14. 9. 16. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth and in that day shall there be One Lord and his name One. And it shall câ—me to passe that every one that is left of all the Nations that came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King the Lord of Hosits To which I shall subjoyn these prophecies of King David himself concerning the Kingship and kingdom of Christ Gods Son of his seed Psalm 2. 6 7 8. Yet have I set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion I will declare the Decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession Thou shalt break them with a rod or Scepter of Iron c. â—salm 10. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever c. Psalm 29. 10 11. The Lord sitteth King for ever The Lord will give strength uâ— to his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace Psalm 24. 7 8 9 10. Lift up your Heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battel The Lord of Hosts he is the King of Glory c. Psalm 47. 6 7 8. Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises For God is the King of all the earth sing ye praises with understanding God reigneth over the Heathen God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holinesse Psalm 96. 9 10 c. 98. 6 9. 99 1 2. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse fear before him all the earth Say among the Heathen that the Lord reigneth the world also shall he establish that it shall not be moved he shall judge the world uprightly With trumpets and sound of a Corn it make a joyfull noise before the Lord the King c. For he cometh to judge the earth with righteousnesse shall he judge the world and the people with equity More especially Psal 95. 3. 99 to 2. The Lord is a great God and a Great King above all Gods The LORD REIGNETH let the people tremble The Lord is great in Sion and high above all people The KINGS strength also loveth judgement thou dost establish equity thou executest judgement and righteousnesse in Jacob. Psal 149. 2. Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Sion be joyfull in THEIR KING Let them praise his name in the Dance c. Psalm 89. 18. 34 35 36 c. For the Lord is our defence and the holy one of Israel is our King Also I will make him my first-born higher then the Kings of the earth My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my holinesse that I will not lie unto David His seed King Jesus shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sunne before me It shall be Established for ever as the Moon and as a faithfull witnesse in heaven In all these Texts of sacred Story to omit others Christ is still prophecyed of and promised to his Church only under the stile of a King Lord or Great King of the Seed of David sitting upon his Throne righteously judging and reigning over his people as a King and he is sometimes stiled David their King he being a Type of Christ his Supream government of them being attributed annexed only to his Kingship not to his Priesthood or Prophetical office as it was in King David his Father and the forecited kings 3ly That as the Scripture prophecied of and promiseth Jesus Christ in the flesh under the Title of a King so it stiles the Church and Saints he should reign over under the Gospel a kingdom wherein and over which he sits and reigns as a King for ever This is evident by all the last recited Texts and those I shall adde unto them 2 Sam 7. 13. 29. 1 Chron 28. 7. I will establish his kingdom for ever 1 Chr. 29. 11. Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the praise for all in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom O Lord thou art exalted as head above all as a King not Priest or Prophet both riches honor come of thee and thou reignest overall and in thin hand is Power and Might to â—ake great and to give strength to all Psal 103. 19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in heaven and his kingdom ruleth over All Yea the contemplation and discourse of the Glory and excellency of Christs everlasting kingdom over his Church and Saints is thus prophecied of by David as one principal part both of their and all other Christians duty and felicity upon earth Psal 145. 10 11 12 13. All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall blesse thee they shall speak of the Glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious maiesty of his kingdom Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and thy dominion endureth through all Generations In pursuance of which duty King David himself penned two special Psalms of praise Ps 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things I have made for the King c. Gird thy sword not Peters or the Popes keyes upon thy thigh O most mighty with thy glory and thy majesty and in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse c. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy kingdom not Peters keyes is a right Scepter Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellows Hearken O daughter and consider c. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord and worship thou him The King daughter 〈◊〉 the Church is all glorious within c. She shall be brought unto the King Christ Jesus in rayment of needle work they shall enter into the Kings passage c. To which he addeth many Psalms of like nature especially two begenning thus Psal 97. 1 The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the 〈◊〉 and ours amongst others be glad thereof Psalm 99. 1. The Lord reigneth let the earth tremble c. The Prophet Daniel presents us with this excellent description and prediction of Christs Kingdome Dan 2. 41. And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consum all these Kingdome and it shall stand for ever Thus farther illustrated Dan 4. 3.
from their sins by God upon their sincere repentance and to denounce damnation against them in case they repented not and believed not in Christ I Have here enlarged this Proposition abridged in my Prologue the clearing whereof will prove fatal to St. Peters and the Popes pretended Universal Regal Supremacy and Pontifical Jurisdiction over Kings Emperors Kingdoms Nations as well in temporals as spirituals and over Christs Kingdom the Church Militant on Earth as Christs sole Viceroy or Vicar General to whom all his Regal and Sacerdotal power in heaven and earth is assigned by Christ himself if we believe their own Papal or their Parasites claims which I shall here preâ—â—ise in their own words that so their Antichristian Usurpations Blaspemies Impostures may more visibly appear to all Christian Kings and the whole world who cannot but abominate and be jealous of them though never so much devoted to the Papacy Pope Nicholas the 2d writes thus to those of Millain who refused to obey the See of Rome and acknowledge the Popes Universal Supremacy Christ alone hath founded built the Roman Church upon the rock of the faith newly born and hath committed to Saint Peter the Key-bearer of eternal life TERRENI SIMUL IMPERII CAELESTIS JURA the Rights both of the earthly and heavenly Empire Therefore not any terrene Sentence but that word by which heaven and earth were built by which faculty all the Elements were made hath founded the Roman Church Certainly she enjoyeth her privileges from him by whom she is supported Therefore IT IS NOT TO BE DOUBTED that he who endeavoureth to take away from the Church of Rome the Priviledge granted her by the very chief head of all Churches HIC PROCVLDUBIO IN HAERESIN LABITUR HIC EST DICENDVS HAERETICVS He without doubt falls into Heresie he is to be called an heretick because he violates the faith who acts against her who is the mother of faith and is found contumacious to him who is known to have advanced her above all Churches On which Text Bartholomeus Buxiensis and Ioannes Thierry make this Glosse Papa habet utrumque gladium scilicet Spiritualem Temporalem transtulit Imperium Pope Leo the 9. in one of his Epistles writes thus This ought to satisfie you That both the Earthly and Heavenly Empire yea the Royal Priesthood is given to the Apostolick See Divinitus by God himself and not by men Pope Boniface the 8. in his Letters to Philip the French King told him That the Pope is Lord through the whole world both in Temporal and Spiritual Matters And that he judged it HERETICAL for any to think the contrary This Pope boasting that he had the power of both swords declared it by his actions riding Anno 1300. on the first day of the Great Iubilee in triumph in his Pontificalibus as Pope and the next day in his IMPERIAL ROBES adorned with THE IMPERIAL CROWN having a naked sword carried before him and one proclaiming ECCE HIC DUO GLADII behold here the Spiritual and Temporal Swords given to me quantum ad jurisdictionem at least though non per executionem generaliter as some of their soberest Canonist distinguish The like Soveraign power is claimed by all their * Successors and inserted into their Book of Sacred ceremonies ratified by Sixtus Quartus and other Pontifs which records That when the Pope gives or sends a consecrated sword to the Emperor or any King usually hallowed on the night of Christs Nativity he is prescribed to say This Pontifical sword doth betoken SUMMAM TEMPORALEM POTESTATEM as well as Spiritual A CHRISTO PONTIFICI COLLATAM according to that saying All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth and according to that also He shall rule from Sea to Sea and from the floud unto the worlds end Pope Innocent the 3. and Adrian the 4th their forecited passages are to the like effect with sundry other Popes forged or real Decrees to the same purpose recorded in Gratian and the Extravagants The Pope as Augustinus Triumphans asserts is greater then any King or Emperor as well in Temporal as in Spiritual Matters and as God is the Lord of all by Universal Jurisdiction so is the Pope his Vicar greater then any King or Emperor both in spiritual and temporal things The power of Jurisdiction in temporal and in spiritual matters is immediate in the Pope alone Yea the Son of God hath declared the altitude of Ecclesiastical power in the Pope to be above all principalities and powers that unto it every knee should bow both in heaven in earth and under the earth Franciscus Bozius affirms The Supream temporal Jurisdiction throughout the whole world belongs to Peters successor so that he is both Hierarch and Monarch of all things and that by the divine Law expressed in the Scriptures That Peter and the Pope succeed to Christ as well in his Kingdom as in his Priesthood and that Peter and the Pope is both King and Priest according to the order of Melchisedech which Cardinal Baronius and Aquinas with others likewise assert Stephanus Patracensis Archiepiscopus in his Oration 4 Maii 1515. before Pope Leo the 10th in the Council of Constance averred In the Pope the Supream Hierarch in the Church there is omnis potestas super omnes Potestates tam Coeli quam Tarrae Tibi data est omnis potestas in qua qui totum dicit Nihil excludit Ralulphus Cupers impudently proclaims God hath committed to the Pope the rights both of the terrene and heavenly kingdoms The direct dominion of the Emperor belong unto God and by consequence to the Pope his Vicar who is deservedly accounted the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Lord hath so magnified the Church which he expounds to be the Pope that he hath preferred it not only to Kings and Cesars sed omnibus sub coelo supra coelum existentibus but to all that are either under Heaven or above Heaven Cardinal Hostiensis asserts Papa Christus faciunt unum consistorium ita quod excepto peccato potest Papa quasi omnia facere quae Deus potest Whence some Canonists stile him Dominus Deus noster Papa and yoak God and him together as equals Quis audet dicere Deo et Papae the plenitude of his Papal power being such as Abbot Panormitan resolves that Super omnem legem positivam sufficit quod in Papa sit pro ratione voluntas in dethroning Kings and Emperors The like Antichristian blasphemous assertions are professedly maintained in solemn discourses as you may read at leisure in their Azorius Antoninus Alexander Carerius Francis Bozius Lelius Zecchus Marta Rodericus Sancius Gaster Scoppius with other Pontifician Parasites And Cardinal Bellarmin himself informs us That the Pope Jure divino hath power over the whole world as
you abundantly into THE EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF OUR LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ and our Saviours own asseverations Not every one that saith LORD LORD shall enter into the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven necessarily evince 7ly After our Saviours resurrection and ascention when God his Father highly exalted him and gave him all power both in heaven and earth his Soveraign Regality and Dominion in and over his Church and Kingdom are frequently set forth in these transcendent expressions decyphering only his Regal not Prieâ—tly or Prophetick Offices and Administrations Our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Prince of the Kings of the earth whom God the father of glory hath set at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in the world to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to his Church which is his body The fullnesse of him that filleth all in all Goa hath by the extraordinary greatnesse of his mighty and glorious power delivered us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Sonne who is the first-born of every creature For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him And he is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in or amongâ—â— all things he might have the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him all fullnesse should dwell Compared with his other Gospel titles Thou King of Saints and the united praises prostrations acclamations of the Angels with the four beasts and the 24. Elders and all the Saints and Redeemed ones before Christ who sitteth on the throne before whom they all fall worship and cast down their Crowns saying Worship and honour and thanks and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne for ever and ever worthy art thou O LORD to receive glory and honour for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they were and are created All these recited Texts resolve that Christ is Supream head of his Kingdom the Church not in his Priestly Propheticall capacity or office but only in his Regal and reigns in it as a King Lord not as Priest or Prophet 8ly As in the Old so in the New Testament the Church Militant as well as the Triumphant is usually stiled the Kingdom of God the Kingdom of heaven Christs Kingdom my Kingdom his Kingdom the ever lasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ a Kingdom which cannot be removed c. The very Gospel it self the Gospel word and mysteries of the Kingdom yea shall the Kingdom of God and heaven it self The mighty power of God to salvation scepter of his Kingdom His Saints shall eat drink sit reign with him in his Kingdom He sits and reigns for ever in his Church as a King on a Royal throne clothed with royal Majesty and glory His rewards are all Regal A crown of righteousness of glory thrones Inheritances in his kingdom reigning with him as Kings royal Robes Honour Glory His punishments Regal Exclusion from his kingdome everlasting death infernal chaines destruction from the presence of the LORD and from the Glory of his POWER His judging of quick and dead at his appearance and comming Yea all his administrations Regal in prescribing Lawes to his Church rescuing them from the power of Satan Hell and all other Enemies protecting them from all evils treading Satan under their feet Guarding them by his Mighty power unto salvation in his heavenly kingdom compared with this fulfilling of the procies of Christs kingdom in the Old Testament thus recorded as accomplished in in the New Rev 11. 15. There were great voyces in heaven saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdom not Church of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Rev 12. 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven Now is come the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ 1 Cor 15. 24 25. Then cometh the end when Christ shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power for he must reign till he shall put down all enemies under his feet All and every of these Texts and considerations joyntly and severall demonstrate more clearly then the Morning Sunne That Christs Government of his Kingdom the Church under the Gospel is only Kingly and Monarchical as even Bellarmin himself and most Pontificians professe argue grounding the Popes Universal Monarchy upon it not Pontifical or Prophetical and that the Supreme Government thereof is for ever intirely annexed to his Regal not Priestly or Prophetical Office and these Offices of his united to his Regal Office as Supream not his Regal to his Sacerdotal or Propheticall as subordinate to them This being an unfallible Gospel-truth not hitherto so fully cleared and insisted on by the Oppugners or Asserters of Popes Universal Monarchy as was necessary which induced me to expatiate in its probation The second and sole Question will be Whether Christ himself did ever delegate by any Commission recorded in Sacred History all his Regal Power and Jurisdiction or any branch thereof to Saint Peter or any other Apostles Bishops Presbyters Evangelists or Ministers of the Gospel Or whether they or any of them ever justly claimed enjoyed exercised this his Royal Dominion Office Government in or over his Church on earth If yea as most Popes and their Parasites confidently affirm without the least shadow of Scripture or Verity let them produce the Commission or Texts to evidence it to every mans conscience in the sight of God and to all Kings Kingdoms Nations in the world If not as shall be evidenced in the ensuing Chapters past all contradiction I and they may then safely cry out mightily with a strong voyce as the Angel prophetically doth Babylon the great Rome is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hatefull Bird Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues with violence shall she and her triple-crown'd Pontif be thrown down from the pinacle of her usurped super-transcendent power and shall be found no more at all Before I take leave of this Proposition to avoid mistakes and clear up the Truth it will be necessary to distinguish
well in temporal as in Ecclesiastical matters is also taught by Augustinus Triumphans Alvarus Pelagius Hostiensis Panormitan Silvester and divers others Yea Hostiensis teacheth That Christ by his comming translated all the Dominion even that of Infidel Princes unto the Church and that this Dominion so resides now in the Pope Christs Vicar That he may give by his own Right the Kingdoms of Infidels as well as Christians to whomsoever he will Alvarus Pelagius seconds all these with most Hyperbolical passages and blasphemies which I cannot pretermit Christ writes he had all power given unto him both in Heaven and Earth being ascended in his humanity to his Father lest he should leave his flock without a Shepheard he left the care thereof to Peter and his Successors as his Vicar General Now the Father is Almighty the Son Almighty even in Earth Therefore every Pope his Vicar upon Earth hath all power in Earth which Christ had not as very God but as very Man To this purpose is that which Zacharias saith of Christ Zech. 8. His power shall be from Sea to Sea And Ps 72. 8. He shall have dominion from Sea to Sea from the River unto the ends of the Earth Whence Ecclesiasticus speaking of the power of the Pope saith Eccles 17. God hath given him power of those who are upon the Earth For in this the Pope is Successor to Adam the first man for God the Son hath autonomatically and typically formed the Pope his Vicar after his own image and likenesse Gen. 1. For the Pope truly represents Christ on Earth so that he who sees the Pope with a contemplative and faithfull eye may see even Christ himself Whence even for this cause he said to Peter Mat. 18. Thou art Peter taken a Rock from me Distinct 21. 1. Hunc enim in consortium individuae Trinitate assumptum id quod ipse erat c. For Peter being assumed into the Fellowship of the individual Trinity is become that which Christ himself was that is from that which he was namely a Rock the Lord would have him to be called and named Peter Whence according to this Papa non est homo simpliciter sed Deus id est Dei Vicarius Whence according to this the Pope is not simply a Man but a God that is The Vicar of God Item Christ as a man was a King Zach 9. Mat 21 27. Lu 24. John 19. Psal 72. Rom. 2. 7. God shall raise up a Kingdom c. But of this universal Kingdom the Emperor is not Christs Vicar because there are not two Vicars as is plainly proved Therefore the Pope is his Vicar because there is no other Vicar and the Kingdom of the world is not without the Vicar of God He thence inferrs and asserts in another Article Although in this life the Pope should do injury or injustice to any man or some men as he confesseth he may he hath no Iudge over him neither is he obliged to chuse Iudges or arbitrators to whose Sentence he may subject himself neither can he directly or indirectly be condemned for it is impossible that the Pope himself should constitute another Superiour Prince or Iudge or another ArchPope above or equal to himself sicut nec Deus Trinitas possit super se alium Deum constituere vel aequalem as neither God the Trinity can constitute another God above or equall to himself He thus proceeds in another Article The Church or Pope are not from the Empire but the Empire from the Church and the Pope is before the Emperor which he endeavours to prove by 25. Arguments I shall only touch upon some of them As the Moon receives her dignity and her Light from the Sunne so doth the Moon the Emperor the dignity of his altitude from the Sunne the Pope As much as the spiritual life is worthier then the earthly the spirit then the body gold more precious then silver so much doth the spiritual power exceed the temporal or secular power in dignity honor worth splendor and the order of Priests is so much higher then the Regal power to which all Emperors and Kings ought to subject themselves every of them being subject suo simplici Sacerdoti qui ipsum solvit ligat judicat All power in earth both spiritual and temporal is given to the Pope Christs Vicar as it was to Christ himself Mat 28. for in him resides the fulnesse of the Regal or Imperial Dignity that is to take from one and conferr unto another the right of chusing the Emperor to examine anoynt consecrate and crown him when elected and by consequence to approve and reject him all which of right belong to the Pope That the Pope out of the plenitude of the power and keyes given to him by Christ with this Commission Feed my Sheep hath a power and jurisdiction over all men upon earth de jure although not de facto which he may exercise when ever he is able or willing by which power he may lawfully punish all Pagan Heathenish Kings Nations and Idolaters in the world as well as Christians for breach of the Law of Nature only and command all Infidels who are subject to his Jurisdiction in earthly things to admit the preachers of the Gospel and punish them if they do not obey him yea the Pope alone and none other of right can contend with and denounce war and invoke the secular power against them Christ was a true temporal King and by consequence the Pope his Vicar He that in this point will exclude from himself the darknesse of understanding must consider the Pope non hominem sed Deum quodammodo qui non puri hominis sed Veri Dei vicem gerit in terris As Christ is God and Man most perfectly participating both Natures and God and Man are both one Christ perfect God and perfect Man So his Vicar General and Singular the POPE participat cum Christo quodammodo naturam Divinitatis quoad Spiritualia humanitatis quoad temporalia participates with Christ after a sort the Nature of the Divinity as to Spiritualities and of the Humanity as to Temporalties As by force of the Orthodox faith it is heretical to lay down two Beginnings 24. Quaest So it seems to be heretical to make two several Vicars equals to each other in earth in point of right As therefore no believer doubts Jesus Christ was both King and Priest and King of heaven and earth because all things were made by him one person in two Natures So no Catholick ought to doubt but his Chief Vicar General on Earth hath likewise both Powers Yea it would not be farr from Heresy pertinaciously to affirm the contrary because this would be as it were to deny the Son of God to be the Maker of the Earth and a King and so to make Duo principia That therefore thou mayst not seem an Arch Heretick let this be thy Catholick Faith that as there
is but one God incommutable so there is but one his Vicar General upon Earth Cui omnes Angeli i. homines debent esse subjecti in omnibus obedire to whom all Angels that is Men ought to be subject and to obey in all things whose Ship is stable and immutable For thus the inferiour Hierarchy accords with the superiour when all men serve and obey his Vicar in earth as all Angels serve and obey God in heaven but when they grow proud and resist the inferior is disturbed and the superiour Hierarch is offended Gratian caus x. qu. 3. All things are put under the Popes feet except God alone who hath put all things under him 1 Cor. 15. In another article he asserts That the Pope is King of Kings of the Emperor and Spiritual Kings and every Member of the Church Militant who ought Iure Divino to be subject to him That he hath a plentitude of all Temporal and Spiritual power in him in several respects 1. Because it is a universal power No person in the Militant Church nor Infidel in some sense being exempted from but subject to it 2ly Because all temporal and spiritual power whatsoever ordained by God for the government of christians or men is comprehended in his power 3ly Because all power in the Church is derived from his and ordained for it and he is the beginning and end of any power whatsoever Therefore every human power is DE JURE subject to him 4ly Because it is not exceeded nor overcome by any other human power but overcomes and exceeds all other powers 5ly Because it is limited or ordained or judged by no other power but it limiteth ordaineth judgeth all other powers 6ly Because it is not restrained nor bound by any Lawes made by the Pope himself for it may act mediately by other powers or immediately by it self whatsoever it shall think sit It may likewise act both according to the Lawes it sets down and besides them when it shall judge convenient And for this cause his Power is said to be Sine Numero Pondere et Mensura Without number because it extends to innumerable persons even all men in the world whether Beleevers or Infidels Without weight because it is not confined to one place but extends it self to all Churches throughout the world And without measure as to the act and manner of acting because it is after a sort Immense both in acting and in the manner of acting For as the Spirit was given to Christ man without measure John 3. and to others it is given only according to the measure of the gift of Christ 1 Cor 12. Eph. 4. Rom 12. So to Christs Vicar the Pope is given a Power without measure to wit in a certain Immensity Exâ—rav de Major Obedientia Solita c. Nos autem But to others is given a power according to their measure of participation of this Immense Power And although this Power of Christs Vicar is without Number Weight or Measure yet notwithstanding it determinates to other powers Number Weight and Measure Causa xv qu. 1. pervenit 13. qu. 1. c. 1. Therefore this power is deservedly called FULL proper quod multum veneranda metuenda est wherefore it is much to be Reverenced and Feared And indeed all Kings Princes Kingdoms Churches of the World had need to fear yea to keep watch and ward against it and for ever to abandon it as our and other Kings Kingdoms Churches have both justly and prudently done and more are now about to do For haec plenitudo potestatis est plentitudo potestatis est plenitudo tempestatis I omit his other Passages to the same effect in above 30. Articles more Upon these pretences of the Popes transcendent plentitude of power Pope Gregory the 7. that impious Hildebrand and pest of the world in his generation in his ratification of the Emperor Henry the seconds Excommunication presumed to make this most impious Antichristian appeal to Peter and Paul themselves Go to now O ye blessed Apostles do you confirm what I have done that all men may know that if you being in heaven can bind and loose that I also here on Earth can give and take away Empires Kingdomes Principalities quicquid habere mortales possunt and what ever Mortals can possess And two of his late Successors new-named Paul when crowned Popes with their Parasites are of the same judgment with their predecessors point-blank against Saint Pauls doctrin evidencing them to be the very Antichrist man of Sin decyphered by him 2 Thess 2. which they demonstrated by their two late Portraitures cut and printed in Brasse-pieces prefixed to two Books dedicated to them printed in Italy it self Permissu Superiorum to wit Benedicti à Benedictis Jacula Ecclesiae Catholicae Bononiae 1608. Caraffae Theses Neapoli 1609. in one of which as the Noble Lord Morney observes Pope Paul the 3d is Pourrayed with this blasphemous Inscription Paulo 3. Opt. Max. in terris Deo And in the other Pope Paul the V. with this Motto Paulo V. Vicedeo Christianae Reipublicae Monarchae Invictissimo et Pontificiae Omnipotentiae Conservatori acerrimo In both which Pourtraitures under their respective Papal feet the Scepters Crowns of Kings and Emperors are prostrated and Princes Kings Emperors themselves stand pourtrayed by them bare-headed excommunicated astonied and adoring these Pontifs One of them having this inscription over his head Vultu Imperium portendit Besides these sacred Texts are engraven round about them Jer 27. intended only of King Nebuchadnezzer the great subverter persecuter of Gods Church Kings Kingdoms whom the Pope it seems will now succeed as his Vicar General rather then Christs That Nation and Kingdom which will not serve him will I punish saith the Lord with the sword and with the pestilence untill I have consumed them by his hand Dan 7. 14. The Lord hath given to him Power and a kingdom and all people shall serve him his power is an everlasting power which shall not be taken away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed Isay 49. 23. Kings and Queens shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet The two last texts pertain to Christ alone as King of his Church You have seen a pretty full View of Popes and their parasites blasphemous claims of an unlimited Universal Supremacy in all causes and over all persons whatsoever throughout the world yea over the Persons Crowns Scepters Kingdoms Empires of all Kings Princes Emperors vested in Christs pretended Vicar General S. Peters Successors the Pope enough to awaken alarum all Monarchs Realms Churches throughout the Universe as well Papal as Pagan to keep watch and ward against and for ever to exterminate such Antichristian Antimonarchical Usurpers out of their Dominions as all Protestant Kingdoms Churches have done upon very good grounds without the least guilt of Schisme wherewith they
himself did almost despair And then induced him to use his utmost endeavours to reform them by the forecited smitings of them with the sword of the Spirit And in case of their final incorrigibility not to excommunicate interdict or anathematise them but desert them totally and by a voluntary exile to remove to some other City to exchange Rome for the World or any other part thereof which was farre better then it there to preach the Gospel and discharge his Pastoral office committed by Christ to Peter and through him to himself by seeding his sheep which he defines only to be the preaching of the Gospel to them concluding in these words Evangelizare pascere est fac opus Evangelistae et Pastoris opus implesti Upon all which considerations I hope the most zealous Pontificians will henceforth be satisfied That the Civil and Spiritual swords have not their distinction distribution nor any foundation at all on Peters single sword or the other Apostles two material swords and that the only spiritual sword belonging to Popes and the Church is not their usual Ecclesiastical Censures thunderbolts but the meer word of God incessantly preached applied in season and out of season to all sorts of sinners especially the most obdurate wherewith the City and Court of Rome are so stuffed that Popes have most reason to brandish this sword and all other swords or keyes they claim from St. Peter only there not in other Princes Bishops Diocesses and Dominions much lesse against Emperors and Kings themselves 2ly If St. Peters the Apostles Priests and Ministers commissions forecited will neither warrant support their Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction challenged pretended to much lesse will their several Titles do it Before I enter upon the Positive Titles given to them in Scripture I shall desire you to take notice 1. That neither St. Peter nor any other Apostle Minister or Presbyter is ever once stiled by Christ or any Apostle in relation to his office either a King Prince Caesar Lord or the higher Powers but only earthly Kings and temporal Magistrates Alvarus Pelagius the Popes Grand Advocate doth not only ingenuously acknowledge but renders these folid reasons for it First because Kings and Lords do frequently abuse their Regal and Lordly power to tyranny and great oppression of their Subjects which Popes and Clergymen would be likewise apt to do if dignified with these Titles 2ly Because the name of a King aliquando superbum sonat and is apt to puff men up with pride and arrogance therefore inconsistent with the humility and meeknesse of Christs Disciples Ministers 3ly To put a distinction between Civil and Ecclesiastical Governors Inter spirituales temporales Reges sicut est discretio in potestatibus sic debet esse in nominibus Principes itaque seculares nomen Regis quod commune est sibi a proprietate retinent praesertim quia ante constitutionem spititualium Regum officium Regis nomen plures habuisse leguntur Principes autem spirituales aliis nominibus nuncupantur quae non fastum sed actum pietatem insinuant Et propter hoc ait Petrus Pastoribus Ecclesiae 1 Pet. 5. 2. 3. 95 Distinct Esto Neque ut Dominautes in Clero Christus dixit Discipulis Lu. 22. Reges Gentium dominatur eorum vos autem non sic Mat. 20 Yea he draws this memorable inference from hence Et secundum hoc videretur dicendum quod licet Christus sit Rex Sacerdos tamen ejus Vicarii scilicet Apostoli eorum successors non sunt Sacerdotes et Reges imo solum convenit eis potestas Sacerdotalis vel Pontificalis ex concessione Christi Si autem aliquibus eorum convent potestas Regia hoc est ex concessione Principum terrenorum sicut ex concessione Constatini habet Romanus Prontifex Imperialem potestatem Distinct 96. Constituimus Which though Alvarus prima facie grants to be rationabiliter dictum for others yet he spends several Articles to assert That the Pope is not only a spiritual but temporal King and Lord yea King of Kings and Lord of Lords and that not only Popes but even Bishops and Priests too have a power and jurisdiction above all Kings Emperors Princes in the world even to excommunicate depose and put them from their Thrones Kingdomes Empires as you heard before at large 2ly Neither Christ nor his Apostles after his Ascension in any of their Epistles or Gospels ever gave St. Peter or the Pope any of these swelling Titles now claimed or Attributed to them by their flatterers as Christs sole Viceroy his sole Vicar General on Earth sole head of the whole Catholick Church God Vice-God Christ Christs Omnipotentiary or Plenipotentiary indued with a plenituds of all power both in heaven and earth the life of the world or any of those Titles which St. Bernard by way of irony censure only gives to Pope Eugenius as others did in good earnest Age indagemus adhuc diligentius quis sis quam geras videlicet pro tempore personum in Ecclesia Dei Quis es Sacerdos magnus Summus Pontifex Tu Princeps Apostolorum tu Primatu Abel Gubernatu Noe Patriarchatu Abraham Or â—ine Melchisedech dignitate Aaron auctoritate Moyses indicatu Samuel potestate Petrus unctione Christus Tu es cui claves traditae cui over creditae sunt Sunt quidem alii coeli janitores gregum pastores Sed tu tanto gloriosius quanto differentius utrumque prae caeteris nomen haereditasti c. If none of these ambitious Titles were ever given by Christ or other Apostles to Peter himself in this magnificent mannerâ— or to any other Apostle How comes the Pope now to appropriate them to himself in Peters right who doth not own but quite disclaim them 1 Pet. 1. 1. c. 5. 1 2 3. Wherefore pretermitting them as late Papal fancies invented by Popes and their Parasites I shall proceed to St. Peters particular Scripture Titles peculiar to himself whereon Popes and their flatterers bottom his and their own pretended transcendent Supremacy The 1. is his very Sirname Peter Mat. 16. 18. I say unto thee thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church Whence they infer That Peter is not only supreme head of Christs Church but the very stock and foundation on which it is built I answer 1. That he had this very name Peter given him either before he was called by Christ to be an Apostle or at leastwise he was named Peter by Christ upon his very first calling to be his Disciple Mat. 4 18. c. 8. 14 15. Mar. 3. 16. Lu 3. 16. Lu 6. 14. Jo 1. 41 42 If then his first sirname Peter gave him no such supream Jurisdiction Lordship over all the other Apostles and whole Catholick Church as certainly it did not Christ himself being then the supream head thereof on earth for some years after This repetition or confirmation of this his former
him unto the Israelites his peculiar people the Supreme Paternal Regal Magistratical together with that now stiled Spiritual Pontifical Ecclesiastical Authority or Jurisdiction both in and over the Family State Church Militant was by Divine and Natural Right vested united in one person not divers to wit First in Adam himself but after his decease in the First-born unlesse disinherited by God for some crime or cause or in the Patriarch or Master of the Family Tribe who was both King and Priest having the Priesthood annexed to his Paternal or Regal Office not these to his Priestship _â—O evidence the truth of this Proposition so far as the light of Scripture or Nature in the first remote obscure age of the world have revealed it for the Readers satisfaction I find it generally acknowledged by all or most Divines and Christian Authors who have written of the Church or the Original of Republikes Jurisdictions or Chronologies 1. That as God the Original of all power at the very Creation gave Adam a Soveraign Dominion over the fish of the sea over the foul of the ayr and over all the earth the cattle and every creeping thing therin to which he gave their several names as a badge of his Soveraignty over them by Gods own direction So he likewise ordained him as well after as before his fall to be both a King and Priest over the little world his family posterity issuing from him during his life not only to govern correct them when they transgressed but to offer sacrifices prayers to God for and instruct them in his Worship Laws fear Hence Cedren makes Adam the first KING Governor and that with reason enough as Mr. Selden notes because he governed and commanded all mankind as long as he lived who by the Law of Nature and Fifth Commandement are enjoyned To honor and obey their Father in the flesh and he not only obliged to provide for protect defend and correct as a Father but likewise to * instruct and educate them in the fear and admonition of the Lord as a Priest Now Adam being a King and Lord not only over all Creatures but Eve his wife before he was a Father and over his Posterity by his Paternal right before they were capable of instruction And the Title of King being alwaies prefixed before that of Priest as most honourable and first in order when ever mentioned and meeting together in one person as in Melchisedec Christ Others who were both Kings and Priests and the High Priests alwayes inferiour subordinate to the Chief Civil Governors and Kings of Judah and in Heathen Nations It thence most clearly follows that the Priesthood and Spiritual Jurisdiction in Adam was at first united and subordinate to his Kingly Soveraign Magistratical Office and Authority and so continued whiles residing in one person from the Creation till the Law given in mount Sinâ—i 2ly That Cain Adams first-born having forfeited his birthright and life too by the murther of his Brother Abel and thereby Seth becomming his first-born when Adam deceased his Kingship and Priesthood descended first to Seth and after him successively to the Patriarchs who were not only the Princes and Chief Governers of their Families Tribes to rule protect and correct them when they offended but likewise their Priests to erect Altars and Houses to God for his publique worship to offer Sacrifices prayers vows to God for them to blesse them in his Name to teach them his Lawes Fear and the Covenants made by God to them and their seed and commanded them to put away their strange gods and idols as Jacob did All which is evident by the examples of Noah Gen. 8. 20 21. c. 9. 25 26 27. Abraham Gen. 12. 7. c. 13. 4 18. c. 17. 1 2 8 c. 23 to 27. c. 18. 19 23 c. c. 20. 7. 17. c. 21. 23. c. 22. c. Melchisedec both King of Salem and Priest of the most High God Gen. 14. 18 19. Heb. 7. 1. Isaac Gen. 26. 23 24 25. â— 27. 21 28 to 41. of Jacob Gen. 28. 8. to the end c. 31. 54. c. 32. 9 to 13. c. 33. 20. c. 35. 1. to 16. c. 43. 14. c. 46. 1. c. 47. 7. 10. c. 48. 3. to the end c. 49. 1. to 33. Heb. 11. 21. and affirmed by St. Jerom the Ordinary Glosse with most other Commentators on these Texts Alexander Alensis and other Schoolmen Bishop Jewel Dr. Field Jacobus Bouldoc De Ecclesia a Mundi principio usque ad Mosen Salianus in his Annales Ecclesiasticae and other Annalists in the times before the Law 3ly Upon this account after the Law given and Priesthood vested in Aaron and the Tribe of Levi the firstborn though they lost this priviledge of exercising the Priests Office as before yet they were still the Lords to redeem themselves with an oblation of five shekels by the poll for their exemption from the Priesthood because God had taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel which redemption was given to Aaron and his Sonnes who officiated in their steads 4ly That upon this original right priviledge of Primogeniture Christ himself as Gods firstborn was not only made Higher then the Kings of the Earth King of Kings Lord of Lords but likewise Head over all the Church that in all things he might have the Preeminence And had like the First-born before the Law the Supream Priestly Office and Power united to his Kingly Yea in some sence Christ hath fully restored this antient Right to all who are spiritually Gods First-born and the First-fruits of his Creatures as the Gospel stileth them having the First-fruits of the Spirit growing in them whom he hath MADE KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTO GOD HIS FATHER as the Marginal Texts resolve 5ly That the very Gentiles and Pagan Nations by the Law and Light of Nature vested the Supream Ecclesiastical Authority and oft times the Priesthood it self in their Kings and chief Temporal Magistrates who erected consecrated Temples Altars Groves constituted by their particular Lawes the several Orders Offices of Priests the Number Worship Services of their Gods and the Sacrifices Ceremonies and whole manner of their Worship To instance in some particulars Fanus the antientest of the Kings in Italy was the first who brought in thither the form of Religion He cousecrated Groves erected Temples from whom they were called Fana ordained Priests and Sacrifices Evander his next Successor introduced many other Ceremonies in the Worship of the Gods Anius as Virgil relates was at once REX IDEM HOMINUM PHAEBIQUE SACERDOS After Rome was built Romulus the first King thereof and Numa Pompilius who succeeded him made several Lawes concerning the whole Worship Service Holy-dayes Ceremonies of their Gods instituted their distinct Orders of Priests as highest Priest
objects about which they are exercised not in their original subject or power it self Before I proceed to the next Proposition it will be necessary to answer 4. principal Arguments Presidents out of the Old Testament before and under the Law produced by Popes and their Parasites to evidence their pretended Universal Spiritual and Temporal Jurisdiction too over the Persons Crowns Kingdoms of all Kings Princes and the Emperor himself to dispose of them at their absolute Wills as derived only from and held under them which my Chronological Method confines me here to propound and answer in their order The first is that alleged by Pope Innocent the 3d. the first Pope who interdicted the Realm of England Excommunicated King John and by force and frauds induced him to resign his Kingdoms of England and Ireland to and resume them from him under an Annual rent and to do Homage to him for them as his Vassal This Pope in an Epistle to the Emperour of Constantinople useth this Argument before Adams creation to maintain his Temporal Monarchy Moreover you ought to know that God hath made two great Lights in the firmament of heaven the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night both of them great but the other greater Ad firmamentum igitur Coeli hoc est Universalis Ecclesiae fecit Deus duo magna luminaria c. Therefore God hath made two great lights to rule the firmament of heaven to wit of the Universal Church that is he hath instituted TWO DIGNITIES quae sunt Pontificalis authoritas Regalis potestas which are The Pontifical Authority and the Regal Power But that which ruleth in the day that is in Spiritual things major est is the Greater but that which in carnal things minor is the Lesser ut quanta est inter Solem Lunam tanta inter Pontifices Reges differentia cognoscatur mark it that it might be known there is as great a difference between Popes and Kings as there is betweeen the Sunne and Moon How great this difference is this Pope defines not But some illiterate Canonists and Glossers on this Text not well versed in Astronomy resolve the Sunne to be 47. times greater then the Moon whereas Johannes Clavius and other Astronomers determine it to be no lesse then 6529. degrees greater then it and by consequence the Pope to be so many degrees greater then the Emperor by this Popes Resolution in his over-erring chaire He subjoyns If his Imperial Highnesse would prudently consider these things he would not make or permit the Patriarch of Constantinople a great and honourable Member of the Church to sit on the left side near his Footstool when as other Kings and Princes sicut debent AS THEY OUGHT reverently rise up to and assign them a venerable Chair next them on their right hand Nos autem etsi non increpando scripserimus potuissemus tamen rationabiliter increpare Mauritius de Alzedo a Spanish Doctor of the Canon Law in his highly approved and applauded Book De Praecellentia Episcopalis dignitatis concludes from this Popes Text That there is as vast a difference between the Episcopal and Regal dignity not Papal only as there is between the Sun and Moon quoting many Canonists Divines Politians and Cardinal Bellarmin himself in his Apologia pro Responsione ad JACOBUM REGEM ANGLIAE averring it Yet Pope Sixtus the 5. was so angry with Bellarmin for not asserting the direct but oblique dominion of Popes over Kings in all Temporal things in this Apology that he purposed to have burnt and totally abolished this his Book AS HERETICAL And that upon reading of Alex Carerius his Book purposely written against Bellarmins Adversus Impios Politicos Haereticos hujus Temporis branding all for impious Hereticks who denyed the Popes direct Universal Dominion in Temporal things though they acknowledged it obliquely in-order to and absolutely in all Spiritual things In this applauded Book Carerius asserts There is that proportion between the Pope and the Emperor as is between the Sun and Moon not only in Magnitude but Splendor too For as the Sun is far more excellent and eminent then the Moon seeing she borrows her splendor and light of the Sun SO IS THE POPE THEN THE EMPEROUR seeing his Authority depends on the Pope and is derived from him Our own Thomas Waldensis alluding thereunto professedly asserts against Wickliffs defence of our Kings Supream Jurisdiction over Priests and Prelâ—tes That Priests as well as Bishops ARE TO BE PREFERRED BEFORE ALL OTHER EARTHLY PRINCES WHATSOEVER and the Priesthood before the Kingship as far as the Flesh before the Spirit Gold before Lead the Soul before the body and Heaven BEFORE EARTH in proof whereof he spends two whole Chapters and Alvarus Pelagius above forty Articles To all which I answer 1. That God created the Sunne to Govern the day and the Moon the night by a direct divine inviolable and irrevocable Institution observed from the Creation till now when Pope Innocent and his flatterers can produce any such divine Law and constitution made either by God at the creation or by Moses for the Jews High Priests Supremacy or by Kings Princes or Christ himself under the Gospel to convince any rational Christian that Popes and Prelates are the sole Universal Governours in the Church but Kings and Emperours only in the World That Popes or Bishops were ever typified by the Sunne and Moon the Church and Earthly kingdoms by Day and Night That there is as vast a difference between the Amplitude of Jurisdiction and Splendor of Popes Bishops Kings and Emperours as is between the Grandeur and Brightnesse of the Sunne and Moon That Kings and Emperours derive all their Regal Authority Crowns Kingdoms Splendor Excellency in the world from Popes Miters or Bishops Crosiers not God himself as the Old and New Testament Paul and Peter the first pretended Bishop of Rome it self dogmatically resolve as the Moon borrows her light and splendor from the Sunne as some assert but others rationally deny being both made at once by God on the fourth day two days before Adam the first man was created and some thousands of years before Popes Prelates the Grecian or Roman Emperours were extant in the world and so could not typifie either of them as these Pontificians dream Or when they can evidence that God hath constituted Popes to rule govern and give light to the whole World by day only and to the Emperour alone not Pope by night as the Sunne and Moon govern alternis vicibus without encroaching on one the others turns when as Popes Prelates usurp the Temporal Rights of all Emperors Kings as well as Ecclesiastical all the year long I shall then subscribe these Popes and Doctors conclusions as Catholick verities whereas yet I cannot but conclude them strong Antichristian delusions lyes which few sober men will
How great are his signes how mighty are his wonders and his dominion is from Generation to Generation Upon which consideration King Nebuchadnezzer himself upon his restauration to his understanding and kingdom ver 34 35 Blessed the most high and praised and honoured him who liveth for ever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and his Kingdom from Generation to Generation And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and who can say unto him what doest thou King Darius thus seconded him Dan 6. 26. He is the living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his dominion that which shall be even unto the end He delivereth and rescueth c. Dan. 7. 13 14 27. I saw in the night Vision and behold one like the sonne of man Christ Jesus came with the clouds of heaven and came to the antient of dayes and they brought him near before him and there was given him Dominion Glory and a Kingdom that all people nations and languages shall serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed An the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints which are of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him To which the Prophet Micah superadds this prophecy ch 4. 7. I will make him that was cast farr off a strong Nation and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth even for ever All these memorable Prophecies and Promises in the Old Testament were particularly applied to Christ and ratified by the Angel Gabriel when sent by God to the Virgin Mary with the blessed Tydings of our Saviours miraculous conception by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost in her womb thus recorded by St. Luke in the New Testament Luc. 1. 21 31 32 33. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Sonne and shalt call his name JESVS He shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his father David an he shall reign over the House of Israel for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end All these recited memorable Prophecies promises applied to Christ himself his Reign Kingdom Kingly Office in the New Testament Lu. 1. 32 33. Hebr. 1. 7. to 14. 1 Cor. 15. 25. 2 Pet. 1. 11. infallibly resolve That all Spiritual Dominion Rule Power Judicature and Jurisdiction over the Church and members thereof are actually vested in Christ by God the Father for ever inseparably annexed only to his Regal not Priestly or Prophetical Office and that he exerciseth this Supream Lordship and Dominion over them only as a King sitting in his Regal throne reigning over giving Lawes to judging rewarding punishing them as they are his Kingdom Subjects who serve and obey him as their King whose Kingdom and Soveraign Dominion over them is an everlasting Kingdom Government Dominion which shall never be altered nor destroyed nor the rights thereof invaded by his Priestly Office nor any Apostle Pope Bishop Priest or Usurpers whatsoever 4ly Upon this account we find these secondary Prophecies recorded in the Old Testament that not only all Nations but their very Kings Princes Kingdomes should obey serve and do him homage with all humility as their Soveraign King and Lord by from and under whom they hold their Crowns and whose 〈◊〉 Ministers they are Hence is that memorable prophecy of 〈◊〉 David 〈…〉 on 〈◊〉 throne he is sad to sit Psal 68. 24 29. 32. They have seâ—n thy going O God the going of my God my King in the Sanctuary c. Kings â—â—all bring presents unto thee Sing unto God ye Kingdomes of the earth O sing praises unto the Lord. Psal 72. 4 9 10 c. a meer prophecy of Christ and his Kingdom under the person oâ— King Solomon his predecessor and type Give the King by Judgement O God and thy righteousnesse unto the Kings Sonne He shall judge thy people with righteousnesse c. He shall have Dominion also from sea to sea and from the River unto the enâ—s of the earth They that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him and his 〈…〉 shall liâ—ke the dust The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer Gifts Yea all Kings shall fall down before him and â—hem by their examples and authority all Nations shall serve him 〈◊〉 102. 15 16. The heathen shall fear the name of the Lord 〈◊〉 Kings of the earth thy glory Psal 138. 4 5. All the Kings of the Earth shall praise thée O Lord when 〈◊〉 hear the words of thy mouth yea they shall sing in the praises of the Lord for great is thâ— glory of 〈◊〉 Lord Whence King David exhorting all celestial terrestrial and then the rational 〈…〉 as to praise the Lord Psal 14. 8. begins thus with Kings verse 11. Kings of the earth and all people Princes all Iudges of the earth c. Let them praise thy 〈◊〉 of the LORD for his name alone is excellent his glory is above the earth and heaven Isay 41. 1 2. Keep silence before me O Islands c. who raised up the righteus maâ— from the east and called him to his foot gave the Nations before him and made him Rule over Kings he gave them as dust to his sword and as driven sâ—ubble to 〈…〉 Isay 49. 7 23. Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithfull and the holy one of Israel Kings and Quéens shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth Isay 52. 15. He Christ with his 〈◊〉 shall â—â—rinkle many Nations THE KINGS shall shut their mouths at or rather before him for that which hath not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider Isay 60. 3. 10 11 16. chap. 62. 3. The Lord shall 〈◊〉 upon thee and his glory shall be shewn in thee The Gentiles shall come to thy light and KINGS to the brightnesse of thy rising THE KINGS of the sons of strangers shall come unto thee unto thee the riches of the Gentiles and THEIR KINGS shall be brought The Gentiles shall see thy righteousnesse and ALL KINGS thy glory Hence the Royal Psalmist David upon this consideration that God in despite of all heathen people Kings and Rulers of the earth should set up his Sonne Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 KING upon his holy hill of Zion which cannot be removed but standeth fact for ever to whom he had given the Heathen for an Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession concludes with this admonition to
1. The several sorts of Christs kingdomes 2ly What kind of Kingdom his Church is 3ly How and in what manner he reigns and governs in it as King and Soveraign Lord over it For the 1. It is generally agreed by Fathers Pontificians and Protestants that Jesus Christ hath a three-fold kingdom set forth in the premised Scriptures if strictly pryed into The first is a Kingdom of power and absolute Dominion which extends it self not only to all Men and Angels but likewise to all other unreasonable and inanimate Creatures whatsoever in heaven earth and under the earth yea to the very Devils themselves This Kingdom belongs unto Christ principally as he is God and the Creator of all things which comes not within the Verge of our present Discourse however Popes seem to usurp it The 2. is a Kingdom of meer purchase or Grace confined properly not to Angels or Mankind in general but to such as are truly elected called justifyed sanctified redeemed saved by Christs precious blood yet in the largest sense extended to the good Angels and all visible Members of the Church Militant professing the name and gospel of Christ as his Subjects though not actually regenerated justified sanctified saved Of this Kingdom there are two distinct parts the one Triumphant in Heaven over which no Pope or Mortals on earth can pretend the least Kingship or Dominion the other Militant upon Earth the latter in its largest extension comprehending all who bear the name of Christians whether good or bad regenerate or unregenerate This is the Kingdom of Christ of which the Pope as Christs Vicar General and Peters fictitious Successor pretends himself the Supream and sole Governor The 3d. is the Kingdom of Glory not really different from the former long since begun and encreasing every day more and more by new additions of departed Saints thereto which kingdom shall be fully compleated when all the Elect shall be gathered the Church militant united to the Church triumphant actually glorified with Christ in the kingdom of heaven For the 2d It is asserted by Fathers and most Romanists themselves as well as Protestants that this Kingdom of Christ is meerly Spiritual Not any temporal kingdom upon earth as the Jewes some grosse Milenaries Popes and their Parasites fancy over which Christ never actually reigned or shall reign as a Temporal King and Lord even in all temporal things for which we find no warrant in Scripture or Fathers Hence Thomas Waldensis himself though a grand Advocate for the Popes Supremacy layes down and proves at large these 4 Conclusions 1. Regnum temporale Judaeorum sub Jeconio excidium accepit neque amplius Judaecorum aliquis vel de jure vel de facto illud obtinuit 2. Regnum illud Judaeorum terrenum cum figura fuit Regni aeterni spiritualis Christi debuit omnino in adventu eius cessare quemadmodum et sacrificia 3. Regnum temporale quod in Prophetarum scriptis MESSIAE promissum est non est Regnum Carnale et Terrenum sed Spirituale quo per Fidem in Cordibus suorum Regnat 4. Quod ex verbis quae Christus dixit coram Pilato Tu dicis quod Rex sum ego non potest colligi quod ipse fuerit Rex Terrenus de Facto vel de Jure And Gen. 49. 10. proves That the temporal Scepter should depart from Iudah when Christ the true Shiloh came into the world Alvarus Pelagius the grand assertor of the Popes Universal Kingship in and over Christs kingdom the Church and all earthly Kings Kingdoms too informs us That the kingdom of Christ hath various acceptations in Scripture 1. It is taken for Christ himself 2ly For the sacred Scripture or Gospel of Christ 3ly For the Church of Christ divided into two Parts Militant on earth triumphant in heaven yet there are not two kingdoms in the Church but one kingdom because both end in one and there is but one King of both and one Spirit reigns in both Churches but diversly for in the Church of Travellers it reigns by faith in the Church of the blessed by open vision This Church therefore is but One for the unity of its end and beginning but it is distinguished by reason of the diversity of the state Yet this kingdom comprehends not only the Elect but also all the holy Angels for there is but one City and Kingdom of God constituted out of holy Angels and men as he proves out of Augustine and Gratian Distinct 10. 59. That Christ ever challenged or enjoyed any temporal kingdom upon earth he offers not the least proof out of Scripture or Fathers in which Cardinal Bellarmin himself confesseth he could never find that Christ had any such kingdom after most diligent search but only a kingdom in and over his Church which is not temporal but spiritual For the 3d. All antient and most modern Divines of all sorts assert that Christs immediate Government in and over his Spiritual Kingdom the Church is Spiritual not Temporal and that principally in and over the souls spirits consciences wills hearts affections of his elect Saints in which he dwells lives rules reigns by his Spirit and Grace And this his Spiritual Government is neither communicated nor transferred by Jesus Christ to any King High Priest Priest Bishop Pope or other Mortal whatsoever but resides in Christ alone the King of Saints as an incommunicable unseparable part and prerogative of his Regal not Sacerdotal or prophetical office But more of this in the two next Propositions BOOK I. CHAP. IV. That Jesus Christ as Supream King Lord Head of his Kingdom the Church whiles on Earth never claimed exercised enjoyed any Temporal Royal Jurisdiction or Magistratical Authority over any of his Subjects much lesse over Emperors Kings Kingdoms Nations or Soveraign civil Powers nor ever deprived any of them of their Crowns nor absolved their Subjects from their Allegiance nor pulled up cast down or rooted up their Kingdomes nor gave them to whomsoever he pleased Neither did he either before at or after his passion resurrection or ascention derive any such superlative Power to Saint Peter as his sole universal Vicar or Viceroy nor to any other Apostle Bishop Priest or Pope whatsoever Nor delegate his Supream Spiritual Jurisdiction over his Kingdom the Church militant in this world and all the Members of it but only committed to them the Ministerial part of his Prophetical Office his High Priestood being personal untransferrable and incommunicable unto any other of teaching and preaching the Gospel publikely to all Nations administring the Sacraments of Baptism the Lords Supper to them according to his institution and command feeding them as his Sheep with the sincere milk of his word teaching them as his Apostles Ministers Servants to obey whatever he hath commanded them beseeching intreating them as his Embassadors in his stead to be reconciled unto God and to declare pronounce them absolved
men as to the execution of their offices as these next words as those who are sent by him to wit by the LORD for whose sake you ought thus to submit unto them as Rom 13. 1 2 4 6. and the sense resolve not by me or my Vicars and that to be Supream Governors over you 2ly Because sent by God only for the punishment of evil doers as well Christians as Pagans Popes Priests as Lay-christians if you do ill as the Gentiles accuse you to be Evil doers v 12. c. 3. 16. and so subject to their Jurisdiction only and not to mine or your own Pastors if proved such 3ly Because they are also thus sent for the praise of them that do well so that they by your honest conversation and good works which they shall behold and submission to their power and Government will not only praise you but glorify God in the day of their visitation and become Christians too 4ly For so is the will of God that you should thus submit to them as Supream and with well doing put to silence the ignorance of foolish men who falsly accuse you to pretend an exemption from all Secular power A◠free yet not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousnesse but as the servabts of God 5ly He thence inferts Honor all Men that is all Supream Governours to whom Honor is due Rom 13. 7. Fear God Honor the King in a more signal manner as Supream and Gods Vice-Roy upon Earth the honoring of whom for the Lords sake will evidence to the world and your own consciences that you fear God when your disobedience to exempting your selves from and advancing your selves above them will discover that you fear him not Pope Innocent the 3d. with other Popes and their Parasites to evade Saint Peters text assert 1. That it extends only to those who receive temporal things from the Emperor who in temporal things is Supream which yet he and his Successors elsewhere contradict but not to spiritual things wherein Pontifex antecellit which excell temporal things as much as the soul doth the body 2ly That it is not said simpliciter Subjecti estote but with this addition propter Deum which extenuates and qualifies it 3ly Neither is it purely written Regi praecellenti sed interpositum Forsttan non sine causa 4ly Ad vindictam malefactorum extends only to those qui utentes gladio ejus sunt Jurisdictioni subjecti not to Priests whose Promotion of Priesthood advanceth them above Kings and kingdoms totally to root up and to destroy and to build and plant them To which evasions I answer 1. That St. Peter makes no such distinction of Temporalties and Spiritualties nor that the King or Emperor is supream in the one but himself Popes Prelates only in the other as this Pope doth 2ly He acknowledgeth the King Supream in both it being Heresy as they assert to hold two Supream heads and two Principles of power in and over one body 3ly Peter writes this Epistle to all the Elect Saints as Gods peculiar people heritage a Royal holy Priesthood and an holy Church Nation unto God enjoyning them upon this consideration only not as meer worldlings to submit to Kings and Governors as Supream without one word of his own his Successots or others supremacy over them therefore it extends to spiritual as well as to temporal Supremacy 4ly This Pope acknowledgeth the Emperor to be Supream in Temporal things which he bestowes on others who receive them But Popes as themselves and flatterers confesse have received all their temporalties and St. Peters Patrimony from the Gifts of Emperors as Constantine Charles the Great and others Therefore they ought to acknowledge him Supream in temporal things at least notwithstanding all their recited vaunts and passages denying it 5ly St. Peter and Bishops had then neither Silver gold nor temporal possessions at all nor yet those Strangers scattered by persecutions through Pontus Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia to whom he writes who all sold their possessions and were spoyled of their goods when he sent this Epistle to them Therefore Saint Peter rather intended Kings and Governours to be supream in ecclesiastical matters in rewarding praysing and encouraging them in good works and in a Christian honest pious conversation and punishing them for sins contrary to and scandalizing their Christian profession then for temporal matters 2ly His 2d evasion doth not deny nor diminish but fortifie Kings Supremacy For if he had commanded them to submit to Kings and Governors as supream by the bare Ordinance of men alone this had been no strong obligation in point of conscience to them but when he adds for the Lords sake this superadds divine authority to this humane Ordinance and binds them in point of conscience towards God and as they are Christians to this submission to them Josephus relates that in his time not long before this Epistle written there rose up a crafty arrogant sect of the Pharisees et interdum Regibus quoque infestum ut eos etiam aperte oppugnare non verentur necnon cum tota gens Judeorum fidem suam jurejurando obligasset Regi et Caesari hi solum non iuraverunt being above six thousand men in number hoc nomine à Rege mulctatis and pretending to know secrets by divine Revelations they openly proclaimed like some of our late Republicans and Fanaticks in relation to the King and his Royal family Decretum esse a Deo regnum ablatum ab Herode et eius progenie transferre ad Pheronem uxorem ejus communes liberos And they with others held That being Abrahams seed and Gods people they ought not to be in subjection or pay Tribute to the Roman Emperor and Pagan Kings Hereupon the Jewish and other Christians were then suspected accused to be enemies to Kings and Cesar yea to deny subjection tribute and an Oath of Allegiance to them as supream chief Governours as these Pharisees did To take off this slander Saint Peter and Paul too did in their Epistles as well as Sermons most earnestly and particularly presse Christians subjection obedience to Emperors Kings Princes and all Secular powers even for the Lords and conscience sake as ordained and sent by God himself and a duty enjoyned them by the very Will and Gospel of God as Chrysostom Haymo Soto Calvin Gualther Willet Pareus Perrerius most other Commentators on the place and Bellarmine himself acknowledge To which Doctrine practise nothing could have been more diametrically contrary then to set up such a Universal Temporal Monarchy and Ecclesiastical Supremacy in Peter and his pretended Successors in the See of Rome it self then the seat of the Roman Emperors as they now pretend to inconsistent with the Emperors Supremacy and all Kings Government Regal power here knocked down and crushed in the shell by St. Peters own hand keyes and sacred pen. This Pope his 3d evasion is most absurd For had it been
universal precept to all present and future Saints and Members of the Roman Church as well Popes Prelates Priests and other Ecclesiasticks as Lay-Christians or Pagans as the Fathers resolve Let every Soul be subiect to the higher Powers not to Paul or Peter who enjoyn obedience to them acknowledged by all to be the Roman Emperors Senate though then meer Pagans not abolished nor translated to Peter by Christ himself and that upon these unanswerable reasons 1. Because there is no power but of God 2ly The power that are then in being and so not abolished by Christ but ratified are ordained and ordered by God 3ly Whosoever therefore resisteth much more then who usurp abolish as Popes and their Parasites do the power resisteth the Ordinance of God 4ly Those that resist shall receive to themselves damnation not a Papal canonization 5ly For rulers are not a terrour to good works but to evill 6ly Those that do good need not fear the Power yea they shall have praise and rewards as well as protection from the same 7ly For he is the minister of God to thee for good 8ly But if thou do that which is evil He not the Pope beareth not the sword of Justice in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger in God stead to execute wrath upon him that doth evil 9ly From all these premises he drawes this peremptory conclusion Wherefore ye must needs be subiect not only for wrath but also for conscience sake 10ly For for this cause pay you tribute also for they not Bishops or Priests are Gods not Saint Peters or the Popes Ministers attending continually upon this very thing 11ly From all which he thus concludes Render therefore to All Higher powers that are their Dues by Divine Evangelical right Tribute to whom Tribute is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honor to whom honor in the affirmative Owe nothing to any man in power as well as out but to love one another obeying them out of love not fear What now is become of St. Peters or his pretended successors Monarchy Headship over the Church or Emperor of Rome himself which St. Pauls sword hath for ever decapitated Yet some Popes and their Janizaries are so impudent as to assert it cannot be argued or inforced from this Text that the Pope Church Clergy are subject to Emperors and Kings though they pay Tribute to them as a badge of their subjection even out of their Church-lands as St. Ambrose and others confesse they ought to pay by Christs and Peters examples and that Popes Clergymen are not within these universul words Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers Surely St. Bernard was of another Judgement in his memorable Epistle to Henry Archbishop of Sienna Omnis anima inquit potestatibus sublimoribus subdita sit Si omnis et vestra Quis vos excipit a Vniverstate Si quis tentat excipere conatur decipere Nolite eorum acquiescere consiliis qui cum sint Christian Christi tamen vel sequi facta vel obsequi dictis opprobrio ducunt Ipsi sunt qui vobis dicere solent Servate vestrae sed is honorem Though they violate this expresse command of Christ and the Apostle Theodoret Bishop of Cyprus thus expounds this Text Let every Soul be subject to the higher powers whether he be any Priest or my Bishop then certainly any Pope or Popish Prelate or any Monk he must yeeld subiection to those to whom Magistracy is given Theodulus Bishop of Caelosyria concurs with him upon this reason For that the Gospel was not given for the subversion of the publike Civil Government and order St. Chrysostom Patriarch of Constantinople Romes and Popes Corrivals for precedency goes one step higher in his Exposition of this Text For All whether thou be a Priest or a Prophet or an Apostle therefore a Pope or a Monk which his next words certainly include or whosoever else thou be every one is commanded to obey these Higher Powers The like do Oecumenius Theophylact and sundry others conclude against these Papal Impostors and praevaricators of this unanswerable Text for Regal Supremacy 8ly To put this out of doubt the same St. Paul in his First Epistle to Timothy whom Popes and all Prelates assert to be the first and sole Bishop of Ephesus exhorts him that First of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks should be made For Kings and for all that are in Authority that We including himself and Timothy as well as other Christians may lead a quiet and peaceable life under them as all expound it in all Godlinesse relating to Gods Worship Religion and Spiritual affairs and Honesty extending to all temporal matters For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour And in his Epistle to Titus whom they repute Archbishop of Crete he gives him this express charge Put them in minde to be subiect to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates c. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived In both which Texts he peremptorily enjoynes not only continual prayers for but also subjection and real obedience to all Civil Magistrates Principalities Powers Kings Governours as the Higher powers to which himself then submitted and obeyed since he was an Apostle of Christ though formerly disobedient to them while foolish and deceived and to which Timothy and Titus themselves submitted as well as their flocks it being a moral universal duty tending to the Churches and all Christians peace quietnesse advancement of all godlinesse honesty yea good and acceptable in the sight of God and Christ our Saviour by and for whom all Thrones Dominions principalities powers both in heaven and earth were created To evade these and other Texts Alvarus Pelagius Bartholmeus Buxiensis Johannis Thierry Panormitan Angelus de Clavasio and other Canonists blasphemously assert Quod Papa est major Paulo authoritate potest dispensare contra Apostolum Paulum in omni casu cum teneat locum Petri sit Vicarius Christi Quod potest dispensare contra Jus Divinum yea contra Novum Testamentum And if this be not sufficient Papa potest dispensare de omnibus praeceptis Veteris Novi Testamenti in some particular cases Aliter ut dicit Ricardus 4. Distinct 38 non videretur Deus fuisse bonus Pater familias nisi dimisisset Pastorem super Gregem suam qui possit consulere omnibus occurrentibus necessario expediendis Nic etiam posset dici quod Papa est generalis Commissarius Dei assumptus in plenitudine potestatis cujus contrarium determinatur 2 qu 6. c. Qui se scit 24. qu. 1. Quodcumque But these Transcendent Blasphemies and even Atheistical Delusions will satisfie no sober Christians conscience nor yet evade these and St. Peters own forecited Texts Precepts which the Pope cannot dispense with unlesse he will make the
Apostolis Recordare nunc vocis illius Sapientibus et insipientibus debitor sum Etâ—i non indebitam tibi ipsam censes hoc quoque simul memento debitoris molestum nomen servienti potius quam Dominanti congruere Servus in Evangelio audit Quantum debes Domino meo Frgo site agnoscis sapientibus insipipientibus non dominatorem sed debitorem curandum summopere tibi tota vigilantia considerandum quomodo qui non sapiunt sapiant qui sapiant non desipiant qui desipiere resipiscant c. After which he concludes with this pathetical Exclamation and interrogation O ambitio ambientium Crur quomodo omnes torquens omnibus places Nil acerbius cruci at nil molestius inquietat nil tamen apud miseros mortales celebrius negotiis ejus An non limina Apostolorum plus jam ambitio quam devotio terit An non vocibus ejus vestrum tota die resultat palatium An non questibus ejus tota Legum Canonumque disciplina insudat An non spoliis ejus omnis Italica inhiat inerplebili aviditate rapacitas Quid ita tua spiritualia studia non saltem intercidir sed occidit Quoties sancta ac facunda tua abortori ocia fecit inquietum et inquietans malum Aliud est quod ab oppressis appellatur ad te aliud autem quod Ambitie in Ecclesia per te regnare molitur Nec deesse illis nec huic aliquatinus assenrire oportet He concludes thus to our purpose after a large detection of and invective against the monstrous ambition rapine injustice of the Parasites Officers and Ministers of the Court of Rome he falls upon the more then Regal and Imperial wordly pomp of the Pope himself Inter haec tu Pastor procedis deauratus tam multa circumdarus varietate Oves quid rapiunt Si auderem dicere Demonum magis quam ovium pascua haec Scilicet Sic factitabat Petrus sic Paulus 〈◊〉 Vides omnem Ecclesiasticum zelum fervere sola pra Dignitate tuenda Honori totum datur sanctitati nihil aut parum Si causa requirent paulo â—ummissius agere ac socialius te habere temperaveris Absit inquiunt non decet tempore non congruit majestati non convenit quam geris personam attendito De placito Dei ultima mentio est pro jactura salutis nulla cunctatio Nisi quod sublime est salutare dicamus et quod gloriam redolet id justum Ita omne humite probro â—ucitur inter Palatinos ut facilius qui esse quam qui apparere humilis velit invenias Timor Dei simplicitas reputatur de dicam fâ—tuitas c. Hic hic non parco tibi ut pareat Deus Pastorem te populo huic câ—â—è aut nega aut exhibe Non negabis ne cujus sedem tenes te neget heredem Petrus hic est qui nescirur processisse aliquando vel gemmis ornatus vel seâ—icis non tectus auro non vectus equo albo nec stirpatus milite nec circumstrepentibus septus ministris Absque his tamen credidit satis posse impleri salutare mandatum Si amas me pasce oves meas In his successisti non Petro sed Constantino Thus this Canonized Roman Saint Bernard concluded long since against the Popes pretended Monarchy to Pope Eugenius himself with whom I shall cloze this branch of my 4. Proposition For the second part thereof That Jesus Christ as Supream King of his kingdom the Church-militant upon earth never delegated the Soveraign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over it or all the Members in it to St. Peter or any other Apostle Bishop Priest or Pope whatsoever as his Viceroyes but only the ministerial part of his Prophetical not Kingly or High Priests office of teaching and preaching the Gospel publikely to all Nations administring the Sacraments of Baptism Lords Supper according to his institution and command feeding them as his sheep with the sincere milk of his word teaching them as his Apostles Ministers Servants to obey what he hath commanded them beâ—eeching them as his Embassadors in his stead to be reconciled to God and to declare pronounce them absolved from their sins by God upon their sincere repentance and to aenounce damnation against them if they do not repent and believe in Christ I shall demonstrate the verity thereof First from the several Commissions or Precepts 2dly From the respective Titles given by Christ and the Gospel to the Apostles Peter Bishops Presbyters Ministers and their respective Offices in and as they relate to the Kingdom Church and people of God 1. For their respective Commissions I shall enumerate and examine them distinctly The first Commission given them by Christ was only to preach the Gospel and Kingdom of Heaven to the lost sheep of the House of Israel but not to the Samaritans and Gentiles without any Jurisdiction or pomp without scrâ—â— gold silver or brasse in their purses two coats or staves only as labourers worthy of their hire or meat which they were to receive from those to whom they preached Which commission imports nothing of Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in it expiring before Christs passion then head on earth of his Church and equal to all the Apostles not peculiar to St. Peter The second general Grand Commission given them by Christ wherein their office principally consists after his Resurrection is thus recorded by St. Matthew and d Mark Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned Go ye and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you not what your selves without my command much lesse Popes Priests Prelates shall of their own heads prescribe That this was their principal commission charge office is further evidenced by the Apostles daily constant preaching to the people both in the Temple Synagogues and from house to house notwithstanding the High Priests and Councels inhibitions not to preach chusing rather to obey God then men By St. Pauls separation and mission to preach the Gospel the necessity laid upon him and wo that would fall on him if he did not preach it And his dreadfull charge to Timothy and in him to all Bishops and Ministers of the Gospel I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge both the quick and dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season out of season rebuke reprove in and by the word preached exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine In all this Grand commission there is only a Ministration not the least Domination or Iurisdiction delegated to Peter or any other Apostle Evangelist Bishop Priest or Minister whatsoever Yea it is observable That Popes and Prelates of the Church who most contend for
Jurisdiction do most neglect this most essential prime part of their Commission and relinquish it to inferiour Priests Ministers Curates to whom they deny the power of Jurisdiction The third Commission whereon the Pope and his flatterers principally erect St. Peters and their absolute Ecclesiastical Soveraign Supremacy over all other Apostles Ministers Priests Kings Emperors Kingdoms and Catholick Church on Earth and upon which all Bishops Presbyters Priests do bottom their pretended divine Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over Emperors Kings and all Secular persons as appropriate to their functions consistories and incommunicable to Princes or Laymen is that which was generally given by Christ to all the Apostles yea to private Christians and Lay-men and the whole Church before Christs passion Mat. 18. 18. Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Thus renewed confirmed to all the Apostles by Christ in behalf of the whole Church after his resurrection in other words Jesus breathed on the Disciples and said Receive ye the holy Ghost whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Which Commission though thus twice joyntly given to all the Apostles alike by Christ yet because he first granted this commission to them directing his speech personally to Peter Mat 16. 18 19. I say unto thee thou art Peter c. And I WILL not now do give unto thee the keyes of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Popes and Popish writers thence conclude St. Peters and others Universal Supremacy over the whole Church and all other Apostles and Bishops whatsoever as well as Kings and Emperors I answer That these Commissions if rightly examined do neither give St. Peter nor his pretended Successors nor any Prelates or Ecclesiastical persons such an inherent Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction distinct from the Regal and Temporal and incommunicable to Lay persons as is pretended For 1. Every particular person though a Lay man or private Christian hath an absolute power yea special command from Christ himself to pardon forgive and remit sins and offences committed against himself as this clause in the Lords Prayer Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us These precepts When ye pray standing forgive for if ye forgive their Trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses Forgive and you shall be forgiven Forgive one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you with other Scriptures demonstrate And as they may thus pardon loose and forgive so they may likewise binde or retain sinnes and trespasses against them when the parties are obstinate and impenitent This is evident by Luke 17. 3 4. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him And if he trespasse against thee seven times a day and seven times in a day return unto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him but not without repentance Compared with 2 Thess 3. 14 15. Rom 16. 17 18. 1 Cor 5. 11 12 13 and Mat 18. 15 16 17. Moreover if thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church and if he shall neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee mark it not them as an heathen man and a publican Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven Therefore the self-same Commission Authority of binding and loosing upon earth is given to every private person in this Original Text by Christ as was given to Peter Mat 16. 18 19. and to all the Apostles John 20. 22 23. Hence St. Augustin resolves Cum caepisti habere fratrem tuum tanquam Publicanum Ligis illum in terra cum autem corrigeris concordaveris cum fratre tuo solvisti illum in terra Cum solveris in terra solutus erit in coelo Theophylact is yet more punctual Si tu offensum eum habes eum qui te affecit injuria sicut Publicanum Gentilem erit ille et in coelo talis Si autem solveris eum hoc est si illi condonaveris erit illi et in coelo condonatum Non enim solum quae solvunt Sacerdotes sunt soluta sed quae cunque nos et iniuria assecti vel ligamus vel solvimus et ipsa erum ligata et soluta And if every private person may thus bind and loose as well as Priests as these two Fathers together with Bishop Jewel and others resolve then much more may Kings and Supream temporal Magistrates do it in their Courts and Consistories Our Venerable Beda Peter Lombard Scotus with other Popish School-men yea their Canon Law and Canonists resolve That in the absence or want of a Priest a man may confesse his sins to his coequal or neighbout yea open his daily and lesser sins to his neighbor where there is a Priest and receive absolution from him though a Layman as well as from a Priest And that they may do so even by divine Institution is most fully demonstrated by Jam 5. 16. written to the twelve Tribes scattered abroad who are thus admonished Confesse your faults one to another not to a Pope Bishop Priest and pray for one another that ye may be healed from which Text not only many Antients but most Orthodox Protestant Divines resolve That no privat christian in point of conscience is obliged to confess his sins to a Priest any more then to another private Christian and Laymen no more obliged to confesse their sins to Priests then Priests are to confesse their sins to Laymen and that this text makes the duty of confessing their sins faults one to another reciprocal being coupled with mutual praying for one another the Bishop Priest being bound to pray for the people as well as the people for the Bishop or Priest therefore to confesse unto them as far forth as they are to confesse to him 2ly I answer That the power of binding and loosing retaining and remitting publike or scandalous sinnes is not given to Peter the Apostles Popes Bishops Priests or Ecclesiastical persons as an inherent priviledge and jurisdiction peculiar to them alone but to the whole Church and congregation to whom the right and execution thereof principally appertains This is infallibly
against his Miter he may shut them up As they are Wolves he may drive them away Quatenus Canes as they are Doggs he may put them from their office if they be defective therein and some of these he doth by Excommunication others by Deposition Thus Becanus concludes against Gods the Prophet Jeremiahs Ezechiels Christs and St Peters own Glosses and Resolutions on this Pasce oves meas metamorphosing sheep but specially Kings Emperors who are such into Doggs Wolves allegorically and the Pope the pretended Chief shepherd into both really and practically to his eternal infamy 6ly If these Commissions to Saint Peter will not evidence the Popes Supremacy over other Bishops Priests Kings and Emperors yet there is one Commission more will certainly effect and conclude it without dispute Acts 10. 10 to 17 where Peter falling into a trance saw heaven opened and a certain vessel let down unto him like a great sheet knit at four corners let down to the earth wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth therefore sheep amongst the rest and wilde beasts and creeping things and fouls of the air and there came a voyce unto him Rise Peter kill and eat But Peter said Not so Lord for I have never eaten that which was common or unclean And the voyce spake again unto him the second time What God hath clensed that call not thou common This was done thrice and the Vessel was received again into heaven Whence some Romish Parasites Janizaries conclude from Surge Petre macta manduca by their own Chymical Divinity per quod innuitur quod Petrus Praelatus fuit populis Vniversis vas autem illud orbem universum signat et universitas contentum in eo significat tam Judaeorum quam Gentilium Nationes yea some of them assert the lawfulnesse of the Popes deposing and murdering Christian Kings Princes by his assassinates from this Text. I answer first That Arise Peter kill and eat if meant of sheep is very ill coupled with Simon feed my sheep being directly contrary to his pastoral duty and office Ezech. 34 3 to 6. John 10. 1 to 6. 2ly There were no Kings Emperors nor men at all in this vessel but only four-footed beasts creeping things and fowls which God provided for the food of man and gave all men as free power to kill and eat as he did here to Peter Gen. 9 2 3 4. Levit. 11. 2 3 9. Deuter. 14. 4. How then that which is the common priviledge of all mankinde to kill and eat such beasts can be a peculiar Supremacy in Peter alone Or how Kings Emperors men can be intended or typified in or by these beasts or eaten by St. Peter like beasts fouls and creeping things to advance Peters pretended Supremacy or how Peters spurious Successors can be enabled by this Text to depose excommunicate kill and eat the flesh of Kings Emperors men whereas God himself when he first gave Commission to Noah and Mankinde to kill and eat of every beast of the earth creeping thing fowl of the air and fish of the sea prohibited them to kill or eat the flesh of any man threatning to require the blood of the life of every man at his brothers hand without making St. Peter and his Successors Canibals and Murderers yea beasts and fowls instead of men whom God only commissioned to eat the flesh of Kings Captains mighty men free and bond Rev. 19. 17 18. I cannot discern 3ly St. Peter notwithstanding this invitation not simple command did neither kill nor eat any of these beasts fowls but absolutely refused to do it whereupon they were taken up again into heaven as the Text relates How then come his pretended Successors both to kill and eat when he refused to do either and to ground their Supremacy thereon It seems they are now more hungry and voracious then St. Peter was then 4ly This whole History was no reality but a meer trance and vision wherein was a mixture of all sorts of beasts creatures as well clean as unclean by the Levitical Law which beasts and fowls Peter then conceived he might not lawfully eat Now the end of this vision was double First to instruct Peter that the Levitical Law putting a difference between unclean and clean beasts was then totally abolished and all of them to be freely eaten by Jews as well as Gentiles 2. That the Gentiles were now as holy and dear unto God as the Jewes Christ having broken down the wall of partition that was between them as the sequel of that Chapter and Peter himself relates chap 11. Now how this vision only to inform and instruct St. Peters judgement in these two particulars can give him or the Pope such a Soveraign Jurisdiction as they by head and shoulders deduce from it let all rational men resolve The 7th Commission the Pontificians have found out given by Christ to Peter is that of Matth. 21. 2 3. Then sent Jesus two Disciples whereof the Romanists averr Peter to be one saying unto them Go ye into the village over against you and straight way ye shall find an Ass tied and a colt with her Loose them and bring them unto me And if any say ought unto you ye shall say the Lord hath need of them and straightway they will send them And the Disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them From whence they inferr that the Pope hath power to bind loose excommunicate and depose Kings Emperors absolve their Subjects from their Allegiance and take away their Crowns kingdoms from them when he their Lord hath need of them as he did King Johns and others as Peter did thus loose and take away the Ass Colt and bring them unto Christ I Answer First That it appears not by any story that Peter was one of those two Disciples that loosed and brought away this Asse and Colt to Christ 2ly Admit he was yet he had another disciple equally joyned with him in Commission which destroyes his sole Monarchy and Supremacy 3ly They went not about this errand till Christ gave them a special Commission for it But Popes run in a quite contrary errand to depose Kings and Emperors before they are sent by Christ yea against his expresse inhibition 4ly They did not take them away without the owners consent but with it as the words straightway they will send them imply Whereas Popes depose and take away Kings and Emperors Crowns kingdoms and absolve their Subjects from their Allegiance against their wils 5ly Christ did not send them to take away the propriety but only to borrow the use of this Asse and Colt at this very instant not the Crowns Scepters or kingdoms of Kings and that only for his necessary use for a few hours even then when he rode like a King in greatest trimph he ever used on earth into Jerusalem and then sent them back Popes do not borrow but forcibly seise detain not the Asses or
duty office of a King Quid sit Regis officium 〈…〉 Regem Quantum ad officium ita sit Rex in Regno sicut ratio in corpore et anima et sicut Deus in mundo quae si diligenter consideret Rex ex altero in eo justitia accenâ—itur dum considerat ad hoc se pâ—â—um ut loco Dei iudicium in regno exerceat Caus 24. qu. 5. Regum ex alâ—â—ro vero clementiae 〈…〉 lenitatem acquâ—raâ— dum 〈◊〉 singulos qui suo subsunt regimini sicut propria 〈…〉 Augustinus ad Marcellinum Comitem â—â—ple Christiane Judex pii Patris officium sic succensere iniquitati memmeris ut non in peccatorum acrocitatibus exerceas ulcâ—cendi libidinem sed peccatorum vulneribus curandi adhibeas voluntatem noâ— perdere paterâ—â—â— diligentiam quam in ipsa inquisitione servasti Officium autem principale Regum est mark it dirigere suum regimen in finem bonum qui est beatitudo aeterna Vnde sic debent suos subditos in hoc mundo peregrinos regere ut efficiantur Cives et Domestici Dei Eph. 2. Qui◠〈…〉 in corpore peregrinamur a Domino 2 Cor. 5. Sed quia finem 〈◊〉 divinae homo non consequitur per virtutem humanam sed divinam quia gratia Dei 〈…〉 Rom. 6. perducere ad illum ultimum finem non est humani per se regiminis sed diviâ—i Ad illum ergo Regem hoc pertinet principaliter qui non solum est homo sed etiam Deus scilicet Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum qui homines Dei filios faciens in coelestem gloriam introducit propter quod non solum Sacerdos sed et Rex in sacro eloquio nominatur Hier. 23. This then being the principal end office of Kings according to my Proposition I now proceed to evidence the truth thereof which will appear 1. By Col. 1. 16. For by him Jesus Christ were all things created that are in heaven 〈◊〉 that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him that is to promote his honor glory kingdom Gospel worship interest Compared with Rom. 11. 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure or service they are and were created Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself that is to set forth his glory service worship praise Isay 43. 7. 21. Ps 95. 6 7. Therefore much more Kings who as they reign by him Prov. 8. 15. upon that account they should and ought principally to raign and rule for him his glory worship service their subjects salvation 2ly By Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God tho powers that are are ordained of God c. Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same For he is the Minister of God to thee for good that is for thy eternal good and salvation as well as temporal good but if thou doest that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain for he is the Minister of God an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil to reclaim him from his evil and others by his punishment thereby to bring him and others to repentance and save their souls as Chrysostom Haymo Theophylact Paraeus Willet Grotius Soto with other Commentators on the Text and Grotius De Jure Belli Pacis lib. 2. cap. 20. de Poenis resolve 3. By 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3 4. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions thanksgivings be made for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may live a quiet and peaceablelife in all godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth The chief end of Kings and Magistrates institution by God being to advance godlinesse in and among all their subjects in the first place and then quietnesse peace honesty in the second 4ly By Rev. 21. 24. Where St. John describing the glory and beauty of the heavenly Jerusalem to wit of Christs Church and its glory under the Gospel subjoyns And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honor to it this being the principal end for which they were made Kings to contribute all their Regal Honor Power to enlarge the bounds of Christs Church kingdom promote Gods honour worship glory and salvation of the Nations people committed to their Government 5ly Natural Parents as well under the Gospel as Law are enjoyned to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and knowledge of the Scriptures Ephes 6. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 15. And natural Husbands are obliged to instruct and sanctifie as well as love and nourish their wives 1 Cor. 7. 14. c. 14. 35. Therefore Kings and supream Christian Magistrates the Politick Fathers and Husbands of the Commonwealth are also obliged to bring up their Children Wives Subjects in the fear and admonition of the Lord to see them instructed in Gods word and endeavour their real sanctification and salvation To these Arguments evidences out of the New Testament I shall accumulate many more out of the Old 6ly That memorable Speech of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon 2 Chron. 9. 8. most punctual and observable to our purpose And she said to the King Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his Throne to be King for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee a King over Israel to do judgement and justice In which speech even of an Heathen Queen from the very light of Nature there are these memorable particulars 1. That the Thrones of all Kings are not their own but Gods alone 2ly That it is God himself who sets Kings upon his throne 3ly That the grand end thereof is To be Kings for the Lord their God who hath set them on his own throne to be his Viceroyes to promote his Glory worship honour kingdom interest in the world as Solomon did and suppresse what ever is opposite thereunto 4ly To establish their Subjects people for ever by setting up establishing Gods true Worship Ordinances Statutes Gospel amongst them for their eternal salvation and by executing Judgement and Justice over them to the encouraging piety holinesse vertue godlinesse all good works and cutting off all the wicked of the Land from the City of God left they should corrupt others and dishonor God by impunity 7ly This is most apparent by
hominis et hominem sua causa Deum fecisse quam quod ex omnibus animantibus solus ita formatus est ut oculi ejus ad coelum directi facies ad Deum spectans vultus cum suo parente communis sit quasi porrecta manu allevatum ex humo ad contemplationem sui excitasse Propterea igitur coli se Deus expetit honorari ab homine tanquam Pater ut virtutem et sapientiam teneat quae sola immortalitatem parit Idcirco mundus factus est ut nascamur ideo nascimur ut agnoscamus factorem mundi ac nostri Deum ideo agnoscimus ut colamus ideo colimus ut immortalitatem pro mercede capiamus quoniam maximis laboribus cultus constat ideo praemio immortalitatis afficimur ut similes Angelis effecti summo Patri ac Domino in perpetuum serviamus et simus aternum Deo Regnum Haec summa rerum est hoc arcanum Dei hoc mysterium mundi Yea this is the sum mysterie of all the Kings and kingdoms in the world instituted by God for these only ends that all the kingdoms of the world might thereby become the temporal kingdoms of God and of his Christ on earth and his eternal kingdom in heaven All these recited Fathers lived under Heathen not Christian Emperors Kings to whom they Addressed their Apologies Appeals Defences of the substance truth of the Christian Religion they professed under them as the highest powers on earth the properest Judges of Religion and bound in duty to protest both it and them in the true profession thereof When the Roman Emperors and other Kings became Professors Protectors and Propagators of Christianity the Fathers Councils Bishops Clergy and Christians under them thus set forth their Supremacy in and over all Ecclesiastical and Religious affairs persons as well as temporal To pretermit the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction attributed to and exercised by Constantine the Great the first Christian Emperor which I shall insist on in the First Chapter of the 2d Book Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria as he constantly prayed to God in publike for Constantius the Emperor though an Arrian with all expressions of Loyalty duty and dedicated a special Apology to him in Justification both of his faith and loyalty useth this expression therein If I were accused to others I would appeal to your Majesty as Paul did to Cesar but seeing they accuse me unto you ad quem a te appellare potero nisi ad Deum There being none paramount the Emperour to Appeal to neither Pope nor Council but God alone How this Emperor Constantius twice removed and banished Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria and Paulus Bishop of Constantinople from their Bishopricks and placed Gregory and George two Arrian Bishops in their Sees and how upon their Complaints and Appeals to his Brother the Emperor Constans reigning in the West who summoned their accusers to appear before him which they did they were restored to their Bishopricks by the advice and decree of the Council of Sardis Anno 350 summoned by both these Emperors Edicts at the requests of Athanasius and Paulus to hear and decide their cause referred to them by the Emperors and the special Letters of Constantius sent to Athanasius What Creeds or forms of Christian faith both the Arrian and Orthodox Bishops compiled in the Councils of Antioch Sardis Jerusalem Smyrna Millain Arimino and Seleucia all summoned by the Emperors Edicts presented to the Emperors for their approbations and ratifications as Supreme Judges Moderators in such cases are at large recorded in Socrates Scholasticus Ecclesiast Hist l. 2. cap. 7 to 44. Nicephorus Calixtus Eccles Hist l. 9. c. 20. to 44. Sozomen Eccles hist l. 2. Cent. Magd. 4. cap. 8. and sundry others to whom I referr the Readers for brevity sake Only I shall recite the memorable requests of the Orthodox Bishops in the Council of Arimino to the Emperor Constantius in their second Epistle to him Wherefore we humbly request your Majesty of your gracious Favour and wonted Clemency to accept this our Message That you admit no novelty to creep into the Church of God to the contumely of such as are already departed this life but that you grant us your license and lawfull favor firmly to persevere in those things which our Ancestors have decreed in as much as it is evident to all men that whatsoever they did it was through well advised counsel prudent consideration and the aid of the holy Ghost Also We humbly request that the exiled Bishops which wander in farre and foraign Regions grievously afflicted by reason of great years and the misery of want and necessity may by your safe conduct return home from exile to the end the Churches remain not desolate and desolate of their Bishops being thus farr asunder Last of all Our humble sute is to your Majesty that nothing may be diminished from or added to the Old and Antient Decrees but that all whatsoever have been observed unto this day through the godly procurement of your Father may henceforth be of force strength and virtue and that hereafter there may arise no molestation to us about those things and that you suffer us not to be banished our Churches c. Saint Hillary Bishop of Poictiers wrote thus to this Arrian Emperour Constantius not long after At hanasius in the Orthodox Christians behalf We beseech your Clemency to permit that the people may have such teachers as they like such as they think well of such as they chuse and let them solemnize the divine mysteries and make prayers for your safety and prosperity In which Book to this Emperor he acknowledgeth his Supremacy in and over all Ecclesiastical persons causes though he justly censures his force imposed on them in their Councils to make them vote against their wills and the Orthodox faith in behalf of the Arrian Hereticks The Godly Western Bishops assembled by this Arrian Emperor Constantius his Edict to the Council of Ariminum and there long detained by him from their Cures wrote two supplicatory Epistles to him from thence to dismisse them to their Bishopricks before the cold Winter approached In the first they thus petitioned them We beseech your Majesty that you cause us not to be banished nor stayed from our Churches but that the Bishops together with the people may live in peace and tranquillity and may humbly pray for your health kingdom and safety in which the Divine Majesty long preserve you Pro tua salute Imperio prolixo So Nicephorus renders it but others thus Supplicantes Deo pro pace tui Imperii pariter et salutis quam tibi Dominus in perpetuum largiatur They concluded their second Letter to him with this Supplication For this cause we beseech your Clemency the second time most religious Lord and Emperor that you command us to depart to our Churches if it so please your Godlinesse before the sharpnesse of Winter come That we
age what Theodoricus de Niem Nem. Vnionis p. 5. 137. Claâ—dius Espencaeus De Continentia lib. 4. Comment in Titum c. 1. Cornelius Agrippa De Vanitate Scientiarum cap. 62 63. Guicciardin Histor l. 1. Polydorus Virgilius De Inventoribus Rerum l. 5. c. 4. Mantuanus l. 3. 6. Cuyckius Speculum Concubinar Udoâ—ricus Epistola ad Nicolaum De Caelib Clericorum Alanus Charter cited by Joannes Marius De Scismate Concil p. 264 467. Gravamina Germaniae drawn up at the Diet of Noâ—inberg nu 31 91. with others of the Roman Religion have largely written of his Subject But I shall conclude with the noble Picus Mirandula his brief though sad complaint That in Elyes time the Priests slept with the Women at the door of the Tabernacle but in our time they break into the sacred Houses proh pudor Women are brought in to satisfie their Lusts and Boyes that are sodomitically abused against Nature are lent and given them by their Parents and these Boyes afterwards are made Priests with our own Robert Holcot his Confession of the Priests in his age Proh dolor Sacerdotes moderni sunt Angeli Sathanae per discordiam Angeli Apostatici per superbiam Angeli Incubi per luxuriam Sacerdotes Priapi vel Beelphegor Hunc vilissimum Deum Priapum whom he there describes excolunt non pauci Sacerdotes moderni Discipuli illius maligni Angeli de quo loquitur Paulus 2 Corinth 12. Datus est mihi stimulus carnis Angelus Sathanae qui me colophasset And with the complaints in Onus Ecclesiae written by a German Bishop of the Romish perswasion which are very observable cap. 8. sect 4. Oblationes fidelium hodie rarescunt non offerunt Decem quoniam Ecclesiastici plures expendunt in usus meretricantium quam indigentium pauperum c. cap. 21. sect 10. 15. Ecce modo Praelati Sacerdotes natant in comessationibus cubilibus impudicitiis solvunt fraenum carnalis concupiscentiae tam in se quam in suis subditis c. cap. 23. sect 8. Caeterum Sacerdotes frequenter fornicationibus coinquinantur maxime Curati sordescunt in concubinatu adeo manifesto quod nulla tergiversatione celari possint Et quamvis Concubinarii sunt ab ipso officio suspensi tamen a celebratione missarum aliisque actibus ecclesiasticis nequaquam abstinent quin divinis se continuo immisceant ob hoc irregularitatem incurrentes As for the chastity of Monks and Nunnes he renders us this account out of St. Catherine of Sienna and others cap. 22. sect 6. 12. Religiosi collocati sunt in religione velut Angeli sed quamplurimi sunt daemonibus deteriores incontinentes dissoluti c. Religiosi facti sunt arma Diaboli In Ecclesiis enim Cathedralibus quam Conventualibus hodie plerumque faeces mundi Ecclesiasticis gubernaculis praeficiuntur utpote quibus mundus uti vel frui nequit Tandem de moribus Monialium perversis non audeo imo pudeo dicere quia suspicor ne meis verbis quempiam virginum Deo dicatarum coetum reddam suspectum attamen istum quoque gradum paucis attingere conor Sunt namque nonnulla Monialium monasteria e quibus professas juxta regulae tenorem nunquam exire vel quempiam introire decet adeo propatula ut ipsa loca Veneris prostibulo sint similiora quam Dei sacrario Hinc procacitas stuprum incestus mulierum sacratarum hinc quoque verenda scandala offendicula oriuntur quamplurima quae singula recensere jam nolo What sinks of uncleaness whoredom adultery sodomy our English Monasteries were found to be before their dissolutions you may read at large in John Bales Acts of English Votaries the Records in the Augmentation-office Henry Stephen his Apology for Herodotus cap. 21. f. 183. Speeds History of Great Britain lib. 9. cap. 21. sect 161. p. 143 144. John Weaver his Funeral Monuments c. c. 12. 15. whose Sensualities Adulteries Whoredomes Sodomies Murders of Bastard-infants as they defiled their Cells to their final overthrow so let their remembrance for ever stain the memory of this leacherous Hildebrand and Religion of the Great whore of Babilon which defiles the bed of Priests lawfull marriage and yet dispenseth for mony with such prodigious crying sins sinners There being at the dissolution no less than 15. Sodomitical Monks in Battle Abby 8. in Canterbury besides Adulterers Whoremasters John White Prior of Bermonsey Abby keeping no lesse than 20. VVhores to satisfie his unsatiable lustfull cloystred Virginity which enforced Godly Christian Princes by their Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority to suppress when they could not reform these Nurseries of Uncleaness These prodigious unchast sodomical consequences of prohibiting Priests marriages are a sufficient evidence not only of the lawfulness but expedience yea necessity of their marrying when or where they cannot live chast without it Gratian himself confessing Copula Sacerdotalis nec Legali nec Evangelica nec Apostolica authoritate prohibetur the legality whereof in point of conscience I shall briefly evidence against all Hildebrandians by these following Scripture Arguments wherewith I long since so silenced a vaunting Romish Priest who held our Ministers no Priests because married that he had not one word to reply 1. That God himself instituted Marriage in the state of Innocency before Adam's fall when he had nearest communion with God therefore it cannot defile or incapacitate any of his posterity to be a Bishop Priest or Minister of God 2ly That Gods primitive command to Adam and Eve in the state of Innocency at the first institution of Matrimony and to Noah and his Sons after the stood Increase and multiply and replenish the earth by the use of lawfull Matrimony extended to Adam Noah and all their Posterity in succession to the end of the world and that as a special priviledge and benediction not a curse it being a curse to be childless but a blessing to have children posterity as the Scripture oft resolves Therefore to Priests Clergy-men they all being Adam's and Noah's posterity as well as much as others and so not to be debarred from this special blessing 3ly That Adam himself and the first born Patriarch of every Family during the law of Nature even from Adam's creation till the institution of the Levitical Priesthood were the only Priests and Ministers of God to offer Sacrifices instruct their Children Families in the fear and worship of God to bless them and pray for them Now these were married to propagate Mankind perpetuate Posterity and the Church by God's own precept without the least restraint or any impediment at all to their primitive Priesthood Therefore Priests may be so too under the Gospel 4ly That Aaron the first High-priest under the Law all the High-priests succeding him who were types of Christ himself and entred once a year at least into the Holy of Holyes were all married having
Antichristian Pride actions and Kings villain service It is St. Bernards instruction to Pope Eugenius Bonus fundus humilitas in quâ—â—mne aedificium spirituale constructum crescit in Templum sanctum in Domino Nulla splendidior gemma in omni praecipue conatu Summi Pontificis Quo enim celsior caeteris eo humilitate apparet illustrior in seipso And it is the determination of Thomas Waldensis a great Patron of the Popes Supremacy Petrus sicut in Apostolatu primus erat sic etiam in humilitate I wish Popes who pretend themselves to be St. Peters successors disclaiming all their premised Luciferian Ceremonies Services Exorbitances with all other Bishops and Clergy-men may from henceforth demonstrate themselves to be Christs real Disciples Apostles successors exceeding all others in humility by preaching diligence in the Ministry not in the usurpation of such Ecclesiastical Authority for which they have neither precept nor president in the Gospel as the premises demonstrate I shall cloze up this Chapter with St. Bernards words to Eugenius which I cordially desire all ambitious Popes and Prelates seriously to consider En quis es sed noli oblivisci etiam quid Quid desinas intueri quod non desiisti esse Hoc ergo consulo consideres maxime quod maximus es hominem videlicet quod natus es Tolle ergo nunc haereditaria haec perizomata ab initio maledicta Dirumpe velamen foliorum celantium ignominiam nec plagam curantium Dele fucum fugacis honoris hujus malae coloratae nitorem gloriae et unde es nude nudum consideres quia nudus egressus es de utero matris tuae Nunquid infulatus nunquid micans gemmis aut floridus sericis aut coronatus pennis aut suffarcinatus metallis Si cuncta haec veluti nubes quasdam matutinales velociter transeuntes cito pertransituras dissipes exsuffles a facie considerationis tuae occuret tibi homo nudus pauper miserabilis Homo dolens quod homo sit erubescens quod nudus sit plorans quod natus sit murmurans quod sit Homo natus ad laborem non ad honorem Homo natus de muliere ab hoc cum reatu brevi vivens tempore ideoque cum metu repletus multis miseriis ideoque cum fletu vere multis quâ—â— corporis animae simul Proinde si consideras quantus es cogita etiam qualis maxime Haec te sane consideratio tenet in te nec te avolare sinit nec ambulare in magnis neque in mirabilibus super te In te consistito non infra dejici non attolli supra non evadere in longius non extendi in latius Tene medium si non vis perdere modum Locus medius tutus est Medium sedes modi modus virtus Omnem extra modum habitationem sapiens exilium putat BOOK I. CHAP. V. That Gods principal end and intention in ordaining Kings and Supream Civil Magistrates in the world was not the bare external administration of Justice between man and man the protection of their Subjects from violence oppression the preservation of them in wordly peace plenty prosperity the punishment of Malefactors rewarding of well-doers encouragement of Arts Virtue Trade industry or fighting their battels in times of War against Invading Enemies though considerable parts of their Regal Office and Soveraign Authority But the advancement of Gods Honor Worship Service Glory and spiritual Kingdom whose Vice-royes they are the suppression of all Idolatry blasphemy sinne wickedness the promotion of the eternal salvation felicity of their people and to be Kings for the Lord their God by advancing his interest all they can Vpon which ground in order to effect these ends God himself as well under the Gospel as Law hath delegated the Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction only to Kings and other Soveraign Temporal Potentates not to Popes Bishops Priests who are subordinate to them as their Subjects not Copartners with them in their soveraign Ecclesiastical Authority in point of Interest nor yet in its actual execution no further then they are pleased by their Laws and Commissions to delegate it to them as their Substitutes With a specification of the chief particulars wherein this Supream Ecclesiastical Power of Christian Kings and Emperors consists THE Grand Engin by which Popes and Popish Prelats have robbed Christian Emperors Kings Princes Magistrates of their Supream Ecclesiastical Authority and monopolized it to themselves alone is this grosse Paradox and Imposture That God and Jesus Christ under the Gospel have committed to their trust care only the Administration Government of the Commonwealth and Secular not of the Church and Religious affairs of the bodies temporal estates of their Subjects not of their Souls for which they are not to give any account at all to God That the Government care reformation of the Church Religion divine Worship and their Subjects souls are by Christs institution wholly and solely delegated to Popes Bishops Priests and other Ecclesiastical persons not to Emperors Kings or Supream Civil Magistrates Upon which notorious Forgery and Mistake they have First usurped engrossed to themselves alone the Title of The Church when as the definition of a Church whether Militant Triumphant National or Provincial accords not with them but their flocks people rather and is no where given to them in Scripture and the stile of Churchmen Ecclesiastical sacred persons Clergy-men which Titles they deny to all others not in sacred Orders stiling them The world secular persons the Laity popularity prophane vulgar unconsecrated persons as if they were no members of the Church when as the Scripture stiles them the Church Members of Christs body the Church and so Church-men Ecclesiastical persons as well as Bishops Priests Saints sanctifyed holy consecrated persons yea an holy Priesthood being made such by their very calling the Sacrament of Baptism and the Lords Supper their internal sanctification by Gods holy Spirit and washing away of their sins by the bloud of Christ far nobler consecrations then their bare Clerical Orders which no Protestants esteem a Sacrament and St. Peter himself defines them to be Gods Clergy Heritage as well as much as any Popes Prelates Priests how great soever 2ly They have forged two distinct incompatible Swords Jurisdictions The one Ecclesiastical peculiar to Popes Bishops Priests and those they stile Ecclesiastical persons not belonging to Emperors Kings or secular Princes The other Temporal exercised about secular things and affairs belonging only or principally to Emperors Kings and Secular powers yet subordinate to the command of Ecclesiastical persons when they shall require or desire its protection or assistance to enforce their Ecclesiastical censures 3dly That every Pope Bishop Priest as he is an ecclesiastical person is as far above all Emperors Kings Secular persons of what quality or dignity soever as the soul is above the body heaven
above the earth gold above drosse the Sun above the Moon and God himself above man 4ly That the Ecclesiastical Sword Iurisdiction Lawes and Constitutions are paramount and may controll the Temporal not the Temporal command or restrain the Ecclesiastical 5ly That Popes Prelates Priests may interdict excommunicate judge censure depose dethrone Emperors Kings Princes and all Secular powers persons but they have no power nor commission to judge censure deprive them for any Temporal or Ecclesiastical crimes 6ly That not Emperors Kings but Popes Prelates Priests and other Ecclesiastical persons have the sole power of summoning Councils Synods and voteing in them as Members framing promulging Ecclesiastical Lawes Canons Injunctions punishing Ecclesiastical persons and offences so stiled reforming abuses corruptions in matters of Religion Worship Doctrine Discipline Church men and Church-Government 7ly That Emperors Kings are made only by men but Popes Bishops Priests immediately and directly by God himself and Quantum Deus praestat Sacerdoti tantum Sacerdos praestat Regi 8ly That Papa est summa virtus creata That Papam nullus mortalium iudicare potest Quod Synodus etiam universalis in eum praesertim corrigibilem jurisdictionem non habet nec in eum sententiam depositionis profert etiam in haeresi sed dicit Ore tuo judica causam tuam Quod nullum crimen privat Papam ipso jure Papatu 9ly Quod qui Romanae Ecclesiae vel Papae Jurisdictionem vel Primatum subtrahit vel denegat haereticus est censendus Rebellis 10ly Quod Politia Christiana est una et ejus est unus Princeps regens eam et quod iste primus et supremus Princeps est Summus Pontifex qui est Monarcha Ecclesiasticus The clearing of this Proposition will give a fatal and final overthrow to all these Papal Pontifical Sacerdotal Paradoxes and Pretences In Order thereunto I shall desire you to take special notice of what Alvarus Pelagius confesseth asserteth Quod Politia unius Civitatis est Politia unius Principatus nec possunt esse plures Principes Regentes in una Civitate Quod omnes illi qui eodem signo charactere consignantur eisdem legibus eiusdem Legislatoris subjiciuntur ad eundem Principem pertinent Quod omnes Christianae Religionis sunt eiusde Principatus c. Quod Principatus civilis non distinguitur a Principatu Ecclesiastico sicut una species ab alia sed sicut partes integrales unius Principatus c. Nec potest dici quod Christiani sunt unius principatus quantum ad spiritualia alterius quantum ad corporalia temporalia quia nullus Princeps vel Subditus Christianus potest aliquid licâ—â—è possidere vel acquirere nisi in eo qui militat sub Principatu Christiano Ex quo liquido patet quod civilitas Christiana et politia et quantum ad spiritualia et quantum ad temporalia ad eundem Principatum pertinet Et hoc clamat tota sacra scriptura quod sumus omnes Christi fideles una communitas et unus populus nos et nostri profecto qui nos sectantur una enim fides unus Principatus et una Ecclesia collectio fidelium Eph. 4. Viâ—o autem quod politia Ecclesiastica sit 〈◊〉 una tunc facile est videre quod unus est Princeps regens et dirigens eam quia pluralitas Principatuum non est bona ut dicitur 13 Metaphysic In una ergo politia unus Princeps ut preca in apibus quia diversitas Principatuum divisio regni et politiae est â—t materia guerrae et divisionis Mat. 12. Lu. 11. Omne regnum c. Caus 25. qu. 2. Si ea Nec poteit dici quid sit unus Princeps in ratione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ratione agenus et moventis quia â—icut declaratur 2 Metaphys in quoâ—â—â—â— genere causae oporter unum primum dare ad quod omnia posteriora reducantuâ— Et ita oportet in Principatu Christiano esse unum priorem Principâ—m regentem et moventem sive gubernantem totam politiam Praeterea pouere plures Principes non subalternos regentes et moventes eosdem subditos unum videlicet ratione spiritualium et alium ratione temporalium est facere ordinem illius politiae incounerum et non stabilem quia interdum contingit Principem corporatium praecipere pugnare Principem spiritualium prohibere illum pugnam ut tota die contingit inter Christianos Ista ratio opâ—me probatur 19. Dist ita Dominus Contingit etiam illos duos Dominos et Principes eodem tempore pracipere diversa ut unus praecipâ—et 〈◊〉 ad agrum alius ad ecclesiam quae in eodem tempore non possant fieri quia nemo potest duobus dominis servire Mat. 6. Luc. 16. â—â—ubaudi contrariis Quare sequitur ordinem talis politiae esse inconnerum et non stabilem quod est inconveniens Hoc etiam potest manifestari eâ— unitate finis Omnes enim de civilitate Christiana ad eundem finem et sub eadem ratione ordinantur scilicet ad gratiam charitatem unitatem quae sunt vincula perfectionis in via Col. 3. Eph. 4. Et ad finalem beaticudinem in patria ubi est illa unitas de qua Psal 121. de que Augustinus non erit ibi aliqua invidia disparis claritatis ubi in omnibus regnat unitas charitatis â—e qua Gregorius Tanta vis charitatis omnes sibi ibi assâ—ciâ—â— ut bonum quod quisq â—e in se non accepit in alio se gaudeat accepisse Sed cuilibet uni sini correspondet unum ageâ—â— dirigens in finem illum plura enim agentia distincta specie et natura non habentia ordinem ad manum non possunt dirigere ad unum finem sub una ratione Ergo in civitate Christiana debet esse unâ—â— primus Princeps dirigens emnes ejusdem politiae ad finem proprium ejus Et sicut unus homo secundum Augustinum primo creatus est ut in eo et ex eo constitueretur una creatura ut Caus 33. qu. 5. Ita unus rector principalis totius illius naturae qui cam deducat ad unum Deum qui creavit eum Gen. 1. Thus far his reasons are solid evidencing the Supream Government of Christ over the whole Church whereof he not the Pope is the head to be incommunicable the government of every particular visible Church on earth in each kingdom to be vested only in one King Soveraign Prince not in the Pope Prelats Clergy â—or divided between them both and quite subverts his conclusion thence Quod 〈◊〉 primus supremus Princeps est Summus Pontifex especially if compared with his Passages in another Article defining the greatest good eternal happinesse and be 〈◊〉 not wordly glory wealth greatnesse to be the chiefest end aim and reward of all good Kings where he thus describes the