his kindred disregarding the honour of God and the Dignity of the Romane Seat which Errour saith he he so Traditioned or delivered down that it remaineth to this day This is Romane Tradition a Comet then appear'd Famine Pestelence Earthquakes which were thought to be for the Pride and rapacity of the Pope and his contempt of God and Man So Platina § 76. An Instance was given of a Bishop of the contrary Spirit Adelâ—ert Bishop of Prague in Bohemiaâ—ound â—ound the People so contrury to him and bad that he forsook them and Travelled first and then entred into a Monastery And when he had lived there five years the people desired him again and promised Obedience A Council at Rome desired his return vvhich with grief he did But they still proved incorrigble and he again forsook them and vvent to Preach to the Hungarians when he Bapzed the King Stephen and did much good Bin. p. 1071. § 77. CCCXX Arnulphus Arch-Bishop of Rhemes suspected of Treason for delivering up the City of Rhemes to Charles Called a Synod at Seulis to purge himself Excommunicating them that did it Anno 990. § 78. CCCXXI. Hugo Capet having now got the Crown of France and desirous to destroy all the Carolines line upon the aforesaid suspition got a Synod at Rhemes to cast out Arnulphus a Bastard of that Linâ— saying a Bastard must not be a Bishop One Bishop refused The rest for fear of that King consented and cast him out so constant were the French Bishops § 79. CCCXXII Six Bishops and Nine Presbyters and Four Deacons made a Council at Rome to Canonize Vdalric Bishop of Augusta Anno 993. upon the reports of his Holiness and Miracles Here let me at once tell the Reader that he hath no cause to think the most of these Canonizations wholly causeless But that while Pope and Patriarcks confounded all by wickedness and contentious pride God had many faithful Bishops and Presbyters that lived holily in quieter and privater kind of Life And the Popes that would not endure themselves to live a Godly life thought it their honour to have such in the Church that did and to magnify them when dead and past contradicting them Just like the Pharisees Mat. 23. that killed the living Servants of God and honoured the dead and built them Monuments saying If we had lived in those days we would not have killed them § 80. CCCXXIII A Synod was called at Moson to debate the Case between Arnulph and Gerbert substituted at Rhemes who so pleaded his cause that it was put off to another Synod Baron revileth some Writings ascribed to the former Synod at Rhemes saying they were this Gerberts as being Blasphemous against the Pope The Centuriators of Magdeb. mention them at large Did Rome then govern all the World § 81. CCCXXIV Another Council is called at Rhemes and Gerbert that wrote so Blasphemously against the Pope is deposed by the Popes means and Arnulphus restored which Gerbert observing flyeth to the Emperour to Germany seemeth to repent as Baron but surmizeth and gets higher to be Pope himself by the Emperours means as you shall hear anon § 2. Can any Man think that Popes that themselves came in by Tyranny and meer Force and lived in Wickedness could have so great a Zeal as is pretended to do Justice for all others unless for their own ends § 83. Iohn the 16th alias 17 is passed over by Binius Onuphrius saith that he Reigned four Months Platina saith he died the tenth Year and sixth Month and tenth Day a great difference § 84. Gregory the 5th is next made Pope saith Plat. by Otho 3d his Authority for Affinity But saith Plat. The Romans make Crescentius Consul with chief Power who presently made John Bishop of Placentine Pope who came to it by the consent of the Roman Clergy and People to whom the choice belonged though some leave him out Otho cometh to defend his own Pope Crescentius fortifieth City and Castle against him The People dare not resist but open the City Gates Crescentius and Pope John flyeth to the Castle and in hope of Pardon yields Crescentius is Killed by the People in his passage John hath first his Eyes put out and then his Life and Gregory the Eleventh Month is restored Binius saith that Johns Hands were cut off his Ears cut off and his Eyes pulled out and after set on an Ass holding the Tail in his Hand was carried about the Streets § 85. This Pope and Otho the 3d. agreed to settle the Election of the Emperour as now it is on the 7. Electors The cause of great Confusions and Calamities was that the Emperours did not dwell at Rome and so left Popes then to fight strive and sin that else would have lived submissively under them Constantine Carolus Mag. or Otho might have done much to prevent or cure all this The Papists would fain prove this the work of a Roman Synod to settle the Electors that they may prove that it is they that must make and unmake Emperours But they can shew us no such Council Onuphrius hath written a Treatise to prove that this was after done by Greg. 10th For which Binius reprehends him as believing Aventinus But this is a Controversy handled by so many that I shall refer the Reader to them and whether the seven Electors only or all the Feudatories chose Baronius and Binius maintain that all came from the Authority of the Pope that Greg. 5th Ordained the choice of the Emperour to be by all the Feudatories of the Empire that the Council at Lyons under Innocent 4th setled it upon Seven but not all the same that are now Electors and that the Princes after setled it on these same Seven they know not who nor when For the right understanding of many such matters I only mind the Reader of this one thing that as the contention of Princes and the superstitious fear of Anathematizing had made the Papal and Prelatical Power then very great in setting up and taking down Princes so it was usual for their Assemblies even those called Councils to be mixt of Men Secular and Clergy Kings and Princes and Lords being present with the Bishops as in our Parliaments and usually the greatest Princes ruled all Therefore to ascribe all to the Pope and Prelates that was done in such conventions and thence to gather their power to dispose of Empires and Kingdoms is meer deceit § 86. Platina next nameth Iohn 17th alias 18th but saith he was no true Pope its impossible to know who was but that he corrupted Crescentius with money and it cost them both their lives How he was mangled shamed and killed though a Bishop before you heard before § 87. Next an 999. cometh that French Bishop Gerbert before mentioned that wrote so blasphemously as they called it against the Pope as Aeneas Silvius after did till he saw some hope of being Pope himself by the Emperor's favour first made Arch-Bishop
his accusers the next day into silence Hildebrand bid him say Glory be to the Father Son and Holy Ghost◠He said the rest but was not able to name the Holy Ghost Whereupon he confest his crimes and besides seven and twenty other Prelates of the Churches forty five Bishops consest themselves Simoniacks and renounced their places What a case was the Church in when Popery grew ripe Pet. Damian mentioneth six Bishops deposed by Hildebrand for divers crimes § 10. By the way it is worthy enquiry whether Hildebrand being neither Bishop Priest nor Deacon but a sub-Deacon only was any of the Clergy or Church-Pastors to whom Christ gave the power of the Keys Yea if he had been a Deacon And therefore whether he had any power from Christ to preside before Arch-Bishops and Bishops in in Councils and to depose and excommunicate Bishops If it be said that he did it by the Pope's commission the question recurreth whether God ever gave Pope or Prelate power to make new Church-officers whom he never instituted de specie that should have the power of the Keys yea and be above the Bishops of the Church And whether Popes or Prelates may commit preaching or Sacraments to Lay-men if not how can they commit the Keys of Church-Government to them or to any as little authorized by Christ Indeed baptizing is but using the Key of Church-entrance And therefore he that may so let men into the Church may baptize them which Papists unhappily allow the Laity And if per se or per alium will salve all whether Priests may not preach pray and give Sacraments by Lay-men And so Lay-men at last put down both Prelates and Priests as needless § 11. CCCXXXIX An. 1055. They say that this great Subdeacon Hildebrand the grand advancer of the Roman Kingdom did call a Council at Tours which cited poor Berengarius and forced him to recant whether it be true I know not § 12. To this Council the Emperor Henry sent his Agents to complain that Ferdinand the great King of Castile refused subjection to the Emperor and claimed some such title to himself and now ignorance superstition and interest having made the Clergy the Rulers of Kings and Kingdoms the Emperor desireth that King Ferdinand may be excommunicate unless he will submit and surcease and all the Kingdom of Spain be interdicted or forbidden Gods worship The Prelates perceived how they were set up by this motion and made Kings of Kings and they thought the Emperor's motion reasonable and without hearing King Ferdinand made themselves judges and sent him word that he must submit and obey or be excommunicated and bear the interdict The King took time to answer and calling his own Bishops together found them of the same mind and spirit and so was forced to promise submission This Baronius an 1055. writes ex Io. Mariano and Binnius p. 1126. § 13. CCCXL They say that the Emperor dying left his Son Henry but five years old and knew no better way to secure his succession than to desire Pope Victor to take the care of it who therefore called a Council at Colen to quiet Baldwin and Godfrey Earls of Flanders that else would have resisted him Thus Bishops in Councils now were as Parliaments to the Kingdoms of deluded men § 14. CCCXLI At Tholouse an 1056. A Council of 18 Bishops attempted reformation forbidding alas how oft Bishops to sell orders and other acts of Simony and Priests using their wives and the Adultery Incest and perjury of Bishops and Priests bidding them that are such repent and forbidding communion with men called hereticks § 15. CCCXLII Though Adultery Incest Perjury and Simony of Bishops was so hardly restrained it seems they would pay for it by superstition for a Council at Compostella decreed saith Baron ad an 1056. that 1. All Bishops and Priests should say Mass every day 2. That at fasts and Litanies which were perambulations in penitence they should be cloathed in sackcloth § 16. Stephen the 9th alias 10th is next made Pope In his time saith Platina the Church of Milan was reconciled to Rome that had withdrawn itself from it two hundred years Was all the world then subject to the Pope when his Italian neighbours were not § 17. This Pope lived after his entrance but 6 or 7 months and they say made them promise him to choose none in his place till Hildebrand came home to counsel them A great Subdeacon that Rome must be ruled by But in the mean time the new Emperor being but five or six years old the great men of Italy turned to the old game and brought in one by strength Mincius whom they called Benedict the 10th alias 9th a Bishop he reigned 9 months 20 dayes But when Hildebrand came home he got him cast out This was the twenty first schism in the Papacie § 18. Hildebrand's crafty counsel was to send to the Emperor to consent to Gerard Bishop of Florence whom they chose in Italy and called Nicholas the 2d Lest Benedict should get the Emperor on his side and so Nicholas made Benedict renounce and banished him But how shall we be sure which was the true Pope § 19. This Pope's first epistle is to the Arch-Bishop of Rhemes to advise him to admonish the King of France for resisting the Pope § 20. CCCXLIII The Pope's Council at Sutrium deposed Benedict § 21. CCCXLIV An. 1059. A Council of 113 Bishops at Rome they say made Berengarius recant but not repent but as soon as he came home he wrote against them and their Doctrine § 22. In this Council saith Platina the Pope made a decree very profitable to the Church of Rome Bin. saith these were the words translated p. 1666. First God being the Inspector it is decreed that the election of the Roman Bishop be in the power of the Cardinal Bishops so that if any one be inthroned in the Apostolick seat without the foregoing concordant and Canonical election of them and after the consent of the following religious Orders Clerks and Laity he be not accounted Apostolical but Apostatical Here it is much to be noted 1. That this is a new foundation of the Papacy by Hildebrand's Council without which it was falling to utter confusion How then doth the Roman sect cry down Innovation and boast of Antiquity 2. Either the Bishop of Rome is to be chosen as the Bishop of that particular Church and then the members of that particular Church should choose him or else as the Bishop of the universal Church pretendedly and then the universal Church should choose him But the Cardinal Bishops of other particular Churches are neither the particular Roman Church nor the universal nor their delegates and so have no just pretence of power 3. Either this decree was new or old and in force before If new their Church foundation is new and mutable as is said If old all the Popes that were otherwise chosen
of Christ that hate the Doctrine and Life and Cross of Christ that by pleading for Godliness and Concord may be the effectual Enemies of both and may fight against Christ in his own Livery under his Colours and with his own Arms. Whose God is their Belly who glory in their shame who mind earthly things being Enemies to the Cross of Christ The History of whom you will find in the following part of this Treatise § 40. But here I must above all remember the Reader that he is not for this Corruption of the Clergy and Government of the Church to think that the Church here ceased to be a true Church or that the Ministry was lost or that it became unlawful to hold Communion with any such Churches much less to think hardly of Christianity it self as if it were no better than false Religions because so many of its Pastors were so bad None of God's Counsels were frustrate by mans sin None of his Promises to his Church have failed For all this Christ is the Saviour of the World the Prince of Righteousness and Peace that came to destroy the Works of the Devil and to save his people from their Sins and all that are given him of the Father shall come to him and he will cast none of them out nor shall any take them out of his hands § 41. I. Let it be still remembred that as the Chronicles of Kingdoms mention only the publick Actions of Princes and great Men but name not the poor and private sort so also our Church-History of Councils and publick things say little of godly private Christians but of Patriarchs and great Prelates who yet are themselves but a very small part of the Christian World II. Note also that every Bishop had many Presbyters whose work was not to strive for superiority nor trouble the world in Councils where usually they came not and so had not a quarter of the temptations that the Bishops had And though we find mention sometimes of the Presbyters also that were naught yet the number so reproved and proved bad is not proportionable to the number of Prelates compared among themselves that miscarried in Councils The Presbyters that staid at home and followed their work in private with the Flock and came not on the Stage in publick affairs kept up the substance and practice of Religion III. And the private Christians had yet less temptation and were not so overwhelmed with worldly things nor carryed away by pride and ambition and covetousness as the ruling party were IV. And the Monks and other retired Christians that saw the Prelates sin and sâ—ares though many of them had their failings too yet no doubt kept up much serious piety and a holy life V. And no doubt but very many of the Bishops themselves were humble holy faithful men that grieved for the miscarriages of the rest Though such excellent persons as Gregory Neocesareae Gregory Nazianzen Gregory Nyssen Basil Chrysostome Augustine Hillary Prosper Fulgentius c. were not very common no doubt but there were many that wrote not Books nor came so much into the notice of the world but avoided contentious and factious Stirs that quietly and honestly conducted the Flocks in the ways of piety love and justice And some of them as S. Martin separated from the Councils and Communion of the prevailing turbulent sort of the Prelates to signifie their disowning of their sins VI. And oft times when the Prelates were at the worst God raised up some very Godly Princes that maintained Religion more than the Clergy and were an honour to it when the Bishops dishonoured it VII And it is not to be contemned that much piety was kept up among great numbers of Christians whom for some mistake the rest reviled and condemned as Schismaticks or Hereticks Little know we how many holy souls were among those that are in Epiphanius Catalogue Of the Audians and some others he seemeth to confess as much himself The Novatians were tolerated in almost all the Empire and had their Churches and Bishops having the testimony of the Orthodox that they were usually of sound faith and upright lives and stricter than other Christians were And God pardoneth the infirmity of a small mistake in judgment when men are sincerely addicted to his service Now and then a cruel Prelate did prosecute them but so did not the gentler sort as Atticus Proclus c. at Constantinople c. nor the Emperours themselves save when so instigated VIII And though the Churches in the Roman Empire kept up this grandure of Patriarchs Metropolitans and rich Prelates that after over-topped Kings it was not so in other parts of the Christian world but the Clergy lived more humbly and quietly The Scots under Columbanâ—s and their other Presbyters long lived in great piety without any Bishops And when the Scots Presbyters Finan Aidan c. ordained Bishops in Northumberland they were commonly humble holy men like themselves And both Scots and Britains so much misliked the Romane-grandure and way that when Augustine the Monk came in they would not subject themselves to the Pope or any Foreign Prelates nor so much as eat and drink with the Missionaries And the like we may say of some other Extra-imperial Churches The Spaniards themselves not only while Arian Goths of whom see the testimony of Salvian to the shame of the Orthodox but after Recaredus days for many ages lived in great quietness while Italy France and Germany were employed in Hereticating Cursing Excommunicating or bloudy Wars The great Empire of Aâ—assia as the crediblest History saith never had Bishops to this day but only one called the Aâ—uâ—â— while the whole Clergy are exercised though in too much ignorance in their Priestly Office Brocardus that lived at Ierusalem testifieth that those Eastern Christians called by the Papists Nestorians Iacobites Eutychians were commonly plain honest Religious people free from Heresie and of better lives than even the Religious of the Church of Rome and that there were not worse men at Ierusalem than the Romaâ— Catholicks The Armenians have many Bishops and one chief but live though too ignorantly and superstitiously yet in great austerity of life IX In all ages since Prelacy swelled to the corruption of the Churches and annoyance of the Peace of Kings and Kingdoms there have been still a great number of pious lamenters of the Corruptions of the Church that have groaned and prayed for reformation Insomuch that Dr. Field maintaineth that even in the Church of Rome there have been still considerable numbers of Doctors that owned truth and piety and misliked the Papal usurpations and errours The Waldenses and Albigenses exceeding numerous said they had continued from the Apostles and so from the days of Sylvester or Constantine had dissented from the Roman pride and corruptions And God hath made the Protestant Churches since the Reformation as his Vineyard where truth and piety have prospered though Satan hath been still at work
out as is aforesaid by an Army § 34. CCCXLIX In a Council at Barcelon the Spaniards abrogated their old Gothish Laws and made new ones but would not change the Gothish Church rites Here also Alexander was owned § 35. An. 1065. A Council was at Rome against incest § 36. Another for the same the former not prevailing § 37. In a Synod at Winchester William the Conqueror puts down and imprisons Bishops and sets up others for his own interest § 38. CCCL A Council at Mentz was to have separated the young Emperor and his Queen but the Popes Legate hindred it § 39. CCCLI In a Council at Mentz the Bishop of Constance is cast out for Simony and many crimes the Emperor being for him § 40. An. 1072. They say an English Council subjected York to Canterbury and owned Wolstan Bishop of Worcester accused for being unlearned as he was § 41. CCCLII. An. 1073. In a Council at Ersord the Emperor got the Bishops to fulfil his will about some Tythes threatening them that appealed to Rome § 42. Now cometh in the Foundation of the new Church of Rome Hildebrand called Gregory 7th An. 1073. a man of Great wit and for ought I find in the most probable History not guilty of the gross immoralities or sensuality of many of his predecessors but it 's like blinded with the opinion which the Papists Fifth-monarchy men have received and Campâ—nelia de regno Dei opened and pleaded for viz. that Christs Kingdom on earth consisteth in the Saints judging the world that is the Pope and Prelates ruling the Kings and Kingdoms of the earth he did with greatest animosity set himself to execute his opinions And withal the factions of Rome and tyranny of their petty Princes and Whores and debauched Citizens having long made the Papacy the scorn of the world and the lamentation of all sober Christians constrained the better part to beg help from the Emperors against debauched monstrous Popes and their upholders And by this means sometimes the choice fell into the Emperors hands and sometimes when they were far off the City-prevailing-part rebelled and chose without them or pulled down them that the Emperors set up And then the Emperors came and pulled down the Anti-Popes and chastised the City faction and thus between the Italian and the German powers the City was a field of war and the richer by bribes and the stronger by the sword how monstrous villanies soever were set up It was no wonder then if Hildebrand first by Pope Nicholas 2. and Alexander and then by himself did resolve to run a desperate hazard when he had two such great works at once to do as first to recover the debauched and shattered shamed Papacy from this confusion and then to subdue all Kings and Kingdoms within their reach to such a Priest-King as was then under so great disgrace And tibi dabo claves must do all this § 43. Hildebrand however had the wit to settle himself at first by seeking the Emperor's consent And being settled he got Agnes the Emperor's mother and Guardian mostly on his side He then began to claim presentations and investitures and to take the power over the Bishops out of the Emperor's hands and to threaten him as Simoniacal and for communicating with the excommunicate The Emperor after some treaty submitted and was reconciled to the Pope but the Pope said he did not amend The Pope calls a Council at Rome where he excommunicated Simoniacks openly saying that he would excommunicate the Emperor unless he amended Guibert Arch-Bishop of Ravenna being there accuseth the Pope for such threats against the Emperor and got Cincius the Prefect's Son to apprehend him and imprison him The People rise up in arms and deliver the Pope and pull down Cincius's house to the ground and cutting off their noses banish his family out of the City Cincius got to the Emperor Guibert Arch-Bishop of Ravenna Theobald Arch-Bishop of Milan and most of all the other Bishops on that side the Alpes conspire against the Pope And yet they say that all the world were his subjects He calls another Synod of his own Bishops for Synods were still the great executioners where Gibert and Hugo one of his Cardinals that was against him are deposed and curst from Christ. This Emperor also calls a Council at Wormes where by the means of Sigifred Arch-Bishop of Mentz it is decreed that no man in any thing obey the Pope of Rome Roland a Clerk is sent to Rome to command the Pope to meddle with the government no more and the Cardinals are commanded to forsake Gregory and seek for another Pope Now the War began between the Sword and the Keys Gregory by sentence deposed the Arch-Bishop of Mentz and the other Clergy that were for the Emperor and he Anathematized the Emperor himself having first deprived him of all Regal Power and administration as far as his decree would do it The form of his curse and deposition Platina reciteth where are these words I cast him down from his Imperial and Regal Administration And I absolve all Christians Subject to the Empire from that Oath by which they have used to swear Fidelity to true Kings For it is meet that he be deprived of dignity who endeavoureth to diminish the Majesty of the Church Mark O ye Kings and be wise Some told the Pope that the Emperor should not be so hastily Anathematized To whom he answered Did Christ except Kings when he said to Peter Feed my Sheep when he gave him the Power of binding and looseing he excepted none from his power The Emperor wrote Letters to many Christian Princes and States to acquaint them with the Papal Injuries and the Pope wrote his accusations of the Emperor and his own Justification The Empire was presently all in Division One part was for the Emperor and another for the Pope Most of the Bishops of Germany obeyed the Emperor and some were against him as excommunicate Some Councils were for him and some against him And as Abbas Vrspurgensis said they did so often swear and forswear according as Power and Interest moved one time for the Emperor and another against him that Perjury was become a common thing both with the Bishops and the Laity He that will see the many treatises that Learned men then wrote for the power of Princes against the Papal tyranny and rebellion may find them in the Voluminous Collections of Michael Goldastus de Monarchia The party that obeyed the Pope chose another to be Emperor Rodulph Duke of Suevia The Emperor requireth the Pope to Excommunicate Rodulph He refuseth The Emperor calleth a Council of Bishops at Brixia They depose the Pope and make Gibert of Ravenna Pope called Clement the 3d. who saith Onuphrius sate 21 years so long had they two Popes at this 23d Schism or doubling But did the Emperor nothing to prevent all this Yes at the motion of the German Princes to avoid
Germans French c You see here that it was far from all the world that was subject to the Pope and took his part in his usurpations Epist. 4. He commandeth a General no more to fight against the King of Dalmatia as belonging to St. Peter § 50. Yet this Pope doth teach them the truth against deceitful pennance or repentance Lib. 7. Epist. 10. viz. We say that it is a fruitless pennance when men remain in the same fault or in the like or in a worse or in one little less He therefore that will worthily repent must have recourse to the Original of his Faith and be solicitous watchfully to keep that which in his Baptism he promised viz. to renounce the Devil and his pomps and to believe in God that is thinking rightly of him to obey his Commands § 51. Epist. 11. He tells the Duke of Bohemia that it is customarily and doubtfully that he saluteth him with Apostolical Benediction Because he communicated with the excommunicate And he denieth his request of using or translating the Divine Service or Offices into the Sclavonian tongue because there were many mysteries in it Thus come up the Prohibition to the peoplee to pray understandingly Epist. 14. He absolveth the Bishop of Liege from an Oath because he took it by force And commandeth him to rise up against the imposer with all his power he being St. Peter's enemy Epist. 21. He tells the King of Denmark of an ill custom among them that whatever ill weather or calamity befell them they imputed all to the ill lives of Priests Epist. 23. He tells our King William the Conqueror that seeing he was on his side and is charged by some with all his bloodshed that now he must be very obedient to him as his Pastor and Peter's Successor And Epist. 25. He tells them that the Papal or Apostolick power is greater than the Kingly and must rule it as the Sun is greater than the Moon Lib. 8. Epist. 1. He laments the Corruption of the Church in Armenia 1. Because they mixed not Water with Wine in the Sacrament when all men know that Blood and Water came from the side of Christ. 2. Because they made not their Chrysm of Balsom but of Butter 3. Because they honoured the memory of Dioscorus O what Heresies Pag. 1254. in Bin. There is an Oath that Robert Duke of Apulia Calabria and Sicily to be true to the Pope and defend him as holding all these from him and there is the Popes grant of them to him laying claim also to his other dominions the denyal of which he patiently beareth at the present § 52. But lest you think that at least the Kingdom of Spain was fast all this while to the Church of Rome Lib. 8. Epist. 2. He writeth thus himself By the Letters of my Legate Richard Abbot of Marseilles you may know how great impiety is gone out of your Monastery of Cluny by the presumption of Robert a Monk who imitating Simon Magus feareth not to rise up against the Authority of St. Peter with all the craft of his malignity and to reduce by his suggestion into their old error an hundred thousand men who by our diligence began to return to the right way But he hopes that the Abbot thinks as he for the honour of the Roman Church He chargeth the Abbot to cast out this man that had so endangred Spain adding And by your Letters diligently acquaint the King who is deceived by his fraud that he hath greatly provoked St. Peter's wrath and indignation against him and his grievous Revenge against him and his Kingdom unless he repent because he undecently handled a Legate of the Roman Church and believed falshood rather than truth Of which that he may worthily make satisfaction to God and St. Peter as he hath disgraced our Legate so let him by due humility and condign Reverence make himself commendable and devout For we think meet to signifie to him by you that we will excommunicate him if he correct not his fault and will solicite all the faithful in the parts of Spain to his confusion And if they be not obedient to my command I will not think much to travel into Spain my self and there to endeavour dura et aspera Things hard and sharp against him as an enemy of the Christian Religion O brave Pope had not these men a notable Knack or hap that could sit and talk down Emperors and Kings and subdue and dispose of Kingdoms by sitting at home and talking big and telling them that St. Peter was angry with them And who was this King but the great Alâ—onsus to whom he writeth himself Epist. 3. to put away his evil counsellors and hearken in all things to the Popes Legate Richard § 53. Epist. 6. l. 8. He commandeth Souldiers to help Michael the Emperor of Constant against the Usurper to make himself judge and get an interest again in the Empire But in vain § 54. Epist. 7. He declareth that divers Princes having sworn and promised him help he resolved to come with an Army to recover Ravenna to the Church Epist. 8. He rejoyceth that they had newly found St. Matthew's body and bids them now take him joyfully for their patron These are the grounds of Popish superstition The body of St. Matthew that preached to the Abassines in another part of the world is found at Salerno in Italy a thousand years after he is dead O that one knew how to be sure that it was his body and how it came thither Divers such findings they glory in § 55. Epist. 10. He writeth to Orzoceus Prince of Calaris or Sardinia to require him as a note of his obedience to St. Peter and concord with the Church of Rome whose use it is to let his Arch-Bishop shave his Beard and to command all the Clergy of his dominion to shave their Beards and if they obey not to force them to it or exclude them And to be sure of success he lets him know how truly I know not that many Princes importuned him to give them leave to invade his Countrey but this righteous ruling Pope denied leave to them all till he had tryed whether he would obey him which if he would do he would not only deny them leave to invade him but also protect him Reader think here 1. Whether Princes held not their kingdoms loosely when they where to lose them if they obeyed not the Pope in so small a thing as the shaving of a Priests Beard 2. Whether it were not a hard thing for the Catholick Church then to have concord when so small a difference as the shaving or not shaving of Beards were put into their terms of Union and Peace Who were the Schismaticks then was it not the makers and imposers of such laws and terms 3. Is it not a high power that is claimmed by Popes when no Priest in all the Christian world may have
though he oft reproach him for speaking truth Many are about Tho. Becket Archbishop of Canterbury and against the Emperor and the King of England forbidding the Coronation of Henry the 3d and suspending Roger Archbishop of York for Crowning him and such like to shew how he was King of Kings § 179. CCCCXXI Of the Councils in Alexander's time recorded by Binnius the first is An. 1160. at Papia called by the Emperor which voted Victor Pope and condemned Roland called Alexander The Letters of the Emperor and the Bishops tell us that this Council consisted of immunerable Bishops and Abbots and that the Emperor after a good Speech departed and left all to their judgments And that it was there proved by the Oaths of many Witnesses that Victor was chosen by the full consent of the People and Clergy and some Cardinals and that twelve days before Roland was chosen and that Roland was present and contradicted not but bid them obey him that was chosen And that after being Chancellor he stole out of the City and the major part of the Cardinals having before the death of the last Pope entered a Confederacy to choose none but one of themselves that confederated against the Emperor they secretly chose Roland the People and Clergy a multitude subscribing all desiring Victor There or four Kings also consenting to accept him when the Council declared him the onely true Pope and Roland a perfidious Usurper Here is all the Romans Clergy and People the Emperor and many Princes and a Council of innumerable Prelates of Germany Italy c. against the major Vote of an upstart sort of Men called Cardinals that had confederated treacherously before And yet the Roman Papacy is by Succession from this Man that was no true Bishop himself CCCCXXII CCCCXXIII CCCCXXIV CCCCXXV An. 1161. Alexander got a Council at Clermont and another at Newmarket and another at Belvacum and An. 1164. another at Tours to curse the Emperour and Pope Victor The French taking his part and the English at last kept up the Schism and Contention The Reader must take this notice by the way that such Meetings as we call Parliaments the Popish Historians often call Councils that they may draw Men to think that what Parliaments did was done by Clergy Power And when Lords Commons and Bishops met in the same Assembly some called them Parliaments and some Councils And as Spelman saith pag. 529. The same Assemblies were indeed mixt and partly Civil or Royal as he calleth them because called by the King and partly Ecclesiastical But among the Romanists Councils are greatly advanced by this ascribing to them the Acts and Power of Parliaments Accordingly the Parliament at Clarendon is called a Council by Binnius CCCCXXVI by the reproachful name of Conciliabulum because they setled the Rights of the King as Ruler of the Clergy and would not let the Pope be King of England which is the Henrician or Royal Heresie to be punished by Fire or other death on Kings themselves when the Pope is big enough to do it In this Council or Parliament Thomas of Canterbury and the rest of the Bishops concurred with the rest for fear But Thomas when he came home repented and imposed so strict Penance on himself that the Pope hearing of it was sain in absolve him § 180. CCCCXXVII An. 1171. Binnius saith that Ireland being given to the Pope as soon as they became Christians the Pope gave it to King Henry the 2d as soon as he had conquered it and a Council at Cassel was called for Reformation Note here 1. That the Pope hath great reason to seek the Conversion of the Kingdoms of the world if they are his when they are converted 2. That it is no wonder if five parts of six of the world be still Infidels or at least that they are unwilling to yield to Popish Christianity when Heathen and Infidel Kings must lose their Kingdoms and become Subjects to the Pope if they turn to Popish Christianity 3. That it hath long been a cunning way of Bounty with Popes to give Princes their own Kingdoms and Conquests when they cannot take them from them CCCCXXVIII An. 1179. was the Synod at Venice for reconciliation § 181. CCCCXXIX An. 1180. Alexander being at peace called a Council at Rome which they call General or the 11th General Council approved at Lateran In which are many reforming Canons and many for the Papal power The first is as aforesaid to confine the power of Pope-making to two third parts of the Cardinals only Another to degrade those ordained by the three Anti-Popes Another that no one have many Churches c. And the last against some called Cathari Patrini or Publicani as Hereticks giving those Indulgences that will fight against them and absolving all Inferiors from all Fidelity and Duty to them c. Some think that these were the Waldenses some the Albigenses But I have elsewhere shewed against Mr. Danvers that there were several sorts then in those Countries some Manichee Hereticks and some good Christians called Waldense and Albigenses but against the Pope and his Superstitions whom the Papists would jumble together to disgrace the best who were as some of their own Writers e.g. Sanders lib. 7. de vis Monar say A portion of the Henricians that is of the Emperor Henry's Heresie that held the Pope's false usurping Excommunications were to be contemned not as from Henry their Teacher that is they were Royalists and against the Pope's ruling the abused world by the Cursing way § 182. To this Council Crab and Binnius have annexed a voluminous Appendix of Decrees of which many are notable As that no Bishop may suspend a Presbyter without the judgment of his Chapter That a Perjured Clergy-man is to be perpetually deprived and may not govern a Church That in case of ambiguity of words we must have recourse to the common understanding of them with divers others § 183. Alexander dying Lucius the 3d is the first chosen by the Cardinals according to Alexander's Lateran Council as is aforesaid And to perfect the Papacy having got the choice of the Bishop out of the hands of the Clergy and People of Rome his Flatterers next persuade him to put down the Order and Name of Senators which attempting his Party by the Cities insurrection had their eyes put out and the Pope forced to leave the City and at Luca while he provoked Princes to send Soldiers to Ierusalem and Asia he dyed § 184. CCCCXXX One Council this Pope had at Verona as they say where the Emperor Frederick met him and sollicited him to restore all the Bishops and Clergy deposed that had adhered to him and the Anti-Popes The Pope consented but said he could not do it without another Council By which it appeareth that this at Verona was no true Council § 185. Urbanus the 3d is next Pope called Turbanus as an Incendiary by Ab. Ursspergens but better
null and giveth no Authority which nullifieth the Roman succession § 56. Decrees about Souls § 57. Leo 10. a Cardinal at 13. and an Archbishop in his Childhood His Wars and bloodshed § 58. Luther The Reformation The end of Charles 5. § 59. Leo's death § 60. Reformers drive the Papists to Learning § 61. All Papist Princes owe their safety Crowns and deliverance from Papal deposition to the Reformation and Italy its peace § 62. The History of the Reformation and of Papists Murders of Martyrs passed by § 63. Freder of Saxony refuseth the Empire and Money and chose Charles § 64. Thirty five cases for which men must be denyed Communion in the Eucharist § 65. Later Reforming Papist Councils § 66 c. The Conclusion what this History specially discovereth § 70. A Poem of Mr. Herbert's called The Church Militant CHAP. 14. A Confutation of Papists and Sectaries who deny and oppose the Ministry of the Reformed Churches CHAP. 15. A Confutation of the prophane Opposers of the Ministry An Account of some Books lately Printed for and to be Sold by Thomas Simmons at the Prince's Arms in Ludgate-street A Supplement to Knowledge and Practice Wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation are more fully explained and several new Directions given for the promoting of real Holiness both of Heart and Life To which is added a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and Customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Uncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice and Idleness by Sam. Cradock B. D. late Rector of North-Cadbury in Somersetshire Vseful for the instruction of private Families Price bound 4 s. De Analogia sive Arte linguae Latinae Commentariolus In quo omnia etiam reconditioris Gramaticae Elementa ratione novâ tractantur ad brevissimos Canones rediguntur In usum Provectioris Adolescentiae Opera Wilhelmi Baxteri Philistoris Price bound 1 s. 6 d. The lively Effiges of the Reverend Mr. Mathew Pool So well performed as to represent his true Idea to all that knew him or had a Veneration for him Design'd on purpose to befriend those that would prefix it to his Synopsis Criticorum Price 6 d. Moral Prognostications 1. What shall befall the Churches on Earth till their Concord by the Restitution of their Primitive Purity Simplicity and Charity 2. How that Restitution is like to be made if ever and what shall befal them thenceforth unto the end in that Golden Age of Love Written by Richard Baxter when by the Kings Commission we in vain treated for Concord 1661. and now Published 1680 Price 1s The Nonconformists Advocate or an Account of their Judgment in certain things in which they are mis-understood Written principally in Vindication of a Letter from a Minister to a Person of Quality shewing some Reasons for his Nonconformity Price 1s There is Published every Thursday a Mercurius Librarius or A Faithful Account of all Books and Pamphlets Published every Week In which may be inserted any thing fit for a Publick Advertisement at a moderate Rate Directions to the Binder of Baxter's Church History c. After the Title Sheet follows a b c d e then B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S then AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II KK LL MM NN OO PP then SS TT VV XX YY ZZ AAA BBB CCC DDD EEE then GGG and so on to QQQ which Signiture ends the Book Church-History OF BISHOPS And their COUNCILS ABRIDGED c. CHAP. I. Of the sacred Ministry Episcopacy and Councils necessary Premonitions and of the Design of this Book § 1. GOD that could have enlightned the Earth without the Sun and Stars could immediately alone have taught his Church and communicated knowledge to mankind But as he is the most communicative good he was pleased not only to make his Creatures receptive of his own influx but also to give them the use and honour of being efficient sub-communicants under him and causes of good to themselves and to one another And as his Power gave Being and Motion his Wisdom gave Order and Harmony and his Love gave Goodness and Perfection felicity and love as he is the creating and conserving Cause of Nature and this in much inequality as he was the free disposer of his own so in the Kingdom of Grace he doth by the Spirit of Life Light and Love 1. Quicken and strengthen the dead and weak souls and awaken the slumbering and slothful 2. Illuminate the dark with Faith and Knowledge and 3. Sanctifie the malignant Enemies of holiness by the power of his communicated love making them friends and joyful lovers This Spirit first filled the Humane Nature of Christ our Head who first communicated it to some chosen persons in an eminent manner and degree as Nature maketh the heart and brain and other principal parts to be organical in making preserving and governing the rest To these he gave an eminence of Power to work Miracles of Wisdom to propagate the Word of life and infallibly by Preaching and Writing promulgate and record his sacred Gospel and of holy love to kindle the like by zealous holiness in the hearts of others To these organical persons he committed the Oeconomy of being the witnesses of his words and actions his resurrection and ascension and of recording them in writing of planting his first Churches and sealing the truth of their testimony by many Miracles promising them his Spirit to perform all that he committed to their trust and to bring all to their remembrance and to lead them into all truth and to communicate instrumentally his Spirit to others the sanctifying gifts by blessing their Doctrine and the miraculous gifts by their imposition of hands § 2. By these principal Ministers the first Church was planted at Ierusalem fitliest called the Mother-Church and after by those that were sent thence many Churches were gathered in many Kingdoms of the world darkness being not able to resist the light The Apostles and Evangelists and Prophets delivered to them the Oracles of God teaching them to observe all things that Christ had commanded them and practically teaching them the true Worship of God ordering their Assemblies and ordaining them such Officers for sacred Ministration as Christ would have continued to the end of the world and shewing the Churches the way by which they must be continued and describing all the work of the Office appointed them by Christ. § 3. The Apostles were not the Authors of the Gospel or of any essential part of the Christian Religion but the Receivers of it from Christ and Preachers of it to the world Christ is the Author and finisher or perfecter of our faith But they had besides the power of infallible remembring knowing and delivering it a double power about matters of Order in the Church 1. By the special gift of the Spirit 's inspiration to found and stablish
Western Empire and Africa being divided between many late conquering Kings they all labour to settle themselves in a peaceable possession by pleasing the Clergy who as they found had no small interest in the People § 71. CXLVII Hincmazus in the life of Remigius tells us of a strange thing done at a Council at Rhemes that one Arian Bishop challenged all the rest to dispute and when Rhemigius came in would not rise to him but upon the shaddow of Remigius passing by him he was struck dumb and falling at Rhemigius feet by signs askt pardon and was suddenly cured of his dumbness and Heresie confessing the Deity of Christ. § 72. CXLVIII Because Iohan. Nicopolit did but call some of his Bishops to flatter the Pope and to curse all Heresies and Acacius this is put in among the Councils But the Concil Tarracense Anno 516. seems more regardable under Theodorick where the Clergy are restrained from buying cheaper and selling dearer than others this it seems grew to be a part of their priviledges and from judging causes on the Lords day And it is ordered that the Bishop send a Presbyter one week and a Deacon another to the Country Congregations and to visit them himself once a year because by the old custome he is to have a third part of all the Church profits Quâ—r Whether a Bishops Diocess then was any bigger than one of our Corporations with the Neighbour Villages And if one of our Bishops that have above a thousand Parishes or many hundred should have the third part of all or as other Canons say the fourth Would not our Bishops be yet richer men than they are Especially if they that confine Bishops to Cities could get a Prince to call no Corporation a City but one or two in a Kingdom and be as the Abuna is in Ethiopia that hath the thirds of all the Ecclesiastical benefits in the Empire This Council had ten Bishops § 73. CXLIX The Concillium Gerundense is next Anno 517. under Theodorick It consisted of seven Bishops Bishopricks began to grow so big that they could not so suddenly meet by the scores and hundreds as when every Church was known by one Altar and one Bishop as Ignatius speaks The seven men made Canons that the same Liturgy should be used in the other Churches of that Province as were used in the Metropolitan Church For formerly every Bishop in his own Church did pray as he thought best without Imposed or agreed Uniformity of many Churches much less of all in a Nation They Decree also that Litanies be used on the Kalends of November A Litany then signified a solemn supplicating of God by the People Assembled Fasting Walking Singing and Praying as is used here in the Rogation Week sometime they walked to the Memorial of some Martyr sometime about the streets oft bare foot continuing it with Fasting for certain times The Last Canon is That the Priests say the Lords Prayer twice a Day Morning and Evening That was a short Liturgy § 74 CL. When Iustin was made Emperour the Bishops turned in the East and down went the Eutychians and a Synod of 40 Bishops at Constantinople resolved that the Names of Euphemius and Macedonius should be restored into the Dyptick their Book of life and that Soverus should be condemned with his Adherents § 75. The Case hath been oft intimated before In those times when all the Empire was in confusion between Eutychians and the Orthodox and some Emperours took one side and some the other and some in vain endeavoured peace The Churches of Antioch and Alexandria were more Eutychian than Constantinople though the Emperour that favoured the Eutychians were present Acacius was Orthodox but pleased the Emperour so far as to Communicate with or not curse and excommunicate the Bishops of Antioch and Alexandria For this as you have oft heard the Pope Excommunicated him and he so dyed having done as much for the Pope Euphemius and Macedonius that succeeded were both Orthodox and commanded by the Emperour to Communicate with the Eutychians and persecuted and both cast out by him for not obeying him as is before described in that and another such matter The Pope had required them to blot Acacius name out of the Dyptick The Court Clergy and People were against it thinking it arrogancy in one man to Excommunicate the Patriarch of the Imperial City that was Orthodox upon his personal revenge or quarrel They obeyed not the Pope The Pope is against them for not cursing a dead Orthodox Bishop Acacius The Emperour was against them for being against the Eutychians as the Pope was for not being more against both them and all that did not curse them as much as he did Were not these Bishops in a hard case Both agree to their extirpation and when they were dead to damn their names But the Clergy and People agreed not The Eastern and Western Churches were hereby divided that is Constantinople and Rome Is not the Christian World beholden to such Tyrants and proud pretenders for its distractions and calamities That will rather divide the Christian World than endure the names of Orthodox persecuted Bishops to be honoured when they are dead because they would not blot out and abhor the name of another dead Orthodox Bishop their Predecessour when the Pope cursed him for Communicating with an Eutychian I know the Papists will cry up The preservation of the Faith and Purity But if ever any did overdo the Pharisees that reproved Christ for eating with Publicans and Sinners If ever any became Plagues of the World by being Wise Orthodox and Righteous overmuch and made use of the name of Faith to destroy Faith Love Humanity and Peace and cryed up the Church and Vnity as Catholicks to destroy the Church and Unity and crumble it into Sects and Factions it is certainly these men But the East and West that thus began their separation by the spirit of Pride and Envy that Rome had against the growing greatness of Constantinople continue their Division to this day And it hath been no small cause of the ruin of the Empire and the Christian Cause and delivering all up to the Mahometans Which the good Pope seemed to judg more tolerable with all the streams of Blood that went before and after than that he should not have his will upon an Orthodox dead mans name Sure fiut Iustitia ruat Coelum was devised by these precise over righteous Popes § 76. Evagrius lib. 3. saith that Iustin came to the Empire as followeth Amantius was one of the Greatest men but uncapable of the Empire because he was an Eunuch He gave a great sum of Money to Iustine to hire the Souldiers to choose Theocritus his bosom friend Iustine with that Money hired them to choose himself and quieted Amantius and Theocritus by murdering them both And because Vitalianus that had usurped and laid down was then great he drew him in to be a Commander near him and
Eutychian and having shewed you what work both the heretical and hereticating Bishops and Council made in the world about not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Nature and the condemning of dead men I shall next shew you what work they made also about the words One Operation and One Will or Two Operations and Two Wills Reader Wouldst thou think that there were venom enough in one of these words to poyson almost all the Bishops in the world with the Plagues of Heresie or Heretication and Contention § 2. The old Controversie still keeping the Churches all in pieces some being for two Natures after Union and for the Calcedon Council and others against it and but for one Nature after Union Cyrus Bishop of Alexandria was told that it would unite them all if they would confess One Operation and One Will in Christ or at least lay by the talk of One and Two and use the words Dei virilis Operatio The Operation and Will of God-man CXCVII He therefore called a Synod at Alexandria in which this was decreed called Satisfaction For they said that Dei virilis signified two Natures and so they thought they had at last hit the way of concord which neither the General Council of Ephes. 1. Ephes. 2. Constant. 2. Calcedon Constant. 3. had found out but all set the Bishops but more by the ears Cyrus sent his Decrees to Sergius Bishop of Constantinople Sophronius Bishop of Ierusalem persuaded the silencing of the names of One or Two Operations or Wills Sergius sent the Case to Honorius to Rome Honorius rationally persuaded them to use neither the one word nor the other One or Two foreseeing that a new quarrel was arising in these words and little knowing how for this he was by General Councils to be Hereticated when he was dead persuaded them to a silent Peace It is but few Popes that were so wise and peaceable and this one must be a Heretick for it or General Councils be fallible and much worse § 3. Because knowing the effect of the old unhealed Cause I foresee that such men will go near to Hereticate me also when I am dead for condemning Hereticating Incendiaries in the Nestorian Eutychian and Monothelite quarrels I will recite the words of Binnius himself who saith the same that I have said from the beginning though I justifie him not from self-contradiction Tom. 2. p. 992. Honorius fearing which after came to pass and which he knew had fallen out in former Ages about the word Homoousion ☜ and many others lest that Contention should grow to some great Schism and seeing withall that Faith might be safe without these words he was willing to reconcile both Opinions and withall to take out of the way the matter of Scandal and Contention Writing therefore to Sergius he advised him to abstain from the word One Operation lest they should seem with Eutyches to assert but One Nature in Christ and yet to forbear the word Two Operations lest with Nestorius they seemed to assert Two Persons A Slander contrary to his words I again say If all the Hereticating Bishops and Councils had followed this discretion and moderation O what had the Church escaped Yet they are fain to stretch their wits to excuse his words elsewhere Unde Unam Voluntatem fatemur Domini nostri Iesu Christi But it 's certain that in some sense it is One and in another sense Two § 4. The Emperor Heraclius interessed himself in the Controversie Binnius saith by the fraud of Anastasius Patriarch of the Iacobites he was deceived Animo defendâ—ndi Concilium Calcedonense The Iacobites were Eutychians the greatest enemies of the Calcedon Council and it 's strange then how they deceived him to defend it by destroying it But saith he While he besides his place and office by the persuasion of the Devil was wholly taken up in defending questions of Faith by his own judgment c. Here you may see what the Papists Clergy would make of Kings and all Lay-men If they be wholly taken up in defending questions of Faith by their own judgment they pronounce them to be persuaded to it by the Devil Error is from the Devil but sollicitous searching after the defence of Truth is liker to be of God But they must not do it by their own judgment By whose then By the Bishops no doubt What Bishops General Councils And had not the Emperors long enough followed Councils and banished such as they condemned till while they almost all condemned one another the world was scandalized at the odious Divisions and Cruelties of the Church But must they follow Bishops without using their own judgments about the Case What as their meer Executioners Must the Princes of the world act as Brutes or Idiots or Lictors Was this the old Doctrine Let every Soul be subject to the higher Power c § 5. CXCVIII. King Sisenandus the second that had all Spain called a Council at Toletum of all his Kingdom An. 633. of 70 Bishops who made many good Canons for Faith Order and Reformation the last is a large defence of the King against Rebellion But they order that when a King is dead the Prime Men of the whole Nation with the Priests by common consent chuse another that retaining the Concord of Unity there should be no strife through Force or Ambition And they decree the Excommunicating of wicked Kings that live in great sin which I doubt whether the fifth Commandment forbid them not to have done it being a purposed dishonour § 6. CXCIX Another at Toletum was called 636 by King Chintillane which went the same way Kings were Rulers here and not Popes § 7. CC. Another at Toletum An. 638. by the same King to the same purposes § 8. The Emperor Heraclius published an Edict for the Monothelite Opinion called his Echtesis and Sergius Const. joined in it § 9. Sergius dyeth and Pyrrhus a Monothelite succeedeth him § 10. Severinus is chosen Pope but being not Confirmed as was usual by the Emperor's consent he is plundered of his wealth § 11. The Saracene Arabians conquer Persia and the Eastern parts of the Empire § 12. Sergius before his death called a Council at Constantinople which confirmed the Emperor's Faith and the Monothelite Opinion § 13. An. 640. Iohn 4th was made Pope who condemned the Emperor's Echtesis and it 's said the Emperor disowned it and said that Sergius made it and desired it might be published in his name § 14. Heraclius dyeth Constantine succeedeth him and dyeth in 4 months Heracleo succeedeth After six months the Senate depose him and cut off his Nose and cut out his Mother's Tongue on suspicion that they poysoned Constantine whose Son Constans is next set up § 15. Pyrrhus thought guilty of Constantine's death flieth into Africa and Paulus a Monothelite hath his place Pyrrhus seemeth converted by Maximus in Africa cometh to Rome and is owned by the Pope against Paulus
of the Apostolick Seat that the Kingdom was translated from Chilperic to Pepin the foresaid Historians do so expresly say that it 's a wonder with what front the innovating Hereticks dare call it in question Lastly It is here to be noted that it was by this same Pope Zachary that the nomination or postulation of Bishops for the vacant Churches in his Kingdom was granted to King Pepin Therefore if elsewhere you read that the Kings of France give Bishops to the Churches remember that it is not done by their own Right but by the Grant of the Apostolick Seat In vain therefore do the innovating Hereticks glory in this Argument who endeavor to subject the Church to Kings So far Binnius after Baronius § 12. From this Story and these words let the Reader think how to answer these Questions Quest. 1. Had not Kings need to take heed of making any one man too great if greatness and exercise of Government give him so much right to the Kingdom Qu. 2. Had not Kings need to look to their manners for their Crowns sake as well as their Souls if Lust Sensuality and Dulness forfeit their Kingdoms Qu. 3. Did not Wars and weakning of the Empire make a great change with Popes when they that were set up and banished at the Emperor's pleasure can now first depose the Emperor in the West for being against Images and Persecuting and then can translate the Crown of France Qu. 4. Was not an ambitious Pope a fit Tool for Pepin and his Confederates to work by to put a pious gloss on their Conspiracy Qu. 5. Did not the Pope rise thus by serving the turns of Conspirators and of Princes in their quarrels with one another Qu. 6. Are Subjects Judges when a King's Sins make him unworthy of the Crown Qu. 7. Yea is the Pope Judge and hath he power to depose Kings if he judge them such Sinners and unfit for Government Qu. 8. Is it a good Reason that a King is justly deposed because Good Men and Holy Bishops are the Desirers and Promoters of it Qu. 9. Would not this Reason have served Maximus against Gratian Was it not Cromwel's Plea If he had but had the Pope and People on his side you see how it would have gone Qu. 10. Is it the mark of an Innovating Heretick to say that the Church should be subject to Kings when Paul and Peter said it of all Christians so long ago Qu. 11. Is it a Note that Protestants love Rebellion because they are against Popes deposing Kings Or is there any heed to be taken of the words of impudent Revilers that dare speak before God and Man at this rate Is deposing Kings the Papists freedom from Rebellion and is our opposing it a character of Rebels Qu. 12. Is it any wonder that Bishop Burchardus desired it and that Bishop Boniface executed the Pope's command who had been translated from England by him to such dignity and had sworn Obedience and Service to him Qu. 13. Is it any wonder that the Pope made these Bishops Saints Qu. 14. I hope they were really godly Men But is it any wonder that some good Men at such a time as that did think it had been for the interest of Religion to have all Power in the Clergies hands especially being themselves Bishops that were to have so great a share How few Bishops are afraid of too much power or ever do refuse it Qu. 15. If the King of France had his Kingdom by the Pope's gift what wonder if he had the power of nominating Bishops also by his gift Qu. 16. Whether he that hath power to give hath not power to take away and be not Judge when the Cause is just Qu. 17. With what face do Papists at once make these claims and yet profess Loyalty to Kings Qu. 18. Whether it concern not Kings to understand on what terms they stand with the Pope and his Clergy that must not be subject to them but have power to depose them Qu. 19. If there be any Party among them that hath more Loyal Principles is it a sign of the concord of their Church that agreeth not in matter of so great moment Or a proof that the Pope is the infallible Judge of Controversies that will not determine so great a Point on which the Peace of Kingdoms doth depend § 13. About the same time they persuaded Rachis King of the Longobards Successor to Luitprand for the love of Religion to lay down his Crown and go into a Monastery so that Monasteries are places for the worst and the best some too bad to reign and some too good lest they should over-master the Clergy § 14. It may be you will think that this Pope Zachary and his sworn Vassal St. Boniface were some very profound Divines that could by their wisdom and piety thus master Kingdoms Doubtless they were zealous Adversaries to Heresies except their own and Successors of the Hereticating and Damning Fathers For Epist. 10. Bin. p. 206 207 208. Zachary writeth to Boniface to expel Virgilius from the Church and Priesthood for holding Antipodes viz. that Sun-shine and Moon-light and Men are under the Earth as well as here which we call over it The words are De perversa autem iniqua doctrina quae contra Dominum Animamsuam locutus est si clarificatum fuerit ita eum confiteri quod alius mundus alii homines sub terra sint seu Sol Luna hunc habito Concilio ab Ecclesia pelle Sacerdotii honore privatum That is But as to the perverse and unjust Doctrine which he hath spoken against the Lord and his own Soul if it be made clear that he so confesseth that under the Earth there is another world and other Men and Sun and Moon call a Council and depriving him of the honour of Priesthood drive him out of the Church That by another world is meant Antipodes or the other side of the Earth inhabited is doubtless § 15. Qu. 1. Did God make Popes to be the Governors of the Antipodes for so many hundred years before they knew that there was any Antipodes And when they excommunicated and silenced those that affirmed it Qu. 2. Were these Popes and Bishops Men of such wisdom as were fit to hereticate Dissenters as they did Qu. 3. Do we not see here what some Councils were and did in those times Qu. 4. Do we not see what Heresie signified at Rome and how little heed there was to be taken of their outcry against some Heresies Qu. 5. Whether was all the World or all the West bound to avoid Communion after with Virgilius Qu. 6. Do we not see here of what Infallibility the Pope is in judging of matters of Faith and how happy the World is to have such a Judge and of what credit his Heretications and Excommunications are Qu. 7. Do we not see how Religion hath been depraved and dishonoured by the Pope and his Clergy calling
of an Hospital to the King and to the Physician May not one rule and punish by the Sword and another by the Word by Teaching and the Church Keys Is it not one thing to Fine and Beat and Banish and Kill a Man and another to sentence him unmeet for Church-Communion Marvellous that God permitteth the world to be deluded by such a blinded or blinding Clergy though as learned as Bellarmine that would make these things seem inconsistent and separate what God hath conjoined See here to what the Roman Clergy would reduce Kings they must be no Governors of the Church And if all the Kingdom be Christians are they not all the Church And so the Christening of the Subjects deposeth the King and maketh the chief Priest King that Christeneth them If he had said that Kings govern Churches but not as Churches but as parts of the Kingdom he had said falsly For they govern them as Churches though not by the same sort of Government as the Pastors do as they govern not Hospitals by the same sort of Government as the Physicians § 129. In Eugenius's Epistle it is honestly and truly said that If there had never been a painted or a forged Image neither Faith Hope nor Love by which Men come to the Eternal Kingdom would have perished I am of Bellarmine's mind now that this was none of the Pope's Epistle but the honest Emperor's and his Clergy Councils He thought it too bad for a Pope and I think it too good for a Pope He thinks that the Pope must be mad if he would have so condemned his Predecessor Adrian's Acts as this Epistle doth and I doubt he was not so honest as to do it But did not Bellarmine know how much more sharp and virulent Accusations Popes have laid on one another § 130. CCXLVI So powerful was Pius's Attempts to reform the Clergy that it drove Pope Eugenius the 2d for shame to call a Council at Rome not from the Antipodes but of 63 Bishops An. 826. who repeated some old Canons and among other things forbad such Feasts and Plays as our Wakes arâ— on any Holy-days to be used § 131. Valentine was next chosen Pope Collectis in unum Venerab Episcopis Gloriosis Romanorum Proceribus omnique amplae urbis Populo in Pal. Later saith Anastasius but he lived but 30 or 40 days Historians agree not of it § 132. Gregory the 4th succeeded who saith Platina would not undertake the Papal Office till Ludovicus the Emperor had considered of the choice and confirmed it Which saith Platina Ludovicus did not out of Pride but lest he should lose the Rights of the Empire being by nature gentle and most humane and had ever upheld the Rights of the Church He setled Benefices on every Priest that Poverty might not hinder them You see here that the great Friend of the Church yet took that for the right of the Empire that none should be Pope against his consent § 133. Platina adding how he reformed the Clergy forbidding them gay Attire Ornaments Sumptuousness and Vanities saith thereupon Would thou hadst lived in our times O Ludovicus For the Church wanteth thy holy Institutions and Censure so much hath the Ecclesiastical Order poured out itself to all Luxury and Lust. So describing their abominable Pride and Vanity § 134. Pope Gregory added so much to the good works of his Predecessors by mending building adorning so many Temples Pillars and Posts with Stones Vestments Silver c. and removing the Bones of Saints if he mistook not that it is no wonder if Rome grew into greater pomp and splendor than ever before § 135. This godly Emperor having three Sons by his first Wife and marrying a second having two Sons by her the Sons of the first Wife hated the second Wife thinking her Son Charles had too much favor One Son Pepin apprehended his Father and the eldest Lotharius came in and approved it and the 3d joined with them and wickedly deposed him from his Kingdom of which anon § 136. Ludovicus called Councils at Paris Mentz Lyons and Tholouse for Reformation some say upon the warning of a Maid that being possessed of the Devil and speaking Latine said that this Devil executed Judgments on the Land for their Sins Injustice c. CCXLVII. The Council at Paris wrote a large Book for Reformation An. 829. with the rest of this Emperor's Constitutions worthy to be Translated for the common good that all â—ight see the difference between Reformers and turbulent Hereticks and Hereticators and proud aspiring Prelates The Book is a Treatise of pious Directions The 50th Chapter reproving the breach of the Lord's day saith that By sight and by certain relation they have notice that many working on that day have been killed with Thundeâ—bolts some punished by sudden Convulsions some by visible Fire their Flesh and Bones being in a moment consumed and turned into ashes and many other such terrible judgments Therefore they require that as the Iews keep their Sabbath all Men much more do spiritually observe this day of the Lord. The second Book doth notably shew the duty of Kings and Magistrates The last Chapter requireth those that are far from the Church to meet for Prayer in other places as being acceptable to God In the 8th Capitul Bin. p. 569. the Bishops say Beati Petri vicem indigni gerimus So that the Pope is not Peter's onely Successor others represent him if this Council did not mistake § 137. CCXLVIII We come now to a Council which sheweth you that the good Canons made by the Emperor for Church-Reformation were far from reforming the generality of the Bishops It is the Council at Compendium which too compendiously deposed the godly Emperor of whom the world was not worthy Calumniators pretended that one Bernhard a Courtier lay with Iudith the Emperor's second Wife The Sons of his first Wife hating her Pepin whom his Father had made King of Italy on this pretence Trayterously raiseth Arms against his Father Lotharius the eldest Son too much consenting persuaded his Father to let a meeting without Arms at Neomagus prevent a War At that meeting the Nobles Parentis Imperium legitimè prorogabant saith Binnius p. 575 and Pepin took up Arms again The Father conquereth his Son and taketh him Prisoner and might justly have taken away his life but he was stol'n out of Prison in the night Ludovicus depriveth him of his Kingdom of Italy and divideth it between his two Sons by the second Wife Charles and Rodolphus Hereupon Lotharius the eldest rebelling knew not how to conquer his godly and prosperous Father but by the Bishops Them he draweth into his Conspiracy that as Binnius himself saith Ut quem filii armis imperio deponere non possent horum saltem nundinariorum Antistitum suffragio judicio honore ac potestate imperiali privaretur successit impiis conatus impiissimus The last means of Treason was a Council of the base mercenary
in all things to acquiesce in their wholsom counsel and to undergo their remedying judgment And being glad of so wholsom an Admonition strait we intreated his beloved Son Lotharius Augustus to be speedily present that without delay with his Nobles he might come that there might be a mutual reconciliation between them according to Christian Doctrine that if there were any blemishes or discords in their hearts a pure and humble begging of Pardon might expiate them and thereupon before all the multitude he might receive the judgment of the Priesthood as Penitents do which soon after was done Therefore the Lord Ludovicus coming into the Church of Holy Mary God's Mother where rest the Bodies of Saints that is of Medard a Confessor of Christ and Bishop and of Sebastian a most excellent Martyr the Priests Deacons and no small multitude of the Clerks standing by and his Son the foresaid Lotharius being present with his Nobles and the generality of all the People even as many as the Church could hold and being prostrate on the earth upon Hair-cloth before the Holy Altar be confessed before all that he too unworthily used the Ministry committed to him and in it many wayes offended God and scandalized the Church of Christ and many ways troubled the People by his negligence And therefore for the Publick and Ecclesiastick Expiation of so great Guilts he said he would desire Penance that God being merciful by their Ministry and Help he might prosperously deserve or obtain Absolution of so great Crimes God having given them the power of Binding and Loosing whom also the Bishops as spiritual Physicians did wholsomly admonish telling him that true remission of Sin followeth pure and simple Confession that he should openly confess his Errors in which he professed that he most offended God lest he should hide any thing within or do any thing deceitfully before God as it is known to all that he did heretofore in the Palace at Compeigne when he was by another Holy Assembly reproved before all the Church And that he come not to God now as he did then by dissembling and craft with a double heart and provoke him to anger rather than to forgive his sin for it is written The dissemblers and crafty provoke the wrath of God And after this Admonition he professed that he had chiefly sinned in all those things whereupon he had been familiarly reproved by the foresaid Priests by word or writings that being by due rebuke reproved of the things they gave him a writing of containing the sum of his Guilts of which they had specially reproved him which he had in his hands viz. I. As in the same Paper is fullier contained incurring the guilt of Sacriledge and Murder in that he kept not according to his promise the fatherly Admonition and terrible Contestation made to him with Divine Invocation before the Holy-Altar in presence of the Priests and the greatest multitude of the People in that he had done violence to his Brethren and Kindred and had permitted his Nephew to be killed whom he might have delivered and that being unmindful of his Vow he after commanded the Sign of Holy Religion to be made for the revenge of his own indignation II. That being the Author of Scandal and Troubler of the Peace and Violater of the Sacraments by unlawful Power he corrupted the Covenant which was made between his Sons for the peace and unanimity of the Empire and tranquility of the Church by common Council and consent of all the faithful People and confirmed by the Sacrament and in that he compelled his faithful People in contrariety to the said first Covenant and Oath to swear another Sacrament and so fell into the guilt of Perjury by the violation of the former Oaths And how much this displeased God is plain in that the People subject to him had afterward no peace but were all led into perturbation bearing the punishment of their sins and by God's just judgment III. That against Christian Religion against his Vow without any publick profit or certain necessity deluded by evil counsel he commanded a general Expedition to be made in Lent and in the extreme parts of his Empire appointed a general Meeting or Council at the time of the Lord's Supper when the Paschal Sacraments were to be celebrated of all Christians In which Expedition as much as in him lay he drew the People into great murmuring and against right put the Priests of the Lord from their Offices and brought great oppression on the Poor IV. That he brought violence on some of his faithful People that for his and his Sons fidelity and safety and the recovery of the shaking Kingdom humbly went to him and made known to him the snares prepared for him by his Enemies And that against all Law Divine and Humane he deprived them of their Estates and commanded them to be banished and made them when absent judged to Death and doubtless induced the Iudges to false judgment And against Divine and Canonical Authority raised prejudice against the Lord's Priests or Bishops and Monks and condemned them absent And in this incurring the guilt of Murder he was a violater of the Laws of God and Man V. Of divers Sacraments Oaths contrary to each other oft made unreasonably by his Sons or People he commanding and compelling them whereby he brought no small blot of sin on the People committed to him He hereby incurred the guilt of Perjury because these are rightly charged on him as Author by whom they were compelled But in the purging of Women in unjust Iudgments in false Witnesses and Perjuries which have been committed in his presence by his permission how much he hath offended God he himself knoweth VI. Of divers Expeditions which he hath made in the Kingdom committed to him not only unprofitably but also hurtfully without counsel and profit in which many and innumerable heinous Crimes were committed in the Christian People in Murders and Perjuries in Sacriledge and Adulteries in Rapines in Burnings either in the Churches of God or divers other places in Plunderings and oppressing of the Poor by miserable usage and almost unheard of among Christians which all as is aforesaid reflect on the Author VII In the divisions of the Empire rashly made by him against the common peace and the safety of the whole Empire for his own will and the Oath which compelled all the people to swear that they would act against his Sons as Enemies when he might have pacified them by Fatherly Authority and the counsel of his faithful People VIII That so many Mischiefs and Crimes committed in the Kingdom committed to him by his negligence and improvidence were not enough which yet cannot be numbred by which the Kingdom was evidently disgraced and endangered but moreover to add to the heap of miseries he lastly drew all the People of his power to their common destruction when he ought to
Apostates that it hath no shew of an uninterrupted Succession to boast of § 26. Tit. 4. c. 7. He claimeth Authority to absolve Men from Oaths and all Obligations made by the violence and constraint of bad Men and so absolveth the Archbishop of Triers A wicked Decree for Perjury As if in materia licita a Man that sweareth for Fear were not bound And as if Man had not Free-will when he is under Fear § 27. C. 6. 8. He decreeth that none can judge the Pope nor retract his Judgments nor judge of them contrary to many General Councils He curseth from Christ all that contemn the Pope's Opinions Mandates Interdicts Sanctions Decrees c. ◠9. Yet he saith that the Church of Rome may change and mend its own Mistakes and Decrees n. 10. ' Tit. 5. C. 1. No Custom may occasion the removal of any thing established by full Papal Authority C. 2. Other mens works approved or reprobate by the Pope's Decrees must accordingly be judged accepted or rejected C. 3. They that have not the Decrees are to be reproved c. § 28. Tit. 6. He brings down Emperors and Kings sufficiently below the Priests confining them to temporal things and not to judge of Priests Tit. 7. He rebuketh the King for letting none be Bishops but those that he liked charging him to admit none at Colen or Triers till the Pope had notice And before he told Emperors that they must take no care what kind of Lords the Priests be but what they say of the Lord nor to note what Popes be but what they do for correction of the Churches For they are by Constantine called Gods and God must not be judged of men Tit. 3. c. 3. He questions whether Lotharius was to be called a King because he was an Adulterer § 29. Tit. 8. c. 1. He decreeth that no Bishops be ordained but by the election or consent of the Clergy and People C. 3. That Primates and Patriarchs have no Priviledges above other Bishops but so much as the Canons give and ancient custom hath conferred § 30. Tit. 11. c. 1. Is this Nullus missam Presbyteri audiat quem scit concubinam habere aut subintroductam mulierem That is Let no one hear the Mass of that Presbyter whom he knoweth undoubtedly to have a Concubine or a Woman subintroduced C. 2. If Priests fall into the snare of Fornication and the act of the crime be manifest or shewed they cannot have the honour of Priesthood according to the authority of Canonical Institution Yet our Canons will condemn him that refuseth to take such an one for the Guide of his Soul or to hear him Yet Can. 5. he saith That we must receive the Sacrament from any Priest how polluted soever and by the judgment of how many Bishops soever he be Reprobated because bad men administring good things hurt none but themselves and all things are purged by faith in Christ. Tit. 14. Lay-men must not judge of the lives of Priests nor so much as search into them § 31. CCLXIV An. 858. A Council at Constantinople placed Photius in the place of Ignatius of which before and more anon Ignatius is banished we have not the History and Reasons of the Council § 32. CCLXV. An. 869. A Council was called at Tullum of the Bishops of twelve Provinces by King Charles where besides other Clergy-mens miscarriages Wenilo Archbishop of Sens was accused of Treasonable Defection by the King In which it's pity that Bishops below the Pope should have or pretend to the Power which the King doth intimate in these words Bin. p. 798. From which my consecration or sublimity of Kingdom I ought not to be supplanted or cast down by any one without the hearing and judgment of the Bishops by whose Ministry I was consecrated King and who are called the Throne of God in which God sitteth and by whom he decreeth his judgments to whose fatherly Correptions and castigatory Iudgments I was ready to subject my self and at present am subject You see here to what power over Kings the common Bishops as well as the Pope were got by pretence of representing Christ and of the Power of the Keys § 33. CCLXVI. An. 859. A Council at Constantinople condemned Ignatius and again confirmed Photius who with the Emperor Michael sent to the Pope to satisfie him of all and profess enmity to Image-breakers § 34. CCLXVII An. 860. In a Council at Confluence the five present Kings of the French Line came to an agreement § 35. CCLXVIII A General Council was held at Constantinople An. 861. where 318 Bishops the same number that was at the first Nicene Council deposed Ignatius and setled Photius to which the Pope's Legates also subscribed the Papists say through fear so that it was Papally confirmed And yet here was much done for Images § 36. CCLXIX The Pope having condemned Iohn Archbishop of Revenna who despised him till the Emperor forsook him in a Council at Rome he submitted himself to the Pope and was reconciled § 37. CCLXX. An. 862. In another Council at Rome Pope Nicolas condemned the Heresie of the Theopaschites that they said made the Godhead to suffer it 's like it was Cyril and the Eutychians old verbal Error by communication of Titles § 38. CCLXXI. An. 862. A Council is held at Aquisgrane in which King Lotharius desireth counsel about his Wife Theutperge the Bishops pronounce it his duty to put her away she having confessed Incest with her own Brother and allow him to marry Waldrade he professing himself unable to contain The Pope condemneth the action and them The Papists say this was but a forged pretence I only note 1. If they would deliberately forge so heinous a thing on a Queen what Heathens could be worse than such Bishops 2. Did the Bishops of that age think that they were bound to obey the judgment of the Pope who thus opposed him § 39. CCLXXII An. 862. In another Council in France in Villa ad sublonarias the three Kings again met for agreement § 40. CCLXXIII Lotharius appealing desireth a Council in France by the Pope's consent All the Bishops of France and Germany meet at Metz and the Pope's Legates with them They and the Legates also subscribe to the King's Divorce and to more which the Pope had before declared against Did Bishops then think the Pope Infallible or not to be opposed The Papists say that the Pope's Legates were bribed § 41. CCLXXIV An. 863. The Pope calleth his own Council at Rome and excommunicateth or curseth them all from Christ and deposeth them quantum in se. But yet offereth forgiveness to all save two if they will subject themselves to him The Bishops stand to it that he cursed them unjustly Must all the Kingdoms be thus ruled and confounded by one Priest till matters between a King and his Wife be managed to his will and satisfaction § 42. CCLXXV In another Council at Rome An. 863.
into a Theatre of Contention and a Field of War § 65. Yet here is one thing further to be noted viz. the foresaid Contention that rose about the Bulgarians These two great Patriarchs of Rome and Constantinople were neither of them yet great enough or satisfied with their jurisdiction their desires being more boundless than Alexander's for the Empire nothing less than all the world will satisfie one of them at least Nicetas saith it was by Famine and a Treaty and kind words of the Emperor that the Bulgarians turned Christians Some Papists would give the honour to the Pope without proof and cannot tell us any thing how the Pope converted them But when they were converted they sent to Rome for some Instructors The 〈…〉 them two and they received them But they put the case themselves to the Council at Constantinople Whether they were to be under the Bishop of Rome or of Constantinople The matter held a great debate The Pope's Legates pleaded that they had already received Bishops from Rome c. The Greeks pleaded that their Countrey was part of the Empire and under the Bishop of Constantinople till they conquered it and that they found there Greek Churches and Bishops who were still there and the Conquest did not translate them from the Bishop of Constant. to Rome How the Controversie ended is hard to know Some say that the Council gave them to the Pope and some say otherwise But this is confessed that this Roman ambition so greatly displeased the new Emperor Basilius that it turned him after against the Pope and inclined him the more to restore Photius which he did when Ignatius was dead § 66. Here I would call the Reader to consider whether the Pope's Universal Government was in those days believed even by that Council which was supposed to be partial by the Emperor's inducement on the Pope's side What place else could there be for such a strife whether the Bulgarians were under the Government of the Bishop of Rome or Constantinople if all the World were under the Bishop of Rome They will say that it was only questioned whose Diocess or Patriarchate they were under But Rome never pretended that they were of that Diocess or Patriarchate as anciently divided But the question was Whose Government they were now fallen under And would any dispute whether e. g. Westminster were under the Government of the King or of the Lord Mayor of London when all the Kingdom is under the King This Controversie clearly sheweth that the Church then took the Pope to have but the first Seat and Voice in Councils but not to be the Governor beyond his circuit § 67. It is here also to be noted that Basil the Emperor's revolt from the Pope was so great that Hadrian is put to write sharply to him as accusing the Bishops of Rome and derogating from them admonishing him to repent but we find not that this changed his mind § 68. Yet one thing more is here to be observed In the life of Hadrian the 2d Bin. p. 882. we find that the Pope taking the advantage of Basil's present state and mind and the interest of Ignatius much depending on him sent a new Libel to be subscribed by all the Bishops before they should be permitted to sit in Council The Greek Bishops grudged at this and complained to the Emperor That the Church of Constantinople by these offered Libels was brought under the power of Rome by the doubtfulness of Subscriptions But though flebiliter conqueruntur they complain with tears the Emperor was angry with them and would have it and some Bishops non sine magno laboris periculo libellos quidem vix tandem recipiunt with much ado were brought to subscribe saying It was novum inauditum The refusers extra Synodum inglorii relicti sunt were shut out till they conformed Oh! that Inglorii was a cutting word § 69. The Emperor hiding his anger against the Pope's Legates for the Bulgarian Usurpation gave them great gifts and sent them home But at Sea they fell into the hands of the Sclavonians who stripped them of their Riches and the Subscriptions and Copy of the Council and kept them Prisoners and threatned their Lives But by the mediation of the Emperor and Pope they were delivered and had some of their Writings again § 70. CCLXXXV An. 879. Carolus Calvus King of France unjustly possessed the Kingdom of Lotharius which by inheritance fell to Ludovicus Ludovicus got the Pope to interpose who sent his Legates to Charles But the Bishops had not yet learned to obey Popes against Kings in power A Council of Bishops called at Metz give the Kingdom to Charles because he was the stronger This was called Concilium Praedatorium a Council of Robbers and Traytors And no wonder when Bishops must be the Givers of Kingdoms Was it not enough for the Pope to usurp such power to be over Kings and dispose of Crowns but ordinary Bishops must do the like § 71. CCLXXXVI Yet another Council against the Pope King Charles had authorized Northman a great man to receive some Goods that were taken to belong to the Church The Pope commandeth Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes and the rest of the Bishops of France to excommunicate Northman Hincmarus and the Bishops refuse to obey him only one Hincmarus Bishop of Laon Laudunum obeyeth him and publisheth the Excommunication A Council is called at Wermâ—ria where Hincmarus Rhem. and the Bishops the King consenting condemn Hincmarus Laudunensis for disobeying his Metropolitan in obeying the Pope He appeals to Rome They will not let him go He writeth Hiucmarus Rhem. writeth largely against him though his Nephew shewing how he broke the Canons how bad a man he was how he had neglected his own Charge left Children unbaptized and for private quarrels excommunicated his Flock and had silenced and suspended the Ministers under him tyranically c. Reader Was the Pope's power yet fully received when a Metropolitan was to be obeyed before him and men condemned for obeying him § 72. CCLXXXVII Yet more sorrow An. 870. a Council is called in Villa Aâ—tiniaco Attigny I will give you the Story in the very words of Binnius translated When Hincmarus Bishop of Laon for the cause in the foresaid Council expressed had got the Rescript of Pope Adrian on his behalf and had notified it to Hincmarus Rhemensis and to King Charles both of them in hatred to the Bishop of Laon decreed That this Synod called Latrocinalis should be called There presided in it Remigius Lugdunensis Ardovicus Vesontiensis Bertulsus Trevirensis with their subject Bishops Herein Hincmarus Rhemensis with King Charles was the accuser of his Nephew Hincmarus whom he had before consecrated Bishop of Laon. The Action brought against him was That he had by Counter-writings defended the rights of the Apostolick Seat which the Archbishop of Rhemes did endeavor to impugn and overthrow And that contrary to his Oath of
he caused some Fellows so to cut and mangle the Face of the Pope that he would never after be seen abroad but kept close till he dyed which was after Three Years This Otho resolved to Revenge on Albericus And also the War between Hugo and Albericus broke out again Platina saith That Hugo was about to Revenge the Pope but then Dyed § 42. A Synod was at Narbon to end the Contention of two Bishops about the Extent of their Diocesses and Jurisdiction § 43. CCCXI. If yet you perceive not the sad State of the Church by Men's striving for Church-Dignities a Council at Soissons Anno 940. will tell you more You heard before how the Earl of Aquitane had got his Son to be made Arch-Bishop of Rhemes The Child in coats was but Five Years old It happened that he was put out again for his Infancy or Non-Age and Artaldus a Monk chosen in his stead This Council of Bishops was to decide the Câ—â—e between the two Arch-Bishops The Objection against one was his Infancy and his Father 's ill means to bring him in The Objection against the other was Perjury He had sworn that he would never accept an Arch-Bishoprick Alas Must the Church of France be Headed by one of these an Infant or a Perjured Monk The Synod cast out the Perjured Monk and judged the Seat to the Infant as being lawfully Chosen Power made it a Lawful Call And the Bishops went to Rhemes and Consecrated him § 44. In the Year 920. the French Nobles by consent at Soissons had Revolted from King Charles because he took Haganon a Man of low of Quality into his Privy-Council and made him Great Herveus Bishop of Rhemes had partly healed this Breach But Anno 922. it broke out again and the Nobles chose Robert King and Herveus Consecrated him But this Rebellion was their Ruin Three Years after dyeth Herveus And the next Year Robert Fighting against Charles was slain at Soissons yet his Army conquered the King's Shortly after Rodolph Duke of Burgundy is called in by the Nobles and made King as if the Kingdom had been void Charles on pretence of a Treaty is led by Heribert to a Castle and thence carryed to Perone where he dyed Anno 929. leaving a Son Lewis to Fight for the Kingdom And when Charles was in Prison Hugo rejected Rodulph and called Lewis out of England to be King Anno 936. But Hugo and Heribert would be his Masters and gave him little Quiet Heribert dyeth miserably and Repenteth Hugo Domineering the King craveth Aid of Otho out of Germany against him But shortly dyeth himself by a Disease got by a Fall in Hunting a Wolf Lotharius his Son succeedeth him In his Third Year Hugo the Great Duke of Orleance dyeth and Lotharius the King Anno 986. His Son Ludovicus succeeded who dyed Childless Anno 987. And in him ended the Line of Charles the Great For Charles Duke of Loraine that was next was by the Treachery of a Bishop taken by Hugo Capet the Son of the fore-said Duke Hugo and imprisoned to Death And this Hugo got Possession of the Crown So much briefly on the By of these Matters that they after interrupt us not too much See Dion Petav. lib. 8. c. 16. § 45. Marinus 2. alias Martin 3. is made Pope Anno 943. and Reigned three Years and some Months the common Time of Popes in that Age. In his time Artaldus strove again for the Seat of Rhemes § 46. CCCXII When Bishops would needs be Princes they taught Princes to resolve to be Bishops And as Heribert did at Rhemes so did the Emperor at Constantinople put in a Patriark Trypho a Monk on condition that he should hold it but till his own Son Theophylact came to Age. When the time came Trypho would not Resigne A Council is called where Bin. ex Curopal tells you the State of that Church alsâ— as too like the Western The Council being met Tryphon makes a Speech to them and saith That his Adversaries that had a mind to cast him out gave the reason that he knew not Letters But that they might all see that this was false and that he could Write and Read he call'd for Pen and Paper and having been taught thus much before wrote his Name thus Tryphon by the Mercy of God Arch-Bishop of Constantinople New Rome and Vniversal Patriark for that was then the Title The Emperor receiving the Paper it â—eems knowing that he could not Read writeth over head Knowing my self Vnworthy I Resigne the Throne to any that will And so sent the Paper to the Council and the Bishops wise and Good Men you must suppose Dethron'd Tryphon The Seat staid void five Months till Theophylact came to Age who then was chosen § 47. Anno 946. Agapetus the Second is made Pope in a time when Wars between the Hungarians and Henry Bavaria Berengarius and Otho c. made Miserable the Countries and Ignorance and Ambition the Churches § 48. CCCXIII. A Council at Virdun in France again tryed the Cause between the fore-said Infant and the Perjured Bishops Hugo and Artald and they undid what the last had done and Deposed Hugo and gave the Seat to Artald Yet we have not done with Doing and Vndoing For Pope Agapete now took Hugo's Part and wrote to the Bishops of France and Germany that Hugo that was in Possession was to be kept there But the Papists say he mistook by Hugo's Mis-information § 49. CCCXIV Anno 948. Another Council at Mosome was called for the same Business Hugo would not come in but sent the Pope's Letters which being not Canonical but his bare Command they rejected them cast out and Excommunicated Hugo till the next General-Council § 50. CCCXV. Anno 948. A General-Council of France and Germany is called at Engelenheim for the same Cause almost all France being disquieted about two Mens striving who should be the Great Arch-Bishop The Pope's Legate Marinus proved Hugo's Letters false and Hugo was Excommunicated and Artald setled But the Presence of two Kings Ludovicus and Otho did much there-to The Bishops thence removed to Triers called another Council where they judged for King Ludovicus against Duke Hugo and Excommunicated some Bishops Ordained by Bishop Hugo that was Ordained in his Child-hood And another Council at Rome confirmed these things § 51. Now cometh the Famous Pope Iohn the Twelfth the Son of Prince Albericus the Son of the Famous Whore A Child too Saith Baronius and Binius p. 1060. Quanquam hiuc Legitima aetas aliaque omnia deessent quae inlegitimo Pontifice requiruntur tamen accedente postea consensu totius Cleri visum est hunc potius esse Tolerandum quam Ecclesiam Schismate aliquo quod alioquin exortum fuisset dividendam He wanted Natural and Moral Endowments even All Things necessary to a Legitimate Pope say they And yet the After-Consent of the Clergy made him Tolerable c. Qu. 1.
Church of Rome and for hindering his Legates from gathering a Council and refusing to come to Rome to answer it Epist. 32. He calls the King of France a ravening Wolf and unjust Tyrant Many great persons he forced to separate after Marriage because they were in the fourth degree of Consanguinity Epist. 51. He tells the King of Denmark that not far from Rome there was a Province possest by vile and sluggish Hereticks and desireth him to send his Son with an Army to conquer them What Province he meaneth I am not certain unless it was the Waldenses § 44. Reader we are greatly beholden to Binnius who hath recorded as Oracles 27 sentences called THE POPES DICTATES by which you may partly know what Popery is 1. That the Roman Church was founded only by our Lord. 2. That only the Bishop of Rome is rightly called Universal 3. That only the Pope can depose Bishops and reconcile them 4. That his Legates must preside in Councils though they be of inferior degree before all Bishops and may pass on them the sentence of deposition 5. That the Pope may depose those that are absent 6. That with those that are excommunicated by him among other things we may not dwell in the same house 7. That to him only it is lawful to make new Laws for the necessity of the time and to congregate new people of Canonical to make an Abbaty and contrarily to divide a rich Bishoprick and unite poor ones 8. That only he may use Imperial Ensigns or Escucheons 9. That all Princes must kiss the feet of the Pope only 10. That only his name may be recited in the Churches 11. That it is the one only name in the World 12. That it is lawful for him to depose Emperors 13. That it is lawful for him in case of necessity to remove Bishops from seat to seat 14. That he may ordain a Clerk from any Church whither he will 15. That one ordained by him may govern another Church and must not take a superior degree from another Bishop 16. That no Synod without his command may be called Universal 17. That no Chapter nor no Book may be accounted Canonical without his authority 18. That his sentence may be retracted by none and he alone may retract all mens 19. That he ought to be judged of no man 20. That no man must dare to condemn any one that appealeth to the Apostolick Seat 21. That the Greater causes of all Churches must be referred to him 22. That the Roman Church never erred nor as the Scripture witnesseth will ever err 23. That the Bishop of Rome if he be Canonically ordained is undoubtedly made Holy by the merits of St. Peter as St. Ennodius Bishop of Papia witnesseth and many holy Fathers confess as is contained in the Decrees of Pope Symmachus 24. That it is lawful for subjects to accuse by his Command and licence 25. That he may depose and reconcile Bishops without Synodal meetings 26. That he is not to be accounted a Catholick who agreeth not with the Roman Church 27. That he may absolve the Subjects of unjust men from fidelity These are put by Bin. among Gregory's Epistles p. 1196. as the Popes Dictates If I had not translated them from such an unquestioned Author that followeth Baronius some would have thought they had been but the forgeries of some Protestant accuser and that the Popes have no such tenents What one is here that is not false and how many of them are horridly arrogant The reading of them would tempt a doubting man to think that the Pope is the Eldest Son of the Prince of Pride exalting himself above all that is called God and arrogating Christ's prerogatives and therefore Antichrist If any would know what Popery is A great part of the description is here given you by their greatest Pope himself and by their chief Historians § 45. Much of his 4th Book of Epistles is to require Princes Prelates and People to forsake the Emperor and choose another and to excommunicate all that will communicate with him yet in his 11th Epist. he reciteth himself how lamentably with tears three dayes in the frost barefoot he begged for pardon and how the compassionate People thought the Pope hard-hearted and tyrannical for not yielding and that at last two Ladyes and an Abbot overcame him to absolve him § 46. Lib. 4. Epist. 28. He tells the Spaniards also that their Kingdom was St. Peter's property But why did he trouble himself to lay claim to particular Kingdoms Would not his claim to all the world serve turn for the particulars Lib. 5. Epist. 4. He clameth the Isle of Corsica § 47. That it may appear that the presumptuous usurpations of the Pope were not consented to by many Bishops he oft complaineth that many Bishops of France Italy and Germany were against him He abundantly chideth and threatneth several particular Bishops for resisting and disobeying him Lib. 6. Epist. 4. he writeth thus to the Bishop of Liege Having read the Letters of your Brotherhood we did not a little wonder that you wrote that which became you not in reverence of the Apostolick seat but that you did with biting invective reprehend me for absolving your Parishioner that lately came to us as if the Apostolick seat had not authority to bind and absolve whomsoever we will and wheresoever we will Know therefore that we are greatly moved against your temerity Indeed one of the tricks of the Papal ambition was to be the Asylum of all wicked fugitives that fled from Church justice in all Countries near them to shew favour to all condemned sinners that would but fly to Rome and appeal to them from the Justice of their Pastors yea and of their Princes too which made their friends to be rather many than good § 48. And the Church of Rome was not yet rich enough with all the Principalities it had got They still kept on the trade of enriching the Pope to save their souls Binnius p. 1233. honoureth us with a record among Gregory 7th Epistles viz. In the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the 6th year of the Pontificate of Gregory 7th I Marro Son of Gisler dwelling in the Dukedom of Spoletane for the Redemption of my own and my Parents souls do give deliver and offer to St. Peter Prince of the Apostles and on his Altar all that belongeth to me of the Castle called Moricicla c. Did Christ think how easily Rich men might be saved by giving to the Pope in the name of St. Peter when he said It was harder for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven than for a Camel to go through a Needle 's Eye § 49. Lib. 7. Epist. 3. He saith They that are Latines do all of them except a very few praise the cause of Henry and defend it and charge me with too much obstinacy and impiety against him And if the Latines did so what did the
per Christum intrant sed ut ipsa veritas testatur fures sunt latrones Therefore it is no sinful separation to disown and avoid such obtruded Bishops or Pastors as are not so ordained by the Common Consent of the Clergy and the People § 76. In this Council the Pope to keep up some pretensions yet to a power in the East excommunicated the new made Emperor Nicephorus Botoniates for deposing wrongfully the Emperor Michael and his Wife Mary and his Son Constantine Porphyrus and putting them into a Monastery and invading the throne whom the Patriarch Cosmas lately set up by Michael had Crowned But thus matters were then often carryed § 77. That we may a little take along some of the Greek affairs note here that Zimisces being dead an 975. the Empire returned to Basil and Constantine the Sons of Romanus jun. Basil held it 50 years and Constantine three more Against them rose first Bardas Scleros and then Bardas Phocas Basil overcame and subjected the Bulgarians An. 1028. Argyâ—us Romanus took the Empire with Constantine's daughter putting away his Wife for her and the Empire After five years Zoe killed him and took her adulterer and the agent Michael Paphlago to her bed and Empire He being afflicted in body penitently turned Monk and reduced Zoe to some order But being dead she took Michael Calephate who sware to obey Zoe but breaking his Covenant she deposed him and put out his eyes And an 1042. She took to her bed and the Empire Constantine Monomachus in whose times the Greeks had divers losses by the Sueves and by the Normans that got Apulia At which time the Turks being Soldiers under the Persians revolted and oft overcame them Zoe and her Sister Theodora having ruled all dye In Constantines time Michael Cerular Patr. of Const. wrote against the Church of Rome Theodora being dead Michael Stratonicus reigned one year who was forced to resign to Isaac Comnenus 1057. Who being diseased turned Monk and made Constantine Ducas Emperor an 1059. He dyed 1067 swearing his wife Eudocia not to marry and make a Father in Law to his three Sons but she brake her oath and marryed Romanus Diogenes and made him Emperor He is taken in fight by the Sultan and released and when he came home his eyes put out by his own Subjects of which he dyed an 1071. and Eudocia is thrust into a Monastery Michael Paripinacius the Son of Const. Ducas is chosen Emperor The Turks and others greatly weaken the Empire Two Nicephori usurp One called Botoniates helped by the Turks getting possession Michael entred a Monastery and the other Nicephorus Byennius is overcome and his eyes put out Botoniates after three years is deposed and made Monk by Alexius Comnenus who was made Emperor an 1081 and being worsted by Robert D. of Apulia and having dealt ill with Godfrey and his army going for Palestine and beaten by them an 1096. living 70 years and reigning 37 he dyed an 1118. forsaken first of all and succeeded by his son Calojohannes Sect. 78. CCCLXI. A Roman Council an 1079. Forced Berengarius to recant and to own Transubstantiation Sect. 79. CCCLXII An. 1080. Another Roman Council renewed the deposition of the Emperour and gave his Empire to Rodulph the Pope excommunicating Henry and saying Confidens de judicio misericordia Dei ejusque piissimae matris semper Virginis Mariae fultus vestra authoritate saepe nominatum Henricum quem Regem dicunt omnesque fautores ejus excommunicationi subjicio anathematis vinculis alligo iterum Regnum Teutonicorum Italiae ex parte omnipotentis Dei vestra interdiceâ—s ei Omnem Potestatem dignitatem illi regiam tollo ut nullus Christianorum ei sicut Regiobediat interdico Omnesque quiâ—i juraverunt vel jur abunt de regni dominatione a juramenti promissione absolvo Ipse autem Henricus cum suis fautoribus in omni congressione belli nullas vires nullamque in vita sua victoriam obtineat Then he giveth absolution from all their sins to all that take part with Rodulph and blessing in this life and that to come Adding Go on then holy Fathers and Princes I beseech you that the whole world may understand and know that if you can bind and loose in Heaven you can on earth both take away the Empires Kingdoms Principalities Dukedomes Marquisates Earldoms and Possessions of all men according to their merits and grant them to others for you have often taken away from the evil and unworthy Patriarchates Primacies Arch-Bishopricks Bishopricks and given them to religious men For if ye judge spiritual things what must men believe that you can do about things secular and if you judge the Angels that rule over all Proud Princes what can you do with their servants Let Kings and all secular Princes now learn how great you are and what you can do and let them hereafter be afraid to set light by the Command of your Church And exercise your Iudgment so speedily on the said Henry that all may know that he falls not by chance but by your power I wish he be confounded to repentance that his Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. O brave Pope From this Council the Pope sent Rodulph a Crown with this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho But all this was but as Balaam's attempt It destroyed not Henry nor saved the life of Rodulph that was after killed Sect. 80. CCCLXIII An. 1080. The Emperor called a Council at Brixia which deposed Gregory as a false monk the pestilent Prince of all villanie the invader of the Roman Seat never chosen of God impudently intruding himself by fraud and money subverting all Church-order perturbing the Kingdom of a Christian Empire designing the death of Soul and Body to a quiet Christian Emperour defending a perjured King sowing discord where there was concord and strife where there was peace scandals among brethren divorces between Husband and Wife and shaking all that seemed to be in quietness among godly men a proud preacher of Sacriledge and flames defending perjuries and murders questioning the Catholick doctrine of Christs body and blood an old Disciple of Berengarius a follower of divinations and dreams a manifest Conjurer possessed with a divining evil Spirit and so swerving from the true Faith And they made Guibert Pope in his stead as was aforesaid § 81. CCCLXIV A Council at Lyons An. 1080. deposeth Manasse Bishop of Rhemes for refusing to give account to the Pope c. § 82. CCCLXV Another at Avenion maketh Hugo Bishop of Gratianople § 83. CCCLXVI Another at Meaulx maketh Arnulph Bishop of Soissons § 84. CCCLXVII Another at Rome An. 1081. Excommunicateth the Emperor again § 85. CCCLXVIII An. 1083. another at Rome the Pope kept three days in sighs and groans being besieged and then dismist it § 86. CCCLXIX An. 1084. in another the besieged Pope again excommunicated the
spoken of by Platina he sate above one year It 's said that he dyed of grief for the loss of Ierusalem in his time CCCCXXXI A Council he had at Paris they say for Ierusalem too late § 186. Gregory the 8th succeedeth him two months and dyeth § 187. An. 1187. Clement the 3d succeeded him who importuneth the Christian Kings to recover Ierusalem The Emperor Frederick the King of France and Richard King of England go in person The Emperor was drowned in Asia as he was waâ—â—ing himself in a River The rest do much but all to little purpose but to the great destruction of many Christians The Pope sendeth an Army into Sicily to claim it for the Church because the King dyed childless There also bloody havock is made An. 1188. An Assembly at Paris furthered the Holy War Binnius will call it a Council § 188. Though this Clemens sate but three years and five months he ended the long War between the Romans and the Pope granting them their Senators but deposing their Patricius or Head that Union might not strengthen them § 189. Caelestine the 3d cometh next who to get Sicily from Tancred gets out of a Nunnery a devoted Virgin that was the Heiress and marrieth her to the young Emperor Henry the 6th and giveth him with her the Kingdoms of Sicily and Naples when he can get them and so wholly obligeth him to the Church and to surrender Tusculum which the Romans utterly demolish Sicily the Emperor gets and puts out Tancred's eyes but Naples was too hard for him his Soldiers dying of the Plague How the King of France and the King of England disagreed in Palestine and how the King of France returned home and treacherously joined with Iohn the King's Brother to invade the King of England's Dominions and so called him from attempting the Siege of Ierusalem and how he was taken Prisoner by the way home many Histories acquaint you § 190. Binnius out of Urspergens tells us how this Pope that had sent the King of France into Palestine for his repudiating his Wife after interdicted the whole Kingdom of France the use of holy thing O horrid Villany worse than Heathenish For one Man's Family-sin to forbid so great a Kingdom to worship their God and Saviour Saladine when he had taken Ierusalem dealt better with the Christians O bewitched Princes and People that by their degenerate Prelates would be brought to suffer or submit to such a wickedness contrary to the nature of all Religion O wicked Prelates and Clergy that would obey an Usurper in sucâ— a wicked Interdict But the King of France grievously punished his Clergy for the Fact For it was done by the Pope's Legat and the Bishops at a Council at Divion the CCCCXXXII here § 191. Next cometh the great Pope Innocent the 3d a young man of 30 years old called Lotharius An. 1198. § 192. The Duke of Saxony Otho the 4th succeedeth the Emperor Henry the 6th But Philip of Suevia is his Competitor and the King of France was for Henry's Brother and the Pope for Otho hating Frederick's Line Some say Philip conquered and deposed Otho but Petavius after divers others saith that they agreed that Philip should Reign quietly during his life and Otho afterward succeed him After ten years Otho a Palatine of the Rhine killeth Philip and Otho again Reigneth quietly marrying Philip's daughter But seeking to possess Apulia and Calabria by Arms and not obeying the Pope's Prohibition the Pope Excommunicateth him first and after sentenceth him deprived or deposed which at his command the Archbishop of Mentz publisheth which Otho despising the Pope to shew that he can make and unmake Emperors and Kings sets up Frederick King of Sicily Henry the 6ths Son by Câ—nstantia the Nun formerly saith Binnius which Petavius denieth and commandeth all to take him for Emperor The King of France stands for Frederick and the King of England for Otho Otho is overcome being forsaken and dyeth for grief and Friderick a young man twenty years old prevaileth § 193. Passing by the English and Scottish Councils for the Sabbath or Lords day CCCCXXXIII The Roman Council that deposed the Emperor Otto for rebellion against the Pope was An. 1210. § 194. This Pope excommunicated our King Iohn for rejecting Stephen Laughton Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Yea he deposed him quantum inse and interdicted Gods worship to the whole Kingdom for six years three months and fourteen dayes O wicked Bishops and Priests that would give over the worship of God because an Usurper forbad it The Pope gave the King of France commission to seize on England King Iohn is constrained to please the Pope What wars were hereupon in England and how he gave up his Kingdom at last to the Pope and to hold it as of him our own Historians certifie us yea and how he offered the King of Morocco to turn Mahometan for his help § 195. CCCCXXXIX Next cometh the famous 4th Laterane Council called by the Papists the 12th General approved of 400 Bishops and 800 other Fathers for others they have an 1215. Regn. Frider. 2. In the first Cap. is the Creed and their Transubstantiation asserted as the way of Union between Christ and us we taking his flesh as he took ours and that no one can make this Sacrament but a Priest ritely ordained according to the Keyes of the Church which Christ gave to the Apostles and their successours But the Sacrament of Baptism saveth by whom soever it is ritely done The 2d Cap. condemneth Abbot Ioachim's doctrine who opposed Lombard as making a quaternity for saying that Quaedam summa res est Pater Filius et Spiritus Sanctus et illa res non est generans nec genita nec procedens which the Council owneth The 3d. Cap. is this We excommunicate and anathematize every Heresie extolling itself against this holy Orthodox Catholick faith which we before expounded condemning all Hereticks by what names soever called having indeed divers faces but tails tyed together because they agree in vanity in the same thing And being damned let them be left to the present secular power or their Bailiffs to be punished by due animadversion the Clerks being first degraded from their orders so that the goods of such damned ones if they be Lay-men be confiscated but if Clerks let them be applied to the Churches from which they had their stipends But for those that are found notable only by suspicion unless they shew their innocency by a congruous purgation according to the considerations of the suspicion and the quality of the person let them be smitten with the sword of anathema cursed from Christ and avoided by all till they have given condign satisfaction so that if they remain a year excommunicate they be then condemned as Hereticks And let the secular powers be warned and induced and if need be compelled by ecclesiastical censure what offices soever they are in that as they desire to be
bonds of Anathema Rustandus cometh with the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Hereford is empowred by the Pope to gather moneys for the Pope or King A Parliament is called at Westminster They refuse and go home The Popes Letters press the Collection A Council of Bishops is called at London so much money is demanded saith M. Paris as would have enslaved or undone all the Kingdome The Bishop of London protested he would lose his head rather than consent The Bishop of Worcester said he would be hang'd first The rest follow them The King is angry and threatneth The Earl Marshal in anger when the King called him Traytor answered thou liest I never was a Traytor nor will be The King threatned to send men to thresh out his corn and fell it to humble him The Earl told him if he did so he would cut off the threshers heads and send them him some interposed for the time The Lords refused to meddle with the Kingdomes business or to impoverish themselves and were dissolved Rustandus again Congregateth the Bishops at London They did nothing again saith M. Paris too boldly p. 917. Si enim sive juste sive injuste per dictum Magistrum Rustandum suspendâ—retur quis vel excommunicaretur Rex quasi Leo in abscondito quaerens quem devoraret post 40 dies omnia direperit infiscata Papa Rex vâ—lut Pastor Lupus in ovium exterminium confoederati omnibus ruinam minabantur And then saith he like blind men groping for the wall the Council were divided and as English men are used to do every one shifteth for himself or seeketh to save himself Tithes are now paid by the Clergy to the Laity They are granted for the Magna Charta which was not kept They are granted as for the holy land and turned against Christians in Apulia Many lies and false oaths are imposed saith M. Paris p. 919. The next year the Clergy were called again 1256. Rustandus the Legate said All Churches are the Popes Leonard the Prolocut râ— answered yes to defend not to enjoy and appropriate as we say All things are the Prince's that is to defend and not to disperse And this was the intent of the founders The Legate angry at this answer commanded that henceforth without a Prolâ—cutor every man should speak for himself that they might be known which astonished and silenced all He commanded them to subscribe a Lie that they had received such sums of money of forreign Merchants and Vsurers which they said it waâ— good Martyrdome to die for the refusing of Pag. 920. Here is annexed by M. Paris A charter of King Iohn confirmed by Pope Innocent 3d. ordering that all Bishops be freely elected without the Kings hinderance by the Church vacant and cursing all that otherwise come in pag. 921. § 207. At that time the Romans imprisoned a great Citizen Beaucales for his justice The Bononians detain many Romans pledges for him The Bononians are interdicted sacred things but they yield not till Beaucalco is delivered M. Paris anno 1256. The Letters of Pope Alexander and his many exactions see farther in M. Paris this year § 208. Anno 1257. saith M. Paris some went to Rome for the Bishoprick of Ely and the Church of St. Edmunds and gave and promised so vast sums of money as astonished men with wonder Whereupon the Pope made a new Law that every Elect Bishop should come personally to Rome hoping to have the like prey from others § 209. Anno 1258. saith M. Paris p. 910. The Pope that claimed the Kingdomes of the World was mastered in Rome by the foresaid Senator Braucaleo who being delivered from Prison was beloved of the people executed the Malefactors and his enemies forced the Pope to stay his excommunication and humble himself and beg his mercy § 210. The same year the Pope pretends anger to the King of England for not temperating his excesses and threatneth to excommunicate him The King is afraid and sends him money and stops his mouth p 910. § 211. Against the Parliaments will the King again hearkeneth to the Pope that offereth now the Kingdome of Apulia to Edmund his younger Son as he did before to Edward the Elder But the Parliament denieth him money which he screweth from the Abbeys and Churches § 212. saith M. Paris Sewale Arch-bishop of York now died a Martyr though without blood as many do having constantly fought against the Tyranny of the Roman Court oppressed by the Pope wrote earnestly as Rob. of Lincoln had done to the Pope to cease his tyranny In his sickness sath M. P. he called for water which was fetcht out of the Well and it was turned into excellent Wine p. 969. § 213. How the Parliament of Barons at Oxford this year 1258. entered their Confederacy and resolution to stand against the King for their Liberties Charter and Justice M. Paris p. 972 and many others tell you And p. 974 how the Londoners joyned with them and how many of the Lords were poysoned § 214. Braucaleo the Roman Senator having humbled the Pope pull'd down the Castles of the Tyrants and Rebels put to death the kindred of many Cardinals and died The Pope forbade the Citizens choosing another without his consent They laugh at him and choose Braucaleo's unkle M. P. p. 984. § 215. This Pope Alexander of whom M. Paris speaketh so much evil saith Binnius post obitum suavem sui memoriam reliquit dying 1260. And Plâ—tina praiseth him in whom you may see more of his life and Wars against Maufred c. § 216. Next cometh Vrban 4th Patriarch of Ierusalem of whom no great matters are recorded He ordained Corpus Christi day 217. Next cometh Clem. 4th a French Lawyer a Widdower and then Bishop His first good work was to go to Perusium in the habit of a beggar His life is praised by Platina Onuphius Binnius c. How he made a Frenchman Charles King of Scicily and Apulia and how Maufred was kill'd and conquered c. I need not trouble the Reader in reciteing § 218. CCCCXLV In his daies Canisius hath found a small Council at Vienna for reforming some things in the Clergy Bin. p. 1492. § 219. Next cometh Gregory 10th But the Seat was vacant first almost three years So long the Church of Rome was extinct if the Pope be an essential part as they would have him even of the Universal § 220. CCCCXLVI In his time a Council at Lyons called the the 14th Universal approved one by them was held in which the poor Emperour of Constantinople Michael Paleologus being in danger at his wits end came in person to flatter the Pope in hope of help There also was decreed the shutting up of the Cardinals at Elections for fear of vacancies as had happened by discord and delays The Pope interdicted the Florentines because the Guelphes refused to receive the Gibelines which quarrel still cost bloody Wars Rodulph is made Emperour
limina Apostolorum that is himself A terrible Earthquake made him for fear set up a hut of boards in an open Meadow lest the houses should fall on him He digg'd up the body of one Hermane that had twenty years been honoured as a Saint and burnt it as a Hereticks He sent a Bishop to Philipâ— King of France to intreat him to go fight in Palestine and threatened him when he could not intreat him The King imprisoned the Bishop The Pope sent to require him to release him saying openly that the Kingdome of France was divolved to the Church for the contumacy of Phillip and his violating the Law of Nations and bid him Anathematize him and absolve all Frenchmen from the Kings Oath The King let go the Bishop but forbad all his Subjects going to Rome or sending any money thither and not enduring his insolency he assembled his Nobles and declared the Popedome void by Usurpation and unjust enterance of Boniface and appealed to a Council He Coyned money with this Inscription Perdam Babilonis nomen The Pope called a General Council where he gave the Kingdom of France to Albert the Emperour Anathematizing the King The King would not play with him but sends Sciarra and Nogarete to Italy to proclaim his Appeal But Sciarra in a mean habitâ— gets together many friends that the Pope had oppressed and surprizeth him in his Fathers house breaketh open the doors carrieth him from Avignia to Rome a Prisoner where the thirtieth day he died of grief of whom saith Platina Thus died Boniface who endeavoured more to put terrour than Religion into Emperours Kings Princes Nations and People and to give Kingdomes and take them away to expel men and reduce them at his pleasure unspeakably thirsting for gold which way ever to be gotten Let all Princes Ecclesiastical and Secular saith he learn by this mans example to go before the Clergy and people not proudly and contumaciously as he did but holily and modestly as Christ and his disciples and true imitators and choose rather to be loved than feared from whence the ruine of Tyrants deservedly cometh § 235. Anno 1297. CCCCLII Bin. saith a Council Lugdunense decreed that Princes should not tax their Clergy nor the Clergy pay them without the Popes Consent § 236. Anno 1302 CCCCLIII The Popes General Council at Rome excommunicateth the King of France as aforesaid His Army follow their Captain Pope § 237. Benedict the 11th alias the 10th alias the 9th is next chosen Pope much praised who excommunicated Sciarra and absolved King Philip and died before nine Moneths § 238. Anno 305. Entreth Clemens the 5th the Bishop of Bourdeaux who called the Cardinals to France and setled the Popes Court there where it continued seventy years till the Church and great buildings at Rome were desolate and ruinous saith Platina In his time Albert the Emperour was kill'd by his Nephew Italy confounded by Wars The Pope curseth and interdicteth the Venetians the Florentines the Lucenses Requireth the new chosen Emperor of Luxemburge to come to Rome for Coronation He entereth Italy some Cities fight against him some yield At Rome demanding money they resist and it cometh to force and he is driven back After many bickerings and Cities taken he dieth as is said saith Plat. Poysoned in the Eucharist by a Monk Two fight for the Empire Lodovic Bavour and Frederec Austriae Lodovicus conquereth and maketh himself Emperour Clement burneth two as Hereticks maketh P. Caelestine the 5th a Saint writeth his Clementinus and dieth and again there was no Pope for two years three months and seventeen dayes § 239. CCCCLIV A Council at Saltzburge to get money Tenths for the Pope § 240. CCCCLV Another there Anno 1310. declaring some penalties § 241. CCCCLVI Another at Mentz to extirpate the Templats where some of them rusht in and appealed to the next Pope protesting they were killed and burnt wrongfully without being heard speak for themselves § 242. CCCCLVII But the great Council called by them the 15th General Council approved was at Vienna near France on this occasion King Philip having got the Popedome for Clem. the 5th made him promise to condemn Pope Bonif. the 8th and all his Acts When he had possession he found himself in a streight and Nicholas Cardinal Pratensis advised him to please the King with the hopes that a General Council would do it most effectually and to get the Council out of his Country and power which being done the Council frustrated the Kings expectations The King accused Pope Boniface of Simony Heresie and Perjury in forty Articles His crimes were not denyed but they justified him to be a true Pope and found him not an Heretick In this Council the Templars were condemned and put down and their Lands given to the Ierusalem Hospitalers or Knights of Rhodes which they say King Philip thought to have got some say the Templars were falsly accused of Heresies and the Masters and others burnt Others say truely The most probable is that some particular Men of them no new thing among Soldiers committed many Villainies and the rest suffered for their sakes In this Council the Heresies of Petrus Ioanâ—is a Disciple of Abbot Ioachim were condemned which were three 1. That the rational Soul as rational is not the form of humane bodies 2. That habitual grace is not infused in Baptism that is alwayes and to Infants 3. That Christs side was pierced with the Launce before he was dead In this Council the Fratricelli and Dulcinists were Condemned and also eight Heresies of the Beguines and Beguards which were these all for perfection which Quakers and some Fryars now seem to be too much for in profession as we all are in desire 1. That man in this life may get such a degree of perfection as that he may become impeccable or sinless and so to rise to no higher a degree of grace Else say they if one might still increase he might grow better than Christ. 2. That when one hath atteined that degree he ought not to fast or pray Because then sensuality is perfectly subject to the Spirit and reason so that a man may then freely grant his body what pleaseth him 3. That they that have got this degree of perfection and the Spirit of liberty are not subject to humane obedience nor bound to any precepts of the Church for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 4. That thus a man may get final beatitude in all degrees in this life as well as in that to come 5. That every intellectual nature is naturally blessed in it self and the soul needeth not the light of glory for the seeing and enjoying of God 6. That to exercise virtues is a note of imperfection 7. That to kisse a Woman is sin because nature needs it not but copulation is not because nature requireth it when one is tempted 8. That one ought not to rise and to reverence at the elevation of
Especially they are large in imposing penalties on those that publickly keep Concubines in their houses and have not the modesty to fornicate more secretly If they put not away their Concubines in two Moneths they must lose the third part of their tythes and after other two months another third part and at last the other third part and after be uncapable of preferment c. These are gentler penalties than a differing opinion is punished with under the name of a heresie § 249. CCCCLXII Anno 1324. A Council at Toletane to the like purposes § 250. CCCCLXIII The two Popes called two Councils against each other as Hereticks were neither in the right Iohn in a Council at Avignion proved Nicolas the 5th a heretick for holding that Christ possessed nothing as Proprietor Nicolas called a Council in Italy which condemned Iohn as a heretick for holding the contrary Thus the hereticators were hereticated § 251. The French now got the Power of the Papacy and another French man was chosen Pope Anno 1334. called Benedict 11. alias 12th He renewed the excommunication and deposition of the Emperor Ludov. and claimed the Empire to himself concluding that being vacant it fell to the Church see to whom Kingdomes escheat whereby he set all Italy in Wars in all the Cities giving them to the Rulers as the Popes Leiutenants and perswading the Romans also to depose the Senatorean power as of the King and to exercise it themselves under the Church He lived above seven years Pope This Pope contrary to his Predecessor defined that souls sufficiently purged enjoy the clear vision of God before the resurrection § 252. CCCCLXIV Anno 1339. A Toletane Council decreed among other things that every Rector of a Church and their Vicars under pain of excommunication do every year write the names of all their Parishioners that come to years of discretion and consign confirm all that are confessed and excite them to come to the Sacrament But if they have not received it let them abstain unless it be by the Counsel of their own Priest And those that confesse not after a year to expel from the Church and deny them ecclesiastical burial § 253. Anno 1342. Another Frenchman Bishop of Roven is made Pope at Avignion Clem. 6. All Italy and Naples was put into the flames of Wars He forced the Germanes to set up another against the Emperor Lodov. Bavarus which was Charles Son of Iohn the 11. of Bohemia Charles sends bound to the Pope a new Senator Nicolas Rentii that ruled all at Rome He made a new Jubilee he laboured in vain to reconcile King Edward of England to the French the English conquering their Navies and taking Calis c. The Colenses and Trevinuses having contributed money as to a Turkish expedition that Pope liberally rewarded them by granting them licence to eat Eggs and Milk-meats on any fasting dayes out of Lent § 254. CCCCLXV Anno 1347. A Toletane Council against Simony c. § 255. Anno 1352. Innoc. the 6th is made Pope of Avignion All Italy was still kept in blood One Barnacellus Lorded it as Ruler at Rome The Pope craftily lets Nicolas Gencii out of Prison to set up against him Nicolas gets the better and killeth him but domincering too much is next kill'd himself 1347. The new Emperor Charles is Crowned in Italy The Romans put the power into seven Citizens called Reformers of the common wealth The Pope sets Hugo King of Cyrus against the Reformers and bids him pull them down But trouble came near him Our King Edward conqerâ—d the French and took the King and his Son Philip Prisoners nobly releasing the Prisoners upon promise that they would fight against him no more which they presently brake The Pope dieth § 256. Having long said nothing of the Greek affairs I here only briefly say that the utter confusion of their imperial Successions by murders and Usurpations and the continued confusions of their Church affairs ever since the divisions of the Orthodox Nestorians Entychians Monothelites c maketh it both a hard and unpleasant task to give any exact account of their Bishops Synods and manifold contentions which furthered the ruine of the Empire Their divisions gave the Latines opportunity to take Constantinople 1204. which they kept 58 years and then lost it Baldwin was the first Latine Emperour whom the Bulgarians conquered and took Prisoner Anno 1205. and kept sixteen months and then put him to death Henry his brother succeeded him 1206 and died 1216. Peter succeedeth him that married his sister or daughter and is quickly slain by Theodorus Lascaris Robert succeedeth his Father Peter 1261. Theodore Lascaris was Emperor chosen by the Greeks and kept Court at Nice He defâ—ated the Turks and slew their Sultan and died 1222. Iohn Ducas his Son in Law succeedeth him and 1255. his Son Theodore Lascaris succeedeth him and died 1259. leaving a Son Iohn of six years old Michael Paleologus putting out Iohns eyes at ten years old usurpeth the Empire and by a stratagem of Alexius Caesar with 800 men taketh Constantinople and feigned a reconciliation with Rome and died 1282 and for his seeming reconciliation with Rome his Son Andronicus and the Clergy denied him Christian burial Andronicus succeeded His Son Michael dying his Grandson Andronicus deposeth and banisheth him and taketh the Throne he reigned 8 years and died 1341. He committed his two Sons to Ioh. Cautacuzenus The Eldest Son Iohn reigned 27 years and Manuel his brother succeeded him 1384. and his Son Iohn succeeded him 1419. Constantine the 8th began 1445 and Anno 1453 May 29th the Turks took Constantinople and set up their Empire § 257. Anno 1355. Under Innocent the 6th was another Toletane Council short and sweet worth the noting by authority of Blastus Arch-Bishop of Toletan Viz. Lest faithful Christians should be burdened with the weight of sin or faultiness by transgressing provincial Constitutions when Divine piety hath mercifully put them under an easie yoke and light burden we ordain the holy Council approving it that the Provincial constitutions of our Predecessors and that shall be made hereafter unless it be otherwise expresly ordained in such as shall be made shall oblige the trangressours only to the penalty of them but not ad culpam to faultiness or sin It s worth the Inquiry how far all other Canons and humane penal Lawes are thus to be expounded § 258. Anno 1362. Another French man is made Pope called Vrban the 5th He sent Aegidius to fight for him in Italy still broil'd in Wars and died § 259. Anno 1370. Petrus Bellfortis that was made Cardinal before he was 17 years old is made Pope of Avignion and called Greg. the 11th So far was all the world from obeying the Pope that Italy still fought against him Thither he sends an Army bloodshed and misery overspreadeth the Country The Pope at last saw that his absence gave his Enimies advantage and not daring to
both to summon a Council they cunningly would not agree of the place and so forced the doing it without them § 265. CCCCLXVII To put a shew on the business Greg. calleth a Council at Aquileia whether by long delays he creepeth with a few to do nothing § 266. CCCCLXVIII And the other Pope Bened. 13. Anno 1409 also calleth his Council in Arragone of his Subjects which calleth it self a General Council and pronounce him the true Pope and no Schismatick or Heretick and Greg. to be the Usurper but exhort him to endeavour Unity § 267. CCCCLXIX The two Popes giving no better hopes some of the Cardinals of both sides slipt from them and by the Countenance of the Florentines and King Ladislaus chose Pisa for a General Council where they met and summoned both the Popes who scorned them and they deposed them both as Hereticks and Schismaticks saith Binius forbidding all Christians to obey them and they chose a third Alexander 5. and the two old ones kept up still and so there were three Popes at once § 268. An. 1409. Alex. 5. is chosen much commended but died in eighteen Months some say saith Antoninus poysoned by a Clyster But to shew himself a Pope in that little time he deposed King Ladislaus and gave his Kingdome to Lewis Duke of Anjou § 269. Balthasar Cossa is next chosen called by some Ioh. 21. by others 22. by others 23. and by Platina Ioh. 24. so little are they agreed of their succession Platina saith the Cardinals of Greg. were yet poor and he hired them with Money to Create him He got Sigismund King of Bohemia chosen Emperour and would have had the Council to be at Rome Italy continued still in blood the Popes having parcelled it into so many small Principalities to secure it against the Emperours no part of the whole World lived from Age to Age in such continual War and confusion This Pope saith Onuphrius Panvinus viz. fuit bello armis quam Religioni aptior utpote qui neque fidem norat neque Religionem rebus profanis magis quam Divino cultu accommodatus How he was accused deposed imprisoned how the other two Popes Greg. 12. and Bened. 13. were all deposed with him and Martin 5. chosen the next Chapter sheweth CHAP. XIII The Council of Constance Basil and some others § 1. CCCCLXX AN. 1414. the Council of Constance was called by the means of the Emperour Sigismund and the consent of Pope Iohn who the more trusted the Emperour because he had promoted him There were then three Popes Bened. 13. in France whom the Kingdomes of France Spain Arragon England and Scotland followed and Greg. 12. and Iohn 23. at Rome that divided the rest of the Papalines It was not certainly to represent the Trinity but to profane the Name and abuse the Kingdome of the blessed Trinity Oct. 28. P. Iohn called by them Sanctissimus Dominus Noster entereth the City Nov. 5. The Pope began the Council Nov. 16. was the first Session the Pope speaking to them and his Bull being read shewing that he would have had the Council at Rome but the miserable case of Rome by contention and confusion hindering it was agreed with the Emperour to be at Constance commanding to be there for the peace of the Church and appointing a Weekly Mass to be said for obtaining Gods blessing and pardoning a years penance for every Mass to every Mass-Priest that said it exhorting all to fasting and prayer for good success charging them to look after Errours especially those that rose from one Iohn Wickliff and also to reform the Church c. March 2. 1415. The Pope took an Oath for the peace of the Church to lay down his Popedome if the other two Popes would do the same and the Emperour kist his feet The Cardinal of Florence read these Decrees 1. That the Council was lawfully called 2. That it will not be dissolved by the departure of the Pope or other Prelates 3. That it be not dissolved till the present Schisme be healed and the Church reformed in Faith and Manners in Head and Members 4. That it be not removed but on just cause 5. That the Bishops depart not § 2. In the fourth Session they decreed that the general Council representing the militant Catholick Church hath its power immediately from Christ to which every man of what State or dignity soever though it be Papal is bound to obey in the things that belong to Faith and the extirpation of the said Schism and the general reformation of the Church in head and members 2. That the Pope withdraw not himself or the Officers and if he should or should thunder out Church censures against them or any adhering to the Council they are void 3. That no Translations Promotions or Cardinals be made to the prejudice of the Council 4. That three of each Nations be chosen to judge of departures c. But the Pope fled and sent them word that it was not for fears but for his health § 3. Sess. 5. The Emperor being among them they decreed again the Power of the Council as immediately from Christ which the Pope and all must obey and that the Pope is punishable if he disobey that he is bound to surrender in any case of great and evident profit to the Church that he unlawfully departed that if he will return and perform his promise he shall be safe Next they proceeded to condemn the Books of Iohn Wickliff and to prosecute Iohn Huss Next they applied themselves to the Emperour to reduce the Pope who told them he was in the hands of the Duke of Austria but if they pleased he would write to him or try to fetch him by force c. § 4. Sess. 6. They order the Procuration for the Popes Resignation to be demanded and Process to be made against Iohn Huss and Hierome of Prague A Letter is read from the University of Paris to the Pope to submit to the Council § 5. Sess. 7. They accused Hierome of Prague for not appearing and summoned the Pope promising him safe Conduct sed salvâ Iustitiâ c. § 6. Sess. 8 They condemned Wickliff's Bones to be dig'd up upon 45 Articles instead of 260 which they had gathered Art 1. was 1. That the substance material of Bread and Wine remain in the Sacrament of the Altar 2. The Accidents of Bread remain not without the substance 3. Christ is not identically and really in his proper bodily presence in the Sacrament 4. If a Bishop or Priest live in mortal sin he Ordaineth not Baptizeth not Consecrateth not 5. The Gospel saith not that Christ instituted the Mass. 6. God ought to obey the Devil 7. If a man be contrite aright outward confession is needless and unprofitable 8. If the Pope be a Reprobate and wicked and so a Member of the Devil he hath no power over the faithful given him by any but Caesar. 9. Since Vrban the
Prov. 13. 13. And he that despiseth despiseth not man but God 1 Thes. 4. 8. So he hath told us that it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgement then for such Mat. 10. 15. Many a thousand prouder enemies then you hath Christ broken and look to your selves for your day is coming If you had but stumbled on this stone it would have broken you in pieces but seeing you will strive against it it will fall on you and griâ—d you to pouder Mat. 21. 44. And then you shall see that he that made them his Embassadors will bear them out and say In as much as you did it to these you did it to me And you shall then say Blessed are they that trust in him 7. It is apparent that these enemies of the Ministers are playing the Papists game Because the just disgrace of their Ministry was the ruine of their Kingdom therefore they hope to win of us at the same game They know that if the people were brought into a hatred or suspition of their guides they might the easier be won to them They tell us in their writings that not one of ten of our people but taketh his faith on trust from their Teachers and therefore take them oâ—f from them and they will faâ—l but they delude themselves in this For though the ungodly among us have no true faith of their own and the Godly must lean on the hand of their supporters yet there is in them a living principle and we do not as the Papists priests teach our people to see with our eyes and no matter for their own but we help to clear their own eye-sight Doubt not but the most of the sects in the Land that fall against the Ministry are knowingly or ignorantly the agents of the Papists For the principal work of a Papist is to cry down the Ministry and the Scripture and to set all they can on the same work 8. These sects that are against the Ministry do all the same work as the Drunkards Whore-mongers Covetous and all ungodly persons in our Parishes do And therefore it seems they are guided by the same spirit It is the work of Drunkards and all these wicked wretches to hate and despise and revile the Ministers and to teach others to say as they And just so do Quakers Seekers Papists and all other Malignants reproach the same Ministers And yet the blind wretches will not see that the same Spirit moveth them 9. It is apparent that it is the Devils game they play and his interest and Kingdom which they promote Who fights against Christs Officers and Army but the General of the contrary Army What greater service could all the world do for the Devils then to cast out the Ministers of Christ and what more would the Devil himself desire to set up his Kingdom and suppress the Church Wretches you shall 〈◊〉 see your Master and he will pay you your wages contrary to your expectation Read Gods word to a Malignant Acts 13. 10. 10. These Enemies do reproach as faithful a Ministry as the world enjoyeth and their malice hath so little footing as that the result must be their own shame Among the Papists indeed there are Mass-Priests that can but read a Mass whose Office is to turn a piece of Bread into a God And yet these the Malignants either let alone or liken us to them The Greeks and Ethiopians and most of the Christian World have a Ministry that seldome or never preach to them but read Common-prayer and Homilies The most of the Protestant Churches have a learned Ministry that is so taken up with Controversies that they are much less in the powerful preaching and practise of godliness Above all Nations under Heaven the English are set upon Practical Divinity and Holiness and yet even they are by Malignity chosen out for reproach Alas scandals in the Ministry as drunkenness swearing c. among other Nations are but too common but in England Magistrates and Ministers combine against them Ministers are still spurring on the Magistrates to cast out the insufficient negligent and scandalous and desire and use more severity with men of their own profession than with Magistrates or any others in the Land In nothing are they more zealous than to sweep out all the remnant of the scandalous And for themselves they are devoted to the work of the Lord and think nothing too much that they are able to perform but preach in season and out of season with all long-suffering and Doctrine and yet Malignants make them their reproach 11. It is abundance of pride and impudency that these Malignant Enemies are guilty of They are most of them persons of lamentable ignorance and yet they dare revile at the Teachers and think themselves wise enough to rebuke and teach them Many of them are men of wicked lives and yet they can tell the world how bad the Ministers are A Railer a Drunkard a covetous Worldling an ignorant Sot is the likest person to fall upon the Minister and the Owl will call the Lark a Night-bird Alas when we come to try them what dark wretches do we find them and should be glad if they were but teachable And yet they have learnt the Devils first Lesson to despise their Teachers 12. And O what barbarous ingratitude are these Malignant Enemies of the Ministry guilty of For whom do we watch but for them and others Can they be so blind as to think a painful Minister doth make it his design to seek himself or to look after great matters in the world Would not the time and labour and cost that they are at in the Schools and Universities have fitted them for a more gainful trade Do not Lawyers Physitians c. live a far easier and in the world a more honourable plentiful life Have not the Ministers themselves been the principal Instruments of taking down Bishops Deans and Chapters Arch-deacons Prebends and all means of preferment And what have they got by it or ever endeavoured Speak malice and spare not Is it any thing but what they had before Even the maintenance due to their particular charge Unthankful wretches It is for your sakes and souls that they study and pray and watch and fast and exhort and labour to the consuming of their strength and when they have done are made the Drunkards Song and the scorn of all the wicked of the Country and when they spend and are spent the more they love the less they are beloved In the times of this greatest prosperity of the Church they live under constant hatred and scorn from those that they would save and will not let alone in sin And what do they endure all this for but Gods honour and your salvation Would we be Ministers for any lower ends Let shame from God and man be on the face of such a Minister I profess were it not for the belief of the greatness and necessity and