their Right that the Pope is Sennor del Mondo and they call him Nostor Sennorâ— Our Lord as well as Jesus Christ. There is no State in Europe which they have not endeavoured many times to destroy and which they have not greatly endamaged Matthew Paris relates to us that King John of England because he would not receive an Archbishop of Canterbury whom Poâ—e Innâ—cent the Third had Elected against the Canons he was first Excommucated by Innocent who accordingly gave away his Kingdom to Philip the August King of France and that poor King John was compelled to implore the Popes mercy who received him very bountifully on condition that from thenceforth his Kingdom should depend upon the Holy See should be Tributary to it and pay 20000 Marks of Gold every year And that this King having recovered his courage resolved to Abjure Christianity as an evil Religion thereby designing to cast off the Popish yoke Because he made himself the Popes Vassal he was called the Apostolick King. I wonder why the Kings of France and Spain will not add to the Titles of Most Christian and Most Catholick that of Apostolick Kings at the same price as this King John of England did 'T is not his Holiness's fault they may have it when they please They answer that it is true that they have heretofore caused disorders but that it will never fall out so again that it was some hot headed men that amongst the Apostles themselves there was found a Judas But I maintain that all these disasters proceeded not only from the pettish humour of any one Pope but were the natural effects of the Principles of the Papacy And tho we do not see it visibly break forth every day by some bloody example yet we ought not to believe that the habit or the will is ever the less but that there is some external extraordinary reason which suspends the Action and which does sometimes make them act directly contrary to their own inclination Do not we see that the Inquisition it sâ—lf at Rome that Impious Tribunal which hath the power of authorising the greatest crimes and of Canonizing for the Popes Interest even Parricides and the Assassins of our Kings as amongst others by a Decree of the ninth of November 1609 it did condemn the Decree of the Parliament of Paris given out against John Chatel who had attempted to Murther Henry the Fourth This Tribunal I say hath not long since condemned the Jesuits Morals tho they were perfectly conformable to the Principles of the Inquisition and we see that the Jesuits of France are at this time in the Kings Interest against the Pope which is absolutely contrary to their Maxims and to all their former conduct which shews that it is not true that because an ill person does a good action he is no more to be feared Tho a man be extreamly wicked it does not follow from thence that every thing he does shall be so We must not think that the habit is lost because we do not always see its acts Philosophers tell us that it is often so It is a sort of a Truce and not a Peace Non pax sed induciae bellum enim manet pugna cessaâ— A Cobler says Horace is still a Cobler tho his Stall be shut Et Alfenus vafer omni abjecto instrumento Artis clausaque taberna sutor erat Thus the Pope remains still Pope tho he sometimes do a good Action Valerius Maximus says in a certain place that there are people Quorum animus peregrinatur in nequitia non habitat whose minds light upon iniquity but like a Traveller in an Inn they fix not so may it be said of the Popes Quorundam paparum animus peregrinatur in bonitate non habitat that they sometimes touch upon a good action but cannot hold to it The Viper is a very dangerous creature tho she doth not always bite when it lyes in her power But it is never good to trust her Nemo juxtae viperam securos somnos capit quae si non percutit certe sollicitat Says St. Hierom somewhere The Papacy is just the same it is the Chair of Pestilence Cathedra Pestilentiae where the best men are corrupted It is what he very well understood who said that the greatest harm he could wish a man was that he were Pope And the Holy Carthusian Father that praises God that none of his Order had ever yet been Pope How can any man maintain that Princes need not stand in fear of the Pope when three Popes of this present age have condemned the opinion that the Pope cannot depose Kings as wicked and contrary to the Faith Accipe nunc Danaum insidias crimine ab uno disce omnes These were Paul the Fifth Innocent the Tenth and Alexander the Seventh of whom it may be said that they were Ottimi Pontefici Ecclesiastici mediocri that they were true Popes but very indifferent Clergymen who will be both Judg and party in their own cause and pretend that their evidence must be taken even when it tends to their own profit and to the spoiling of those who believe them I could yet produce a later example which is that of the present Pope who with unsufferable rashness lately threatened to Excommunicate the Greatest King upon Earth because he would Reign alone in his own State and take away from some people who ought to employ themselves only in serving God the disposal of some Benefices which belong properly to the Soveraign of a State who we see makes a more judicious choice of men fit to serve in these Employs because he doth not sell them nor give them to his Relations as they did who had but very little regard to the merit of those upon whom they conferred these things Besides of right the Popes have nothing to do in the Dominions of other Princes and there have been sufficient proofs given by this Great Prince of his zeal for Justice and for Religion But these men love to make people feel their yoke and it may be well said of them what Mithridates said of the ancient Romans that it was not their love to Justice that made them fight against Princes but the desire of their Authority and of their Greatness Non delicta Regum illos sed vires ac Majestatem insequi It is well known how ill they have treated Spain not long since upon the account of the President of Castile who had reason in what he did and how at this time they handle the Venetians Don't we know how Alexander the Seventh and his Nephews behaved themselves at Rome towards our King in the person of his Ambassador the Duke of Crequi We may remember how that under Henry the Fourth they wanted but very little to have utterly ruined France and to have made the French all subject to the Spaniards and if the Parliament at Paris had not been better Christians than
is the Judge who doth his Duty in judging according to this Word but exerciseth no Authority And St. Augustin Claves sunt discernendi scientia potentia qua dignos recipere indignos excludere debet Sacerdos a Regno Dei. The Keys saith he signifie no other thing than the Knowledge and Skill of discerning those who are Worthy and those who are Vnworthy that the Priest may Exclude them from the Kingdom of God. It is now time to examine the third passage which they alledge for the Primacy of St. Peter which you find in the 21 of St. John. Peter lovest thou me Feed my Sheep From whence they draw this Consequence that St. Peter was the Head of the Universal Church It is certain that he was one of the most excellent Pastors of the Church but notwithstanding that he was not a Pastor to any of the Apostles nor to any other Christians but as the other Apostles were For our Lord says to them all in common As my Father hath sent me so send I you and in another place Go then and teach all Nations c. Which is the same thing as if he had said to them all Feed my Sheep What is to Feed but to Teach Instruct and Edify as well by Speaking as Writing by Preaching and Explaining to men the word of God and its Truth accompanying that with a life conformable to that Holiness the Gospel requires Which is called pascere Exemplo verbo But they ask why our Lord repeated three times Peter lovest thou me Feed my Sheep St. Augustin answers that Redditur Negationi Trime Trina Confessio c. St. Cyril understands it also in the same sense Jure nunc ab eo Trina dilectionis Confessio petitur ut trina negatio aequali Confessionis numero Compensetur Ita quod verbis commissum fuit verbis curatur c. Dixit autem pasce Agnos meos Apostolatus ipsi Renovans dignitatem ne propter Negationem quae Humana infirmitate accidit labefacta videretur c. That is to say Our Saviour had reason to demand a three-fold Confession of his love towards him to Recompence in some measure Peters thrice denying him c. And he says unto him Feed my Sheep to renew unto him the Dignity of his Apostle-ship from which he might seem to have fallen by denying his Master St. Cyprian Pastores sunt omnes says he Sed grex unus ostenditur qui ab Apostolis omnibus unanimi Confessione pascatur Episcopatus unus est cujus a singulis in solidum pars tenetur They were all Pastors but he shewed them but one Flock which all the Apostles were to feed with an Vnanimous consent St. Augustin In Petro unitatem Commendavit multi erant Apostoli uni dicitur pasce oves meas c. Sed omnes boni pastores in uno sunt unum sunt Illi pascunt Christus pascit c. He recommended the unity in the person of Peter there were many Apostles he said nevertheless but to one of them Feed my Sheep c. But all good Pastors are in one and are but one They feed Christ feedeth c. The same Father says in another place In uno Petro figurabatur unitas omnium Pastorum sed Bonorum In Peter only was represented the unity of all Pastors but that is to say of all good Pastors Chrysostom tum ostensuâ—us es eximiam tuam Dilectionem in Christum cum paveris ejus gregem cum scriptum sit si diligis me pasce Oves meas Then said he to St. Basil thou wilt shew thy love towards Jesus Christ if thou feedest his Flock as it is written Lovest thou me feed my Sheep St. Peter himself explains to us these words and shews that he was himself far from pretending to the quality of Universal Pastor Excluding the other Apostles because he doth acknowledge that even the Priests are Pastors as well as himself and that the Flock of Christ is committed to their charge as well as to his which they ought to feed not out of a â—hameful desire of gain but by a disinterested Charity not in lording it over the Heritage or over the Clâ—rgy of the Lord But by giving themselves a good example to their Flock How many râ—proofs are â—ere in a fâ—w words agâ—inst the Pope and evil Priests These are the places of Scripture which they cite with the greatest colour for the papacy of St. Peter which as they explain them are I think sufficiently confuted One may say of them as heretofore the Council of Basil said to the Creatures of Pope Eugenius who also corrupted the Sence of these Passages Sunt Interpretationes Paparum fimbrias suas extendentium These are Interpretations of Popes that stretch out the Skirts of their Garments To these which I have already given I shall yet add some reasons drawn from the Gospel it self against this pretended Primacy and Rule of St. Peter I shall not repeat that we see nothing in the Gospel but Precepts of Humility of Charity of renouncing the World its Grandures Pleasures and Riches But I shall say that we read in the Acts of the Apostles that St. Peter was sent to Samaria by the other Apostles A Prince is not usually treated thus by his Subjects We see also that in another place having been accused by the others for misbehaving himself he justifies himself This looks not like a Soveraign Would the Pope endure this from the Bishops or from any other We see not that he gave Laws to others that he established any thing by his own private Authority without the other Bishops St. Paul says expresly that he was not inferior to the greatest of the Apostles In St. Matthew and St. John it is manifest that Jesus Christ gave to all his Apostles the same power And in the Epistle to the Galatians that Peter James and John gave their hands to each other as a mark of the Society that was between them Would the Pope give his in this manner to the other Bishops We see that at the Council of Jerusalem it was not St. Peter but St. James who presided and concluded We read in the Epistle to the Galatians that St. Paul and he agreed together that St. Paul should go and Preach to the Gentiles and St. Peter to the Jews If St. Peter had known that he had been the Head of the Church he would not in all likelihood have suffered that his Ministry should have been thus limited or that the Ministry or Power of St. Paul should have been of an extent an hundred times greater than his especially if he had been of the humour of our good Popes If any Bishop should pretend to govern the Church of France or Spain without them it is to be believed that it would not be very pleasing to them and from hence by the way one may judge that Saint Peter had nothing
thing Whensoever says he there ariseth any question in peoples minds concerning an Vniversal Synod let those who love their own Salvation consult the Apostolick Sees that they may learn the reason of what they understand not And St. Austin speaking of Cecilian Bishop of Carthage condemned by the Donaetists before whom he refused to answer says that he might reserve the whole cognizance of the thing to the judgment of his other fellow Bishops chiefly those of Apostolick Sees We have seen already that the Council of Rheimes assembled under Hugh Capet says that the Apostleship of the Bishop of Rome is not to be prâ—ferred before that of other Bishops and so his See is no more Apostolick Apolâ—inaris gives this account of the Apostleship to Fontelus Bishop of Vaison and says also that the Bishop Tricassin lived forty years in an Apostolick See. Grâ—gory of Tours calleth the Church of Bourdeaux an Apostolick See. The Council of Antioch assembled against Paulus Samosatensis calleth the Church of Antioch the Church Catholick We have say they been obliged to give unto the Catholick Church another Bishop in the room of this Heretick Nevertheless this Catholick Church was not subject to the Bishop of Rome no more than Cecilian Bishop of Carthage of whom the Emperor Constantine also said that he presided over the Church Catholick As for the quality of Bishop of Bishops which the Popes take upon themselves and which the Fathers have sometimes given to the Bishops of Rome it is like that of King of Kings in regard of those who had Kings under them The Metropolitans who were the first Bishops were thus called Chrysostome is called Father of the Fathers and Teacher of the whole World by the Emperors Theodosius And Sydonius calls Lupus Tricassin Bishop of Trequier Father of Fathers and Bishop of Bishops He also calls one Graecus Massiliensis Bishop of Marseilles by the same name and gives also the Title of Soveraign Pontife even to those sort of Bishops and to Aegrotius Bishop of Sens and to Fontelus Bishop of Vaison He says in another place that Evatrix King of the Goths having subdued all Aquitain killed all the Soveraign Pontifes that were there and that there were no other Bishops establiâ—hed in their stead The same Author calls also Mamereus Bishop of Vienne Soveraign Pontife And there also speaking of Lupus Bishop of Trequier he says he is the firâ—t Bishop of the Habitable Earth This same Sydonius having been chosen by the Clergy of Bourges to Elect and in the presence of the Archbishop of Sens to establish a Bishop at Bourges says You have giâ—en me this Commission to Elect a Bishop in the presence of our most Holy Father the Pope a man mâ—st worthy of the Soveraign Priesthood Praesente sacro sancto Papa Pontificatu summo Dignissimo So he calls Aegrotius Bishop of Sens and not the Pope of Rome We see also that St. Ignatius acknowledges no Dignity above that of a Bishop Honour the Bishop as being the chief Priest whâ— beareth the Image of God. And Pope Lâ—o acknowledgeth that above a Bishop there is no other degree The Poet Fortunatus gives St. Germain Bishop of Paris the Title of High Priest Pontifici summo nos commendare Precamur Regibus Dominis forte salutis opus As for the word Pope which these people have affected to distinguish themselves by from other Bishops it is like the word Legate or Nuncio which they give to their Embassadors and Envoys instead of using the ordinary Terms these are singular marks of vanity and pride which however have their effect on silly people who imagin by these words that the Pope is a man of a quite different kind from others You must know that this word in its Original signifies no other thing than a Priest or Bishop and that it was common heretofore to all people of this Character and even now at this day they are so called in Greece and also in Germany and the Motto of the Duke of Brunswick who stiled himself Gottes friend and Paepsten fiend signifies no less that he was an enemy to Priests than to Popes We see in the Life of St. Cyprian written by Pontianus a Deacon that he is there called Pope And in the Epistle of the Roman Clergy to St. Cyprian there are these words Cypriano Papae to Pope Cyprian and at length We desire thee most Hâ—ly and most Glorious Pope And in the Epistle of Calerin which is the 89 th in Cyprian The most Holy Pope Cyprian And Ischyras writing to Athanasius says thus Beato Papae Athanasios To the blessed Pope Athanasius Greeting I need not bring any more proofs since Baronius himself doth acknowledg and attest that this name had been common to all Bishops until the year 1070 that Gregory the Seventh that Able Pope whom we have already mentioned forbad it to be given to any other Bishop than he of Rome As for the Cardinals who are in no other See than that of Rome they in my opinion give so little advantage to it above the Sees of other Bishops speaking like a Christian that they do abase and make it infinitely less than others For what are these people They are worldly men Epicures people of pride vanity and prodigious expence there are but few of them who devour less than Three hundred thousand Livres a year after an Infamous manner and it was not without reason that the Emperor Sigismond represented to the Council of Constance that they were good for nothing in the Church and their Dignity ought to be supprest And of latter days even in the Council of Trent there were men bold enough to propose the abolishment of this Dignity or else to reduce them to their first Functions of Curates As also the Gallican Church demanded in its Remonstrances to the Council of Constance Domini Cardinales My Lords the Cardinals say they are Curates of the Parish Churches of Rome and in this respect are they called Cardinals that is to say thâ— chief of Principals And according to this Institution their chief duty is and ought to be to hear Confâ—ssions Preach and Baptise Besides there were many other Churches who as well as Rome had such like Priests as the Cardinals We see it by a Brief of the Gallican Churâ—h under Charles the Fifth It is not only Rome says this Brief which hath Cardinals but there are many other Churches who have them as that of Ravenna and who call them Cardinals who have the chief Employments in the Church And so it was in many other Churches Kingdoms and Provinces And the Cardinals were in those times under the Bishops as may be seen by the Chronicle of the Abby of St. Jean de Vignes at Soissons where Theobald Bishop of Soissons is brought in speaking of the Curate of St. John de Vignes and says Presbiter vero Cardinalis ipsius
the Church instead of being governed is devoured by a Faction of Villains who eat the people of God like bread But say they you speak of abolishing the Primacy in the Church and nevertheless there is no Society no Families no Colledge but hath it Without it these Societies cannot subsist It is not so much the Primacy which I condemn as the Tyranny which hath been joined to it The Primacy of Place might yet be suffered although Jesus Christ hath not instituted it in the Church but that of Pope is a Primacy of Jurisdiction to which the Universal Church and the whole World is subject as they pretend I condemn the Primacy of a Bishop who is a Worldly Prince who hath more than Twenty Millions of Revâ—nue this Primacy which is the Cause of all the Disorders of the Church Whereas the end and ordinary use of Lawful Primacies is to maintain good Order in all Societies And I wish nothing more than to see re-established in the Church that Primacy which Jesus Christ hath there instituted viz. that of Councils and that they should be often assembled as they were in the Primitive Church for it is the want of these Councils which hath undone the Church We see in the Preface of the Eleventh Council of Toledo that the Fathers say That having wanted the Light of Councils for the space of Ten Years the whole World went astray and the Church fell into disorder and confusion How much more reason have we now to complain of that we who for above these Hundred Years have seen none and which is more can never hope to see a Lawful one whilst the Papacy shall subsist Substracta Luce Conciliorum integro decennie Matrem Omnium Errorum ignorantiam otiosas Mentes occupasse adeo ut Babylonicae Confusionis olla succensa purpuratae Meretricis incrementa Sacerdotes sequerentur quia Ecclesiastici Convenius non aderat Disciplina nec erat qui Errantium Corrigeret partes cum Sermo Divinus haberetur Extorris Is not this the cause of so many Superstitions of so many Heresies Schisms and Licentiousness which we see in the Clergy Is it not a ridiculous thing that no more Councils shall be called whilst we see the Monks both Capucins Carthusians and Jesuits often assemble their Congregations for the augmentation of their Societies It is no wonder if the Church daily runs to ruin whilst these Societies fortifie themselves Is it not clear as the day that if Provincial Synods were called every year National every three or four years as heretofore they were under our great Kings and Oecumenical Councils at least once in Ten years that Remedies would be found out for the Calamities of the Church Might not a Patriarch in every State aided by the Secular Power excute the Decrees of the Church with more facility less jealousie and more security for Religion and for the State than a forreign Ambitious and potent Prince who resolves to take no care for Religion but to model every thing to his own Interest If this Patriarch should neglect his Duty or carry it like a Master should not the Prince chastise him nor depose him Experience shews us that the Church never flourished but when she was Aristocratically governed and when there was no other Primacy in the Universal Church than that of Councils and all Primates and Patriarchs were subject to them But since the Patriarch of Rome hath had the sole disposing of Religion in the West we have seen nothing but Confusion Anarchy Schism Heresies Impiety Atheism Cruelty and Barbarity Ipsa Ecclesia Vnus est Princeps Vnitati fidelium non singulis haec Jurisdictio a Domino conceditur c. Quia Vnitas Ecclesiae multo major est atque perfectior quam Vnitas Vnius Regis aut Imperatoris terreni Thus did the Holy Council of Basil answer the false Reasons of Pope Eugenius his Orators who pretended That the Unity of the Church was preserved much better by a Pope than by the Council There are others who would have the Pope's Authority confin'd within the bounds which the Councils of Constance and of Basil had marked out for it but they never understood the Moral Impossibility that there is not only of making the Popes consent to it but suppose they were constrained to consent to these Rules for a season to make them observe them always or for any long time And Experience confirms what I say with reference even to these Councils which have put no stop at all to their career for they live in contempt as well of these as of all other Lawful Councils Have not they called others in Italy who have destroyed whatever these had established even to treat with the Name of Heresie this Holy Doctrine of the Superiority of the Council Have not the Popes been sufficiently Sacrilegious to raze out of the Roman Edition of General Councils the Council of Basil from among the Oecumenical Councils It is then impossible that with the Impiety and Ambition wherewith the Court of Rome is wholly made up and with the enormous power which the Popes at this time have which equals that of the greatest Kings that they should be reduced to submit themselves to the Council of Constance And even that would signifie nothing for this Council gives them too much Authority It gives them the power which belongs to the Emperors of assembling General Councils of presiding in them and concluding and of executing the Canons of Councils in regard of particular Churches and even of making Decrees during the Intervals of Synods and of being judged only by a General Council They ought then to be deprived of this temporal power the Cardinals to be abolished and the Monks to be Enfranchised and Released from the rash Vows they have made to the Popes the disposing of the Palls of Archbishops ought to be taken from him and the faculty of Investing Bishops and of dispencing with them for holding so many Benefices with all the other Simonical Traffick which will still renders him the Tyrant of the Church the Master of all States and the Devil the possessor of many souls It is much more easie to restore all at once the ancient Discipline I promote a Paradox but my reason is that there will never be a good change but it must happen after some strangely surprizing or if I may so say some violent manner such violence as forces its way into the Kingdom of Heaven Whilest we stand upon treating the Popes shall maintain themselves always with the times either by Intriegues or by some Devilish inventions the most zealous shall grow cold upon the business Ministers shall be corrupted either by money or by Cardinals Caps the Prince shall have other affairs found him to look after or shall be killed by the hand of some Monk or other All the Jesuits and the Monks shall be everlastingly for the Papacy whatever shew they at this time make Gerson somewhere says that there will never
the Pope what would have become of the Posterity of Henry the Fourth For Sixtus Quintus whose first Employ was to be a Keeper of Swine having gotten to be Pope grew so insolent as to Excommunicate King Henry the Fourth and to declare him uncapable to succeed to the Crown but the Parliament nulled his Holiness his Bull which broke the design for that time Mezeray mentions the Bull which deserves reading There are these words That the Authority given to Saint Peter and to his Suceâ—ssors by the infinite power of the Eternal God is greatly above all powers of Earthly Kings that it belongs to them to make Laws be observed and to chastise those who oppose them to overturn their Seats and to tumble them down to the ground as the Ministers of Satan He adds afterwards That by the Indispenceable Duty of his Office he is constrained to draw the Sword of Vengeance against Henry the late King of Navarre and against Henry Prince of Conde the spurious and detestable off-spring of the Illustrious House of Bourbon Wherefore being in this lâ—fty See and in the full power which the King of Kings and the Lord of Monarchs hath given him he doth declare them Hereticks c. Thus also did Pope Julius the Second Out the Grandfather of King Henry the Fourth of his Kingdom of Navarre and made it fall to the Spaniards O miserable and detestable Creatures thus to abuse the simplicity and credulity of men as to dare by a Diabolical pride to attribute to themselves an Authority which belongs only to God and which Jesus Christ himself never exercised whilest he was upon Earth It is said in the Gospel that Michael the Archangel disputing with the Devil would not bring any railing accusâ—tion against him but was content to say to him only The Lord rebuke thee because he looked upon God as him to whom judgment and vengeance belonged And yet we see that the Sons of Adam are bold and desperate enough not only to condemn but to destroy Dignities which they ought to Reverence and to ruin them together with whole States as their fancy leads them and that men give themselves over to these Impieties which is unconceivable There must be in it an Enchantment not to be comprehended By this you may see what judgment we ought to make of the Harangue which Cardinal Perron made in behalf of the French Clergy in the Assembly of the States at Paris Anno 1616 he maintained that the Pope could Excommunicate and Dâ—pose Kings and make them be Assassinated and that not to believe it was as much as to say that the Popes who had long enjoyed these Rights were Antichrist And that for his part and for his Brethren they would voluntarily suffer Martyrdom in defence of this Holy Doctrine He desired to have his name inserted in the Martyrology of Garnet and of Raâ—illiac and to go to the same Paradise Ite truces animae letho Tartara vestro polâ—uite totas erelâ—i consumite poenas This stroke of Cardinal Perron confirms absolutely what Sancy says of him that he did not believe in God and that judgment ought we to make of him it By all these Examples then we see that Princes especially Kings of France ought never to trust any Pope whatsoever and that the Popes can never be the Mediators of those Differences which are between them and other Princes The Advocates for the Papacy do alledg also that 't is a great advantage that the Popes draw Revenues out of Catholick Countries because they make a good use of them and with this Mony they assist the Catholick Princes against the Turk and employ it to many other good uses For Example They say that the present Pope hath this Year given a great deal of Corn to the poor People at Rome and Portions to marry off several poor young Maids But what doth this signify to prove that the Popes are universal Vicars of Jesus Christ upon Earth and Heads of the Catholick Church I do not say that to be Pope a Man must lay aside all Humanity and become a Devil that Opinion suits only with those who believe the Pope to be Antichrist Cicero tells us that even those who live only by their Crimes cannot live without some exercise of Justice It is a wonderful thing that the greatest part of the World with the great Veneration which they have for the very Name of Popes should be so ridiculously favourable to them as to admire them for very common Actions when they ought always to surpass the most perfect Christians in Charity in greatness of Mind and in contempt of the great things of this World if it be true that they are the Vicars of Jesus Christ and Successors of St. Peter but to see how these People are extolled for the little Good they sometimes do you would think they had a Dispensation from doing any good Actions It is like those who commend the great Vertue of a Woman that does not prostitute her self to all the World you would say that she might be dishonest for all that and that for this there is no such great Commendation due to her just so do People magnify the Pope because they say he will give five hundred thousand Livers a Year to defend Poland against the Turks But first of all there is his own Interest in the case for the Popes look upon themselves as chief Kings of Poland as well as of other Catholick Kingdoms and they think they lose so much Land and so many Subjects as the Turks gain from the Catholicks but what is such a Sum as this to a Priest whose Revenue amounts to twenty Millions how doth he employ the rest of the Churches Blood I dare be bold to say he doth every Year plunder Poland of more than this Sum. But now in a time that People begin a little to know the Papacy we must not wonder they endeavour by some good AAions to keep it from Contempt As for the Corn which they give at Rome to the Poor what a great matter that is It is but just that since the Papacy hath made them idle and lazy it should maintain them Was there ever yet a Tyrant who did not do some good I do not inveigh against the Person of the present Pope who of all the Popes that have been in Possession of this See since Boniface the Third is certainly one of the least wicked It is the Papacy only which I oppose that extravagant Authority which they make Men to adore that never yet did any thing but Mischief and I make a distinction quite contrary to that which ignorant People make of it who say that the Popes as Men may be wicked but not as Popes for I maintain that as Popes since Boniface the Third they have never done any thing but ill but as Men they may sometimes do Actions that are morally good If the Popes did their Duty as true
but it is 〈◊〉 that they should beg at least if it be voluntary and for that 〈◊〉 their number ought to be diminished and they of them that aâ—e â—ich should keep them that are poor let them all apply themselves to work and to study as heretofore they did It would be very well done abâ—olutely to retrench some of these Orders that are so chargeable to the People Pope Alexander the Seventh did very well in suppressing two Orders that were as good as those that are now remaining the one was called the Order of the Cross and the other of â—he Holy Ghost And in Spain they have done very well never to endure among them the Capucins The Council of Toledo did heretofore ordain that no new Religious Order should be suffered to be established in the Church ne nimia Religionum diversitas gravem in Ecclesia Dei confusionem parturiat There are no People that hate or destroy one another more than the different Orders of the Mendicants because they hinder one anothers Trade and there are no People in the World that debauch the Women more than they the Secular Priests are Angels in comparison they are in so good Credit and Esteem that they are not endured in the Court of our Kings and they have no access to it Their Principle of blind Obedience is both foolish and impious which may cause and many times hath been the occasion of horrible Disorders in the Estates and Families of our Kings It is a Principle which makes the Pope whom their Superiors implicitly obey Master of our Lives and of the State for these Superiors are always as ready to inspire the Monks with all sorts of Opinions how horrible soever they be provided they serve the Pope his Designs for this reason I have often wondered that some Law hath not been made in the State against the perfidiousness of the Monks and Jesuits from the example of two of our French Kings whom they have murthered and that it hath not been declared that if any such thing shall happen for time to come all these People should be driven out of the Kingdom There is no other means to hinder the Court of Rome from doing the same things hereafter The Parliament of England hath lately enacted somewhat like this to secure the Life of their King against the Monks No Clergy-man ought to be received without subscribing the Condemnation of the impious Bull de Coenâ Domini which is a bottomless Gulf of Impieties Heresies and Inhumanities And till the Monks and Jesuits shall solemnly renounce and condemn this accursed Bull it will be no great Injustice done them to accuse them of attempting against the Lives of Kings If any Man did suspect me to be an Arrian and I knew it and could justify my self from such cursed Opinions and did it not the World would have reason to impute to me all the Consequences of thâ—s pernicious Heresy It is well known that all the Monks and particularly the Jesuits have by their fourth Vow obliged themselves to the Execution of this infernal Bull. It was the Monks who living in Idleness corrupted and falsified many Ecclesiastical Books they have counterfeited many other Books full of Lies and set them out under the Names of good Authors They are every where known for People who by their Artifices under pretext of Religion are the ruine of most Families whose Substance they cunningly suck in themselves It is they who have vilified and discredited the true Orthodox Priests drawing the People after themselves by false appearances of Mortifications They are good for nothing but to move Seditions and to bring People to Disobedienee and when ever the Interest of their Monarch the Pâ—pe is concerned they think the Blood of their Enemies as meritorious as that of the Cross. The Humility they boast of is a very pleasant thing when at the same time they take place of their Elders and of People of Quality They pretend to have renounced Vanity more strictly than the Secular Priests and yet these Asses are called Father Father as heretofore the Pharisees Rabbi Rabbi they cause themselves also to be stiled Reverend Fathers and pretend to have Merit enough besides to obtain their own Salvation and to impart the overplus to others They call themselves Father Raphaels Father Cherubims and Father Seraphims with such like Names which are Marks of Vanity and Folly with which there can be neither Humility nor Piety Their Generals also manage the matter fairly to have the same Respect shewed them in the Courts of Princes as the Ambassadours of the greatest Kings These Gentlemen are all sworn Enemies to the Holy Scripture as well as to the Court and they do all they can to render the reading of it suspicious they heretofore did what they could to abolish it because it made as much against them as the Popes In the Year 1192. they made a new Gospel upon the Dreams of a Carmelite named Cyrill this was to suppress the Gospel of Jesus Christ and their own they called the Eternal Gospel wherein they taught that God the Father reigned under the Law God the Son under Grace and that the Holy Ghost was now going to reign by the Establishment of four Orders of Mendicants and that for the future Men could not be saved but by this Gospel that that of Jesus Christ was imperfect and that the Sacraments were of no great use This Gospel was preached almost all Europe over by the Jacobines and Franciscans and it was very near being received in the University of Paris but there remained yet some worthy Men who opposed and made it be condemned but seeing these new Evangelists had the favour of the Holy Father the Doctors of the University were forced to go to Rome where at length they obtained that this Book should be condemned and burned but privately for fear of decrying the four Orders of Mendicants and also that the Book of the University of Paris should be burned much after the same manner as heretofore at Bezancon at the beginning of Luther's Revolt which drew many Towns after it the Magistraâ—e of Bezancon fearing that this Fire should reach thither forbad all sorts of People to speak of God either Good or Evil. And there falling out lately a Dispute between some Divines of the Sorbonne at Paris some of whom do hold with the Jesuits that we may be saved without loving God and others on the contrary that we ought to love God whereupon both the one and the other were forbidden to speak of it so that the matter yet remains undecided whither we ought to love God or no or whither the Gospel of the Monks or of Jesus Christ be the true one The Author of the Book against this new Gospel is called William de St. Amour de periculis novissimorum Temporum See in Matthew Paris At length the Monks had Credit enough having procured several Bulls to be given out against the Book to
they were of the Humour of Tiberius who was even vexed at the abject Patience of those who were most suhmissive to his Tyranny Illum qui libertatem publicam nollet says Tacitus jam abjectae Servientium patientiae taedebat But to return to our Modern Romans when they hear the King of France called the Eldest Son of the Church whereof the Pope is the Spouse who calls Kings his Sons they esteem themselves so much the more by half and shew an equal proportion of Disrespect for those Kings For my part I was disgusted I own it when I heard them say that all Christian Kings were the Popes Children and that the King of France was his Eldest Son and my respect for Royal Majesty did as insensibly diminish as theirs for the Popes increased nor could I ever digest that Abuse to hear that such a Cardinal was Protector of France and such a one of Spain c. What thought I must pitiful Priests or Bishops who for the most part are good for nothing by the Humour of People of their own stamp become one day the Monarchs of Monarchs and their Servants Protectors and Guardian Angels of the Kings and Kingdoms of the Earth and that too against all Reason both Divine and Human Yet all the World submits to it as to an Eternal Truth I know not what Protection they give nor in what nor against whom they do protect Never was there any such Folly in the World and yet they are payed for it too But let us examine a little whether the Popes are good for Italy or no the Mischiefs they heretofore did theâ—e are notorious It is known that the Republick of Venice hath been like to be destroyed by them that they have oppressed the Liberty of the City of Rome that they have usurped and gained by Craft and Violence the greatest part of those States which they possess in Italy that which they call the Patrimony of St. Peter Vrbin Ferrara Castro and the Kingdom of Naples which they have made Tributary It is known that they exact a Tribute all over Italy by the same contrivances as from all other Catholick States that by their Inquisition they keep it in Slavery whereby these Provinces are kept in monstrous Ignorance of Religion and in so great corruption of Manners that the Vices of other Nations are Vertues to them and theirs not fit to be so much as mentioned in any other place The Italians may well say what Tacitus said speaking of another sort of Inquisition which reigned in his time at Rome Scilicet illo igne vocem Pop. Rom. libertatem Senatus Conscientiam Generis Humani aboleri arbitrabantur expulsis insuper sapientiae professoribus atque omni bonâ arte in exilium actâ ne quid usquam honestum occurreret Dedimus profectò grande patientiae documentum sicut vetus aetas vidit quid ultimum in libertate esset ita nos quid in servitute adempto per Inquisitiones loquendi audiendique commercio This is the true Representation of the Inquisition and of the Slavery which the Italians now suffer It is clear that this modern Inquisition is taken from the Example of the wicked Roman Emperours from whom they have also borrowed many other things 'T was from the Romans that they took this Maxim of keeping the People in Ignorance for among them there were those who said de actis Deorum reverentius visum est credere quà m scire It seemed a greater piece of Reverence to believe well concerning the Actions of the Gods than to know them The Popes do no good even to the City of Rome but have ruined it tho they pretend that the Romans are obliged to them for many Contrivances which they have found out to make the Water run to their Mills as amongst others the Jubilee which is a general Fair of Pardons and Indulgences but the Popes did this to get by it themselves For if the People make any Profit at this Fair by the innumerable multitude of poor Christians that come there to obtain the Popes Indulgences qui preconan vino y venden vinagro that cry Wine and sell Vinegar all that returns back into the Popes Purse and their Nephews who drain this City by an infinity of Imposts so that it is one of the poorest Towns in all Italy The People at Rome as well as the Popes having been used to live by the Folly of other Nations now know not how to apply themselves to work There remains not in all this Town one spark of their ancient Generosity and Nobleness of Mind that made them be heretofore respected more than all their Power All the greatness of those ancient Heroes is now vanished since the Priests became Governours And all those Vertues which made Rome the Admiration of the whole Earth have been succeeded by Sloth Effeminacy Sodomy the Art of poisoning Treason and all sorts of Artifices of Monkish Tricks a base and knavish Policy and they now reign by nothing but Vice and Debauchery Voluptatibus quibus illi plus adversus subjectos quam armis valent Hitherto we cannot find what the Popes are good for There are some ignorant People who say that the Church is obliged to the Popes for the holding of Councils because that without them there would be none assembled and they insist particularly upon that of Trent wherein the true Catholicks were so well tryed and established and Heresy opposed so that since that time it hath made no progress All they who have read History a little know that the Popes hate Councils more than the Devil does the Cross. We have already seen that Cardinal Julian complains of the Popes that they would not call any Councils Ne auferat says he temporalitatem nostram lest they should take away our Temporality Cardinal Palavicini says enough to confute these People in his History of the Council of Trent that the Popes ever abhorred National Councils Concilio Nationale sempre aborrito da Pontefici and another Jesuit says that in the Mystical Firmament of the Church there cannot be a Conjunction of a more dangerous Influence than that of a General Council Nel Cielo mistico della Chieza non si puo imaginar Conjunzione di piu periculosa influenza che un Synodo Generale Now for the Council of Trent in particular all they who have read the History of those Times know that it was sorely against the Popes Will that it was called and that they never consented to it till the very last extremity having a great while eluded the Instances and Remonstrances made by the Emperor the King of France and other Princes for the assembling of a Council They demanded a free Council for the Reformation of the Church and principally of the Court of Rome and to bring into the Bosom of the Church those who were gone astray from it The Court of Rome who had more reason to fear than
them give an account of their Faith they did assemble Councils authorise their Decrees and made them be observed and the Popes cannot alledg any Treaty made with Princes nor any Prescription for there is no Prescription against the Service which we owe to God nor no Agreement which can bind the Hands of Princes when it is against the good of the Church for if at any time they have surprised Princes taking advantage of their Ignorance or Weakness it is then a greater Crime to observe these Treaties which are against the Glory of God and the good of the Church than it is to violate them Here the saying is true that interdum scelus est fides No Man whatsoever ought to have his Hands tied by any Treaty from advancing the Glory of God as much as he is able by lawful means Nor are Princes less obliged for their Subjects sake to do their utmost endeavour to extirpate the Papacy for they are the Preservers both of Religious and Civil Society being the Heads both of the one and the other in their own Dominions It is on this account that they receive their Tribute and for this end were they by God ordained that we might live in Peace and Quietness in all Godliness and Honesty And there is no Subject but may demand it of his Prince that he would enfranchise him from the Tyranny of the Pope or else let him renounce the Right which God hath given him over him for the Prince hath no Right to give his Subjects over to another and at the same time to reserve his own Power over them upon any pretence whatsoever this is against Nature and the Law of Nations but he ought to defend them against all Oppression of either Foreign or Domestick Enemies Now the whole World knows that the Popes for many Ages past have dealt unworthily as well by the Subjects as the Persons of Princes they have smitten whole Kingdoms together with their Anathema's they have drained them by their Indulgences they plunder them by their Dispensations and by their Annates they make them stoop to them by their Bulls and oblige many of them to take Oathâ— of Obedience and of Fidelity to them and have in many places destroyed a world of People with the Torments of their Inquisition They may well apply to themselves this saying of Tacitus Subjeâ—tos nos habuit tanquam suos viles ut alienos Princes are fâ—rthermore for their own â—akes obliged to abolish the Papacy not only as they are Members oâ— the Church which is oppressed by it but becaâ—â—e that they are God's Viâ—egerents they ought to acknowledg none 〈◊〉 the great God above 〈◊〉 who is the only King of Kings and Monâ—â—ch of Monarchs Thâ— Pâ—pâ—â— have no more right to call themselves so thâ—n those mad Men â—hâ—t say they are somâ—times God and sometimes Kings of France 〈◊〉 he who undâ—r thâ—â— pâ—â—â—â—nce attempted agâ—inst the Life of Hâ—nâ—y 〈◊〉 Fâ—â—â—th S. Opâ—â—â— â—ays very wâ—ll Cum super Imperatorem nâ—n 〈◊〉 nisi soâ—us 〈…〉 Imperatorem dum se Donatus super Imperatorem extollit jam quasi hominum â—xcesserat metas ut se ut Deum non ut hominem aestimaret There being none above the Emperor but God who made the Emperor seeing Donatus lifts himself up above the Emperor he hath passed beyond the bounds of Men that he might look on himself as God and not as Man. At this day the Bishops of Rome have this Right as they pretend to fling down Kings from their Thrones as a Fowler shoots down a Bird from the branch of a Tree They are Masters of all the Kingdoms of the World and can give them to whomsoever they please they not only say so but do it they have done so by England France and Navarre they have done so by the East and West Indies which they have shared between the Spaniards and the Portugals having outed the lawful Princes They have dealt thus with many other States and are still ready to do the same thing again It is then the Interest of Princes for many respects that this Tyranny should be abolished since as the Fathers say they have none but God alone above them they ought not to depend upon these Scoundrils It is a thing unworthy of their Majesty and contrary to their Soveraignty to be under the Yoke of any Man living It signifies nothing to say that they are so only for the spiritual part for that is yet less to be allowed of Jesus Christ hath reserved that to himself and they suffer the Church to be undone by their Sluggishness and hinder those who are gone astray from it from being converted nay they destroy the very Popes who damn themselves in the foolish Opinion which they have of their Power they must be cured of their Presumption and have good done them whether they will or no as we do to Children a communi ed a fanciulli convien fare il loro bene senza lor voglia It is fit to do good to the common People and to Children tho it be against their Will. Pope Marcellin did not believe it possible that a Pope could be saved nor did Pius the fifth think otherwise People do not consider that it was for the sake of the Temporality that the Popes have invented the Spirituality and that without the one they would not trouble themselves with the other as is apparent to the World for what shall we call Temporal if the Annates are not and the Mony for Dispensations the Oath which the Clergy take to the Pope the Oath which Kings take to the Holy See that is to say to the Papacy and so many other Acts of the basest submission of Princes some of which do even border upon Idolatry as the kissing the Slipper of these wretched Creatures and so great a Superiority of the Popes that Princes are become wholly contemptible For my part I wonder that those who have heard of Jesus Christ and his Gospel do not condemn this Pride to the severest Punishments No Man that had the least Fear of God would ever be Pope to act so horrible a part not to mention the Disorders of the Church and the destruction of so many Souls that shall be imputed to him Princes then ought not to defer their Endeavours of freeing the Church from this Monster and at the same time to deliver themselves from Tyranny and not suffer these Strangers to rob them of their Subjects and as they owe this to themselves they owe it also to Human Society for they are also obliged not only to punish those who injure their own Persons or their Subjects but likewise those Crimes which do not touch themselves in particular but yet notoriously violate the Laws of God of Nature and of Nations or of the Church or of the Authority which God hath set over his People I demand whether the Popes are not guilty of these Crimes they who under the Title