Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bishop_n	law_n	power_n	3,346	5	4.9385	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90668	St Paul's late progres upon earth, about a divorce 'twixt Christ and the Church of Rome, by reason of her dissolutenes and excesses. With the causes of these present commotions 'twixt the Pope, and the princes of Italy. A new way of invention agreeable to the times. Published by James Howell, Armig.; Divortio celeste. English.	Pallavicino, Ferrante, 1615-1644.; Howell, James, 1594?-1666.	1644 (1644)	Wing P212; Thomason E1174_2; ESTC R203120	41,006	172

in Rome a Bank call'd the Farnes bank which obligeth my fortunes to contribut an annuall cense to my creditors Now Vrban the eight being assailed by some turbulent spirits in these last periods of his life thought with himself to build a little new Fort of divers pretences upon this bank therby to set upon my Dutchy of Castro But I had good reason to hope now in these my troubles some support rather than any oppression of that Seat of whom the ashes of my Progenitors do yet glory to have merited so well But all gratitude being utterly extinguish'd in the breasts of Ecclesiasticks Charity is also much diminish'd amongst them which neither moves them to any compassion nor to be a whit aggriev'd though they see mountains of miseries heap'd on one's back A desire to enrich the Nephews the primum mobile in these times of the Popes mind prevail'd over all reason and the pre-potency of plundring did facilitat the way to dispossesse me of mine own Nor did the tyranny of Vrban the eight stop here but he thought that I would take it nothing ill if he did excommunicat me that being so segregated from the Communion of the Faithfull none durst hear my grievance or reach me a hand Agreat cruelty in a Shepheard that flaying his Sheep alive would not have them have naturall affection to resent the grief Moreover to varnish the pretext of his censures he publisheth me for a disobedient Son to the universall Father of Christianity But whether he is to be acknowledg'd for a Father who Enemy-like robb's his children judge you Can he pretend to be reverenc'd as Successor to Saint Peter when diffring from Saint Peter he stops his ears to the words of Christ who commandeth him to sheath his sword Christ did institut a peacefull Kingdome Nor did he ever ordain that his cause should be handled with Armes Neverthelesse the present Bishops make use of them because they are ready to meddle with any other cause than that of Christ In the interim good Fryer my fortune is worse than that of Malchus for if Malchus was offended with the weapon of Peter he was heal'd again by the hands of Peter But I find my self hurt by Peters sword yet cannot perceive his hand is disposed to cure me or to restore me mine own SECT. VI Saint Paul being departed from Parma goes to Florence where being brought to the Court he heard the Gran-Duke much transported with choler speaking to a Counsellor of his in this manner THen Vrban the eight intends that the Clergy-men shall go exempted from the imposition of the mill-stone wherunto the interests of my State oblige me to subject without Exception any one that lives under my government And who is he that arrogats temporall Authority over anothers jurisdiction In the time of Christ secular Princes had their tribut and shall they be now refus'd in Vrban the Eights time By this means the credulous simplicity of the Laity shall be continually-taught to contribut so many gabels to the Clergy and the Clergy shall be free from all taxes to them And who at any time leaves any possessions to the Ecclesiasticks they must be free from such contributions which the Law of Nature awards ev'ry protecting Prince Who did ever affirm that the Legacies of privat men can derogat from the publick jurisdiction of Princes These are new Statuts which tear the World in peeces being introduc'd by those Bishops which together with the Evangelicall Doctrin have forgot that Christ himself when he was upon Earth paid tribut to Caesar professing that he came to fulfill the Law not to abrogat it And we shall admit into our free States an Authority which beyond the order and example of Christ pretends to have power to controule and transvolve the dominion of others yea to trample upon the Princes themselves Is this the Paradis that Christ promiseth to them who observe his Law or rather a Hell which they worthily deserve who beleeve too much in an adulterated Church But I observe that the Ecclesiasticks by too many stiles do subject the simple seculars to pay the contributions of indulgences of dispensations of the Word of God of sacrifices of the Altar and in sum of all the Sacraments which the divine bounty hath granted gratis to all the Faithfull But what do I say the avarice of the Clergy is come to that height that it doth not permit those poor souls that are under the agonies of death to depart from this world to the other till they conjure them under the pretext of pious Legacies to contribut a toll for their safe conduct and constraining them to bargain for their very graves they sell them for ready mony the Embraces of our Common Mother the Earth And I in my free State cannot impose the least toll as that of the mill-stone upon them But let Vrban the eight practise what he please let him thunder what Excommunications he will upon my Gabelleers I shall learn well enough how to fence away his blowes I will make the Jewes my Receivers nor shall I ever suffer that Toscany be oppressed by such rapacious Tyrannies which under the mantle of Religion are exercis'd in Christendom to rob us of our own SECT. VII Saint Paul having from the words of the Gran-Duke comprehended the cause why he was so mov'd resolves to steer his cours for Venice wher being scarfe arriv'd he found casually upon the way a writing the tenor wherof was as followeth A Memorandum for the most renowned Republick of Venice AMongst those Princes which reverence Rome your serenity is She most renowned Republick which being free from all superstitious credulity do conserve your Christian Empire from every insidious Religion By a most sage Law therfore you did constitut some yeares since that the Clergy should be made incapable to inherit any stable possessions for the dead daily multiplying and consequently the number of Legacies every day increasing In processe of time the Ecclesiasticks would become Masters of all that wealth which giving a subsistence to all kind of Subjects are destinated for the service of your serenity Whosoever lives free from all passion to the affections of Rome is bound to applaud the maturity of your deliberations in this point And he who professeth himself a friend to the greatnes of your dominions must needs ackdowledg that your high wisdome is warn'd by publick necessity to regulat two other no lesse important abuses The first consists in the perpetuity of Legacies For what avails it to prohibit that stable goods passe not under the possession of Ecclesiasticks When by the multitude of perpetuall Legacies which use to be bequeath'd and charg'd upon stable possessions it will fall out in time that all the Rents shall be drunk up so And what difference can there be then I pray 'twixt a perpetuall Legacy and a stable possession Or what benefit should your Subjects receive from the foresaid Law who though they cannot be

distastes that have been given him by the Church of Rome and so requires a Divorce SEC. 3. The commands imposed upon Saint Paul to repaire to Earth to heare the grievances of Mortals and to frame an exact processe of the life and demeanures of the Romane Church SEC. The complaints of the Republicke of Lucca SEC. 5. The grievances of the Duke of Parma SEC. 6. The discontentments of the gran-Duke of Florence SEC. 7. A caution given the Republicke of Venice touching perpetuity of Legacies and the multiplicity of Pensions they give the Court of Rome SEC. 8. Reasons alleadged by the Signiory of Venice why she undertakes the punishing of Ecclesiasticall Delinquents SEC. 9. The complaint of Venice why that ancient Elogy of hers which was engraven in the Vatican was defac'd SEC. 10. A narration of the oppressions which the secular Subjects doe groane under in the state of the Church SEC. 11. The judgement of an Armenian and a Turke upon the Church of Rome SEC. 12. The Confession of a dying Cardinall SEC. 13. Motives for the late Marriage 'twixt the Cardinall of Savoy and the young Princesse his Neece SEC. 14. Touching prohibited Books SEC. 15. A Character given by an Angell of the capricious soule of Urban the eight SEC. 16. A Relation what Paul negotiated in Rome and how he left his sword behinde him SEC. 17. The complaint of a Nun who describes the infelicity of that condition of life SEC. 18. A cursory Relation of these late distempers in Italy The Authors Caution to the tender conscienc'd CHRISTIAN THe Author who composed this present Booke hath peradventure more religious thoughts and fuller of piety than thou canst imagine hereby O serupulous Christian But the malignity of the times is come to that height that he is cryed up in a manner for a Hereticke who consents not to the operations whatsoever they be of the Court of Rome The cause hereof is thy simplicity which confounding in one the authority and the affections of Popes canst not distinguish which are the operations of the one and which are the operations of the other The Bishop of Rome may erre as he is a man and being subject to errour who dare maintaine but he may be reprehended Christ who knew no sinne could be content to be crucified and a Bishop who is composed of peccable humanity and who perhaps sinnes every day must thinke it strange if he be but censur'd by any just reproofe David was not so dainty the most ancient Pillars of the Primitive Church who were went with humble retribution of thanks not with proud disdaine to listen unto the zealous corrections of others Poore St Bernard if he had corrected the exorbitances of these times with that liberty as he inveighed against the abuses of his owne assuredly his name should be seene registred in the Index of prohibited Books rather than in the Catalogue of Saints But such dangers cannot dastardize me neither am I induc'd to write this to justifie my owne intentions it being sufficient for me that God onely knowes the intrinsicals of my meaning But I thought fit O scrupulous Christian to offer thee this present Booke as an Instrument which haply may have power to unbeguile thy simplicity from those too credulous opinions whence the presumption of some is fomented to disturbe Italy and to scandalize all such that have a right understanding in Christianity If things which bring profit with them doe use to be gratefull I despaire not altogether of thy good acceptance of this I know that at first sight the Title will appeare unto thee somewhat irreligious and the Argument not savouring of much piety but the Palate must not be Iudge of the Physicke I desire thee not to frame any judgement upon 't till thou hast perus'd the whole Booke wherein if any thing conduce to make thee despise the true Catholicke Religion or her Tenets I am content thou should'st condemne both the Worke and the Author But if thou be taught to detest onely the ill practises of those that infringe the Law of Christ thou must not impute any prophanenesse to that zeale which deplores the abuses in Religion Many were condemn'd for Heretickes who have writ against the Rites of the Church of Rome but he must not incurre the same censure who writes onely against them that doe not rightly observe those Rites for there is a great deale of difference 'twixt the blaming of externe observances and the violation of religion her self O but thou wilt say this Booke is against the Bishop of Rome thou must distinguish O scrupulous Reader 't is against the affections of the said Bishop I reverence the authority but Christ hath not oblig'd me to reverence any earthly exorbitant passions of his And if others doe lawfully take the sword in hand against such passions I hope it is veniall for me to take the pen Nor thinke it strange that I have imagined a Colloquy 'twixt the Persons of the Holy Trinity for 't is the stile of sacred writ to accommodate it selfe to humane capacity Live happy The Heavenly Divorce occasioned by the loosenesse of the Roman Spouse The PREFACE THou deceiv'st thy selfe O misbeleeving man if thou art perswaded that thy impieties mount not up above the Stars to disturbe the repose of Heaven Turne thy eyes if thou hast not altogether lost thy faith in holy Writ and thou shalt see the Son of God dragg'd and nayl'd upon a Crosse by the sin of one man who might in some kind have made himselfe excusable for his transgression in regard it was his first fault as also because he was then but a Novice in the World But what shall we say now Iniquity being found to be so multiplyed and spread through the whole Vniverse that to sin and consequently to offend God cannot be said to be a thing accidentall but the very naturall property of man O perverse World which under the title of naturall propertie dost lessen that wicked transgression which was enough to bring down from life to death thy own Creator If thou then giv'st credit to this wonder not to heare those new changes which being stirr'd in Christ by the faylings of the Roman Spouse have produc'd those strange effects which thou shalt find represented in this Book Saint Pauls late Progres upon Earth SECT. 1. The Eternall Father doth reason with his Son and asks whence proceeds the Originall of his distaste with the Roman Church his Spouse perswading him to a reconcilement NOt by the Embassie of an Angel as at other times O Eternall Word but it is necessary now that by this paternall voice the will of Heaven be manifested In a busines that presseth so much 't is fitting the Father should discourse freely with his Son that the Son should hearken with attention to that which concernes the glory of his Throne 'T is a good while since O my only begotten Son that I observ'd that amorous flame which was us'd to be

dispossed of the propriety of the Land yet they rest depriv'd of the usufruit of it This redounds to the greater advantage of the Clergy For while the refiduary seculars of the Testator undergo the weight of all publick Assessements by keeping in their hands the Fee The Clergy doe in vertue of the annuall Legacy sweep away the rents without any burden at all The zeal of your publick prudence will stir the rather for regulating this abuse when you will consider that the perpetuity of legacies was introduc'd at first rather by the cunning of the Ecclesiasticks than for the need of souls in Purgatory For if the pains in Purgatory are said to be but temporary wherfore should the simplicity of people be perswaded to bequeath in the behalf of their souls perpetuall Legacies and Mansionaries Moreover your serenity ought to consider that the obligation of Masses multiplying every day with the number of Legacies a necessity seems to arise hence either to increase the number of Clergy men who are useles for publick service or to defraud the wils of the well-devoted Testators wheron if the publick Eyes would fixe themselves they should see that the Ecclesiasticks do not performe no not the least part of these daily sacrifices which they are tyed to but they salve their consciences by saying that the Masse being of an infinit value one Masse may supply the necessity of many souls Whence may be inferr'd that if one Masse may supply the necessity of many souls one Masse also may suffice to relieve the urgencies of one soul alone and the remainder shall be thought a number superfluous not from the necessity of the souls but rather from the cheat arising from the avarice of the Priest The second abuse consists in the multiplicity of Pensions which are paid annually to Rome from the State of Venice Touching this it comes into my mind to remember your serenity that the Court of Rome is like the middle Region of the Ayre which is wont to make her thunderbolts against Earth out of the Exhalations She drawes from the Earth it self so the Roman Court is accustom'd to forme it's power for oppression of other States out of the rents contributions and pensions which it receives from those States themselves And let this suffice for the high wisdome of your serenity in this point SECT. VIII Saint Paul sojourning in Venice sees a Priest drag'd into prison by order of the secular power and the cause being ask'd why the temporall Authority exercis'd jurisdiction over a person Ecclesiastick a Venetian answered him thus THe Repub. of Venice nor for any other mens threats or insinuations ever deviated from that constant path her own prudence hath pointed her out for her own safety from the beginning Amongst other jurisdictions which she hath alwayes conserv'd in the face of Romes pretensions and power one is to have authority to punish the persons of Ecclesiastick Delinquents esteeming that dominion to be absolut and universall which Heaven hath afforded her within her own territories This Republick knowes well that when God did institut Soveraign power he conferr'd it upon Saul over all the people and all the Tribes of Israel without Exception and ther was amongst the Tribes you cannot deny a great number of Levits and Priests Ought the Priests then disswade the people from that obedience which was ordain'd by the Divine Majesty it self towards their naturall Princes The Sacraments were ordain'd by God to wash away the pollutions of sin in the soul but not to deface the characters of subjects on the body Nor was the Law of Christ ever incompatible with the jurisdiction of Caesar but in their opinion only who seek pretences to traduce and calumniat it The Ecclesiasticks who interpret all things to their own advantage pretend to under-draw themselves from the secular power by those words of Christ Nolite tangere Christos meos But he who is of a sound understanding discerneth how much they are deceiv'd in the sense of those words For although the same God forbad murther to all men by an expres commandment yet it is lawfull for Magistrats to take away the lives of Malefactors In the administration of justice Lay-Princes also represent God and for one to pretend to withdraw himself from their Authority is no other thing then to be unwilling to be under divine obedience If the Ecclesiasticks would interpret Scriptures with more reason then passion and partiality they would discern that those words Nolite tangere Christos meos beare no other sense then to prohibit an injust outrage against those Ecclesiasticks which for the goodnes of their lives and innocency of their manners deserve the title of Christs When a Church man is naught he fals from that Title and so from the priviledg of it Nor can the Clergy of these times pretend to be exempted from the power of temporall justice by those words unlesse it had been in case that Christ had said Nolite tangere Anti Christos meos This Signory which can discern things in their true Essence doth not admit the falshood of any interessed opinion to purblind her own proper understanding If a Clerk may erre temporally against the State the state thinks it reasonable that he may be punished temporally by no other than by that hand to whō God hath transmitted the care of the State The danger of a State would be too evident and the confusion also if the crimes that are committed against the conservation and the common tranquillity therof should stand in fear of no other punishment then what shall come from a forraign Prince who regulating himself by certain politick interests in lieu of correction would tolerat perhaps and connive at the crime to the publick damage and disturbance therof and his own advantage Behold for example how divers States in Italy wher the Pontificiall Authority raign 's are disquieted ever and anon and corrupted by reason of the impunity of Clericall Libertines And what other thing can be hence expected but that the Ecclesiasticks being exempted totally from secular justice may arme themselves and joyn in Bands and turn their Cloysters when they please to so many Castles that trampling so under foot the Authority of their Princes they may stablish another Kingdom within a Kingdom That wisdom which sits at the stern of the Republick of Venice will never suffer her own Subjects to be able to bandy against her by the protection and support of any forraign Authority Clerks are punished when they offend temporally against the tranquillity of the State not els And if it seems strange to the Pope that the Venetians assume to themselves temporall jurisdiction over Ecclesiasticks much more seems it strange to the Venetians that the Ecclesiasticks should usurp worldly Dominion over the persons of Seculars In the mean time they know well that Christ professed openly to have no Kingdome in this world SECT. IX Saint Paul desiring to understand the last differences which have been