received it of men 5. All Subjects that live say you Hetrodox within a Kings dominions are not his lawfull Subjects immediately by Gods holy ordinance but all christians are immediately the Popes vassals Now you know and no man better that Correllatives are simul natura in a condition of relation by their proper nature the one to the other If therfore the secular and laic Prince have any power to command his naturall Subjects to live in the state of Subjects immediately from God then Obligation of all his naturall Subjects to yeeld their due Prince all due obedience of lawful Subjects is in like manner imediately from God And as the title of a subject to this dominion or breaking of some penall Statute or committing some notorious offence within this dominion makes me subject unto my Soveraign Lord the King or the State So the character of a christian makes me a subject unto the Pope at least as we Catholics believe and teach And as this man is not my King or Prince but by his inheritance election c. So none can be saluted and stiled Pope but by Canonicall and authenticall election of the Cardinals Now then as the character of Baptisme say we markes a man for the Popes lawfull Subject in spiritualibus Even so for a man to be born or to break a penall Statute for example within the Venetian dominion and State markes a man for the Venetian Republics lawfull Subject and to be born or to break a penall Statute within the Kingdome of France marks a man for the French Kings lawfull Subject 6. Again you have put down and vouched one point for positive and certain which is by catholic Doctors held to be dubitable and questionable namely whether the Popes power and authority when he is gone the beaten way of all flesh doth rest in the Church or whether the Church remaines void of such authority and power so soon as the Pope breathes out his last gaspe Surely those who stand tooth and nayle for the Romish opinion that I may take up the Stile of Navarrus C. Novit will have all power whatsoever in the Roman Bishops to be wholly derived from the Pope so that when the Pope dyes all the Bishops are at a stand or non-plus rather not able to break nor so much as once to bend or bowe the point of this pressing consequence ergo when the Pope dyes the Prelates of the Roman Church are cut off and barred of all their former authority whereupon they wheel and go round about the Bush maintaining with might and main as if Hanibal the Carthagenian Generall were ad Portas in Leaguer before the very gates of Rome that in the Church the foresaid Power is not inherent and yet is inherent in the Church which is to utter and poure out darke riddles or Delphian oracles and to broach mysteries not intelligible Yea it is cleer that Cardinall Bellarmine holds very firm and stiffe that when the Pope dyes the said power vanisheth like smoak out of the Church for he contends that when the Prince dyes the regall authority lives and rests in the community or whole body of Peers and people at least for those Princes who are mounted to Kingdomes or other States by election but when the Pope dyes then the papall authority lives not in the Cardinals by whom the Pope is elected nor yet in the Church This opinion howsoever defended and maintained by Cajetane and those of Rome is encountered and crossed with a contrary opinion held tooth and nayl by the Parisians by the whole Sarbone in generall and in particular by Johan Maior Ja. Almanius Gerson Cap. Novit de Iudi. Notab 3. as it is testified by Navarrus yea Navarrus himselfe marshals this opinion in the rancke of doubtfull Assertions howsoever Cardinall Bellarmine there sets it down for certain whereas in other passages he leaves it as doubtfull 7. You stand much for the word pasce oves feed my sheep as expresly and personally spoken to Peter alone and not likewise to the Church or by name to the rest of the Apostles But I must now tell you Hetrodox that many Doctors do stand not onely for the said words pasce oves feed my sheep but also for the words dabo claves I will give thee the Keyes to be spoken both alike without all question unto Peter howbeit in the person of the whole Church as the Parisians doe both strongly and perspicuously prove Nor can it be a good consequence that because feed my sheepe and I will give thee the Keyes were both spoken to Peter therefore the same words were not spoken to the rest of the Apostles for it is generally confessed and granted of all that all the Apostles were of equall authority howsoever Peter for his faithfull confession made of Christ as also for bearing a most remarkable excesse of love and affection to the person of Christ might seem perhaps to deserve some title of preheminency and prerogative of dignity above the other Apostles The plain verity hereof appeares by that famous passage in the Gospell where Christ having most gracious and heavenly communication with all the Apostles together Mat. 18. and as it were in a knot vouchsafed to use the very same words unto them all that he had used unto Peter before Quaecunque ligaveritis whatsoever yee shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Lib. 1. de Rom. pont C. 12. and whatsoever yee shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven of which passage the most illustrious Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe hath advisedly been pleased to afford this fayre exposition est igitur communis c. It is the common exposition of S. Jerome Anselmus Hilarius with diverse other writers upon this passage Tract 22. 49. in Ioh. as also of S. August that our Lord there speaks concerning the power of the Keyes whereby the Apostles and other successors of Christ do bind and loose sinners which power a little after the same Lord Cardinall affirmes to be understood both concerning the power of order Mat. 18. and also concerning the power of jurisdiction promised to the Apostles in the foresaid passage but fully and actually given to all the Apstoles by Christ when he said to them all Joh. 20. Peace be unto you As my father hath sent me so do I send you whereas the power of order was given in the last Supper Now that pasce oves feed my sheepe and tibi dabo claves I will give thee the Keyes when both were spoken to Peter Tract 50. in Joh. were in like sort addressed to the Church S. Augustine makes it manifest by his luculent authority and testimony worthy of all credit Si in Petro non esset Ecclesiae Sacramentum c. If the Church was not in Peter sacramentally for certain the Lord Iesus would never have said to Peter I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven And if these
riseth out of true premises even so your concluon or his Lordshrhs which you please is false because it is inferred upon false premises that is drawn from a fufty vessel of unwholsome doctrine which the one of you two hath broached the piercing or at least running whereof I have now as you see endeavoured to stop with a handsome Faucet 1. Will you now be pleased to see your errours to make men subject unto their lawfull Prince by Gods law you hold it needfull that for the right and title of their subjection some text of holy Scripture be produced remember it hath been declared before that power and title to power are two different heads that power is from God and of necessity followes or comes after title The French King rules and governes in France not by law of inheritance but by vertue of authority received from God The Venetian Prince I meane the Republic and body of State howsoever you have learned of Cardinall Bellarmine with great artifice and skill to seale up the eyes of your own knowledge in the matter beares not command and rule over Padua by such meanes as they first attained to the dominion thereof but because being impatronised or made Lords of Padua by humane meanes they have it now in command and ever had from the time of their first occupation possession by vertue of the power and right received from God himselfe And herein what difference can you find to lye between Prince and Pope For if the Pope shall be asked wherefore he is Pope this will be his answer because I have been Canonically elected by the Cardinals to the Popedome and for that purpose he will never study or stand to produce any testimony of Scripture but aske him by what authority he gives or grants his indulgences c. surely he will answer because God hath given him power to forgive sinnes 2. To prove that Princes are subject unto priests by the law of God you cut out and frame a silly sheepish argument from sheepe and shepherds Gods law say you is the law of nature by natures law the sheep is in state of subjection to the Shepherd by Gods law therefore the Laic Prince is in the like state of Subjection to the Priest I answer the Prince is no sheep of the Shepheard priest but of the great Shepherd Christ for Christ said not to Peter Feed thy Sheep but Feed my Sheep So that your Argument if it conclude any thing at all concludes that Princes are subject unto Christ and not unto the Priest Nay the Priest as a sheep in temporall causes and matters is rather subject unto the Prince David gave the terme and nomination of sheep to all his people and Subjects Ego erravi isti qui sunt Oves quid focerunt It is I that have sinned what have these my sheepe done S. Pauls words are pungent and peremptory Let every soule be subject unto the higher Powers If then your argument hath any sinewes to evince that Subjects are bound by Gods law to yeeld obedience unto their Superiors of highest power then all priests likewise who are Subjects no lesse then others are directly bound by Gods law to the due obedience of their temporall Princes penall or Statute Lawes at least in temporall matters 3. The father you say is not subject unto the sonne if Hetrodox his own Father yet living were now elected King or Pope should not Hetrodox his Father as a man and a Christian be subject unto Hetrodox his Sonne whether King or Pope Howsoever young Hetrodox the sonne should beare due respect and reverence to old Hetrodox as to the Father Again the Father a Laic may receive absolution of his own sonne a priest and the son a priest may receive correction by the authority and command of his Father a secular Magistrate if men would not be intrapped in the snares of error they must learn to distinguish between titles and persons a Prince in spirituals being a sonne in temporals may be a Father 4. Touching the similitude of body and soul howsoever I grant it may be true in part as in this point by name that a temporall Prince his power is Per se of it selfe over the body and the spirituall priests power is over mens soules yet your similitude wants weight of truth in some other part and halts down right For temporall power save only as it is exercised by a Christian is not subordinate to spirituall power no not in ecclesiasticall and spirituall causes on the contrary the subjection of priests in temporall causes is plainly subordinate unto the temporall Prince Arguments thus framed are not worth a rush temporall power is over mens bodies and spirituall power is over their soules as the body then is directed and ruled by the soule and the soule not by the Body so he that is armed and authorised with temporall power must be directed and ruled by such as are invested with spirituall power I say again such reasons are not worth a rush for body and soule together do make one whole compound creature which is man whereas corporall power and spirituall power make not one body but rather two bodies and two heads These two powers as both are powers are different in all things and without subordination as either of them is a power neither doth Nazianzen teach the contrary much lesse teach your affirmative as who soever will read Gregory himselfe shall readily finde For thus much Gregory writeth in effect and no more that as the soule is more noble then the body so the spirituall power is more noble then the temporall which for my part so long as I go for a Roman Catholic I dare not deny 5. You are much overseen Hetrodox to charge me with makeing use of this doctrine to the hurt of the Church when I should rather whet and scoure my weapons against hereticks And herein you resemble me to the spider that sucks poyson from the same sweet and oderiferous herbs or flowers out of which the industrious Bee sucks honey Have you not herein much forgot your selfe He that delivers the truth neither fights nor speakes against our mother the Church but against such as harbour settled and secret pretensions in their breasts to usurpe more then appertains to their persons callings or degrees Again the Church is the Kingdome of heaven and you speak in your whole discourse of none but earthly Kingdomes in which without all question the Church can have no share nor interest nisi per accidens ex donatione fidelium but such as comes upon the By as we say that is by casuall meanes or else by franke donation or free gift of the faithfull the grandeur of all which earthly Kingdomes and of all other temporall States the Church doth establish Thirdly the use of this doctrine tendeth and serveth not only for the confuting and extirping of heresies or heretics but likewise of all such as maintain and broach any
as a Publicane where our Saviour gives Authority to Excommunicate but with a supposition of sin and of obstinate persisting in sinne Hetrodox Verily Orthodox you seeme to paire the nailes of Pontificiall power so near that you give me just cause to suspect you believe that our holy Father the Pope is but simple Priest or Curate without any lawfull Jurisdiction and that hee can doe no more but exhort to the obedient keeping of Gods Law as every ordinary Preacher doth or Baptise and confesse the people as every common Curate doth And so it seems you seek to revoke and to renew the Heresie of the Valdenses or Lionists of Wickliffe Mansilius of Padua and Iohn Huss which blind and pestiferous Heresie is caressed or embraced by all moderne Heretiques But I must come to a more narrow sifting of your words First You say the Popes power is meerly Spirituall To what end serves your meerlie was it not enough to say it is a Spirituall power was it not better to say it is principally Spirituall Navarrus whom you so highly commend Cap. Novit de judiciis and exhort all men to reade with diligence and great attention saith vâ—ry well that surely the Popes power is not meerly Temporall but he never saith it is meerly Spirituall as if the Pope could not in any sort shuffle and cut the Cards of Temporall affaires Nay hee further termes it a most eminent power which in it selfe being Spirituall and by consequence far Superiour to the Temporall both can and ought also to set the Temporall strait when it growes crooked or goes out of the right path And whereas our Saviour Christ said I will give thee the Keyes not of any Terrene Kingdome but of the Celestiall Kingdome or the Church of Christ hath said he that gives the Celestiall Kingdome takes not away Earthly Kingdomes or your selfe Orthodox hath said the Temporall Monarchie was founded of old from the beginning of the World surely none of all this makes either for the fortifying of your Sconce or to the weakening of my Campe For herein you affirme thus much and no more The Kingdome of Christ whereof Peter the Apostle received the keyes is no Temporall Kingdome which one cannot acquire but some other must lose but it is a Kingdome which governes all other Kingdomes without spoyling any man of that Dominion which by good just and lawfull right he holds Otherwise you might say as well that God himselfe hath no power over Temporall matters because God himselfe the giver of Heavenly Kingdomes is no robber and spoiler of mens Earthly Inheritances Againe you say Christ gave his Apostles and Peter a power but yet restrained Ioan. 20. and not without limitation that is a power over sinnes because he breathed on them all and said Receive the Holy Ghost c. This you cannot be ignorant is the Heresie of those who rob the Pope and the Church of all Jurisdiction an Heresie condemned by Christ himselfe in the very same place a little before the words now cited For before the words Quorum remiseritis c. whose sinnes ye shall remit shall be remitted he saith Sicut misit me Pater as the Father hath sent me into the World so doe I send you forth in which words he gave them absolute power and without limitation to governe the Church in his owne roome Hereupon Divines teach that in these words he gave the power of Jurisdiction in the other the power of Order And when afterward he said to Peter in the Chapter next following Pasce oves feed my sheepe doubtlesse he restrained not power to Absolution from sinne but hee gave a most ample power to rule and governe the whole Church For the word Pasce Feed is the very same in the Greeke language wherein St. Iohn did write his Gospell which is used in St. Iohns Revelation he shall rule them with a rod of Iron Apoc. 19. Mich. 2. as also in the Prophet as is translated by the Septuagint Ex te mihi erit Dux qui regat populum meum Israel out of thee shall come a Captaine unto me that shall rule my people Israel Mat. 16. So that by the usuall phrase of Scripture to make St. Peter a Shepheard or Feeder was to make him Ruler Governour and Prince of the whole Church So when Christ said to Peter whatsoever thou shalt loose or bind he restrained not the power unto sin nor unto the persons for he said not Quemcuuque but Quodcunque not whomsoever but whatsoever thou shalt binde or loose His meaning was to signifie and expresse an universall power of Binding and Loosing that is of commanding of making Lawes of Dispensing as it should be found needfull for the leading and bringing in of the Faithfull into the Kingdome of Heaven with most full and ample authoritie to enjoyne every man what he should believe and likewise to labour and to remove all the rubs blocks and impediments whereby they might be crossed in the way of Salvation as Cardinall Bellarmine hath declared at great length You give me thirdly to understand that our holy Father the Pope hath power onely over Soules and this you draw from that Prayer of the Church Deus qui Petro animas ligandi c. O God who hast given Peter the power of Pontificiall Dignity to bind and to loose the Soules of men If this Reason hath any force then secular Princes must have no power but over the Soules of their Subjects because Paul saith Let every soule be subject unto the higher powers And so either you make your selfe too simple as one who doth not consider that in Scripture the soule is taken for the whole man or else you seeke to catch the simple with words of holy Church not right understood And therefore perhaps the Divine providence to take away the like deceitfull sleights and flie shifts hath inspired the Reformers of the Breviarie to lib and geld the said Prayer of the word Soules which of old neither was found in the said Prayer nor ought at all there to be read because that Prayer was founded and formed upon the foresaid words in the Gospell whatsoever thou Peter shalt binde and whatsoever thou shalt loose Last of all you contend that power to excommunicate is conditionall presupposing sin and obstinacie in sin This Doctrine is both new and false you are not able to produce any Author that ever so taught Sinne I confesse must be presupposed for Excommunication is a punishment and the most grievous the most dreadfull of all other so that no sinne committed no punishment by Excommunicarion can be inflicted Disobedience also otherwise called contumacie is I confesse againe presupposed a sinne and to Excommunicate every sinne gives not sufficient warrant but only that sinne which is cloathed or clogged rather with Contumacie For Christ saith Si Ecclesiam non audierit If he will not heare the Church The censure therefore of Excommunication cannot be denounced against
words were personally spoken to Peter alone then the power and use of the Keyes rests not in the hand of the Church the action of binding and loosing is no action belonging to the Church but forasmuch as this power is exercised and this action is lawfully used by the whole Church therefore Peter signified the Church when he received the Keyes and then he received the Keyes when Christ said unto him pasce oves feed my sheep S. Augustine takes up the same conceit again in the very same Tract And Leo expounding the passage of I will give thee the Keys concurres with S. Augustine transivit in alios Apostoles c. The vertue and efficacy of this power was conveyed unto the rest of the Apostles it was past over in Peter to the principall and chiefe rulers of the Church S. Cyprian hits the bird in the right eye Erant caeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus c. De simpl Praelat The rest of the Apostles had equall share and portion with Peter in the participation as well of dignity as of power but because every beginning springs out of unity the honour of precedence or the primacy was therefore conferred or cast upon Peter as upon one for all to declare the unity of the Church or the Church to be but one By all these passages with many more in the ancient Fathers and Catholic Doctors it is cleare concerning the authority given to S. Peter that in a like and equall degree it was conferred upon all the Apostles and the Church It shall suffice thus briefly to have touch'd that you argue not upon a certain and infallible ground when you have thrust upon us the words pasce oves to have been spoken only to S. Peter and not also to the Church because aswell the promise of dabo claves I will give the Keyes as the fulfilling of the promise in pasce oves feed my sheepe is no lesse applyable and appropriate unto the other Apostles and unto the Church then unto Peter himselfe in the judgement of the Fathers But I proceed to point out more of your palpable errors 8. The Pope saith Hetrodox hath no power to alienate any one Province from his Papall and spirituall jurisdiction Why sir the Pope is not Lord over the people of this or that Province as they are Inhabitants of the said Province he is onely their Pastor as they are Christians In regard whereof he hath no power to alienate any one province or anyone single person First because all provinces are not belonging to Christians neither in Freehold tenure nor in sockage tenure nor in any other lawfull tenure Secondly because howsoever a large part of Christendome takes knowledge of the Pope as of their superior and lives within the vergerie and precinct of his papall power neverthelesse that superiority of the Pope is not founded nor grounded upon any right of dominon And where no dominion there no alienation I speak of such Princes as are not subject unto the Pope in Temporalibus And is the chief Bishop no Lord when he parteth stakes with Christ himselfe in the honourable Title of our Lord and without addition is called our Lord even as Christ himselfe is called our Lord No doubt he is a great Lord according to the opinion sense and service of his devoted creatures But let his height and elevation be taken by the staffe of that common Title and ordinary style that he honours himselfe withall in his letters pontificiall when he writes himselfe Servus servorum the servant of those that serve God and where then is his Lordship or what is then become thereof What dominion in the servant of servants No we are to hold and beleive the contrary because our sweet Saviour Jesus hath delivered and taught us the contrary Said he not unto his Disciples and Apostles once upon a time at contention Luk. 22. which of them should be the greatest The Kings of the Gentiles doe raigne over the Gentiles but amongst you my Disciples there shall be no such matter but let him amongst you that is greatest be as he that serveth To the same purpose he said to his Apostles John 20. As my Father hath sent me so send I you and how that forsooth not in great power and pomp not in any altitude or excesse of high majesty as he shall appeare himselfe at his second comming but in great humility as himselfe came at first as Saint Bernard speaketh Ser. de Ad. Yea S. Peter himselfe teaching the office of Pastors in the Church commands them to feed the flock of Christ which dependeth upon their charge caring for the Flock 1 Pet. 5. not by constraint but with a willing mind not for filthie lucre but of a ready mind not as Lords over Gods heritage but as fair ensamples to to the Flock of Christ Vpon which passage Ad Eugen. p. p. that good Father hath built and founded this Aphorisme Apostolis interdicitur dominatio indicitur ministratio The Apostles are prohibited to lord it over the Flock and are expresly charged to walke in the state or quality of servants to the Flock Hence it is that when the Lord Christ spake to Peter he said not Pasce oves tuas Feed thy Flock but Pasce oves meas Feed my Flock For Christ alone is the chief Pastor the onely high Priest having as the Apostle speaks Heb. 7. an everlasting Priesthood He alone is the soveraign Judge There is but one Law-giver and Judge who is able to save and destroy Jac. 4. As for the Pope himselfe and other Ecclesiasticall Prelates they are dispensers or disposers of the secrets of God 1 Cor. 4. the Pope therefore who hath nothing of his own and proper or essentiall to his Chaire Jure pontificatus only and simply as Pope or in right of pontificall Priesthood hath no power at all to make alienation of any thing whatsoever but rather forasmuch as his power is a spirituall power and over soules he can make no alienation of soules from the dominion of Christ who is the head of the Church but by making them Apostates and Run-agates from the faith of Christ for the Pope hath none other power over soules but spirituall power to convert and to direct soules unto life eternall Which kind of superiority howsoever it is of spirituall jurisdiction and of the greatest eminency yet forasmuch as it is not indowed with dominion the Pope for that reason and in that sole respect if there were no more hath no power to make alienation of any one Christian soul or sheep belonging to the Fold of Christ whereas the secular Prince hath power to dispose of his own Teritories Crown Lands Demeasnes and other possessions by way of alienation because he holds them as things alienable howsoever he hath no power to take any such extravagant and exorbitant courses in cases of hault importance and consequence Nisi in evidentem utilitatem
c. except it be for some evident benefit and most honourable acquist unto the Crown and State 9. You contend that secular Princes may suffer losse of their Subjects whereas the Pope lyes not obnoxious or obvious to hazard in that kind Oh that I could here truly say There speakes an Angell but see see how many Countries Nations Tribes and Kindreds have quitted their obedience to the Roman Church A word shall suffice that most beautifull flourishing nobilitated renowned Cedar of Libanus which in former ages hath spread it selfe both farre and wide over the face of the universe is now reduced to such pight and pickle that she hardly hath two or three Arms left growing to ward much lesse to beautifie the whole aged Trunke 10. Your tenth errour layes it selfe open and perspicuous in a most pernicious nice and tickle assertion That neither by the Generall Councell nor by the whole Corporation and body of Cardinals the chiefe Bishops power can suffer the least diminution and yet by the Subjects the secular Princes power may be plumed of the bravest feathers Touching the former branch of this assertion I have signified my mind before that I have no humour to draw into dispute whether Papall power when death seizeth upon the chiefe Bishop his mortall body doth remain in the Church or whether the Councell be above the Pope only this I hold to be indubitable that In causa haeresis est supra Papam in case of Heresie the Councell is above the Pope and that in case of scandalous offences the Church never wanted requisite and convenient remedies for the maintenance of her own rights and priviledges against Popes themselves But what shall I say to the other branch of your assertion Let us measure the truth thereof by the standard of common reason tell me then what People hath power to crow over the authority and power of any Soveraign and absolute Prince Surely none for by what authority Who dares now shew himselfe upon the Stage to broach and to draw the vessell of such pestiferous and scandalous doctrine What Is there a power in any people to depose their lawfull and Sovereign Prince To pare the nayles of his power To make a Soveraign Prince In esse no Prince De facto but a meer Subject To pull the Imperiall Crown from his head the royall Scepter out of his hand the purple robe or mantle royall from his shoulders and to kick him after a sort or to tumble him down from his Regall Throne Can there be a more desperate device more dangerous and forcible Bellows to blow the coales and to kindle the flames of most detestable rebellions of odious and insupportable Seditions of dreadfull conspiracies of Absolom-like or Judas-like treasons in the very bowels of the State I am loth to be a medler or a stickler and to have any hand in choaking or drowning the venemous seeds or in quenching the pestilentiall sparkes of these horible combustions with inke of Pen It is for noble and heroicall Princes themselves in these cases interested In Capite to rowse up their brave spirits and if the matter must needs come to blowes to draw the Sword in defence of their own so just and honourable a quarrell I must confesse it sorts well with a Princes honour to rule out his absolute power by his grave Councell of State and the wholsome Lawes of his Realmes and Kingdomes as it concernes and beseems the chiefe Bishop himselfe no lesse to square and to compasse out his power by the councell of his Cardinals provided they be no way interested or ingaged and overborn with passion but still have an eye to reflect upon the good of the Pope and the good of the Church alwaies directed by the laudable Canons and the venerable Councell For howsoever the absolute Prince perhaps Non tenetur suis legibus quoad obligationem is not liable to the conserving of his own lawes by plain termes of obligation tenetur saltem quoad directionem yet without perhaps or peradventure he stands bound to the conserving of his own Lawes at least for the office and duty of direction 11. You assume or presume rather that Monarchicall Rule of Laic Princes is changed sometimes into free States and free States of Laics are sometimes changed into Monarchies But as for the Church you affirme that she is not subject like the Moon unto the like mutation and change First if the case be put concerning Christ himselfe who is the supream soveraign Pastor of the Church there is no question but his Monarchie shall stand remain and endure for ever without all change Because of his Kingdom there shall be no end which comes not by reason of Title or no Title as you seem to inferre but by reason that Christ himselfe is not subject unto the least inward or outward violence the proper cause of all such mutation and change But make the case to concern Christ his Ministers and who can deny the Church was governed at the first after the form of a republick Let men read the fifteenth of the Acts there Peter proposes the case he puts down the Proposition he makes the Declararation Simeon hath declared as proloqutor then Iames gives the sentence or determination as President of the Councell wherefore my sentence is Lastly the Decree is ratified in the name of the whole Assembly or holy Convocation The Apostles Elders and Brethren unto the Faithfull send greeting It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us c. Whether S. Peter was then installed in the primacy like the Venetian Duke who holding a most honourable preheminence and ranke in that most illustrious and renowned State is neverthelesse restrained and kept in a State of Subjection to the whole body of that Republick I leave the matter to be discussed and sifted by those whom it may or doth chiefly concern It sufficiently makes for my purpose that whereas Decrees were published in the Primitive Church under the name of the republick or whole Assembly now edicts and constitutions are published under the name and authority of one alone And whether any mutation or change is imported thereby speak your selfe Hetrodox by whom it hath been denyed before 12. Your last errour is palpable in inferring this for a reason of difference between the two powers The rule of the one is immediate from God whereas the title of the other hath no such immediate derivation here I say you misse the marke and erre from the sense two manner of wayes For if by Title you meane the Power there is no such matter because neither is the Title the power nor the power the Title And if by Title you understand the means or manner of reaching to the height or top of power the one is no lesse humane or of men then the other The Conclave it selfe shall never be able to prove me a lyar in this point but I here put on a step further The power
the honour of Christ as if they were the Kings eldest sonnes that is exempted by the Law of God Who sees not here the great and notable discrepance between the spirit of godly Saints the blanched pretensions of our times But most of all it grieves and afflicts my mind to see and heare how men impose one thing upon the learned Saints and ancient Fathers when they teach another and the cleane contrary Iansenius in this place affirms That Exemption is Privilegium Principum secularium non jure divino the priviledge of Secular Princes and not by Gods Law 9. You run Hetrodox into the same error in citing the words of S. Augustine whose words be these Quod dixit ergo liberi sunt filii in omni regno intelligendum est libeâ—os esse Regis filios non vestigales multò ergo magis liberi esse debent in regno terrenâ— filii illius regis sub quo sunt omnia a regna terrae whereas therefore Christ hath said the children are free it is to be understood that in every Kingdome the Kings own children are no tributaries to pay any Subsidies Rents or Pensions How much more then should the sonnes and children of that King be free in a terrene or earthly Kingdome under whose footstool all the Kingdomes of the earth are couched S. Thomas expounding this passage useth a very direct and perspicuous answer Qui facti sunt Filii Dei per gratiam liberi sunt in quolibet regno secundum mentem à servitute scilicet peccati non autem liberi à servitute corporali In every Kingdome the sonnes of God by grace are free as touching the mind namely from the bondage of sin but not free from service of the body And here three things are to be noted 1. that S. August speaks not of Ecclesiastics as Card. Bellarm. pretends but of all Christians 2. That he speaks not of any liberty or immunity from corporall charges or burthens S. August Tho. in 13. ad Rom but speaks of spirituall liberty and freedome from sinne 3. That from this place Thomas collects wee have no liberty no immunity from God whereby wee are exempted from the dominion of temporall Kings in temporall causes Jansenius brings a better and more literall exposition of S. August words for he saith S. August reasons from the plurall number as Christ himselfe argues from the plurall neverthelesse it is to be understood of the singular number that is of Christ alone As for example suppose a son of the French King should say if in every Kingdome the Kings children be free from tribute much more then in the Kingdome of France ought all the sonnes of the King be free and therefore I ought So saith S. August that Christ spake unto Peter Jn omni regno liberi sunt regis filii c. In every Kingdome the Kings children are no tributaries but free then much more ought all the sonnes and children of that King be free in a terrene Kingdome to whom all the Kingdomes of the earth are in subjection and that is I ought much more to be exempted from paying tribute or Poll-money but lest wee should scandalize these Publicans and toll-gatherers or Collectors c. And this doubtlesse is the true exposition of that place wherein who can be so blind as not to see your ninth most manifest and palpable errour Hetrod No doubt Orthodox if some of your hereticall Sect where here now in place they would bestow upon you a ringing plaudite for acting your part so well in the defence of this dayes Proposition Orthod I confesse Hetrodox that after the way which you call heresie touching this dayes Proposition so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things concerning this Article which are written in the Law in the Prophets in the Apostles in the holy Fathers writings not blurred nor abused with erroneous expositions and false glosses Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo subject I may be and am to errors as all men are your selfe Hetrodox not excepted with all your deepe Clark-ship but you shall never find me wilfully to persist or stick in any errour as heretics do by the grace of my God as I said before It seemes by your falling to reproachfull termes that you have no more Petarres to blow up the strong gates of my second Proposition or other Engines and Peeces of great Ordnance to batter the Walls and Flankers thereof will your courage and heart serve you to play with your Artillery to morrow morning to give a brave assault upon the Fort of my third Proposition Het In the word of a Generall it shall be done assuring my selfe of honour and victory in the action Orth. The houre Het At Sun-rise Orth. Agreed Sir Het At your service Sir The third daies Conference Orthodox THe houre is jâ—stly kept of both parts Is your gâ—t Ordnaâ—ce placed Then let us heare it â—ay Time you know is precious Hetrodox It shall presently roare and thunder to the raising of the Fort vainly fancied to be impregnable if you dare first give me leavâ— to take some view of your third Proposition Orthod Dare Hetrodox I dare and I doe Here is the true modell or plat-forme to lesse then a haire Take a full view thereof at your good pleasure Hetrod O strange what do â—here set First it purports that our Lord Christ never exercised any authority of a Temporall Prince Orthod I perceive Hetrodox there is neither Beame nor Pin and Web in your eye Indeed it purports no lesse and thereupon it inferres That Christ never left any such authority to St. Peter and his successours whom we Catholiques call his Vicar For the Vicar is never advanced to a higher degree of Dignity and Power then the chiefe and principall Commander himselfe even purchased and possessed before Lib. 1 sent De auct Papae Sotus and Cardinall Bellarmine looking into this matter thorow cleer Christalline Spectacles do much wonder to see the boldnesse of our Canonists who have the face to maintain without any reason or authority of the New-Testament That Papa est Dominus totius orbis directè in temporalibus the Pope in all temporall causes is the direct Lord of the whole World a Doctrine for certain full of scandall and built upon a sandâ— foundation Some Authors besides the Canons which will never hold weight in concurrence with Scripture do avouch Thomas of Aquine De Regim Princ. c. 10. and 19. That Papa est Dominus totius orbis in Temporalibus Spiritualibus the Pope is Lord of the whole World as well in Temporals as in Spirituals But by their good leave Thomas never had neither head or hand in the inditing or penning of that work I appeale herein to Card. Bellar. himselfe De potest Papae Bâ—sides divers others of his most certain conjectures this one is of strong sinewes and thereby carries the greater force He sets downe the Emperour Adulphus
any man because he is a Thiefe or an Adulterer except first he be admonished and then he wilfully denies obedience But betweene disobedience and obstinacie there is a great difference For a man may stand stubborne and obstinate in some sin whereof he hath never beene advised never admonished by the Church This man for all his obstinacie cannot be stricken with a Thunder-Bolt of Excommunication On the contrary a man may be disobedient and for his disobedience may be Excommunicated albeit afterward he persist not obstinate in Disobedience The words of Christ if he will not heare the Church do signifie disobedience and to speake properly not obstinacie Orthodox Fie Hetrodox that a man of your deepe learning should be so shallow I will not say idle in a matter so serious So clear is the light of this fourth Proposition that I much wonder how you have devised and raised any matter against it whereby to make opposition Now to frame the sounder answer it will be necessary to make some Explication of the Proposition it selfe I speake not here of all the powers which Peter had from Christ our Lord as his Vicar in Earth for they were two the one of Order the other of Jurisdiction In this place I meddle not with power of Order I onely define the power of Jurisdiction and this power I say is meerly Spirituall First because Christ our Lord never practised any Temporall Jurisdiction but this jurisdiction which Christ gave to Peter is part of the same Jurisdiction which was practised by Christ himselfe Ergo it is no manner of way Temporall but meerely Spirituall The Major as it is called hath beene proved before at large the Minor is cleere by the words of Christ himselfe As the Father hath sent me so I send you the consequence therefore or conclusion remaines indubitable Ioan. 20. that this Jurisdiction is no manner of way Temporall Secondly This Jurisdiction or Power is not all that Power which Christ himselfe had as Head of the Church For he never according to all the Doctors communicated to his Apostles the Power of his Excâ—llencie much lesse the power of his Spirituall Kingdome which by Cardinall Bellarmine is called his Power Eternall yet such as had a beginning though it shall continue and last for ever with which Power by secret meanes he governes his Church For that power he practiseth and exerciseth in Heaven by himselfe alone It is therefore a Branch of that power whereof our Saviour saith Data est mihi omnis Potestas All power is given unto me the power of Christ whether as high Priest or as King is meerely Spirituall Ioan. 20. as it is proved by the Authority of St. Augustine and of all the best Divines the Branch therefore of the same power namely that Branch which was given to St. Peter is meerly Spirituall Thirdly The power given to Peter is to Loose and to Binde that is to absolve and not absolve sinne the power to absolve or not absolve sinnes is meerely Spirituall Ergo the power of Binding and Loosing given to Peter is meerly Spirituall Fourthly Hee that defines a Habit from the end thereof drawes the best Definition Thus hath Aristotle defined vertue virtus est quae â—onum faecit habenteâ— vertue is that which betters her owner and possessour the end of the Popes power according to all is life eternall and that end is meerly Spirituall Ergo he that affirmes the Popes power is meerely Spirituall produceth a right affirmative because he defines the Popes power by the right and proper end thereof Lastly If the power of Jurisdiction which Christ gave unto Peter had not beene meerly Spirituall but Temporall doubtlesse he would have taken up materiall Kâ—yes and would have said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles take ye these keyes whose sinnes c. But Christ having done that Spirituall work breathed on them all and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost and saying these words receive ye the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit he undoubtedly declared it was no Temporall power that hee then bestowed but a power meerly Spirituall And this Hetrodox is that which before I have pronounced that as well by the Act which our Saviour did as also by the words that hee spake it is aptly gathered that for certaine the said power is meerely Spirituall Now I purpose to draw a Picture of your particular Errours 1. You argue from the Genus to the Species in this manner The Popes power as Orthodox affirmes is meerely Spirituall Orthodox therefore hardly believes the Pope to be some simple Priest or common Curate just as if I should frame this Reason Hetrodox affirmes that a Lion is a creature therefore Hetrodox affirmes that a Lion is a little Ant or Pismire or this Argument Hetrodox affirmes the power of the most Christian King is Temporall therefore Hetrodox affirmes the most Christian King is the Father of a private Familie with power oeconomicall were it not a very abusive straine a wrong intollerable if I should make Hetrodox the Father of so ridiculous Ergoes worthy to be hissed knocked and stamped out of all Theologicall and Philosophicall Schooles If Orthodox pretends and avouches that Papall power is meerly Spirituall he doth not forsooth thereby avouch that Papall power is restrained to a private Familie and without all Jurisdiction like the power of every simple and common Curate but Orthodox grants it is a power over all the Soules that are subject unto the Popes power 2. Againe Sir you are pleased to terme it Heresie for any to affirme that Papall power is meerly Spirituall and I must make bold to tell you Hetrodox the contrary Doctrine hath no great conformity or congruity with divine Scripture and by name is not conformable to that faire Text Sicut misit me c. As my Father hath sent me Ioan. 20. so I send you my Apostles the power which our Saviour himselfe being sent of his Father exercised in this world was meerly Spirituall Ergo the Popes power being a Branch of the same power which Christ himselfe exercised is likewise meerly Spirituall True it is that his power as we must hold extends and spreads it selfe Jure Divino by Gods Law over all his owne Subjects which Article being denied by the foresaid Authors whom you have remembred before they were thereupon condemned but not because they maintained the Popes power to be meerely Spirituall For it is one thing to maintaine the Pope hath no Jurisdiction and another thing to affirme that his Jurisdiction is meerely Spirituall 3. You alledge Navarrus to this purpose That Papall power is not meerly Temporall as if he had said the Popes power is Temporall but accessorily Spirituall Thus much is noted by these words is not meerly Temporall But know Hetrodox that Navarrus was never so much overseene to suffer so grosse an Errour to drop out of his learned braine or painfull quill Navarrus affirmes the full contrary take the file
Secondly he should have a holy designe to attempt and enterprise the hardest labours of all other as to tumble the great Turke downe from his Imperiall Throne to pull his Regall Crowne from his Royall Head or to convert all the Indies or to reduce the whole World to the unity of the Church and such like matters of the highest stuffe which because the Pope neither will nor can performe it is easie for all men to judge that his Holinesse for all your sayings doth not governe all Kingdomes as God himselfe doth 7. Moreover you faine would make men believe that as God governes all Kingdomes not depriving any of their Free-hold whether it be Kingdome or Power so the Pope governes Kingdomes and takes not power from Kings First because those words of the Church are spoken of Christ man and not of of Christ God as the Lord Cardinall saith of whom Herod was afraid that he would spoile him of his Kingdome Hostes Herodes impie Christum venire quid times O ungodly enemie King Herod what ayles thee to be afraid of Christs comming Then Secondly because no man is to busie himself like a Polypragmon with exercise of Temporall power within the Dominions of any other Prince as a Prince Independent neither can any man exercise the said power therein without robbing the said Prince of his lawfull power within his owne Dominions what man ever enriched himselfe without impoverishing of some other 8. Again you make it a crime no lesseheinous then Herefie for any man to teach the power of Jurisdiction given to the Apostles is the very same power which Christ himselfe gave My reading tels me not a word of any other Text where our Lord Christ hath given his Apostles the power of Jurisdiction Ioan. 20. yea all the Doctors nay Christ himselfe doth not furnish mee with any other Text but in the same he teacheth us three things the first is Data est mihi omnis potestas in Coelo in terrâ All power is given to me both in Heaven and in Earth And this he speakes to teach that his good will and pleasure was to communicate some part of his entire and absolute power unto his Apostles The second Sicut misiit me Pater ego mitto vos As my Father hath sent me so I send you that is my Father sent me to take away to cancell all bonds for sinne and to worke all that which Hetrodox and Cardinal Bellarmine hath produced and alledged conatrry to the foresaid second Proposition and in like sort I send you now O my Apostles to doe and performe the said workes In which words our Saviour Christ made not his Apostles entercommoners with himselfe in his whole Spirituall Power â— No no such matter for hee communicated not unto them the power say we to absolve without Sacraments nor power to institute Sacraments c. nor the power of his owne Spirituall and Heavenly Kingdome so that Sicut the word As must be taken in a limited sense and not without some dooles and bounders of Limitation The third that Christ breathed on the Apostles and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose sinnes ye shall remit c. There our Saviour Christ likewise limits the word Sicut As That is to say I give you Spirituall Jurisdiction over Soules and over sinnes O my deare and faithfull servants Can there be any doubt or question hereof No verily For here the promise is fulfilled What promise The same that Christ made to Peter and the rest of the Apostles under the Metaphor of Binding and Loosing of locking up in Prison with Keyes and of delivering from Prison by the same Keyes This runs currant and so shall runne so long as the houre-glasse of old Father Time hath a drop of water or a crum of sand to let fall That for certaine the servitude or bondage from which we are delivered by Christ is the slaverie of sinne so that our liberty must needs be the liberty of Grace Mat. 18. And that is the reason wherefore the promise of Christ made in Metaphoricall Speech is expounded in these plaine and proper termes whose sinnes ye shall forgive Ioan. 20. c. For to locke and to deliver with Keyes to bind and to let loose to forgive and to retaine sinnes are phrases of Speech importing and signifying one thing partly according to proper and partly according to Metaphoricall Construction 9. You maintaine that Pontificiall power is unlimited but I cannot see your Assertion backt with any Reason or Authority neither can I find with what Leggs it walkes or upon what stumps it stands For the Lord God alone is cloathed and armed with unlimited power The Principall himselfe is invested with unlimited power but so is not his Vicar or Vice-gerent And besides to speake out of the teeth be you never so loth to heare it I cannot see how it is not repugnant unto Christian Faith to affiâ—me the whole power that Christ had himsâ—lâ—e as Head of the Church and that now he retaineth in Heaven hee hath communicated to the Pope which doubtlesse whosoever affirmes if your selfe be the affirmant he affirmes who affirmes the Popes Power is without limitation Ioan. 20. 10. Againe You have heard me onely stand for the power of Jurisdiction which our Saviour gave in these words Receive ye the Holy Ghost and you now urge the word Pasce Feed which word wraps in both powers not only the power of Jurisdiction but also the power of Oâ—der 11. I have not restrained the Popes Power to this or that kind of Subjâ—cts but have onely spoken in generall and have yeelded to the Pope all that Spirituall Jurisdiction By like Hetrodox you thinke that you talke and conferre with a man of Wood with a stock that hath not so much as the least sparke of Discourse or of Religion upon the Subject now in conference But you shall find your selfe deceived and that you have to deale with an Antagonist neither stock-like nor block-like 12. Without any occasion you passe over the River to the Pastures I meane to the word Pasce Feed and here you say that in the originall Greeke it signifies Peter governe and rule my Lambes Now Sir I doe not deny that Christ is the Spirituall King and Pastor of the Church or that as Temporall Kings in Scripture are called Pastors Feeders and Shepheards in Temporals even so Christ himselfe the Pastor is likewise King in Spirituals Nor doe I deny the Pope to be Christs Vicar and vice-roy with a limited Power in Spirituals a power every way most eminent as extending over Christian soules But from this can you Hetrodox well collect and gather that our Holy Father the Pope is a Temporall King much lesse a Spirituall King as Christ is himselfe and least of all that hee hath any Temporall Power by right of hiâ— Pontificiall Dignity and Authority St. John takes up the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twice and the