still souls are born and bred in darkness and how shall they be saved without believing or believe without hearing or hear without preaching or we preach without sending Rom. 10. 13. 14 15. There is a clearer word in the Gospel for the Ministry then the Magistracy though enough for both Our own call I shall spâ—ak of anon 2. These Malignants set themselves against the Principal members of the body of Christ that are in it as the eyes and hands to the natural body 1 Cor. 12. 16 19 27 29. Ephes. 4. 11 15. The Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. The Over-seers of the flock that is purchased with Christs blood Acts. 20. 28. They are the chief members 1. in office 2. ordinarily in gifts for edification of the body 3. and in grace Now a wound in the stomack or liver is more mortal to the body then in the hand and the loss of an eye or hand is worse then the loss of an ear 3. These Malignants are therefore principally enemies to the Church it self They take on them to be only against the Ministers but it will prove most against the people and whole Church If they smite the Shepherds the sheep will be scattered How can they more surely ruine Christs family then by casting out the Stewards that must rule and give the children their meat in due season even milk to the babes and stronger meat to them of full age Heb. 5. 12 13 14. Luke 12. 42. Mat. 24. 45. What readyer way to ruine the Schools of Christ then by casting out the Teachers that he hath appointed under him Or to ruine his Kingdome then to reject his officers Or to wrong the body then to cut off the hand and pull out the eyes or to destroy the principal parts Was it not Ministers that planted the Churches and converted the world and have ever born off the assaults of enemies Where was there ever Church on earth that continued without a Ministry The great Kingdom of Nubiâ— fell from Christianity for want of Preachers The Nations that have the weakest and fewest Ministers have the least of Christianity and those that have the most and ablest Ministers have the most flourishing state of Religion All over the world the Church doth rise or fall with the Ministry Cut down the Pillers and the building falls He is blind that sees not what would become of the Church were it not for the Ministry Who should teach the ignorant or rebuke the obstinate explain the word of truth and stop the mouths of proud gain sayers What work would heresies and division and prophaneness make if these banks were cut down when all that can be done is still too little It must needs therefore be meer enmity against the Church that makes men malignant against the Ministry 4. The design of the maligners of the Ministry is plainly against the Gospel and Christianity it self They take the readyest way in the world to bring in Heathenism Infidelity and Atheism which Christianity hath so far banished For it is the Ministry that Christ useth to bring in light and drive and keep out this damnable darkness Acts 26 17 18. I send thee to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light c. Why are so many Nations Infidels Mahometans and Idolaters bâ—t for want of Ministers to preach the Gospel to them These Malignants therefore would take down the Sun and banish Christianity out of the world 5. And they hinder the Conversion of particular souls and so are the cruellest wretches on earth Though an Angel must be sent to Cornelius it is not to be instead of a Preacher but to send him to a Preacher Acts 10. Though Christ would wonderfully appear to Saul it is to send him to Ananias for instruction Acts 9. Though the Jaylor must feel an Earth-quake and see Miracles it is but to prepare him for the Ministers words Acts 16. Philip must be carried by an Angel to expound to an Eunuch the Word that must convert him The Ministry is Gods instituted settled way by which he will convert and save the world as truly as the light is the natural way by which he will corporally enlighten them Acts 2. 18. 1 Tim. 4. 16. Mat. 5. 14. Rom. 10. 14. Do you think so many souls would be converted if the Ministry were down Do you not see that the very contempt of them that the scorns of the ungodly and opposition of Malignant Apostates have occasioned doth hinder most of the ignorant and prophane from receiving the saving benefit of the Gospel How many millions of souls would these wretches sweep away to Hell if they had their will While thousands are in damnation for want of the light they would take it from you that you might go there also Do you not understand the meaning of these words against Christs Ministers Why the meaning is this They make a motion to the people of the Land to go to Hell with one consent and to hate those that are appointed to keep them out of it They would take the bread of life from your mouthes They are attempting an hundred times more cruelty on you than Herod on the Jews when he killed the Children or the Irish that murdered the Protestants by thousands as the soul is of greater worth then the body 6. These Malignants against the Ministry are the flat enemies of Christ himself and so he will take them and use them He that would root out the inferiour Magistrates is an enemy to the Soveraign and he that is against the officers of the Army is an enemy to the General Christ never intended to stay visibly on earth and to Teach and Rule the world immediately in person but he that is the King will Rule by his Officers and he that is Prophet will Teach us by his Officers and therefore he hath plainly told us He that heareth you heareth me and he that dispiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10. 16. O fearful case of miserable Malignants Durst thou despise the Lord thy Maker and Redeemer if he appeared to thee in his glory to whom the Sun it self is as darkness and all the world as dust and nothing Remember when thou next speakest against his Officers or hearest others speak against them that their words are spoken against the face of Christ and of the Father I would not be sound in the case of one of these Malignants when Christ shall come to judge his enemies for a thousand worlds He that hath said Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harm and hath rebuked Kings for their sakes Psal. 105. 15. will deride all those that would break his bands and will break them as with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces as a potters vessel Psal. 2. 3 4 9. And as he hath told them plainly Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed
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
worthy to be talkt with that believe no body and confess themselves such Lyars that they would have no body believe them It was not all that saw Christs Miracles or Resurrection or the Apostles miracles It seems the rest were not bound to be Christians Even as Clem Writer told me that no man is bound to believe that Christ did Rise again or the rest of Christianity that seeth not Miracles himself to prove it adding withall that indeed Antichrist may do Miracles and so it seems for all the talk miracles themselves would not serve if they saw them 11. Is it not to put a scorn on God Almighty to lay that the Glory of all his most miraculous works should be buried to all that saw them not and that Parents should not tell them to their Children or Children should not believe them if they do 12. It s injurious to Posterity that the knowledge of the most wonderful works of God shall be only for the good of them that see them and that all ages after shall be never the better 13. It tends to make men mad and as Ideots that must know and believe no more then they see what kind of folks must these be that know not that there is either Prince or Parliament City or Countrey or any folks in the world but those they have seen This will stand with trading converse Subjection Societies and its doubtful whether such are capable of managing estates or should not be put under others as Ideots 14. Children cannot learn to read nor speak without some kind of belief of them that teach them nor can they obey their parents nor learn any trade nor obey Physitians so that this conceit of incredulity is against the Nature livelihood and life of man 15. And they would tie God to be at the beck of every unreasonable Infidel that shall say Though all the Town have seen thy Miracles yet I will see my self or else I will not believe 16. They expect that God should overturn the course of Nature for if Miracles be as ordinary as the operations of Nature they are confounded 17. And by this they would cross themselves and make Miracles uneffectual For if they were ordinary few would be moved by them as any proof of a Divine Testimony were it as ordinary for the Sun to go backward as forward who would take it for a Miracle To this Clem Writer answers me that Miracles were convincing in the first Age when they were common Answ. How common Not as natural operations Nor so as for all Countreys or persons to see them 500 saw Christ at once after his Resurrection 5000. were once miraculously fed but as this was not every days work so what was this to others And in that it was but for an age and rarely in after ages shews that they were not for every mans eyes 18. What need we more proof then actual experience that God doth not often now work miracles And he that saith the Gospel and Christian faith and Church and Ministry are therefore ceased its like will not take it ill to be taken himself for an Heathen or Infidel 19. And we have experience of millions that still do actually and stedfastly believe in Christ without Miracles and many have laid down their lives on that belief therefore without miracles men may believe But to this Clem Writer saith to me These believers of all sorts condemn each other as Hereticks Answ. But not as Infidels None but the ignorant or passionate condemn all other sorts as Hereticks The sober do not And it is not enough to prove you a bastard if an angry Brother call you so 20. Because this sheet alloweth me not room I intreat the Reader to peruse these Texts which tell him aloud that the word and works of God must be believed by Tradition though without Miracles Exod. 10. 1 2. 12. 14 17 26 27 42. Deut. 11. 2. to the 22. 29. 22. to 28. Iosh. 4. 6 7. 22. 24. to 32. Psalm 48. 13. 78. 1. to 9. 102. 18. 145. 4. 89. 1. Ioel. 1. 2 3 4. Acts 1. 8. 2. 32. 5. 30 31 32. 10. 38. to 42. 13. 30 31. 1. 22. 4. 33. 22. 15. 26. 16. 23. 11. 2 Tim. 2. 2. Iohn 20. 29. 19. 35. 15. 27. 12. 17. 5. 33. 1. 15 32 34 Luke 4. 22. 1 Pet. 5. 1. And that you would read my Determination of this very Question in my Book against Infidelity I proceed to the next Proposition 3. This ordinary Ministry for teaching ruling and publick worship was ordained by Christ to continue till his coming and doth yet continue and did not cease when the extraordinary Ministry ceased I prove it Matth. 16. 18. Vpon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it The Church never did nor can subsist without its Officers who are an Essential part of it as it is a Political Body and the first and most eminent part as it is a Community And therefore if the Ministry be extinct the Gates of Hell have prevailed against the Church And then Christ is overcome or hath broke his promise and then he were not Christ So that if Christ be Christ the Church and Ministry continue So Luke 1. 33. He shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Isa. 9. 6 7. Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end Psalm 145. 13. Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and thy Dominion endureth throughout all Generations Christ ruleth by his Officers in his Church if Church or Ministry had an end his Kingdome had an end and he reigned not for ever Matth. 28 20. Loe I am with you alway even to the end of the world To this express promise Clem. Writer hath no wiser an answer but that it is conditional If they teach men to observe all things that Christ hath commanded then he will be with them else not Repl. This is your forgery here is no such words but an absolute promise His being with them is to support and help them in his work And will you feign Christ to promise them help on condition they do it without The further Cavils against this Text and others the London Ministers in their Vindication have answered at large Eph. 4. 11 12 13. The Pastâ—rs and Teachers are given to the Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man c. Extraordinary and ordinary Officers are here conjoyned who between them are to perfect the building the first laying the foundation and the others building thereon 1 Tim. 6. 13 14. I give thee charge in the sight of God that thou keep
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-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
Governours besides Magistrates but such as Philosophers in their Schools who were appointed to set up Holy Societies for Divine Doctrine Worship and Holy Living and to Guide them accordingly by Teaching Worship and Government by the Word forbidding them the Sword or Force they are said to have the Keys of the Church and the Kingdom of Heaven because as Grace is Glory in the seed the Church is Heaven in the seed and the Pastors were the Administrators of Sacraments and Church-priviledges and therefore the Judges who were fit for them who should be Baptized who should Communicate and in what rank and who should be denied these admonished or excluded and who should as far as belongeth to others be judged meet or unmeet for Heaven And so the Christian Societies were to be kept clean and not to be like the polluted World of Infidels And the Pastors had no other power to use but were to judge only those within and leave them without to Gods own judgment and to the Magistrate who was not to punish any one for not being in or of the Church or for departing from it which is a grievous punishment it self But Magistrates being then Heathens the Christians were hard put to it for the decision of their quarrels For the love of the world and selfishness were but imperfectly cured in them They went to Law before Heathen Judges with each other and this became a snare and a scandal to them S. Paul therefore childeth them for not ending differences by Christian Arbitrators among themselves as if there were none among them wise enough to Arbitrate Hereupon the Churches taking none to be wiser or trustier than their Pastors made them their Arbitrators and it became a censurable scandal for any to accuse a Church-member to a Magistrate and to have Suits at Law By this means the Bishop becoming a Stated Arbitrator thereby became the Governour of the Christians but with his Presbyters and not alone But because Bishops had no power of the sword to touch mens bodies or estates but only to suspend them from Church-Communion and Excommunicate them or impose penitential Confessions on them therefore they fitted their Canons which were the Bishops Agreements to this Governing use to keep Christians under their Government from the Magistrates And so they made Canons that a Fornicator or Adulterer should be so long or so long suspended and a Murderer so long and so of the rest § 36. And when Constantine turned Christian he had many reasons to confirm this Arbitrating Canonical power to the Christian Bishops by the Civil Sanction 1. Because he found them in possession of it as contracters by mutual consent and what could a Christian Prince do less than grant that to the Christians which they chose and had 2. Because the advancement and honour of the Teachers and Pastors he thought tended to the honour of their Religion and the success of their Doctrine upon the Heathens with whom they dwelled Grandure and Power much prevail with carnal minds 3. Because he had but few Magistrates at first that were Christians and none that so well knew the affairs of Christians as their own chosen Bishops And he feared lest the power of Heathen Magistrates over the Christians might injure and oppress them 4. He designed to draw the Heathens to Christianity by the honouring of Christians above them 5. And withal his interest lay most in their strength For they were the fastest part of his Souldiers and Subjects that for Conscience and their own Interrest rejoyced to advance and defend him to the utmost when he lost many of the Pagans and they were not of the spirit of the old Pretorian Souldiers that set up and pulled down Emperours at their pleasure Had Constantine faln the Christians had much faln with him and had the Christians been weakned he had been weakened They were become his strength And he fore saw not the evils that afterwards would follow Some must govern and there were then no wiser nor better men than the Bishops and Pastors of the Churches And their interest in the Christian people that chose them was greatest As now all differing parties of Christians among us Papists Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists would desire nothing as more conducing to their ends than that the King would put the greatest Power especially of Religion into the hands of those Teachers whom they esteem and follow even so was it with the Christians in the days of Constantine And hereupon Laws were made that none should compel Christians to answer in any Court of Justice saving before their own Bishops and so Bishops were made almost the sole Governours of the Christians § 37. By this means it is no wonder if multitudes of wicked men flock'd into the Church and defiled and dishonoured it For the Murderer that was to be hanged if he were no Christian was but to be kept from the Sacrament if he were a Christian and do some confessing penance which was little to hanging or other death And so proportionably of other Crimes Bad Christians by this device were multiplyed The Emperour also being a Christian worldly men are mostly of the Religion of the Prince or highest powers § 38. And no man that can gather an effect from an effectual cause could doubt if neither Nazianzen or any Historian had told it him but that proud and worldly men would strive then to be Bishops and use all possible diligence to obtain so great preferment Who of them is it that would not have Command and Honour and Wealth if he can get it While the great invitation to the sacred Ministry was the winning and edifying of Souls those that most valued Souls desired it yet desired it to be kept from such Poverty and Persecution as exposed them to hinderance and contempt But when Riches Reputation and Dominion were the Baits who knoweth not what sort of Appetites would be the keenest Christ telleth us how hardly Rich men are good and come to Heaven Therefore when Bishops must be all Great and Rich either Christ must be deceived or it must be as hard for them to be honest Christians as for a◠Camel to go through the Needles eye And thus Venenum funditur in Ecclesiam § 39. The World being thus brought into the Church without the cure of the worldly mind and the Guides being so strongly tempted to be the very worst no wonder if the Worldly Spirit now too much rule the Church and if those that are yet of the same Spirit approve plead and strive for what they love and despise the business of the Cross and Christian Humility and Simplicity to this day And if Bishops have done much of their work accordingly ever since Constantine and much before it hath been the Devils Work to carry on his War against Christ and Piety under Christ's own name and the pretence of Piety as an Angel of Light and Righteousness and Unity and to set up Pastors over the Church
and here also had too much success X. And it must be remembred that God hath made use of many proud and turbulent men to propogate and defend the truth of the Gospel And their Gifts have served for the good of the sincere As the husk or chaff and straw is useful to the Corn so many worldly Prelates and Priests have been learned Expositors and useful Preachers and taught others the way to life which they would not go in themselves Besides that their very Papal power and grandure which hath corrupted the Church hath yet been a check to some that would have assaulted it by force and as a hedge of thornes about it Worldly interest engageth Pope Patriarchs and Prelates to stand up for the Christian Religion because they gain by it as Leo the 10th is said to have odiously confessed § 42. And the old Fathers till Constantines time did most of them think that the last thousand years would be a time of fuller glory to the Church as many yet think though I confess my self unskilful in the Prophesies But I make no doubt but though this earth be so far deâ—erted by God the Glorious Kingdom which we shall shortly see with the new Heaven and Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness will fully confute all our present temptations to think hardly of God or the Redeemer because of the present corruptions and dissentions of this lower world § 43. We may conjecture at former times by our own We see now that among the most Reformed Churches too often the most worldly part are uppermost and perhaps are the persecuters of the rest and though they may be the smaller part it 's they that make the noise are the noted part that carry the name and that Histories write of A few men got into places of power seem to be all the Church or Nation by the prevalency of their actions which few dare contradict They may give Laws They may have the power of Press and Pulpit so that nothing shall be published but what they will They may call themselves the Church and call all that obey them not Schismaticks and Sectaries and strangers may believe therefore that it is but some few inconsiderable fellows that are against them when yet the far greatest part may utterly dissent and abhor their pride I have lived to see such an Assembly of Ministers where three or four leading men were so prevalent as to form a Confession of Faith in the name of the whole party which had that in it which particular members did disown And when about a controverted Article One man hath charged me deeply for questioning the words of the Church others that were at the forming of that Article have laid it all on that same man as by his impetuousness putting in that Article the rest being loth to strive much against him and so it was he himself that was the Church whose authority he so much urged at least the effectual signifying part We cannot judge what is commonest by what is uppermost or in greatest power In divers Parishes now where the Minister is conformable perhaps ten parts of the people do dislike it and sometimes you may see but three or four persons with him at the Common-prayers And yet all know that Dissenters are talkt of as a few singular Fanaticks I compare not the Causes but conclude that so also for the Numbers humble Godly persons might be very numerous though only the actions of worldly Prelates do take up most of the History of the Church Yea I believe that among the Papists themselves five to one of the people were they free from danger would declare their dislike of a great part of the actions and Doctrines of their Prelates and that the greatest part that are named Papists are not such throughly and at the heart When the Rulers Scribes and Pharisees were against Christ and persecuted him and the truth the common people so much adhered to him that the persecutors durst not seize on him openly by force but were fain to use a Traytor to apprehend him in the night and in a solitary place lest they should be stoned by the people who said Never man spake as this man speaketh § 44. Let us not therefore turn Church-History into a temptation nor think basely of the Church or Christianity or Christ because of Papal and Prelatical pride and tyranny God can make use of a surly porter to keep his doors yea a mastiff-dog may be a keeper of the house and his Corn hath grown in every Age not only with straw and chaffe but with some tares And yet he hath gathered and will gather all his chosen § 45. Nor is the Ministry it self to be therefore dishonoured For as at this day while a few turbulent Prelates persecute good men and much of the Ministry is in too many Countries lamentably corrupted yet is Religion piety and honesty kept up by the Ministry and never was well kept up without it For the Faithful Ministers labour still and their very sufferings further the Gospel and what they may not do publickly they do privately Yea their very Writings shew that still there are such as God doth qualifie to do his work even among the Papists he that readeth the pious Writings of such men as Gerson and Gerhardus Zutphaniensis and Thaulerus Thomas a Kempis Ferus and many such others will see that Gods spirit was still illuminating and sanctifying souls And he that readeth such Lives as Philip Nerius persecuted by the Bishop as an ambitious Hypocrite for setting up more serious Exercises of Religion than had been ordinarily used among the Formalists to say nothing of such privater men as M. de Renâ—y and many others will see that it is not all Church-tyranny and corruption though very heinous that will prove that Christ hath not a Holy Generation whom he will save § 46. Yea among the very corrupted sort of the Clergy many that are overcome with temptations in that point and take usurpation and tyranny and worldly pomp and violence for Order Government and the interest of the Church have yet much good in other respects Even among the Cardinals there have been such men as Nerius's companion Bellarmine and others that would Preach and practise the common Doctrines of serious piety Yea among the Jesuits there have been divers that have Preacht Written and lived very strictly much more among their Fryars and such Bishops as Sales And though their times and corruptions blemished their piety I dare not think they nullified it § 47. And it sheweth the excellency of the Sacred Office 1. That Christ did first make it as the noble Organical part of his Church to form the rest 2. That he endued the first Officers with the most noble and excellent gifts of his spirit 3. That he founded and built his Church by them at first 4. Yea that he himself preached the Gospel and is called The Minister of the Circumcision the chief
he was taken up again the first time and buried again But I suppose that it was but his Fingers that were cast in the first time and the Corps after or else he was found after the first time Platina saith It is reported but not of any certainty that some Fisher-men found the Corps and buried it â—t St. Peters Church and that while it was doing the Church Images bowed to it It 's well Vncertainty was put into the Story and that some thought this moved Sergius to envy but that indeed it was because Formosus party were against his Papacy It seems by this that the Fisher-men found him after the first casting into Tyber or else his burial by them could not be called the occasion of Sergius fact So little rest had this Popes Carkass being twice buried twice taken up twice judged and executed after death and twice cast into Tyber But saith Platina Popes now seeking and getting the Popedome by liberty and ambition disregarding Gods Worship exercised enmity against one another no otherwise than do the cruellest Tyrants glutting their own lusts the more securely when there are none left to restrain Vices This wicked Man for almost seven Years enjoyed the fruits of his iniquity § 24. Here Baronius and Binius forget to answer the great difficulty 1st How the Roman succession escaped from being interrupted 2. And also where was the Roman Church while such Reigned as were no Popes 3. And also where was its Holiness and Infallibility when it had the worst of Men as they say themselves thus set over them as their Heads But they are careful Nequis pusillanimus ex hoc facto scandalum accipiat lest weak minded persons should be scandalized by this And they tell us as a wonderful providence of God That so great was the reverence to the Church of Rome that even when such Men invaded the Popedome unlawfully being even in the Churches censure rather Apostatical than Apostolical yet those that did but hear who was Pope especially the Northern Countries that were far off obeyed them so that any Man may understand by how great a providence God Governeth the universal Church which when it was set on Fire at the will of Whores and all mischiefs and scandals did increase and it was feared it would be divided by a great schisme yet God defended it from all heresy and schisme all Nations persisted in one bond of Faith and Covent of Obedience Indeed Gods providence is wonderful that saveth his true Church from such wicked usurpers and keepeth a Union of all in Christ But this is no honour to the wicked usurpers when now fifteen schismes had divided them and many more afterward nor was it any honour or blessing to them that gave up their Kingdoms to such usurpers If these were no Popes but intruding Whore-mongers was it a blessing to the World to be deceived and to take those for Popes that indeed were none But had not they then a seeming Church and indeed none when an essential part was Null § 25. CCCVIII They say that Anno 909. A Council at Soissons ordered some Reformation § 26. Leo called Philosophus Son to Basilius Macedo this while was Emperour in the East who being formerly suspected and imprisoned by his Father upon some suggestion of Photius and Santabacenus was revenged on them when he Reigned and deposed Photius and put him into a Monastery This is the rest that Ambition procureth Thus Sin is the misery of the Sinner Alexander his Unckle was Gardian to Leo's Son the Father being Dead Nicholas had before been made Patriark and upon offence deposed and Euthymius put in his place But Alexander deposed Euthymius and restored Nicholas and having spent thirteen Months in Drunkenness and Lust Bled to Death and Constantine seven Years old with his Mother Zoe Reigned alone Constantine Ducas rebelling is subdued The Bulgarians Conquered by Leo Phocas General who thereupon aspiring to the Crown was slain Eight Years after Zoe is removed and one Romanus Lecapenus made Guardian and Caesar He advanced three of his Sons to the like honor to strengthen himself and made his other Son Theophilact Patriark instead of Stephen though he was but sixteen Years old He Married his Daughter to the Bulgarian King and then began to despise the Emperour and prefer himself God punished this by permitting his own Son Stephen to depose and banish him into an Island At last Constantine awaked and deposed them all and ruled himself in Drunkenness and Debauchery fifteen Years and then dyed or as some say was killed by Romanus's Sons After him Nicephorus Phocus a succesful Warrior but a bad Man Ruled The Church called him bad for oppressing them with Taxes His Wife Theophanon and Iohn Trimisces who succeeded killed him Thus hath the World been Governed and this is the profit of Ambition § 27. The next Pope is Anastatius the 3d. who sate two Years and two Months In this time the Eastern Emperour Leo published Constitutions which Baronius and Binius p. 1053. deride as ridiculous in imitation of Iustinian because he presumed to make Church Laws § 28. Lando was the next Pope Anno 912. and sate 6. Months and 22. Days say Baronius and Binius This Man at the importunate instaâ—ce of that most potent most noble and most impudent Whore Theodora who had prostituted one of her Daughters Marozia to Pope Sergius and the other Theodora to Aldebert Marquess of Tuscia and hereby had obtained or kept the Monarchy of the City who was Pope if this Whore was Monarch did create John whom she most filthily doted on a Presbyter of Ravina the Bishop of Bononia and Peter Arch-Bishop of Ravenna being Dead he made him there Arch-Bishop And a little after so filthy an act he Died. Luitpraud l. 2. c. 13. § 29. Next cometh this same Man Anno 912 Iohn 10. saith Platina and others the Son of Pope Sergius by the Whore Marozia say some but it s not like because Marozia killed him But it s more probable as Onuphrius noteth that it was not this Iohn but the next that was Son to Sergius and Marozia This Pope saith Baron and Bin. is he that the famous Whore Theodora for great comeliness of person doted on and saâ—th Luitpraud got him made Arch-Bishop of Ravenna and after Pope of Rome that she might not lye with him so seldome as the distance between Rome and Ravenna would necessitate So say they this impudent Man being powerful at Rome by the strength of a Whore is made a false Pope and wicked invader of the Seat where they shew how this Whore obtained her power But was this no interruption of the succession neither nor a nullifying of the Papal Church while he sate 13. or as Onuphrius 14. Years and more No saith Baron and Bin. He that was an Invader Theif and Robber by the after Consent of the Roman Clergy became the lawful Pope of Rome 1. We see then what the
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
month in lesser meetings and once a quarter in greater yet where there is danger of such degeneracy it is better to hold them but pro re natâ occasionally at various seasons and places § 65. The lesser Synods and correspondency of Pastors before there were Christian Magistrates were managed much more humbly and harmlesly than the great ones afterward Because that men and their interest and motives differed And even of later times there have been few Councils called General that have been managed so blamelesly or made so many profitable Canons as many Provincial or smaller Synods did Divers Toletane Councils and many others in Spain England and other Countries have laboured well to promote piety and peace As did the African Synods and many others of old And such as these have been serviceable to the Church And the Greater Councils though more turbulent have many of them done great good against Heresie and Vice especially the first at Nice And nothing in this Book is intended to cloud their worth and glory or to extenuate any good which they have done But I am thankful to God that gave his Church so many worthy Pastors and made so much use as he did of many Synods for the Churches purity and peace § 66. But the true reason of this Collection and why I have besides good products made so much mention of the errours and mischiefs that many Councils have been guilty of are these following 1. The carnal and aspiring part of the Clergy do very ordinarily under the equivocal names of Bishops confound the Primitive Episcopacy with the Diocesane tyranny before described And they make the ignorant believe that all that is said in Church-Writers for Episcopacy is said for their Diocesane Species And while they put down an hundred or a thousand Bishops and Churches of the Primitive Species they make men believe that it is they that are for the old Episcopacy and we that are against it and that it is we and not they that are against the Church while we are submissive to them as Arch-bishops if they would but leave Parishes to be Churches or Great Towns formerly called Cities at least and make the Discipline of all Churches but a possible practicable thing § 67. II. And to promote their ends as these men are for the largest Diocesses and turning a thousand Churches into one only so they are commonly for violent Administration ruling by constraint and either usurping the power of the sword themselves or perswading and urging the Magistrate to punish all that obey not their needless impositions and reproaching or threatning at least the Magistrates that will not be their Executioners And making themselves the Church snuffers or made without the Churches consent their Office is exercised in putting out the Lights sometimes hundreds of faithful Ministers being silenced by their means in a little time And they take the sword of Discipline or power of the Keys as the Church used it 300 years to be vain unless prisons or mulcts enforce it And to escape the Primitive poverty they overthrow the Primitive Church Form and Discipline and tell men All this is for the Churches honour and peace § 68. Yea all that like not their arrogances and grandure they render odious as Aerian Hereticks or Schismaticks provoking men to hate and revile them and Magistrates to destroy them as intolerable And by making their own numerous Canons and Inventions necessary to Ministry and Church-Communion they will leave no place for true unity and peace but tear the Churches in pieces by the racks and engines of their brains and wills § 69. III. Yea worse than all this there are some besides the French Papists who tell the world That the Vniversal Church on Earth is one visible political body having a visible Head or Supreme vicarious Government under Christ even a Collective Supreme that hath universal Legislative Iudicial and Executive power And they make this Summa Potestas Constitutive of the Church Vniversal and say that this is Christs body out of which none have his Spirit nor are Church-members and that there is no Vnity or Concord but in obeying this supreme visible power And that this is in General Councils and in the intervals in a College of Bishops Successors of the Apostles I know not who or where unless it be all the Bishops as scattered over the earth and that they rule per literas formatas as others say It is the Pope and Roman Clergy or Cardinals § 70. And when our Christianity Salvation Union and Communion yea our Lives Liberties and mutual forbearances and Love is laid upon this very form of Church-policy and Prelacy and Christ is supposed to have such a Church as is not in the World even constituted with a Visible Vicarious Collective Soveraign that must make Laws for the whole Christian World it 's time to do our best to save men from this deceit § 71. I must confess If I believed that the Whole Church had any Head or Soveraign under Christ I should rather take it to be the Pope than any one finding no other regardable Competitor He is uncapable of ruling at the Antipodes and all the Earth but a General Council is much more uncapable and so are the feigned College of Pastors or Bishops none knoweth who § 72. IV. And a blind zeal against errour called Heresie doth cry down the necessary Love and toleration of many tolerable Christians And some cry down with them and away with them that erre more themselves and by their measures would leave but few Christians endured by one another in the World Thus do they teach us to understand Solomon Eccl. 7. 16. Be not righteous and wise overmuch so much are these men for Vnity that they will leave no place for much Unity on earth As if none should be tolerated but men of one Stature Complexion c. § 73. Briefly they do as one that would set up a Family Government made up of many hundred or thousand families dissolved and turned into one and ruled supremely by a Council of the Heads of such enlarged Families and then tell us that this is not to alter the old Species of Families but to make them greater that were before too small Keep but the same name and a City is but a Family still And when they have done they would have none endured but cast out imprisoned or banished as seditious that are for any smaller Family than a City or any lesser School than an University And these City Governours must in one Convention rule all the Kingdom and in a greater all the World § 74. I shall therefore first tell you what errour must not be tolerated and then by an Epitome of Church-History Bishops and Councils and Popes shew the ignorant so much of the Matter of Fact as may tell them who have been the Cause of Church-corruptions Heresies Schisms and Sedition and how And whether such Diocesane Prelacy and grandure be the
the Pretor stand at the Tribunal of the Bishop and to morrow the Bishop may be called to the Pretors Bar That an Earthly judge may take and punish the servants of the highest judge and consecrated men who will not say that this is most absurd Answ. This sheweth what Church-grandure and power these men expect If they have not the Civil power and be not Magistrates or Lords of all the Church is wronged This Clergy-pride is it that hath set the World on fire and will not consent that it be quenched 1. By this rule all Christians should be from under all Power of Kings and Civil Rulers For are they not all the servants of the highest Iudges Hath God no Servants but the Clergy 2. By this rule both Princes and People should be free from the Bishops judgment For are not these Bishops Men as well as Princes and are not Christian Princes and People the servanâ—â—s of the highest Iudge and therefore should not be judged by Bishops 3. But what a wicked rebellious doctrine is intimated in the distinction that Princes are Earthly Iudges and Prelates are the servants of the highest Iudge Are not Prelates Earthly Iudges as well as Princes in that they are men that judge on Earth And are not Princes Judges of Divine appointment and authority as well as Prelates Yea and their power more past all dispute 4. And what absurdity is it that every soul be subject to the higher power And that he that 's one of your Sheep in one respect may be your Ruler in another Why may not the King be the Ruler of him that is his Physician or his Tutor And why not of him that is his Priest Was not Solomon Ruler of Abiathar when he displaced him May not one man judge who is fit or unfit for Church Communion and another judge who is punishable by the sword Did Christ come to set up a Ministry instead of a Magistracy He that saith Man who made me a Judge came not to put down Judges He that saith By me Kings reign came not to put down all Kings Obj. Christ sets up a Kingdome of Priests or a Royal Priesthood Answ. But his Kingdom is not of this World or Worldly It is a spiritual Kingdome conquering sin and Satan putting down the World out of our hearts and making us hope for the everlasting Kingdom which we shall shortly enjoy The Disease of the Disciples that strove who should be greatest and sit at the right and left hand and said Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel hath prevailed after all this warning on a Worldly Clergy to the great calamity of the Church And what wonder when even then St. Paul saith All seek their own too much and none the things of Iesus Christ so naturally as Timothy did and so zealously as they ought Too many Popes haue been Peters Successours in the Character given him Mat. 16. Get thee behind me Satan Thou art an offence unto me For thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men I understood not who were the spring of our late Fifth-Monarchy mens diseases till I read Campanella de Regno Dei and some such Papists where I see that Christs reign by his Vicar the Pope over all the Princes and People of the World is the true Fifth-Monarchy Heresie For which they bring the same Prophecies as the Millenaries do for their Expectations Obj. But the Pope Prelates and Clergy called the Church are not to reign by deposing Kings but by Ruling them and being above them As Love is above the Law which yet is made for the ungodly that want Love and must be ruled by fear so Princes are for the World of unbelievers but not for the Church and Spiritual persons who live above them in the life of Love Answ. 1. This was one of the first Heresies which the Apostles wrote against Many tempted Christians then to think that Christianity freed them from service and subjection and made all equal But how plainly frequently and earnestly do Paul and Peter condemn it Is it not a shame to hear such Papists as cry up such a Heresie as this cry down and damn a Nestorian or an Eutychian or a Monothelite for an unskilful use of a word Paul saith He that teacheth otherwise against subjection is proud knowing nothing but doting 2. Love doth indeed set us above Fear and Legal threats so far as it prevaileth But it is imperfect in all and Fear still necessary 3. And this taketh not down either the Law or Magistracy to us but only maketh us less need such means It 's one thing to love and live so holily and justly as never to need or fall under the sword of Magistrates and another thing to be freed from subjection and obligation This increaseth in many the opinion that the Papal Kingdom is Antichristian in that they set up themselves above Rulers that are called Gods 3. But why must this priviledge extend to the Clergy only Have not other Christians as much holy love and spirituality as most of them And must Princes rule only Infidels Some suspect none as inclining to Popery but those that take up some of their Doctrines of Transubstantiation Purgatory Images c. But they that on pretence of the raising of the Church and defending its power do first call the Clergy only the Church and then seek to make themselves the Lords of Princes by the pretences of an Excommunicating Power and plead themselves from under them and take it for their priviledges to be free from subjection to them and their penal Laws are doubtless levened with that Popish Heresie which hath done much of all the mischiefs which the forecited History describeth § 50. CXXXI Besides some little contention at Alexandria under Proterius before he was murdered the next in Binnius is said to be at Angices Andegavensâ— which saith over again some of their old Canons against Priests living with Women and removing from place to place and such like And the Papists say that this Council was to contradict the Emperour Valentinians Law and to vindicate the rights of the Church as not being lyable to Civil Judicatures or under Kings § 51. CXXXII Anno 45. 3. A French Venetick Council was called about Ordinations which repealed some former Canons and was so strict that the first Canon kept Murderers and False Witnesses from the Sacrament till they repented instead of hanging them And the second Canon denyed the Communion to Adulterers that unlawfully put away their Wives and took others O strict Laws § 52. CXXXIII Ann. 459. A Council at Constantinople forbâ—d Simony § 53. CXXXIV Ann. 467. A Council at Rome of 48 Bishops decreed that men that had two Wives or the Husbands of Whores should not be ordained That they that could not â—ead and they that were maiâ—ed or dismembred or the Penitent should not be made Ministers c. § 54. CXXXV Ann.
their Wives is expresly renounced and it is decreed that no Priest be required to separate from his Wife so be it they abstain at Fasts and necessary Seasons nor any Priest endured to put away his Wife on pretence of piety else he must be deposed § 51. Another is the 16th Canon that maketh Deacons like Overseers of the Poor § 52. The 22d is a hard Canon that Bishops and Priests ordained with money and not by examination and election be deposed and they that ordained them § 53. The 36th Canon displeaseth them also which confess the Church of Constantinople's Priviledges as equal with Rome § 54. The 38th Canon containeth one great cause of the old Confusions viz. That whatever alteration the Imperial Power makes on any City the Ecclesiastical Order also follow it Did God make this Law Are not as many Souls in a Town that 's no City as capable of being a Church as Citizens It is in the Princes power to make and unmake Cities May he accordingly make or unmake Churches What if a King will have but one City in his Kingdom must there be no more Churches or Bishops What if there be no Cities as in many American and Arabian Countries must there be no Churches What if the King will disfranchize most of the Cities and another will make every Market Town a City must Churches be altered accordingly If so O that our King would make us so many Cities as the work and the souls of Men need true Bishops that one might not have a thousand Parishes without any subordinate Bishop But if this hold the Emperor might have taken down Rome and set up Constantinople or any other at pleasure § 55. Can. 50. Forbad Clergy and Laity to play at Dice on pain of Deposition or Segregation And Can. 51. forbids going to Shews Jesters Stage-Plays Huntings The 55th Canon commands the Church of Rome to amend their Customs and not to fast on Sabbath-days Can. 62. Forbids Womens Publick Dancings and Mens and Womens together and their putting on Masquers or Players Apparel or Persons c. Can. 63. Commandeth the burning of false Histories of the Martyrs as tending to bringing Religion into reproach continual joyful Praises to God and holy Exercises and to use no Horse-Races c. The 67th Canon is against eating Blood Can. 72. Nullifieth Marriage with Hereticks Alas good Bishops did you think the Papists would have Hereticated you as Monothelites and nullified all Marriages with you by this Canon But two Hereticks Marriage is not null Can. 78. Commandeth all the illuminate baptized to learn the Belief and every Friday to say it to the Bishop and Presbyters How many Parishes or hundred Parishes had the Bishop then to hear Not so many as ours § 56. The 82 Canon offends the Papists forbidding the Picture of a Lamb to be made for Christ as the Lamb of God The 90th Canon is an old one Not to kneel on any Lord's-day and that this begin on the evening before P. 155. Binnius reproveth them for calling Cyprian Archbishop and he proveth that Africa then had no Archbishop or Primate § 57. CCXXII An. 693. was another Toletan Council called by King Egica Before it the King writeth a Sermon for them wherein he tells them That every Parish that have twelve Families must have their proper Governor But if less it must be part of anothers charge § 58. CCXXIII. An. 694. was another Toletan Council under the same King Egica One would wonder that the Legislative vertue of the Church should be continued to such fertility and multitude of Laws as must follow if in all Countries there be every year a Council How great must the Volumes of Laws be at last Binnius in his Notes on this Council tell us That though Paul would have the believing Husband or Wife stay with the Unbeliever in hope of Conversion yet many hundred years experience hath taught us the contrary that it tendeth rather to hurt than good and therefore now it must be otherwise and they must separate § 59. CCXXIV. Even to those days the number of Pagans and Infidels in most Countries was the greatest and the care of good men was to convert them And therefore we read still of so many baptized at age A Council at Utrecht decreed Willebrood or Willifrid and Suibert being Leaders that the best Preachers should be sent from the Neighbor Churches to convert the Heathens that was better work than striving who should be chief or raging about hard words § 60. CCXXV. A Synod at Aquileia An. 698. condemned the 5th General Council at Constantinople for condemning the tria Capitula of the Council of Calcedon O what Concord Councils caused § 61. Pope Sergius refusing to own the Council of Constant. at Trul. under Iustinian 2d the Emperor commanded that he should be brought Prisoner to Constantinople The Soldiers of Ravenna Sergius having paid them the 100 l. of Gold hearing of it rose up and rescued him and made the Emperor's Officer in fear beg for his life By such Obedience Rome kept up § 62. Tiberius the 2d deposed Iustinian the 2d and cut off his Nose and banished him Iustinian was restored and exposed Tiberius to scorn and killed him and banished Bishop Callinicus to Rome for unfaithfulness to his Prince Iohn the 6th was now Pope § 63. Iohn the 7th is made Pope another Council at Toletum under King Witiza I pass by he was a Greek CCXXVI He gather'd a Synod at Rome to debate Iustinian's Order for the receiving the Trull Concil And our English Willifrid accused by his King was here justified as a Son of that Church And a Synod in England received him when the King was dead § 64. Sisumius made Pope lived but 20 days and Constantine succeeded him who was sent for to Constantinople and honoured by Iustinian § 65. About this time An. 708. Spain was conquered by the Saracens Binnius saith Because King Witiza forsook the See of Rome By which we still see that Rome was forsaken even by the best Church such as Spain then was and was not the Ruler of the World § 66. Bardanes Philippicus by Rebellion deposed Iustinian and was made Emperor and within two years was so used himself by Anastasius his eyes put out and he banished § 67. CCXXVII The Emperor Philippicus and Iob. Constant. called General Council at Constantinople I may well call it General when Binnius saith There were innumerable Bishops which is not said of any other Council They all condemned the 6th General Council and their Opinion of two Wills and two Operations Where it is manifest 1. How great a part of the Church regarded not the Authority of Rome 2. Nor thought a General Council infallible when innumerable Bishops are against both 3. And how strong the Monothelite Party was 4. And alas how bad too many Bishops that can change as fast as Emperors will have them For saith Binnius after Baronius Thus at the
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
Bishops a wicked Attempt that served these wicked Men and did the Feat Ebbo the Archbishop of Rhemes of a base original and enow more such Prelates were not wanting The Emperor had before voluntarily lamented his putting out the eyes of his Kinsman Bernard a Rebel of which he dyed as too cruel when now no Prince scrupleth Hanging or Beheading open Rebels The Church had satisfaction by his voluntary Penance for that which few Men will think a Fault And what do these Bishops now but become their Sovereign's Iudges yea and that when he was absent and condemn him unheard for this former Fault Note the Case 1. They condemn their King to be deposed who were Subjects 2. Yea Clergy-men that had least to do with State Affairs 3. Yea and that for a Fault which perhaps was but Justice and no Fault 4. Or if it were a Fault was before judged and remitted And did godly Lewis cherish Christian Bishops so zealously for this use so basely and trayterously to depose him 5. Yea and to join in the horrid Rebellion of unnatural Sons to accomplish their designs 6. And to tempt Princes to hate Religion when in Nomine Domini the pretence of Religion shall do greater wickedness by Prelates than the Rebels Arms was able to perform Saith the Author of the Life of Ludovicus Pius This judgment some few gain-sayed more consented to it the greatest part as it useth to be in such cases consented by word for fear of offending their Leaders They judged him absent and unheard neither confessing nor convict before the Bodies of St. Medard Confessor and St. Sebastian Martyr to lay down his Arms and forced him to lay them before the Altar and cloathing him in a black garment under a strict Guard they thrust him into Prison By this testimony saith Binnius it is certainly proved that the whole business was done by force and fear and coloured with the false pigment of Religion Thus was the best of Princes after all his services for the Prelates and kindness to his Sons deposed and basely used by both against Nature and Religion His first Restauration when he had been before deposed was by the Germans How he was restored the second time I find not certainly some would give Pope Gregory the honour of it It is likeliest that the interest which his goodness had got in the People with the odiousness of his Sons and Bishops Acts did it But fully restored after all this he was And being somewhat backward to forgive Lotharius he filled France with new Wars till the Emperor for Peace did pardon all But Ebbo Archbishop of Rhemes and Agobard Bishop of Lyons were deposed as Leaders of the Treason and Ebbo banished and restored by Lotharius when his Father dyed yea and sent as a fit Man to convert the Normans by Pope Paschal's mission being made Bishop of Hildesheim in Saxony by Ludovic King of Germany see Petavius Hist. l. 8. c. 8. Shortly after An. 840. the Emperor sollicited yet to more Wars by his own Sons about dividing the Kingdoms dyed a direful Eclipse of the Sun foregoing his death the day before Ascension-day § 138. That you may see the base Hypocrisie of these Trayterous Bishops I will recite their words in the Council that condemned the best of Emperors but his Imprisonment they leave out § 139. The Bishops condemnation of the Emperor Ludovicus Pius An. 833. after a Preface of the Duty of Bishops without Favor or Fear to judge Sinners and the need of putting their Sentence in writing to avoid the censure of bad Men they say We hold it necessary to notifie to all the Sons of the Church both present and future how we Bishops set over the Empire of our Lord and most glorious Emperor Lotharius An. 833. the first year of the said Prince in October did generally meet at the Palace at Compendium Compeigne and humbly heard the said Prince And we took care according to the Ministry enjoined us to manifest to him or his Nobles the generality of all the People what is the Vigor and Power or Priestly Ministry and with what Sentence of Damnation he deserveth to be damned who will not obey the warnings of the Priests And next both to the said Prince Lotharius and to all the People we studied to denounce that they should study most devoutly to please God and should not delay to appease him in whatever they had offended him For many things were examined which by negligence hapned in this Empire which manifestly tended to the scandal of the Church and the ruine of the People or the destruction of the Kingdom which must necessarily be quickly corrected and by all means for the future prevented Among other things we mentioned and remembred all Men how by God that Kingdom by the administration of the most excellent Emperor Charles of good memory and the Valor of his Predecessors was peaceable and united and nobly enlarged and committed to the Lord Emperor Lewis by God in great peace to be governed and by God's protection remain'd so preserved as long as that Prince studied God and used his Father's example and was careful to acquiesce in the counsels of good Men And how in progress of time as is manifest to all by his improvidence or negligence it fell into so great ignominy and baseness that it became not only the grief of Friends but the derision of Enemies But because the said Prince hath negligently managed the Ministry committed to him and did both do and compel others to do many things displeasing to God and Man or permitted others to do it and provoked God in many wicked counsels and scandalized the Church and that we may omit innumerable other things at last drew all his Subjects to a common destruction and by God't just judgment suddenly his Imperial Power was taken from him But we remembring the Commands of God and our Ministry and his Benefits thought him worthy that by the leave of the said Prince Lotharius we should send a Message to him by the Authority of this Sacred Assembly to admonish him of his Guilts that he might take sure advice for his safety or salvation That he might in his extremity study with all his might that being deprived of his earthly Power according to God's Council and the Churches Authority he might not also lose his Soul To the counsels of which Messengers and their most wholsom warnings he willingly consented he took time and set a day in which he would give an answer to their wholsom Admonitions And when the day was at hand the same Holy Assembly unanimously went to the venerable Man and took care to admonish him of all that he had offended God in and scandalized the Church and troubled the People committed to him and to bring all to his remembrance And he willingly embracing their wholsom Admonition and their worthy and congruous Aggravations promised
first Act of the Council as Baronius tells us Iohn Bishop of Heraclea spake much against the Church of Rome which he said was the original of all the mischief that had beâ—aln them to overthrow and and cure which this Council was called Much also against Pope Nicolas and Hadrian he spake but for Pope Iohn as being for them In the 2d Act was read an epistle of the Patriarch of Alexandria to the Emperor for abrogating the former 8th Synod And Thomas one of the three Legates of the Eastern Patriarchs that consented to the former Synod the rest being dead made his penitent recantation Then the epistles of the Patriarchs of Ierusalem and Antioch for Photius are read c. In the third Act Pope Iohn's letters were read as endeavouring the peace of the Eastern Church which the Council took as a busy pretending to more power than he had and therefore said that they had peace before his letters came and that they were superfluous And whereas he made it his business by this complyance to get the Bulgarian Diocess They said this was to controvert the bounds of the Empire and therefore left it to the Emperor In the 4th Act the Eastern Patriarchs letters were read disclaiming their Legates at the last Council as being not theirs but the Saracens Legates and condemning that Council The Papists think Photius forged these Here also Lords professed repentance saying that the false Legates deceived them In the 5th Act Metrophanes Bishop of Smyrna is accused of Schism for being against Photius Three Canons also were made 1. That those excommunicate by the Bishop of Rome should not be restored by the Bishop of Constantinople Nor those that were excommunicated by the Bishop of Constantinople be restored by the Bishop of Rome and so Rome was shut out from troubling them with pretended jurisdiction 2. That those that forsake their Bishopricks shall not return to them 3. Against Magistrates that enslave and beat Bishops In the 6th Act the Creed was recited without silioque And in the 7th all those that should add to it or diminish are Anathematized § 91. CCXCVI. A Council of the Popes at Rome excommunicated Athanasius Bishop and Prince of Naples for not breaking his league with the Saracens § 92. Iohn dyed Marinus is made Pope commanded by his predecessâ—r called by Platina Martin who saith that he came to the Popedom malis artibus and therefore did nothing and soon dyed But Barcnius saith he lived long enough to do something viz. 1. He condemned Photius again and thereby provoked the Emperor Basilius as if Rome did still set the imperial Church in contention and hinder peace The Emperor affirmed that he was no Bishop of Rome because he had been ordained Bishop of another place 2. He destroyeth what Pope Iohn had done who had deposed Formosus preacher to the Bulgarians and Bishop Portuensis and had made him swear that he would never return to the Episcopal seat but rest content with Lay-Communion But Pope Marinus recalled him to the City and restored him to his Bishoprick and absolved him from his oath which Baronius and Binnius doubt not but he had power to do yea and to dispense with the ill acts of the Pope which he did out of private affects and partiality § 93. In his time also the Church of Rome used Filioque in opposition to Photius Spain and France having used it before Because saith Baronius and Binnius Photius had wrote about it to the Ignorant and Schismatical Archbishop of Aquileia There was it seems there so many of the greatest Bishops Imperiti et Schismatici in the Papal sense as intimateth that as the Popes greatness rose in height it did not grow equally in length and breadth § 94. Marinus having reigned a year and twenty dayes a short pleasure to sell eternal happiness for Hadrian the third succeeded him and had longer part of the usurped Kingdom viz. a year and three months and nineteen dayes He also damned Photius and was bitterly reproached by the Emperor Basilius whose contumelious letters found him dead and his successor answered them Was all the Christian world now till Luther subject to the Pope Platina saith of this Pope that He was of so great a spirit that in the very beginning of his Papacy he straitway decreed that Popes should be made without expecting the Emperors authority and that the suffrages of the clergy and PEOPLE should be free which was before by Pope Nicolas rather attempted than indeed begun He was I suppose encouraged by the opportunity of Charles his departing with his army from Italy to subdue the rebelling Normans Rome was still on the rising hand § 95. Stephen the 5th alias 6th succeeded him In his time Carolus Crassus the Emperor is by a convention of Lords and Bishops deposed from his Empire as too dull and unworthy Kings were brought under as elective by the Pope and now are at the mercy of their subjects Arnulphus a base son of Carolomannus got an interest in the subjects and they deposed the Emperor and set him up Baronius and Binnius ascribe it to Gods judgment for Charles his wronging of Richarda a pure Virgin yet repudiated by him They say that he was reduced to such poverty that he was fain to beg his bread of Arnulphus and dyed 888 in the 4th year of his Empire § 96. The Letter against the Pope written by the Emperor Basilius the Papists will not let us see But this Pope Sthephen ' s answer to it they give us which runs on the old foundation trayterous to Magistracy as such Telling the Emperor that The Sacerdotal and Apostolical dignity is not subject to Kings and that Kings are authorized to meddle only with worldly matters and the Pope and Priests with spiritual And therefore his Place is as far more excellent than Emperors as heaven is above earth He tells the Emperor that in reviling the Pope of Rome he blattered out blasphemy against the God of all the world and his immaculate Spouse and Priest and the Mother of all Churches And that he is deceived that thinketh that the Disciple Princes is above his master the Priests and the servant above his Lord. He wondereth at his taunts and scoffs against the holy Pope and the curses or reproaches which he loaded the Roman Church with to which he ought with all veneration to be subject as King who made him the judge of Prelates whose doctrine he must obey and why he said Marinus was no Bishop c. By this the reader may perceive whether yet all the Christian world obeyed the Pope or judged him to be their Governor § 97. How Pope Formosus set up Wido Duke of Spoleto trayterously as Emperor till he was forced to loyalty is after to be said § 98. CCXCVII. An. 8â—7 A Council at Colen under Charles Crassus made Canons against Sacrilege and Adultery § 99. CCXCVIII An. 888. A Council at Mentz while they were
were no Popes 4. And if it be but necessary for the future all that after were otherwise chosen were no Popes 5. If several wayes and parties or powers making Popes may all make them true Popes then who knoweth which and how many of those there are and which is the true Pope if ten were made at once ten several wayes 6. This confesseth that Christ hath appointed no way for choosing Popes nor given any sort of men power to choose them else what need Pope Nicholas begin it now anew And if so it seemeth that Christ never instituted the Papacy For can we suppose him so Laxe a Legislator as to say a Pope shall be made and never tell us who shall have power to do it Then England may choose one and France another and Spain another c. the Bishops one the Priests another the Prince another and the Citizens another But if Christ have setled a Pope-making power in any it is either the same as Pope Nicholas did in Cardinal Bishops or not If not the Pope changeth Christ's institution If yea then all those were no Popes that were otherwise chosen and so where is the Roman Church and its succession 7. What power hath Pope Nicholas to bind his successors Have not they as much power as he and so to undo it all again If the King should decree that his Kingdom hereafter shall not be hereditary but elective and that the Bishops should be the choosers of the King were this obligatory against the right of his heirs 8. By this decree if the Laity and Clerks consent not after he is still no Pope § 23. In this same Council saith Bin. ibid. it was decreed that no one hear the Mass of a Presbyter whom he knoweth undoubtedly to have a Concubine or Subintroduced Woman Quaer Whether they that make him a Schismatick that goeth from a scandalous wicked malignant or utterly insufficient Priest and dare not commit the care of his soul to such a one be not looser than Pope Nicholas and this Roman Council was § 24. A Council at Malphia and another at Paris for Crowning King Philip and one at Iacca in Spain of small moment § 25. An. 1061. Was the 22d Schism or two Popes of Rome for five years continuance The Cardinal Bishops for fear of the Emperor chose one that was great with him Anselm Bishop of Luca but the Italian Princes perswaded the Emperor that it was a wrong to them and him and chose Cadolus Palavicinus Bishop of Parma called Honorius the 2d The Sword was to determinate who was the true Pope Cadolus came with an Army to Rome the Romans came out against him and in the Fields called Nero's a great battle saith Platina was fought in which many of both sides fâ—ll but Cadolus was driven away He shortly returned with a great Army being called by a part of the Romans that were men of pleasure and by force seized on the Suburbs and St. Peter's Church But the Souldiers of Gotifred put his Souldiers to flight and he himself narrowly scaped the Prefect of Rome's Son with him breaking through the Romans got possession of the Tower where they besieged him till they forced him to yield and buy his liberty of the besiegers for 300 pound of Silver Then the Bishop of Colen having the education of the young Emperor came to Rome to rebuke Alexander as an Usurper but by Hildebrand was so overcome that the choice belonged not to the Emperor that he called a Council which confirmed Alexander and deposed Honorius The Emperor consented on condition that Cadolus be pardoned and Gibert his promoter Chancellor of Parma made Arch-Bishop of Ravenna which the Pope consented to and did Thus then were Popes and Bishops made Q. How shall we be sure for Cadolus's five years who was the Pope § 26. A woman called Mathildis a Countess was then the great Patroness of the Papacy who furnished military Hildebrand that did all with Souldiers to conquer several Great Men that opposed them and to set up Alexander and defend him § 27. This Pope Alexander is said by Bin. and Baron to judge King Harold of England an Usurper to dispose of the Crown to William of Normandy and declare him lawful Successor and send him a Banner that he might fight for it and possess it Thus did this Prelate give Crowns and Kingdoms as the supreme judge made by himself He after required Rent Peter-Pence from England of William § 28. He made some constitutions for his old Church at Milan Three thing are the summe of them and many other Councils 1. Against Simonie 2. Against the Clergies fornication no Canons cured them of either of these 3. That no Lay-Man judge any Clerk for his crimes only if Priests live in fornication he alloweth Lay-Men to tell the Arch-Bishops and if they will do nothing then to withhold their duties and benefits till they amend But this Binnius noteth was but a temporary extraordinary concession for the hatred that this Pope had to fornicating Clergy-Men But if they did but now and then lie with a woman by chance and did not obstinately still keep them they must not so trouble them § 29. CCCXLV. The foresaid Cadolus or Honorius 2d was setled Pope by a Council at Basil An. 1061. where say some many Simoniacal incontinent wicked Bishops decreed that no Pope should be made but out of Italy which they called Paradise that is Lombardy § 30. CCCXLVI A Council at Osborium An. 1062. contrarily condemned him and set up Alexander Though before Platina saith that Cisalpini omnes all on the Romans side of the Alpes obeyed Honorius except Mathildis a good woman § 31. Here Binnius thought a Dialogue of Pet. Damian worthy to be inserted to prove that Princes may not make Bishops of Rome In which he would prove that the Decrees that gave the Emperor such power may be changed because God doth not alwaies perform his own word for want of mans duty And he saith that some men have been sinners and perished for obeying Gods own Law and some rewarded for breaking it which he proveth by a profane quibble 1. In Iudas as if Christs words what thou dost do quickly had been a command to do the thing 2. In the Rechabites that drank not Wine when Ieremy bade them As if Gods Command to Ieremy to try them had been his Command to them to do it A Council was at Arragon in Spain for we know not what § 32. CCCXLVII An. 1063. Peter Bishop of Florence being accused of Heresie and Simony and deposed a Council at Rome renewed Pope Nicolas 2d's Canons not to hear Masse of a Priest that liveth with a Concubine or introduced woman To excommunicate Simoniacks c. § 33. CCCXLVII In a Council at Mantua to quiet some that yet took Cadolus's part and accused Pope Alexander of Simony Alexander is owned and Cadolus not appearing cast out who after tryed it
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
contention he made an Oath to ask the Pope forgiveness if the Pope would come into Germany The Pope on his way fearing that the Emperor coming toward him with an Army would apprehend him turned back again and betook him to a strong City of his Patroness one Mathildis a woman The Emperor with his Army travelled to him and came to the Gates of the City and in a great and sharp winter frost putting off his Royal Ornaments came barefoot to confess his fault and ask forgiveness of the Pope The Pope would not suffer him to come in He patiently stayed three daies in the Suburbs continually begging pardon and the Citizens moved with Compassion At last the woman Mathildis and Adelai a Savoy Earl and the Abbot of Cluny became petitioners for him and prevailed for mercy with the Pope and he was absolved and reconciled to the Church having sworn a peace and promised Obedience I give you the words of Platina all along And now whether Hildebrand or Henry was the better man in common morals I that knew them not must refer you to the Historians of that age of whom some extol the Pope and depreciate the Emperor and others honour the Emperor and deeply accuse the Pope But if an Emperor that travelled so far inâ—o another Country and put off his ornaments and with his Army waited three daies patiently in the Suburbs of a womans City barefoot in a great frost begging mercy and pardon of a Priest before he could be let in and after this sware obedience to him I say If this Prince did not yet sufficiently submit but deserve to be turned out of his Empire though at the cost of blood and desolation to the innocent Countries it will be hard to know when the Obedience and Submission of Kings is enough to satisfie an ambitious Prelate But the Popes Historians say that the Emperor brake his Covenant It is a hard thing for a King that promiseth Subjection and Obedience to a Pope to be sure to keep his word unless he foreknew what would be commanded him when he hath taken away his Power and Kingdom by parts he may command his life It 's a great doubt to me when God hath made Princes the Rulers of Prelates and Procurators of his Church whether it be not a sin against God and their undertaken office for these Princes to cast off this trust and work because a Pope or Prelate claimeth it The Pope still charged him with sacriledge But I doubt he expounded his meaning when he deposed him for diminishing the Majesty of the Church that is of the Pope and Prelates To proceed in the History In the 3d. or 4th battle it was that Rodulph was slain and It was the Popes denial to disown or excommunicate Rodulph after so low a submission of the Emperor that enraged Henry and made him think of another remedy than to be a Prelates slave The Pope called all the Bishops that cleaved to the Emperor seditious He condemneth Roland the German Legate and sendeth into Germany Legates of his own with a Mandamus We command that no King Arch-Bishop Bishop Duke Earl Marquess or Knight dare resist our Legates c. And the Penalty to the disobedient is terrible viz. We accurse him from Christ and take from him his part of Victory by Arms. Sure if Popes had the power of Victory they need not so oft have fled to Castles nor to have rid on an Ass with the face backward nor to have suffered what many of them have done All this he doth Interpositâ Dei et B. Petri authoritate quâ nulla potest esse major Did Peter ever think that his name would have thus subdued Emperors and Kings The Pope again in a prayer to God and St. Peter reciteth the 2d Psalm and telleth them how the Emperor would cast off his yoke and again curseth him from Christ and deposeth him from all his Government and absolveth all his Subjects from the Oath of Obedience saying that he that may bind and loose in Heaven hath power to take away on Earth both Empires Kingdoms and Principalities and whatever men have to give or take away If we Iudge the ruling Angels how much more their Servants Therefore saith he to the Bishops Let Kings and all secular Princes understand by the example of this man how great your power is in Heaven and how much God esteemeth you and let them fear hereafter to break the commands of the Church Pass this sentence presently on Henry that all may understand that this Son of iniquity fell not from his Kingdom by Chance but by your endeavor Plat. p. 180. Rodulph being killed the Rebels set up the Emperors Son a Lad against his own Father But at that present he was quieted and the Emperor went with an Army into Italy and first Conquered the Army of Mathildis the Popes Patroness and brought his own Pope Clement the 3d. to the Chair and was crowned by him He besieged Gregory in the Castle Guiscard a Norman cometh with an Army to fight for the Pope The Citizens resist him the Emperor being drawn out to Sens. Guiscard burnt and destroyed that part of the City which is between the Laterane and the Capitol and took the Capitol and destroyed it He gave the prey of the City to his Souldiers and delivered Gregory and carried him away to Câ—ssinum and Salernum where he dyed having reigned 12 years Bin. saith that Henry besieged Rome three years before he took it When Robert Guiscard had delivered the Pope he deposed quantum in se all the new Cardinals made by Clement 3. and cursed the Emperor again Gregory himself saith that Italian French and German Bishops were for the Emperor and they were also for Clement 3. How shall we know then which was the true Pope § 44. No less than ten Books of Hildebrand's Epistles are added by Binnius to his life Most of them for the Papal Interest In lib. 2. Ep. 5. He talketh of Philip King of France as he did of the Emperor saying he was no King but a Tyrant and declaring that he was resolved to take his Kingdom from him if he did not amend his wicked life One of his crimes was resisting the Pope that would set Bishops in his Kingdom without his consent Epist. 13. He tells Solomon King of Hungary that his Kingdom is the propriety of the Church of Rome devoted to it by King Stephen and reproveth him for diminishing the Roman Kingdom by accepting Hungary as from the Germans and exhorts him to repent and amend Epist. 18. He again threatneth the King of France to cut off from the Church both him and all that give him any Regal Honour or Obedience O heinous crime to keep the 5th Commandment and Rom. 13. 1 2 3. And that this excommunication shall be oft confirmed upon St. Peter's Altar Epist. 28. He suspends quantum in se the Arch-Bishop of Breme as an Enemy to the
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
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
Emperor and the new Pope Clement Guibert Raven § 87. CCCLXX An. 1085. A Council at Quintilineburg condemned two Heresies The first was the Royalist Heresie of Loyalty called the Henricians from Henry the Emperor who thought that the Pope and Prelates had not authority to depose Kings and Emperors but were to be Subjects to them An Heresie if such that most Kings are very much inclined to as taught them by St. Paul Rom. 13. and by St. Peter himself You see O Princes if you will be the Popes and Prelates Executioners that you must come at last to the Stake your selves and fall under the Law de Hereticis comburendis unless you will be Servants your selves or trust to some peculiar chalibeate remedies The great argument of the Pope was The Disciple is not above his Master One Gunibert undertook to prove That the Pope had no such power but what he had usurped and taken to himself but might be judged But the foresaid Argument struck all dead But might not these Prelates have understood 1. That the Pope himself may have a Master in Philosophy Physick c. And is he not for all that Above his Master 2. Is the King above no Master that teacheth him in any Art or Science 3. Are not Christ's words plainly to be understood of Superiority and Inferiority in eodem genere The Disciple as such is not above his Master but as a King he may or else Princes give up their Kingdoms to every Schoolmaster that they choose 4. This Doctrine sets not only Popes and Prelates but every teaching Priest or Preacher above the King for to such the King may be a Disciple 5. This tendeth therefore to tempt Princes to be utterly ignorant and brutish for fear lest by learning any thing of any Master they should give away their Kingdoms And if Children be Kings by inheritance what a snare is here laid to undo them 6. Doth not the Holy Ghost say Let every Soul be subject and were not Peter and the Apostles some of these Souls Did not Christ himself and Peter pay Tribute But remember again you that are Subjects to such Councils and Prelates that it is by them judged Heresie to be Loyal and to plead for the Clergies subjection to Kings § 88. The Heresie of Wecilo was here also condemned that said as they report him That when the secular Men were spoiled of their Estates and Goods it 's like by the Ecclesiasticks they were not bound to obey the Ecclesiasticks and might be received by others when they were Excommunicate It was therefore decreed That whoever was Excommunicate by his Bishop that Bishop not being himself Excommunicate or deprived of his Office though it were unjustly done should by no means be received to Communion by any other unless absolved in the Ecclesiastical manner And so God must be disobeyed that commandeth the Faithful to worship him in Sacramental Communion whenever any proud malicious or drunken Prelate will forbid him And must so live and die unless his Masters will repent of their injuries When as it is usual for one injury to engage a Man to more or to continue it for the justification of the first § 89. Another Decree of this Hereticating Council was What days to keep the Spring and Summer Fasts on and that none eat Cheese or Eggs in Lent This is the Roman holiness and way to Heaven Many Archbishops and several Cardinals were here Excommunicate also for being for the Emperor against the Pope § 90. CCCLXXI But the Wars of Councils continuing a Council was called by the Emperor at Mentz where the deposition of Gregory and the substitution of Clement whose Legates were present was confirmed and the Condemners again condemned And so we have done with the Life Letters and Councils of Hildebrand § 91. Pope Gregory dying Clement alone was Pope one year and then the Italians chose Desiderius an Abbot called Victor the 3d. This was the 23d Schism or two Popes at once Victor lived but a year and three months and 24 days Historians tell us of Famines and dreadful Prodigies in those days In that little time he raised an Army which beat the Saracens in Africk § 92. CCCLXXII A Council at Capua chose this Victor An. 1087. and when he was brought to Rome they found Pope Clement in possession and keeping it by Arms but when they had fought Victor's Soldiers proved Victors and his Title to be best § 93. CCCLXXIII Victor had a Council at Benevent where he damned Pope Clement and his Bishops An. 1087. The grand Controversie of those times of the Pope against the Emperor and other Princes was about Presentations to Bishopricks or Investitures which the Pope said belonged to no Lay-man Victor ' s Council again judged such Presentations or Collation of Bishopricks to be Sacriledge and such Simoniacs that used them And here it 's worth the noting that they decree Bin. p. 1293. That Penance and Communion may be received from none but a Catholick And if no Catholick Priest be there it is righter to persist without visible Communion and to communicate invisibly with the Lord than by taking it from a Heretick to be separated from God For there is no Communion of Christ and Belial nor of a Believer with an Infidel But every Heretick is an Infidel And a Simoniac because an Heretick is an Infidel For though Catholicks because of the Hereticks being over them cannot have visible and corporal Communion yet while in mind they are joined to Christ they invisibly receive his Communion Let it be here noted 1. That this Council confesseth that the Sacrament and visible Communion is not of necessity to salvation And why not the same of visible Baptism when it cannot be had on lawful terms 2. That therefore it is no sinful Separation to refuse such Church-Communion as cannot be had on lawful terms or but from Hereticks Simoniacs or Sacrilegious 3. That this sheweth that the Church of Rome hath their Succession oft interrupted For by the testimony of their most flattering Historians and of General Councils many Popes have been Simoniacs Ergo saith this Council Hereticks and Infidels Ergo no Popes Ergo their Faith failed 4. That this maketh their Bishops Priests and Churches in all their own Kingdoms where Princes have the presenting and investing of Bishops to be all void and null as being Infidels And that not only among Protestants none should communicate with any Bishops that have their Presentation and Investiture from Kings but must separate from them as Infidels but even in Papists Kingdoms they must do the same § 94. Victor commended Odo or Otho Ostiensis for his Successor who is chosen in his stead against Clement and called Urban the 2d He made their old Patroness Mathildis in her age to marry with an Italian Duke Welpho on condition that they should never have Carnal Copulation The Emperor came to Rome and set up Clement Urban or Otho being one
that before had published the Excommunication of the Emperor Excommunicateth him again and goeth from Rome into Italy and France and sets the Princes upon the recovering of Ierusalem Listing 300000 Men and so reconciled most of their Strifes at home The History of this Expedition Platina briefly and many Authors largely give us to whom I refer you Conrade the Emperor's Son rebelleth against his Father encouraged by the Pope The Papal Historians pretend that his Father would have forced him to Incest but others think otherwise It was this Pope saith Bin. p. 1293. that appointed the horary Prayers called the Office of the Blessed Virgin to be used by Clergy and Laity for success against the Saracens Having Reigned eleven years and four months he died § 95. CCCLXXIV An. 1089. Urban in a Council at Rome repeateth against the Emperor and Pope Clement what was done before by Greg. the 7th Clement is expelled Rome and driven to renounce The Holy Wars breed reconciling thoughts The Papal Party offer the Emperor his Crown if he will depose Clement His Bishops dissuade him and he refuseth being otherwise for Peace inclined to it § 96. CCCLXXV A Council at Troy in Apulia about marriage of Kinsfolk § 97. An. 1090. A Council at Tolouse deposed the Bishop as criminal c. § 98. An. 1090. A Council of Urban's at Melfia decreed again that no Bishop receive Investiture from any Lay-man and that no Lay-man have right or authority over any Clerk Also against false Penance Hildebrand before had decreed that Penance and Baptism and so Absolution profit not impenitent undisposed Receivers § 99. CCCLXXVI A Council at Benevent condemned Pope Clement again § 100. CCCLXXVII Another at Troy did consult for Urban's interest § 101. CCCLXXVIII Another at Constance An. 1094. against married Priests and Simoniacs and about the number of Easter and Whitsun Holy-days And the Empress Praxes departed from the Emperor accusing the Court of most filthy Fornication perhaps the cause of their Calamities § 102. CCCLXXIX An. 1094. A Council at Ostio in France Excommunicated their own King Philip for putting away his Wife and marrying another and again Excommunicateth the Emperor and Pope Clement § 103. CCCLXXX An. 1095. A Council at Placentia heard the Cause of the Emperor of Const. begging help against the Infidels and of the King of France and the Empress complained how filthily she had been forced by her Husband's command It repeated damnations and decreed that no money be taken for Baptizings Chrysms or Burials § 104. CCCLXXXI A Council at Clermont for the same Causes It decreeth That if one injure another on Monday Wednesday or Thursday it shall not be reputed a breach of Peace but if it be done on any of the other four days it shall be judged a breach of holy Peace and be punished as shall be judged C. 1. And that no Clergyman shall receive any Honour or Preferment from the hand of Lay-men C. 15. And C. 16. That no Kings or Princes make investiture of any Ecclesiastick Honour And C. 17. That no Bishop or Priest make any promise of Allegiance to a King or to any Lay-man Ne Regi vel alicui Laico in manibus Ligium fidelitatem faciat Ligius is Liege or Ligatus a Vassal or full Subject And C. 19. That no Lay-labourer keep the tenth of his labour from the Clergy or receive from the Clergy the tenth of his wages § 105. It sheweth you that ever the Sacrament in one kind was not introduced in that the 28th Canon of this Council decreeth that None communicate at the Altar unless he receive the Body by it self and the Blood by it self unless through necessity or with cautelousness Can. 29. Any one that fled from his Enemies to any Cross was to be there protected as in a Church But the Ierusalem War was the main business of this Council by which the Pope cunningly turned away Animosities and Jealousies from himself and got the repute of a Holy Defender of the Church § 106. But in an English Council all the Bishops in the Kingdom save one Rochester would force Archbishop Anselme to renounce the Pope which Anselme refusing and reasoning against they said that he blasphemed the King setting up any in his Kingdom without his consent and so they jointly renounce their subjection and obedience to the Archbishop and abjure the unity of brotherly society with him Bin. p. 1302. You see Luther was not the first that renounced the Pope § 107. CCCLXXXII A Council at Tours for the Holy War where the King of France Philip was reconciled promising service to the Pope § 108. CCCLXXXIII An. 1097. A Concilium Barense was held for winning the Greek Church in their necessity where Anselme of Canterbury got the honour in disputing of the Procession of the Holy Ghost The sum of which Disputation is in his Works § 109. CCCLXXXIV An. 1098. A Council at Rome gave the King of England time to repent till Michaelmas the former Council had Excommunicated him if Anselme had not desired delay § 110. An. 1099. Another Roman Council for the Holy War and Reexcommunicating Pope Clement but what Clement did all this while is past over here § 111. An. 1099. Some little Council at Ierusalem put out Arnulph the Archbishop of Ierusalem as a wicked Man and Usurper and gave it to the Pope's Legat. § 112. An. 1099. Paschal the 2d is made Pope a little after Pope Clement dieth who had Reigned with his Competitors 21 years Being buried at Ravenna after five years a Council caused his Carkass to be dig'd up and burnt Decreeing That all the Bishops of the Henrician Heresie that is who were for Emperors being above the Pope or not deposable by him and for his power of Presentations or Investitures if they were alive should be deposed if dead should be dig'd up and burnt which were most of the Bishops of the West if Hildebrand himself mistook not O Military Bishops that can overcome the dead No wonder if the Church and Nations be confounded by you that cannot let each others Carkasses rest in their Graves but will dig up the bones of the Prelates of many Kingdoms even the greatest part How many Princes and Prelates now Papists are guilty of the Henrician Heresie Should not their bones also be burnt if you durst § 113. But the Schism continued three persons successively being made Anti-Popes by the Emperor's party but all of them one after another overcome by Paschal who being a Military Pope did most of his work by his Army which he frequently had on foot In his time Ierusalem and the Cities about were won by Godfrey of Bullen his Brother Baldwin Boemund Tancred and the rest of the Christians and Godfrey made first King and Baldwin next Boemund and Tancred having Antioch and after suffering great losses c. as you may read in the Histories § 114. Never did the Papal Rebellion work more unnaturally than in
162. CCCCXVI Another Synod Senonensis got St. Bernard among them who debated the case of Peter and he appealed to the Pope who condemned him and yet saith that Peter denied many of the words and all the sense that was charged on him but nameth five Errors worthy his condemnation if his indeed § 163. Binnius from W. Malmesbury who was present reciteth another Council at Winchester King Stephen being taken Prisoner by some Lords and the Londoners pleading for his liberty his Brother the Pope's Legat was against him and accused him Excommunicating divers Lords that were for him § 164. CCCCXVII A Synod at Ierusalem against the Patriark of Antioch the Prince and the Pope's Legat being against him Accused of many Crimes he would not appear and was deposed and imprisoned and scaping out went to Rome for help and was there poisoned An unlearned bad Man Haymericus is put into his seat § 165. Innocent dying Caelestine the 2d was the first Man that ever was ordained or made Pope without the Peoples Election saith Binnius himself ex Onuphr by the Cardinals privately alone according to Pope Innocent's Order An. 1143. in Conrade's Reign he dyed within six months In his time the Christians lost Edessa to the Turks § 166. Pope Lucius the 2d cometh next and liveth but 11 months In which he set the Emperor Conrade on a fruitless Expedition towards Ierusalem to the death of multitudes § 167. A Gallican Council against Abailardus who is said by Plat. Pet. Cluniac to repent and dye a holy death § 168. Eugenius the 3d a Companion of Bernards is next Pope The Romans rising for their Civil Government expel him He goeth into France maketh an Archbishop against the King's will who sweareth he shall not enter the City Bernard persuadeth the King to repent and to expiate his sin by an Expedition with Conrade to Ierusalem where both lose men time and cost The Pope overcometh the Romans and maketh them promise that the Senators shall hold of him he again withdraws and dyeth § 169. 1. Note here that the Civil Government of Rome it self fell not till lately into the Pope's hands and that by the same means as he conquered Kingdoms 2. Note how far he was from ruling all the World when for so many Ages the City of Rome it self contended against him But the dependent Prelates in all Nations of Europe were his strength who perceived that Tibi dabo Claves might be abused for themselves as well as for the Pope and the Policy of Popes was in those days to do all or most by Synods and thereby to make the Prelates perceive that it was their Power Interest and Rule as well as his But now the case is quite changed with this unchangeable Church Councils now are needless because scarce to be trusted § 170. Passing by a Council at Wesel for the Ierusalem War a CCCCXVIII Council at Paris fell again upon the Scholastic Bishop of Poictiers Gilbert Porretane In his Visitation he spake some words too hard for his Hearers and his two Archdeacons getting Bernard on their side a Man more devout than Scholastically acute they accuse the Bishop of Heresie again having had success lately against Peter Abailard the Bishops were ready to receive the Charge The Articles of Accusation were these 1. That he said Divinam Essentiam non esse Deum 2. Quod Proprietates personarum non essent ipsae personae 3. Quod Theologicae personae in nulla praedicarentur Propositione 4. Quod divina natura non esset incarnata And some lesser as 1. That attenuating mans merits he said None merited but Christ. 2. Evacuating the Sacraments of the Church he said None were truly baptized but those that were to be saved And such like other things The Pope and the Prelates heard the Charge Two Masters are brought out against him who sware that they heard some of these things from his mouth many wondering that learned Men used Oaths instead of Arguments saith Otto Frising After many Charges and Urgencies he said Audacter confiteor Patrem alio esse Patrem alio Deum nec tamen esse hoc hoc that is it is one thing to be God and another to be the Father or the words are not of the same signification and yet God is not one thing and the Father another thing The hardness of these words seeming a prophane Novelty provoked the Bishop of Soissons to say What say you That the Being of God is nothing having not read or understood Austin that saith Sic aliud est Deo esse aliud subsistere â—icut aliud Deo esse aliud Patrem esse vel Dominum esse Quod enim est ad se dicitur Pater autem ad Filium Dominus ad servientem creaturam The Bishop of Soissons misusing a saying Cum quis diceret Socratem esse nihil diceret He turned the Auditory against himself and they asked Porretane to open why he so distinguished the Persons who answered Quia omnis persona est per se una which puzled or amazed them and ended that days work The next day he was accused of Novelty for saying that The three persons were tria singularia The Archbishop of Rouen aggravating it said that God should rather be called unum singulare than tria singularia At which many were offended because Hilary saith Sicut duos Deos dicere profanum est ita singularem solitarium dicere sacrilegum estâ—-Et nihil solitarium ex divinis Sacramentis ad suspicionem audientium occasionem blasphemantium proferamus But Porretane told them that by singular he meant nothing but excellent and incomparable In this manner Porretane Bishop of Poictiers was examined and modestly answered them many days till the Pope perceiving that these School-niceties being too hard for him durst not determine them nor gratifie Bernard though his Friend and the Hereticating Bishops and Clergy but craftily put it off to a General Council This is all out of Otto Frising recited by Bin. p. 1332. You may see here what work Hereticating Prelates and Councils were inclinated to make If all the Schoolmens subtile Assertions sound and unsound must thus be tryed in General Councils and all that was disliked called Heresies though it would have shamed the Prelates ignorance it would have afrighted daring Wits from their presumption and since I have seen the tendency of Cartesianism Gassendianism and other Epicurean Follies I did not care much if we had some such ignorant Prelates to afright these bold Philosophers also I have oft marvelled why General Councils that understood not the Hebrew Tongue nor the Pope's Western Councils the Greek have no more exercised themselves in Councils to judge of Scripture Copies and Translations And I have thought in what words and manner they would have prosecuted such debates sure falsifying Scripture is of as dangerous consequence as these School presumptions Some will think it is well that the Councils for above 1000 years
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
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
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
yet stronger in Vices he made divers Officers purposely to manage his Simony as his Bailiffs for all fat Cathedrals Abbeys Monasteries Priorles and vacant Benefices reserved c. 12. That he charged his Registers to receive all the money before they granted c. 13. That he appointed certain Merchants to put vacant Benefices in the Balance and grant their Petitions that offered most for them 14. He ordered that no Petition for a Benefice be offered him till it were signed by the Refundary who then was to pay it out of his own Estate if he took too little 15. That against God and his Conscience he oft sold his Bulls to Eminent men in which he wrote that they that had Benefices had resigned them to him and that by lying forged Resignation which never was made sold them again for great sums and beggar'd many 16. By this it came to pass that without all difficulty he that gave most carried it And the same course was held in Sacraments Indulgences Dispensations and other Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Gifts 17. That he usually sold the same Benefice divers times over to divers persons or to the same silencing Claims of Right whereby the whole Church was defiled with Simony filled with the unworthy both in higher and lower Prelacies c. 18. That he refused to Confirm those that were Canonically Elected unless even to satiety they glutted him with Money putting the unworthy in their stead and translated men against their wills from their Churches that he might sell them dearer 19. That promising Church-Reformation in the Council at Pisa he called one at Rome and being there publickly admonished being incorrigible by the Devils instinct did worse 20. That he sold for Money Indulgences at the hour of death the Predication of the Cross Absolutions from fault and punishment Concessions of Churches and portable Altars Consecrations of Bishops Benedictions of Abbots Relicks of Saints Holy Orders power in Confession to absolve from sins and Acts that may be ministred only by the Operations of the Holy Ghost for Grace 21. That one Nic. Pistorius a Florence Merchant and the Popes Secretary a Lay married man was made by the Pope his Legate Apostolical sent into Brabant to exact and receive a Subsidy which was the tenth part of the fruit of all Benefices in divers Cities and Diocesses and to excommunicate the refusers by a certain deputed Sublegate and suspend Colledges Covents Chapters c. 22. That he authorized this Nicholas to grant to all persons of each Sex for Money to choose their Confessors that might absolve from fault and punishment by which the Merchant got vast sums of Money seducing the people 23. That all the Premises are known true proved c. 24. That Anno 1412. Ambassadors from the King Bishops and Universities of France admonished him charitably of this scandalous infamous Simony 25. That he amended not by it but did worse 26. That he is defamed of all this in all Kingdomes of the Christian World 27. That he abused Rome and the Churches Patrimony exhausting the people and imbursing it himself by Taxes Gabels c. Many instances are added 28. For these things many Crimes Sacriledges Adulteries Murders Spoils Rapine and Thefts were committed in Rome through his fault 29. It is the common voice opinion assertion and belief that in these and innumerable other evils he is the greatest Dilapidator and Dissipator of the Church Affairs that ever was scandalous to the Universal Church a Witch a Murderer a Killer of his Brethren Incontinent in all things serving the Vices of the flesh of infinite crimes called infamously Balderinus 30. That all this is notorious by common fame repute c. 31. That he hath sold the goods of Cardinals Bishopricks Parishes Colledges Priories c. 32. And this not only in the City about many instances named 33. That he destroyed University Studies by taking the Salaries to himself 34. Besides he laid such burdens on the Parsons as forced them to sell the Church-goods Ornaments and Books 35. That hereby the whole Church was notoriously scandalized 36. The Infamy was so great that Princes and the Emperour besought him to amend 37. Hereupon he promised to amend and to call this Council 38. But he went on and did worse than before 39. He forbad the righting of the injured in judgment 40. That the Bishop of Salisbury and other English Embassadours admonished him to amend and he gave them ill words and threatned and abused them 41. That at Constance he swore to resign for Peace 42. And he promised to submit to the judgment of the Council 43. He bid all say what they would against him 44. He was humbly intreated by the Council to perform his word 45. Yet thought by hiding himself to evade 46. Yet he professed before that he intended not to depart 47. And when the Church longed for peace by the Council he plotted to dissolve the Council and so fled in a disguized habit 48. He fled to Schafhausen and commanded some Cardinals and Bishops to come to him 49. Thence he fled to Lauffenberge and towards Brisac 50. The Council desired his return 51. He denied to answer but fled to Nurenburg to frustrate the Council 52. He is an obdurate sinner and incorrigible Fautor of Schism c. 53. That all this is notorious and the common repute of men 54. And all the premises are the common fame and voice Here somewhat is left out And they begin as anew 1. Declaring his wickedness from his Youth 2. That he is notoriously suspected to have poysoned Pope Alexander and hâ—s Physitian Daniel 3. That he committed Incest with his Brothers Wife and with the holy Nuns and ravished Maids and committed Adultery with Wives and other crimes of Incontinence 3. That he Simonaically sold six Parish Churches in Bononia to Lay men who set Priests in them at their pleasure 4. That for Money he sold the Mastership of the Order of S. Iohn of Ierusalem in Cyprus to a Child of five years old Bastard to the King of Cyprus with the fruits of Vacancies and spoils of the last Master c. 5. That he would not recall this but on condition 1. That the K. of Cyprus should be paid by them that succeeded all the Money back which he gave to the Pope 2. That the Pope should have more six thousand Florins of Gold which the Prior of Rhodes paid and for which the Hospitallers are yet in debt 3. He reserved for the said Bastard the Magistral Chamber worth two thousand Florins 4. That the said Pope Iohn gave Fryar Iacobus de Vitriaco an ancient man and expresly professing the Hospitallers Religion an Absolution from his Vows Rule and habit of Religion and reduced him to a Secular life and Marriage c. for six hundred Ducats Many other Articles I pass by as tedious to be repeated One was That he was a notorious Simoniack and a pertinacious Heretick Another was That often
this Commandment without spot unrebukable unto the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ which must needs extend to his Successors The faithful and wise Stewards that give the children their meat in due season will be found so doing by the Lord at his coming Luke 12. 42 43. And it is not till the last day that Christ will give up the Kingdome to the Father 1 Cor. 15. 25. 2. The Apostles actually setled an ordinary Ministry in their time as is proved 3. There are Commands for setling Successors of these as 2 Tim. 2. 2. Tit. 1. 5. as is proved 4. These Ministers are described and the way of their Ordination setled by Canons 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 5. We had the several Angels of the Churches in their places Revel 2. 3. and promises to some of them for the future with a Command Hold fast till I come 2. 23. and 3. 10. I will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come on all the world Behold I come quickly 6. Christ hath commanded the Ministerial work to continue to the end As the Preaching of the Word must be to all Nations and every Creature Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. And these most cruel men would have all the Preachers give over their work and leave the world to perish in Infidelity So for the assembling of our selves together and exhorting one another we are commanded not to forsake it as is the manner of some and so much the more as we see the day approaching Heb. 10. 23 24 25. So that the nearer we are to Christs coming the closer must we stick to Church-Communion and holy Assemblies considering that it s but a little while and he that comes will come and shall not tarry ver 37. God doth on purpose forbear his coming because he is long-suffering and will continue the means to call men to repentance and then the day of the Lord will come suddenly 2 Pet. 3. 9 10. The Word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached to you 1 Pet. 1. 25. The Lords Supper is Instituted to be used to shew the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11. 26. Church-government or Discipline is a fixed Ordinance Mat. 18. 15 16 17. And if the work continue the workmen must continue 7. The mercy of God and the Efficacy of Christs Blood and the necessities of the Church continue we still need a Teaching Ministry Heb. 5. 11. and for our need it is Instituted till the Church be perfect that we be not as children toss'd up and down Eph. 4. 13 14. What enemies to us and to the love and mercy of God are they that would perswade men that he so quickly withdrew so great a mercy when the gifts and calling of God are without repentance 8. The Law and its Priesthood was not removed but by the glory of a better Law and Ministry And Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant and Promises Heb. 7. 22. 8. 7 8. Therefore he will not deal so much worse 9. Christ telleth us that a wise man will consider whether he can go through with it before he build or make War Therefore he would not himself begin to build his Church and enter himself the Captain of our Salvation and presently let his Enterprize fall 10. If the Ministry continue not then the Church continueth not for as the Head Liver and Stomack or Lungs are to the Body so is the Ministry to the Church 1 Cor. 12. 13 19 20 28 29. They plant and water it 1 Cor. 3. 6. and build it ver 10. For how shall we believe on him of whom we have not heard and how shall we hear without a Preacher and hew shall they preach unless they be sent Rom. 10. 14. But the Church doth continue for first else Christ were no longer the Head of it the King Prophet or Priest and so not Christ But he is a Priest for ever abiding continually he continueth ever and hath an unchangeable Priesthood he ever liveth to make intercession for those that come to God by him Heb. 7. 3. 22 24 25. 2. Those that deny the Church must needs deny themselves Christians and Members of that Church 3. There is no Salvation promised but to the Church Eph. 5. 23 25 26 27. Mark 16. 16. 4. Blindness is on the Jews but till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved Therefore it is most evident that the Gentile Church shall not cease till the fulness have prepared for the re-ingraffing of the Iews Rom. 11. 25 26. 5. It is an everlasting Kingdome which cannot be moved and the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem whereof even the Angels and perfected Spirits of the Iust are a part to which we come by Faith therefore it ceaseth not Heb. 12. 22 23 28. 6. When that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13. 10. but not before 7. If nothing can separate us from the love of God no not any distress or tribulation then are not all the Ministers and Church cut off Rom. 8. 34. to 39. Yea those that in all Ages suffer for his sake are not cut off from him but so many faithful Ministers do 8. But what should I say any more against that Assertion which carrieth stark Heathenism or Infidelity in its Forehead reproaching Christ as no Christ and teaching men that they are not bound to be Christians and believe the Gospel and perswading the world to despise Christs Messengers and Ordinances and Ministers to cast off their Masters work which in two words is to turn Infidels or Apostates I must refer you for my fuller answer to such men to my Book against Infidelity Prop. 4. God hath in his Law appointed a standing way for the calling of these ordinary Teaching Ruling worshipping Ministers in all Ages and doth himself call them in this way 1. He instituteth the Office 2. He commandeth that fit persons be ordained to this Office 3. He describeth them by their necessary Qualifications All this is at large 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Act. 20. 1 Pet. 5. c. This is his work by his standing Law By which also he commandeth the people to chuse consent to or accept the fit and to hear and obey them Act. 14. 23. 2 Thes. 5. 12. Act. 6. 3 5. Heb. 13. 7 17. And then by Providence 1. He giveth them those gifts of the Spirit that may competently qualifie them for their Office 2. He assisteth the Chusers and Ordainers to discern those Qualifications and do their duties 3. He causeth some special fitness of a Minister to the special Province or Charge which he is to undertake and special inviting occasions and opportunities and oft-times causeth Necessity to make the choice 4. He boweth the heart of the person called to consent and usually to desire the work for the
General Council there yet both approved by Popes § 83. The Council accuse Rome § 87. Rome's jurisdiction excluded § 87. Adders to the Creed filioque anathematized Pope Martin and Hadrian condemn Photius and enrage the Greek Emperour against them § 89 91. Bishops and Lords depose Carolus Crassus he is put to beg his bread § 92. The Pope above Emperours as Heaven above Earth Kings are Servants and not above the Clergie their Masters § 93. A King ruling ill decreed to be a Tyrant Bishops and Priests lying with their own Sisters restrained but no Bishop is to be accused by a Presbyter nor judged under seventy two Witnesses nor Priests under forty two c. He that would lye with his Sister before so many deserved blame Murderers of Priests denyed Flesh Wine Coaches c. § 96 97. Formosus perjured was the first Bishop that ever was made Pope § 99. CHAP. 11. The Progress of Councils till Leo the 9th especially in the West The Bishops depose Odo and set up Charles § 1. The Virgin Mary's Smock works wonders § 2. Bloud and confusion in Italy § 3. Bishops to be obeyed before Earls and Magistrates Clergy-men must not be put to swear No Presbyter to be depos'd but by six Bishops § 5. Two wicked Popes at once Stephen Iudgeth Dismembreth and drowneth dead Formosus and re-ordaineth those ordained by him § 7 8. The Bishops in Council approve it yet now Papists detest it § 9. When Popes are Infallible § 10. Popes undo what their Predecessors did § 12 13 14 15 17. Platina's description of a Malignant Pope § 14. Popes Crown for fear and uncrown and Crown others § 15. Bishops turn and return and cry Peccavimus Reordinations forbidden § 16. Bad Princes the cause of bad Bishops § 17. Wicked Christians on whom the Pope durst not use Discipline § 17. Schismes and violence on Popes § 18 19 20. Sergius made Pope the third time keeps it by Whores and Whoredom the most wicked of men saith Baron and Bin. § 22. Formosus again executed dead § 23. Questions to the Papists of their holyness and Succession § 24. Photius last deposition and the Murders of Emperours at Constant § 26. A Whore Ruleth at Rome § 21. She maketh her Fornicator Pope Baronius and Binnius hard put to it § 62. Earl Heribert's Son not five years old made Archbishop so Rhemes § 30. Ratified by Pope John lamented by Baron that by this Example other great men did the like Johns end by a Whore § 30. None to marry within the seventh degree as incest § 31. Sergius bastard-Son under age made Pope John by a Whore and destroyed after a Monster saith Binnius § 35. None to fast privately but by the Bishops consent § 36. The King of Denmark made Christian by Henry King of Germany § 39. St. Peter made the example for many Bishopricks to one Bishop § 40. Albericus ruleth and mangleth the Pope § 41. The Bishops judge the Infant before the perjured Monk to be Bishop of Rhemes § 43. The treasons and changes in France § 44. Tryphon illiterate finely cheated of his Patriarchate Const. § 46. Councils do and undo between the two Bishops of Rhemes § 48 49 50. John XII Lawful Pope wanted all things necessary to a Pope say Baronius and Binnius § 51. Notes hereon § 52. Pope John dismembreth his Cardinals § 53. He fled § 53. The Bishops depose him and make another by Otho's means § 54. The horrid charges against Pope John sworn § 53. Baronius and Binnius against his condemnation answered § 56. Two Popes and Churches § 57. Not yet known who was the true Pope § 59. John killed in Adultery § 60. Another Antipope perjuriously chosen § 61. A Martyr § 62 64. An interruption of the Succession by Baronius and Binnius account § 65. Otho saveth them The next imprisoned and strangled § 67. Boniface VII runs to Constantinople with the Church Treasure § 69. Two more Popes § 69 70 72. Boniface murders another Pope and gets in dyeth and is drag'd about the Streets § 74. John XV durst not dwell at Rome § 75. Huâ—o Capet turneth the Bishops § 78. Popes fighting John XVII blinded mangled disgraced kill'd § 84. Seven Electors of the Emperour settled § 85. Gerbert how made Pope § 87. The King of Hungary Converts the Transilvanians § 87. Good Kings § 90. Leutherius Archbishop of Seus against Transubstantiation § 91. Two Popes fighting The King of Hungary converted by the Emperour Henry § 95. The first burning of Hereticks Manichees § 97. Henry the Emperour leaveth his Wife a Virgin § 100. Benedict IX a deboist boy-Pope put out again § 103. Gets in again A third enters at once The Cerberus hired all out by dividing the Church-rents between them do resign but the hirer as pacificator is made Pope § 103. Six that had been Popes alive at once One honest Pope that could not read made a fellow Pope to do it § 104. Gregory VI. The illiterate reconciling Pope variously described put out with the other three and a Fifth chosen § 107. Benedict gets in the third time § 107. Another gets in by Poyson and dyeth the 23 day § 110. Baron answered § 111. The Monster Bened. 9. is he that condemned Berengarius § 112. Leo 9th of the Resurrection Renounceth the Title of Vniversal Patriarchs as of the bawd of Antichrist Peter not Vniversal Apostle Bishops equal varied by City priviledges save in Africa by seniority The Romish Church usurped by no Pastors § 205. Michael Patr. of Const. Rebaptizeth Papists saith they had no true Baptism or Sacrifice § 205. A Roman Council pardon simoniacal Bishops and Priests lest the Church be utterly destitute § 206. The Popes hold a Council in France against the King ' s will A Bishops horrid Crimes and a miracle there Still Clergie and People must chuse every Bishop 207. CHAP. 12. The continuation till the Council of Constance Councils against Berengarius § 2 c. Adulterous and Symoniacal Bishops A miracle § 4 9. Hildebrand a Sub-deacon presideth in Councils and deposeth Bishops and Excommunicateth § 9 10. Bishops by Excommunication rule K. Ferdinand § 12. Milan separated from Rome 200 years § 16. Another Schism § 17 18. Hildebrands new Foundation of Popes by Cardinals Election § 22. Notes hereon § 22. A Roman Council forbids hearing a Fornicator Priest § 23. Bloody fights between two Popes Five years schism § 25. P. Alexander giveth England to William the Conqueror § 27. Councils for each Pope § 28 29. Gods word affirmed violable § 30. Hildebrands War in Rome Italian Bishops against him His hard work Obedience to the Pope forbidden by a Council at Mentz He deposeth the Emperour for seeking to diminish the Majesty of the Church and absolveth his sworn Subjects An Antipope made that sate 21 years the 23d schism The Emperour barefoot in frost three days begs pardon and promiseth obedience He is again cursed by the Pope in Council as
having power to take away Kingdoms and all that men have § 41 42. The Siege of Rome Two Popes Gregory's death § 42. He threatneth to depose the King of France claims Hungary c. § 23. Binnius record of THE POPES DICTATES telling in 27 Articles WHAT POPERY IS § 44. He claimeth Spain § 46 and Dalmatia § 49. A great part of the Bishops against him § 49. Pronounceth unsincere repentance fruitless § 50. Denyeth Divine Service in the Sclavonian tongue § 51. Ill weather imputed to the ill Lives of Priests The Armenians errours what § 51. Apulia c. the Popes § 51. One man turned an hundred thousand men in Spain from the Pope He threatneth to Excommunicate and depose the King of Spain as an Enemy to the Christian Religion § 52. He newly found St. Matthews body § 54. He will expose the Prince of Sardinia unless he obey him in making all Priests shave their beards § 55. Notes hereon The French convert the Sweeds and the Pope would reap the fruit § 56. His notable Epistle to prove Popes Priests and Exorcists above Kings § 57. Answered § 58. Peter pence § 59. An Arch-bishop suspended for not visiting Rome § 60. A pious Lie for Peace is a sin § 61. The old Spanish Liturgy partly contrary to the Christian Faith till now § 62. His respect to William the Conquerour c. § 64 66. The German Bishops hereticate the Pope for forbidding Marriage § 67. Matthew is forsaken § 68. Philip King of France and many great Bishops excommunicate § 69. Divers Councils excommunicating contrarily the Antipopes § 69 to 74. Ordinations null that are made pretio precibus vel obsequio and not by the common consent of Clergy and People § 75. He excommunicateth the Greek Emperour usurping § 76. The Greek affairs summ'd up § 77. The power of Pope and Bishops to depose Kings § 79. A Council Character of Gregory § 80. A Council make Loyalty to be Haeresis Henriciana § 87. The Disciple is not above his Master answered § 87. Wecilo's heresie that men obey not unjust Excommunications but may by others be received § 88. The 23d Schism § 91. Victor's Soldiers conquer Clement's § 92. Lay Princes presentations or Investitures are Heresie every Heretick is an Infidel It 's better be without visible Communion than have it with such § 93. Consectaries overthrowing Rome ib. A new Pope marrieth Mathildis to Welpho on condition they use not carnal Copulation § 94. A Jerusalem expedition causeth peace at home Conrade rebelleth against his Father § 94. The Emperour commits Fornication § 101 103. Wrongs on Monday Wednesday or Thursday no breach of holy peace No Bishop or Priest must swear or promise Allegiance to a King nor take Preferment from any Lay-man § 104. None to communicate in one kind § 105. All the Bishops of England save Rochester renounce obedience and society with Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury because he would not renounce the Pope saying he blasphemed the King setting up any in his Kingdom without his consent § 106. Time given the King of England to repent § 109. The Anti-Pope Clement digg'd up and burnt Paschal 2. Council Decree that all Bishops of the Henrician Heresie Loyalists if alive be deposed if dead digg'd up and burnt that is most of the Western Bishops § 112. The Schism continued § 113. The Pope set up young Henry against his Father who taketh him Prisoner to the death He keeps his Fathers Corps five years unburied because Excommunicate Yet proveth Hereticus Henricianus Imprisoneth the Pope till he grant him Investitures The Pope absolveth himself § 114 115. Cases on Binnius § 116. Note that Investitures supposed the People and Clergies free choice of Bishops § 117. The Bishops usage of old Henry to the last § 118. To take the Popes Excommunications as not obligatory is a Heresie § 119. The dangerous Doctrine of Fluentius Bishop of Florence that Anti-Christ was come § 120. Only the Church made Henry rebell § 121 122. Tybur coloured with bloud The Earl of Millans Flesh given to Dogs The Popes sacramental Covenant broken § 127. God will have no involuntary service § 129. The same is a Henrician Heresie in others which is none in the Pope § 132. He may forswear for the People of God § 132. Two Popes contending and excommunicating The Emperour giveth up Investitures § 135 to 138. Four Doctrines of Guilb Porretane condemned in Council 1. That Divinitas and Deus are not the same in signification 2. That the three Persons are not unum aliquid 3. That there are eternal Relations besides the Persons 4. That it was not the Divine Nature that was incarnate Two more Popes § 138 142. A Preacher murdered at Rome § 144. Two more Popes the succession from the wrong § 145. They fight for it § 146. How Clergy and People first lost their Votes in choice of Popes § 147. Two Popes still striving § 149 c. Many Castles in England built by two Bishops § 160. Abailard condemned unheard § 161. Caelestine II. the first Pope without the Peoples election An. 1143. Rome against the Pope Bishops are his strength § 168. Porretane again accused and puzzled the Council § 170. He is again accused by Bernard whom the Cardinals accuse for writing his Faith and getting Bishops hands to it § 171. The Romane people excommunicate by Pope Adrian 4. They are for a Preacher called by him an heretick § 174. Rome fighteth with Pope and Emperour They fight again and expel the Pope § 174. The 27 pair of Popes Wars between the Emperour Frederick and Pope The Crown of England held as from the Pope Yet Rome receiveth him not The Emperour submitteth being deserted c. § 175. The setling the choice of Popes by Cardinals The Pope no Bishop by the Canons § 177. The Roman Succession is from Alex. 3. when the Clergie People Emperour Princes and a Council of innumerable Bishops were for Victor § 176. Parliaments called Councils § 179. Ireland the Popes § 180. The Albigenses Henricians § 181. No Bishop may suspend a Presbyter without the judgment of his Chapter A perjured Clergie-man perpetually deprived Doubtful words to be understood as usually § 182. The Popes Party in Rome have their Eyes put out § 183. Frederick drowned in Asia § 187. The Kingdom of France interdicted § 190. The Pope seus up an Anti-Emperour who prevaileth § 192. England interdicted six years and three months § 194. The famous twelfth General Council at the Laterane under Inoc. 3. for Transubstantiation exterminating hereticks deposing Princes absolving Subjects forbidding unlicensed Preachers c. § 195. Almaricus burnt dead § 196. Stephen Langton and King John § 197. Ten Queries upon this Council § 198. The Canons of this Council true Mr. Dodwel's 17 Arguments for it § 199. The Papists excuses answered § 180. misnumbred The bloody Execution § 181. Oxford Canons that every great Parish have two or three Presbyters c. § 183.