proued Sect. 4.5 and 9. And that the duty of a Minister and Vicar is to put in execution the precepts of the Diuine Naturall and Canonicall law but yet according to the rules of the Aristocraticall temper ordained by God And that therefore Peter is accounted a Pastor only for the execution of Canons administration of the word and other such things which may better be managed by one man alone then by the whole Church gathered together in a Councell Their second argument is That the whole Church gathered together in a Councell makes but one Familie one Flocke one Kingdome and visible bodie of Christ therefore must also necessarily haue a visible head the Pope and it would seeme a strange Monster if one bodie should haue two supreme heads the Pope and the generall Councell Wee answere that the Church is a Monarchicall policie tempered by an Aristocraticall Gouernement Whence of necessitie it followes that the Councell hath the supreme power for direction of Gouernement correction and authoritie to make Canons And as for Peter hee hath it only for the execution exercise and vse of the â—â—ies towardes the particular Churches Looke our Sect. 4.5.6 and 9. Thirdly they alleage that in the Councell held at Rome vnder Pope Siluester with 280. Bishops it is ordained cap. 20. Let no body iudge the first Sea which is desirous to temper iustice The Iudge shall not bee iudged no not of the Emperour not of the whole Clergie nor of King nor of People Which sentence Gratianus citeth 9. quest 3. Can. Nemo But if wee must needes tell you what wee thinke thereof whosoeuer wiâ—l duly consider that Canon shall euen at the first sight perceiue that it is more hurtfull then fauourable to the Aduersaries because the opinion of the Schoole of Paris grounded vpon the decree of the Synode of Constance teaches that the Pope may bee iudged by the Councell in that case only when he doth notoriously scandalize the Church and is incorrigible But if he be desirous to temper iustice truly he must be iudged of no body since he law is not made against a iâ—â— man being a perpetuall law to himselfe Secondly although this Canon should decree absolutely yet can it not derogate any thing from the authoritie of the decrees of the Councell of Constance since it was made in a particular Church which indeede ought not to iudge of the Pastor of the whole Church vnlesse hee submit himselfe to the iudgement of that Councell as once Pope Sixtus the third did 2. quest 4. Canon Mandaslis Therefore those wordes No not of the whole Clergie must hee vnderstood distributiuely of some Church or particular Clergie but not ioyntly of a whole generall Councell as that of Constance or Basill was Thirdly who is acquainted with the reading of Councells shall soone perceiue that there are many harsh and vnproper thinges in this Canon which make it iustly suspected of manifest iâ—â—eption For certainely in those times the Fathers of the Church did not speake so gloriously neither did the persecutions giue them leaue to thinke of any absolute power Moreouer what needes to haue spoken of Kinges since at that time there were none at all but only the Romane Emperors But thou Christian Reader we pray thee looke thereupon Cardinall Cusanus lib. 2. cap. 20. de concordantia Catholicas For all other authoritie which are cited out of the writings of Popes read 9. quest 3. there is no great account to be made of them since Iohn Gerson and other Parisian Doctors doe answere in a word That none is to be beleeued in his owne cause except his testimonie agree with the Diuine Naturall and Canonicall law But now it is contrarie to the law of God and Nature that the ministeriall head should haue power ouer the Church And surely the finall cause of the Church which is euerlasting life by a good gouernment declares euidently that the Pope is by the Church and for the Church not contrariwise The Church by and for the Pope Therefore in the matter of Ecclesiasticall gouernment that Cephas that was Peter is subiect vnto the Church as the eie vnto man 1. Cor. 3.21 Therefore let no man glorie in men for all thinges are yours that is of the Church Whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas c. Item 2. Cor. 13.10 All power is giuen to edification not to destruction From whence it ariseth as proued that the Church by the Diuine and Naturall law can prouide and preuent that the Pope may not rule her to her owne destruction as it was decided Conc. Constant Sess 4. and 5. Finally whereas they crie so loud that the Church hath an indirect authoritie ouer the Temporaltie it is true by way of doctrine perswasion direction and exclusion from the communion of the Church but false that it ought to be done by constraint and deposition of Princes as we haue shewed Sect. 11. 12 Seeing the Church hath neither Territorie nor vse of the materiall sword Whosoeuer therefore doe maintaine that the Church may lawfully depose Christian Princes doe euen as much as if one should inferre that the Schoole-master because he hath the authoritie of Scholasticall discipline may disinherite his Disciples of their partrimonie if they be obstinate against his discipline Which also is fallacious as being wrested à dicto secundum quid addictum simpliciter from that which is said in some respect to that which is affirmed simply For such thinges which are true in some one and peculiar sense ought not to be stretched to an vniuersall and absolute sense but by Sophisters and Iuglers only And if they vrge further that the Church is sufficient in it selfe and a supreme commandresse The answere is that that must be limitted within those bounds which be assigned by nature to euery thing But the essentiall causes of the Church will not suffer that church-men should meddle with violent or secular businesses Wherefore all the sufficiencie of the Church gouernment ought to be deriued from the obseruation of the commandements of God but not from any temporall Monarchie or right of sword Mat. 28.19 Goe therefore and teach all nations baptizing them and teaching them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commanded you and lot I am with you alwaies vntill the end of the world For the arguments which doe vphold this doctrine wee will reduce them to three heads The first shall containe all the examples which Sanders Bellarmine Coâ—queus and others set forth out of the old Testament but all ab ignoratione Elenchi through vnskillfullnesse of arguing Who is ignorant among vs that there is a farr different nature of the Iewes Sinagogue and of the Christian Church of the law of Moses and of the Gospell For these indeede had Territorie alloâ—ted them consequently might haue right of meere command from God which no wise man will euer affirme of the Church And to this that the Euangelicall law compared to that of Moses yea to any other law whatsoeuer is a law truly Roiall and full of mildnesse and most perfect libertie whereas the law of Moses was a most seruile bondage Act. 15.10 Gal. 4.3 The second head offereth vnto vs the authorities taken out the Canonicall law which Cardinall Bellarmine commended namely cap. 3. Synod Lateran where it is ordained that Kings and Princes are to be deposed which doe not roote out all Heretikes from their Dominions The answere is that these and the like ought to haue no more power against ciuill Princes then the extrauagant of Boniface 8. Vnam Sanctam or the constitution of Paul 4. Cum ei Apostolatus of siue which is to be read in the Directorie for Inquisitors seeing those decrees haue been made not Synodically that is with consent of the whole Church but by the Popes priuately and by their owne proper motion which therefore doe not binde because the Church is ruled by Canon not by absolute power Sect. 5. and 8. For the third head we denie absolutely that the deposition of King Chilperiâ— or the translation of the Empire to the French was by the only authoritie of the Popes without consent authoritie or desire of the people And though it were true as they say yet would it make but very little or nothing to the decision of our present Controuersie since it rather openeth a question of fact then of right as also the examples of the deposing of Henrie 4. Frederick 2. and other Emperous or Kings Let therefore our Aduersaries dispute of right not of fact for our Lord Iesus Christ hath ordained the Christian commonwealth to be gouerned by good manners and Canons not by examples The solution of all other arguments drawen either from holy Scripture or any where else may be taken out of the most learned Treatise of M. Iohn of Paris touching Regall and Papall authoritie Let all these thinges be subiect vnto the iudgement of the Catholike Church FINIS
A TREATISE of Ecclesiasticall and Politike povver SHEWING The Church is a Monarchicall gouernment ordained to a supernaturall and spirituall end tempered with an aristocraticall order which is the best of all and most conformable to nature by the great Pastor of soules Iesus Christ Faithfully translated out of the Latin originall of late publikely printed and allowed in Paris Now set foorth for a further warrant and encouragement to the Romish Catholikes of England for theyr taking of the Oath of Allegiance seeing so many others of their owne profession in other Countries doe deny the Popes infalibility in iudgement and temporall power ouer Princes directly against the doctrine of Iesuits To the PRINCE Printed by VV.S. and are to be sold by Iohn Budge at the great South doore of Paules and at Britaines Bursse 1612. To the Prince SIR THese are not now idle fancies of mine owne hot ebullitions of a French bloud youthfully sounding the charge long before the combate No nor of any one man alone neuer so wise neuer so temperat They are the graue disputations the sound decisions of a whole company one of the most famous as one of the most auncient in the world for diuine and humane learning Who now sets forth to the open view of all men what their opinion is about the Popes either lawfull or vnlawfull authoritie No more are they any particular imaginations or exact conclusions of Protestants the Popes open aduersaries or some other if there be any of his violent enemies who perhaps to forward in their owne way deny vtterly all the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome because he hath vsurped too much and would haue Rome totally ruyned because there are many abuses therein and not rather to be reformed by good lawes reducing order conueniency to their own auncient iust and lawfull vse Much like vnto that people that wholy forbids the vse of that good creature of God wine because hurtfull by accident rather then to temper his furie with water or moderate the quantity They are I say the too too gentle the too too indulgent determinations of the Popes best friends of his derest darlings nay of his owne strongest support in Fraunce by whome he raignes yet there and without whom he 〈◊〉 not haue an inch of credit in that whole kingdome Determinations which yet seeming to make good the reasons of the French Herald coÌ„clude ex obliquo at least to his Croisade makes mee the bolder to tender this vnto your Highnes to whome that other was also dedicated As a confirmation now by these wise men of those reasons which as his owne he did at that time esteeme more foolish then for the respect due vnto the assent of such persons hee dares euer hold them hereafter For indeed what shold we not boldly execute against him that with fier and sword open inuasion and secret treasons declares himselfe so violent and bloudy an enemie to vs though we not to him Wee I say right reformed Christians and Catholiks who rightly lightned with the shining truth of the spirit and the Scripture haue so lawfully shaken off that most vniust most vnsupportable iron-yoake of later yeares forged in the Church of Rome when wee see his owne men his owne maintainers so flatly condemne him But alas what order to bee taken I am not able to giue counsell much lesse to commaund Onely this my most harty prayer vnto the Almightie shal be as long as I breath I will neuer finish it till it bee finished or my selfe That now when it seemes that in these latter daies by frequent disputations the truth beginnes to cleere it selfe of those darke clouds of ignorance and thicke vayles wherein it had beene hitherto purposely wrapt and ouercast Now that it seemes that all Christians of all professions at least those of the better sort among them draw neerer then euer they did one to another and all to that happy medium wherein consists the true and onely hope of a general reconciliation it may please his heaueÌ„ly goodnesse to stirre vp and strongly moue all Christian Princes and Magistrates as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill to call together a good lawful and free Councel as generall as may bee wherein all absolute and necessarie points to saluation being considerately with brotherly loue and without animosity discussed wee may with common consent of all frame together a constant substantiall and vniuersall profession of our faith As without doubt it would be a thing most fit to preuent and auoid many scandals and easie enogh to be attained vnto if euerie one would leaue all peremptorinesse of his owne sence and cleaue to the right naked and vnpassionate truth It remaining for the rest lawfull to euerie nationall Church in things indifferent and not altogether absolute and necessarie to saluation differently to beleeue according to their best aduise and Christian libertie It is a thing which after God wee must solely and onely hope from the hands of that thrice-great King your royall father hee hauing a particular right to it by his title of Defender of the Faith as indeed hee makes himselfe euerie day more and more worthy of the same both abroad at home carefully suppressing heresies â—â—en in their birth there by his credit heere by his commaund there by his word of aduice here by his sword of Iustice Oh! what helpe our famous Henry the Great would also haue yeelded to this if those that did smell out some such purpose in him had not as vnluckely as traiterously shortned his daies But in that happie assembly let it not be forgotten for the first point and ground of all the following good to giue backe againe to the Catholike Church her ancient right and authoritie clipping the Popes wings of so much as he hath most tyrannously vsurped and reduced vniuersallity to his own particular For otherwise as long as that tyrannical vnbridled monstruous impious omnipotency which none can tell yet how far it runneth or can stretch it selfe be not limited within the bounds of reason I meane of the law of God there is no hope of reconciliation no hope euer of any good at all I doe not deny that the Bishop of Rome hath altogether no authoritie as from God Neither but that he may haue a great deale more by the free graunt of Councels or by the liberallitie of Princes That which hee hath as from God let him keepe it still in Gods name The gifts of God are without repentance Yea Rom. 11.29 let him keepe that which he hath lawfully receiued of auncient Councels as the first place among the fiue Patriarkes betweene whome the care of all the Churches of the world was friendly and almost equally diuided and to him by especiall assigned the care of these West-churches In which respect only the King makes no difficultie to call the church of Rome In his Maiesties first speech to the Parliament our Mother-church Let him also keepe that which auncient