first Church The Calumnies against the Primitive Christians The Politick Reasons of the Romans against it The first Church Government What persuasions arise thence Constantine could not quite alter the former State of the Church Of making Bishops Of Presiding in Councils Abuses in the Councilâ— Of the Episcopal Jurisdiction Concerning Marriages Concerning Excommunication The Origin of the Authority of the Popes Barbarity and Ignorance contributed to it The Causes of this ignorance S. Hierom's Dream The Pedantry introduced into the Schools The Greek and Roman Polititians prejudicial to Monarchy Why Rome was made the place of Residence of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy Metropolitans Patriarchs Of the Popes Power Further Increase of the Ecclesiastical Sovereignty What contributed to it The Popes Confirmation of Bishops Of the Monk Winifred Annals Riches of the Church The Policies of the Popes in the Croisade Multitude of Ecclesiasticks Fryars and Nuâ—â— Mendicants The Motives to embrace this manner of Life Prejudicial to the regular Clergy How the Church was freed from all Power over it How the Popes withdrew themselves from their subjction to the Emperours The Pope seeks for Protection in France The Pope withdraws himself from the Obedience of the Emperours and establishes an Ecclesiastical Sovereignty Pope Gregory excommunicates Hen IV. The Pope endeavours to subject the Emperour 1122. Disputes in England about the investiture of Bâ—shops 1107. The Pope prâ—tends to a Power over Princes even to depose them How they colour over this Power The Papal Authority opposed The Schisms much weakned their Power 1433. Hence an occasion taken to bridle the Popes Power by general Councils Concerning the Seat of the Popes being transferred to Avignon Luther gives a great blow to the Grandeur of the Pope The Vertues and Faults of Leo. Luther opposes Indulgences Afterwards the Popes Power The Circumstances of these times The Ignorance of Luther's Adversaries Erasmus favoured Luther The Princes of Germany dissatisfied with the Pope The ill Conduct of Leo and Cardinal Cajetan Why the Doctrine of Luther was not spread farther Divisions among the Protestants The Licenciousness of some Protestants The University of Paris Zwinglius and Calvin The Popish Sovereignty recovered The Bishops Priests and Monks more Regular and Learn'd than heretofore How they make Converts The House of Austria most Zealous for Popery The Temporal State of the Pope His Dominions His Forces How he stands with relation to Germany Spain and France Particular Constitution of the Popish Monarchy as Spiritual Why the Popish Sovereignty was to be exercised in the Form of a Monarchy Way it must be an elective Monarchy Why the Pope was to live in a State of Celibacy The Conclave What Qualifications are necessary for one that is to be chosen Pope College of the Cardinals The Popes enrich thâ—ir Kindred Cardinal Patroon Concerning the Celibacy of the Popish Clergy Their Number The Popish Doctrine suted to the Sâ—â—e As that of the Popâ—â—s Power The prohibition of the Laietya reading the Scripturea Traditions Venial and Mortal Sins Penance Merit of good Works Ceremonies Half Communion Marriage made a Sacrament Extreme Unction Purgatory Reliques Prayers to Saints The Universities have promoted the Popish Sovereignty Why the Jesuits have taken upon them the Education of the Youth Licensing of Books Excommunication and Inquisition Some Reasons why the People remain in the Communion of the Church of Rome What States are tied by a particular Interest to the Church of Rome Italy Poland Portugal Germany Spain France Formalities observed by the Nuncio ' s in France The main Pillar of the Popish Monarchy The Pope's Inâ—lination towards the Protestants No Peace is to be exspected betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Protestants Strength of the Protestants and Papists Divisions of the Protestants Other Inconveniencies The Hugonoâ—s of France to Protestants of Poland Of Germany The best way to preserve the Reformed Religion Whether the Lutherans and those of the Reformed Religion are likely to agree Socinians and Anabaptists Sweden the most antient Kingdom in Europe First Founders of the Gothick Nation Othin or Woden Frotho Battel fought near Brovalla Ingellus Bero. A. C. 829. The Christian Doctrine first taught in Sweden Amund Olaus A. C. 853. Ingo A. C. 890. Erick Erick Seghersell Stenchill the Mild. Olaus The Swedes and Gothes united in one Kingdom Amund Amund Slemme Haquin the Red. Stenchill Ingo the Pious Halstan A. C. 1086. Philip. Ingo A. C. 1138. Ragwold Knaphofde Swercher II. Erick the Holy A. C. 1154. 1160. Charles the Son of Swercher 1168. Cnut Erickson Swercher III. 1207. 1208. 1210. Erick Cnutson 1219. Erick Lespe Celibacy of Clergy introduced in Sweden 1250. Waldemar 1251. 1263. 1266. 1275. Magnus 1279. 1288. 1290. Birger II. 1292. 1298. 1303. 1305. 1308. 1317. 1319. Magnus Smocck 1357. 1361. 1363. Albert Duke of Mecklenburgh 1364. 1365. 1371. 1376. Margaret 12. Sept. 1388. The Battel of Talâ—oping 1394. 1395. Erick Duke of Pomerania Union made at Calmar betwixt Sweden Denmark and Norway 1396. 1410. 1412. Charles Cnutson 1436. 1437. Christopher Duke of Bavaria 1439. 1448. Charles Cnutson Christian I. 1458. 1464. Erick Axelson 1466. 1468. 1470. 1471. 1481. John II. 1497. 1503. 1504. 1511. Steen Sture the younger 1512. 1513. 1520. Gustavus I. 1523. Reformation begun in Sweden First Translation of the New Testament into Swedish 1527. Church Lands reduced in Sweden 1528. The Protestant Religion Established in Sweden 1533. 1542. 1544. The Kingdom of Sweden made Hereditary and the Popish Religion abolished 1556. 1559. Eriâ—k XIV 1561. The Titles of Earls and Barons introduced John III. 1568. 1571. War with the Moscovites 1577. New Liturgy introduced 1582. 1587. 1592. Sigismund 1594. 1598. 1599. 1600. Sigismund deposed 1604. Charles IX Warbetwixt the Swedes and Poles in Livonia 1611. Gustavus Adolphus 1613. Peace with the Muscovites 1617. 1617. 1620. 1626. The War carried on against the Poles in Prussia 1627. 1629. Truce with Poland German War 1626. 1623. 1630. Charles Gustave lands with his Forces in Germany 1631. Alliance made with France The City of Magdeburgh taken by the Imperialists 10 May. Battel near Leipzick 7. Sept. 1637. Battel near Lutzen Nov. 6. King Gustave Adolfe killed Christina 1633. 1634. Aug. 27. Battel of Nordlingen Truce prolonged with the Poles War betwixt the Swedes and Elector of Saxony 1637. 1638. Alliance with France 1641. May 10. 1642. Battel fought near Leipzick Oct. 23. War with Denmark 1644. 1645. Peace with Denmark 1643. July 16. Peace made at Munster and Osnabrug 1654. Jun. 6. Charles Gustave The War with Poland renewed 1656. War with Denmark 1658. Siege of Copenhagen Battel in Tuhnen 1666. Charles IX Peace made with the Poles May 3. May 23. Peace made with Denmark 1674. The Swedes routed by the Elector of Brandenburgh 1678. The nature and qualification of the Swedish Nation Condition of the Country and its Strength Neighbours of Sweden Muscovites Poles Germany Denmark France Holland England Spain and Portugal
has not a little contributed tho afar off the Barbarity and ignorance which after the decay of the Roman Empire did spread itself over the Western parts For bad Wares are best vented in the dark or at least by a dim light And an ignorant person is sooner prevailed upon to believe ridiculous Stories than a wise Man versed in all sorts of Sciences There were several causes which promoted this barbarity which did degenerate afterwards into the worst sort of pedantry whereas the former Age had been sufficiently instructed with learned Men. One of the principal ones was the Invasion made upon the Western Provinces of the Roman Empire by those Nations who tho sufficiently Brave were ignorant of Learning which occasioned for one or two Ages after great Changes in the Government bloody Wars horrible disorders and all sorts of miseries in the Empire And Learning being the product of Peace and Prosperity it is little regarded in times of War or during the Distractions of a State since then there is but little leisure time given for the use of Books The Schools are commonly destroyed and the Teachers obliged to make shift where best they can a Musquet being at such times of more use than a School Satchel The School-Masters especially are forced to shut up Shop at such times if the victorious Enemy is ignorant of Learning and makes no account of Books There are also some who affirm that the Clergy was accessary to this barbarism For because the Philosophers had under the Reigns of the Pagan Emperours proved very mischievous to them and afterward under the Christian Emperours continued to oppose themselves against the Clergymen especially these had conceived such a hatred against Philosophy and against all such as professed it that they not only infused the same into their Auditors but also removed out of the Schools and took from the young Students who were committed to their care the Pagan Authors under pretence that they might otherwise be again infected with the erroneous Principles of the Pagans and that it could not but be sinful for Christians to read such Books as were filled every where with the names of the Pagan-Idols which they would not have as much as named by Christians They related a Story concerning S. Hierom how that he was whipped in a Vision with Rods because he used frequently to Read the Works of Cicero and about the year 400. after the Birth of our Saviour the Council of Carthage forbid the Bishops the reading of Pagan Authors And Learning being in those miserable times become almost useless except to those who intended to profess Divinity and the remnants of Learning being lodged therefore among the Clergy the main Institution in the Schools was only directed for that Purpose and the rest of the young Disciples were not very forward to dive much into the secrets of Antient Learning And that Ignorance and Barbarism have greatly promoted the establishment of Popery is evident enough to those who will consider that in a learned Age those Decretals which are ascribed to the first Popes could never have passed Muster which nevertheless have been made use of to persuade the People that the Bishops of Rome have exercised an Authority from the very beginning of Christianity to prescribe Laws ot the Christian World But when afterwards the times proved more favourable in Europe and the Popes perceived that some among the most considerable Nations of Europe could not be longer kept in a gross Ignorance they introduced into the Schools over which they had assumed the Supreme Direction the most miserable sort of Pedantry which is also maintained by their Creatures with great earnestness in their Schools to this very day But above all the rest it seems that the ignorance of the true Principles of Policy has had a main stroke in laying the Foundation of Popery for want of which they were not then duely instructed concerning the Foundation Nature and Perfection of the Supreme Civil Power and that no State could be esteemed well Established where the Supreme Civil Power was either divided or diminished And the Grecian and Roman Politicians themselves had divulged most pernicious Doctrines concerning the division and mixture of the Supreme Power whereby they had enamoured the People with an Aristocratical or Democratical sort of Government but infused into them such a hatred against Monarchy that it was a common Maxim among them that the more they could incrâ—â—ch upon the Authority of the Prince the more it must turn to the advantage of the State In this pernicious Opinion a great many were confirmed by the Tyrannical proceedings of the Emperours who were mortally hated by most of their Subjects It was therefore no great wonder that at the time of this general Ignorance the knowledge of true Policy was not taught among the Christian Clergy since it seem'd to them to be repugnant to their Profession From hence it was that when by degrees the Foundation of the Ecclesiastical Sovereignty was laid few did throughly understand of what Consequence this undertaking was and how prejudicial it would prove to the Supreme Civil Power when ever it could be brought to perfection And we see even to this day that in those Schools which are under the care of the Popish Clergy the Principles of true Policy are either neglected or at least so disfigured that they may not be hurtful to the Authority of the Popes but rather serve to support it § 15. But the chief reason why Rome was chosen for the place of Residence of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy seems to be that this City had a particular Prerogative of being the Capital City of the Roman Empire where the Christian Religion at first had its râ—se and increase For what is related concerning S. Peter's Chair is nothing but a vain pretence which may be easily seen from thence that afterwards the Bishop of Constantinople had the next place assigned him after the Bishop of Rome only because that City was then the place of Residence of the Emperour and new Rome And when afterwards the Western Roman Empire was come to decay and the City of Rome had lost its former lustre the Bishop of Constantinople disputed the precedency with the Roman Bishop After the Persecutions which the Christians had endured under the Pagan Emperours were ceased and they afterwards enjoyed their full Liberty the Clergy began under pretence of introducing a wholesome Order in the Church to Establish a particular sort of Government or Hierarchy the Bishops having then begun to claim a great Prerogative above the Priests The Bishops also were made subordinate to one another so that commonly the inspection over the Bishops in a certain Province was committed to the Bishop of the Capital City of the same Province who being then called Metropolitans did afterwards viz. about the Eighth Century most of them assume the name of Archbishops Four of them were most eminent above
of Germany but especially in Thuringia and Friezland This Man to acquire the greater Authority to himself had entirely Devoted himself to the Interest of the Roman Chair from whence he received the Episcopal Pall and the Title of Archbishop of Mayence having also been Constituted by Pope Gregory III. his Vicar with full Power to call Councils and to Constitute Bishops in those places which were by his assistance Converted to the Christian Faith and with ample recommendations to those Nations and to Charles Martel the then Grand Master of France that he should take him into his protection which he very willingly did And when afterwards his Son Carlomannus shewed a great forwardness to have the Church Discipline regulated Boniface was very willing to take upon him this Office to the great advantage of the Roman Chair He also at the request of Carlomannus call'd a Council in Germany and at the request of Pepin several Synods in France where Boniface always was President in the quality of Legat of the Roman Chair In the first Council the Clergy signed a certain Confession of Faith whereby they obliged themselves not only to maintain the Catholick Faith but also to remain in constant Union with the Roman Church and to be obedient to the Successours of S. Peter This Boniface also was the first who put it upon the Bishops of Germany to receive the Episcopal Pall from the Pope who sent it to the Bishops of France without their request thereby to unite them with the Roman Chair And when once these Ornaments were become customary amongst them they were put upon them afterwards as of absolute Necessity and the Episcopal Function was forbidden to be exercised by them before they had received these Ornaments Besides this the Popes assumed to themselves an Authority of giving leave to the Bishops to remove from one Episcopal See to another and obliged all the Western Bishops to receive their Confirmation from Rome for which they were obliged to pay a certain Summ of Money as an acknowledgement which was since converted to Annals The Popes also by making void the Decisions of the provincial Synods or Assemblies overthrew their Authority wherefore when every body plainly perceived that the Decrees of these Assemblies could produce no other Effects but to be continually annulled by the Popes without as much as hearkening to any Reasons they were by degrees quite abolished Pope Gregory VII also forced the Bishops to swear an Oath of Fealty to the Pope and by a Decree forbid that none should dare to condemn any one that had appealed to the Pope They were also not forgetful in sending Legates or Nuncios to all places whose business was to exercise in the name of the Pope the same Authority which had formerly belonged to the Bishops Metropolitans and Provincial Assemblies § 17. This growing Ecclesiastical Sovereignty was the more prejudicial to the supreme Civil Power the more the Church daily increased both in Numbers and Riches The first Foundation of the Wealth of the Church was laid by the Liberality and Charity of Princes and other great Men who were of Opinion that they did a very agreeable Service to God Almighty if they were liberal and bounteous towards his Church and the Clergy And after they had once perswaded the People that by doing good Works among which the Gifts and Donations for Pious uses had the first place they could and must deserve Heaven from God Almighty this Liberality was increased to a high degree Yet the voluntary Contributions of the People not being able to satisfy the avarice of the Clergy which increased together with their Riches other ways and artifices were found out to empty the Peoples Purses and a great many unnecessary Institutions introduced which were to be purchased for Money Then it was that the saying of Masses for the living and the dead Purgatory Indulgences Dispensations Pilgrimages Jubilees and the like were introduced without measure They had besides this always a watchful Eye over such as were at the point of death since they knew that Men were commonly not so addicted at that time to their worldly Riches which they were else to leave to their Heirs who often rejoiced at their Death Nay they were not ashamed to make a profession of begging Among other Tricks the Popes did in the Eleventh and the following Century turn the Croisadoes to their great Advantage For in these expeditions after the People had once received the Sign of the Cross to assist in the recovery of the Holy Land the Popes pretended to the supreme Command and Direction they took the Persons and Estates of such as had received the Cross under their particular Protection exempting them thereby from the Civil Jurisdiction both in Civil and criminal Causes and rendring their Dispensations and Indulgences more frequent and flourishing than before the Pope's Legates did dispose of such Alms Collections and Legacies as were given for that purpose and under the same pretext received the Tenths from the Clergy nay even pretended to put their Commands upon Princes to receive the Cross themselves These they imployed afterwards against such as were declared by them Scismaticks or Hereticks whose possessions they used to confiscate and bestow upon those who had proved serviceable to them without asking the Advice of the Sovereign who durst not but invest these with those Countries that were presented to them by so high a Hand § 18. No less did the number of Ecclesiasticks increase proportionably to the increase of the Riches of the Church because there were not wanting such as were willing to have a share of them without taking much pains For it was not thought sufficient to have an ordinary Minister Chaplain and others necessary for the exercising of Divine Service belonging to each Church but also each Cathedral had a Chapter of Canons and there were great numbers of Persons of high and low Quality that were forward in taking upon them these profitable and in no ways but then some Functions because the inconveniency of Celibacy which the Pope in the Eleventh and the following Century forced upon the Ecclesiasticks not without great trouble and reluctancy was sufficiently recompenced by the Honours and Revenues which they enjoyed quietly in their several Stations Besides an innumerable multitude of Fryars and Nuns settled themselves all over Christendom This sort of People began first to appear in the World at the time of the great Persecutions but in the Fourth and following Centuries did multiply their numbers to a prodigious degree In the beginning they lived upon what they could get by their Handy-work a great many used to give their Goods to the Poor tho' voluntarily and lived under the Direction of the Bishops according to a Discipline prescribed in the Canons In the Seventh Century especially Fryars and Nuns were much in vogue in those Western Parts which were every where filled up with Monasteries and Nunneries built by
Is assassinated by Ravillac 234 Henry IV. Emperour of Germany 286 His troubles with the Pope 287 His Son rebells against him 288 Henry VII Emperour of Germany poisoned by a Monk 294 Henry of Valois Duke of Anjou made King of Poland 342 St. Hierom's Dream 387 I. JEsuites sent first into the Indies under John III. King of Portugal 90 Ireland conquer'd by the English 111 John King of England 112 Loses Normandy 113 James I. King of England 146 The Independents become Masters in England 158 Ireland conquer'd by the Parliament Forces of England 160 Constitution of the Irish Nation 166 Jesuits banish'd out of France by King Henry IV. 231 The Spanish Inquisition in the Netherlands 257 The long Inter-regnum in Germany 292 Insurrection of the Boors in Germany under Charles V. 299 John Casimir King of Poland 349 John Pobeiski the present King of Poland 352 Constitution of the Jewish Religion 369 Ignorance contributed to the Popes Authority 386 Causes of this Ignorance 387 Ignorance of Luther's Adversaries 415 The Jesuits why they have taken upon them the Education of the Youth 443 Inquisition and Excommunication 445 L. LEwis XI King of France 202 His politick methods 203 Lewis XII King of France 206 Conquers Milan 206 Conquers Naples 207 Loses it again 207 Lewis XIII King of France 234 Takes Lorrain from that Duke 237 Lewis XIV the present King of France 238 Is forced to leave Paris 240 His differences with the Pope 243 His Wars in Flanders 243 244 Takes Mastricht 245 Leopold the present Emperour of Germany 305 His Wars with the Turks 305 With France 305 Lithuania united to Poland 339 Luther gives a great blow to the Grandeur of the Pope 412 Pope Leo his Vertues and Faults 413 Luther opposes Indulgencies and afterwards the Popes power 414 Is favoured by Erasmus 416 I 'll conduct of Pope Leo and Cardinal Cajetan 418 Why Luther's doctrine was not spread farther 419 Laity debarr'd from reading the Scriptures 437 The licensing of Books 444 Battle fought near Leipzick 520 Battle fought near Lutzen 524 A second Battle fought near Leipzick 530 M. MAcedonian Empire 8 Its fall 11 Massanello's Rebellion at Naples 65 The Maid of Orleans 200 125 Mary Queen of England 139 She restores Popery 139 Marries Philip of Spain 140 Mary Queen of Scotland 142 She marries Bothwel who murther'd her husband 143 She is made a Prisoner in England 143 Is beheaded 144 The Merringim Family loses the Crown of France 178 Mazarine ' s Ministry under Lewis XIV K. of France 238 Mazarine banish'd France 241 And recall'd by the Queen 241 Peace of Munster 275 239 Mazarine's death 242 Archduke Matthew made Governour by the Netherlanders 264 Maurice Son to William Prince of Orange made Stadtholder of the united Provinces 267 Matthias Emperour of Germany 300 Muscovy and its ancient State 361 The Genius of the Muscovites 363 Their Form of Government Strength and Neighbours 365 What Commodities Muscovy affords 364 Concerning Marriages 385 Metropolitans 390 Mendicants order and the Motives to embrace this manner of Life 396 Is prejudicial to the regular Clergy 397 Merits of good Works 439 Marriage made a Sacrament 440 Maydeburgh taken by the Imperialists 519 N. NAvarre conquered by Ferdinand the Catholick 46 Normandy annexed to the Crown of England 108 The Norman Race extinct 109 Navarre taken and lost again in a few days by Francis I. King of France 210 The Edict of Nants 232 Peace made at Nimwegen 305 246 67 The ancient State of the Netherlands 254 Their condition under the Emperour Charles V. 255 Causes of the Wars in the Netherlands under Philip II. King of Spain 256 They were fomented by Elizabeth Queen of England 258 Constitution of the united Netherlands 280 Their Genius 281 Of their Country Shipping and Commerce 282 283 Their Strength and Weakness 285 Their Form of Government 286 Their Defects 288 The Genius of the Norwegians 328 Battle fought near Noringen in Germany 327 O. THE Original of civil Societies 2 Origin of the Kingdom of Navarre and Arragon 3â— The Original of selling Offices in France 202 Siâ—ge of Ostend 271 Orders of Fryars and Nunâ— in general 396 P. THE Persian Empire 4 Philip King of Macedon 8 Peace made at Cambray betwixt Charles V. and Francis I. 213 49 Peace made at Crespy betwixt Charles V. and Francis I. 215 52 Peace betwixt Spain and France 53 Treaty at Passaw 299 52 Philip II. King of Spain 54 His Wars with England 55 Peace made at Vervin betwixt France and Spain 232 57 Portugal falls to Spain 91 59 Philip III. King of Spain 59 Philip IV. King of Spain 91 Portugal falls off from Spain 64 92 Pyrenean Treaty 242 65 Peace with Portugal 66 Peace made at Aix la Chapelle 66 Peace made at Nimwegen 246 67 The Phillippine Islands 74 The Kingdom of Portugal and its Origin 81 The first Project of sailing into the East-Indies 88 The Portugueses banish the Moors and Jews 88 Peace betwixt Holland and Portugal 93 The Humour of the Portugueses 94 A Persecution raised on the Christians of Japan 96 Strength of Portugal 97 Peter's Pence 101 Peace made betwixt the English and French 119 Of no long continuance 120 Another Peace with France under R. II. K. of Eng. 170 The Powder Plot under James I. King of England 147 Pharamond the first King of France 175 Pipin proclaimed King of France 178 The Parisian Massacre 223 Pignerol bought from the Duke of Savoy by Lewis XIII King of France 236 Peace of Munster 275 239 Peace made at Aixla Chapelle 244 The Duke of Parma Governour of the Netherlands 265 Protestants and the rise of that Name 298 Protestant League at Smalkald 298 The differences betwixt the Protestants in Germany 312 The Kingdom of Poland and its Origin 333 Twelve Vaivodes or Governours in Poland 333 The Poles defeated in Moldavia 346 Poland invaded by Gustavus Adolfus K. of Sweden 347 The Poles defeated by the Cosacks 349 Poland invaded by Gustavus Adolf a second time 350 Poland invaded by Ragezi Prince of Transilvania 351 The Genius of the Polish Nation 352 The Kingdom of Poland its Strength and Weakness Form of Government its Commodities Revenues c. 353 354 355. Of the Pope of Rome 368 The Popes Authority and its Origin 386 Pedantry introduced into the Schools 388 The Greek and Roman Politicians prejudicial to Monarchy 388 Patriarchs 390 Of the Popes Power 390 The Popes Confirmation of Bishops 391 How the Popes withdrew themselves from their Subjection to the Emperours 399 The Pope seeks for protection in France 400 The Pope establishes an ecclesiastical Sovereignty 402 The Pope pretends to a power over Princes even to depose them 404 How this power is colour'd over 405 The Papal Authority opposed and weakned by Schisms 407 Divisions among the Protestants and the Licentiousness of some Protestants 420 The Vniversity of Paris 420 The Popish Soveraignty recovered 422 Popish Clergy more regular and learned than before 422 How
not been made sensible of the benefit they received from the Government of the Nobility they might easily have opened the Gates again to Tarquin Wherefore Valerius Papicola did strive to please the People especially in letting down the Rods or Fasces the Ensigns of Authority before them and allowing Appeals to the People as a tacit Confession that the Supreme Power of Rome did belong to them It was by all means requisite if the Noble-men did intend to maintain the newly acquired Authority to have a particular care of these two things First To take heed that they did not exasperate the Common people with their Pride And Secondly To find Means to maintain the poorer sort that they might not be forced to seek for Remedies against their Poverty and Debts by disturbing the Publick But neither of them were sufficiently regarded by the Nobility There being at that time no written Laws at Rome and the Nobility being in possession of all publick Offices Justice was oftentimes administred according to Favour and Affection the poorer sort being often though unjustly oppressed by the more Powerfull And because the Citizens were obliged to serve in the Wars at their own Charge at that time when little was to be got they were thereby miserably exhausted so that they had no other remedy left them but to borrow Money from the Richer sort These used such as were not able to satisfie their Creditors in so barbarous a manner by Imprisoning laying of them in Chains and other Cruelties that the Commons quite put into despair unanimously retired out of the City neither could they be persuaded to return before the Senate had agreed to constitute Magistrates called Tribunes of the People who were to protect the Commons against the Power of the Nobility § 17. This was the Original and Cause of the Division of the Romans into two Factions viz. One of the Nobility and the Other two Parties of the Common people The continual Jealousies of which did afterwards minister perpetual fewel for Civil Dissentions It seem'd at first sight but equitable and of no great consequence that the Commons might have for their Heads some who could upon all occasions protect them against the Nobility But in this the Nobles did commit a grand Errour that they allowed to the Common people which made the major part of the City a protection independent of the Senate making thereby the Body of the Common-wealth as it were double-headed For the Tribunes spurr'd on by Ambition and the Hatred which is common in the Plebeians against the Nobility were not satisfied with affording their Protection to the People against the Nobility but also were always endeavouring to be equal in Power nay even to surpass the Senate in Authority And first by their continual Contests they obtained a Privilege for the Commons to intermarry with the Nobles Afterwards they forced also the Nobility to consent that one of the Consuls should be chosen out of the Commonalty They took upon themselves the Power of a Negative Voice so as that no Decree of the Senate could pass into a Law without their consent nay and even without the consent of the Senate to make Laws and to exercise the other Acts of Sovereign Authority The Senate 't is true to divert and employ the People continually engaged them in one War or another that they might not have leisure to contrive any thing against the Government This though it did very well for a while and the Power and Territories of Rome were mightily thereby encreased yet did arise from thence some other inconveniencies which did not a little contribute towards the indisposition of the State For whereas the conquered Lands ought to have been given to the poorer sort of the people whereby the City would have been freed from a great many needy Citizens the Nobles under pretence of Farming the same took them into their own possession and what with these Revenues and the great Booty which fell in the Wars almost all to their share as being Commanders in Chief the Riches of the Nobles encreased prodigiously whereas a great many of the Plebeians had scarce wherewithall to maintain themselves The Commonalty being for these Reasons extreamly dissatisfied with the Senate there were not wanting some of the Nobility and others of an ambitious Spirit who having taken distaste at some Transactions of the Senate did under pretence of maintaining the Liberties of the People make a considerable Party among them though in effect their chief aim was with the assistance of the Plebeians to carry on their ambitious designs Those being by force opposed by the Senate it came quickly to a Civil War and they sheath'd their Swords in each other's Bowels § 18. In the mean time partly by the vast Increase of the Roman Empire partly by Inadvertency of the Senate another Evil had taken root viz. That vast and rich Provinces together with great Armies were committed to the Government of some of the Roman Citizens and that for several years From which as it created in them an aversion to a private life so it gave an opportunity to have whole Armies at their Devotion It is not adviseable for any State whatsoever to let any of its Citizens mount to that degree of Power For he that has a potent Army at his Devotion will scarce be able to resist the temptation but will be apt to attempt to make himself Sovereign It is evident that the Ambition and great Power of Marius Sulla Pompey and Caesar did spur them on by Intestine Wars to suppress the Liberty of their native Country and after Rome was quite broken by them to introduce an alteration in its Government There was scarce any remedy left against this Evil after the Citizens had once laid aside the respect due to the Senate and the Souldiers had tasted the Sweets of the Booty got by Civil Commotions Wherefore this Common-wealth at the very time when it was arrived to the pitch of its Greatness it return'd again to a Monarchy but not of the best kind where the Army exercised Sovereign Authority Augustus was the first Founder of this Monarchy which he by his wife and long Reign seem'd to have establish'd pretty well And truly this new introduc'd form of Government did for a while promise very fair since Augustus assum'd only the Title of Prince and maintaining the Senate and the rest of the great Officers in their Stations took upon himself no more than the administration of Military Affairs But in effect this Monarchy was not founded so much upon the consent of the Senate and People as upon the Power of the Souldiery by whose assistance it was introduc'd and maintain'd And because the ancient Nobility could not brook to be commanded by one single person and was always for recovering its former Liberty the Emperours left no Stone unturn'd either to diminish or quite to extinguish the Splendour of the ancient Nobility so that
to make Head against the dissatisfy'd people Notwithstanding all which the King pursued his Resolution and having ask'd the Opinion of Men skill'd in the Law who told him That it was allowable for the publick benefit to levy Money by his own Authority he imposed several new Taxes whereby he augmented his yearly Revenue from 500000 l. to 800000 l. Besides this he laid a Tax for maintaining of a Fleet which amounted to 200000 l. All which caused great dissatisfaction among the Subjects against the King Besides the King was thought by the Puritans to deal hardly with them and too mildly with the Papists by the Counsel of Archbishop Laud a Man of great Resolution who at that time apprehended that Faction very dangerous both to Church and State which was by the Puritans interpreted as if the King was resolved by suppressing of them to introduce Popery to insinuate this into the Multitude abundance of Libels and scurrilous Papers were scatter'd abroad against the King and the Bishops and Commissioners being appointed to inquire into them they were rather exasperated than appeas'd by its Severity § 26. Both Nations being therefore full of Discontents the Flame first broke out in Scotland For the King endeavouring to root out Puritanism there to establish the Authority of the Bishops and an Uniformity in Religion he order'd a Church Liturgy to be composed abrogating all Presbyteries Classes and Provincial Synods and enjoining every one under severe penalties to conform to the same there was a general Insurrection raised by that party in Scotland There was also another reason for at the time of the first Reformation the Revenues of a great many Church Benefices were appropriated to the use of the Crown but without any remarkable advantage for they were lett out for the most part to younger Brothers of Noble Families These having found the benefit of them had by getting from time to time the Survivorship continued the same in their Families and kept them as their own Propriety Nay they did more than this for during the Minority of King James VI. they had obtained the Titles of Lordships for some of the most considerable of these or some lesser Benefices joined together King James afterwards perceiving that thereby they had bound him up from rewarding such with these Benefices as deserved well of him would have recall'd the beforesaid Grants but met with such opposition in the Nobility that he desisted from it But the King undertook the business effectually employing the said Revenues towards the augmenting of the Salaries of the Clergy These therefore who had been losers by this Revocation joined with such Ministers as were mortal Enemies of the Liturgy did with all their might help to stirr up the Rebellion Alexander Lesley also who had been a Commander in the German Wars and having refused to serve under John Banniers there was returned into his native Country in hopes to make his advantage of these Troubles He put himself at the Head of the Rebellious Party and by persuading the Nobility that the King intended to take away their ancient Privileges stirr'd up a great many against the King And to make a fair shew to the common people they made use of the Religious Cloak of Conscience ordering a Directory to be compos'd by the Ministers quite opposite to the former Liturgy They thereupon enter'd into an Association confirm'd by solemn Oaths That they would maintain the same against all even the King himself This Association was called the Covenant which being subscrib'd by the greatest part of the Nobility and Clergy a Council was constituted unto whom was committed the supream direction of their Affairs To suppress these Commotions the King sent the Marquiss of Hamilton into Scotland who dealing mildly with them only encouraged the adverse party For the King calling a Parliament in hopes to remedy these Disorders the Covenant was by its Authority confirm'd the Episcopal Authority quite abolish'd and Puritanism establish'd in defiance of the Royal Authority There being then no other way left to reduce the Rebellious Party to Obedience but force and the King being in want both of Money and a sufficient number of faithfull Subjects he was forc'd to make some use of the Papists to obtain both wherefore he did not only raise an Army wherein were some Papists but also was assisted by them with some Summs of Money all which however was in no ways sufficient to supply the want of the King and a Supply being demanded from the Subjects very few except the King's Servants and Officers were for contributing any thing And it being divulged that a great many thousand of Irish Papists and Germans were ready for the King's Service to try whether by this way the Subjects could be frightened out of some Money it served only to exasperate the Minds of the people Yet the King's Forces might in all probability have been successfull against the Scots if they had fallen upon them immediately But because they had leisure given them they did not only settle a Correspondency with France and Holland from whence they were supply'd with Money and Ammunition but also sent their Deputies into England who so well knew there to represent the state of their Affairs that the King being persuaded by the English made a dishonourable Agreement with them Which nevertheless did not last long the Court being asham'd of the Agreement and the Scots not trusting the King the King had in the mean while intercepted a Letter wherein the Scots had sollicited for some Officers and Money to be sent them from France this he hoped might prove an inducement to the English to oppose the Treachery of the Scots and to furnish him with some Supplies of which he stood in great need at that time He calling therefore a Parliament the Letter was read but to no great purpose the Members of the House of Commons being most of them Puritans who were great friends of the Scots so that the Parliament was a little while after dissolv'd by the King's Authority The King had caused to be made Prisoner in London the Scotch Commissioner who had subscribed the abovementioned Letter whereupon the Scots took up Arms and took the Castle of Edinburgh The King having with great difficulty for want of Money got together an Army went in person against the Scots but as a party of his Army endeavouring to force their passage was beaten back with loss which augmented the Discontents of his Subjects the Souldiers for want of Pay being to be maintained by those Counties where they were quartered Besides this ten thousand Men which were raised by the Parliament in Ireland for the King's service were forc'd to be disbanded for want to Pay There was then no other remedy left but to make a Truce with the Scots and to call a new Parliament in England which began to sit in November in the Year 1640. § 27. But in the
Session of this Parliament the Ulcer which had been long gathering in the Minds of the people broke out For the Parliament in lieu of assisting the King against the Scots enter'd into a Confederacy with them promising a monthly Subsidy towards the maintaining of the Scottish Army which was to be ready at the English Parliament's command Then they began to reform the States to clip the King's Authority to punish his Ministers and Servants and to take away the Bishops Liturgy and fall upon Papists The better to obtain their aim they forced the King to consent that he would not dissolve the Parliament till all such as were criminal were punished and the State were entirely reformed In a word that they should have the liberty to sit as long as they pleased Which in effect put an end to the Royal Authority To try the King's Patience and their own Strength they brought the Earl of Strafford Lord Deputy of Ireland to his Tryal who notwithstanding he made a good Defence and the King did his utmost to preserve his beloved and faithfull Minister yet the Rabble of London then encouraged by the House of Commons making an Insurrection he received Sentence of Death in the House of Lords And the King refusing to sign the Warrant for his Execution was obliged thereunto partly by the importunity of the Parliament partly by the Insurrection of the Rabble of the City of London and partly by a Letter from the Earl desiring him to do it Then the rest of the King's Ministers went to rack some of them saving themselves by flight some being imprisoned The Bishops were excluded from the House of Lords The Star-chamber the Authority of the Privy Council and the High Commission were suppressed the Customs and power over the Fleet were taken away from the King Some of these and some other things which proved very prejudicial to him the King was forced to grant them in hopes thereby to heal the ulcerated Minds of the people He went also in person into Scotland where he granted them all what they could desire About the same time a horrid Conspiracy broke out among the Irish Papists who pretended to maintain the Popish Religion and to redress some Grievances by force of Arms which occasioned afterwards a most cruel slaughter At last it came to an open Rebellion For the Parliament not ceasing to encroach daily more and more upon the Royal Authority the King resolved to assert his Authority wherefore he summoned five Members of Parliament whom he accused as Traitors and authors of all the Differences And the House of Commons taking their part the King went into the House accompanied with some Officers and spoke to them with a due resentment of their Behaviour which however they made but little account of being not ignorant of his want of Power of which he seem'd to betray himself when he immediately afterwards condescended and came nearer their Expectations The House of Commons thereupon stirr'd up the neighbouring Counties and especially the London Apprentices who made such an Insurrection that the King not thinking himself safe in London retir'd into the Country And the Parliament order'd all the Governours of the Sea-ports not to obey the King's Commands It was certainly a great errour in the King that in such troublesome times he had not taken care to secure to himself the Sea-ports by which means he might have hoped for some assistance from abroad For when the King intended to possess himself of the Fort and Harbour of Hull he was not admitted so that there was nothing left but that the Parliament had not as yet taken from the King the disposal of Offices But for the rest it was evident that their Intention was to abolish totally the Royal Power and to introduce a Democracy And after the King had once given his Assent to the exclusion of the Bishops from the House of Lords where they had six and twenty votes and the rest of the King's Friends had once absented themselves from both Houses it was easie for the remainder quite to abolish the Authority of the House of Lords Thus after there had been long contests by Words and Writings betwixt both parties the King now as well as the Parliament began to Arm themselves And the King having at several times at first beat the Parliament Forces the Parliament stirr'd up the Scots entring with them into a Confederacy Whereupon the Scots came with a considerable Force to the assistance of the Parliament which turned the Scale the King's Forces being routed near York and he obliged for want of Men and Money to give himself up to the protection of the Scots who nevertheless did surrender him to the English for the Summ of 400000 l. under condition that he should not be abused by them The King was afterwards carried a Prisoner from place to place for a considerable time § 28. By these means the Puritans or Presbyterians had under the pretext of Religion overthrown the Royal Power But that they could not long enjoy their usurped power was occasioned by a certain Sect that called themselves Independent because they would not depend on any certain from of Faith or Spiritual or Temporal Constitutions nor acknowledge any of the same whereby they opened a door for all sorts of Fanaticks to come under their Protection These under pretence of a particular holy Zeal had not only got a great sway in the Parliament and had been against any peaceable accommodation propos'd by others but also by their cunning insinuating way crept into the chief Civil and Military Employments For in the place of the Earl of Essex Thomas Fairfax was made General and Oliver Cromwell Lieutenant General over the Army the last of which was the Head of the Independents a sly and cunning Fox And out of this party all vacant places were supply'd in Parliament The Presbyterians therefore perceiving that the Independents began to be very strong in the House and that most Military Employments were in their Hands proposed in the House That one part of the Army should be sent into Ireland that some Forces only should be kept in England and the rest be disbanded Cromwell made use of this to stirr up the Souldiers telling them that they were likely to be disbanded without pay or else to be starv'd in Ireland Thereupon the Souldiers enter'd into an Association among themselves taking upon them not only the Military but also all the Civil Power they took the King from the Parliament into their own custody pretending they would give him his liberty but made themselves Masters of the City of London and acted in every thing at discretion For they quickly after broke off the Treaty with the King and a great many of the Subjects who were not able to bear their Tyranny taking up Arms were dispers'd by Cromwell who also beat the Scots that were come into England to the assistance of the King making
Years and the Church Benefices having been rather bestowed upon Favourites or such as payed well for them than such as deserved them furnished the Pope with a specious Pretence to make a Decree that it was not the Emperour 's right to bestow Bishopricks or other Church Benefices upon any Body but that it did belong to the Pope The Emperour was also summoned to appear at Rome and to give an Account concerning his Mis-behaviour and in case of failure he was threatened with an Excommunication On the other Hand the Emperour having declared the Pope unworthy of his Office would have deposed him So the Pope excommunicated the Emperour discharging all his Subjects from their Allegiance due to him which proved of such Consequence in those Times that all his Authority fell to the Ground at once among most of his Subjects whereby he was reduced to the greatest Extremity For most Princes assembled at Trebes where they deposed Henry which Sentence however was so far mitigated afterwards that the same should be left to the Pope's decision Henry therefore accompanied by a few was obliged to undertake a Journey in the midst of the Winter into Italy and being arrived at Canuâ—io was fain to stay three Days barefooted in a coarse Woollen Habit in the outward Court and in an humble posture to beg the Pope's Absolution which he at last granted him But the Emperour received no great Advantage by it for the Italians were quite disgusted at this Demeanour of his which obliged the Emperour to make use of his former Authority to reduce them to Obedience In the mean while the Princes of Germany by instigation of the Pope did elect Radolph Duke of Swabia their King but the Bavarians Franconians and the Countries next adjacent to the Rhine did remain in obedience of the Emperour Henry Thus a bloody War ensued wherein Radolph and the Saxons were vanquish'd in two battels and in the third he lost his right hand and life Then Henry call'd together an Assembly of the Bishops and having deposed Hildebrand he caused another to be chosen in his room He also return'd home himself and banish'd Hildebrand But the Saxons persisted in their Rebellion against the Emperour who was again Excommunicated by the Pope and having first set up Herman Duke of Luxenburgh and after his death Ecbert Marquess of Saxony for their Kings but to no purpose they at last stirr'd up the Emperors Son against the Father Against him the Emperour raised a great Army whom the Son met and in a deceitful manner begg'd his pardon Upon his perswasions the Father having abandon'd his Forces and being upon his Journey to the Dyet at Mayence accompanied by a few this antient Prince was made a Prisoner and Deposed He died soon after in great misery who in sixty two battels which he had fought in his life time generally obtained the Victory § 5. As soon as Henry V. was made Emperour he followed his Fathers example in maintaining the Imperial Dignity For as soon as he had settled the Affairs of Germany he marched with an Army towards Rome to renew the antient Right of the Emperours in nominating of Bishops and to be Crowned there The Pope Paschal II. having got notice of the Emperours design raised a great Tumult at Rome where the Emperour was so close beset that he was fain to fight in Person for his safety But the Emperour having got the upper hand made the Pope a Prisoner and forced him to give his consent to his demands And this their Agreement was confirmed by solemn Oaths and Execrations yet no sooner had the Emperour turn'd his back but the Pope having declared the Agreement void stirr'd up the Saxons and the Bishops in Germany against the Emperour With these Henry was engag'd in a very tedious War and perceiving at last that there was no other way left to compose these differences he granted the Popes demands by renouncing his Right to nominate Bishops at the Dyet held at Worms which resignation as it greatly diminish'd the Emperour's Authority so on the other hand it strengthened the power of the Pope This Emperour died without Issue Him succeeded Lotharius Duke of Saxony who had for a Rival in the Empire Cunrad Duke of Franconia whom he quickly oblig'd to beg fair Quarters This Emperour having twice undertaken an Expedition into Italy did with great Glory restore Tranquility to that Country and because he used to flatter the Pope he was in great esteem among the Clergy He died in the year 1138. After his death Cunrad III. obtained the Imperial Dignity who was opposed by Henry Duke of Saxony and Bavaria and his Brother Wulff which occasioned bloody Wars against him But peace being restored among them he undertook an Expedition into the Holy Land where he underwent great Calamities for tho he fought his way through the Saracens and arriv'd safely at Jerusalem yet after he had lost the greatest part of his Army without doing any thing of moment he was fain to return home But whilst he was busie in making preparations for another Expedition into Italy he died in the year 1252. § 6. Frederick I. succeeded him who by the Italians was Surnamed Barbarossa Duke of Swabia who immediately at the beginning of his Reign having setled the affairs of Germany did afterwards reduce Italy under his obedience which however was not of long continuance for the Milaneses quickly Rebell'd but were severely chastis'd their City having been laid level with the ground He was also in continual broils with the Pope against whom and his Associates he obtained several Victories yet being at last tired out with so many wars he made peace with him especially since his Son Otto had been taken Prisoner by the Venetians At the concluding of this Peace 't is said that Pope Alexander III. did set his foot upon the Emperours neck which by a great many is taken for a fable This Emperour was the last who maintained the Authority of the German Emperours in Italy Last of all he undertook an Expedition into the Holy Land against Saladin the Sultan of Egypt who had taken the City of Jerusalem He beat the Saracens several times but endeavouring to pass over a River in Cilicia on Horseback or as some will have it intending to wash himself in the River he was drowned And tho his Son Frederic after his Fathers death did take a great many Cities in Syria yet the whole Expedition had a very bad end the greatest part of the Army together with the Duke Frederick having been consumed by the Plague or Famin. Frederick was succeeded by his Son Henry VI. in the Empire who with his Lady Constantia got the Kingdoms of Sicily Calabria and Apuiia This Emperour went to Rome to receive the Crown from Pope Celestin when the Pope sitting in his Chair and the Emperour on his knees put first the Crown upon his head but immediatly struck the
direction and Presidentship of such Assemblies whatever matter is to be debated there does at least belong to the Prince if their Decrees shall pass afterwards for and have the power of a Law or a definitive Sentence in the State Indeed the Supreme Magistrates no more than the Clergy can pretend to a right of introducing new Articles of Faith or of explaining the Scripture according to their own pleasure Nevertheless the whole Duty of a Christian being contained in the whole Scriptures which God has commanded to be published for the benefit of Mankind and not to be committed like Sibylline Oracles to the custody of certain Priests and since others as well as the Clergy have the opportunity to comprehend the Sense of the Holy Scripture it seems not at all contrary to reason that the Civil Magistrates should have at least the Supreme direction of these Assemblies where matters concerning the different interpretations of the Scripture are to be debated From hence also this benefit will accrue to the Publick that thereby the extravagant Heats and immoderate Passions which are commonly obvious in these Disputes may be moderated matters may be debated with prudence and not stretched too high out of a fondness of contradicting nor that any one by malicious interpretation of his Words and Opinion may fall under Slanders and Censures or the Excommunication be thundred out without necessity against the innocent And because the first Christian Emperours did either neglect this their Right or had no opportunity of exercising it this occasioned great confusion in some Councils From hence also the Pope took an opportunity after he had set himself above the Western Bishops and Councils themselves to take upon him an Authority to decide Controversies even concerning Articles of Faith to introduce such Canons or Ecclesiastical Laws in the Church as he thought most proper for his Interest and State and by pretending to the highest Jurisdiction to exempt the Church from the Jurisdiction of the Civil Magistrates For when once this Opinion was established that all these Matters did belong of right to the Clergy only without having any respect to the Civil Power the Pope did pretend to the same by the same Right by which he had set himself above the Clergy and the whole Church § 12. Besides this it was the Custom among the Antient Christians that they very seldom pleaded their Causes according to the admonition of S. Paul before the Pagan Judges But in case of differences among themselves they used to refer the same to the decision of a Bishop that by their Contests they might not give any occasion of Scandal to the Heathens since it might seem unbecoming that those who made profession of despising worldly Riches should quarrel among themselves about the same This Custom as it was very useful and praiseworthy at that time so because it was not Abrogated but rather confirmed afterwards by the Christian Emperors tho the Courts of Justice were then Governed by Christian Judges the Bishops afterwards pretended to a formal Jurisdiction which did not only derogate from the Authority of Temporal Judges but also the Bishops were thereby diverted from performing such Duties as properly belonged to their Office There was also another Custom among the first Christians that if a scruple arose concerning nearness of Blood in Marriages they used to take the Opinion of the Priests in this Case and if any differences did arise betwixt married People it used to be referred to the Arbitration of the Priests who at the time also when the Nuptials were Celebrated used to give them their Benediction and Pray with them This if in itself considered very good beginning furnish'd an occasion of great Abuses afterwards the Pope having from hence taken a pretext to subject all Matrimonial Affairs concerning Divorces Nullities of Marriages Successions Inheritances and the like of the greatest Consequence under his Jurisdiction who to render his pretensions the more plausible did make Marriage a Sacrament Besides this the first Christians were very desirous to recommend their Religion to the Heathens by a Holy and Innocent Life especially since some sort of Vices were not punishable according to the Pagan Laws Wherefore in the Primitive Church if any one had given a Publick Scandal by his vicious Life a certain Church Penance was laid upon him which at the utmost did amount to this that he was excluded from the Communion of the Christians Which Custom as it is not unreasonable so it may be of good use in a Christian State provided the Civil Magistrate have the Supreme direction and take care that such a Censure be not abused out of obstinacy or private ends and passion Especially since these Censures have had such an influence upon Civil Societies that in the Eighth Age no body would Converse with any one that was Excommunicated And this Power ought not to be given to the absolute disposal of any one except to the Sovereign if you will not divide the Sovereignty But in what manner the Popes have afterwards abused this Censure and extended it even to the Excommunication of Emperors Kings and whole Commonwealths and by forbidding the Publick Exercise of Divine Service Absolving the Subjects from their Allegiance and bestowing their Kingdoms upon others have forced them to a compliance against their own Interest is sufficiently known out of History Yet in the Eastern Empire these Abuses did not grow up to the same height for the Emperors at Constantinople did at least so far maintain their Authority against the Clergy that they durst not pretend to dominere over them Besides that the Eastern Bishop wanted an opportunity to set themselves one above the other because the Bishops at Constantinople had no other Prerogative allowed him but Precedency of Rank above the others without his Diocess but not any Jurisdiction § 14. But in the Western parts the Church afterwards took quite another Face since the Bishop of Rome had projected a peculiar sort of a Monarchy which by degrees he brought to perfection and has not had its parallel ever since the memory of mankind it being founded upon quite other Principles and upheld by very different means from other States The more influence this Monarchy has had for several hundred years together upon the States and Affairs of Europe and has been maintained with great Zeal by one and opposed by the other party the more it will be worth our while to dive into the first Origin and Constitution of it and to alledge some reason why in the last Age this Monarchy was reduced to a tottering condition but has recollected its vigour in ours From whence a wise Man also may be able to judge what success may be hoped for from the Projects of those who are for reconciling the differences betwixt the Protestants and Papists Wherefore it may be said that towards the increase of this Monarchy so pernicious to the Supreme Civil Power
the encouragement of Princes and other great Men that endowed them with great Revenues But when the Charity and Liberality of the People seemed almost to be exhausted by the great Charges bestowed upon so many rich Monasteries and yet there were not enough to contain all such as were desirous to enter into this sort of Life at last in the Thirteenth Century the Order of the Mendicant-Fryars was erected These made a great shew of Holiness because they would not be taken for such as were forward to choose a Monastick Life to live in plenty but for such as had taken a resolution to bid farewel to all the Pleasures of this World and at the best maintain themselves by Alms. A great many have embraced this severe Order out of an Opinion of a particular Holiness and Merit which they believed did belong to this Order or rather an Ecclesiastick Ambition the Pride of Mankind being so great and natural to some that they did not think the Commands of God sufficient but rather would receive Heaven from God Almighty as a desert than as a gift and were ambitious of having a preference before others even in the other Life Some there are who embrace a Monastick Life out of desperation some out of laziness A great many are by their Parents and Relations sent into a Monastery out of Superstition or Poverty and to prevent the ruin of a Family by the division of the Estate among a great many Children And out of these Fryars the Pope has chosen his Regiment of Guards which he lays in Garrison not only to plague the Laiety but also to curb the Bishops and the rest of the Clergy It was for this reason that the Pope did uphold the Fryars with so much zeal against the Bishops in the Tenth Century especially when they withdrawing themselves from the Jurisdictions of the Bishops did submit themselves to the immediate Authority of the Pope And the Popes know so well how to handle them that tho' there are great Jealousies on foot betwixt their several Orders as for example betwixt the Franciscans and Dominicans they nevertheless keep so even a ballance betwixt them and so equally dispose of their Favours towards them that one Order may not oppress another or that any of them may have any reason to complain of the Pope's partiality These Fryars also used to interfere often with the regular Clergy as pretending to a great share in the Legacies and Burials of the richer sort to the direction of Consciences and the administration of the Sacraments From hence did arise a continual envy and hatred from the Bishops and regular Clergy against these Fryars who being upheld by the Pope's Favour were not concerned at their anger And therefore whenever any Bishop attempted any thing against the Pope's Authority these Fryars with their clamour and noise pursued him every where like so many Hounds and rendred him odious to the common People amongst whom they were in great veneration through their outward appearance of Holiness and from thence it came to pass that the Bishops who opposed the Pope's Authority never could make a great Party among the common People Besides this the Fryars always kept a watchful Eye over the actions of the Bishops giving continual advices concerning them to their Generals residing at Rom◠whereby by the Popes were enabled to oppose timely any design intended against their Authority And these Fryars proved the main obstacle why the Bishops could not so effectually oppose the Pope's Authority which he assumed over them so that being destitute of means to help themselves they were forced to follow the current Tho' it is also certain that some of them were very well satisfied with it as believing that they did participate of the Grandeur of their supreme Head and that thereby they should be exempted from the Jurisdiction of the Civil Magistrates which was more dreadful to them than a foreign Jurisdiction exercised by those of their own Order from whom they had all the reason to expect more Favour Nevertheless it is also undeniable that a great many Bishops especially among those on this side the Alps bear a grudge to the Pope's Authority to this very day which evidently appeared at the Council of Trent where the French and Spanish Bishops did insist very closely upon this Point that it might be decided whether Bishops are not obliged to Residence by the Law of God which is also the Opinion of the Jansenists as they are called in France and the Netherlands The more refined sort did easily perceive what their Intention was by making this Proposition For if God had commanded them this it must also be a consequence that he had given them means and instructed them with sufficient Power qui dat jus ad finem dat jus ad media and that therefore they were not obliged to go to Rome first and to purchase an Authority to exercise their Function The Pope met with great Difficulties before he could surmount this obstacle at the Council of Trent wherefore it is very likely that this will be the last Council since the Pope will scarce hereafter put his Grandeur to the hazard and the decision of such an Assembly which also seems now to be of no further use since the Jesuits and some others have taught that the Pope is infallible and above Councils from whom they ought to receive a confirmation and a binding or obliging Power But let it be as it will the Bishops are for their own sakes obliged not to withdraw themselves from the Popes subjection since thereby they would fall under the Jurisdiction of the Civil Power and would be obliged to seek for Protection from their Sovereigns who must be Potent Princes if they should protect them against the Pope wherefore they are now forced to choose the least of two Evils § 19. Tho' the Church was never so abounding in Riches and in great numbers of Ecclesiasticks yet was it absolutely necessary that the Pope if the intended to establish an Ecclesiastical Monarchy should not be in any ways dependent on any Temporal Prince and that he should reside in a place which was free from all subjection to any Civil Power but himself that he also should be possessed of such an Estate as might be sufficient to maintain his Grandeur and not to be liable to be taken away from him upon any pretence whatsoever where also his adherents might find a safe retreat whenever they should be pursued by the Civil Power To establish this was a business of a considerable time and labour neither could it be effected without great opposition and that by a great many Artifices and knavish Tricks And it is certain that as long as there was an Emperour in the Western Empire and as long as the Empire of the Goths lasted in Italy the Bishops of Rome could not so much as think of this Greatness But this having been destroyed under the
them to all sorts of People whom he installed before they had taken Holy Orders And when the Emperour resolved to maintain his antient Right and Title he excommunicated him and stirred up the Bishops and the Estates of Germany against him who made him so much work that he was obliged to resign his Right of Constituting of Bishops The Pope under this pretext did not only intend to exempt the Bishops from the Emperour's Jurisdiction but the main point was to make himself Sovereign over Italy and to make all the other Princes submit to the Pope's Authority And some are of Opinion that this Design might have been put in execution considering that Europe was at that time divided into so many Principalities and most of these Princes being not very Potent might either out of a Devotion or to avoid falling under the Jurisdiction of more Potent Princes submit themselves under the Pope's protection and pay him Tribute It is therefore not improbable that if three or four Popes had succeeded one another instructed with sufficient Capacity to cover their Design with the Cloak of Holiness and in the mean while to uphold the Interest of the People against the Oppressions of their Princes the Popes might have made themselves absolute Sovereigns both in Temporal and Spiritual Affairs Neither did the Pope only pretend to free himself from the Emperour's Jurisdiction over him but also endeavoured to make him his Subject for he pretended to be his Judge he summon'd him before him to make answer to the Complaints of his Subjects excommunicated him and declared him to have forfeited his Right and Title to the Empire And tho' his Son the Emperour Henry V. did endeavour to recover what was forcibly taken away from his Father and made Pope Paschal a Prisoner whom he forced to restore to him the right of Constituting of Bishops yet were the whole Clergy in Europe so dissatisfied hereat and raised such Commotions that at last he was obliged to resign the same again into the Pope's hands Much about the same time there were great Disputes concerning this Point in England which were composed in such a manner that the King should not pretend to the Power of investing of Bishops but that these should do Homage to him The last of which the Pope was very unwilling to grant who would fain have had the Bishops to be quite independent of the King which was the reason why he expresly forbid the Bishops in France to follow this Example but King Lewis VI. and his Successours did maintain their Right with so high a Hand that the Popes were never able to establish their pretended Right in France Neither did the Popes think it advisable to fall out at once with the Emperour and France but that it would be more secure to have one at hand to uphold them against the other especially the Popes were not so much for weakening of France because they were not so nearly concerned with that Kingdom as for humbling the Emperours that were Potent in Italy and pretended to the Sovereignty over the City of Rome Neither was Germany so intirely united as France and most Princes of Europe being then very jealous of the Grandeur of the Empire were very willing to joyn with the Pope against the Emperours under pretence of upholding the Authority of the Holy Church and Papal Chair 'T is true the two Emperours Frederick I. and II. did afterwards endeavour to restore the antient Imperial Right but were not able to attain their aim especially since Italy was divided into the two Factions of the Guelfs and Gibellines the first whereof were for the Pope the latter for the Emperour which caused such a Confusion in Italy that the Emperours could never afterwards reduce Italy to an entire Obedience And because after the death of the Emperour Frederick II. the whole Empire was during that long vacancy of the Throne put into great Confusion and Disorders the succeeding Emperours found so much work in Germany that they were not in a Condition to look after Italy whereby the Pope had sufficient leisure given him to make himself Sovereign both as to his own Person and over the Possessions belonging to the Church of Rome § 22. But the Pope not being contended to have attained this degree of Grandeur quickly set on foot another Doctrine which was of far greater consequence viz. That the Pope had an indirect Power over Princes that it belonged to him in his own Right to take Care how they governed and managed their Affairs For tho' they did not expresly pretend in gross terms that Princes did depend on them in Civil Affairs yet they believed that the supreme Ecclesiastical Power did entitle them to an Authority to judge concerning the Actions of Princes whether the same were good or bad to admonish them to correct them and to command what was fitting and to forbid what was unfitting to be done If therefore Princes waged War against one another the Pope pretended to have an Authority to command a Truce to be made betwixt them to bring their Differences before him and refer them to his Decision not without threatnings that he would not only excommunicate them in their Persons but also forbid the exercise of Divine Service and administration of the Sacraments throughout their whole Kingdom They also did believe it belonged to their Office to obviate all publick Scandals to defend such as were oppressed and to see Justice done to all the World It was from this pretension that they received the Complaints of all such as pretended to be oppressed nay they went further for they sometimes took information concerning the Injuries done by Princes to their Subjects and concerning some Impositions laid upon the People whereby the People thought themselves aggrieved which they forbid to be levied upon them under the penalty of Excommunication Sometimes they used to declare the Possessions of such as were excommunicated forfeited exposing their Persons to danger and releasing the Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance under pretence that the Government of a Christian People ought not to be trusted to the management of such as had rebelled against the Church This has been attempted against a great many Crowned Heads and put in execution against some of them This abominable pretension as they perswade the ignorant was founded upon their fictitious Decretals upon which they have built their Canon-Law which grants to the Pope an unlimited Power over Christians by vertue of which he may as the Common Father send out his Commands to all Believers and admonish them concerning all such Matters as belong to Religion and their Salvation and in case of Disobedience lay punishments upon them For that the Predecessours of Gregory VII did not make use of this Power they say was because the preceeding Emperours either kept themselves within their bounds or else the Popes lived an ungodly Life To give specious colours to these pretensions
they made use of the Examples of Ambrose and Theodosius they used to relate how the Spanish Bishops had obliged King Wamba by way of penance to lay down the Crown As also how the Bishops of France had deposed Lewis Surnamed the Pious who afterwards could not recover his Crown without the Consent and Authority of another Assembly of Bishops They alledged for another Example how Fulco then Archbishop of Rheims had threatened Charles Sirnamed the Simple to absolve his Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance if he made an Alliance with the Normans who were then Pagans They supposed that it was without question that the Pope's Power did extend it self beyond that of all other Bishops since it was not limited by any thing except by the express Canons of Councils and Decrees of the Popes wherein nothing was contained against this Power of deposing of Kings and they say it was not to be supposed that they could have been forgetful of this point And because they had assumed a Power to give the Name and Title of a King to some who either prompted by their Ambition or Superstition had begged the same from them they supposed that by the same Right they might take away the Crown from such as they esteemed unworthy of wearing it They also had forbid to marry within the seventh degree of Consanguinity and the fourth of Affinity whereby they often met with an opportunity to be troublesome to Princes For because it seldom happened among those of so high a Rank but that one side or other was within one of these degrees they stood in continual fear lest the Pope should disturb their Negotiations except they humbly begged for a Dispensation and in both cases the Popes knew how to make their advantage of them Lastly the Popes having abundance of Business to dispatch did thereby draw the best and most refined Wits to their Courts who used to go thither to look for Imployment and to perfect themselves in the great School of Europe These were always for promoting the Pope's Interest and Designs from whom they expected their promotion besides that the whole Clergy did adhere to him as to their supreme Head Pope Boniface VIII did clearly give us to understand his meaning at the Jubilee kept in the year 1300. when he appeared sometimes in the Habit of an Emperour sometimes in that of a Pope and caused two Swords to be carried before him as the Ensigns of the Ecclesiastical and Civil Power § 23. But the Popes could not long enjoy this unsufferable Usurpation in quiet for it was so often called in question till they were obliged to draw in their horns and to make their pretensions a little more plausible 'T is true in the Business with the Emperours the Henrys and the Fredericks they got the upper hand nevertheless they met betwixt while often times with very indifferent entertainment and such things were sometimes publish'd against them as were little to their Honour and from whence it might easily be judged by those that were impartial that not the Glory of God but their own Grandeur was the chief aim of their undertaking But when Boniface III. pretended to play the same Game with Philip Surnamed the Handsome King of France he watched his opportunity so well and gave him such a blow that the Pope felt the smart of it And to avoid the Scandal which the common People might take at these so severe proceedings against the Pope use was made of this pretext that what was done against his Person was not intended against the Vicar of Jesus Christ but against a pernicious Person who by unlawful means was got into the Chair and that a general Council ought to be called to free the Church from his Oppressions But the ensuing Schisms have proved the most pernicious to the Popes Authority as also the double Elections which have been made at several times when the Cardinals being divided set up two Popes at once who used by turns to excommunicate and revile one another and to maintain themselves in the Chair were fain to flatter the Kings and acknowledge that they were beholding to them This Division was an evident sign that the Elections of these Popes had not been guided by the Holy Spirit but been influenced by some ill Designs and Intrigues Wherefore it was also the Opinion of the Wiser sort that in such a case neither of them ought to be acknowledged as Pope but that a new one ought to be chosen which was also put in execution at the Council of Constance The first Schism arose according to my Opinion in the year 1134. or as some will have it 1130. when after the death of Honorius II. Innocent II. and Anacletus were both chosen Popes And tho' the first had the greater party on his side yet did the King of Sicily and Duke of Aquitam vigorously uphold the latter and his adherents did after his death choose another in his stead who called himself Victor with whom Innocent made an agreement so that he voluntarily relinquished his pretension and acknowledged him his Superiour But after the death of Adrian IV. two Popes were again elected at one time viz. Alexander III. and Victor IV. To the first adhered France England and Sicily to the latter the Emperour Frederick I. all Germany and the Clergy of Rome And after his death those of his party chosen three successive Popes all whom Alexander out-lived These used to make a common Trade to excommunicate and revile one another and each of them were fain to behave themselves towards their Protectours more like a Client than a Master But much greater was the Schism after the death of Gregory IX when again two Popes were elected at once whereof one resided at Rome the other at Avignon This Schism lasted through several successions near the space of Forty Years during which time both parties excommunicated one another very frequently and committed great Cruelties France Scotland Castile Savoy and Naples were of the side of the Pope that resided at Avignon but all the rest of Christendom declared for the other at Rome Both parties took great pains to set out the great numbers of Saints that were of their party and what Miracles and Revelations were made concerning their approbation And both sides knew how to produce such Reasons that at last there was no other remedy left them but to force both the Anti-Popes to abdicate themselves at the Council of Constance and to choose a new one in their stead The last Schism of all arose when the Council of Basil having deposed Eugenius IV. did in his stead elect Felix V. Pope unto whom the former would not submit And these Dissentions were continued till after the death of Eugenius when Nicholas V. was chosen in his stead unto whom Felix for quiet sake did resign the Chair upon very advantageous terms in the year 1488. It is very easily to be imagined how these Divisions did
expose to publick view the Secrets of these Fathers Since from hence an opportunity was taken to make use of the Assistance of the Councils to bridle the Popes and from the Popes to appeal to these which were now made use of to terrify the Popes withal whenever they pretended to transgress their bounds The Popes could the less refuse to acknowledge the Power of the Councils at that time because Gregory VII himself after the quarrel betwixt him and the Emperour was renewed had proposed to call a Council to be held in a place of Security where both Friends and Foes both the Clergy and Laiety might meet to judge whether he or the Emperour had broke the Peace and to concert Measures how to re-establish the same Gelasius II. who had Differences with Henry V. made the same Declaration adding withal that he would rest satisfied with what Judgment his Brothers the Bishops should give who were constituted Judges in the Church by God Almighty and without whom he could not decide a Business of this nature So Innocent III. had writ that he would not undertake to decide the Marriage Controversie betwixt Philip Augustus and Engebourgh of Denmark without consulting a general Council for if he should attempt any such thing he might thereby forfeit his Office and Dignity Which words seemed intimate that a Pope for mismanagement might be deposed And when afterwards these and the like words were made use of against the Popes it was then too late to endeavour to make them pass for Compliments since it proves often dangerous to be too modest in matters of such consequence Wherefore the Council of Pisa in the year 1409. did depose the two Anti-Popes Benedict XII and Gregory XII in whose stead they chose another viz. Alexander V. In the same manner the Council of Constance did not only confirm the deposition of these two Popes but also turned out John XXIV who was made Pope after the death of Alexander V. In the same manner the Council of Basil did with Eugenius IV. and besides this made a Decree that neither at the Court of Rome neither in other places any mony should be taken for the dispatches of Ecclesiastical Affairs All which as it shook the very Foundation of the Papal Chair so it was not to be admired that the Popes were very averse afterwards to call the Council of Trent and were forced to make use of all their cunning that nothing might pass there to the prejudice of their Grandeur and that since that time they have bid farewel to Councils for ever § 24. Among other divisions this has proved very prejudicial as it seems to the Authority of the Popes that Clement V. did transfer the Papal Chair from Rome to Avignon as I suppose upon instigation of Philip Surnamed the Handsom King of France who having had great differences with Boniface VIII was Excommunicated by him To render this ineffectual he thought it the most proper way if the Pope resided in France and that thereby the like would be prevented for the future since it was very probable that the greatest part of the Cardinals hereafter would be taken out of the French Nation The Popes made this City their constant place of Residence for seventy years together not to mention that some of the Anti-Popes also did Reside there This changing of the Seat carry'd along with it several inconveniencies which proved very prejudicial to the Ecclesiastical Monarchy For the Pope's Authority was among other things also founded upon this belief that S. Peter had been at Rome and by his presence had Communicated a particular Prerogative and Holiness to that Chair and whether the same could be transferred to Avignon seemed somewhat doubtful to a great many besides this the Pope was then for the most part obliged to comply with France and to live as it were at the Discretion of the French Kings Tho also the French who then thought they had a great Catch have since complained that they got little else by the presence of the Roman Court than Simony and another abominable Vice not fit to be named Besides this the Court of Rome being then kept among Strangers as it were out of its Natural Element its Faults were the sooner discovered and the whole the more despised This removal also of the Court of Rome proved very prejudicial to the Revenue of the Church in Italy For after the Authority of the Emperors in Italy came to decay each State was for living free and being Sovereign itself and the Factions of the Guelfs and Gibellines caused most horrid distractions And the Authority of the Pope being vanish'd by his absence they made bold with the Church Possessions Most Cities of the Ecclesiastical State upon the persuasions of the Florentines had sent away the Popes Legats and acknowledged no Sovereign The Emperor Lewis Surnamed the Bavarian who was at Enmity with the Pope but in great esteem among the Inhabitants of the Ecclesiastical State did pretend to the Sovereignty over the same as being a Fief of the Empire which he granted to such as upheld his Party against the Pope The Patrimony of the Church was then but very slender and tho the Popes recovered part of it afterwards they were obliged to leave most in Possession of what they had got But the City of Rome was nevertheless at last forced to submit to the Popes power which it had resisted so long when Boniface IX in the year 1393. put on the Bridle by building the Castle of S. Angelo And Alexander VI. was the chief cause that the Ecclesiastical State was reduced under the Obedience of the Popes This Pope had a Natural Son whose name was Caesar Borgia but who commonly is called Duke of Valence from the Dukedom of Valence which he got with his Lady Charlotte d' Albret The Pope being very ambitious to make this his Son a great Prince in Italy proposed this expedient to him that he must drive out these petty Lords which were then in Possession of the Ecclesiastical State and when he had made himself Master of these places he would confirm him in the Possession of them for ever He succeeded very well in this Enterprise having made away with most of these petty Lords some by Force some by Treachery for he used to stick at nothing alledging that whatever he did could not be done amiss since he had received his Commission from his Father who was endowed with the Holy Ghost And being reduced to the utmost want of mony wherewith to pay his Soldiers he and his Father agreed to Poison the richest Cardinals at a Feast intended for that purpose some of whom they also knew to be averse to their Designs But the Servant who had the management of the business having out of carelesness fill'd the Pope and his Son a Cup out of the Poisoned Flasks the Father died immediately the Son narrowly escaping by the help of some Sudorificks And not being
an opportunity to possess themselves of of these ample Revenues nevertheless the same kept a great many Prelates under the obedience of the Roman Chair who if they had not been afraid of losing their Rich Benefices would not have been so backward to side with Luther's Party This was manifestly to be seen in France where both the Prelates and Common People had made no great account of the Popes Authority before the Reformation but when they saw that those of the Reformed Religion were for breaking into their Quarters they agreed better afterwards with the Court of Rome and the Commonalty was very Zealous against the Reformed Religion § 28. But besides this the Pope as soon as his adherents had recovered themselves from their first consternation and his Enemies were faln out among themselves has since settled his Affairs in such a manner that the Protestants in all likelyhood will not only not be able to hurt him for the future but he also by degrees gets ground of them For those things wherewith Luther did upbraid them and did the most mischief to them they have either quite abolish'd or at least they are transacted in a more decent manner Si non castè tamen cautè They have also made use of the same Weapons wherewith Luther did attack them For the Popes now a days do not insult with so much haughtiness over Princes but treat them with more Civility and Lenity It is true in the last Age Paul IV. behaved himself very impudently towards Spain and in our Age Paul V. did the same with Venice But by the mediation of wiser Heads these Differences were Composed before they could draw after them any further ill Consequences and the Popes ever since have been sufficiently convinced that these hot-headed proceedings are in no ways suitable to their present condition For Paul V. did quickly give fair words when the French Ambassadour made him believe that the Venetians had sent for some Ministers from Geneva to be instructed in the Principles of the Reformed Religion Neither have of late years sate such Debauchees in the Papal Chair as Alexander VI. or such Martial Popes as Julius II. was but of late they have endeavoured to carry on their Intreagues under hand whilst they in outward appearance pretend to be the Promoters and Mediatours of Peace That most scandalous Trade of Indulgences and that gross sort of Simony they have set aside whilst they make it their business to cajole the People out of their mony in a more handsome manner The Bishops are now of another Stamp and carry it on with much more gravity than before the times of Luther nay there are now among the Prelats eccellent and well qualified Men. The Ordinary Priests and Monks also have been much Reformed in their Manners and been obliged to lay aside their former brutish Ignorance Luther And his adherents did at first gain mightily upon the People by their most excellent and learned Sermons and by their Books which they publish'd thereby to excite the People to Piety Prayers godly Meditations and Exercises Both which the Papists have imitated since for among them now adays are to be found most excellent Preachers and very good Prayer-Books so that the Protestant Clergy has now not much to object against them as to their ability or outward behaviour They have also got a very good insight into all the Controverted Points and have a dosen or more Distinctions at hand against any Objection For example whereas nothing seems more ridiculous than that the Pope should grant his Indulgences for twenty or thirty thousands years to come they know how to give this a fine colour by these Distinctions of Intensive and Extensive Potentialiter and Actualiter which relish strangely with young Students and the ignorant suppose them to be terms full of Mysteries And because the Ignorance of the Clergy and the hatred conceived against Learning and learned Men had proved very prejudicial to the Popish Monarchy the Popish Clergy and especially the Jesuits have since altered their Course and having taken upon them the Education of Youth have pretended to the Monopoly of Learning among the Roman Catholicks so that since that time Learning has not only not been prejudicial but very profitable to them Lastly they now adays do not make use of Fire and Sword to propagate the Roman Catholick Religion but the chief Men among the Protestants are inticed to come over to their Party with fair Words great Promises and actual Recompenses If any one who is well qualified will go over to their Party he may be sure to make his Fortune since the Wealth of their Church furnishes them with sufficient Means to maintain such a Person tho his Merits were not extraordinary Whereas on the contrary if any one goes over from them to the Protestants Religion and either has not wherewithal to live or else is endowed with extraordinary qualifications he must expect nothing but want Last of all those of the House of Austria have greatly promoted the Popish Interest when they drove the Protestants out of the Hereditary Countries in Germany out of the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Countries belonging thereunto and lately have done the same to the Protestants in Hungary except to a very few or else have forced them to profess themselves Roman Catholicks § 29. From what has been said it may easily be understood in what manner this Ecclesiastical Sovereignty has extended her Power over the Western parts of Christendom But throughly to understand the whole Structure and Composure of this Engine and by what means it is sustained it will not be improper to consider the Pope in two different ways first as a Prince in Italy and secondly as the spiritual Monarch over the Western Church As to the first it is to be observed that the Pope may be reckoned a Potent Prince in Italy but is in no ways to be Compared with the other Princes in Europe The Countries under his Jurisdiction are the City of Rome with her Territories situated on both sides of the River Tyber the Dukedom of Benevento in the Kingdom of Naples the Dukedoms of Spoleto Vrbino and Ferrara the Marquisate of Ancona several places in Tuscany Romaniola or Flaminia where are situated Bologna and Ravenna In France the Country of Avignon belongs to him Parma is a Fief of the Church which Paul III. granted to his Son Lewis Farnese But since that time a Constitution has been made that it shall not be in the power of any Pope to Alienate any Fief or to grant any of the Countries belonging to the Church in Fief to any person whatsoever to prevent the ruin of the Ecclesiastick State and that in case the Revenues from abroad should fail the Pope nevertheless might not want means to maintain himself and his Court. The Kingdom of Naples is also a Fief of the Church in acknowledgment of which the King of Spain every
Emperour Justinian and Rome and Italy made a Province of the Grecian Empire then it was that the Popes took their opportunity to exempt themselves from the Jurisdiction of these Emperours whose Authority was mightily decayed in Italy partly by the ill management of their Governours at Ravenna partly by their own weakness and want of Strength for the Lombards were Masters in Italy and in the times of Justinian II. one Emperour was for ruining the other Besides this some of these Emperours were against the adoring of Images and Leo Isaurus quite ejected them out of the Churches because this adoration was wholly degenerated into Idolatry and as to the outward appearance the Saints were more regarded than God himself This undertaking was very vehemently opposed by Pope Gregory II. who stood up for the Images partly because the Roman Chair found this Superstition very advantageous partly because the Pope took it very ill that the Emperour should undertake a Reformation in Matters of Religion without his Knowledge and Consent and that at that time when he was busie to introduce the Ecclesiastical Monarchy in the Western parts partly also because he thought to have met with an opportunity to withdraw himself from the Jurisdiction of the Grecian Emperours The better to obtain his Aim he stirred up the Romans and Italians who hitherto had been under the Obedience of the Emperours to refuse to pay them Tribute and the Governour residing at Ravenna endeavouring to maintain the Emperour's Right was slain in a Tumult Whereby the Jurisdiction and Power of the Grecian Emperours was abolished in those parts of Italy and these Countries began to be free and independent on any Foreign Jurisdiction § 20. By these means the Pope had freed himself from the Jurisdiction of the Emperours of Constantinople but not long after he was threatened by another Enemy who being nearer at hand was likely to prove more troublesome to him than formerly the Emperours who lived at so considerable a distance For the Kings of the Longobards endeavoured first to make themselves Masters of those parts which were fallen off from the Emperour and afterwards of all Italy They had already taken Raâ—enna and there was none left in Italy who was able to stop their Victories The Popes were then hard put to it and knew not where to seek for Protection except of the Kings of France who at first endeavoured to finish these Differences by an amicable Composition but the Longobards not being willing to rest satisfied therewith they resolved by force of Arms to maintain the Italian Affairs They were easily prevailed upon to undertake this Business not only because Pope Zachary had approved of the Proceedings of Pepin who having abdicated the lawful King was from a Grand-Marshal become King of France but also they had thereby an opportunity offered them to make Conquests in Italy whereof the French Nation has been always very ambitious Pepin and afterwards Charles the Great having been so Fortunate in their Wars against the Longobards as to Conquer their whole Kingdom they gave to the Papal Chair all that Tract of Land which had been formerly under the Jurisdiction of the Grecian Governours There are some who are of Opinion that to obtain this Gift the Pope made use of the fictitious Donation of Constantine the Great which in those barbarous times was easily imposed upon the ignorant World Besides this the French Kings had great Obligations to the Pope for the above-mentioned reason and were also fond of acquiring the name of pious Princes by bestowing liberal Presents out of other Mens Possessions For it was in those Days a common Custom that Men of all degrees made it their Business to out-do one another in Liberality towards the Clergy Nay the Princes used to grant them these Possessions without any incumbrances that thereby the Ecclesiasticks might be sure to enjoy free possession of what they had bestowed upon them These extravagant Donations were none of the least Causes why the Clergy afterwards did labour with so much vehemency to withdraw themselves from the Jurisdiction of the Civil Magistrates as fearing that these extravagant Donations and Grants might be recalled and declared void by their Successours Wherefore it has been always a Maxim of Wise Men. that Princes by granting extravagant Priviledges and Gifts made their Subjects rather Jealous than Friends since those who have obtained them living always in fear that the same either in part or wholly may be taken away again imploy all means so to establish themselves as to be in a capacity to maintain themselves therein in spite of the Prince Those Learned Men who are of an impartial Judgment take it for granted that the Pope did pretend to exercise a Sovereign Power over these Countries granted to him by the French Kings but that the People refused the same as being for maintaining their Liberty and thinking it very odd that the Pope who was an Ecclesiastical Person should pretend to be also a Worldly Prince When therefore the Romans mutinied against Pope Leo III. he was forced to seek for Assistance from Charles the Great who restored the Pope But on the other hand the Pope and People of Rome proclaimed Charles Emperour whereby he was put into possession of the Sovereignty over that part of Italy which formerly belonged to the Jurisdiction of the Governours at Ravenna and the other remnants of the Western Empire so that the Pope afterwards enjoyed these Countries under the Sovereign Jurisdiction of the Emperour who therefore used to be called the Patron and Defender of the Church till the Reign of the Emperour Henry IV. § 21. But the Popes began at length to grow weary of the Imperial Protection because the Emperour's Consent was required in the Election of a Pope and if they were mutinous the Emperours used to check them and sometimes turn them out of the Chair To exempt themselves from this Power of the Emperours over them the Popes have for a long time together imployed all their Cunning and Labour before they could obtain their Aim They used to make it their constant Business to raise intestine Commotions against the Emperours sometimes in Germany sometimes in Italy thereby to diminish their Power and Authority The Bishops especially in Germany were always very busie as being dissatisfied that they were dependent on the Emperours who nominated the Bishops and therefore joyned with the Pope to assist him in setting up the Ecclesiastical Sovereignty The Reign of the Emperour Henry IV. furnished them with an opportunity to put in execution their Design this Emperour by his Debaucheries and ill management of Affairs living in discontents and continual broils with the Estates of Germany and as soon as Gregory VII who was before called Hildebrand a proud resolute and obstinate Man got into the Chair he began to exclaim against the Emperour that the granting of Church-Benefices did not belong to him since he made a Traffick with them and sold