to cut off that ambitious usurping Antichristian Power of Roman Pontifs which opposeth exalteth it self above all that is called God and trampleth under feet both the Crowns Scepters of all Christian Kings I shall first clear and confirm it by Gods own distribution of various Gifts and powers to the Members of his mystical body the Church and members faculties of the bodies souls of men by one the self-same spirit thus emphatically expressed 1 Cor. 12 4 to 12. Now there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all For to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdom to another the word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gifts of Healing by the same Spirit to another the working of Miracles to another Prophecy to another Discerning of spirits to another divers kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues But all these worketh that one the self-same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will Compared with v. 18. 25. God hath set the members every one of them in the body natural AS IT PLEASETH HIM that there should be no Schism in the body appointing them all their distinct Offices places under one head the seat of the soul which rules and directs all the other Members in the discharge of all natural civil moral and divine actions diversified denominated only by from their various objects so stiled not the person power head or facultie by which they are all performed being but one and the same As God the great King over all the earth whose is the Kingdom and the power from whom all Kings and Potentates of the Earth derive their Jurisdiction as their Ordainer and Orderer alwayes Soveraignly ruleth in the Kingdoms of men and giveth them to whomsoever he will he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings at his pleasure by his indivisible Supream authority And as by one and the self-same power spirit he also distributes varieties of Gifts Graces Offices to the Members of his Spiritual body the Church distinct faculties to one and the same reasonable Soul in man in which they are united as vegetation sense reason memory will judgment affections c. with distinct offices places to every member in the body natural without erecting any plurality of Supream Powers parts principles heads souls in himself or them from which these diversities of Gifts and their operations issue So Kings and Soveraign Powers Gods Vicars and Ministers upon earth by that one and the same Supream Authority vested in them by God for Government of all sorts of Subjects and all sacred or civil Corporations under them whether Pagans or Christians may and do exercise all sorts of civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions under them in person or by their Delegates and Substitutes without any real division in their Soveraign power continuing still one the same or erectâ—ng two distinct specifical Powers the one Civil the other Ecclesiastical in themselves or others â—or as their Soveraign Royal Power when exercised about Martial affairs is stiled a Military power and the Courts wherein it is judiciaâ—â—y executed are stiled Martial Courts because the matters persons in and about which it is exercised are such And when employed in matters Courts of Law and Justice is called a Civil or Legal Power and their Courts Courts of Common or Civil Law because the businesses are such And when versed in Maritine affairs or causes is called A Maritime or Admiralty Power and Admiralty Court and when in Civil matters of Equity only it is then phrased a Chancery or Equitable Power and the Court wherein it is acted a Court of Chancery So by the self-same reason when it is employed in or about divine sacred Ecclesiastical things or persons it is then stiled An Ecclesiastical power the Laws concerning them and Courts wherein these Laws powers are exercised the Kings Ecclesiastical Laws Courts without making any fraction division or distinction in the Supream power which remains still but one and the same residing intirely in the King himself alone though the execution of it be distributed to sundry subordinate Courts persons who are but the Kings meer Ministers and act or ought to act all in his Name Right without claiming any share at all in the Soveraign Regal power as vested in themselves by this distribution being thus distinguished denominated only by and from the diversity of the respective objects which make no more multiplications of nor divisions in the power it self then diversities of colours specâ—es in the eyes or varieties of sounds tasts in the ears or pallate make so many distinct faculties in the Eyes Ears Pallate or as many different eyes ears pallats as there are species sounds tasts discerned by them All which doth evidently appear in this Orâ—ginal President of Supream Jurisdiction in Moses the first Soveraign Governour over Gods people when originally made both a Kingdom Church by Gods own institution wherein the High Priest Aaron and his Sonnes had no share at all in the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction though the Priesthood was setled on them but Moses enjoyed exercised it intirely without any Partition made by God between him and Aaron to divide these powers equally between them as Co-heirs Hostiensis and out of him Alvarus Pelagius Thomas Bozius and Marta resolve That as it is Heretical to hold duo principia Two Principles or Authors of the World So it is Heretical to hold that there are Two Vicars of God or Christ upon Earth the one in Spirituals the other in â—emorals Therefore it is of necessity that Supream Temporal and Spiritual Jurisdiction should be intirely vested in the Pope not in the Emperor or Kings who derive all their power from him and it is of necessity to believe that every creature should be subject to the Pope as well in Temporal as Spiritual things to avoid the Heresie of duo principia Dante 's the Florentine who held the contrary being coudemned by the Pope for an Heretick after his death Indeed their position That there is but one Supream Head and Fountain of all Spiritual and Regal power on Earth in every distinct Kingdom and Church is an undubitable truth as these Pontificians and Popes themselves assert But that it was ever vested in the High Priest under the Law or Popes under the Gospel but in Moses Kings and other Supream Magistrates and that they derive all their Temporal Authority from Priests Popes not they from Kings and Supream Civil Governors is a notorious untruth as this Original president of Moses and Aaron with others following will irrefragably evince This I the rather mention and have more largely insisted on because some Usurping Popes not only ground their Pontifical Crowns Priestly garments with
continuing King till his death and making his Sonne his Viceroy to supply his Government and order his house 5ly Here was no sentence of Excommunication thundred out against him with Bell Book and Candle no absolving of his Subjects from their oaths of Allegiance no exciting of them to rebell or take up Arms against him to dethrone him Wherefore Popes and Popish Prelates can no wayes justifie from this president their excommunicating deposing Kings Emperors or absolving Subjects from their Allegiance against their wills for the greatest crimes Having removed these 4. Grand Romish stumbling-blocks before under the law and Gospel out of the way of my Chronological Progresse I now proceed to my third Conclusion BOOK II. CHAP. III. III. My Third Proposition is That the Supream Government of the Church after Christs Incarnation under the Gospel was and is vested in Jesus Christ himself God and Man only as he is the King not Priest or Prophet thereof and as it is His KINGDOM And that his Priestly and Prophetical Office are united to his Kingly as the first highest in dignity order not his Regal to his Prophetical or Kingly Office BEcause this is of very great Consequence and may seem strange to Usurping Pontifs and other Prelats who appropriate the Soveraign Spiritual Jurisdiction Government over Christs kingdom Church to themselves as united to his Priestly and Prophetical not Regal Office and so derived wholly and immediately to themselves by Christ as Bishops Priests not to Kings by from and under whom they will not claim nor exercise it as a flower of Christs Crown though delegated to Kings his sole Vice-royes upon Earth not Popes or Priests who are no Kings I shall fully demonstrate its verity by pregnant Scripture-proofs 1. It is generally asserted by all Divines Old and New Pontificans and Protestants That King David and Solomon both of them anointed by Gods special command to sit upon Gods throns to be Kings for the Lord their God 〈…〉 his people Israel to do Justice and Judgement to reign over rule 〈◊〉 in the fear of God and to establish them for ever as likewise to prepare build consecrate a most 〈…〉 and holy Temple for him under the Law were both lively Types of Christ 〈◊〉 by God with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes as the son and seed of David to be the Soveraign King as God incarnate over his Church Saints under the Gospel which he redeemed built sanctifyed with his own blood adorned with all saving graces and in which he should sit rule as King and Soveraign Lord for ever to govern rule help protect save glorify it for eternity 2ly That Christs comming in the flesh to rule reign in and over his People for ever is alwayes prophecied of and promised in the Old Testament under the Title and Office of a King not Priest or Prophet and that he shall sit upon the Throne of David his Father to govern them as a King not Priest Witnesse I say 32. 1 2. ch 16. 5. ch 9. 6 7 8. Behold a KING shall raign in righteousnesse and Princes shall rule in Judgement and a man shall be as an hiding place from the Wind and a covert from the ten post as rivers of waters in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land And in mercy shall his Throne be established and he shall sit upon it in truth in the Tabernacle of David Iudging and seeking Iudgement and hasting righteousnesse For unto us a Child is born unto us a Sonne is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be call Wonderfull Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the PRINCE of Peace Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this Isay 33. 22. Forthe Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Law giver the Lord is our King he will save us Jer. 23. 5 6. The dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise 〈◊〉 avid a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Iudgement and Iustice in the Earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel 〈◊〉 dwell safely and this is his name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse c. Ezek. 27. 22 24 25. And they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all And David my servant shall be King ever them and they all shall have one Shepherd and they shall also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes and do them And they shall dwell in the Land which I have given unto Jacob my servant wherein your Fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell therein even they and their children and their childrens children for ever and my servant David shall be their Prince for ever Hosea 3. 5. ch 13. 9 10. Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his Goodâ—esse in the latter dayes O Israel thou hast 〈◊〉 thy self but in me is thy help I will be thy King where is any other that may save thee in all thy Cities Jer. 33. 15 16 17. chap. 8. 19. ch 9 10. In those dayes and at that time will I cause the branch of righteousnesse to grow up unto David and he shall execute judgement and righteousnesse in the Land In those dayes shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and this is the name wherewith he shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse For thus saith the Lord David shall never want a man to sit upon the Throne of the house of Israel Is not the Lord in Zion is not her King in her The Lord is the true and living God and an everlasting King or King of eternity Micah 2. 13. Their King shall passe before them and the Lord on the head of them cap. 4. 7 8 9. I will make her that was cast off a strong nation and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Sion from henceforth for ever Unto thee shall it come even the first Dominion the Kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem Now why dost thou cry out aloud Is there no King in thee Zach 9. 9. Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Sion shout O daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh unto thee he is is iust having salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the fole of an Asse Actualy fulfilled at Christs triumphant riding into Jerusalem and crying 〈◊〉 to the Son of David blessed is the King of Israel and blessed be the kingdom of our Father David that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest as all the four Evangelists record Zech
How great are his signes how mighty are his wonders and his dominion is from Generation to Generation Upon which consideration King Nebuchadnezzer himself upon his restauration to his understanding and kingdom ver 34 35 Blessed the most high and praised and honoured him who liveth for ever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and his Kingdom from Generation to Generation And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and who can say unto him what doest thou King Darius thus seconded him Dan 6. 26. He is the living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his dominion that which shall be even unto the end He delivereth and rescueth c. Dan. 7. 13 14 27. I saw in the night Vision and behold one like the sonne of man Christ Jesus came with the clouds of heaven and came to the antient of dayes and they brought him near before him and there was given him Dominion Glory and a Kingdom that all people nations and languages shall serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed An the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints which are of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him To which the Prophet Micah superadds this prophecy ch 4. 7. I will make him that was cast farr off a strong Nation and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth even for ever All these memorable Prophecies and Promises in the Old Testament were particularly applied to Christ and ratified by the Angel Gabriel when sent by God to the Virgin Mary with the blessed Tydings of our Saviours miraculous conception by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost in her womb thus recorded by St. Luke in the New Testament Luc. 1. 21 31 32 33. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Sonne and shalt call his name JESVS He shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his father David an he shall reign over the House of Israel for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end All these recited memorable Prophecies promises applied to Christ himself his Reign Kingdom Kingly Office in the New Testament Lu. 1. 32 33. Hebr. 1. 7. to 14. 1 Cor. 15. 25. 2 Pet. 1. 11. infallibly resolve That all Spiritual Dominion Rule Power Judicature and Jurisdiction over the Church and members thereof are actually vested in Christ by God the Father for ever inseparably annexed only to his Regal not Priestly or Prophetical Office and that he exerciseth this Supream Lordship and Dominion over them only as a King sitting in his Regal throne reigning over giving Lawes to judging rewarding punishing them as they are his Kingdom Subjects who serve and obey him as their King whose Kingdom and Soveraign Dominion over them is an everlasting Kingdom Government Dominion which shall never be altered nor destroyed nor the rights thereof invaded by his Priestly Office nor any Apostle Pope Bishop Priest or Usurpers whatsoever 4ly Upon this account we find these secondary Prophecies recorded in the Old Testament that not only all Nations but their very Kings Princes Kingdomes should obey serve and do him homage with all humility as their Soveraign King and Lord by from and under whom they hold their Crowns and whose 〈◊〉 Ministers they are Hence is that memorable prophecy of 〈◊〉 David 〈…〉 on 〈◊〉 throne he is sad to sit Psal 68. 24 29. 32. They have seâ—n thy going O God the going of my God my King in the Sanctuary c. Kings â—â—all bring presents unto thee Sing unto God ye Kingdomes of the earth O sing praises unto the Lord. Psal 72. 4 9 10 c. a meer prophecy of Christ and his Kingdom under the person oâ— King Solomon his predecessor and type Give the King by Judgement O God and thy righteousnesse unto the Kings Sonne He shall judge thy people with righteousnesse c. He shall have Dominion also from sea to sea and from the River unto the enâ—s of the earth They that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him and his 〈…〉 shall liâ—ke the dust The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer Gifts Yea all Kings shall fall down before him and â—hem by their examples and authority all Nations shall serve him 〈◊〉 102. 15 16. The heathen shall fear the name of the Lord 〈◊〉 Kings of the earth thy glory Psal 138. 4 5. All the Kings of the Earth shall praise thée O Lord when 〈◊〉 hear the words of thy mouth yea they shall sing in the praises of the Lord for great is thâ— glory of 〈◊〉 Lord Whence King David exhorting all celestial terrestrial and then the rational 〈…〉 as to praise the Lord Psal 14. 8. begins thus with Kings verse 11. Kings of the earth and all people Princes all Iudges of the earth c. Let them praise thy 〈◊〉 of the LORD for his name alone is excellent his glory is above the earth and heaven Isay 41. 1 2. Keep silence before me O Islands c. who raised up the righteus maâ— from the east and called him to his foot gave the Nations before him and made him Rule over Kings he gave them as dust to his sword and as driven sâ—ubble to 〈…〉 Isay 49. 7 23. Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithfull and the holy one of Israel Kings and Quéens shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth Isay 52. 15. He Christ with his 〈◊〉 shall â—â—rinkle many Nations THE KINGS shall shut their mouths at or rather before him for that which hath not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider Isay 60. 3. 10 11 16. chap. 62. 3. The Lord shall 〈◊〉 upon thee and his glory shall be shewn in thee The Gentiles shall come to thy light and KINGS to the brightnesse of thy rising THE KINGS of the sons of strangers shall come unto thee unto thee the riches of the Gentiles and THEIR KINGS shall be brought The Gentiles shall see thy righteousnesse and ALL KINGS thy glory Hence the Royal Psalmist David upon this consideration that God in despite of all heathen people Kings and Rulers of the earth should set up his Sonne Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 KING upon his holy hill of Zion which cannot be removed but standeth fact for ever to whom he had given the Heathen for an Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession concludes with this admonition to
came to Samuel complaining against them and peremptorily desired him o TO MAKE THEM A KING OVER THEM to judge them like all the Nations not a Priest being so weary of Priests supreme Government that they would never permit him nor his sons to judge and govern them any longer and were never satisfied till they had a King which he made them by Gods direct on and Election much against his own will 5ly All the Priestly Offices and Jurisdiction he used towards them and Saul was but to pray without ceasing for them giving them good instructions and reprehending them for their sins telling them But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both you and your King his declaring Saul King by Gods election and the people 's doubled peremptory demand of a King and approbation of Saul when presented to them and his anointing David when a privat person with oyl King after Sauls rejection by God they were only Acts of Ministry not of Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in the High Priest above the King as I shall prove in its due place more largely in the cloze of this Chapter 4ly When God setled the Kingdom of Israel upon David and his posterity in performance of his promises to Abraham Sarah and Iacob that KINGS should come out of their loynes he translated the Supream Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Jurisdiction to them which they enjoyed exercised by Gods approbation not the high Priest Priests or Levites as the Scripture Annals attest 1. Davia a man after Gods own heart which fulfilled all his will not long after he was anointed King over Israel and Iudah assembled all the whole Congregation Priests Levites of Israel and went and removed the Ark of God from Gibeah with great triumph joy and shouting to the House of Obed-Edom and afterwards into the place tabernacle in the City of David which David had there chosen pitched for it and offered there burnt-offerings peace-offerings before the Lord and he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 2ly At the second removal of the Ark he assembled not only the Elders but the chief Priest and Levites informing them of their error in carrying the Ark in a cart at its first removal contrary to Moses command for which God made a breach upon them and that None ought to carry the Ark of the Lord but the Levites for them had the Lord chosen to carry the Ark of God and to minister unto him for ever For violating which precept Uzza was smitten to death before the Lord Hereupon David commanded the Priests and Levites to sanctify themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel upon their shoulders as Moses commanded and to appoint Singers with instruments of musick and lifting up their voices to sing before it when they removed it to the City of David which command they punctually obeyed 3ly He appointed ordained certain of the Priests and Levits to minister by turns before the Ark of the Lord and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel continually prescribing them what instruments of musick they should use what Psalms and Praises they should sing most or all of them compiled by himself what burnt-offerings they should offer upon the altar of the Lord morning and eveing continually according to the Law of the Lord and to minister before the Ark continually as every dayes work required And appointed others of the Priests and Levites to minister continually in like manner before the Tabernacle of the Lord that was in the high place at Gibeon 4ly He purposed contrived propounded to Nathan and ordained the building of a standing House and Temple instead of a moving Tabernacle and Tent for the Ark and worship of God and intended himself to build it had not God inhibited him because he was a man of Warre and had shed much blood and appointed Solomon his Son and successor to build it he provided all sorts of materials for the building and exhorted all the Princes and Elders of the people to a liberal contribution towards it 5ly The Angel of the Lord commanded David to go and set up an Altar to the Lord in the threshing-floor of Ornan who accordingly went up at the saying of the Lord and build there an Altar and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings and called upon the Lord who answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering 6ly When he was old and had made Solomon King he gathered together all the Princes Priests and Levites and when he had numbred the Priests and Levites he appointed them their several Courses Services Offices Duties they should perform before the Lord from time to time as well before as after the Temple was built all which he set down in writing 7ly He as Moses assembled all the Princes of Israel and before all the Congregation in the audience of God gave Solomon them charge to serve and fear God and build the Temple Which done he gave to Solomon the pattern of the Temple and of the Houses thereof and of the Treasures thereof and of the upper chambers thereof and of the inner parlours thereof and of the Mercy-seat and the pattern of all that he had BY THE SPIRIT of the courts of the House of the Lord and of all the chambers round about of the Treasuries of the house of God and of the dedicated things AND FOR THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES and for all the work of the Service of the House of the Lord and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord. And David said unto Solomon Be strong and of a good courage and do it fear not nor be dismayed for the Lord God even my God will be with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee untill thou hast finished all the work for the service of the House of the Lord And BEHOLD THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES FOR ALL THE SERVICE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD and there shall be with thee for all manner of wâ—rkmanship every willing skilfull man for any manner of service and ALL THE PEOPLE WILL BE WHOLLY AT THY COMMAND 7ly David as King not the Priests compiled all or most of the Psalms and Prayers afterwards sung or used in the Temple recorded in the Books of Samuel the Chronicles and compiled together her in the Book of Psalms continually read sung used not only in the Temple and elsewhere by the Jewish but in all Christian Churches generally and more frequently read sung commented upon then any other Book of Canonical Scripture By all which memorable particulars and command to the Priests to annoint Solomon King it is most evident that the whole Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over persons causes things relating to Gods Worship remained intirely in David as King and no part of it in the Priests 5ly King Solomon his Sonne succeeding David
all their tithes offerings first-fruits for the maintenance of Gods worship Priests and Levites whom he set in their courses and respective offices as is recorded at large in Neh. cap. 5. to the end of the Book penned by himself as is conceived though a Layman and no Priest 5ly Mordecai the Jew who was next to King Ahashuerus and Esther the Queen by this Kings consent instituted and by their own Decrees confirmed the dayes and feast of Purim wherein God gave them rest and deliverance from their Enemies to be dayes of feasting and gladnesse and of sending portions to one another and gifts to the poor and that these dayes should be remembred and kept through every generation every family every province and every City and that these dayes of Purim should not fail from among the Jews nor the memorial of them from their seed And many conceive Mordecai was the penman of this Canonical History though no Priest 6ly King Nebuchadnezzer as he exercised the Supream Ecclesiastical Authority within his Empire in Erecting a golden image and commanding all his Subjects of what condition or Nation soever to fall down and worship it under pain of being cast into the fiery furnace which Decree all but Shadrac Mesac and Abednago obeyed he commanding them to be cast into this furnace for disobeying his Decree So after their miraculous preservation in and deliverance out of this furnace without any touch or smell of fire he made this memorable pious Decree That every people Nation and Language that spake any thing amisse against the God of Shadrac Mesac and Abednago shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a Dunghill because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort 7ly The King of Nineveh when he heard tydings of Jonah his Message from God which he cryed in the streets thereof by Gods command Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be overthrown to prevent this denounced Judgement caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh BY THE DECREE OF THE KING AND HIS NOBLES not Priests saying Let neither man nor beast herd nor flock taste anything let them not feed nor drink waeer but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God yea let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hand who can tell if God will turn and repent from his fierce anger that we perish not whereupon they fasted and put on sackcloth from the greatest unto the least and the King himself was covered with sackcloth and ashes and they turned from their evil way and God pented of the evil he said he would do unto them and did it not By all these presidents recorded by the Spirit of God in Canonical Scripture it is infallibly evident That from Moses till the last King of Judah and Israel and during their Captivity yea from the very first chapter in Genesis till the last of Malachi the Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in and over all persons things causes in and over the Church and people of God resided totally in and was executed by the Supream Temporal Magistrates Kings Governours and so in Pagan kingdomes too and was never so much as once seated in claimed usurped or managed by any one High Priest Priest Levite or other Ecclesiastical person whatsoever no not in divine and sacred affairs much lesse is there the least shadow of any such transcendent Jurisdiction in them over Kings and Civil Magistrates or their Subjects as all Popes and most Popish Prelates Priests too of inferiour rank now claim usurp exercise by a pretended Divine Right not to be found out or really grounded in the least on any place or president in the Old Testament from Adam till our Saviours incarnation 7ly After the Jewes return from the Babylonish Captivity though the High Priests during their unsetled estate frequent warrs with and captivity to the Romans and others usurped exercised some kind of Ecclesiastical and Civil Jurisdiction too which God never transferred to them by divine Authority nor any of their predecessors exercised under their Judges or Kings yet the Supream Civil and Ecclesiastical Authority which they frequently annexed to the Civil remained alwayes in their Chief Temporal Princes Kings whom they made their High Priests too or they made themselves both Princes Kings and High Priests by usurpation fraud and bloodshed After the extinction of the whole linage of Aaron the Kings of Syria translated the high Priestood to Simon and his family of the Asmoneans in which there were 20. high Priests as Paul Eber and others observe whereof 5. were likewise Princes and Chief Temporal Governours to wit Matthias Judas Maccabeus his Son Jonathan his Brother Simon and Hyrcanus six usurped the Crown styling themselves both Kings and High Priests as Aristobulus the 1. and 2. Alexander 1. 2. Hyrcanus and Antigonus After their Conquest by the Romans the Roman Emperours and their Deputies had the Soveraign power even in Ecclesiastical things and causes though the high Priests Princes Elders and Rulers of the people assembled in a Council in imitation of their Sanhedrim usurped to themselves both a Civil and Ecclesiastical power in religious matters having a Captain of the Temple Officers and Souldiers under them whom they sent forcibly to apprehend our Saviour Jesus Christ and bring him before them Prisoner in their Council where they examined and accused him first of blasphemy and then delivered him to Pontius Pilate the Roman Governour where he was accused by them in the Judgement hall before Pilate and at last condemned to be crucified as the Evangelists record at large By which it is evident that Pilate had the Soveraign power they having no power to put any man to death but only to put men out of the Synagogue scourge beat imprison them at their discretion After Christs death this Conventicle of Chief Priests Elders Priests Pharises and Scribes twice apprehended examined the Apostles for preaching in the Temple commanding them to preach no more in the name of the Lord Jesus which they refused to do whereupon they only threatned and let them go at first but when brought before them the second time for preaching openly in the Temple and filling Jerusalem with their doctrine notwithstanding their threats and inhibitions they then beat and let them go charging them not to speak any more in the name of Jesus Yet they were so farr from obeying their commands as Legal or them as the Supream Ecclesiastical power to which they were bound in conscence to submit that on the contrary they daily in the Temple and in every house ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Soon after Stephen was brought before this Council and there accused of blasphemy and in the midst of his Apology stoned to death by the rude multitude Yea Paul by Letters and Authority from the High Priest made
credit In the mean time since Kings Emperors were long before Popes Bishops who derive all their Lordly power Splendor Temporalties Jurisdictions Bishopricks precedency above other Ministers only from their donations not they their Crowns Kingdoms or Regal Authority from Popes or Bishops as all Histories attest against their Papal pretences to the contrary Since the Moon doth frequently ecclipse the Sunne by the interposition of her body between it and the earth as the Papal and Pontifical power hath frequently ecclipsed more or lesse the power splendor of our own and other Kings and the Roman Emperours but these Suns ver ecclipseth the Moons but only the interposition of the earths Ball betwixt them in their Divine jurisdiction being very little granted to them out of meer bounty not duty as I shall prove in due place Since the Jurisdictions Constitutions Decrees Ceremonies Franchises of Popes Prelates are still various and subject to change like the Moon the Light both of their Doctrine and Life since Pope Gregory the seventh Innocent the third Adrian the fourth Boniface 8. hath been rather Moon-light yea darkness it self then Sun-shine and the Popes Bishops Priests Monks of the Church of Rome it self more carnal earthly ambitious vitious and dark then the Kings Princes Civil Magistrates and Lay-people as St. Bernard and many of their own Authors as well as Protestants assert that the Papacy opposing and exalting it self ever since these Popes above all Christian Kings and Emperours is that Man of sin which Christ himself shall destroy with THE BRIGHTNESSE OF HIS COMMING LIGHT of the Gospel I shall rather conclude that the Pope with his Prelates Priests are the Moon and their Church the Night the Emperour and Christian Kings the Sunne and their kingdoms the Day signified in Genesis 1. then Popes and Prelates of the Church of Rome if rightly parallel'd The 2d Text alleged for the Popes Supremacy over Kings and Emperours as well in Temporals as Spirituals is The High Priest and Priests anointed crowned Saul David Solomon Jehu Joash Kings of Judah and Israel as Popes and Bishops do Kings now Ergo they were paramount their Kings as well in Temporals as Spirituals because they were anointed by and received their Crowns and Kingdoms from their hands alone who might dispose of them at their pleasures Thus Pope Adrian the 4th argued from Popes coronations of the Roman Emperour deduced from the Jewish high Priest Whence hath he King Frederick the Empire but FROM US By election of the Princes he hath the Name of King by OUR CONSECRATION he hath the name of Emperour Imperator quod habet totum habet a nobis Whatever the Emperor hath he hath the whole from Vs It is in our Power to give the Empire to whomsoever we will Hence Laurentius Ostiensis Alvarus Pelagius Marta with sundry other Pontificans thus second Pope Adrian Since Kings are made Kings by their Unction which can be had from none BUT A PRIEST as Saul and David by Samuel It is apparent they are above above Kings and That all Kings receive both the Confirmation and Administration of their Kingdoms from the Spiritual Iudge The Emperor receives his Temporal power from the Pope and Church of Rome who Confirms Annoints Crowns him therefore approves rejects and deposeth him at his Pleasure To which I reply 1. That Samuel anointed Saul and David to be Kings not at but before their Coronations and that by Gods special command as his Minister only not their Superiour whence Samuel told Saul The Lord anointed thee King over Israel and David alwayes stiled him THE LORDS ANOINTED not Samuels refusing to offer the least violence to his person upon this account So David is stiled Gods anointed who tells him I anointed thee KING over Israel and called him Mine anointed adding With my Holy oyle have I not Samuel anointed him 2. Neither Samuel nor any other of the High Priests who anointed Saul David or any King of Judah or Israel did ever from thence either claime or exercise the least Jurisdiction or Superiority over their Persons Crowns Kingdoms in Spiritualties or Temporalties as Popes and Prelates claime exercise over Christian Kings and Emperours Crowned by them Nor yet Jehojeda the High Priest who not only Anointed and Crowned Joash King but was the principal Instrument in preserving and restoring him to his Crown when Usurped by Athaliah But they all dutifully submitted to and obeyed their Royal commands ordinances in all Ecclesiastick and Divine as well as civil things as the premises evidence 3ly Not only the High Priests but Elders and People anointed David and Jehoahaz Kings without any Priest or High Priest that we read of Yet none of them claimed exercised any Supremacy over these Kings upon this account 4ly Zadoc the Priest and Nathan anointed Solomon King by King Davids special command not their own Authority who put Abiathar the chief Priest from being Priest unto the Lord because he sided with Adonijah and crowned him King and made Zadock Priest in his place Here the very King deposeth the chief Priest and tells him he deserved also to dye for anointing Adonijah not the high Priest the King for being crowned and anointed by Zadock 4ly One of the sons of the Prophets a young man by the Prophet Elisha his command from God not the high Priest anointed Jehu King saying Thus saith the Lord I HAVE ANOINTED THEE KING OVER ISRAEL which having executed he opened the door and fled If this young Prophets meer anointing Jehu King gave him an absolute Jurisdiction over him in spiritual and temporal things as these Pontificians argue then this Minor Prophet likewise gained the supream Jurisdiction over the high Priests themselves and Zadock and Nathan over Abiathar the chief Priest by anointing Solomon King as well as over Jehu and Solomon which they dare not averre 5ly Popes themselves who pretend to this absolute Soveraign power over Emperors Kings by reason they crown and anoint them are both elected crowned and anointed Popes by Bishops and Cardinals only not Popes as all their Historians Pontificale Ceremoniale Romanum attest Will Popes then inferr Ergo they are higher greater in Power Jurisdiction then Popes and may dispose of the Papacy Popes and depose them at their wills Besides in the Church of Rome all other Episcopal Churches and our English Church meer Presbyters at first and of latter ages inferiour Bishops and Clergymen both elected anointed consecrated and installed all their Patriarchs Metropolitans and Archbishops Will it therefore follow that they are superiour to Patriarchs Metropolitans Archbishops in Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and may remove them at their wills If not then this grand Argument of Popes Popelins for the Popes Prelates supremacy over Emperors Kings Churches kingdoms in Temporals and Spirituals because they anointed crown them is a meer ridiculous
Non-sequitur 6ly The Kings of England France Spain Hungary Poland Denmark Sweden Bohemia Scotland Cyprus and others have been usually anointed crowned by their own Bishops the Kings of England most frequently by the Archbishops of Canterbury yet some times by the Archbishop of York or Bishop of London or Winchester Are therefore these Bishops that crown anoint them Kings thereby intituled to be their Soveraign Lords in all Temporal and Spiritual things and advanced above all other Archbishops and Bishops in their Realms not present at their Coronation Consecration and may dispose of their Bishopricks Crowns kingdoms at their pleasures If not I hope the Roman Pontifs will from henceforth disclaim this grand Argument for their Supremacy as most false and absurd The rather because none of the Jewish high Priests Priests ever pretended to much lesse exercised such a power over any of their most impious idolatrous Kings as Popes both claimed and exercised over pious Christian Kings Emperours to their eternal infamy And because Kings are actual Kings by desent or election before their Coronations The 3d. and principal warrant from the Old Testament which Popes and their Parasites insist on for their Supream Athority over all Christian Pagan Kings and Emperors Persons Crowns Kingdoms to dispose depose root out destroy them at their wills is that Text of Jeremy 1. 10. The Lord said unto Jeremiah See I have this day set thee over the Nations and over kingdomes to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant Whence they thus argue Jeremiah the Priest to whom this power under the Law was given was but a Type of the Popes Christs Vicar General his absolute Dominion power under the Gospel of whom this Text was principally meant Therefore Popes may pull down root out destroy and throw down all Kings Emperors Kingdoms at their pleasures and dispose of them at their wills Thus Pope Gregory the 7th in his Confirmation of his Execration of Henry the Emperor Pope Innocent the 3d. Pope John the 22d Ostiensis Alvarus Pelagius Augustinus Triumphans Caspar Scoppius Carerius Radulfus Cupers Lelius Zecchus Bozius Marta Bellarmine and other Romanists conclude with very great Confidence from this Text. But to dismount these aspring Roman Bishops and Rooks I shall desire them to demonstrate first how Jeremiah only one of the private Priests of Anathoth not the high Priest of the Jews was in this and this alone a Type of the Pope or Peter If not then their pretences argument are false If yea then let them produce some Scripture warrant for it 2ly How Jeremiah and the high Priest too from whom they claim their power can be both Types at once of the Pope and his Papal pretended prerogatives 3ly Whether the High Priest had any such Supremacy vested in him as Jeremiah here received If not then Jeremiah was paramount him in Jurisdiction and might remove extirpate him at his pleasure as well as whole Nations Kingdoms being a Member of the Israelitish Nation and Realm and so the High Priest not Supream as they formerly argued If yea What need of any such special Commission from God to Jeremiah alone without the high Priests privity or delegation to the prejudice of his inherent high priesthood 4ly Whether this transcendent power was given only to Jeremiah as an extraordinary Prophet of God sanctifyed in and called from the womb or as he was an ordinary Priest If as an extraordinary Prophet only as the Text expresly resolves then Popes can lay no Title to it till they can prove themselves such extraordinary sanctifyed called Prophets as Jeremiah and produce the like special divine Commission to each of them from God himself as he received If as to an ordinary Priest alone then every ordinary Priest among the Jewes heretofore had and by like consequence every ordinary Masse-priest in the Church of Rome hath as absolute a Soveraign power over all Kings Emperors Nations Kingdoms of the world as the high Priest or Pope himself pretends to from this Text and then where is his sole Monarchy over them when equally and intirely divided amongst so many inferiour Priests or any Kings or Kingdoms safety 5ly Whether it extends to Kings there being not a word of Kings but only of Nations Kingdoms in this Text 6ly Whether Jeremiah by virtue of this Commission did either challenge or exercise any such Soveraign Authority over Amon Jehoiakim or Zedekiah Kings of Iudah their kingdom under whom he lived though very wicked and idolatrous by deposing them from their thrones absolving their Subjects from their allegiance and setting up other Kings in their steads If not it is infallible then this was no Commission for such a rooting out destroying pulling and throwing down as these Pontificians dream of but of far different Nature to wit only by denouncing Gods judgements against them that if they persevered in their sins God himself would root out and destroy pull and throw them down but if they repented upon his menaces he would build and plant them This God himself declared to be his only meaning even to Ieremiah himself and to us ch 19. 5. to 11. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying O House of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the Potters hand so are ye in my hand O house of Israel At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it If it do evil in my sight that it obey not my voice then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them Now therefore go to speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying Thus saith the Lord Behold I frame evil against you and devise a devise against you return ye now every one from his evil way and make your wayes and your doings good This way of working out pulling down building up and planting Kings and kingdoms and no other he useth throughout his prophecy especially ch 25. 17. to 38. where God commands him to take the wine cup of his fury at his hand and to make all the Kings and kingdoms of the world to drink it that so they may spue and fall and rise no more and become a desolation for their sins if they repented not This was the rooting up and pulling down which Samuel exercised towards Saul the first King of Israel and his kingdom when he thus publikely menaced them But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be destroyed both you
and your King Because thou Saul hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected thee from being King thou hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee therefore thy kingdom shall not continue the Lord not I hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee The Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart and the Lord hath commanded him to be Captain over his people because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded This was that rooting up pulling down rending removing of Kings kingdoms Nations used by all the Prophets and Prophecies in the Old Testament and particularly by Gods own denunciation against Niniveh by Jonah Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed which the Kings and peoples joynt humiliation and repentance upon his preaching in turning from their evil wayes prevented 7ly S. Bernard when Pope Eugenius like his Predecessors insisted on this Text as giving him and them a transcendent power Dominion over Kings and kingdoms returned this answer thereunto That it gave them no Dominion at all over their Persons Crowns possessions but only to extirpate their Vices Non est quod blanditur Celsitudo Sollicitudo major Quale est hoc de paupere abjecto levari super Gentes et regna Non ad dominandum opinor Nam Propheta cum similiter levaretur audivit Ut evellas destruas disperdes dissipes aedifices plantes Quid horum fastum sonat Rusticani magis sudoris schemate quodam labor spiritualis expressus est Et nos igitur ut multum sentiamus de nobis impositum senserimus Ministerum non dominium datum Non sum ego major Propheta si fortè potestate sed meritorum non est comparatio Haec loquere tibi doce teipsum qui alias doces Puta te velut unum aliquem de Prophetis An non satis ad te et â—mium Sed gratia Dei es quod es Quid Esto quod Propheta nunquid plus quam propheta Si sapis eris contentus mensura quam tibi mensus est Deus nam quod amplius est a malo est Disce exemplo Prophetico praesidere non tam ad imperitandum quam ad sactitandum quod tempus requirit disce sarculo tibi opus esse non sceptro ut opus facias prophetae Et quidem Ille non regnaturus ascendit sed extirpaturus Putas ne et tu invenias aliquid elaborandum in agro Domini tui Et plurimum Non planè totum quivere emundare Prophetae aliquid filiis suis Apostolis quod agerent reliquerunt aliquid ipsi Parentes tui tibi Sed nec tu ad omne sufficiens Aliquod profecto tuo relicturus es Suecessori ille aliis alii aliis usque in finem This was St. Bernards sence of this Text and severe check to the Pope himself for abusing it against the true scope and meaning 8ly It is Gods incommunicable Prerogative which no meer mortal is authoritativly capable of To loose the bond of Kings and gird them with a girdle to lead Princes away spoiled overthrow the mighty and powr contempt upon Princes To strike through Kings in the day of his wrath and break Kingdoms in pieces like a Potters vessel To bind Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of iron for their crying Rebellions against his Soveraign Majesty as he did Hoshea Zedekiah Manasseh Jehoiakim others thus bound and carried away captive to Aegypt and Babilon by their invading Kings He removeth Kings and setteth up Kings The most high King of heaven only ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and those Kings that walk in pride against him he is able to abate and translate their kingdoms to others as he did Nebuchadnezzer and Belshazzer who recognised this Soveraign Empire to be peculiar to him alone Let Popes therefore beware how they usurp or intrench upon this Prerogative of the most high to the prejudice of any anointed Christian Kings who sit upon his throne as his Viceroyes and highest affront to the Soveraign Jurisdiction of Christ himself the King of Kings The Fourth and most colourable pretext is from the president of Azariah the Chief Priest and other Priests withstanding King Uzziah to burn incense upon the altar and thrusting him out of the Temple the only example in the Old Testament of any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction exercised by the Jewish high Priest and Priests on Prince or Subject Whence Bellarmin and others conclude That it is Lawful for Popes Bishops and Priests by their own inherent Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to excommunicate dethrone Kings and Emperors too and absolve their Subjects from their allegiance for disobeying their Papal commands and injunctions I answer 1. That all this president warrants is That Chief Priests may lawfully diswade ambitious wilfull Kings from doing any unlawfull actions against the expresse will of God and perchance resist them too when they attempt to offer sacrifices or act ought belonging peculiarly to their own office in their own Churches But that they may either excommunicate resist or thrust them forth of the Temple for any other Offence especially for violating or not obeying their own Papal or Pontifical Orders Injunctions Mandares not expresly grounded on Gods word this president will no wayes warrant 2ly They did not thrust King Uzziah out of the Temple where he actually invaded their function against Gods word till God himself the King of Kings whose Law he had violated had first miraculously passed sentence upon and smitten him with the plague of Leprosie in the forehead which they all visibly beheld Therefore Popes and Priests may not thrust any King or Prince out of the Church for any Crime till God himself the only King and Judge of Kings hath first given visible sentence against him by some signal Judgement 3ly They thus thrust him out of the Temple not principally because he attempted to burn incense but because God had thus miraculously smitten him with Leprosie in his forehead and so by Gods expresse command he was to be shut out of the Congregation and Church by the Law and dwell in a house alone that he might not infect others this the Text renders to be the sole or main cause of his thrusting out of the Temple dwelling in a several house and of his Sonnes judging the people in his stead not by the Priests but his own appointment 4ly This King himself when God had thus smitten him as the Text precisely records hasted to go out of the Temple of his own accord voluntarily dwelt in a house alone and delegated the government of his house and people to his Sonne So as there was only a voluntary expulsion of him out of the Temple by the Priests with his own consent not against it but no sequestring or deposing of him by them from his throne he
14. 9. 16. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth and in that day shall there be One Lord and his name One. And it shall câ—me to passe that every one that is left of all the Nations that came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King the Lord of Hosits To which I shall subjoyn these prophecies of King David himself concerning the Kingship and kingdom of Christ Gods Son of his seed Psalm 2. 6 7 8. Yet have I set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion I will declare the Decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession Thou shalt break them with a rod or Scepter of Iron c. â—salm 10. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever c. Psalm 29. 10 11. The Lord sitteth King for ever The Lord will give strength uâ— to his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace Psalm 24. 7 8 9 10. Lift up your Heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battel The Lord of Hosts he is the King of Glory c. Psalm 47. 6 7 8. Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises For God is the King of all the earth sing ye praises with understanding God reigneth over the Heathen God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holinesse Psalm 96. 9 10 c. 98. 6 9. 99 1 2. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse fear before him all the earth Say among the Heathen that the Lord reigneth the world also shall he establish that it shall not be moved he shall judge the world uprightly With trumpets and sound of a Corn it make a joyfull noise before the Lord the King c. For he cometh to judge the earth with righteousnesse shall he judge the world and the people with equity More especially Psal 95. 3. 99 to 2. The Lord is a great God and a Great King above all Gods The LORD REIGNETH let the people tremble The Lord is great in Sion and high above all people The KINGS strength also loveth judgement thou dost establish equity thou executest judgement and righteousnesse in Jacob. Psal 149. 2. Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Sion be joyfull in THEIR KING Let them praise his name in the Dance c. Psalm 89. 18. 34 35 36 c. For the Lord is our defence and the holy one of Israel is our King Also I will make him my first-born higher then the Kings of the earth My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my holinesse that I will not lie unto David His seed King Jesus shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sunne before me It shall be Established for ever as the Moon and as a faithfull witnesse in heaven In all these Texts of sacred Story to omit others Christ is still prophecyed of and promised to his Church only under the stile of a King Lord or Great King of the Seed of David sitting upon his Throne righteously judging and reigning over his people as a King and he is sometimes stiled David their King he being a Type of Christ his Supream government of them being attributed annexed only to his Kingship not to his Priesthood or Prophetical office as it was in King David his Father and the forecited kings 3ly That as the Scripture prophecied of and promiseth Jesus Christ in the flesh under the Title of a King so it stiles the Church and Saints he should reign over under the Gospel a kingdom wherein and over which he sits and reigns as a King for ever This is evident by all the last recited Texts and those I shall adde unto them 2 Sam 7. 13. 29. 1 Chron 28. 7. I will establish his kingdom for ever 1 Chr. 29. 11. Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the praise for all in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom O Lord thou art exalted as head above all as a King not Priest or Prophet both riches honor come of thee and thou reignest overall and in thin hand is Power and Might to â—ake great and to give strength to all Psal 103. 19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in heaven and his kingdom ruleth over All Yea the contemplation and discourse of the Glory and excellency of Christs everlasting kingdom over his Church and Saints is thus prophecied of by David as one principal part both of their and all other Christians duty and felicity upon earth Psal 145. 10 11 12 13. All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall blesse thee they shall speak of the Glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious maiesty of his kingdom Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and thy dominion endureth through all Generations In pursuance of which duty King David himself penned two special Psalms of praise Ps 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things I have made for the King c. Gird thy sword not Peters or the Popes keyes upon thy thigh O most mighty with thy glory and thy majesty and in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse c. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy kingdom not Peters keyes is a right Scepter Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellows Hearken O daughter and consider c. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord and worship thou him The King daughter 〈◊〉 the Church is all glorious within c. She shall be brought unto the King Christ Jesus in rayment of needle work they shall enter into the Kings passage c. To which he addeth many Psalms of like nature especially two begenning thus Psal 97. 1 The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the 〈◊〉 and ours amongst others be glad thereof Psalm 99. 1. The Lord reigneth let the earth tremble c. The Prophet Daniel presents us with this excellent description and prediction of Christs Kingdome Dan 2. 41. And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consum all these Kingdome and it shall stand for ever Thus farther illustrated Dan 4. 3.
you abundantly into THE EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF OUR LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ and our Saviours own asseverations Not every one that saith LORD LORD shall enter into the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven necessarily evince 7ly After our Saviours resurrection and ascention when God his Father highly exalted him and gave him all power both in heaven and earth his Soveraign Regality and Dominion in and over his Church and Kingdom are frequently set forth in these transcendent expressions decyphering only his Regal not Prieâ—tly or Prophetick Offices and Administrations Our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Prince of the Kings of the earth whom God the father of glory hath set at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in the world to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to his Church which is his body The fullnesse of him that filleth all in all Goa hath by the extraordinary greatnesse of his mighty and glorious power delivered us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Sonne who is the first-born of every creature For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him And he is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in or amongâ—â— all things he might have the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him all fullnesse should dwell Compared with his other Gospel titles Thou King of Saints and the united praises prostrations acclamations of the Angels with the four beasts and the 24. Elders and all the Saints and Redeemed ones before Christ who sitteth on the throne before whom they all fall worship and cast down their Crowns saying Worship and honour and thanks and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne for ever and ever worthy art thou O LORD to receive glory and honour for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they were and are created All these recited Texts resolve that Christ is Supream head of his Kingdom the Church not in his Priestly Propheticall capacity or office but only in his Regal and reigns in it as a King Lord not as Priest or Prophet 8ly As in the Old so in the New Testament the Church Militant as well as the Triumphant is usually stiled the Kingdom of God the Kingdom of heaven Christs Kingdom my Kingdom his Kingdom the ever lasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ a Kingdom which cannot be removed c. The very Gospel it self the Gospel word and mysteries of the Kingdom yea shall the Kingdom of God and heaven it self The mighty power of God to salvation scepter of his Kingdom His Saints shall eat drink sit reign with him in his Kingdom He sits and reigns for ever in his Church as a King on a Royal throne clothed with royal Majesty and glory His rewards are all Regal A crown of righteousness of glory thrones Inheritances in his kingdom reigning with him as Kings royal Robes Honour Glory His punishments Regal Exclusion from his kingdome everlasting death infernal chaines destruction from the presence of the LORD and from the Glory of his POWER His judging of quick and dead at his appearance and comming Yea all his administrations Regal in prescribing Lawes to his Church rescuing them from the power of Satan Hell and all other Enemies protecting them from all evils treading Satan under their feet Guarding them by his Mighty power unto salvation in his heavenly kingdom compared with this fulfilling of the procies of Christs kingdom in the Old Testament thus recorded as accomplished in in the New Rev 11. 15. There were great voyces in heaven saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdom not Church of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Rev 12. 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven Now is come the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ 1 Cor 15. 24 25. Then cometh the end when Christ shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power for he must reign till he shall put down all enemies under his feet All and every of these Texts and considerations joyntly and severall demonstrate more clearly then the Morning Sunne That Christs Government of his Kingdom the Church under the Gospel is only Kingly and Monarchical as even Bellarmin himself and most Pontificians professe argue grounding the Popes Universal Monarchy upon it not Pontifical or Prophetical and that the Supreme Government thereof is for ever intirely annexed to his Regal not Priestly or Prophetical Office and these Offices of his united to his Regal Office as Supream not his Regal to his Sacerdotal or Propheticall as subordinate to them This being an unfallible Gospel-truth not hitherto so fully cleared and insisted on by the Oppugners or Asserters of Popes Universal Monarchy as was necessary which induced me to expatiate in its probation The second and sole Question will be Whether Christ himself did ever delegate by any Commission recorded in Sacred History all his Regal Power and Jurisdiction or any branch thereof to Saint Peter or any other Apostles Bishops Presbyters Evangelists or Ministers of the Gospel Or whether they or any of them ever justly claimed enjoyed exercised this his Royal Dominion Office Government in or over his Church on earth If yea as most Popes and their Parasites confidently affirm without the least shadow of Scripture or Verity let them produce the Commission or Texts to evidence it to every mans conscience in the sight of God and to all Kings Kingdoms Nations in the world If not as shall be evidenced in the ensuing Chapters past all contradiction I and they may then safely cry out mightily with a strong voyce as the Angel prophetically doth Babylon the great Rome is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hatefull Bird Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues with violence shall she and her triple-crown'd Pontif be thrown down from the pinacle of her usurped super-transcendent power and shall be found no more at all Before I take leave of this Proposition to avoid mistakes and clear up the Truth it will be necessary to distinguish
is but one God incommutable so there is but one his Vicar General upon Earth Cui omnes Angeli i. homines debent esse subjecti in omnibus obedire to whom all Angels that is Men ought to be subject and to obey in all things whose Ship is stable and immutable For thus the inferiour Hierarchy accords with the superiour when all men serve and obey his Vicar in earth as all Angels serve and obey God in heaven but when they grow proud and resist the inferior is disturbed and the superiour Hierarch is offended Gratian caus x. qu. 3. All things are put under the Popes feet except God alone who hath put all things under him 1 Cor. 15. In another article he asserts That the Pope is King of Kings of the Emperor and Spiritual Kings and every Member of the Church Militant who ought Iure Divino to be subject to him That he hath a plentitude of all Temporal and Spiritual power in him in several respects 1. Because it is a universal power No person in the Militant Church nor Infidel in some sense being exempted from but subject to it 2ly Because all temporal and spiritual power whatsoever ordained by God for the government of christians or men is comprehended in his power 3ly Because all power in the Church is derived from his and ordained for it and he is the beginning and end of any power whatsoever Therefore every human power is DE JURE subject to him 4ly Because it is not exceeded nor overcome by any other human power but overcomes and exceeds all other powers 5ly Because it is limited or ordained or judged by no other power but it limiteth ordaineth judgeth all other powers 6ly Because it is not restrained nor bound by any Lawes made by the Pope himself for it may act mediately by other powers or immediately by it self whatsoever it shall think sit It may likewise act both according to the Lawes it sets down and besides them when it shall judge convenient And for this cause his Power is said to be Sine Numero Pondere et Mensura Without number because it extends to innumerable persons even all men in the world whether Beleevers or Infidels Without weight because it is not confined to one place but extends it self to all Churches throughout the world And without measure as to the act and manner of acting because it is after a sort Immense both in acting and in the manner of acting For as the Spirit was given to Christ man without measure John 3. and to others it is given only according to the measure of the gift of Christ 1 Cor 12. Eph. 4. Rom 12. So to Christs Vicar the Pope is given a Power without measure to wit in a certain Immensity Exâ—rav de Major Obedientia Solita c. Nos autem But to others is given a power according to their measure of participation of this Immense Power And although this Power of Christs Vicar is without Number Weight or Measure yet notwithstanding it determinates to other powers Number Weight and Measure Causa xv qu. 1. pervenit 13. qu. 1. c. 1. Therefore this power is deservedly called FULL proper quod multum veneranda metuenda est wherefore it is much to be Reverenced and Feared And indeed all Kings Princes Kingdoms Churches of the World had need to fear yea to keep watch and ward against it and for ever to abandon it as our and other Kings Kingdoms Churches have both justly and prudently done and more are now about to do For haec plenitudo potestatis est plentitudo potestatis est plenitudo tempestatis I omit his other Passages to the same effect in above 30. Articles more Upon these pretences of the Popes transcendent plentitude of power Pope Gregory the 7. that impious Hildebrand and pest of the world in his generation in his ratification of the Emperor Henry the seconds Excommunication presumed to make this most impious Antichristian appeal to Peter and Paul themselves Go to now O ye blessed Apostles do you confirm what I have done that all men may know that if you being in heaven can bind and loose that I also here on Earth can give and take away Empires Kingdomes Principalities quicquid habere mortales possunt and what ever Mortals can possess And two of his late Successors new-named Paul when crowned Popes with their Parasites are of the same judgment with their predecessors point-blank against Saint Pauls doctrin evidencing them to be the very Antichrist man of Sin decyphered by him 2 Thess 2. which they demonstrated by their two late Portraitures cut and printed in Brasse-pieces prefixed to two Books dedicated to them printed in Italy it self Permissu Superiorum to wit Benedicti à Benedictis Jacula Ecclesiae Catholicae Bononiae 1608. Caraffae Theses Neapoli 1609. in one of which as the Noble Lord Morney observes Pope Paul the 3d is Pourrayed with this blasphemous Inscription Paulo 3. Opt. Max. in terris Deo And in the other Pope Paul the V. with this Motto Paulo V. Vicedeo Christianae Reipublicae Monarchae Invictissimo et Pontificiae Omnipotentiae Conservatori acerrimo In both which Pourtraitures under their respective Papal feet the Scepters Crowns of Kings and Emperors are prostrated and Princes Kings Emperors themselves stand pourtrayed by them bare-headed excommunicated astonied and adoring these Pontifs One of them having this inscription over his head Vultu Imperium portendit Besides these sacred Texts are engraven round about them Jer 27. intended only of King Nebuchadnezzer the great subverter persecuter of Gods Church Kings Kingdoms whom the Pope it seems will now succeed as his Vicar General rather then Christs That Nation and Kingdom which will not serve him will I punish saith the Lord with the sword and with the pestilence untill I have consumed them by his hand Dan 7. 14. The Lord hath given to him Power and a kingdom and all people shall serve him his power is an everlasting power which shall not be taken away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed Isay 49. 23. Kings and Queens shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet The two last texts pertain to Christ alone as King of his Church You have seen a pretty full View of Popes and their parasites blasphemous claims of an unlimited Universal Supremacy in all causes and over all persons whatsoever throughout the world yea over the Persons Crowns Scepters Kingdoms Empires of all Kings Princes Emperors vested in Christs pretended Vicar General S. Peters Successors the Pope enough to awaken alarum all Monarchs Realms Churches throughout the Universe as well Papal as Pagan to keep watch and ward against and for ever to exterminate such Antichristian Antimonarchical Usurpers out of their Dominions as all Protestant Kingdoms Churches have done upon very good grounds without the least guilt of Schisme wherewith they
affairs being diametrically contrary to and inconsistent with their spiritual vocations 14ly St. Paul chargeth Timothy a Bishop as Bishops assert To give himself wholly to reading exhortation and doctrine that his profiting might appear before all men and give him with all other Bishops Presbyters and Ministers of the Gospel this dreadfull charge I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering doctrine denouncing a Wo to himself if he preach not the Gospel which he thereupon preached constanly publikely and from house to house as Christ and his Apostles daily preached it whose examples all Bishops Popes Ministers ought to follow Now this they could not possibly do had they all Temporal and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction delegated to them the execution whereof would totally divert or very much interrupt them in their ministerial Office preaching instructing the people and other duties of their Ministry Therefore it is infallible Christ never gave to any of them any temporal Jurisdiction 15ly St. Paul blaming the Christians of the Church of Corinth for going to Law with their brethren before Pagan Judges to the scandal of christianity doth not delegate the hearing and decision of such controversies to the Bishops or Elders of the Church but adviseth them To set them to Judge who are least esteemed in the Church as no wayes fit for the Bishops and Pastors thereof Therefore they neither had nor ought to have any Temporal Jurisdiction 16ly St. Paul makes this the special badge and character of Antichrist that man of sinne and sonne of perdition that he opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God to wit over all Kings and secular Magistrates stiled Gods in the Old Testament or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God And St. John describes him under the Notion of a bâ—ast exercising temporal Jurisdiction in the Church and State causing all both great and small rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand or foreheads and that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark and that he had power given him over all Kingdoms Tongues and Nations which Popes now claim so that all that dwelt on the earth worshipped him whose names were not written in the Lambs book And he further subjoyns That the ten horns he saw were ten Kings who receive power as Kings one honour with the beast who have one mind and shall give their Kingly Power and Strength unto the Beast that so by pretext thereof he may claim and exercise both civil and ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as Popes do now by pretext of Constantines Charls the Great and other Kings donations and resignations of their Temporal Jurisdictions to the Pope and his Successors Upon which account most Protestant and some Romish Divines assert Popes claiming exercising both the supream temporal and ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over Kings Emperors Kingdoms Churches to be the ANTICHRIST And if so Then that Jurisdiction which is thus declared to be Antichristian neither did of right belong to Christ nor was ever delegated by him to St. Peter or the Bishops of Rome or any other Bishops whatsoever being diametrically contrary to Christ and Christianity 17ly Christ himself as he did with some indignation refuse to be a voluntary Judge or Arbitrator in a small temporal inheritance to divide it between two brethren when required saying Man who made me a Iudge or a Divider over you neither God nor Man the Supream Magistrate having given him any such Commission So he hath in precise terms expresly prohibited all Kingly and Lordly Dominion to his Apostles and in them to all Popes Prelates Bishops and Ministers whatsoever Mat. 20. 25 26. Luke 22. 25 26. And he said unto them The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors or Gracious Lords as the old Translations render it But ye shall not be so or it shall not be so among you but he that is or will be Great or Greatest among you let him be your Minister and whosoever will be Chief among you let him be your Servant From which Text Origen in Mat. Hom. 13. in Isay Hom. 13 Chrysostom Opus Imp. in Mat. Hom. 31. in Epist ad Ephes Hom 1. Hierom Epist 2. ad Nepotianum c. 9. Comment in Epist ad Ephesios c. 6. Gregorius Magnus Pastoralis Curae p 2. c 6. Homil 17. in Evangelia Beda Ambrosius Theophylus Antiochenus Rabanus Maurus Paschatius Rasbertus Anselmus Theophylact and most other antient and modern Commentators on Mat 20. Lu 22. condemn all Regal and Lordly Dominion not only in Temporal but in Ecclesiastical and Spiritual things in Popes and Prelates of the Church as expresly prohibited by Christ yea by in Peter himself as well as others Hear St. Bernard for all the rest in his excellent Book a De Consideratione where he thus expounds and applies these forecited Texts against Papal Sycophants Glosses on them to Pope Eugenius in the ruff of his Papal grandeur Nam quid tibi aliud promisit Sanctus Apostolus quam sedula sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum Quod habeo inquit hoc tibi Do. Quid illud unum scio non est aurum neque argentum cum ipse dicat Argentum Aurum non est mihi Esto ut alia quacunque ratione haec tibi vindices sed non Apostolico Jure Nec enim illa tibi dare quod non habuit potuit Quod habuit hoc dedit sollicitudinem ut dixi super Ecclesias Numquid dominationem Audi ipsum Non dominantes ait in Clero sed forma facti gregis Et ne dicium sola humilitate putes non etiam veritate Vox Domini est in Evangelio Reges gentium dominantur eorum qui poteâ—â—atem habent super eos Benefici vocantur Et infert inter vos non sic Planum est Apostolis interdicitur Dominatus I ergo tu et tibi usurpare aude aut Dominans Apostolatum aut Apostolicus Dominatum plane ab alterutro prohiberis Si utrumque similiter habere voles perdes utrumque Alioquin non te exceptum illorum numero putes de quibus queritur Deus sic Ipsi regnaverunt non ex me Principes extiterunt non cognovi eos I am si regnare sine Deo juvat habes gloriam sed non apud Deum At si interdictum tenemus audiamus Edictum Qui major est vestrum ait fiat sicut minor qui praecelsior est sicut qui ministrat Forma Apostolica haec est Dominatio interdicitur indicitur ministratio quae et Commendatur
against his Miter he may shut them up As they are Wolves he may drive them away Quatenus Canes as they are Doggs he may put them from their office if they be defective therein and some of these he doth by Excommunication others by Deposition Thus Becanus concludes against Gods the Prophet Jeremiahs Ezechiels Christs and St Peters own Glosses and Resolutions on this Pasce oves meas metamorphosing sheep but specially Kings Emperors who are such into Doggs Wolves allegorically and the Pope the pretended Chief shepherd into both really and practically to his eternal infamy 6ly If these Commissions to Saint Peter will not evidence the Popes Supremacy over other Bishops Priests Kings and Emperors yet there is one Commission more will certainly effect and conclude it without dispute Acts 10. 10 to 17 where Peter falling into a trance saw heaven opened and a certain vessel let down unto him like a great sheet knit at four corners let down to the earth wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth therefore sheep amongst the rest and wilde beasts and creeping things and fouls of the air and there came a voyce unto him Rise Peter kill and eat But Peter said Not so Lord for I have never eaten that which was common or unclean And the voyce spake again unto him the second time What God hath clensed that call not thou common This was done thrice and the Vessel was received again into heaven Whence some Romish Parasites Janizaries conclude from Surge Petre macta manduca by their own Chymical Divinity per quod innuitur quod Petrus Praelatus fuit populis Vniversis vas autem illud orbem universum signat et universitas contentum in eo significat tam Judaeorum quam Gentilium Nationes yea some of them assert the lawfulnesse of the Popes deposing and murdering Christian Kings Princes by his assassinates from this Text. I answer first That Arise Peter kill and eat if meant of sheep is very ill coupled with Simon feed my sheep being directly contrary to his pastoral duty and office Ezech. 34 3 to 6. John 10. 1 to 6. 2ly There were no Kings Emperors nor men at all in this vessel but only four-footed beasts creeping things and fowls which God provided for the food of man and gave all men as free power to kill and eat as he did here to Peter Gen. 9 2 3 4. Levit. 11. 2 3 9. Deuter. 14. 4. How then that which is the common priviledge of all mankinde to kill and eat such beasts can be a peculiar Supremacy in Peter alone Or how Kings Emperors men can be intended or typified in or by these beasts or eaten by St. Peter like beasts fouls and creeping things to advance Peters pretended Supremacy or how Peters spurious Successors can be enabled by this Text to depose excommunicate kill and eat the flesh of Kings Emperors men whereas God himself when he first gave Commission to Noah and Mankinde to kill and eat of every beast of the earth creeping thing fowl of the air and fish of the sea prohibited them to kill or eat the flesh of any man threatning to require the blood of the life of every man at his brothers hand without making St. Peter and his Successors Canibals and Murderers yea beasts and fowls instead of men whom God only commissioned to eat the flesh of Kings Captains mighty men free and bond Rev. 19. 17 18. I cannot discern 3ly St. Peter notwithstanding this invitation not simple command did neither kill nor eat any of these beasts fowls but absolutely refused to do it whereupon they were taken up again into heaven as the Text relates How then come his pretended Successors both to kill and eat when he refused to do either and to ground their Supremacy thereon It seems they are now more hungry and voracious then St. Peter was then 4ly This whole History was no reality but a meer trance and vision wherein was a mixture of all sorts of beasts creatures as well clean as unclean by the Levitical Law which beasts and fowls Peter then conceived he might not lawfully eat Now the end of this vision was double First to instruct Peter that the Levitical Law putting a difference between unclean and clean beasts was then totally abolished and all of them to be freely eaten by Jews as well as Gentiles 2. That the Gentiles were now as holy and dear unto God as the Jewes Christ having broken down the wall of partition that was between them as the sequel of that Chapter and Peter himself relates chap 11. Now how this vision only to inform and instruct St. Peters judgement in these two particulars can give him or the Pope such a Soveraign Jurisdiction as they by head and shoulders deduce from it let all rational men resolve The 7th Commission the Pontificians have found out given by Christ to Peter is that of Matth. 21. 2 3. Then sent Jesus two Disciples whereof the Romanists averr Peter to be one saying unto them Go ye into the village over against you and straight way ye shall find an Ass tied and a colt with her Loose them and bring them unto me And if any say ought unto you ye shall say the Lord hath need of them and straightway they will send them And the Disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them From whence they inferr that the Pope hath power to bind loose excommunicate and depose Kings Emperors absolve their Subjects from their Allegiance and take away their Crowns kingdoms from them when he their Lord hath need of them as he did King Johns and others as Peter did thus loose and take away the Ass Colt and bring them unto Christ I Answer First That it appears not by any story that Peter was one of those two Disciples that loosed and brought away this Asse and Colt to Christ 2ly Admit he was yet he had another disciple equally joyned with him in Commission which destroyes his sole Monarchy and Supremacy 3ly They went not about this errand till Christ gave them a special Commission for it But Popes run in a quite contrary errand to depose Kings and Emperors before they are sent by Christ yea against his expresse inhibition 4ly They did not take them away without the owners consent but with it as the words straightway they will send them imply Whereas Popes depose and take away Kings and Emperors Crowns kingdoms and absolve their Subjects from their Allegiance against their wils 5ly Christ did not send them to take away the propriety but only to borrow the use of this Asse and Colt at this very instant not the Crowns Scepters or kingdoms of Kings and that only for his necessary use for a few hours even then when he rode like a King in greatest trimph he ever used on earth into Jerusalem and then sent them back Popes do not borrow but forcibly seise detain not the Asses or
hominis et hominem sua causa Deum fecisse quam quod ex omnibus animantibus solus ita formatus est ut oculi ejus ad coelum directi facies ad Deum spectans vultus cum suo parente communis sit quasi porrecta manu allevatum ex humo ad contemplationem sui excitasse Propterea igitur coli se Deus expetit honorari ab homine tanquam Pater ut virtutem et sapientiam teneat quae sola immortalitatem parit Idcirco mundus factus est ut nascamur ideo nascimur ut agnoscamus factorem mundi ac nostri Deum ideo agnoscimus ut colamus ideo colimus ut immortalitatem pro mercede capiamus quoniam maximis laboribus cultus constat ideo praemio immortalitatis afficimur ut similes Angelis effecti summo Patri ac Domino in perpetuum serviamus et simus aternum Deo Regnum Haec summa rerum est hoc arcanum Dei hoc mysterium mundi Yea this is the sum mysterie of all the Kings and kingdoms in the world instituted by God for these only ends that all the kingdoms of the world might thereby become the temporal kingdoms of God and of his Christ on earth and his eternal kingdom in heaven All these recited Fathers lived under Heathen not Christian Emperors Kings to whom they Addressed their Apologies Appeals Defences of the substance truth of the Christian Religion they professed under them as the highest powers on earth the properest Judges of Religion and bound in duty to protest both it and them in the true profession thereof When the Roman Emperors and other Kings became Professors Protectors and Propagators of Christianity the Fathers Councils Bishops Clergy and Christians under them thus set forth their Supremacy in and over all Ecclesiastical and Religious affairs persons as well as temporal To pretermit the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction attributed to and exercised by Constantine the Great the first Christian Emperor which I shall insist on in the First Chapter of the 2d Book Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria as he constantly prayed to God in publike for Constantius the Emperor though an Arrian with all expressions of Loyalty duty and dedicated a special Apology to him in Justification both of his faith and loyalty useth this expression therein If I were accused to others I would appeal to your Majesty as Paul did to Cesar but seeing they accuse me unto you ad quem a te appellare potero nisi ad Deum There being none paramount the Emperour to Appeal to neither Pope nor Council but God alone How this Emperor Constantius twice removed and banished Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria and Paulus Bishop of Constantinople from their Bishopricks and placed Gregory and George two Arrian Bishops in their Sees and how upon their Complaints and Appeals to his Brother the Emperor Constans reigning in the West who summoned their accusers to appear before him which they did they were restored to their Bishopricks by the advice and decree of the Council of Sardis Anno 350 summoned by both these Emperors Edicts at the requests of Athanasius and Paulus to hear and decide their cause referred to them by the Emperors and the special Letters of Constantius sent to Athanasius What Creeds or forms of Christian faith both the Arrian and Orthodox Bishops compiled in the Councils of Antioch Sardis Jerusalem Smyrna Millain Arimino and Seleucia all summoned by the Emperors Edicts presented to the Emperors for their approbations and ratifications as Supreme Judges Moderators in such cases are at large recorded in Socrates Scholasticus Ecclesiast Hist l. 2. cap. 7 to 44. Nicephorus Calixtus Eccles Hist l. 9. c. 20. to 44. Sozomen Eccles hist l. 2. Cent. Magd. 4. cap. 8. and sundry others to whom I referr the Readers for brevity sake Only I shall recite the memorable requests of the Orthodox Bishops in the Council of Arimino to the Emperor Constantius in their second Epistle to him Wherefore we humbly request your Majesty of your gracious Favour and wonted Clemency to accept this our Message That you admit no novelty to creep into the Church of God to the contumely of such as are already departed this life but that you grant us your license and lawfull favor firmly to persevere in those things which our Ancestors have decreed in as much as it is evident to all men that whatsoever they did it was through well advised counsel prudent consideration and the aid of the holy Ghost Also We humbly request that the exiled Bishops which wander in farre and foraign Regions grievously afflicted by reason of great years and the misery of want and necessity may by your safe conduct return home from exile to the end the Churches remain not desolate and desolate of their Bishops being thus farr asunder Last of all Our humble sute is to your Majesty that nothing may be diminished from or added to the Old and Antient Decrees but that all whatsoever have been observed unto this day through the godly procurement of your Father may henceforth be of force strength and virtue and that hereafter there may arise no molestation to us about those things and that you suffer us not to be banished our Churches c. Saint Hillary Bishop of Poictiers wrote thus to this Arrian Emperour Constantius not long after At hanasius in the Orthodox Christians behalf We beseech your Clemency to permit that the people may have such teachers as they like such as they think well of such as they chuse and let them solemnize the divine mysteries and make prayers for your safety and prosperity In which Book to this Emperor he acknowledgeth his Supremacy in and over all Ecclesiastical persons causes though he justly censures his force imposed on them in their Councils to make them vote against their wills and the Orthodox faith in behalf of the Arrian Hereticks The Godly Western Bishops assembled by this Arrian Emperor Constantius his Edict to the Council of Ariminum and there long detained by him from their Cures wrote two supplicatory Epistles to him from thence to dismisse them to their Bishopricks before the cold Winter approached In the first they thus petitioned them We beseech your Majesty that you cause us not to be banished nor stayed from our Churches but that the Bishops together with the people may live in peace and tranquillity and may humbly pray for your health kingdom and safety in which the Divine Majesty long preserve you Pro tua salute Imperio prolixo So Nicephorus renders it but others thus Supplicantes Deo pro pace tui Imperii pariter et salutis quam tibi Dominus in perpetuum largiatur They concluded their second Letter to him with this Supplication For this cause we beseech your Clemency the second time most religious Lord and Emperor that you command us to depart to our Churches if it so please your Godlinesse before the sharpnesse of Winter come That we
Augustine thus resolves Sicut terreni Imperatoris auctoritas currit per omnes ut in omnibus ejus sit reverentia Ita Deus instituit ut ab ipso Rege Dei auctoritas incipint et currat per cunctos Quamvis frequenter mundus hoc non intelligit alii se subjiciat in potestate positus quam debet tamen institutio est ut unus sit qui timeatur Ubi ergo haec institutio non est ibi Cathedra pestilentiae reperitur as it is at Rome Nusquam enim unius Dei auctoritas abjicitur nisi apud eos qui multorum Deorum praedicant metum From hence our Thomas Waldensis thus concludes Ecce ab ipso Rege incipit auctoritas currit per cunctos executores justitiae hoc instituit Deus non ergo instituit Deus ut inciperet à Summo Sacerdote sola executio potestatis manaret in Principem Ecce inde est Imperator unde homo antequam Imperator unde homo antequam Imperator nisi à Deo Quamvis a Deo per Sacerdote Christianus homo tamen nec homo nec Christianus homo nisi a Deo Ita nec Imperator nec Christianus Imperator nisi a Deo quamvis per Pontificem fidelis sit Imperator a Christo et inde potestas illi unde et spiritus et nunquid spiritus illi a Pontifice Tertullianus intendi Quod non sed a Deo profecto ergo non potestas illi a Sacerdotio provenit a cujus dono animam non accepit Potestatis Regiae primum initium in ipso Rege a Deo et ab ipsius auctoritate manat in subditas potestates as well Ecclesiastical as Civil as I shall here demonstrate against all Papal or Pontifical pretences to the contrary For methods sake I shall digest the sum of my First Book into these 5. Propositions 1. That from Adams creation till the Law given by God to Moses and by him unto the Israelites his peculiar people the Supreme Paternal Regal Magistratical with that now stiled Spiritual Pontifical Ecclesiastical Authority or Jurisdiction both in and over the Family State Church Militant was by Divine and Natural Right vested united in one person not many to wit First in Adam himself but after his decease in the First-born unlesse disinherited by God for sin or in the Patriarch or Master of the Family Tribe who was both King and Priest having the Priesthood annexed to his Paternal or Regal Office not these to his Priestship 2ly That God after the Israelites deliverance from the Aegyptian bondage when he first new-modelled them into a Commonwealth and afterwards into a Kingdom setled both their State and Church-government dividing the Priesthood from the Supreme Civil Magistracy Kingship vesting the one in Moses Josuah David Solomon and their Royal Successors the other in Aaron his Sons and Tribe of Levi left the Soveraign Ecclesiastical Power Jurisdiction over all persons causes still annexed to the Kingly or Supreme Magistratical Office and residing in the King or chief Civil Officer as before transferring to Priests only the Ministerial Priestly Offices not the Soveraign Spiritual Jurisdiction the same in kind with a real part of and various dispensation only from the Civil Supremacy 3ly That the Supreme Government of the Church Militant after Christs Incarnation under the Gospel was vested in Jesus Christ himself God and Man only as he is the King not Priest or Prophet of the Church his Priestly and Prophetical Offices being united to his Kingly as the first highest in dignity and order not his Regal to his Pontifical or Prophetical Offices 4ly That Jesus Christ as Supreme King Lord Head of his Kingdom the Church whilst on Earth never claimed nor exercised any Temporal Regal Jurisdiction or Magistratical Authority over any of his Subjects much less over Emperors Kings Kingdoms Nations or Soveraign Civil Powers nor ever deprived any of them of their Crowns nor absolved their Subjects from their Allegiance nor cast down pulled or rooted up their Kingdoms nor gave them to whomsoever he pleased Neither did he either before at or after his Passion Resurrection or Ascension derive any such Superlative Power to St. Peter as his sole universal Vicar or Viceroy nor to any other Apostle Bishop Priest or Pope whatsoever Nor yet delegate to them his supreme Spiritual Jurisdiction over his Kingdom in this world the Church Militant and all the Members of it but only the Ministerial part of his Prophetical Office his High Priesthood being personal untransferrable incommunicable to any other to wit preaching the Gospel publickly to all Nations administring the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper according to his Institution and Command feeding his sheep with the sincere milk of his Word teaching them as his Apostles Ministers Servants to obey whatsoever he hath commanded them beseeching intreating them as his Ambassadors in his stead to be reconciled unto God to declare pronounce them absolved from their sins by God himself upon their sincere Repentance and to denounce damnation against them in case they do not repent and believe in Christ 5ly That Gods principal end and intention in ordaining Kings and supreme Civil Magistrates in the world was not the bare external administration of Justice between man and man the protection of their Subjects from violence oppression the preservation of them in worldly peace plenty prosperity the punishment of Malefactors the rewarding of Well-doers encouragement of Arts Vertue Trade Industry or fighting their Battels in times of War against Invading Enemies though considerable parts of their Regal Office and Soveraign Authority But the advancement of Gods honour worship service glory and spiritual Kingdom whose Viceroys they are the suppression of all Idolatry Blasphemy Heresie schisme sin wickednesse the promotion of the eternal salvation felicity of their people and to be Kings for the Lord their God by advancing his interest all they can Upon which ground in order to effect these ends God himself as well under the Gospel as Law hath delegated the supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction only to Kings and other Soveraign Temporal Potentates not to Popes Bishops Priests who are subordinate to them as their Subjects Ministers not Copartners with them in their Soveraign Ecclesiastical Authority in point of Interest nor yet in its actual execution no further then they are pleased by their Laws or Commissions to delegate it to them as their Substitutes When I have Chronologically evidenced and fully demonstrated the truth of these five Conclusions in so many distinct Chapters in this First Book I shall then wholly addresse my self to my intended Chronological History in relation to the Kings and Crown of England from Lucius our first Christian King Anno Dom. 183. till the Popes extirpation concluding my First Tome thereof with the reign of King Henry the third Anno 1273. THE FIRST BOOK CHAP. I. Proposition 1. That from Adams Creation till the Law given by God to Moses and by
High Priest during Moses his absence in the Mount had at the peoples request made erected a golden calf who committed idolatry with it Moses calls him to a strict account for it to whom he made an excuse with this memorable preface Let not the anger of MY LORD wax hot which stile he likewise gave him Nu. 12 11. Yea Moses not he Pronounced the Judgment and punishment upon the people for this Sin of Idolatry as likewise on him that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day the manner of whose punishment he inquired not Aaron and received from God 9ly When the Tables of stone formerly broken were renewed redelivered by God to the people it was alwayes done even after Aarons consecration by the hand mouth ministry of Moses who with his own mouth alwayes spake and delivered Gods Laws Messages to all the Congregation Elders people during all his Government and gave them a special charge of things future and a blessing at his death 10thly God made choice of Moses a Lay-man and Civil Magistrate to be the firâ—â— pâ—â—man and Register of all his sacred Laws and first Five Books of holy Scripture not Aaron or any other Priest And to shew that Kings and Temporal Magistrates were the principal keepers of both Tables God particularly enjoyned when the Israelites came into the Land of Canaan and had set a King over them that the King when he sate upon the Throne of his Kingdom shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites that it may be well with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to â—o them That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he turn not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that he may prolong his dayes in his kingdom he and his children in the midst of Israel All which particulars laid together relating to and acted by the very first Supream Civil Magistrat that God himself set up over his own peculiar people Church when he first instituted modelled both their Magistrates and Priests with their distinct Offices and powers will infallibly clear the Superiour Jurisdiction of the Supream Civil Magistrate in and over all Ecclesiastical persons and causes by Gods own institution and that the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction is united to the Temporal The reason why God reserved the Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to Moses the Chief Civil Magistrate and afterwards to Kings when he transferred the Priesthood to Aaron and his Sons and severed it from the Kingship was because it would be inconsistent with Monarchie and the Peace Unitie of the Republike Kingdom Church to erect two distinct Supream Powers independent on unsubordinate to each other in one and the same Body Politick Nation Kingdom united under one Supream Civil Head and a Cause of perpetual Wars Schismes Contentions between these different powers by reason of mens Natural ambition and desire to enlarge their Juriisdictions to the prejudice of each other This we find experimentally verified in the Israelites themselves immediatly upon their division into two independent kings kingdoms of equal power unsubordinate to each other which produced not only perpetual Warres between them all their dayes in their Realms as sacred Story oft records but a more sad division in their Religion Worship Church Jeroboam erecting two Calves and a new idolatrous worship with suitable Priests to promote it and a new place of worship contrary to that prescribed by God himself to keep his Subjects from Gods true worship at Jerusalem and returning to their allegiance and obedience to their rightfull Kings of the seed of David which all his Successors persevered in till their final captivity and utter desolation for their idolatry And it is infallibly evidenced by the manifold sad Divisions Schismes Wars Rebellions in most Christian Empires kingdoms ever since the ambitious Popes of Rome and other Prelates have claimed by a pretended divine independent right and usurped to themselves the Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over all Persons Causes inseparably united by God himself to the Crowns of Christian Emperonrs and Kings As God therefore out of his infinit Wisdom at the very Creation constituted but one natural head over every natural body of Men Beasts Fowls Fishes and creeping living creatures though they consisted of two different substances Soul and Body not two distinct heads the one corporal the other spiritual to govern each body because two Supream headâ— would have destroyed the unity harmony operations of these Creatures in their respective orbes and made a Schisme in their bodies So he at first united the Supream Spiritual and Temporal Jurisdiction over Men at the Creation in one person Adam the first sole Monarch of the World And afterwards when his Church and people multiplyed into such a vast dispersed multitude that one person could not possibly execute or discharge the Kingly and Priestly Offices as at first he conveniently might did whiles all united in one Tribe and Family so that there was an absolute necessity to divide them into several Hands Tribes God did even then reserve the Supream Ecclesiastical Government and Jurisdiction as absolutely necessary for inseparable from the Supream Civil Head and Governor of his people to prevent Schismes Confusions and preserve Unity Tranquillity both in Church and State not transferr it from Moses to Aaron the Church with all its Officers Members being included in branches of the Kingdom Republike not divided from it as a distinct independent spiritual corporation Therefore still to remain under the sole Government and protection of the Supream Politick Head This is most clearly and significantly expressed by Ezechiels uniting the two divided sticks into one rod in one hand typifying the uniting of the two divided Kingdomes of Israel and Iudah into one Kingdom Church PEOPLE under one King and Shepheard Jesus Christ and making them all but ONE in their Government and true Worship of God according to his Statutes Hence it is most apparent that the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers Authorities or Jurisdictions are not thus denominated because they are vested in different persons hands or flow from various fountains or distinct in their natures as the Pontificians and others generally assert and mistake but meerly because they are exercised upon or about different things or objects the persons wherein they originally and supreamly reside and from whence they flow and the very Powers Authorities Jurisdictions themselves in their nature being but one and the same only the objects matters in upon or about which they are exercised various and distinct from whence they have these different Epithites To evidence this truth past all contradiction being the surest Oracle to resolve all future Controversies concerning these Jurisdictions yea keenest axe
commanding all Judah and Israel to keep a solemn Passeover at Jerusalem on the second Moneth whereupon a great multitude then and there assembling they took away the Idols altars and cast them into the book Kidron and killed the Passeover Whereupon the Priests and Levites being ashamed of their bacwardness in this service sanctifyed themselves brought the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord stood in their places after their manner according to the Law of Moses and sprinkled the bloud 4ly Hezekiah not the Priests publikely prayed to God to pardon those who prepared their hearts to seek God though they were not sanctifyed and prepared according to the purification of the Sanctuary and spake comfortably to the Levites that taught the good Law of the Lord. 5ly This King Appointed the Courses of the Priests Levites after their Courses every man according to his Service appointed the Kings portion for all morning and evening sacrifices for every day Sabbath Feast as it is written in the Law of the Lord and commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the Priests and Levites that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord whereupon all the people brought in the First-fruits and Tithes of all things abundantly which Hezekiah commanded to be put in store-houses built by his command over which he appointed Rulers to distribute to every Priest and Levite his portion All undoubted Badges of his Supream Ecclesiastical Authority 7ly King Iosiah by his Regal Jurisdiction 1. Purged Judah and Jerusalem from their high places groves carved Images and molten Images brake down the Altars of Baal and cut down the Images that were above them and brake in pieces the carved and molten Images and stamped them to powder and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed to them and burnt the bones of their Priests upon their Altars and so did he in the Cities of Manasseth Ephraim and Simeon even unto Napthali 2ly He assembled all the Elders of Judah inhabitants of Jerusalem Priests Levites and all the people great and small into the Temple and HE READ in their ears all the Book of the Covenant that was found in the House of the Lord Then the King stood in his place and made a Covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandements Testimonies and Statutes with all his heart and with all his soul and caused all there present to stand to the Covenant and Oath 3ly He took away all the abominable things out of all the Countries that pertained to the children of Israel and made all that were found in Israel Priests and people to serve the Lord their God And all his dayes they departed not from serving the Lord God of their Fathers 4ly He assembled the Princes and he kept a most solemn Passeover to the Lord in Jerusalem the 14. day of the first moneth And He set the Priests in their Charges and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord and commanded the Levites that taught all Israel to prepare themselves by the Houses of their Fathers after their courses according to the writing of David King of Israel according to the writing of Solomon his Son said to them stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people and after the division of the families of the Levites So kill the Passeover and sanctifie your selves and prepare your Brethren that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses Whereupon they all prepared performed their respective offices and duties in celebrating the Passeover as this pious King prescribed Lo here no lesse then 7. most renowned pious Kings recorded in Sacred story by divine approbation exercising Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over High Priests Priests and Levites themselves ordering all sacred affairs offerings sacrifices Psalms prayers courses of Priests appertaining to Gods worship building consecrating repairing cleansing the Temple destroying Idolatry with other particulars 5ly From Moses Joshuahs and their presidents I shall observe 1. That they are all specially recorded in sacred Writ for their eternal honors reputations and the example of all other pious Kings under the Gospel 2ly That not one of them was ever taxed by God or the high Priests for invading or usurping their Jurisdictions or Offices for any of their forecited actions injunctions commands over them or exercising these high points of Monarchical and Regal Jurisdiction in and over all Ecclesiastical affairs or the essential ceremonial parts of Gods publike worship Which Popes and Popish Prelates would repute the highest most sacrilegious Encroachment upon their Ecclesiastical Rights and Jurisdictions if now acted by Christian Kings Magistrates Rulers and excommunicate them for it by Bell Book and Candle 3ly That we find no one part of Ecclesiastical power and Jurisdiction in these or any other particulars either exercised or claimed by the high Priest Priests Levites either joyntly or severally all their reigns 4ly There are only Two Kings but no other Magistrate in sacred History reprehended by the high Priest and punished by God for invading the Priests Office and Function and that only in one particular Ministerial not Jurisdictional sacred action peculiar unto Priests by Gods own restriction The first is of King Saul who sending for Samuel to Gilgal to offer Sacrifices and enquire of the Lord for help against the Philistims and he staying seven dayes for him and the people scattering themselves from him thereupon he calling for a burnt offering and peace offering offered the burnt offering to the Lord himself Which he had no sooner done but Samuel came and Saul telling him how he had in this extremity forced himself and offered a burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel thereupon said to Saul Thou hast done very foolishly thou hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee for the Lord had now established the kingdom of Israel upon thee for ever but now thy kingdom shall not continue The second is King Vzziah who being lifted up with pride and prosperity to his destruction transgressed against the Lord his God and went into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the Altar of incense whereupon Azariah the Priest went in after him with fourscore more Priests of the Lord that were valiant man and withstood the King and said unto him It pertaineth not to thee Vzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense Go out of the Sanctuary for thou hast trespassed neither shall it be for thy honour from the Lord God Then Vzziah was wroth with the Priests and took a censor in his hand to burn incense whereupon the Leprosie rose up in his Forehead before the Priests in the House of the Lord from beside the
incense Altar which Azariah the chief Priest all the Priests looking upon drave thrust him out from thence yea himself also hasted to go out because the Lord had smitten him And he continued a Leper until the day of his death and dwelt in a several house being a Leper for he was cut off from the house of the Lord and Jotham his Sonne was over the Kings house judging the people of the Land Had the exercise of Supream Ecclesiastical power in all the premised particulars been any usurpation of the Priests Office in Moses Joshua David Solomon Asa Jehoash Hezekiah or Josiah no doubt God would have punished them as exemplarily for it as he punished King Saul and King Uzziah for offering a burnt offering and burning incense upon the Altar of incense Or as he did Corah Dathan and Abiram before them for rebelling and usurping the Priests Office in burning incense with their censers asVzziah intended to do Or as he punished and slew the men of Bethshemesh for looking irreverently into the Ark and Vzza for stretching out his hand to hold the Ark steady when it â—â—ook in the Cart when as none but Levites were by Gods special precept to come near bear or touch it whose office all these directly invaded for which they were thus signally punished by God himself But since neither of all these Kings Rulers received any check punishment at all from God or the high Priests but on the contrary praise honour blessings from God and chearfull obedience from all the high Priests Priests Levites themselves for these their sacred Ecclesiastical transactions they were doubtlesse no parts of the high Priests Priests or Levites Offices but of their own proper inherent Supream Magistratical and Regal Authority vested in them for these ends by God himself 6ly When the Kings Kingdoms of Judah and Israel were destroyed for their Idolatry and both Kings Princes people carried away Captives into foreign Nations so that they had no King nor Magistrate of their own to govern them the sacred story records that even Heathen Kings exercised Supream Authority over them in all Religious and Ecclesiastical matters as these presidents demonstrate 1. The King of Assyria sent one of the Priests they had carried away captive to the Nations he had placed in and about Samaria instead of the Israelites to teach them the manner of the God of the Land and to fear the Lord. 2. God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia to make a publike Proclamation through all his kingdom in writing for every man that would to go up to Jerusalem and build the house of the Lord God of Israel who had charged him to build it and that all should assist them with silver gold beasts besides the free-will offering for the House of the Lord Whereupon God stirring up the spirits of the chief of the Fathers of Judah Ephraim Priests Levites and others to undertake the work King Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the House of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzer had taken from thence and put in the house of his Gods and delivered them to them by number all which they carried to Jerusalem for the use of the Temple when re-built and all they that were about them in obedience to Cyrus royal Proclamation strengthned their hands with vessels of gold goods beasts and pretious things besides all willingly offered Whence God said of Cyrus He is my Shepherd and shall fulfill all my pleasure saying to Jerusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundations shall be layd and stiled him HIS ANOINTED Vpon which Proclamation and Grant of Cyrus the Jewes set up the Altar offered Sacrifices and laid the foundation of the Temple as King Cyrus King of Persia had commanded them 3ly King Darius confirmed and enlarged this Decree of Cyrus commanding his Officers not to hinder the building to furnish them with moneys out of the Kings tribute for the work and with young Bullocks Lambs Rams for burnt offerings of the God of Heaven wheat salt wine oyl according to the appointment of the Priests at Jerusalem to be given them day by day without fail that they may offer Sacrifices of rest to the God of Heaven and pray for the life of the King and of his Sonnes clozing his Decree thus Also I have made a Decree That whosoever shall alter this word let timber be pulled down from his house and being set up let him be hanged thereon and let his house be made a Dunghill for this And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all Kings and people that shall put to their hand to alter or destroy this House of God which is at Ierusalem I Darius have made a Decree let it be done with speed Whereupon the Iewes built and finished the House offered Sacrifices set up Gods worship in it according to the commandement of the God of Israel and according to the Commandement of Cyrus Darius and Artarerres King of Persia 4ly This King Artaxerxes sent Ezra the Priest up to Jerusalem and gave him sundry Vessels for the Lords house with a large Commission to like effect with that of Darius recorded Ezra 7. superadding Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven let it be done diligently for the house of the Lord of heaven for why should wrath come upon the King and his sons And thou Ezra as my Commissioner after the wisdom of thy God set Magistrates and Judges which may judge all the people that are beyond the River all such as know the Law of thy God teach ye them that know it not And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of the King let judgement be executed â—eedily upon him whether unto death or unto banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment all Temporal and Ecclesiastical Censures to be executed by Civil Magistrates not Ezra the Priest Upon receipt of which Commission Ezra used this Thanksgiving Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers which hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart to beautifie the House of the Lord c. Which Commission he punctually pursued and delivered it to the Kings Lieutenants and Governors who thereupon furthered the people and the House of God This King likewise granted his Royal Letters to Nehemah commanding the Governours there to give him Timber and stone for the building of the Temple who as the Kings Lieutenant over the Jewes there exercised Supream Ecclesiastical Authority in building the Temple directing and ordering the Priests and Levites setting up the publike worship of God observing the Sabbath and solemn Festivals constituting publike Fasts and putting the Priests from their Priesthood and the Levites who could not prove their pedigrees causing all of them that had married strange wives to enter into a Covenant to walk in Gods Laws given by Moses not to marry with strangers pay
objects about which they are exercised not in their original subject or power it self Before I proceed to the next Proposition it will be necessary to answer 4. principal Arguments Presidents out of the Old Testament before and under the Law produced by Popes and their Parasites to evidence their pretended Universal Spiritual and Temporal Jurisdiction too over the Persons Crowns Kingdoms of all Kings Princes and the Emperor himself to dispose of them at their absolute Wills as derived only from and held under them which my Chronological Method confines me here to propound and answer in their order The first is that alleged by Pope Innocent the 3d. the first Pope who interdicted the Realm of England Excommunicated King John and by force and frauds induced him to resign his Kingdoms of England and Ireland to and resume them from him under an Annual rent and to do Homage to him for them as his Vassal This Pope in an Epistle to the Emperour of Constantinople useth this Argument before Adams creation to maintain his Temporal Monarchy Moreover you ought to know that God hath made two great Lights in the firmament of heaven the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night both of them great but the other greater Ad firmamentum igitur Coeli hoc est Universalis Ecclesiae fecit Deus duo magna luminaria c. Therefore God hath made two great lights to rule the firmament of heaven to wit of the Universal Church that is he hath instituted TWO DIGNITIES quae sunt Pontificalis authoritas Regalis potestas which are The Pontifical Authority and the Regal Power But that which ruleth in the day that is in Spiritual things major est is the Greater but that which in carnal things minor is the Lesser ut quanta est inter Solem Lunam tanta inter Pontifices Reges differentia cognoscatur mark it that it might be known there is as great a difference between Popes and Kings as there is betweeen the Sunne and Moon How great this difference is this Pope defines not But some illiterate Canonists and Glossers on this Text not well versed in Astronomy resolve the Sunne to be 47. times greater then the Moon whereas Johannes Clavius and other Astronomers determine it to be no lesse then 6529. degrees greater then it and by consequence the Pope to be so many degrees greater then the Emperor by this Popes Resolution in his over-erring chaire He subjoyns If his Imperial Highnesse would prudently consider these things he would not make or permit the Patriarch of Constantinople a great and honourable Member of the Church to sit on the left side near his Footstool when as other Kings and Princes sicut debent AS THEY OUGHT reverently rise up to and assign them a venerable Chair next them on their right hand Nos autem etsi non increpando scripserimus potuissemus tamen rationabiliter increpare Mauritius de Alzedo a Spanish Doctor of the Canon Law in his highly approved and applauded Book De Praecellentia Episcopalis dignitatis concludes from this Popes Text That there is as vast a difference between the Episcopal and Regal dignity not Papal only as there is between the Sun and Moon quoting many Canonists Divines Politians and Cardinal Bellarmin himself in his Apologia pro Responsione ad JACOBUM REGEM ANGLIAE averring it Yet Pope Sixtus the 5. was so angry with Bellarmin for not asserting the direct but oblique dominion of Popes over Kings in all Temporal things in this Apology that he purposed to have burnt and totally abolished this his Book AS HERETICAL And that upon reading of Alex Carerius his Book purposely written against Bellarmins Adversus Impios Politicos Haereticos hujus Temporis branding all for impious Hereticks who denyed the Popes direct Universal Dominion in Temporal things though they acknowledged it obliquely in-order to and absolutely in all Spiritual things In this applauded Book Carerius asserts There is that proportion between the Pope and the Emperor as is between the Sun and Moon not only in Magnitude but Splendor too For as the Sun is far more excellent and eminent then the Moon seeing she borrows her splendor and light of the Sun SO IS THE POPE THEN THE EMPEROUR seeing his Authority depends on the Pope and is derived from him Our own Thomas Waldensis alluding thereunto professedly asserts against Wickliffs defence of our Kings Supream Jurisdiction over Priests and Prelâ—tes That Priests as well as Bishops ARE TO BE PREFERRED BEFORE ALL OTHER EARTHLY PRINCES WHATSOEVER and the Priesthood before the Kingship as far as the Flesh before the Spirit Gold before Lead the Soul before the body and Heaven BEFORE EARTH in proof whereof he spends two whole Chapters and Alvarus Pelagius above forty Articles To all which I answer 1. That God created the Sunne to Govern the day and the Moon the night by a direct divine inviolable and irrevocable Institution observed from the Creation till now when Pope Innocent and his flatterers can produce any such divine Law and constitution made either by God at the creation or by Moses for the Jews High Priests Supremacy or by Kings Princes or Christ himself under the Gospel to convince any rational Christian that Popes and Prelates are the sole Universal Governours in the Church but Kings and Emperours only in the World That Popes or Bishops were ever typified by the Sunne and Moon the Church and Earthly kingdoms by Day and Night That there is as vast a difference between the Amplitude of Jurisdiction and Splendor of Popes Bishops Kings and Emperours as is between the Grandeur and Brightnesse of the Sunne and Moon That Kings and Emperours derive all their Regal Authority Crowns Kingdoms Splendor Excellency in the world from Popes Miters or Bishops Crosiers not God himself as the Old and New Testament Paul and Peter the first pretended Bishop of Rome it self dogmatically resolve as the Moon borrows her light and splendor from the Sunne as some assert but others rationally deny being both made at once by God on the fourth day two days before Adam the first man was created and some thousands of years before Popes Prelates the Grecian or Roman Emperours were extant in the world and so could not typifie either of them as these Pontificians dream Or when they can evidence that God hath constituted Popes to rule govern and give light to the whole World by day only and to the Emperour alone not Pope by night as the Sunne and Moon govern alternis vicibus without encroaching on one the others turns when as Popes Prelates usurp the Temporal Rights of all Emperors Kings as well as Ecclesiastical all the year long I shall then subscribe these Popes and Doctors conclusions as Catholick verities whereas yet I cannot but conclude them strong Antichristian delusions lyes which few sober men will
them to subject themselves to his Royal Scepter and Government Be wise now therefore O YE KINGS be instructed ye JUDGES of the earth Serve the LORD with fear and rejoyce unto him with trembling Kisse the Sonne a Ceremony used by Subjects fâ—â—datories to Kings Soveraign Lords when they kneeled down before swore Homage and Fealty to become their Men and Vassals from that day forwards of life limb or terrene honour and to be true faithfull bear faith and true allegiance to them continued in England till this day lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is 〈◊〉 but a little Blessed are all they that trust in him In all these Prophecies of Christs kingdome and Government under the Gospel in the Old Testament Christ 〈…〉 and set forth only as a KING and Soveraign Lord reigning and 〈◊〉 over his â—ubjects as a King not as a Priest or Prophet and his Church stiled described 〈◊〉 by the Name of a Church never once used throughout the Old Testament but only of a KINGDOM or of Mount Zion or Jerusalem THE CITY OF GOD where the House of the Lord was built his publike worship setled by David and Solomon the Metropolis of all Kings of the seed of David where they were crowned reigned and gave Judgement as Kings whence it was stiled THE CITY OF DAVID for there were set THRONES OF JUDGEMENT even THE THRONES OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID and the CITY OF THE GREAT KING in relation to Christ himself whence the Church under the Gospel 〈◊〉 likewise stiled The City of the living God and described in all her glory under the 〈◊〉 of A CITY Rev. 21. 13. to the end and ch 22. 1 to 27. wherein his Subjects serve and worship him as their LORD GOD KING and shall REIGN WITH HIM FOR EVER AND EVER All which considered infallibly demonstrate the Supreme Rule and Government of the Church on earth under the Law to be vested only in and exercised by the Kings and Soveraign Rulers of Gods people not in by the High Priests or Levites and under the Gospel in by Christ himself only as KING and Supream Lord thereof as it is his kingdom not as a Priest or Prophet and that his reign Dominion Jurisdiction in and over it is for ever appropriated to his Regal not Pontifical or Prophetical office 5ly As the Angel told Mary a little before Christs Conception the Grandeur stability perpetuity of his kingdom So the Wisemen which came to Jerusalem to worship him being the first-fruits of his Kingdom and Church under the Gospel inquired after him only as a King saying Where is he that IS BORN KING OF THE JEWS for we have seen his Star in the East and are come to worship him Whereupon he Chief Priests and Scribes being assembled by King Herod to inform him where Christ should be born answered At Bethlehem of Judea for thus it is written by the Prophet And thou Bethlehem art not the least among the PRINCES of Judah c. for out of thee shall come A GOVERNOR WHO SHALL RULE MY PEOPLE ISRAEL where these Wisemen finding him with Mary his mother they fell down and worshipped not his mother Mary with an Impera filio Monstra te esse matrem Jube benedicere c. as Popes and their disciples daily pray unto her even now in their Offices Primers Mass-books set forth by Papal authority but the Babe when they had brought forth their gifts they offered unto him Gold Frankincense and Myrrhe On which place Saint Cyprian first and others after him have this observation In auro REGEM in thure Sacerdotem in myrrha Incorruptibilem quamvis paâ—sibilum demonstrat In loco humili supellectile vili REX Regum DOMINUS Dominorum invenitur recognoscitur ab aliis adoratur And although Christ never claimed nor exercised any temporal Authority over the Kingdom of David to which he was born heir as Herod feared but only over his Spiritual kingdom which he affirmed Not to be of this world yet he owned himself to be A KING and Pilate himself positively professed it though the Jews would not by demanding of them when they cried out to have him crucified shall I crucifie your KING and fixing this written Title on his Crosse which he would not alter at the high Priests importunity in Hebrew Greek and Latin JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS to evidence his Kingship over his Kingdom the Church which none of the Princes of this world then knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord or King of glory as the Apostle and Psalmist stile him yea the very multitude of people proclaimed him a King when he rode into Jerusalem in regal Triumph by strowing their garments and boughâ— of trees in the way singing with a loud voice Hosanna Blessed be the King and kingdom of our father David that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest After which he went into the Temple and threw out them that bought and sold therein overthrew the Tables of the money-changers and them that sold Doves by virtue of his Regal not Sacerdotal power 6ly It is very observable that Jesus Christ whiles on earth was most usually stiled both by Mary his Mother all his Disciples especially by Saint Peter and by all sorts of persons who addressed themselves unto him by petition or otherwise Lord the Lord my Lord our Lord and his other Titles of Jesus Saviour Christ c. are very seldom mentioned throughout the New Testament by Angels Saints Evangelists Apostles or any others but with this addition Christ the Lord Jesus our Lord the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Lord God c. every tongue of Angels Saints yea of Devils and damned spirits confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord Lord of all Lord and Christ Lord both of quick and dead which Title many Hypocrites and the foolish Virgins reiterated saying Lord Lord open c. Which Appellation Christ himself resolved to be true You call me Lord Master so I am his Father having put all things in subjection under his feet especially his redeemed ones who professe this as an Article of their faith r But unto us there is but one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Now this Title Lord attributed to Christ in its eminentest sense denotes only his Regal Dominion Lordship and Soveraignty over them in and under the Gospel as their KING as the penitent Theefs speech to him on the Crosse LORD remember me when thou commest into THY KINGDOM the Apostles question to him LORD wilt thou at this time restore the KINGDOM to Israel Saints Pauls conclusion THE LORD will preserve me to his HEAVENLY KINGDOM with St Peters For so an entrance shall be ministred unto
1. The several sorts of Christs kingdomes 2ly What kind of Kingdom his Church is 3ly How and in what manner he reigns and governs in it as King and Soveraign Lord over it For the 1. It is generally agreed by Fathers Pontificians and Protestants that Jesus Christ hath a three-fold kingdom set forth in the premised Scriptures if strictly pryed into The first is a Kingdom of power and absolute Dominion which extends it self not only to all Men and Angels but likewise to all other unreasonable and inanimate Creatures whatsoever in heaven earth and under the earth yea to the very Devils themselves This Kingdom belongs unto Christ principally as he is God and the Creator of all things which comes not within the Verge of our present Discourse however Popes seem to usurp it The 2. is a Kingdom of meer purchase or Grace confined properly not to Angels or Mankind in general but to such as are truly elected called justifyed sanctified redeemed saved by Christs precious blood yet in the largest sense extended to the good Angels and all visible Members of the Church Militant professing the name and gospel of Christ as his Subjects though not actually regenerated justified sanctified saved Of this Kingdom there are two distinct parts the one Triumphant in Heaven over which no Pope or Mortals on earth can pretend the least Kingship or Dominion the other Militant upon Earth the latter in its largest extension comprehending all who bear the name of Christians whether good or bad regenerate or unregenerate This is the Kingdom of Christ of which the Pope as Christs Vicar General and Peters fictitious Successor pretends himself the Supream and sole Governor The 3d. is the Kingdom of Glory not really different from the former long since begun and encreasing every day more and more by new additions of departed Saints thereto which kingdom shall be fully compleated when all the Elect shall be gathered the Church militant united to the Church triumphant actually glorified with Christ in the kingdom of heaven For the 2d It is asserted by Fathers and most Romanists themselves as well as Protestants that this Kingdom of Christ is meerly Spiritual Not any temporal kingdom upon earth as the Jewes some grosse Milenaries Popes and their Parasites fancy over which Christ never actually reigned or shall reign as a Temporal King and Lord even in all temporal things for which we find no warrant in Scripture or Fathers Hence Thomas Waldensis himself though a grand Advocate for the Popes Supremacy layes down and proves at large these 4 Conclusions 1. Regnum temporale Judaeorum sub Jeconio excidium accepit neque amplius Judaecorum aliquis vel de jure vel de facto illud obtinuit 2. Regnum illud Judaeorum terrenum cum figura fuit Regni aeterni spiritualis Christi debuit omnino in adventu eius cessare quemadmodum et sacrificia 3. Regnum temporale quod in Prophetarum scriptis MESSIAE promissum est non est Regnum Carnale et Terrenum sed Spirituale quo per Fidem in Cordibus suorum Regnat 4. Quod ex verbis quae Christus dixit coram Pilato Tu dicis quod Rex sum ego non potest colligi quod ipse fuerit Rex Terrenus de Facto vel de Jure And Gen. 49. 10. proves That the temporal Scepter should depart from Iudah when Christ the true Shiloh came into the world Alvarus Pelagius the grand assertor of the Popes Universal Kingship in and over Christs kingdom the Church and all earthly Kings Kingdoms too informs us That the kingdom of Christ hath various acceptations in Scripture 1. It is taken for Christ himself 2ly For the sacred Scripture or Gospel of Christ 3ly For the Church of Christ divided into two Parts Militant on earth triumphant in heaven yet there are not two kingdoms in the Church but one kingdom because both end in one and there is but one King of both and one Spirit reigns in both Churches but diversly for in the Church of Travellers it reigns by faith in the Church of the blessed by open vision This Church therefore is but One for the unity of its end and beginning but it is distinguished by reason of the diversity of the state Yet this kingdom comprehends not only the Elect but also all the holy Angels for there is but one City and Kingdom of God constituted out of holy Angels and men as he proves out of Augustine and Gratian Distinct 10. 59. That Christ ever challenged or enjoyed any temporal kingdom upon earth he offers not the least proof out of Scripture or Fathers in which Cardinal Bellarmin himself confesseth he could never find that Christ had any such kingdom after most diligent search but only a kingdom in and over his Church which is not temporal but spiritual For the 3d. All antient and most modern Divines of all sorts assert that Christs immediate Government in and over his Spiritual Kingdom the Church is Spiritual not Temporal and that principally in and over the souls spirits consciences wills hearts affections of his elect Saints in which he dwells lives rules reigns by his Spirit and Grace And this his Spiritual Government is neither communicated nor transferred by Jesus Christ to any King High Priest Priest Bishop Pope or other Mortal whatsoever but resides in Christ alone the King of Saints as an incommunicable unseparable part and prerogative of his Regal not Sacerdotal or prophetical office But more of this in the two next Propositions BOOK I. CHAP. IV. That Jesus Christ as Supream King Lord Head of his Kingdom the Church whiles on Earth never claimed exercised enjoyed any Temporal Royal Jurisdiction or Magistratical Authority over any of his Subjects much lesse over Emperors Kings Kingdoms Nations or Soveraign civil Powers nor ever deprived any of them of their Crowns nor absolved their Subjects from their Allegiance nor pulled up cast down or rooted up their Kingdomes nor gave them to whomsoever he pleased Neither did he either before at or after his passion resurrection or ascention derive any such superlative Power to Saint Peter as his sole universal Vicar or Viceroy nor to any other Apostle Bishop Priest or Pope whatsoever Nor delegate his Supream Spiritual Jurisdiction over his Kingdom the Church militant in this world and all the Members of it but only committed to them the Ministerial part of his Prophetical Office his High Priestood being personal untransferrable and incommunicable unto any other of teaching and preaching the Gospel publikely to all Nations administring the Sacraments of Baptism the Lords Supper to them according to his institution and command feeding them as his Sheep with the sincere milk of his word teaching them as his Apostles Ministers Servants to obey whatever he hath commanded them beseeching intreating them as his Embassadors in his stead to be reconciled unto God and to declare pronounce them absolved
from their sins by God upon their sincere repentance and to denounce damnation against them in case they repented not and believed not in Christ I Have here enlarged this Proposition abridged in my Prologue the clearing whereof will prove fatal to St. Peters and the Popes pretended Universal Regal Supremacy and Pontifical Jurisdiction over Kings Emperors Kingdoms Nations as well in temporals as spirituals and over Christs Kingdom the Church Militant on Earth as Christs sole Viceroy or Vicar General to whom all his Regal and Sacerdotal power in heaven and earth is assigned by Christ himself if we believe their own Papal or their Parasites claims which I shall here preâ—â—ise in their own words that so their Antichristian Usurpations Blaspemies Impostures may more visibly appear to all Christian Kings and the whole world who cannot but abominate and be jealous of them though never so much devoted to the Papacy Pope Nicholas the 2d writes thus to those of Millain who refused to obey the See of Rome and acknowledge the Popes Universal Supremacy Christ alone hath founded built the Roman Church upon the rock of the faith newly born and hath committed to Saint Peter the Key-bearer of eternal life TERRENI SIMUL IMPERII CAELESTIS JURA the Rights both of the earthly and heavenly Empire Therefore not any terrene Sentence but that word by which heaven and earth were built by which faculty all the Elements were made hath founded the Roman Church Certainly she enjoyeth her privileges from him by whom she is supported Therefore IT IS NOT TO BE DOUBTED that he who endeavoureth to take away from the Church of Rome the Priviledge granted her by the very chief head of all Churches HIC PROCVLDUBIO IN HAERESIN LABITUR HIC EST DICENDVS HAERETICVS He without doubt falls into Heresie he is to be called an heretick because he violates the faith who acts against her who is the mother of faith and is found contumacious to him who is known to have advanced her above all Churches On which Text Bartholomeus Buxiensis and Ioannes Thierry make this Glosse Papa habet utrumque gladium scilicet Spiritualem Temporalem transtulit Imperium Pope Leo the 9. in one of his Epistles writes thus This ought to satisfie you That both the Earthly and Heavenly Empire yea the Royal Priesthood is given to the Apostolick See Divinitus by God himself and not by men Pope Boniface the 8. in his Letters to Philip the French King told him That the Pope is Lord through the whole world both in Temporal and Spiritual Matters And that he judged it HERETICAL for any to think the contrary This Pope boasting that he had the power of both swords declared it by his actions riding Anno 1300. on the first day of the Great Iubilee in triumph in his Pontificalibus as Pope and the next day in his IMPERIAL ROBES adorned with THE IMPERIAL CROWN having a naked sword carried before him and one proclaiming ECCE HIC DUO GLADII behold here the Spiritual and Temporal Swords given to me quantum ad jurisdictionem at least though non per executionem generaliter as some of their soberest Canonist distinguish The like Soveraign power is claimed by all their * Successors and inserted into their Book of Sacred ceremonies ratified by Sixtus Quartus and other Pontifs which records That when the Pope gives or sends a consecrated sword to the Emperor or any King usually hallowed on the night of Christs Nativity he is prescribed to say This Pontifical sword doth betoken SUMMAM TEMPORALEM POTESTATEM as well as Spiritual A CHRISTO PONTIFICI COLLATAM according to that saying All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth and according to that also He shall rule from Sea to Sea and from the floud unto the worlds end Pope Innocent the 3. and Adrian the 4th their forecited passages are to the like effect with sundry other Popes forged or real Decrees to the same purpose recorded in Gratian and the Extravagants The Pope as Augustinus Triumphans asserts is greater then any King or Emperor as well in Temporal as in Spiritual Matters and as God is the Lord of all by Universal Jurisdiction so is the Pope his Vicar greater then any King or Emperor both in spiritual and temporal things The power of Jurisdiction in temporal and in spiritual matters is immediate in the Pope alone Yea the Son of God hath declared the altitude of Ecclesiastical power in the Pope to be above all principalities and powers that unto it every knee should bow both in heaven in earth and under the earth Franciscus Bozius affirms The Supream temporal Jurisdiction throughout the whole world belongs to Peters successor so that he is both Hierarch and Monarch of all things and that by the divine Law expressed in the Scriptures That Peter and the Pope succeed to Christ as well in his Kingdom as in his Priesthood and that Peter and the Pope is both King and Priest according to the order of Melchisedech which Cardinal Baronius and Aquinas with others likewise assert Stephanus Patracensis Archiepiscopus in his Oration 4 Maii 1515. before Pope Leo the 10th in the Council of Constance averred In the Pope the Supream Hierarch in the Church there is omnis potestas super omnes Potestates tam Coeli quam Tarrae Tibi data est omnis potestas in qua qui totum dicit Nihil excludit Ralulphus Cupers impudently proclaims God hath committed to the Pope the rights both of the terrene and heavenly kingdoms The direct dominion of the Emperor belong unto God and by consequence to the Pope his Vicar who is deservedly accounted the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Lord hath so magnified the Church which he expounds to be the Pope that he hath preferred it not only to Kings and Cesars sed omnibus sub coelo supra coelum existentibus but to all that are either under Heaven or above Heaven Cardinal Hostiensis asserts Papa Christus faciunt unum consistorium ita quod excepto peccato potest Papa quasi omnia facere quae Deus potest Whence some Canonists stile him Dominus Deus noster Papa and yoak God and him together as equals Quis audet dicere Deo et Papae the plenitude of his Papal power being such as Abbot Panormitan resolves that Super omnem legem positivam sufficit quod in Papa sit pro ratione voluntas in dethroning Kings and Emperors The like Antichristian blasphemous assertions are professedly maintained in solemn discourses as you may read at leisure in their Azorius Antoninus Alexander Carerius Francis Bozius Lelius Zecchus Marta Rodericus Sancius Gaster Scoppius with other Pontifician Parasites And Cardinal Bellarmin himself informs us That the Pope Jure divino hath power over the whole world as
maliciously brand them I shall now proceed to evidence the truth of my forecited Proposition which will for ever dissipate and overturn these their presumptuous groundlesse Claims and Titles to their forecited temporal and spiritual Universal Soveraignty The first Part thereof That Jesus Christ as Supream King Lord Head of his kingdom the Church whiles on earth never claimed nor exercised any Temporal Regal Jurisdiction over Kings or other Civil Magistrates or their Subjects much lesse deprived them of their Crowns Kingdoms Prerogatives nor ever gave unto St. Peter or to any other Apostle the least Dominion over them especially such as Popes now claim but both he and they submitted themselves to and ratified asserted not invaded their Supremacy and Regal Power in the highest degree I shall thus invincibly demonstrate 1. Jesus Christ himself though as many assert he had a temporal right to the temporal Crown and Kingdom of the Jews as right heir thereto of the seed of King David and therefore was thus inquired after by the Wise men Where is He that is Born King of the Iews Yet it is observable First That he never claimed nor seised on his earthly Kingdom then usurped by King Herod who sought to murder him to secure himself against Christs Title nor ever exercised the least Temporal Royal Jurisdiction therein 2ly That on the contrary when he perceived the people would come and take and make him KING by force he departed from them into a Mountain alone to prevent their designs 3ly That When he was arraigned before Pilate and accused as an Enemy to Caesar because he made himself A KING He twice openly professed in one breath My Kingdom is not of this World If my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered unto the Jews But now is my kingdom not from hence And in his prayer to his Father for his Disciples a little before his passion he said They are not of the world even as I am not of the world Therefore doubtlesse since he neither challenged nor exercised any Temporal dominion as a King in his own proper Kingdom of Iudea much lesse took he away the Diadems Crowns Realms Soveraignty of any other Kings Princes nor exercised any Regal Jurisdiction in them This the antient Christian Poet Prudentius professed in his Hymn of Christ sung in the very Church of Rome till this day where he thus expostulates with Herod for fearing Christ would deprive him of his crown and murdering the innocent children upon that very account Herodes hostis impiè Christum venire quid times NON ERIPIT MORTALIA QUI REGNA DAT COELESTIA Why wicked Herod dost thou fear And at Christs comming frown The Mortal he takes not away That gives the Heavenly crown Which Claudian an antient Author in his Collectanea upon Matthew thus elegantly seconds That KING which is born doth not come to overcome Kings by fighting but to subdue them after a wonderfull manner by dying neither is he born to the end that he may suceed thee but that the World may faithfully believe in him For he is come not that he may fight being alive but that he may triumph being slain Nor that he may with Gold get an Army to himself out of other Nations but that he may shed his precious bloud for the saving of the Nations Vainly didst thou by envying fear him to be thy Successor whom by believing thou oughtest to seek as thy Saviour because if thou didst believe in him thou shouldest raign with him and as thou hast received a Temporal Kingdom from him thou shouldest also receive from him an Evelasting For the Kingdom of this Child is not of this World but by him it is that men do reign in this World He is the Wisdom of God which saith in the Proverbs By me Kings reign St. Augustin in his 115. Tract upon Iohn brings in Christ making this publike proclamation Audite ergo Judaei Gentes audi circumcisio audi pra putium audite omnia Regna terrena non impediam Dominationem vestram in hoc mundo Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo Nolite metuere metu vanissimo quo Herodes ille major cum Christus natus nunciaretur expavit tot infantes ut ad eum mors perveniret occidit timendo quam irascendo crudelior Regnum meum inquit non est de hoc mundo Quid vultis amplius Venite ad regnum quod non est de hoc mundo c. St. Ambrose in Luc l. 3. St. Hilary in Psal 2. Epiphanius Haeres 29. Eusebius lib 7. De Demonstration Evangelica St. Hierom in Jeremiam cap 22. Tom 5. St. Chrysostom Homil 82. in Johann Cyrillus Alexandrinus lib 12. in Johan c. 10. Fulgentius in Sermone de Epiphania Beda in cap. 11 Lucae Bernard Homil 4. Super missus est Luc. 1. with all other Fathers of the Church positively affirm That Christ neither claimed enjoyed nor exercised any temporal Kingdom or Dominion upon earth Which our Thomas Waldensis though a great asserter of the Popes and Bishops Supremacy above and over Kings in spiritual things asserts at large and thence inferrs and largely proves these conclusions pointblank against the forecited Papal pretensions 1. Regia Potestas prima sua origine a Deo est non a Sacerdote 2. Quamquam ministerio Episcoporum Râ—gibus imponantur Coronae insignia conferantur non est propterea dicendum Regiam illam dignitatem ortum habere à Sacerdote 3. Reges fuerunt ante Sacerdotes ad regnum evecti 4. Dicentes quod radix potestatis terrenae in tantum dependet a Papa ut ex commissione ejus executio derivetur in Principem errante Principe potest Summus Sacerdos negotium illud temporale administrare decipiuntur 5. Regia Potestas cedit Sacerdotali ubi de rebus divinis agitur Sacerdotalis verò cedit Regiae in negotiis terrenis In fine Cardinal Bellarmin himself is enforced to professe That Christ as man whiles he lived upon earth had neither Temporal Dominion neither did nor would he exercise any such temporal power I have read saith he the Books of the Fathers with what diligence I could and I have often read them to deny Christ to have a Temporal or Earthly kingdom but I have no where read them to affirm that he had such a Kingdom 1. That Christ had a Vniversal Kingdom of power as he was God 2 A Spiritual kingdom of Grace and a third which is an eternal Kingdom of glory I do read but that he had a fourth kingdom which is properly temporal such as other Kings here upon earth have I find not either in the Scriptures or Fathers yea I esteem such a Kingdom to be contrary to the poverty of Christ mentioned in the Scriptures and to savour of the errours of the Jewes and Hereticks Alvarus Pelagius with other Popish Parasites endeavour to
men as to the execution of their offices as these next words as those who are sent by him to wit by the LORD for whose sake you ought thus to submit unto them as Rom 13. 1 2 4 6. and the sense resolve not by me or my Vicars and that to be Supream Governors over you 2ly Because sent by God only for the punishment of evil doers as well Christians as Pagans Popes Priests as Lay-christians if you do ill as the Gentiles accuse you to be Evil doers v 12. c. 3. 16. and so subject to their Jurisdiction only and not to mine or your own Pastors if proved such 3ly Because they are also thus sent for the praise of them that do well so that they by your honest conversation and good works which they shall behold and submission to their power and Government will not only praise you but glorify God in the day of their visitation and become Christians too 4ly For so is the will of God that you should thus submit to them as Supream and with well doing put to silence the ignorance of foolish men who falsly accuse you to pretend an exemption from all Secular power A◠free yet not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousnesse but as the servabts of God 5ly He thence inferts Honor all Men that is all Supream Governours to whom Honor is due Rom 13. 7. Fear God Honor the King in a more signal manner as Supream and Gods Vice-Roy upon Earth the honoring of whom for the Lords sake will evidence to the world and your own consciences that you fear God when your disobedience to exempting your selves from and advancing your selves above them will discover that you fear him not Pope Innocent the 3d. with other Popes and their Parasites to evade Saint Peters text assert 1. That it extends only to those who receive temporal things from the Emperor who in temporal things is Supream which yet he and his Successors elsewhere contradict but not to spiritual things wherein Pontifex antecellit which excell temporal things as much as the soul doth the body 2ly That it is not said simpliciter Subjecti estote but with this addition propter Deum which extenuates and qualifies it 3ly Neither is it purely written Regi praecellenti sed interpositum Forsttan non sine causa 4ly Ad vindictam malefactorum extends only to those qui utentes gladio ejus sunt Jurisdictioni subjecti not to Priests whose Promotion of Priesthood advanceth them above Kings and kingdoms totally to root up and to destroy and to build and plant them To which evasions I answer 1. That St. Peter makes no such distinction of Temporalties and Spiritualties nor that the King or Emperor is supream in the one but himself Popes Prelates only in the other as this Pope doth 2ly He acknowledgeth the King Supream in both it being Heresy as they assert to hold two Supream heads and two Principles of power in and over one body 3ly Peter writes this Epistle to all the Elect Saints as Gods peculiar people heritage a Royal holy Priesthood and an holy Church Nation unto God enjoyning them upon this consideration only not as meer worldlings to submit to Kings and Governors as Supream without one word of his own his Successots or others supremacy over them therefore it extends to spiritual as well as to temporal Supremacy 4ly This Pope acknowledgeth the Emperor to be Supream in Temporal things which he bestowes on others who receive them But Popes as themselves and flatterers confesse have received all their temporalties and St. Peters Patrimony from the Gifts of Emperors as Constantine Charles the Great and others Therefore they ought to acknowledge him Supream in temporal things at least notwithstanding all their recited vaunts and passages denying it 5ly St. Peter and Bishops had then neither Silver gold nor temporal possessions at all nor yet those Strangers scattered by persecutions through Pontus Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia to whom he writes who all sold their possessions and were spoyled of their goods when he sent this Epistle to them Therefore Saint Peter rather intended Kings and Governours to be supream in ecclesiastical matters in rewarding praysing and encouraging them in good works and in a Christian honest pious conversation and punishing them for sins contrary to and scandalizing their Christian profession then for temporal matters 2ly His 2d evasion doth not deny nor diminish but fortifie Kings Supremacy For if he had commanded them to submit to Kings and Governors as supream by the bare Ordinance of men alone this had been no strong obligation in point of conscience to them but when he adds for the Lords sake this superadds divine authority to this humane Ordinance and binds them in point of conscience towards God and as they are Christians to this submission to them Josephus relates that in his time not long before this Epistle written there rose up a crafty arrogant sect of the Pharisees et interdum Regibus quoque infestum ut eos etiam aperte oppugnare non verentur necnon cum tota gens Judeorum fidem suam jurejurando obligasset Regi et Caesari hi solum non iuraverunt being above six thousand men in number hoc nomine à Rege mulctatis and pretending to know secrets by divine Revelations they openly proclaimed like some of our late Republicans and Fanaticks in relation to the King and his Royal family Decretum esse a Deo regnum ablatum ab Herode et eius progenie transferre ad Pheronem uxorem ejus communes liberos And they with others held That being Abrahams seed and Gods people they ought not to be in subjection or pay Tribute to the Roman Emperor and Pagan Kings Hereupon the Jewish and other Christians were then suspected accused to be enemies to Kings and Cesar yea to deny subjection tribute and an Oath of Allegiance to them as supream chief Governours as these Pharisees did To take off this slander Saint Peter and Paul too did in their Epistles as well as Sermons most earnestly and particularly presse Christians subjection obedience to Emperors Kings Princes and all Secular powers even for the Lords and conscience sake as ordained and sent by God himself and a duty enjoyned them by the very Will and Gospel of God as Chrysostom Haymo Soto Calvin Gualther Willet Pareus Perrerius most other Commentators on the place and Bellarmine himself acknowledge To which Doctrine practise nothing could have been more diametrically contrary then to set up such a Universal Temporal Monarchy and Ecclesiastical Supremacy in Peter and his pretended Successors in the See of Rome it self then the seat of the Roman Emperors as they now pretend to inconsistent with the Emperors Supremacy and all Kings Government Regal power here knocked down and crushed in the shell by St. Peters own hand keyes and sacred pen. This Pope his 3d evasion is most absurd For had it been
Submit your selves therefore Regi praecellenti as this Innocent would have Peter vary it it would have extended only to one King alone then most eminent or to Christ whereas now it relates to all Kings and Governours too who have Regal or supream Authority and the addition after it as Supream is so far from extenuating the Kings Supremacy that it more fully emphatically asserts it not with a forsitan as he mistakes which would have made the Supremacy disputable but with a quasi or sicut supereminenti which puts it out of question like that of Rom. 1. 21. Because when they knew God they glorified him not sicut Deus as God which last clause as God adds lustre yea Divine Glory to his Deity which it identically not comparatively sets forth and asserts His 4th evasion that this precept extends only to Lay-christians as to Kings and Governours civil power not to Bishops Priests especially to Popes exempt from above all human judicature is most false For this Epistle is general to all the elect of God to whom he directs it whereof some no doubt were Elders and Ministers of the Church as himself informs us c. 5. 1 2 3. 2ly He gives this command in precise terms To all who came unto Christ the living and precious stone and were built up on him not Peter as lively stones a spiritual house an Holy and Royal Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto God I hope Popes Popish Prelates and Masse-priests dare not assert that Lay-Christians only are this Holy and Royal Priesthood since they wholly appropriate it to themselves as no wayes belonging to the Laity though St. Peter equally extends it to both without distinction Therefore this precept most belongs to them 4ly They of all others have in all ages most invaded oppugned the temporal magistratical Supremacy of Kings and Emperors Therefore they were principally intended by Saint Peter who would not presse that submission only on the Laity from which himself all Bishops and Clergymen their guides and presidents of obedience were totally exempted 3dly St. Peter makes no such distinction as Popes now do between Lay-Christians and Clergy-men yea he defines those now stiled the Laity to be Cleri the Lords Clergy or Heritage 1 Pet 5. 3. not the Elders nor between himself Popes Prelates and other Presbyters as Popes and others since make yea such a distinction would have not only verified but aggravated the calumnies accusations of the Pagans against the Christians For had he informed those to whom he writes and the Roman Pagan Emperors Kings Governors then ruling that all Lay Christians ought to be subject to them as Supream in all temporal things held of them but that himself and all Christian Bishops Elders Ministers were totally exempted from their power and had the sole Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction originally in themselves by virtue whereof they could root up and pull down build up and plant them their Empires Kingdoms Nations at their pleasures and were set over them for that very purpose as Jeremiah was in this Popes sence not Gods This certainly would have incensed all Emperors Kings and Governours against them to their total and final extirpation as the archest Traytors Rebels that ever the world produced This Popes distinction therefore was as farr from St. Peters meaning as he was from his humility 6ly St. Peter in this very Epistle as he stiles himself only an Elder yea fellow Elder not Christs Vicar Viceroy Head of his Church c. as Popes since have done so he exhorts the Elders of the Church only as his fellows not commands them as their Lord to feed the flock of Christ which is amongst them neither as being Lords over Gods heritage as Popes now make themselves but being ensamples to the flock Therefore those Kings and Governors to whom he enjoyned them to submit themselves not Peter nor these Elders as Supream were Supream over them in all temporal and ecclesiastical Causes as well as over their flocks to whom they were to be examples herein as well as in other particulars 7ly Bellarmin affirms Saint Peters first Universal Epistle to be written from Rome from this salutation in the cloze thereof The Church which is at Babylon saluteth you affirming this Babylon to be Rome to prove Peters being Bishop thereof and his Universal Supremacy as Christs Vicar since devolved unto Popes Wherein he makes the Church of Rome a true Antichristian Babylon and mother of confusion in perverting this Epistle from Rome so pregnant for the Temporal and Ecclesiastical Supremacy of Kings and Temporal Magistrates over all their Christian subjects as well of the Clergy as Laity so far as to give the Pope an absolute Supremacy over Kings and Emperors themselves which never entred into St. Peters heart nor was ever claimed or exercised but abominated by him and thus Decreed against in his unerring chair Yet Alvarus Pelagius concludes with Pope Innocent from this very Text of Peter ex praedictis clarè patet Papa est Universalis Monarcha totius populi christiani denuo totius mundi ita quod velit nolit quicunque viator Papae de jure subjicitur ut Praelato 6ly Saint Peter in his second Vniversal Epistle chap 2. gives a most lively character of Popes Apostacy ambition covetousnesse uncleannesse injustice and presumption more especially in despising all Dominion over them by Emperors Kings and Magistrates in speaking evil of Dignities without fear of God or Man in defiance of his first Epistle and bringing many railing accusations against them as they do in their Epistles Decrees Bulls Books against their Supremacies whereas Angels who are greater in power and might dare not do it Yet these as natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed speak evil of those Dignities they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own corruption and receive the reward of unrighteousnesse as many Popes Popish Prelates Rebels Regicides have done both in the field and Courts of Justice for maintaining the Popes Unchristian Usurpations over the Crowns kingdomes persons lives of their Lawfull Emperors Kings and Princes Therefore Popes must henceforth either for ever renounce their Universal Vicarship Soveraignty as neither enjoyed exercised owned but professedly and eternally subverted by St. Peter himself from whom alone they derive it or else St. Peter will eternally disclaim them by these General Texts and Universal Epistles to be either his Successors or Christs Vicars but meer Antichristian Impostors 7ly St. Paul the first real Apostle and sole Bishop of Rome to whom he only writ if any Apostle was so at least joynt Bishop with Peter if ever Bishop there as Epiphanius Eusebius and others attest even in his very Epistle to the Saints and Church of Rome it self hath put in an eternal Bar against the pretended Supremacy of Popes as St. Peter did in his Epistles from it Rom 13. 1 to 3. where he gives a
Servant above greater then his Lord and the Vicar then the Master 9ly Christ himself together with Paul and Peter do from the 5th Commandement most frequently presse and inculcate all due subjection and obedience by Wives unto their Husbands Children to their Parents and Servants to their Masters in all things and that with fear and trembling in singlenesse of heart as unto Christ not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart and with good will doing them service as to the Lord and not to men knowing that of the LORD they shall receive the Inheritance for herein they serve the Lord Christ Therefore there is the self-same relation obedience due to Kings and Magistrates the politick Husbands Parents Masters of the Realm people by all Members of the body politick as there is by Wives children servants to their Husbands Parents Masters 10thly It is very observable that Christ himself with his Apostles Peter and Paul do in the New Testament more frequently punctually energetically inculcate this duty of subjection obedience honor paying Tribute to Emperors Kings and Civil Magistrates though then all Pagans unbelievers yea for all Wives Children Servants to obey fear and reverence their Husbands Parents Masters in the flesh on all sorts of Christians under the Gospel then ever they were urged or reiterated in the Old Testament before or under the Law and that for these ends and upon these accounts as I humbly apprehend First to evidence That all Kings Supream Civil Magistrates Parents under the Gospel enjoy the selfsame Soveraign Jurisdiction over all Civil Ecclesiastical persons things and their children under the Gospel as they did before or under the Law in the Old Testament and that the Kingship Kingdom of Christ under the Gospel did no wayes diminish nor eclipse much lesse abolish or transfer to Apostles Bishops Presbyters or Chapters any part of their antient Temporal or Spiritual Authority before and under the Law 2ly To make the free passage for the preaching and reception of the Gospel among all Nations Kingdoms Republikes in the world as consistent with and no wayes opposing but advancing rarifying their respective Civil Governments by prescribing every soul to yeeld all chearfull obedience subjection to their Civil Governors Lawes for the peace and tranquility of their Kingdoms 3ly To stop the mouthes of Pagans and all Enemies of Christian Religion and Christians who traduced and accused them as opposites and Enemies to rebels against Emperors Kings Magistrates their Government and Lawes 4ly To take away all pretences from Libertins and yoaklesse Christians under pretext of Christian Liberty and the priviledges of Christianity to disobey contemn all Kings Magistrates Lawes and Civil Government as exempted from their power 5ly To lessen and controll the Antichristian Usurpations of the Popes Prelates Clergy of Rome it self and their Confederates elsewhere upon the Crownes prerogatives rights and kingdoms of Christian Kings and Emperors which should embrace the Gospel All which reasons are expressed or intimated in the Gospel it self Pauls Epistle to the Romans and St Peters 11ly St Paul in his second Epistle to Timothy a Bishop as all Popes Bishops assert in relation to his spiritual warfare layes down this universal Maxim which every good Souldier of Jesus Christ must observe No man that warreth intangleth himself with the Affairs of this Life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a Soldier If then no Bishop or good Spiritual Souldier of Jesus Christ must so much as once entangle themselves with the affairs of this world and life that so they may discharge their duties as to please Christ who hath chosen them to be his souldiers then certainly neither Christ nor his Apostles ever gave or committed to any Apostle Pope Bishop or Minister of the Gospel any Supreme Temporal Jurisdiction over all or any Kings Kingdoms or Civil Corporations in the world which require continual attendance and would totally avocate them from their spiritual warfare 12ly The Apostles themselves though inspired from Heaven what to preach without much study when there was a complaint made to them that the widows and poor were neglected in the daily ministration calling all the multitude of Disciples to them sayd It is not Reason that we should leave the World of God and serve Tables wherefore Brethren look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom whom we may appoint over this businesse But we will give our selves continually unto the Ministry of the World And the saying pleased the whole multitude who thereupon chose Stephen and 6. more Deacons to attend the poor whereupon the word of God increased the number of Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly If the Apostles then thought it against reason that they should once or twice a day serve Tables and the poor though an act of charity and piety as being inconsistent with their Apostolical Office Ministry and thereupon ordained Deacons to discharge the trust Then certainly it cannot but be against Reason and Scripture to assert That Christ gave or any of his Apostles by divine right and institution ever had claimed exercised or ought to enjoy any the least Temporal Jurisdiction or Dominion in the world much lesse such as Popes pretend to from St. Peter who was present at and assenting to this institution of Deacons it being wholly inconsistent with their Spiritual function 13ly Christ himself assured his Apostles That no man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Therefore when Christ called his Disciples to follow him they forsook their worldly imployments and all they enjoyed that they might apply themselves wholly to their Apostolical and Ministerial functions And when He called Barnabas and Paul to be Apostles he said Separate me Barnabas and Paul to the work I have appointed them Which Paul thus expresseth Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ called to be an Apostle Separate unto the Gospel of Jesus Christ being wholly taken off from all secular imployments as incompatible with their Apostolical Function Upon which Account he giveth this charge to all other Ministers He that hath the gift of the ministry let him wait on the ministry and he that teacheth in teaching and he that exhorteth on exhortation He that ruleth as a Magistrate let him do it with diligence Whence sundry Fathers Councils Popes Decretals Canonists Schoolmen have prohibited all Bishops Priests and Clergymen to intermeddle as Judges Advocates Proctors or Sollicitors in any secular affairs as inconsistent with their spiritual function under pain of deprivation Therefore it is most certain That Christ never gave to Peter or any other Apostle Bishop Minister any Temporal Jurisdiction over Kings kingdoms or in temporal
Jurisdiction do most neglect this most essential prime part of their Commission and relinquish it to inferiour Priests Ministers Curates to whom they deny the power of Jurisdiction The third Commission whereon the Pope and his flatterers principally erect St. Peters and their absolute Ecclesiastical Soveraign Supremacy over all other Apostles Ministers Priests Kings Emperors Kingdoms and Catholick Church on Earth and upon which all Bishops Presbyters Priests do bottom their pretended divine Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over Emperors Kings and all Secular persons as appropriate to their functions consistories and incommunicable to Princes or Laymen is that which was generally given by Christ to all the Apostles yea to private Christians and Lay-men and the whole Church before Christs passion Mat. 18. 18. Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Thus renewed confirmed to all the Apostles by Christ in behalf of the whole Church after his resurrection in other words Jesus breathed on the Disciples and said Receive ye the holy Ghost whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Which Commission though thus twice joyntly given to all the Apostles alike by Christ yet because he first granted this commission to them directing his speech personally to Peter Mat 16. 18 19. I say unto thee thou art Peter c. And I WILL not now do give unto thee the keyes of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Popes and Popish writers thence conclude St. Peters and others Universal Supremacy over the whole Church and all other Apostles and Bishops whatsoever as well as Kings and Emperors I answer That these Commissions if rightly examined do neither give St. Peter nor his pretended Successors nor any Prelates or Ecclesiastical persons such an inherent Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction distinct from the Regal and Temporal and incommunicable to Lay persons as is pretended For 1. Every particular person though a Lay man or private Christian hath an absolute power yea special command from Christ himself to pardon forgive and remit sins and offences committed against himself as this clause in the Lords Prayer Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us These precepts When ye pray standing forgive for if ye forgive their Trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses Forgive and you shall be forgiven Forgive one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you with other Scriptures demonstrate And as they may thus pardon loose and forgive so they may likewise binde or retain sinnes and trespasses against them when the parties are obstinate and impenitent This is evident by Luke 17. 3 4. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him And if he trespasse against thee seven times a day and seven times in a day return unto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him but not without repentance Compared with 2 Thess 3. 14 15. Rom 16. 17 18. 1 Cor 5. 11 12 13 and Mat 18. 15 16 17. Moreover if thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church and if he shall neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee mark it not them as an heathen man and a publican Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven Therefore the self-same Commission Authority of binding and loosing upon earth is given to every private person in this Original Text by Christ as was given to Peter Mat 16. 18 19. and to all the Apostles John 20. 22 23. Hence St. Augustin resolves Cum caepisti habere fratrem tuum tanquam Publicanum Ligis illum in terra cum autem corrigeris concordaveris cum fratre tuo solvisti illum in terra Cum solveris in terra solutus erit in coelo Theophylact is yet more punctual Si tu offensum eum habes eum qui te affecit injuria sicut Publicanum Gentilem erit ille et in coelo talis Si autem solveris eum hoc est si illi condonaveris erit illi et in coelo condonatum Non enim solum quae solvunt Sacerdotes sunt soluta sed quae cunque nos et iniuria assecti vel ligamus vel solvimus et ipsa erum ligata et soluta And if every private person may thus bind and loose as well as Priests as these two Fathers together with Bishop Jewel and others resolve then much more may Kings and Supream temporal Magistrates do it in their Courts and Consistories Our Venerable Beda Peter Lombard Scotus with other Popish School-men yea their Canon Law and Canonists resolve That in the absence or want of a Priest a man may confesse his sins to his coequal or neighbout yea open his daily and lesser sins to his neighbor where there is a Priest and receive absolution from him though a Layman as well as from a Priest And that they may do so even by divine Institution is most fully demonstrated by Jam 5. 16. written to the twelve Tribes scattered abroad who are thus admonished Confesse your faults one to another not to a Pope Bishop Priest and pray for one another that ye may be healed from which Text not only many Antients but most Orthodox Protestant Divines resolve That no privat christian in point of conscience is obliged to confess his sins to a Priest any more then to another private Christian and Laymen no more obliged to confesse their sins to Priests then Priests are to confesse their sins to Laymen and that this text makes the duty of confessing their sins faults one to another reciprocal being coupled with mutual praying for one another the Bishop Priest being bound to pray for the people as well as the people for the Bishop or Priest therefore to confesse unto them as far forth as they are to confesse to him 2ly I answer That the power of binding and loosing retaining and remitting publike or scandalous sinnes is not given to Peter the Apostles Popes Bishops Priests or Ecclesiastical persons as an inherent priviledge and jurisdiction peculiar to them alone but to the whole Church and congregation to whom the right and execution thereof principally appertains This is infallibly
Horses of Kings Emperors but their Crowns and kingdoms too which Christ never commissioned nor sent Peter or any other Disciples to demand or take from Kings and bring them unto him 6ly Those Disciples were sent only to loose a meer natural Asse and Colt for Christ to ride upon not Emperors Kings Princes on whose backs Christ never rode on whose heads crowns he never trampled whiles prostrate at his feet as Antichristian Popes have frequently done neither had he Emperors or Kings to hold his stirrop bridle when he ascended on the Asses back as Popes have made Emperors and Kings to hold theirs 7ly No argument for the Popes Supremacy can be deduced hence but only that Peter was here an Asse-driver not a Shepheard that his Keyes were now transformed into a halter or bridle to muzzle Asses that Emperors and Kings are now metamorphosed not only into Sheep Wolves Dogs as Becanus formerly asserted but into Popes Asses too which have no understanding This his great Champion Gastar Schioppius is not ashamed with greatest impudency directly to proclaim to all the world in this most scurrillous passage in allusion to this Text. Ecclesia est Mandra sive Grex aut multitudo jumentorum sive Aunorum clitellariorum seu sagmariorum c. The Church he means the Roman and see the Members thereof how observe it is a great fold or stable of Beasts or Asses of which some are Pack-Asses some are Dosse-Asses and others Burden Asses Then relating cuiusmodi Auni sunt nos Catholici what sort of Asses we the Roman Catholicks are We writes he must be beasts which have understanding and reason to obey the Bishops with all humility and patience for they are the men they the Muleters and Asse-drivers they must yoak bridle and saddle us put halters about our necks load drive us For others they are like to beasts but tame moderate beasts such as must do what they are commanded for a good understanding Asse is he that honoureth and followeth the direction and command of the Mulettier He addes Reges Catholici sunt Asini cum tintinnabulis Catholick Kings are Asses with Bells about their necks as being the Fore Asses leading the way to other inferior Asses Then much commending Charles the Great he writes That Charles was a farr greater and wiser Asse then those Kings that cast off the Popes yoak for Charles being tantus Asinus so great an Asse cryed or rather brayed out with a loud voyce Vniversae Asinorum mandrae to the whole fold of Asses that is to the whole Church in this manner For the memory of St. Peter let us honor the Roman Church and though the yoke which the Pope imposeth be such as we can hardly bear yet let us fall down under the same Ex quibus verbis verum Issachar agnoscas de quo Gen. ch 49. Issachar Asinus fortis From which words of Charles thou maist know he was a very Issachar of whom it is said Gen. 49. Issachar is a strong Asse Thus Schioppius Is not this fine Catholick Divinity enough to enamour all Christian Kings Princes with the Church of Rome which is now become a fold of Asses instead of a flock of Sheep and their Popes Bishops Muleters and Asse-drivers instead of Shepherds I shall not waste Ink and Paper to answer the other pretended Commissions given by Christ to St. Peter on which Popes and their Parasites likewise ground their universal Supremacy as Launch out into the Deep Loose thy net Christ entred into Simon Peters boat Strengthen thy brethren c. Nor to answer this profound Argument and passage of St. Bernard urged by Tho Waldensis to prove Saint Peters Universal Supremacy over the Church from Christs entring into his Boat Beatus etiam Bernardus sic loquitur de Navicula una Petri Lib. 2. Ad Eugenium Discipuli Navigabant Dominus apparebat in littore quodque jucundius erat in Corpore redivino sciens Petrus quod Dominus est in Mare se misit sic venit ad ipsum aliis Navigio pervenientibus Quid istud Nempe signum singularis Pontificii Petri per quod non unam Navem ut caeteri quique suam sed ipsum saeculum susceperit guvernandum Mare enim saeculum est Navis Ecclesia Inde est quod altera vice instar Domini Petrus gradiens super aquas unicum se Christi Vicarium designavit qui non uni populo sed cunctis praeesse deberet siquidem aquae multae populi multi Itaque cum quisque caeterorum habeat suam tibi unae commissa est gravissima Navis facta ex omnibus ipsa universalis Ecclesia toto orbe diffusa Haec Bernardus Rather by way of jear to others who thus descanted on it then in seriousnesse Yet Waldensis gravely infers thence Quam synceriter quamque subtiliter enucleat pater Bernardus eminentiam summi Sacerdotis fastigium Christi Vicarii ab ipsis medullis Evangelii rutilantis making a large descant on them But the repetition of these crazie enthusiastical arguments and aiery conceits to evidence the Popes Supremacy from such impertinent texts or rather blasphemies is a sufficient refutation of them 6ly When all these Commissions to the Apostles Peter and forecited Texts will not prop up the Popes tottering Universal Supremacy they then flye to his Sword as to their Triarii and last refuge yet with very ill successe if the Texts and inferences from them be well examined Our Saviour being near his Passion used these words to his Disciples Luke 22. 34. to 39. When I sent you without purse or scrip or shoes or staves lacked ye any thing And they said Nothing Then sain he unto them But now he that hath a purse let him take it and likewise his scrip and he that hath no Sword let him sell his garment and buy him one And they said Behold here are two Swords And he said unto them It is enough conjoyned with Matth. 26. 51 52. John 18. 10 11. Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it and smote the high Priests servant and cut off his right ear Then said Jesus unto Peter Put up thy sword into the sheath or into his place for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword the cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink From which Texts Popes and their Paralites have drawn these strange Conclusions universally embraced by most as infallible Oracles 1. That these two Swords here mentioned were the Supream Ecclesiastical and Temporal Swords of Authority and Jurisdiction here instituted and distinguished by Christ himself 2ly That those two Swords are distinct in their own Natures the one originally put into the hand of St. Peter and his Successors of Rome alone and derivatively by and through him into the hands of the other Apostles Bishops Priests incommunicable unto any Temporal Kings or Princes The other put into the actual
possession of Emprors or Kings by St. Peter and his Successors to be drawn forth at their command for their and the Churches defence as well as for the Government of their kingdoms 3ly That both these Swords are originally given to and visited in St. Peter and through him in the Pope who may dispose of give recall and command them at his pleasure Strange dotages and delusions drawn by head and shoulders from these Texts To clear which Texts from these false Glosses for the future I shall desire the Readers to observe 1. That the Sword which Christ commanded every of his Apostles to sell his garment for want of money to buy was not a Metaphorical Civil or Ecclesiastical Sword of Authority or Jurisdiction which had been flat Simonie to buy but a plain material iron sword which ordinary soldiers or servants then wore as since they have done and yet do to guard their Kings Generals Captains Masters against violence For 1. It was a sword to be bought at the Cutlers and that for the present defence of their Master Christ 2ly They thereupon all answered not Peter for them They had then two swords with one whereof Peter cut off Malchus his ear therefore both only material iron swords 3ly St. Peters sword was drawn out of his sheath when used commanded by Christ to be put again into its scabbard or place therefore a real iron sword 4ly Christ gives this reason for its putting up For all they that take the sword shall perish by it Therefore both the swords he commanded them to buy the two swords they then had when Christ said It is enough the sword to be put up were only ordinary swords of common soldiers or servants not of Temporal Magistrates or Prelates 5ly Christ directed his speech not to Peter by name but to all his other Apostles in general He that hath no sword let him sell his garment buy one he having then a sword of his own this speech did not concern him but those only who wanted swords whence not Peter but the other Apostles said joyntly as they replied to Christs first question that they wanted nothing Behold here are two swords which implied a tacit demand whether they needed to buy any more Whereupon Christ said It is enough there needed no more Peter therfore not being their mouth in this case for ought appears how can these two swords belong to him alone upon the other Apostles answers 6ly It is most clear that one of these two swords was Peters is evident by Christs words to him Put up thy Sword Yet it was only the sword of a common soldier or servant not of a Civil or Ecclesiastical Magistrate he being then neither and that Apostle whose the other sword was yea every common soldier that hath or wears a sword may claim as absolute a Soveraign Ecclesiastical and Temporal Jurisdiction as the Pope can do from this sword of Peter 7ly Peter then had used but one sword alone not two How comes the Pope his pretended Successor to challenge two swords and that of a farr different nature from his and not to be content with a common Servitors or soldiers sword as he was 8ly Christ himself severely checked Peter for drawing smiting with this sword and cutting off Malchus his ear 1. Because he did it without his command who was his Lord and Master 2ly Because he did it before the band Captain Officers laid hold on Christ to apprehend him so that he began the quarrel 3ly Because he smote Malchus that was next him and cut off his ear without any just provocation from him 4ly Because he did it with an ill intent to prevent hinder Christs crucifixion the fulfilling of the Scriptures and redemption of mankinde by his passion from which he disswading him only a little before Christ had thereupon reprehended him with a double Get thee behinde me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things of God but those that be of men 5ly Because he drew it out of incredulity and presumption as if Christ could not be otherwise rescued from his apprehenders but by his rash valour when as his Father would have given sent him Legions of Angels to rescue him and prevent his crucifixion had he desired it or had it stood with the Scriptures or Gods eternal purpose and his own good pleasure wherefore Peters drawing and smiting with his sword being sinfull unlawfull in all these respects cannot possibly be a just legal foundation for his or the Popes Temporal or Spiritual Supremacy 6ly Christ commands Peter to put up his sword into his sheath and never to draw or use it more because all that take the sword without lawfull commission from God shall perish with the sword How then Popes St. Peters pretended Successors can both challenge draw smite with this sword of Peter not only to cut off Malchus his ear but the Crowns Heads of Christian Emperors Kings Lords Parliaments and engage Christian Kings kingdoms to draw their Military swords of War against each other yea their Subjects to draw their swords against their lawfull Emperors Kings as against Turks Infidels when excommunicated or deprived by them and to murther one another by thousands in the field against this expresse prohibition of Christ and his reason thereto annexed let Popes and their flatterers resolve their own and other rational mens consciences when they are able 8ly Neither Peter nor any other Apostle was then a King or Supream Civil Magistrate nor personated any such officer when Christ used these words of two swords that they were enough gave this command to Peter Put up thy sword into his place How then could either of these two swords possibly signifie or represent the Kings or Magistrates Supream Civil Sword of Justice 9ly Neither was Peter nor any other of the Apostles at this time invested with the sole Supream Ecclesiastical Power or Jurisdiction which then wholly resided in Christ himself How therefore can Peters material sword transferr to the Pope or his successors the supream Spiritual Sword of Jurisdiction over the whole Catholick Church and its members 10ly Those two swords which Christ said were enough were both of one kind material not metaphorical of iron steel not of the Spirit and but one of them used or rather abused by Peter How then can they typifie Two distinct Jurisdictions vested by Divine institution in two distinct ranks and Professions of Men Kings and Priests Secular Princes and Spiritual Priests So that one of them may not usurp the sword of the other two 11ly If these swords as Canonists define be so different distinct and put into those several hands by Christs institution how came the Pope in Peters pretended Right to claim monopolize both when Peter had but one sword and that of a far different nature from those Popes now pretend to 12ly The Scripture never distinguisheth between the Temporal
and Ecclesiastical sword in the Popes and Prelates sence Indeed it stiles the word of God the sword of the spirit and a i two edged sword and the Vindictive power of the Civil Magistrate to punish evil doers i a sword but the pretended Popes Ecclesiastical censures whether of Interdicts Excommunications Anathemaes or delivering men to Satan putting them out of the Synagogue or being reputed heathens or publicans are never once stiled nor intimated in Scripture to be a Sword or to proceed from St. Peters sword but Keyes alone yea Popes Prelates Priests themselves resolve that all their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Censures are founded on the Power of Peters Keyes not Sword and derive them only from the Keyes which Christ committed to him and the other Apostles not that sword which Christ commanded him to put up into the sheath and use no more How then came the Keyes and these two swords so different in their names forms nature uses the one to open shut bind or loose the other to defend penitent and smite slay or punish impenitent sinners to be both one and to give Popes one and the self-same Supream Temporal and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Either then they must disclaim St. Peters Keyes or his two Swords as inconsistent or if they will distribute the use of one of his swords to Kings and Civil Magistrates they must by the self-same reason allow them one of his keyes too And then Kings Emperors shall both enjoy exercise Supream Ecclesiastical and Temporal Jurisdiction over the Churches and Clergy within their Dominions by divine Right as well as the Pope 12ly Paul himself makes this a special qualification of a Bishop that he must be no striker whence Bishops and Priests claim an exemption from bearing arms or going to war Therefore they can neither claim nor exercise either of these two swords 13ly This crotchet of two swords had its principal rise from St. Bernards passage to Pope Eugenius the 3d. about the year of Christ 1146. Dracones inquis me mones pascere serpentes non oves Propter hoc inquam magis aggredere eos SED VERBO NON FERRO quid te denuo Vsurpare gladium tentes quem semel jussus es ponere in vaginam Quem tamen qui tuum negat non non satis mihi videtur attendere verbum Domini dicentis sic Converte gladium tuum in vaginam Tuus ergo et ipse tuo forsitan nutu etsi non tua manu evaginandus Alioquin si nullo modo ad te pertineret et is dicentibus Apostolis Ecce gladii duo hic non respondisset Dominus Satis est SED NIMIS EST. Vterque ergo Ecclesiae et Spititualis scilicet gladius et materialis sed is quidam pro Ecclesia ille vero et ab Ecclesia exercendus est Ille Sacerdotis is Militis manu sed sane ad nutum Sacerdotis et jussum Imperatoris Nunc vero accipe illum qui tibi ad faciendum creditus est et vulnera ad salutem si non omnes si non vel multos certe quos possis Non sum inquis melior quam patres mei Quem illorum domus exasperans non dico audivit sed non irriâ—it Ideo te insiste magis si fortè audiant quiescant insiste resistentibus Dicendo haec forte nimius dicar Num nostra illa vox insta oportune importune Hunc si audes nimium appellato Prophetae precipitur Clama ne cesses ad quos nisi ad sceleratos peccatores Annuncia inquit populo meo scelera eorum domui Jaacob peccata eorum Prudenter adverte sceleratos perhiberi populum Domini puta de his idem Et si scelerati si iniqui videne audias quod uni ex his meis non fecisti nec mihi fecisti Fateor populum istum fuisse adhuc dura fronte indomimito nude sed utrum etiam indomabili nescio unde loquendo sciri potest Potest fore quod necdum fuit Si dissidis tu Sed apud Deum non erit impossibile verbum Si dura fronte sunt durato tue contra tuam Nil tam durum quod duriori cedat Dominus ad Prophetam Dedi frontem tuam duriorem frontibus eorum Vnum est quod te absolvit siegisti cum populo illo ut possis dicere Populi mei quid tibi debeo facere non feci Si sic fecisti nec profecisti est demum quod facias quod dicas h Ecce de Ur Chaldaeorum dicito quia oportet me aliis civitatibus evangelizare Puto nec poenitebit exilii orbe pro urbe commutato I have transcribed his whole passage relating to both swords for this purpose 1. To prove that the temporal sword belongs not to the Pope but only to Christian Emperors Kings nor is it put into his hands 2ly That it is to be unsheathed for the Churches defence when there is need not at the Popes or Priests meer pleasure or mandate but at the Emperors and Kings special commands 3ly That the spiritual Sword of Priests to be exercised by the Church Popes Prelates is here expresly defined to be only the Word of God the preaching of the Gospel with instance in season out of season the lifting up of Priests voyces without ceasing crying aloud to them and sparing not shewing the people their sins and the house of Israel their transgressions especially when they prove Dragons Scorpions obstinate impenitent hardning their faces and hearts against all admonitions and reproofs In which cases Popes Prelates Priests must ingeminate and more boldly earnestly incessantly inculcate their reprehensions and exhortations yea harden their faces against them as they harden theirs as the Prophets did in the old Testament and if they continued incorrigible after all this Go forth of Ur leave them resort and preach the Gospel to other Cities as Christ himself did This is the only Spiritual sword and the sole drawing and smiting with it belonging to the Church Priests Popes not Suspensions Excommunications Interdicts Curses with Bell Book Candle not only of Private persons but whole Churches Kingdoms Cities Emperors and Kings themselves prostrations at their Papal feet depositions from their Crowns losse of their Realms absolving all Subjects from their allegiance against former Oaths to arm them against their lawfull Soveraigns of which St. Bernard hath not one syllable Therefore no appurtenances to the Spiritual sword of Popes or Priests but meer Antichristian Usurpations abuses of this pretended sword which wounds many not to their salvation but destruction Finally St. Bernard presseth the Pope to use this Spiritual sword not in England France Germany or other Kings Dominions but in Rome it self and his own Pallace Court alone where the people Officers of all sorts were generally Dragons Scorpions the most impudent impenitent brazen-faced hard-hearted desperate sinners of all others of whose reformation Pope Eugenius and
propugnacula And Jacobus Crucius Rector of the Jesuites Novices at Landsperg An. 1584 writes Miles esse debet nostrae Societatis pater as Ignatius a fiery Souldier was quia ut Militis est totis viribus in hostem irruere nec desistere donec victor evadat ita nostrum est in omnes irruere qui Pontifici Romano resistunt illosque consiliis dictis et scriptis vocato etiam seculari brachio hoc est ferro igne tollere et abolere sicut Pontifex et nostra vota contra Lutheranos suscepta volunt et mandant Nay Edmond Compian the English Jesuit in his Dissertatio Ecclesiae Catholicae or Letter to Qu. Elizabeths Council printed Treveris Anno 1583. p. 22. proclaims to all the world Quod ad Societatem nostram attinet velim sciatis omnes nos qui per totum orbem longè lateque diffusi sumus quorum est continua succesâ—io magnus numerus sanctum faedus iniisse nec quamdiu vel unus nostrum supererit studium consilia nostra de salute vestra that is as his own Treasons against Queen Elizabeths person shew to destroy her and her Kingdoms together and as Ludovicus Lucius and Hospinian truly interpret it id est Religionis Reginae et Regni vestri eversione aut sub Papae iugum reductione intermissuros Iampridem inita ratio est et inchoatum certamen nulla vis nullus Anglorum impetus superabit And this whole Society as Watson a secular Priest in his Quodlibets informs us have long since boasted That they were the men miraculously constituted by God who should turn all things in England upside down and make such an universal dismal change in Church Lawes Parliaments in such sort as from the beginning of the world the like was never heard of before and turn our Kingdom into a Japonian or Helvetian Commonwealth which they lately effected Therefore it cannot consist with the safety of our King kingdoms Church State Religion to tolerate any of this spreading Desperate order of Jesuites amongst us banished out of most forraign Popish as well as Protestant Kingdoms States for their manifold Treasons seditions against their Kings Magistrates Government and who made very many attempts to destroy the sacred persons of Queen Elizabeth King James were the principal contrivers of the late horrid Gunpowder Treason to blow up our King Queen Prince all the Royall Issue Lords Commons Church Kingdom Religion Parliaments at once had a principal hand in the unparallel'd murder proceedings against our late King Charles of glorious memory and had no small influence in the late metamorphosis of our Hereditary Kingdomes into the confused Chaos of a new Free Commonwealth Having as the General of the English Jesuites confessed to a Noble English Lord in their Colledge at Rome Anno 1653. in England above 1500 of their Society able to work in several trades which the Buâ—l of Pope Gregory the 13th inables them to exercise as well as to preach without Orders They having a Consistory and Council that ruled all the affairs of the Kings in England into which they never came over in those swarms as they did during our late confusions as Cromwell himself relates in his printed Speech Sept. 4. 1654. p. 16 17. and being the Heads and Lay-preachers to most of our New sects as well as Soldiers in our late Armies and Garisons Their 5th Title whereunto all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and that by divine right is now pretended to be annexed as inseparable incommunicable to Kings Temporal Magistrates or to ordinary Priests Presbyters Ministers is that of Bishop or Overseer and their office a Bishoprick or good work Acts 20. 28. Phil 1. 8. 1 Tim. 3. 1. Tit 1. 7. To which I answer first That if the Supream Titles offices of Apostles Disciples Evangelists have no such Jurisdiction included in or conferred by them as is pretended then this of Bishop or Overseer inferior to them can have none at least none greater or so great as they 2ly It is only a Title of Ministry not of Dignity of Labour not Honor of Operation not Denomination of Watching not Lording or loytering as Fathers and Councils in all ages have defined I shall present you with a short view of their resolves herein to abate that Timpany of Ambition pride superciliosnesse luxury which Popes others challenge only from this Title of Bishop Origen within 220. years after Christ resolved Qui Principatum desiderat Ecclesiae debet fieri omnium servus in humilitate servili ut obsequatur omnibus in his quae perrinent ad salutem haec docet nos sermo divinus Ecclesiarum Principes Principum mundalium imitatores esse non debent sed imitari debent Christum accessibilem mulieribus loquuentem pueris manus imponentem discipulis suis pedes lavantem atque tergentem exemplum eis dantem ut ipsi similiter faciant suis fratribus Neque enim ad Principatum Ecclesiae venit qui salvari vult etsi praeest sed ad servitutem Ecclesiae Et si oportet discere de Evangelio Principes quidem Gentium dominantur eis qui potestatem habent in illis Magistratus vocantur vos autem non sic Qui vocatur ergo ad Episcopatum non ad Principatum vocatur sed ad servitutem totitius Ecclesiae Si vis credere de Scripturis quia in Ecclesia servus sit omnium qui praeset Propter quod ait Apostolus Ita nos existimet homo ut ministros Christi dispensatores mysteriâ—ram Dei. Peccat autem in Deum quicunque Episcopus qui non quasi conservis servus ministrat sed quasi Dominus Frequenter autem et quasi amarus Dominus dominans per vim similis constitutus Egyptiis qui affligebant vitam filiorum Israel vi c. St. Ambrose resolves Nisi bonum opus amplecturis Episcopus esse non potes a Bishoprick being not a Dignity or Dominion but a good work c. St. Chrysostom Hom. 11. in Ephesios Non dominamur ait fidei vestrae thus resolves O Dâ—lecti nec Domini more haec imperamus Doctrinae verbi praefecti sumus non est nobis mandatus Magistratus nec data Auctoritas Consiliariorum admonentium locum tenemus Opus Imperfectum in Matth. Hom. 35. Principes Gentium dominantur eis c. Christus fructum humilitatis terrestris posuit primatum caelestem et primatus terrestris fructum posuit confusionem caelestem Quicunque ergo desiderat primatum caelestem sequatur humilitatem terrestrem quicumque autem desiderat Primatum in terra inveniet confusionem in coelo ut jam inter servos Christi non sit de Primatu certamen nec festinet unusquisque eorum quomodo aliis major appareat sed quomodo omnibus inferior videatur Conversatio igitur melior est desideranda non dignior gradus Principes autem Ecclesiae fiunt ut serviant minoribus suis et ministrent iis
holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests God and of Christ From which Texts Tertullian thus argued Nonne Lalci Sacerdotes sumus Regnum quoque nos et Sacerdotes Deo Patri suo fecit St. Ambrose resolves Omnes filii Ecclesiae Sacerdotes sunt St. Hierom determines Genus Sacerdotale Regale sumus omnes qui baptizati in Christo Christi censemur nomine Which St. Chrysostom thus backs Et tu in baptismo Rex essiceris Sacerdos Propheta adding St. Peter calls the whole Church of Christ A Kingly Priesthood St. Augustin concludes Hoc Sacerdotio Regali consecrantur omnes pertinentes ad corpus Christi Summi veri Principis Sacerdotum Omnes sunt sacerdotes quia membra sunt unius Sacerdotis Yea St. Bernard most Commentators and all Protestant Divines from these Texts resolve That every faithfull Christian is after a spiritual and ghostly manner both a Priest to offer up spiritual Sacrifices unto God and likewise a King to rule over his sins and corruptions Therefore Mr. Hardings inference from this Text of Peter That the Pope being a Bishop may be a King But on the other side a King may in no wise be a Bishop or Priest That the Priesthood which is the greater may contain the Kingship being the lesse but not è converso And Dormers inference thence You are a Kingly Priesthood as who should say the Priesthood before was not Kingly for that their Kings under the Law ruled over Priests but now is the Priesthood Kingly for that to it be subiect even Kings themselves So that unlesse the Pope yea every Popish Priest may rule over Kings and Princes as their Lords paramount and that in Temporals as well as Spirituals and all the world at their pleasures they think they are no Kingly Priestood must needs vanish into smoak since not only every Christian King but private Christian is as much as really a Spiritual Priest and King too by St. Peters and St. Johns resolutions as the Pope or St. Peter himself Especially if we believe Johannes de Parisiis his decision Sacerdotium dicitur Regale a Regno non hujus mundi sed coeli and the Glosse on Gratian from St. Cyprians resolution Christus actibus propriis Dignitatibus distinctis potestates utriusque discrevit Hinc est argumentum as the Glosse resolves quod Papa non habet utrumque gladium or at least it evidenceth that every private Christian being both a Spiritual King and Priest hath both swords as well as the Pope who upon this account can have no superiour Spiritual or Temporal Jurisdiction over them since Par in parem non habet Imperium To cloze up this Chapter I can discover upon serious disquisition nothing in all or any of the Evangelical Commissions or Titles given to the Apostles or Ministers of the Gospel that can invest St. Peter or any other Apostle Pope Bishop Presbyter Minister Priest with Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction or Dominion much lesse advance the Pope to such a transcendent superiority over the whole Church all Bishops yea Emperors Kings themselves as now they exercise prescribe expect by their very Caeremoniale wherein they inform us Papa nemini omnino mortalium reverentiam facit assurgendo manifeste aut Caput inclinando aut detegendo Such is his Antichristian pride But on the other side the Emperor himself when he is to be crowned by the Pope ut primum videt Pontificem detecto capitc illum genu terram contingens veneratur iterum cum appropinquat ad gradus sedis genu flectit Demum ut ad Pontificis pedes pervenit illos in reverentiam Salvatoris who never received nor required any such reverence from Emperors or Kings devote osculatur Yea the Empresse Imperatrix Coronata mox osculatur pedem Pontificis Moreover the Emperor himself like a Groom of the Popes Stable or Footman must hold the Popes stirrop and lead his horse as Pepin did to Pope Stephen and Frederick to Pope Hadrian and as Constantine the Great did to Pope Silvester if we credit Mr. Harding If more Kings be present then the more worthy King must lead the Popes horse on the right side and the other on the left And if he be not pleased to ride then four of the greatest Kings whereof the Emperor to be one if present must bear the Popes chair on their shoulders and the Pope sitting therein At his feast the Emperor or greatest King must bring water to wash his hands they must carry the first dish of meat and set it on his Table At his Coronation two Cardinal Deacons must hold up the sides of his Pluviale or loose upper Garment and the Emperor or in his absence two of the chiefest Kings must hold up the tayl thereof If they happen to offend the Pope they must dance attendance barefooted at the Popes gates as did Henry the 4th the Emperor and that for divers dayes and nights and in a cold frosty snowy sharp season Or they must be whipped with rodds on their naked body as was Henry the 2d of England who received three stripes on his naked body from many religious persons and from others 4. or 5. who in great numbers resorted to his pennance Or else suffer the Pope to trample on their necks as Pope Alexander the 3d. did on the neck of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa justifying this his proud insulting over him by a blasphemous wresting of this sacred Text Thou shalt tread upon the Adder and the Basiliâ—k And when the Emperor replyed He shewed this humility Non tibi sed Petro this insolent Pope retorted et Mihi et Petro Yea Caelestine the 3d. when he crowned Henry the 3d. Emperor and had set the Imperial Crown on his head which he bowed down to him the proud Pope sitting in his chair Statim pede in terram excussit presently struck the Crown off his head with his foot to the ground designans per hoc quod ipse Papa haberet potestatem coronandi Imperatorem si meruerat dejiciendi si demeruerit Antoninus averrs Non minor honor debetur Papae quam Angelis Vnde Papa recipit a fidelibus yea a Regibus et Imperatoribus Adorationes Prostrationes et Oscula pedum quod non permisit Angelus a Iohanne Evangelista fieri Therefore he learned this humility and prostration not from this good Angel but the Apostate Angel the Devil who usurped a power to give all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them to Christ if he would thus fall down unto him and worship him as Kings and Emperors do to the Pope who though he stiles himself Servus servorum Dei in his Epistles yet displayes himself to be Rex superbiae Rex Regum Dominus Dominorum in and by this his
Antichristian Pride actions and Kings villain service It is St. Bernards instruction to Pope Eugenius Bonus fundus humilitas in quâ—â—mne aedificium spirituale constructum crescit in Templum sanctum in Domino Nulla splendidior gemma in omni praecipue conatu Summi Pontificis Quo enim celsior caeteris eo humilitate apparet illustrior in seipso And it is the determination of Thomas Waldensis a great Patron of the Popes Supremacy Petrus sicut in Apostolatu primus erat sic etiam in humilitate I wish Popes who pretend themselves to be St. Peters successors disclaiming all their premised Luciferian Ceremonies Services Exorbitances with all other Bishops and Clergy-men may from henceforth demonstrate themselves to be Christs real Disciples Apostles successors exceeding all others in humility by preaching diligence in the Ministry not in the usurpation of such Ecclesiastical Authority for which they have neither precept nor president in the Gospel as the premises demonstrate I shall cloze up this Chapter with St. Bernards words to Eugenius which I cordially desire all ambitious Popes and Prelates seriously to consider En quis es sed noli oblivisci etiam quid Quid desinas intueri quod non desiisti esse Hoc ergo consulo consideres maxime quod maximus es hominem videlicet quod natus es Tolle ergo nunc haereditaria haec perizomata ab initio maledicta Dirumpe velamen foliorum celantium ignominiam nec plagam curantium Dele fucum fugacis honoris hujus malae coloratae nitorem gloriae et unde es nude nudum consideres quia nudus egressus es de utero matris tuae Nunquid infulatus nunquid micans gemmis aut floridus sericis aut coronatus pennis aut suffarcinatus metallis Si cuncta haec veluti nubes quasdam matutinales velociter transeuntes cito pertransituras dissipes exsuffles a facie considerationis tuae occuret tibi homo nudus pauper miserabilis Homo dolens quod homo sit erubescens quod nudus sit plorans quod natus sit murmurans quod sit Homo natus ad laborem non ad honorem Homo natus de muliere ab hoc cum reatu brevi vivens tempore ideoque cum metu repletus multis miseriis ideoque cum fletu vere multis quâ—â— corporis animae simul Proinde si consideras quantus es cogita etiam qualis maxime Haec te sane consideratio tenet in te nec te avolare sinit nec ambulare in magnis neque in mirabilibus super te In te consistito non infra dejici non attolli supra non evadere in longius non extendi in latius Tene medium si non vis perdere modum Locus medius tutus est Medium sedes modi modus virtus Omnem extra modum habitationem sapiens exilium putat BOOK I. CHAP. V. That Gods principal end and intention in ordaining Kings and Supream Civil Magistrates in the world was not the bare external administration of Justice between man and man the protection of their Subjects from violence oppression the preservation of them in wordly peace plenty prosperity the punishment of Malefactors rewarding of well-doers encouragement of Arts Virtue Trade industry or fighting their battels in times of War against Invading Enemies though considerable parts of their Regal Office and Soveraign Authority But the advancement of Gods Honor Worship Service Glory and spiritual Kingdom whose Vice-royes they are the suppression of all Idolatry blasphemy sinne wickedness the promotion of the eternal salvation felicity of their people and to be Kings for the Lord their God by advancing his interest all they can Vpon which ground in order to effect these ends God himself as well under the Gospel as Law hath delegated the Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction only to Kings and other Soveraign Temporal Potentates not to Popes Bishops Priests who are subordinate to them as their Subjects not Copartners with them in their soveraign Ecclesiastical Authority in point of Interest nor yet in its actual execution no further then they are pleased by their Laws and Commissions to delegate it to them as their Substitutes With a specification of the chief particulars wherein this Supream Ecclesiastical Power of Christian Kings and Emperors consists THE Grand Engin by which Popes and Popish Prelats have robbed Christian Emperors Kings Princes Magistrates of their Supream Ecclesiastical Authority and monopolized it to themselves alone is this grosse Paradox and Imposture That God and Jesus Christ under the Gospel have committed to their trust care only the Administration Government of the Commonwealth and Secular not of the Church and Religious affairs of the bodies temporal estates of their Subjects not of their Souls for which they are not to give any account at all to God That the Government care reformation of the Church Religion divine Worship and their Subjects souls are by Christs institution wholly and solely delegated to Popes Bishops Priests and other Ecclesiastical persons not to Emperors Kings or Supream Civil Magistrates Upon which notorious Forgery and Mistake they have First usurped engrossed to themselves alone the Title of The Church when as the definition of a Church whether Militant Triumphant National or Provincial accords not with them but their flocks people rather and is no where given to them in Scripture and the stile of Churchmen Ecclesiastical sacred persons Clergy-men which Titles they deny to all others not in sacred Orders stiling them The world secular persons the Laity popularity prophane vulgar unconsecrated persons as if they were no members of the Church when as the Scripture stiles them the Church Members of Christs body the Church and so Church-men Ecclesiastical persons as well as Bishops Priests Saints sanctifyed holy consecrated persons yea an holy Priesthood being made such by their very calling the Sacrament of Baptism and the Lords Supper their internal sanctification by Gods holy Spirit and washing away of their sins by the bloud of Christ far nobler consecrations then their bare Clerical Orders which no Protestants esteem a Sacrament and St. Peter himself defines them to be Gods Clergy Heritage as well as much as any Popes Prelates Priests how great soever 2ly They have forged two distinct incompatible Swords Jurisdictions The one Ecclesiastical peculiar to Popes Bishops Priests and those they stile Ecclesiastical persons not belonging to Emperors Kings or secular Princes The other Temporal exercised about secular things and affairs belonging only or principally to Emperors Kings and Secular powers yet subordinate to the command of Ecclesiastical persons when they shall require or desire its protection or assistance to enforce their Ecclesiastical censures 3dly That every Pope Bishop Priest as he is an ecclesiastical person is as far above all Emperors Kings Secular persons of what quality or dignity soever as the soul is above the body heaven
above the earth gold above drosse the Sun above the Moon and God himself above man 4ly That the Ecclesiastical Sword Iurisdiction Lawes and Constitutions are paramount and may controll the Temporal not the Temporal command or restrain the Ecclesiastical 5ly That Popes Prelates Priests may interdict excommunicate judge censure depose dethrone Emperors Kings Princes and all Secular powers persons but they have no power nor commission to judge censure deprive them for any Temporal or Ecclesiastical crimes 6ly That not Emperors Kings but Popes Prelates Priests and other Ecclesiastical persons have the sole power of summoning Councils Synods and voteing in them as Members framing promulging Ecclesiastical Lawes Canons Injunctions punishing Ecclesiastical persons and offences so stiled reforming abuses corruptions in matters of Religion Worship Doctrine Discipline Church men and Church-Government 7ly That Emperors Kings are made only by men but Popes Bishops Priests immediately and directly by God himself and Quantum Deus praestat Sacerdoti tantum Sacerdos praestat Regi 8ly That Papa est summa virtus creata That Papam nullus mortalium iudicare potest Quod Synodus etiam universalis in eum praesertim corrigibilem jurisdictionem non habet nec in eum sententiam depositionis profert etiam in haeresi sed dicit Ore tuo judica causam tuam Quod nullum crimen privat Papam ipso jure Papatu 9ly Quod qui Romanae Ecclesiae vel Papae Jurisdictionem vel Primatum subtrahit vel denegat haereticus est censendus Rebellis 10ly Quod Politia Christiana est una et ejus est unus Princeps regens eam et quod iste primus et supremus Princeps est Summus Pontifex qui est Monarcha Ecclesiasticus The clearing of this Proposition will give a fatal and final overthrow to all these Papal Pontifical Sacerdotal Paradoxes and Pretences In Order thereunto I shall desire you to take special notice of what Alvarus Pelagius confesseth asserteth Quod Politia unius Civitatis est Politia unius Principatus nec possunt esse plures Principes Regentes in una Civitate Quod omnes illi qui eodem signo charactere consignantur eisdem legibus eiusdem Legislatoris subjiciuntur ad eundem Principem pertinent Quod omnes Christianae Religionis sunt eiusde Principatus c. Quod Principatus civilis non distinguitur a Principatu Ecclesiastico sicut una species ab alia sed sicut partes integrales unius Principatus c. Nec potest dici quod Christiani sunt unius principatus quantum ad spiritualia alterius quantum ad corporalia temporalia quia nullus Princeps vel Subditus Christianus potest aliquid licâ—â—è possidere vel acquirere nisi in eo qui militat sub Principatu Christiano Ex quo liquido patet quod civilitas Christiana et politia et quantum ad spiritualia et quantum ad temporalia ad eundem Principatum pertinet Et hoc clamat tota sacra scriptura quod sumus omnes Christi fideles una communitas et unus populus nos et nostri profecto qui nos sectantur una enim fides unus Principatus et una Ecclesia collectio fidelium Eph. 4. Viâ—o autem quod politia Ecclesiastica sit 〈◊〉 una tunc facile est videre quod unus est Princeps regens et dirigens eam quia pluralitas Principatuum non est bona ut dicitur 13 Metaphysic In una ergo politia unus Princeps ut preca in apibus quia diversitas Principatuum divisio regni et politiae est â—t materia guerrae et divisionis Mat. 12. Lu. 11. Omne regnum c. Caus 25. qu. 2. Si ea Nec poteit dici quid sit unus Princeps in ratione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ratione agenus et moventis quia â—icut declaratur 2 Metaphys in quoâ—â—â—â— genere causae oporter unum primum dare ad quod omnia posteriora reducantuâ— Et ita oportet in Principatu Christiano esse unum priorem Principâ—m regentem et moventem sive gubernantem totam politiam Praeterea pouere plures Principes non subalternos regentes et moventes eosdem subditos unum videlicet ratione spiritualium et alium ratione temporalium est facere ordinem illius politiae incounerum et non stabilem quia interdum contingit Principem corporatium praecipere pugnare Principem spiritualium prohibere illum pugnam ut tota die contingit inter Christianos Ista ratio opâ—me probatur 19. Dist ita Dominus Contingit etiam illos duos Dominos et Principes eodem tempore pracipere diversa ut unus praecipâ—et 〈◊〉 ad agrum alius ad ecclesiam quae in eodem tempore non possant fieri quia nemo potest duobus dominis servire Mat. 6. Luc. 16. â—â—ubaudi contrariis Quare sequitur ordinem talis politiae esse inconnerum et non stabilem quod est inconveniens Hoc etiam potest manifestari eâ— unitate finis Omnes enim de civilitate Christiana ad eundem finem et sub eadem ratione ordinantur scilicet ad gratiam charitatem unitatem quae sunt vincula perfectionis in via Col. 3. Eph. 4. Et ad finalem beaticudinem in patria ubi est illa unitas de qua Psal 121. de que Augustinus non erit ibi aliqua invidia disparis claritatis ubi in omnibus regnat unitas charitatis â—e qua Gregorius Tanta vis charitatis omnes sibi ibi assâ—ciâ—â— ut bonum quod quisq â—e in se non accepit in alio se gaudeat accepisse Sed cuilibet uni sini correspondet unum ageâ—â— dirigens in finem illum plura enim agentia distincta specie et natura non habentia ordinem ad manum non possunt dirigere ad unum finem sub una ratione Ergo in civitate Christiana debet esse unâ—â— primus Princeps dirigens emnes ejusdem politiae ad finem proprium ejus Et sicut unus homo secundum Augustinum primo creatus est ut in eo et ex eo constitueretur una creatura ut Caus 33. qu. 5. Ita unus rector principalis totius illius naturae qui cam deducat ad unum Deum qui creavit eum Gen. 1. Thus far his reasons are solid evidencing the Supream Government of Christ over the whole Church whereof he not the Pope is the head to be incommunicable the government of every particular visible Church on earth in each kingdom to be vested only in one King Soveraign Prince not in the Pope Prelats Clergy â—or divided between them both and quite subverts his conclusion thence Quod 〈◊〉 primus supremus Princeps est Summus Pontifex especially if compared with his Passages in another Article defining the greatest good eternal happinesse and be 〈◊〉 not wordly glory wealth greatnesse to be the chiefest end aim and reward of all good Kings where he thus describes the
Gods primitive instituting the First-born of every Family and Kings themselves before the Law to be not only Kings but Priests too as Melchisedech and others were And the very Romans Grecians with other Pagan Nations creating their Kings Emperors by the very light of Nature to be their high Priests likewise as I have formerly proved by sundry Testimonies and Alvarus Pelagius Lyra in Gen. 14. Numb 3. 12. 8. 16. Bellarmin De Romano Pontifice with other Romanists Bishop Carlton and sundry Protestants attest with one consent Because the care of Religion and Gods worship the instruction edification salvation and eternal felicity of all their Subjects souls did principally belong to them as a part of or appendant to their Regal dignity 8ly This truth is at large demonstrated by all the particulars I have formerly insisted on in the Second Chapter relating to Moses Joshua David Solomon Asa Jehoshaphat and Josiah as likewise of the Kings of Assyria Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes Nebuchadnezzar and the King of Niniveth which I shall not repeat All Kings and supream Magistrates under the Gospel having the self-same authority charge trust to promote preserve the purity syncerity of Gods worship suppress Idolatry Blasphemy Heresy all sorts of sins against the first and second Tables and indeavour the instruction salvation and eternal welfare of their Subjects as they had under the Law the ends uses grounds of Kingly and Magistratical institution Government under the Gospel continuing still the same as they were before and under the Law and being all moral perpetual not ceremonial 9ly This is most perspicuous by this precept given to all Kings by the King of Kings Psal 2. 10 11 12. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce unto him with trembling Kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the right way Which they cannot do as Kings unlesse they command their Subjects to do it likewise Compared with these prophecies concerning Christian Kings under the Gospel Psalm 72. 2 10. The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts Yea all Kings shall fall down before him and by their example and Regal authority all Nations shall serve him Psal 138. 4 5. All the Kings of the earth shall praise thee O Lord when they shall hear the words of thy mouth yea they shall sing in the praises of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord. Isay 49. 22 23. Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people c. And Kings shall be thy Nursing-Fathers and Queens thy Nursing mothers they shall bow to thee with their faces toward the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship Compared with Isay 41. 1 2. c. 52. 15 c. 60. 1 10 11 16. c. 62. 5. The Gentiles shall come to thy Light and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising The Kings of the sons of Strangers shall come unto thee unto thee the rulers of the Gentiles and their Kings shall be brought c. And Psal 148. 11 12. Praise the Lord from the earth ye Kings of the earth in the first place and then by their examples and edicts Princes and all Judges of the earth both young men and maidens old men and children let them praise the name of the Lord this being the prime end of their creation and Gods instituting Kings Princes and Judges in the earth both before and under the Gospel 10ly This is most perspâ—cuous by the example of Jesus Christ himself the King of Kings of whom as Davis Solomon and other forecited Kings of Judah were types under the Law so himself is the president pattern for all Christian Kings under the Gospel Now the principal end scope of the Kingly Authority power 〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ is the propagation of Gods Kingdom Gospel worship glory the destruction of the Kingdoms of Satan sinne and all kind of wickednesse error heresie 〈◊〉 and the conversion sanctification salvation eternal beatitude of his Subjects souls that they may reign for ever with him in his heavenly kingdom in endlesse felicity Therefore it is and ought to be the principal end aym office duty of all Christian Kings who are his Viceroyes and ought to imitate his example 11ly This I shall more specially and peculiarly evidence by some few texts and examples 1. By Gen. 18. 18 19. Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty Nation and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him For I know him that he will command his children are houshold after him that they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Iustice and Iudgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken Abrahams 〈◊〉 care being then a mighty Prince over his great and numerous family and to become a great and mighty Nation was to instruct and command his children and houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord that so they and all the Nations of the earth might be blessed in him 2ly By the whole Book of Deuteronomy especially ch 4. 5. 6. 26. 28. to 34. where Moses the supream Governour of Gods own people Israel with all earnestnesse exhorts and presseth them to keep do and observe all Gods commandements judgements and statutes that they might fear the Lord their God and love and serve him with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their might they and their sons and their sons 〈◊〉 all the dayes of their life that it might be well with them and their children after them for ever c. This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgements thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart and with all thy soul thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes and his commandements and his judgements and to hearken unto his voyce And the Lord hath avouched thee to be his people and that thou shouldest keep all his commandements and to make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honor and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken This is the chief end of Gods instituting Kings and Magistrates in the earth to make their subjects an holy people to the Lord their God 3ly By Joshua his last Speech and Exhortation to the children of Israel and their chief Heads and Officers before God Josh 23. 24. where he severally charges them To fear the Lord and to serve him in sincerity and truth to put away the gods which their fathers served on the other side of Jordan and in Egypt and to serve the
Lord their God which brought them and their fathers out of the land of Egypt c. Whereupon all the people resolved and answered again and again The Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey and they made a statute ordinance and covenant before the Lord to perform it compared with Joshua 22. 11. to 34. 4ly By King Davids manifold exhortations and precepts to his Subjects to this purpose throughout the Psalms especially Psalm 34. 37. O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him O fear the Lord ye his Saints Come ye children and hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it dwell for evermore c. And by his charge to his son Solomon all his Princes Officers and Congregation of Isrel 1 Chron. 28. 9 10. Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord and in the audience of our God keep and search for all the commandements of the Lord your God that ye may posses this good land and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever And thou Solomon my sonne know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth the imagination of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou shalt forsake him he will cast thee off for ever Seconded with this his publike prayer to God for them 1 Chron. 29. 18 19 20. O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their heart unto thee And give unto Solomon my Son an understanding heart to keep thy commandements thy testimonies and statutes and to do all these things and to build the house for which I have made provision Which ended David said to all the Congregation Now blesse the Lord your God And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers and bowâ—d down their heads and worshipped the Lord and the King 5ly By Ecclesiastes 1. 12 c. 12. 9 10 11. recording that Solomon King of Israel was also a Preacher and taught the people knowledge and that which was upright even words of truth for their everlasting welfare 6ly By 2 Chron. 15. 12. to 19. Where King Asa made the people to enter into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul and that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether great or small whether man or woman To omit all other particular examples of this nature already touched From these Texts it is apparent That the primary office duty end of Kings especially Christian is to promote the honour worship service fear love of God true religion eternal salvation of their Subjects souls and suppresse what ever is repugnant thereto 12ly That which was Gods principal end design in creating the World it self redeeming mankind by the bloud of Jesus Christ and the King of Kings giving both the Law and Gospel to men must certainly be Gods chief end design in instituting Kings Princes and Supream Civil Governors the eminentest chiefest of men to be his Viceroyes to rule over men of inferiour rank or quality and the most essential real considerable part of their Regal or Magistratical office duty Now Gods principal end and design in creating the world and men the Lords of all other Creatures redeeming mankind by the bloud of Christ and giving both the Law and Gospel to them was only this that all mankind might worship adore fear honor praise blesse obey love and glorify him according to his word and will whiles they live on earth that Jesus Christ might rule in and reign over them as his kingdom Church Saints and they might reign with and enjoy perpetual felicity in by under him in his heavenly kingdom for all eternity as the Scripture resolves Therefore it must necessarily be Gods chief end design in instituting Kings Princes and Supream Civil Magistrates the eminentest choicest of all men to rule over those of inferiour quality and the most essential real considerable part of their Regal or Magisterial office trust duty upon which Account among others God specially enjoyned the Kings of Israel to have a Copy of the Book of his Law alwayes in their custody and to read therein all the dayes of their lives the better to observe it themselves and to enjoyn all their subjects to observe obey and do nought against it yea God himself with greatest majesty enacted this Royal Law by King Davids own mouth for all Kings Rulers to square their Government by He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God which he can never do without taking special care to maintain promote the true Worship service fear love obedience of God according to his word among all his Subjects for Gods glory and their temporal and eternal felicity as David did 13ly This I shall evidence even from the very light of nature and practice among the Heathen Nations Plato in his Book De Regno asserts That the King hath Universae humanae Societatis curam that Regia cura ut quae principalis in omnes homines ars est consisting not only in this that Rex est humanus Curator but also Divinus Pastor over all his Subjects That the chief care of Religion Worship of the Gods and feeding of the people belongs to Kings they being a kind of Priests Quare in Egypto neque imperare licet Regi absque Sacerdotio Sed si quis ex alio genere per vim Regnum invasit postea tamen necesse est cum hoc genere initiari Quin et in multis locis apud Graecos Summis Magistratibus maxima sacrificia demandata esse quis compererit et sane etiam apud nos non minus clarum est quod dico Ei enim qui Rex sorte creatus est augustissima et maxima patria vetera sacrificia huic attributa esse tradunt Hos itaque sorte creatos Reges simulque Sacerdotes considerare convenit c. Aristotle his Scholar resolves us that in the heroical times Reges provinciam habebant bellorum et sacrorum nisi forte ad Sacerdotes attinerent Postea autem partim quidem ipsis Regibus omittendis partim vero populis recusantibus apud quasdam Civitates sacra solis Regibus relicta sunt Rex autem et Dux belli et Iuder erat rerum divinarum moderator And among the Romans themselves as their Historians and others relate their antient King and after that their Emperors were both Kings and Priests and had the chiefest hand in performing the Rites and Ceremonies of
supplicantem pro Imperatore Hoc erit crimen ubi veritas Dei devotio est Adeo lati nunc sumus Imperatori mentiti vota quae diximus ad evadendum scilicet Plane proficit ista fallacia Admittitis enim nos probare quodcunque defendimus Qui ergo putas nihil nos de salute Caesarum curare Inspice Dei voces literas nostras quas neque ipsi supprimi omnes plerique casus ad extraneos transferent Scitote ex illis praeceptum esse nobis ad redundantiam benignitatis etiam pro inimicis Deum orare persecutoribus nostris bene precari Qui magis inimici persecutores Christianorum quam de quorum Maiestate convenimus in crimen Sed etiam nominatim manifeste Orate inquit pro Regibus pro Principibus Potestatibus ut omnia tranquilla sint Vobiscum enim concutitur imperium concussis etiam caeteris membris ejus utique nos licet extranei a turbis aestimemur in aliquo loco invenimur Est et alia major necessitas nobis orandi pro Imperatoribus etiam pro omni statu imperii rebusque Romanis quod vim maxtimam Vniverso Orbi imminentem ipsamque Clausuram seculi acerbitates horrendas comminantem Romani Imperii commeatu scimus retardari Itaque nolumus experiri et dum precamur differri Romanae diuturnitati favemus Sed quid ego amplius de Religione et pietate Christiana in Imperatorem quem necesse est suspiciamus ut eum quem Dominus noster eâ—egerit ut merito dixerim noster est magis Caesar ut a nostro Deo constitutus Itaque ut plus meo plus ego illi operor in salutem c. Idem sumus Imperatoribus qui et vicinis nostris Male enim velle male facere male dicere male cogitare de quoquam exaequo vetamur quodcunque non licet in Imperatorem id nec in quempiam quod in neminem forsitan magis nec in ipsum qui per Deum tantus est And Adversus Marcionem l. 1. who maintained two distinct Gods and Principles of equal power He thus determines Summum magnum par non habere Par autem non habere uni competit in duobus esse nullo modo possit Rer enimetsi summum magnum est in suo solio usque ad Deum tamen infra Deum comparatus autem ad Deum excidit jam de summo magno translato in Deum Nec inter Reges plurifarium videre potest summum magnum sed unicum singulare apud eum scilicet qui Rex Regum ob summitatem magnitudinis subjectionem caeterorum graduum quasi culmen dominationis excipitur It being an impossibility and contradiction as he there proves at large to have two Supream heads in one kingdom or any equal to the King who is only inferiour to God the King of Kings when compared with him Clemens Alexandrinus describing the offices and parts of a King both in times of Warre and Peace addes Regnandi autem scientiae una pars quidem fuerit divina cuiusmodi est quae est ex Deo et Sancto eius filio a quibus et quae ex terra bona sunt et quae externa et perfecta suppeditatur foelicitas c. Finem ad pieta tem Deique cultum referens sic enim virtute utentibus prudentia est quae ordinat Divina autem sapientia politica seu regendorum Civitatum scientia Rex itaque is est qui imperat ex legibus qui est praeditus scientia imperandi volentibus cujusmodi est Dominus qui eos qui in ipsum et per ipsum credunt admittit Omnia enim tradidit Deus et omnia Christo subjecit Regi nostro c. Origen flourishing within 230. years after Christ thus answers Celsus his objection against the Christians Postremo hortetur nos Celsus ut opem feramus Imperatori totis viribus geramus ejus auspiciis justa praque bella neque detractemus militiam si res ita postulat Respondemus feremus Imperatori auxilia suo tempore sed divina ut ita loquar nimirum armatura fretos non humana Idque facimus Apostoli monitis obedientes cujus haec verba sunt Obsecro vos primum ut faciatis deprecationes orationes interpellationes gratiarum actiones pro omnibus hominibus pro Regibus omnibus in potestate collocatis Et quo cujusque est pietas major eo majorem opem Imperatori fert magis quam stantes in procinctu milites et occidentes quotquot possunt ex hostibus Possumus etiam sic respondere alienisa nostra fide ad militiam pro Republica caedesque hominum nos urgentibus Ecce vestrum quoque numinum Sacerdotes delubrorum custodes dextras servant puras a sanguine causa sacrorum ut incruentis in pollutisque caede manibus victimas offerant solenniter iis quos habetis pro Diis nec ullo bello dolectos habetis eâ— sacrificorum ordine Hujus moris si vobis constat ratio quanto magis caeteris militantibus non contemnenda est nostrorum hominum militia manus quidem puras servantium decertantium autem fusis ad Deum precibus pro legitimo Imperatore et pium justumque bellum gerente milite ut destruatur quicquid est juste facientibus adversarium Itaque precibus nostris profligantes omnes bellorum excitatores Daemones ac perturbatores pacis ac faederum plus conferimus Regibus quam qui arma gestant pro Republica Laboramus autem pro imperio Romano dum inste viventes vota pro eo facimus exercentes jus in contemnendis voluptatibus nec sinentes nos ab eis quovis pertrahi sic nos praealiis pugnamus pro Imperatore et licet cum ipso non militemus habemus tamen Castra propria pietatis auspiciis rem deprecationibus gerimus Et plus beneficiorum a Christianis confertur in Patriam quam a reliquis hominibus dum Cives erudiunt ad pietatem erga Deum tutelarem Patriae praesidem ejusque viam ad coelestem quandam Civitatem Dei muniant moâ—o recte vivant vel in exiguis Civitatibus Which holy life he concludes to be the chief end of Governors Governments as well as of private Christians And in Epist ad Romanos c. 13. l. 9. He asserts that God will have all crimes whatsoever temporally punished Non per Antistites Principes Ecclesiae sed per mundi Judices to whom he hath delegated the sword as the higher powers ordained by him to which every soul must submit Therefore Popes and Prelates as well as others To passe by St. Cyprians Dionysius and Arnobius their passages of Christians constant Prayers even for their Pagan Kings Emperors and their kingdoms as constituted by God Coelius Lactantius treating of the end of the world and mans creation resolves Quid plenius argumentum proferri potest et mundum
quorâ—m molestiis sine intermissione fatigatur Ecclesia ut defensores eis adversus potentias divitum cum Episcoporum provisione delegentur 8. Simul etiam petendum ut illam legem quae a religiosae memoriae eorum Patre Theodosio de auri Libris Decem in ordinatores vel ordinatos Haereticos seu etiam in possessores ubi eorum congregatio deprehenditur promulgata est ita deinceps confirmari praecipiant ut in eos valeat contra quos propter eorum insidiâ—s Catholici provocaâ—â— contestatione a deposuerunt Ut hoc saltem Terore Schismatica vel Haeretica pravitate desistant qui Consideratione aeterni supplicii emendari corrigique dissimulant 9. Petendum etiam ut Lex quae Hereticis vel ex Donationibus vel ex Testamentis aliquid capiendi vel relinquendi denegat facultatem ab eorum quoque pietate hactenus repetatur ut eis relinquendi vel sumendi jus adjuvat qui pertinacie furore caecati in Donatistarum errore perseverare voluerint Caeterum illis qui consideratione Unitatis et pacis se corrigere voluerint absque Interdicto hujus Legis capiendae Hereditatis aditus pateat si adhuc in Erroris Haeretico constitutis aliquid ante donationis vel hereditatis obvenit his sane exceptis qui lite pulsati putaverunt ad Catholicam transeundum quia de talibus credibile est non metu caelestis Iudicii potius quam terreni commodi aviditate unitatem Catholicam praeoptasse To obtain all which Petitions and Lawes this Council dispatched their particular Legates to these Pious Emperors with these their joynt requests for most of which they published particular Laws recorded in the Codes of Justinian and Theodosius Theodoret Bishop of Cyprus informs us Romanum Imperium everso Macedonico orbis terrarum claves tenet not St. Peter or the Pope Romanum Imperium non periisse cum Salvatoris ortu siquidem Augusto regnante Dominus in lucem editus est secundus quidem ille regnavit Omnes autem ut ita dixerim homines suae ditionis subiunxit omnemque terrarum orbem ut evangelii testantur descripsit tributumque imperavit Regnum igitur Romanorum quod illo obtinent viguit usque adhuc permansit Therefore the Pope and Romish Prelates were then all subject to not paramount the Emperor as he resolves in his Interpretatio in Epist ad Romanos c. 13. Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit Sibi est Sacerdos aliquis sive Antistes sive monasticam vitam professus iis cedat quibus sunt mandati Magistratus Clarum est autem si cum pietatâ— non autem si Dei praeceptis repugnent Magistratibus parere praecipitur Potestates enim à Dei providentia aâ—pendent Ipse enim communis ordinis curaâ—gerens efficit ut hi quidem imperarent illi vero parerent veluti quoà dam fraenum iis qui se injustè gerunt Magistratuum timorem incutiens Porro autem sciendum est quod et Magistratum gerere eique parere a divina providentia pendere for the ends mentioned by the Apostle And in his Expositio in 1 Tim. 2. Tit. 3. 1. He presseth praying for Heathen and wicked Kings Magistrates that they may become Christians and obedience to all their lawfull commands by all sorts of Christians St. Cyrill the famous Bishop of Alexandria begins his Book ad Theodosium Regem pientissimum Devota in Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum fide thus A Deo cujus est summa Celsitudo Vobis Christianissimi Reges humanae claritudinis fastigium incomparabilibus excellentiis prae omnibus aliis exsurgens et exaltatum eximiaque excelsa sors sunt data dignus nimirum super terram honor Etenim illi quidem omni genu flectunt thronique Principatus dominationesque ac potestates servam submittunt cervicem decentibus illum semper colentes glorificationibus plenum esse dicunt coelum terram gloria ejus Viderit autem quis et in vestra Serenitate decorum et evidentem tam illustris et omnium summae Nobilitatis Typum Vos enim estis not the Pope et summorum dignitatum fontes et supra omnem eminentiam humanaeque felicitatis principium et origo Et vestrae quidem Majestatis clementissimis nutibus quicquid Regni soliis substractum est ut vitam legitimam et admirabilem agat gubernatur at qui jugum non ferunt facile a vestro robore victi cadunt c. vel Regis genibus misericordiam quaerunt Ea propter vobis mundum subjecit c. Tam pii et praeclari vestri Imperii summum praesidium est Dominus noster Iesus Christus Nam per iilum Reges regnant potentes scribunt justitiam Distribuit autem prompte diligentibus se omnia quae laudabilia admirabilia ac eximia Ad haec quae dixi demonstranda sufficiunt vel ea quae vestrae Majestati donatae sunt adhuc danda ut credimus Quod autem gloriosa in Deum pietas Regus honoribus immobile sit fundamentum etiam ex ipsa sancta divinaque Scriptura dicere attentabo which there he doth Therefore to advance Religion piety and Gods glory the unmoveable foundation and stability of kingdoms is and ought to be the principal part care of Kings and their Kingly office as he inferrs These most great and most religious Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian in their Epistle to this St. Cyril wherein they summoned him to the Council of Ephesus confirm this truth A pietate quae in Deum est reipublicae nostrae constitutio pendet et multa utrinque est cognatio et societas Cohaerent enim inter se et altera alterius crescit incremento ita ut vera religio justitiae studio respublica vero ab utrisque adjuta resplendeat In regnum itaque a Deo constituti et connexio pietatis ac prosperitatis subditorum existentes societatem horum perpetuo indivulsam custodimus ac providentia nostra pacem inter homines procurantes hactenus quidem reipublicae augendae ministramus per omnia vero subditis ut ita dicamus servientes ut pie vivant et conversentur sicut pios decet adornamus utriusque ut convenit curam gerentes Neque enim fieri potest ut alteri studentes non similiter ut alterius curam geramus Prae caeteris in hoc incumbimus ut Ecclesiasticus status et qui Deum deceat et nostris temporibus conveniat firmus permaneat tranquillitatemque ex omnium consensu retineat sitque per Ecclesiasticarum rerum pacem quietus et pia religio servetur irreprehensibilis eorumque vita qui ad clericatum et magnum Sacerdotium delecti sunt ab omni sit culpa libera Cum autem ista intelligeremus cum per dilectionem erga Deum tum per animum veritatis amantem in iis qui pii sunt obtinere posse jam quidem saepenumero eorum gratia quae commodum
et in futuro gloriam aeternam Quocirca consonam cum eo corde et ore promulgamus Deo placituram sententiam simul etiam cum suorum Optimatum illustriumque virorum consensu et deliberatione sancimus ut quisquis succedendentium temporum regni sortitus fuerit apicem non ante conscendaâ— regiam sedem quam inter reliqua conditionum sacramenta pollicitus fuerit hanc se Catholicam non permissurum eos violare fidem Can. 14 15 16 17 18. they provide for the safety succession of this King and his posterity against all Trâ—asons Usurpations Conspiracies and pretenders Nefas est enim in dubium deducere ejus potestatem cui omnium gubernatio superno constat delegata judicio Concluding the Acts of this Synod thus Gratias agimus Christianissimo gloriosissimo Chintillano Principi nostro cujus studio advocati instantia collecti sumus cujus voluntas probata ordinatio extitit religiosa Donet ei Dominus optimo Principi diuturnum in seculum triumphum in parte justorum perpetuum regnum felicibusque annis felix ipse in longa felicitate fruatur divinae dexterae protectione ubique muniatur Seveâ—inus being elected Pope by the Clergy and people of Rome Isacius Italiae Exarchus Roman veniens eum in Pontificatu confirmavit tunc enim temporis Cleri et populi electio nihil valebat nisi confirmatio Imperatoris aut eius Exarchi accederet A strong evidence of the Emperors Supream Jurisdiction over Popes not of Popes over them Honorius his predecessor having heaped up a great masse of monies in Episcopio Lateranensi Isacius intreated Severinus ut aliquid in militares sumptus conferret who denying it thereupon others stirred up the Roman Army against him saying Quid prodest quod tantae pecuniae congregatae sunt in Episcopio Lateranensi ab Honorio Papa Miles iste nihil subventus habet Whereupon all the Soldiers from the youngest to the eldest besieged and assaulted the Popes Pallace sealed up the Treasury till Isacius came from Ravenna to Rome qui misit omnes Primates Ecclesiae singulos per singulas Civitates in exilium ut non fuisset qui ei resistere debuisset de Clero and then entring the Popes Pallace continued there 8. dayes untill he had seised on and removed all the Treasure part whereof he sent to the royal City of Constantinople to Heraclius the Emperor So little Soveraign Authority had Popes in that age over the Emperor or his Officers who patiently submitted to this plunder without thundring out any excommunication against the Soldiers Officers or Emperor To passe by the 1. and 2. Councils of Bracara summoned ex regali praecepto gloriosissimi atque piissimi Ariamiri Regis about the years 640 and 642. adspirante sibi Domino as their Proemes recite The 7th Council of Toledo summoned Studio jussu amatoris Christi Chindasiundi Regis nostri cap. 1. provides against Perfidious Clerks and Laymen who in forraign parts plotted Treason against the King and Kingdom in necem regis seu eversionem that they should be excommunicated forfeit all their estates and made uncapable to enjoy them unlesse the King should please to allow them some part thereof upon their submission and after 5. other Canons of Ecclesiastical affairs Noâ— autem universali Deo glorioso Chindasiundo Principi ob cujus votum in hanc urbem sancta devotione convenimus gratias unanimiter offerentes optabili annisu deposcimus ut sanctae Ecclesiae catholicae fidei semper ac pacis cumuletur effectus memorato Principi cum prosperitate praesentis regni futuri etiam largiantur praemia gaudii c. There falling out some differences between Paulus Patriarch of Constantinople a proud imperious Prelate and Pope Martin this Pope by command of the Emperor Constantine the 2d was apprehended at Rome in the Church of our Saviour called Constantiniana by Theodorus the Exarch and others brought Prisoner from Rome to Constantinople and banished into a place called Chersona where he died for refusing to subscribe a Book sent to him by the Emperor through Paulus the Patriarch his direction which Pope Martin conceived to be heretical In the 8. Council of Toledo jussu orthodoxi atque gloriosi Recessuinthi regis congregati he pia religione plentissimus summo laudum Titulo gloriosus entring into this Council as soon as they took their places made an Oration to them there related grates deferens Deo virtutum quod suae jussionis implentes Decretum in unum fuissemus adunati Concilium Then tendring them a Tome or Book containing the Confession of his faith as his Predecessor K. Reccaredus did in the 3. Council of Toledo and what things else he desired to be done and voted in by this Council he exhorted them ut quaecunque illic tenentur asscripta valido attendatis intuitu sagaci perscrutamini studio et quaecunque extiterint placita Deo vestri oris ad nos sacro referantur oraculo The Council Accepto deinde oblato nobis Tomo agente Domino gratias acclamavimus Gloria in excelsis Deo c. Post eidem sacro Principi benediximus reseratoque Tomo haec inibi contexta reperimus which were read It begins with the confession of his faith which he recommended to the Council wherein there is this memorable Passage Primo itaque coram se reverentia vestra habeat quod nosse non ambigit me orthodoxae fidei veram sanctam et synceram regulam de corde puro et conscientia bona plenissime habere sicut eam sancta atque Apostolica traditio doceat si cut eam sancta Synodus Niceae constituit sicut Constantinopoli sanctorum Patrum congregatio definivit sicut Ephesini primi coetus unitas affirmavit sicut Chalcedonensi Concilii definitio protulit Hanc cum fidelibus servans ad hanc salvandos infideles invitans in hanc subjectos populos regens hanc propriis gentibus tenendam insinuans hanc populis alienis annuncians ut in illa glorificans Deum et inter mortales nos summae divinitatis felicitas assequatur et in terra viventium haereditas a me gloriae capiatur Then relating what good workes he desired to do and to be done by himself and others to adorn advance this faith that it might not prove a dead faith he concludes and subscribes it thus Item subscriptio In nomine Domini Flavius Recessuinthus Rex hanc fidei bonae voluntatis meae deliberationem manu mea subscripsi This whole Council relecta Tomi pagina cum glorificassemus Deum de fidei principalis auditu et de bonae voluntatis ejus effectu drew up a uniform profession of their faith and other Canons answerable to the Kings Which being subscribed by the Bishops Abbots viri illustres officii Palatini even 18. Earls and Dukes besides others were ratified by the King This Council by a Decree in the name of the King made
a Law concerning the Lands and goods purchased by their Kings which of them should go with the Crown and which they might dispose of to their Sons These Councils being all properly Parliaments wherein the King and Nobles sate voted subscribed as well as Bishops and Priests and made Civil Laws for the King kingdom as well as Ecclesiastical for the orthodox Faith and Church The 9. Council of Toledo Anno 655. with the 10th 566. and the Council of Emeritan Anno 666. were all summoned by this King Recessuinthus his command who prescribed what they should decree ratified their Canons enjoyed their special praises and prayers to God Obsecrantes ejus misericordiam largam ut serenissimo nostro amabili Christo Recessuintho Principi glorioso ita praesentis vitae felicitatem impendat ut Angelicae beatitudinis gloriam post longaeva tempora concederet Enacting that every one who attempted any thing contra salutem Principum gentisque aut patriam violated his Oaths of allegiance to them mox propria dignitate privatus loco honore habeatur exclusus reserving only a power and liberty to the King to restore him to his place or honor or both if he saw cause And the 1. Council of Cabellon in France summoned about the same year 656 ex evocatione ordinatione gloriosi Domini Clodovei Regis pro zelo religionis vel orthodoxae Fidei dilectione to reform what was amisse or wanting in the Church made the like prayers for him The Bishops assembled in Aurelianensi Concilio 1. summoned by K. Clodoveus the 1. An. 500. when they had concluded and drawn up 33. Canons upon particular heads recommended to them by this King sent and submitted them to his Majesty with this preface Domino suo Catholicae Ecclesiae filio Clodoveo Gloriosiss Regi omnes Sacerdotes quos ad Concilium venire jussistis Quia tanta ad Religionis Catholicae cultum gloriosae fidei cura vos excitat ut Sacerdotalis mentis affectu Sacerdotes de rebus necessariis tractaturos in unum colligi jusseritis secundum vestrae voluntatis consultationem et titulos quos dedistis ea quae nobis visa sunt definitione respondimus ita ut si ea quae nos statuimus etiam vestro recta esse judicio comprobantur tanti consensus Regis ac Domini Majori authoritate servanda tantorum firmet sententia sacerdotum Their Canons being all subjected to his will to alter reject or ratify them according to his royal pleasure without whose authority they were invalid The 11. Council of Toledo was convened Excellentissimo religiosissimi Vuambani principis praecepto Cujus providae solicitudinis voto et lur Conciliorum renovata resplenduit alterna charitas se mutuo in corrigendis et instruendis moribus excitavit dum aggregandi nobis hortatu Principis gloriosi facultas data est et opportuna corrigendis praeparata est disciplina They cloze up their Canons and Synod with their thanks and this prayer for him Post haec religioso Domino amabili Principi nostro Vuambano Regi gratiarum actiones persolvimus cujus etiam studio aggregati sumus Qui Ecclesiasticae disciplinae nostris seculis novus reparator occurrens omissos Conciliorum ordines non solum restaurare intendit sed etiam annuis recursibus celebrandos instituit ut ad alternam morum correctionem annuo tempore alacriter concurrentes juxta Prophetae vaticinium quod in nobis defractum est alligetur quod abjectum est reducatur Det ergo eidem Principi Dominus pro hujus sacrae sollicitudinis voto cursum praesentis vitae in pace transire et post diuturna tempora ad se in pace remissis iniquitatibus pervenire qualiter felicia tempora ducat felix cum omnibus quibus principatur ad Christum sine confusione perveniat ut quia per eum corona nostri ordinis in melius restauratur coronam futuri regni capiat ex hoc in regione vivorum regnans cum Christo in secula seculorum Amen The 3. Council of Bracara summoned the same year by this King Vuambanus concludes with these thanks to God him prayer for him Gratias itaque Omnipotenti Deo peragimus posthaec sit pax salus diuturnitas piissimo amatori Christi Domino nostro Vuambano Regi cujus devotio nos ad hoc decretum salutiferum convocavit divinam postulantes clementiam ut gloria Christi regnum ejus corroboret usque ad ultimam senectutem praestante ipso qui cum Patre Spiritu sancto vivit gloriatur in Trinitate Deus in secula seculorum Amen It is evident by Fredericus Lindebrogus his Codex Legum Antiquarum Legis Wisigothorum lib. 1 2. Lex Burgundiorum Lex Bohemorum Lex Longobardorum that these Councils of Toledo forecited and those under Chilperick and other Kings of France and Italy were in nature of parliaments wherein these Kings made and promulged Ecclesiastical Lawes intermixed with their Temporal by the advice and assistance Principum Ducum Optimatum Primatum consulente multitudine as well as of their Bishops and Clergy who only did what they prescribed and directed them The 6. General Council of Constantinople was convened by the religious Emperor Flavius Constantinus Pogonatus who summoned Donus then Bishop of Rome to come to this Council as well as George Archbishop of Constantinople whom he stiles in his summons or Divalis sacra universalis Patriarcha as well as Donus Archbishop of old Rome Vniversalis Papa Which summons by reason of Donus his death before the Council was delivered to his Successor Pope Agatho who sent two Delegates in obedience to the Emperors command to this Council wherein the Emperor himself sate President with many of his Great Officers and Nobles as the Acts of this Council record The 1. Action or Session begins thus In nomine Domini Dei Salvatoris Jesu Christi imperantibus a Deo cosonatis et Serenissimis nostris Dominis Flaviis Constantino quidem piissimo et a Deo decreto Magno Principe perpetuo Augusto et Imperatore anno 27. et post consulatum ejus a Deo institutae mansuetudinis anno 13. die 7. mensis Novembris indictione nona PRAESIDENTE IIDEM PIISSIMO CHRISTO DILECTO MAGNO IMPERATORE CONSTANTINO in secretario sacri Palatii quod cognominatur Trullus et ex jussione ejus a Deo instructae serenitatis praesentibus et audientibus Niceta glorioso exconsule Patricio magistro Imperialium officiorum Theodoro glorioso exconsule Patricio Comite Imperialis obsequii Substratega Thraciae Sergio glorioso exconsule Patriciâ— Paulo glorioso exconsule Patricio Juliano glorioso exconsule Patricio militari logotheta Constantino glorioso exconsule Patricio Curatore Imperialis domus Hormisdae Anastasio glorioso exconsule Patricio locum agente Imperialis comitis excubiti Joanne glorioso exconsule Patricio
glorioso Eringii Regis jussu in the first year of his reign whereto he summoned Omnes in commune religiosos Provinciarum Rectores Clarissimorum ordinum totius Hispaniae illustres aulae regiae viros who sate and voted therein as well as his Bishops In the beginning of this Council the King making a short pious Oration to them declaring how destructive all sins were to Kingdoms if not corrected by severe Laws and how much true faith and piety did advance secure honor both Kings and Kingdoms with his desire to consecrate the beginning of his reign to God by promoting the one and suppressing the other He delivered them a writing containing the sum of what he desired to settle in this Council with these expressions Ecce in brevi complexa vel exarata devotionis meae negotia in hujus tomo complicationis agnoscenda perlegite perlecta discutite discussa elimatis discretis titulorum sententiis definite ut pura et placens Deo vestrarum definitionum valitura discretio regni nostri primordia decoret exhortatione justitiae errores plebium digna cohibeat severitatis censura Whereupon they receiving the writing inserted into the Acts of this Council pursued it accordingly in their proceedings First they began with a publique Confession of their faith agreeable to that of Nice former Councils After which they added 13 Chapters more The 1. whereof declares and confirms the Kings just Title to the Crown prohibiting from thenceforth all attempts against his Title or Government by word or deed the other Canons concern the Jews Religion and Ecclesiastical affaires which they clozed with a devout prayer for the King regnare feliciter habere de clementia fructum obtinere de justitia proemium de pietate trophaeum c. the Bishops and Nobles too subscribing them This King afterwards ratified them by his royal Decree signed with his own hand commanding them not to be contemned omitted violated subverted by any but punctually inviolably and perpetually observed by all his Subjects under pain of excommunication confiscation of the tenth part of their goods who had any and fifty stripes with perpetual infamy to be inflicted on such who had no goods to forfeit The 13. Council of Toledo was summoned by the same King Eringius consisting of all his Nobles and Great Officers as well as Bishops to whom he made a pious short speech and then delivered them a writing containing in grosse the things he called them to consult of and to digest into particular Titles which they accordingly pursued the first part of them concerned the forfeiture and confiscations of his Subjects and the Nobility the later Church affairs All these Councils of Toledo were like our antient Saxon Councils consisting of the Nobility and Clergy and enacting temporal as well as Ecclesiastical Lawes which the King confirmed by his Subscription and Edicts They began with a Confession of faith because Praeconabile fignum est illis semper negotiis interesse quae a pietate incipiunt per pietatis viscera temperantur Pietas enim ut ait Apostolus ad omnia utilis est Constantinus Pogonatus the Emperor by his Divales jussiones or Imperial Edicts ad venerabilem Clerum populum foelicissimum exercitum Romanae Civitatis concessit Vt persona qui electus fuerit ad sedem Apostolicam è vestigio absque tarditate Pontifex ordinaretur When as he could not be installed before that time till the Emperor or his Exarch in Italy had given his Imperial assent to his election Anno 685. Pope John the 5. received the Emperor Justinian the 2d his Edictum confirmans sextam Sanctam Synodum alias divales jussiones concerning several annual rents and payments due to the Emperor from the Church of Rome which he mitigated because Ecclesia Romana annue minime exurgebat persolvere This Pope yielded all ready obedience to the Emperor as his Soveraign Lord. Conon being elected Pope after Johns death by the joynt consent of the Clergy Army and people of Rome who were at first divided the Clergy electing Peter and the Army Theodorus a Priest they all ut mos est sent their instrument of his election subscribed with their hands by some of the Clergy and people to Theodorus the Exarch for his approbation without which he had not been admitted to the Papacy Where this Pope received Divalem jussionem Domini Justiniani Principis for confirmation of the 6. General Synod of Constantinople held by his Father quam Synodum permisit ejus pietas illis palam inconcussam perenniter custodire conservare After the death of Conon the Clergy and People of Rome being divided in their election of a Pope one part chusing Theodorus another Paschal both obstinately maintaining their parties at last the greater part of the Souldiers and Clergy elected Sergius in sacrosanctum palatium exinde in Lateranense Episcopium deduxerunt whereupon Theodorus gave over his pretence and submitted to Sergius his election but Paschal would by no means do it till enforced at last volens nolens sending privily to John Platyn the Exarch of Ravenna to come to Rome with his Judges whither he marched very privately who forced Sergius to give him not only divers Ornaments antienly hanging before St. Peters Altar but also One hundred pounds weight of gold to confirm his election and purchase his peace If Popes were thus subject to the Emperors Exarchs and chief Officers in Italy much more then to the Emperors themselves The Emperor Justinian An. 710. commanded Theudor his General to apprehend Felix Archbishop of Ravenna and send him prisoner to Constantinople for his offences which being accordingly executed he had his eyes put out and was afterwards banished into Pontica At which time this Emperor sent an Imperial Edict to Pope Constantine per quam jussit eum ad regiam ascendere urbem Constantinople qui jussis Imperialibus attemperans illico navigia fecit parari and went to Constantinople the Emperor being then at Nice commanded him to meet him at Nicomedia which he did where the next Lords day he said Masse and administred the Communion to the Emperor The Emperor there renewing all the Priviledges of the Church gave this Pope leave to return again to Rome After which Anastatius the Emperor sent a second Edict by the Exarch of Italy to Rome per quam verae se orthodoxa fidei praedicatorem sancti Sexti Concilii confessorem esse omnibus declaravit The Emperor Leo Isaurus in the 9th year of his reign published a Decree against Images Ut nulla Imago cujustibet Sancti aut Martyris aut Angeli ubicunque haberetur maledicta enim omnia asserebat sending word to Rome to Pope Gregory the 2d Si acquiesceret in hoc Pontifex gratiam Imperatoris haberet Si et hoc fieri praepediret a suo gradu decideret that
Burials Penance and all manner of Divine and Ecclesiastical affairs where those who please may peruse them for their satisfaction This pious Emperor to reform all corruptions abuses in Doctrine Discipline in the Churches of France Italy Germany summoned several Councils under him being present and president in most of them Pope Leo the 3d. being distressed misit ad Carolum claves Sancti Petri Urbisque Romae vexilla alia 〈◊〉 peteâ—s ut Romanum populum Papae Sacramento fidei data subâ—iceret against their wills upon this occasion Anno 799. there was a great sedition raised at Rome against this Pope whose Opposites as he was riding in procession from his Palace of Lateran to St. Laurence Church threw him from his horse put out his eyes and cut off his tongue as they imagined leaving him naked and half dead in the Streets and afterwards thrust him into the Monastery of St. Erasmus as a prisoner whence he escaping went into France complained of this injury to Charles the Great who Anno 800. marched to Rome accompanied with this Pope where after 7. days stay calling an Assembly of the Bishops Abbots et omnem Nobilitatem Francorum et Romanorum He acquainted them that the principal cause of his comming to Rome and convening them now was De discutiendis quae objecta sunt Pontifici criminibus ejus calumniatores mortiferum ei crimen imposuerunt Rege autem hoc inquirente cum nullus esset criminis probator Pontifer assumpto Evangelii textu coram Rege et omni populo ambonem conscendit astantibusque accusatoribus invocato sanctae Trinitatis nomine jure jurando ab objectis se expurgavit c. Lo here King Charls before he was crowned Emperor sat as Supreme Judge in Rome it self examining the Crimes objected against the Pope who when witnesses failed purged himself before him and all the people by his Oath and was thereupon acquitted Immediately after by way of gratitude for his restitution to the Papacy and absolution from his objected crimes King Charls comming on Christmas day to divine Service this Pope Leo on a sudden rising from prayers Carolo nihil minus speranti as Abbas Uspergensis relates though others conceive it was by his own appointment Papa coronam imposuit et Imperatorem Romanum pronunciavit et a cuncto Romano populo acclamatum est Carolo Augusto a Deo not Papa coronato Magno et Pacifico Imperatori Romanorum vita et victoria Post quas laudes unctus ab Apostolico et antiquorum more Principum ab eo adoratur ablato Patricii nomine Imperator et Augustus appellatus est Which Mantuanus the Poet thus expresseth Imperii tandem Roma applaudente Coronam Impoâ—uâ—t Carolo tantique insignia Regni Gratia Anastatius Onuphrius Platina Stella Baronius Alvarus Pelagius Marta 〈◊〉 Schioppius Bellarmin and other Pontificians conclude from lience that the Pope is above the Emperor and may de jure dispose of Empires Kingdoms and at his pleasure translate them from one Family and Nation to another Romani Imperii 〈◊〉 Gracis per Papam ad Gallos est translata postea a Gallis ad Germanos secundum beneplacitum ejus Ita est Imperium quod antea a coelo dari creditum fuit nunc ad Papae manus devolutum Pipinum queque Caroli hujus filium illius partis Itahae regem declaravit hic Pontifex quam nec ipse nec ullus praedecessorum suorum subjicere poterant writes Balaeus and others But whosoever shall impartially consider these ensuing particulars will at first discover the falsity and absurdity of these Conclusions 1. The several Letters supplications addresses of Pope Hadrian Stephen Leo and others to Pipin Carolomannus and this King Charles to protect and desend them against Aistulphus Desiderius the Lombards Romans Exarchs and other their opposites who deposed expelled and seised upon their persons possessions from time to time who thereupon restored these Popes to yea confirmed them in their Papacy by their swords and new Charters of Donations 2ly That they submitted themselves to them as their Lords Patrons Protectors surrendred up St. Peters Keyes and the Roman Ensigns to them 3ly That the Pope Council Nobles and people of Rome granted the power of electing confirming the Pope and the Government of the See and City of Rome to this Charles and his successors 4ly That before he was crowned Emperor he sat as Judge of this Popes crimes when others refused out of fear to Judge him that after his purgation he absolved and pronounced him innocent then gave judgement of death banishment against his false accusers and persecutors beheading no lesse then 300 of them as some record 5ly That Charles by way of conquest got actual possession of Rome and Italy made himself Emperor thereof his son Pipin King of Italy and this Leo actual Pope by his own sword alone not by this Popes antecedent gift or donation who never had any precedent right in or possession of them Hence Otto Frisingensis and sundry others truly observe Qualiter Carolus assumpto Pontifice totoque populo Augustus vocatus Imperium a Gracis ad Francos transtulit Hujus virtute Regnum Francorum plurimum augmentatum est omniumque Regnorum Maximum Romanum scilicet ab Oriente ad Occidentem translatum Not by the Popes or St. Peters authority as Pontificians fancre 6ly That all this Popes Predecessors were subject to the Emperors their elections approved yea their persons judged deposed by them from time to time as the premises evidence 7ly That the people of Rome by their unanimous acclamations and assents rather elected and made Charles their Emperor then the Pope who only declared anointed crowned him Emperor ministerially as other Archbishops and Bishops crown their Kings as Cardinals Bishops crown Popes themselves not authoritatively as disposers of their Crowns Empires Kingdoms as Supream Lords thereof 8ly That this Pope together with the people of Rome and all present at Charls his Coronation cryed out That God had made and crowned him Emperor by his providences and his own victorious successes not the Pope or Romans as Carolo Augusto A DEO CORONATO c. resolves 9ly That as the High Priests and Priests anointing and crowning of David Solomon and other Kings of Judah and Jerusalem by Gods appointment under the Law gave them no Jurisdiction or superiority over their persons or Kingdoms So the Popes and Bishops annointing crowning of Emperors Kings under the Gospel warranted by no Gospel precept or president of Christ Peter or any other Apostle Bishop Priest can much lesse do it Hence Thomas Waldensis though a great Champion for the Popes and Bishops Jurisdiction and Supremacy dogmatically resolves 1. Regia potestas prima sui origine a Deo est non a Sacerdoâ—e 2. Quanquam ministerio Episcoporum Regibus imponatur Corona et insignia conferantur non est propterea dicendum Regiam illam dignitatem ortum habere a sacerdote
Imperatorum et in quorum tutela essent metu et reverentia in officio manserunt Wherefore it was very necessary at least expedient for the good government reformation of Popes Prelates and the Church of God that Christian Kings and Emperors should have a Superintendent coercive power over them to keep them all in good order to restrain correct their detestable Enormities and exorbitances especially since Wernerus a Carthuâ—â—an Monk writing of this degenerate age and Popes therein pronounceth Sanctitatem Papam dimisisse ac ad Imperatores accessisse hoc tempore sicut Clare apparet and Genebrardus records Hoc seculum uno infelix quod per annos fâ—re 150. Pontifices circiter 50. a virtute majorum prorsus defecerint Apotactici Apostaticive potius quam Apostolici And could such Monsters of men and Apostates from the life and faith of Christ be his Universal Vicars over his Church on earth and not rather those pious Christian Kings Emperors who punished their excesses Pope John the 19. adjutore Diabolo cujus tum erat Papatum dare Sylvestro mago ac Satanico monstro successit in Romana sede but with some contest Certamen enim fuit as Benno Cardinalis and others record inter ipsius Sylvestri discipulos necromantes dum quisque anhelaret ad rapiendum sibi Papatum This Pope by the perswasion of his Clergy Romanum populum Pontificis electione privavit adjectis his clausulis Docendus Ducendus est populus non sequendus Major est dignitas legis quae regitur Spiritu sancto whereby these Popes were not ruled but by the unclean Spirit the Devil quam legis secularis Leges Imperatorias nihil esse dicebat But by a divine retalation his Papal authority was so much slighted that Veneno a suis domesticis sublatus est within 5. moneths after his consecration to make way for his successor Iohn the 20. qui prodig iosis artibus Satanici Papatus sellam occupavit A praedicto enim Sylvestro qui Magus diabolicus erat usque ad Gregorium septimum sceleratissimum nebulonem ac praestigiatorem iniquissimum famosi fuerunt incantatores Romani Pontifices omnes Jannem Jambrem Aegyptos Magos longe superantes as Benno Cardinalis Balaeus and others inform us This Pope totum se voluptatibus dedit during all his Papacy till at last by the practice of such who aspired after his Papal See non sine veneni suspitione expiravit Anno 1009. Earl Rodulph a near neighbour to Fulbertus Bishop of Carnotum about the year 1007. res Ecclesia Carnotensis per injustam occasionem invasit unum de Clericis suis manibus interfecit duos alios captos Sacramento illigavit Et de his omnibus appellatus in Curia Regis upon the frequent complaints of Fulbertus coram plena Ecclesia saepe vocatus nec propter hominem nec propter Deum ad justitiam venire dignatus he was at last excommunicated by Fulbertus whereupon appealing to Pope John the 20. ad limina Sancti Petri contendit tanquam ibi possit accipere de peccaâ—â— absolutionem unde venire non vult ad emendationem Fulbertus on this occasion writ an Epistle to Pope John ut eum de sanguine filiorum tuorum ita arguere castigare memineris sic ut meritum esse tua prudentia novit Nec tua sanctitas injuste in communionem recipiat quem divina authoritas sicut Ethnicum alienat Unde bone pastor evigila evigila super nos ne per incuriam tuam grex Domini detrimentum sustineat Moreover Gaufridus Vicecomes building a Castle at Iseras within the Lands of St. Mary belonging to his Bishoprick bestowed on him by Robert King of France he appealed to this King by Messengers and Letters for advice and relief against these injuries to command them vestra regali auctoritate vivaciter imperando to redresse these injuries ne apud extraneum Regem vel Imperatorem quod absit compellamur a vobis exules noluisse vos vel non valuisse Sponsam Christi sanctam Ecclesiam vobis regere commissam intueri acknowledging the chief Government of the Church as well as protection to belong to the King not Pope within his Kingdom and that the conferring of Bishopricks and placing confirming Bishops in vacant Sces appertained to the King not Pope or Clergy as sundry of his Epistles evidence The Emperor Henry the 2d who ob eximium religionis studium Pii nomen sortitus est by his Imperial power about the year 1007. summoned two Synods not only of his Bishops and Clergy but likewise of his Nobles wherein himself was present sharply reprehending the Bishops in publick Orations to them for neglecting their duties and not rooting out and cutting off putrid Members with the sword of the Spirit lest they should corrupt the sound After which about the year 1016. Conventum Aquisgrani indicit ubi Episcopis et Principibus congregatis de republica quaedam tractata sunt after which certain Masses Fasts and Aâ—ms were prescribed to prevent Gods judgments then hanging over and inflicted on them for their sins to appease his wrath Anno 1017. Idem Imperator Naviomagi et Politicorum et Ecclesiasticorum coegit Senatum ubi inter caetera quaedam de restauranda religione quae jam ad interitum inclmabat deliberata constituta sunt Anno 1023. the same Emperor called another Synod at Salegunstat Selgenstat to compose the manifold differences and varieties of divine Offices Canons Customs in the German Churches which caused manifold dissentions and reduce them into one which they endeavoured to effect by 20. Constitutions whereof the 16. was this Vt nullus Romam eat nisi cum licentia sui Episcopi vel ejus Vicarii A sufficient evidence of this Emperors Supremacy in calling Synods and over all Ecclesiastical persons causes and in reforming corruptions in the Church and Clergy Pope Benedict the 8. a meer Layman magicis artibus ad Papatum pervenit by the assistance of Theophylact his Nephew He demanded no lesse them 100 marks annual rent cum equo albo phalerato to be reserved to the Church of Rome for consecrating the Cathedral Church of Bamberg from Henry the Emperor who built it After whose death ab aemulis Cardinalibus sede pellitur alius surrogatus factumque inde fuit schisma gravissimum Postea tamen per aureos nummos inita cum adversariis concordia pulso adulterino Pontifice in sedem restituebatur John the 21. Theophylacti Nepotis arte nefaria nullis adhuc initiatus ordinibus sacris Pontificatum est adeptus Hujus Theophylacti et aliorum Pseudo-sacrificulorum incantationibus maleficiis omnia tunc Romae ad Satanae nutum regebantur Theophylactus enim Sacrificiis Daemoniorum in sylvis et montibus deditus mulieres post se currere faeiebat quas magicis artibus ad sui amorem coegerat This Pope was so vexed
lucro tuo et vano nomine Tu es abhominabilior Iudaeis Ipsi crucifixerunt corpus meum solum Tu autem crucifigis et punis animas electorum meorum quibus malicia tua et transgressio amarior est omni gladio Et ideo quia tu similis es Lucifero injustior Pilato immitior Iuda abhominabilior Iudaeis ideo merito conqueror super te After which she there brings in Christ himself by S. Peters advice passing this sentence against the Pope Haec autem est vera justitia ut primus qui sedet in sede tua et opera habet Luciferi amittat cum contemptu sedem in qua praesumpsit sedere as Luciferian Pope Hildebrand did et particeps sit poena Luciferi Then she introduceth Christ himself swearing thrice by God the Father his own body and the holy Ghost quod faciam justitiam super hos and passing this memorable Judgement upon the Pope his Ministers Members Vicars adhering to him Gladius meae severitatis in corpus tuum intrabit qui a superiori capitis ingredietur et sic profunde et valenter infigetur ut nunquam extrahatur Sedes tua mergetur quasi lapis ponderosus qui non subsistat antequam venerit in novissimum profunâ—i Digiti id est assessores ardebunt igni sulphureo et inextinguibili Brachia tua id est Vicarii ad animarum profectum extendi deberent sed extenduntur ad utilitatem mundi et honorem judicabuntur poena quam dicit David Piant filii ejus orphani uxor ejus vidua alieni recipiant substantiam ejus Quae est uxor ejus nisi anima quae relinquetur a gloria coelesti et erit vidua Deo Filii ejus id est virtutes quas habere videbatur simplices mei qui sub ipsis erant separabuntur ab eis dignitas eorum bona ad alios devolventur et ipsi pro dignitate aeternam confusionem haereditabunt Deinde ornatus Capitis eorum demergetur in lutum inferni a quo nunquam consurgent Vt sicut hic per honorem et superbiam super alios ascenderunt sic in inferno prae aliis demergentur ita profunde ut impossibile sit eis resurgere Let all proud Popes chew the cud upon it Having thus presented you with Hildebrands Antichristian practises in his life hear Benno Cardinalis Sigebertus Gemblacenfis both living in that age Anno 1085. Mat. Paris Historiae Angl. Anno Domini 1084 1086. Vincentius Speculum Hist l. 36. c. 82. Floreutius Wigorniensis Anno 1106. Antonin Chron. Tit. 16. cap. 1. sect 21. Magnum Chronicon Belgicum p. 124. Dr. Barns Balaeus and others in Vita Greg. 7 Cent Magd. 11. c. 8. 10. Chronicon Joannis Bromptoâ— col 978. Henricus de Knyghton de Eventibus Angliae l. 2. c. 3. Lambertus Schafnaburgensis Histor Anno 1074. c. Cuspinian in Henrico 4. learned Philip de Morney Dr. Crakenthorp Bishop Usher Dr. Beard Bishop Downham Dr. Squirâ—â— with sundry others out of them who give us this account of Hildebrands last words repentance absolution of the Emperor and all others Excommunications at his death Hildebrandus Papa qui Gregorius VII apud Salernium exulans moritur Volumus vos scire qui Ecclesiasticae curae solliciti estis quia Dominus Apostolicus Hildebrandus qui et Gregorius nunc in extremis positus ad se vocavit unum de xij Cardinalibus quem prae caeteris diligebat et confessus est Deo et Sancto Petro et toti Ecclesiae se valde peccasse in Pastorali cura quae ei ad regendum erat commissa seque suadente Diabolo contra humanum genus iram Dei et odium concitasse Postea vero sententiam quae in orbe terrarum effusa est pro augmento Christianitatis revocasse dicebat Tunc demum misit praedictum Confessorem suum ad Imperatorem et ad totam Ecclesiam ut opraret ei indulgentiam quia finem vitae suae aspiciebat et jam cito induturus erat angelicam vestem et dimisit et dissolvit vincula omnium bannorum suorum Imperatori et omni populo Christiano vivis et defunctis Laicis et Clericis et jussit suos abire de domo Theodorici et amicos Imperatoris ascendere I have more largely related this History of Pope Hildebrands Antimonarchical as well as Antichristian proceedings upon these considerations 1. Because he was the first visible founder erecter of that Antichristian Papal Soveraignty Tyranny which his ambitious Successors have since presumed to claim exercise over Christian Emperors Kings Kingdoms Churches Prelates The first who attempted to excommunicate depose interdict the Roman Emperors give their Crowns Kingdoms to others to absolve all their subjects from their Oathes of Allegiance to them and excite Subjects to rebell and take up arms against their rightfull Kings to dethrone them for not obeying their Papal Decrees 2ly Because he was the chief contriver before after his intrusion into Peters pretended Chair how to deprive the Roman Emperors of their antient hereditary Soveraign Ecclesiastical right of electing ratifying investing confirming Popes Patriarchs Archbishops Bishops and to defraud robb all other Christian Kings Princes Nobles Lay-Patrons of their Patronages Presentations Collations to Bishopricks Benefices or any other Ecclesiastical dignities under the false pretext of Simony Heresie Sacriledge Idolatry wherewith he branded it on purpose to monopolize the sale and disposal of them to himself and his Successors to make all Bishops Clergymen and Religious Orders sworn Vassals Feudatories Votaries Servants to and sole Dependants on the See of Rome but perfidious Traytors Rebels to their own natural Kings Princes as exempted from and having no Dominion over them nor engagements to them 3ly Because he was the first Pope who violently persecuted married Priests prohibiting all Laymen to hear their Masses c. unlesse they were totally divorced from their wives in obedience to his Papal Decrees Which Antichristian Usurpations Innovations of his being the Original ground president of all his Successors intollerable Encroachments on proceedings of like nature against our English Kings and their Soveraign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and the Emperor Henries oppositions against him and his encroachments a grand encouragement to our Kings vigorous oppositions against his successors usurpations of like nature in England the chief Subject of my ensuing History I deemed it not only expedient but absolutely necessary to present the world with a full and faithfull Narrative of his Hildebrandian Antimonarchical Sentences Decretals Proceedings the opositions made against them which have ever since infested all Christian States Churches with high contests schisms wars between the Crown and Miter And before I procceed to his Successors I shall give you this further Account of these 3. particulars beginning with the Original ground of the quarrel Investitures and Simony I have formerly discovered how some of Hildebrands immediate Predecessors by his advice and instigation made
emittere vocem A facie irae indignationis tuae elevans allisiâ—ii me Altiorem quippe locum sortitus es sed non tutiorem sublimiorem non securiorem Teribilis prorsus terribilis est locus istae Locus inquam in quo stas terra sancta est locus Petri est locus Principis Apostolorum ubi steterunt pedes ejus Locus illius est quem constituit Dominu Dominum domus suae principem omnis possessionis suae Si forte declinaveris a via Domini sepultus est in eodem loco ut sit ibi contra te in testimonium Meritò tali Pastori tali nutritio commissa est Ecclesia cum adhuc tenera adhuc in cunabilis esset cujus docta magisterio exemplo educata omnia terrena calcaret utpote qui excusserat manus suas ob omni munere qui dicebat de corde puro et conscientia bona Argentum autum non est mihi Haec hactenus Caeterum causa quare ante tempus scripserim vobis haec est Wintoninesis Episcopus Eboracensis Archiepiscopus non gradiuntur uno Spiritu cum Cantuariensi Archiepiscopo sed incedunt sibi ex adverso haec vetus est de legatione quarela Veruntamen quis est ille qui sunt illi Nonne Eboracensis ipse est cui te praesente cum adhuc esses quasi unus ex nobis fratres tui restiterunt in faciem eo quod reprehensibilis erat Sed speravit in multitudine divitiarum suarum praevaluit in vanitate sua Certum est tamen quod non intravit per ostium in ovile ovium sed ascendit aliunde si Pastor fuisset diligendus erat si mercenarius tolerandus Nunc autem cavendus repellendus utpote fur latro Quid dicam de Domino Wintoniensi Opera quae ipse facit testimonium perhibent de eo Porrò Archiepiscopus Cantuariensis cui adversantur vir religiosus est suaveoentis opinionis Pro ipso petimus ut respondeat ei Justitia sua Verum illorum iniquitas super eos ut sit sicut scriptum est Justitia justi super eum erit impietas impii erit super eum Cum acceperis tempus secundum opera manuum illorum retribues illis ut sciant Prophetam esse in Israel Quis mihi det antequà m moriar videre Ecclesiam Dei sicut in diebus antiquis quando Apostoli laxabant retia in capturam non in capturam argenti vel auri sed in capturam animarum Quam cupio illius te haereditare vocem cujus adeptus es sedem Pecunia inquit tua tecum sit in perditionem O vox tonitrui O vox magnificentiae et virtutis ad cujus terrorem confundantur et convertantur retrorsum omnes qui oderunt Syon Hoc vehementer expectat et omnino expetit a te mater tua hoc filii matris tuae pusilli cum majoribus desiderant hoc suspirant ut omnis plantatio quam non plantavit Pater coelestius tuis manibus eradicetur Ad hoc enim constitutus es super gentes regna ut evellas destruas aedifices plantas Multi audito hoc verbo dixerunt apud se Jam securis ad radicem arborum posita est Multi dicunt in corde suo Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra tempus amputationis advenit in quo sarmenta sterilia recidentur ut ea quae praevalent uberius fructum afferant Confortare igitur esto robustus manus tuae in cervicilus inimicorum tuoâ—um Vindica tibi aâ—mi constantia vigore spiritus partem quam dedit extra fratres tuos tibi omniâ—â— eus Pater quam tulit de manu Amorei in gladio arcu suo In omnibus tamen operibus tuis memento te esse hominem et timor ejus qui aufert Spiritum principum semper sit ante oculos tuos Quantorum in brevi Romanorum Pontificum mortes tuis oculis asperisti Ipsi te praedecessores tui tuae certissimae et citissimae decessionis admoncant et modicum tempus dominationis â—â—rum paucitatem dierum tuorum nunciet tibi Iugi proinde mediâ—â—tione inter transcuntis gloriae blandimenta memorare novilâ—ma tua quia quibus successisti in sedem ipsos sine dubio sequeris ad mortem This Epistle of St. Bernard was seconded with sundry others but especially with 5. severâ— elegant Bookes De Consideratione dedicated to Pope Eugenius wherein he earnestly pressed him to the serious consideration and discharge of his Pastoral duty which was not a Domination or Dignity but a worke and Ministry wherein he should â—â—udy to profit not to preside over others discovering unto him the manifold abuses corruptions of the Popes Court of Rome their Officers and proceedings under former Popes which he exhorted him diligently to reform Anno 1145 1146 and 1147. upon sad tydings from the Holy I and that the Saracens on the night of Christs Nativity by the treachery of some Christians had entred the Temple of Hierusalem slaâ—n the Archbishop and Clergy ministring in the Temple subdued all Mesopotamia and endangered the losse of all the Holy â—and and Kingdome of Jerusalem Pope Eugenius by his Bulls and Saint Bernard by his Epistles and Sermons excited the Emperor and most Christian Kings and Kingdoms to take up the Crosse and arms against them granting him the same large indulgences for this service as PopeVrban had done before them Omnibus inde rebus quae aâ— causam orientalem pertinebant satis ut tum potuit constitutis the Romans mutining against the Pope to recover their antient Liberties he thereupon being greatly incensed resolved to be avenged of them atque armis a Popelike argument ad pristinum Ecclesiae studiumâ— obsequiumque reducere statuit Itaque Lucii exemplo hand molli rem agendem brachioratus Tiburtes caeterosque Latii populus quorum caussa adeum furorem Romani venerant ad arma sollicitavit atque ipso corum ope Romanos invasit Romani cum per aliquot dies acerrimè restitissent tandem tectorum eversionem patriae fortunarumque amissionem extimescentes pacem petierunt eaâ—que demum his conditionibus impetrarunt ut Patricium abrogarent Praefectum restituerent Senatores ex Pontificia authoritate tencrent et Arnoldum turbarum concitatorem urbe ejicerent Hisrebus transactis Eugenius in Vrbem revertit populo Cleroque faullis vocibus Benedictum esse qui veniret in nomine Domini concinente After which Anno 1246. Romani seditionem redintegrantes rursus ab Engenio ut Tibur everteret postularunt Quare disertè negata usque adeo exasperati animis sunt ut se ni quod peterent iâ— petrarent vim adhibituros oâ—tenderent Itaque Eugenius consilio cum Cardinalibus habito rursus Urbe cum eis cedere statuit ac pedum pulvere ad terrorem injiciendum in eos excusso trans Tyberim una cum Cardinalibus populo ipso