al the Princes of the world So as now it shal belong to him to excōmunicate the Turke the Kinge of Persia the Kinge of Samarcanda the Tartar And diuerse others of whom we haue yet no knowledge And Saint Paule may no longe◠say Quid mihi de his qui foris sunt iudicare But of priuate Christians which Pope Innocent intended to comprehend the author thought not good to make any motion as if it were sufficient to haue commaund and rule ouer Princes and an Indignity and an abasement to intermedle with other To interpret quemlibet Christianum all the the princes of the world is both at once to inlarge and restraine the true sense of the decretall It is restrayned by excluding priuate Christians and it is inlarged by extending it to Princes that be no Christians Concerning the Authority cited out of the extrauagant vnà m sāctam I would be glad the Author would resolue vs of a doubt which groweth by the reading and comparing of this extrauagant with an other of Pope Clement the fift who came not long after him which begins thus Meruit de Priuilegiis Where Clement saith that he determineth and declareth that by the aforesaid extrauagant Vnam sanctam there shall be no preiudice or iniurie done to the King and Kingdome of France nor that the said king and kingdom shal be any more or otherwise subiect to the Church of Rome then they were before but that all things shall continue in the state they were in before that extrauagant And this he professeth to do to shew fauour to that King who was worthy of it both for his owne good affection and for the merits of his ancestors and in respect the whole nation of the French had deserued it by their true pietie and sincere deuotion Hereupon I aske this question Whether Boniface in this extrauagant Vnam sanctam did make a declaration of Ius diuinum in this point that is expound and declare the iurisdiction which the Pope hath De iure diuino ouer Princes or whether he did thereby impose a new subiection ouer Princes in some matters wherein God had not made them subiect before vnto the Popes If any man shall answere it was the latter I may then reply that is was an innouation after 1250. yeares a void act an vsurpation an incrochment and an abuse of the power giuen them by God Besides in this case it was not fit that Clement should declare or meane that France alone should bee exempted from that constitution but it behooued him to declare and determine the same for all other Princes and Kingdomes Neyther was it a matter of fauour to be yeelded as in recompence of the good desertes of that King or Kingdome but a thing due vnto them of right and Iustice But if it be answered That it was a declaration of ius diuinum I would faine know then how Clement could free the King Kingdome of France from that subiection which God had appointed them vnto the case beeing very cleare that the Pope cannot exempt any man from his owne power and Iurisdiction which he holds de iure diuino But to come to the very point of that extrauagant which the Author alleadgeth if that which Boniface saith to wit That the authoritie temporall when it erreth ought to bee corrected and rectified by the spirituall bee a declaration of the lawe of God I say that it ought to bee vnderstood onely for so much as concernes the saluation of their Soules and in foro Dei and without any temporall power of that kinde which the Lawyers terme Coactiue and that all the Ecclesiasticall power ouer Princes is therefore onely spirituall And heerein we shall not neede to goe so farre as to the Pope of Rome for this kinde of authoritie is as well in euerie Prelate though betweene him and them there be this difference that other Prelates haue no such generall power and commaund ouer all as the Pope hath and that their authoritie is subordinate vnto his But whereas out of those three authorities before mentioned he concludes that a temporall absolute Prince although he recognize the other temporall Prince for his superiour yet of necessitie he must recognize the head of all Christendome I would not that any man should be deceiued by the Equiuocation and ambiguitie which rests in these two words Recognize and Superiour for in one sense to recognize him is as much to say as to be subiect to his lawes and doe homage vnto him and to acknowledge that you hold your state by his fauour In an other sense to recognise him is no more but to account him the Minister of God in matters which concernes the kingdome of heauen In which sense I say and affirme that Princes doe not onely acknowledge or recognize the Pope but the Bishop also The word Superiour likewise in the former sense signifieth that which in our common speech we terme Lord of the fee or Superiour of Dominium directum But in the latter sense Superior signifies no more but one that teacheth the Law of God ministreth the Sacraments and generally directeth men the right way to eternall saluation In which sense I say that euen the Bishop also is Superiour to a Prince although the Pope be Superior in a higher and greater measure It is not fit therefore that the Author should without distinguishing these two significations affirme in grosse and in one breath as it were that an absolute Temporall Prince although he acknowledge the superioritie of no other Temporall Prince ought yet to recognise the Pope for his superiour and so confound the two superiorities For if it should be thus proposed that an absolute Temporall Prince though he acknowledge no other Temporall Prince for his superiour yet must acknowledge the Bishop to be his superiour no man would allow of it because the fallacie would be apparant to all men Therfore if Recognising be vnderstood in the former sense in case of Dominium directum I say that it is not true that a Prince ought so to recognise the Pope For the Pope is not such vnto him but that in the same manner that he recognizeth no other Prince he ought as little or lesse to recognize the Pope himselfe But if superiour be vnderstood in the second sense for a Spirituall superiour it is not true that any Temporall Prince though otherwise a Feodatary or Homager doth or can acknowledge any other Temporal Prince for such a superior For in this sense to acknowledge one for a superiour is as much as to account or accept him for a spirituall Father And for such a one the homager ought not to acknowledge his Lord. How ought wee therefore to beware of deliuering such diuinitie whereby both the kingdome of God and the kingdomes of the world are disordered and confounded and the simple people abused and made to beleeue that in all things they are bound to obey the Pope Neither is the manner or Phrase of speech
gathered together with his spirite they should do it It is not therefore repugnant to Chrysostome that to the Bishops and Praesidents may bee also ment of a generall councell Aboue there was also proposed the doubt that tell the Church were as much as to say tell thy selfe As touching the practise which sheweth that tell the Church doth meane the Prelate because recourse is had to the Bishope or his Vicar of the auncient practise I haue spoken to him with the authority of Saint Paul as touching the modern it is true that at this day the Bishope or his Vicar excommunicateth without the aduise or participation of any many times also the Register onely and that which is more important by authority delegated a Clerke of the first tonsure deputed commissary in some very light particular cause doth excommunicate a Priest Yea Leo the tenth in the councell of Lateran in the eleuenth Session by a perpetuall constitution of his hath graunted faculty to a secular person to excommunicate the very Bishoppes and that which doth more import Nauar saith chap. 27. Num. 11. that if any man shall obteine an excomunication of some Prelate if the obteiner shall not haue an intent that the party bee excommunicated hee shall not bee excommunicâ—ted Moreouer the same author saith cap 23. Num. 104. that the excommunication pronounced by the law it selfe against him that payeth not a pension for exaample sake on the vigill of the natiuity is not incurred by him that payeth it not no not in many moneths and yeares after if the creditor thereof would not haue it incurred But if on the other side after many monethes or yeares hee would haue it incurred it is reputed to haue beene incurred from the day of the debt that is from the Vigil of the natiuity and so is the stile of the Court These are the practises which are now in vse of which I say nothing else but that they growe from the interpretation which the author doth approue Gerson The ninth consideration is that contempt of the keyes is not incurred when the Pope doth most enormously and most scandalously abuse his power This consideration is true in it selfe but withall is most iniurious to the holinesse of our Lord and to the holy Sea Apostolique Bellarmine as though it did vse to abuse in such sort the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen Like to this are the arts of the moderne Hereticks who to make the Papall power odious to the world doe spread abroad the most infamous slaunders that the malignity of Satan their head can teach them And the Venetians themselues ought to abhorre and punish such defenders Here it is most easie to defend Gerson seeing hee that handles that which falleth out in a case possible yea and such as hath happened Frier Paolo doth not wrong them which doe well but notes them that doe ill This consideration therefore is not iniurious to the holie Sea Apostolique which neuer doth ill howsoeuer by humaine fragility some sitting in it haue committed some falt whatsoeuer They which write the liues of the Popes and Platina in particular doe recount so many falts that taking the time from 820. downewarde it will bee an hard matter to tell whether the number of the good or of the bad bee the greater It might bee saide by the authors reason that the C. Si Papa of Boniface Martyr is greatly iniurious to the person of Pope Gregorie the second and to the Sea Apostolique where hee saith if the Pope shal bee negligent of the saluation of his brethren vnprofitable and remisse in his actions silent of good and lead innumerable people by heapes vnto Hell no man may reproue him as though Boniface did therefore say that the Apostolique Sea were wont to commit such falts It followeth not neither is it true that the Heretiques alone reprehend their euill actions but much more the Ecclesiasticall writers and the Historians catholique I will not speake of Platina who is all full of it But all the German Historians Regnius Eâ—ithprandus Segebertus Otho of the French Annonius Addo and so the Italians of all times And not to goe seeking the old Frances Guicâ—arden is in euery mans handes though many thinges of that nature haue beene cut out and you may see how hee speaketh There is difference betweene the manner of the Heretiques speaking and that of Gerson they reproue the doctrine Gerson speakes of abuses Whosoeuer shall read Saint Bernard de consideratione ad Eugenium wil not finde fault with foure wordes in Gerson and that considering his considerations are in a necessary cause Euery man may be in a meruaile at such a great contradiction that the consideration of Gerson is true in it selfe and it most iniurious to the Sea Apostolique as though the Sea Apostolique receiued iniury from the truth Hee cannot receiue iniury from the truth that doth not ground himselfe vpon falshood And so likewise that it is true in it selfe but like to the arts of the moderne hereticks as though Gerson now an huÌ„dreth and fifty yeares since could haue learned of the moderne hereticks This is like to the prohibiting of the vse of the diuine scripture because the hereticks serue their turnes with it That the consideration is true in it selfe and that the Venetians ought to abhor it seemeth no very good doctrine to teach to abhor the truth and a truth necessary for the maintenaunce of the liberty and power which God hath giuen them Now the last part where the author saith that they ought to punish such defenders is not well vnderstood I defend at this present the innocency of Gerson but I know not who were his defenders when the author wrote Besides that to punish the defenders of truth seasonably spoken and in a necessary cause is not wont to be done by any just and godly prince and especially by that commonwealth which hath euer professed the Catholicke truth It may bee well saide to him whom a necessary truth displeaseth Euery one that doth ill hateth the light And hee should not say amisse that should say that the doctrine of the author were most iniurious to al the Cleargie and to all the Church because he will not haue him reproued that would ravin the treasures of the church vsurp vpon the possessions or reduce the Clergie with their goods into abiect seruitude or causlesly spoile them of their rights For these are the wordes of Gerson which it had bin well that the author had here produced Gerson The tenth consideration is that they do not incurre contempt of the keies who procure defence for themselus against such pretensed judgements by meanes of the secular power seeing the law of nature teacheth to resist force by force This is a pernicious doctrine and from which infinite Scandals may ensue For although that sentence is true Bellarmine Vim vi repellere licet that is it is lawfull to resist violence with violence yet
sententia deponat errorem vacua est sed si iniusta est tanto eam curare non debet quanto apud deum Ecclesiam eius neminem potest iniqua grauare sententia ita rigo ea se non absolui desideret quà se nullatenus perspicit obligatum The Authors words which next follow that this doctrine extends spreads it selfe further to the disparaging of Masses Vespers Confessions Feasts and Feast-euens Vigiles c. they require no further answer sithence the resistance which the state of Venice makes against the foresaid precept is not made but meerely to preserue the Masses Vespers the Feasts and their Vigiles which some would take away put the state in hazard to inebriate fill it selfe with some pernicious opinion Some other men might heere say that such such a kingdome in the age last past hath lost the sound religion by reason of scandales giuen them from Churchmen indeed the famousest and truest Historians affirme no lesse And if this state did not at this present out of it owne piety vse all diligence to preserue the religion but should be earnest to put the Popes words in execution I will not say his meaning sot I hope it is exceeding good it would for truth be vtterly ouerthrowen with an extream downfal These mē haue not yet soūd by experiēce what the taking away of the exercise of holy religion from the people it may import in these times All the Hebrews that haue sprung vp since the yere 1300 are growne to the height of this day they had no other beginning but out of those innumerable excommunications interdictions which began to be put in vse in the yeare 1200 and so continued on all that age through He that shall read ouer the stories of all those years wil haue much ado to abstain frō tears in reading such a spirtual hauock fal of soules Thus are we come by the grace of God to the 6. last opposition where the Author saith In the end the writer of this preface not satisfied with hauing abused a place of the old Testament he serues his turne all out as badly out of the new Testament saying but according to the Apostle Bellarmine being strong in the Lord in the power of his might they will take the shield of faith oppose it against indiscreet excommunications and the armes of the spirit which is the word of God Luther nor Caluin could not more apparantly haue imployed the word of God against God The Apostle in the Epistle to the Ephesians the last chapter speaketh of the resistance which the faithfull are to make against the infernall diuell Vt possitis stare contra incidias diaboli And a little after In omnibus iumentis scutū fidei in quo possitis omnia tela nequissimi ignea extinguere As also saith S. Peter Cui resistite fortes in fide and S. Iames Resistite Diabolo fugiet à vobis And this new diuine applies this resistance to the censures of the supreme Bishop as if the Apostle in stead of saying Arme your selfe with faith and with the word of God to resist the diuell had said Arme your selues with faith and with the word of God to resist god in his vicar And what faith is that or what word of God that teaches to resist Gods vicar Nay what manner of faith is it or what word of God which doth not teach vs to be subiect and to obey the Prelats of the holy Church saith not S. Paule in the 13 chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Obedite praepositis vestris subiacete eis Saith not Christ himself Mat. 18. Si ecclesiā non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus publicanus Indeed the Author alleageth S. Pauls text in it right sense but yet not in a contrary sense to that to which Gersons interpreter did apply it S. Paule spake in generall against the assaults of the diuell Frier Paulo and the interpreter vnderstands it that indiscreet excommunications are one kind of the assaults of the diuell and it should be a contradiction to terme them indiscreet excommunications and not to hold withall that they proceed from the diuel S. Iohn saith Omnis qui facit peccatumex diabolo est And I beleeue this to be a most Catholik holy positiō that an excommunication thundred forth against him that doth well and that obeyeth Gods commandemēts hath it original from the diuels perswasion and it is one sort of those insidiations which he practiseth against the faithfull The Author knows it that we haue not to combat with the diuell in flesh bones All that whatsoeuer tends to the destruction of the spiritual state of the Church which is the kingdom of christ it is the work of the diuel if it be secret it is an insidiatiō of all works that are wrought to the Churches detrimēt whose doing soeuer they be the scripture makes the diuel the author as indeed he is thogh he do not put thē in executiō by himself the destructiō of many Churches the deformatiō of others by reason of these indiscret excōmunications make proof that the diuel lies in wait to supplāt christs flock euē with the same meanes which Christ instituted to preserue it When S. Paule saith to the Thessalonians that the diuel had often hindred him from comming to them he doth not meane that this was otherwise done then by the actions of men The diuell he practiseth imployeth all sorts of persons to this end then not alwaies out of malice but out of error and who thinking to do well with an indifferent zeale do but execute his wicked intētions the holy scriptures tel vs expresly that these such like are the diuels own deeds We may read it in S. Mathew how after S. Peter had confessed our Lord to be the son of God that he had promised him the keyes of the kingdome of heauen how he cōmanded his disciples not to make it knowen to any that he was the Christ for that it behoued him to suffer to die in Ierusalē Then S. Peter reproued him saying Absit à te domine non erit hoc tibi But our Lord turned back and said to Peter Vade post me satanae scandalum es mihi quia non sapis ea quae dei sunt sed ea quae hominum Who wil make any doubt that S. Peters zeal had not a good meaning that it sprang not from a good affection Yet because he went about to hinder as much as in him lay the worke of our redemption the edification of the Church which was to issue forth of the side of Christ opened vpon the crosse Christ cals him Satan Now it is no inconuenience to hold that if S. Peter through wāt of foresight well deserning what he did dealt in a matter with a good intent yet to the destruction of the Church
incidentally in a decree without the compasse of the principall which is intended to dâ—fine â—ut in the Bâ—ll whereof wee speake the intent is onelie to disanull the Pragmatick and this is the substance of the decree Now whereas in disanulling it answer is made to him that maintained it by virtue of the councell of Basill and it is said that the councell it selfe was remoued by Eugenius and that therfore it is of no validitie seeing the Pope hath power to transfer the councels as he that hath authority aboue them this doth not appertaine to the substance of that Bull but is an auoiding of a contrarie reason and is not therefore a determination For which cause very well the Lord Cardinall Bellarmine in the second place alledged hath reuoked that which he had saide in the first that is that that councell hath most expresly determined and hath said that it is in doubt whether that be a determination The common iudgement of all the divines is that the reasons which are vsed in a determination are not intended themselues also to be determined And it should be a maruailous strange matter that framing a decree of a particular thing such as is the reuocation of the Pragmatick which is no matter of Faith an article of Faith should incidentally be determined so that the principall should not be of Faith and the accessary should of necessity bee of Faith The Parisians adde farther that to proue that the Bishop of Rome hath authoritie aboue the Councell there are brought in that place a number of histories not so few as fifteene and lastly the book of Aimarus de Synodis whereupon we were to say that all those histories were de fide And the Parisians shew plainely that some of those histories recited faithfully do say the contrary But it woulde be too long here to produce so many particulars Some also mak answere that the Bull doth not say that the Pope hath authority aboue the Councels but it saith that it is to be auerred out of the diuine scriptures and out of the sayings of the Fathers and Bishops of Rome and Canons Councels that the Bishop of Rome hath authority aboue the generall Councels so that it is not intended to be otherwaies true then so far forth as that auerment may be iustified Therefore first that proofe must be produced Quatenus inde constat and the sense of the scriptures and sayings of the Fathers must be seene seeing the Councell doth not affirme it as of it selfe but with reference that is so farre forth as the scripture and those other thinges alledged make proofe thereof An other doctor proposeth another difficulty much greater that in the beginning of the Bull of this Councell it is said that Christ ordained Peter and his successors to be his vicars vnto whom as is testified in the book of Kings obedience is so necessary that hee which doth not obay is to dye the death Which if it bee an article of faith is a very seuere one that all disobedience to the Pope shold be punished with death And certainely the worlde hath not receiued it neither happily euer will The same Doctor addes farther that he cannot conceiue how so many yeares before there was any Pope there should be speech of him in the book of Kings Afterward he saith that he hath read all the 4. books of the Kings and neuer yet found there any such matter But let vs leaue the authority of this Councell seeing the Doctors which follow Gerson do not receiue it And each of the eight answeres made vnto it doth of it selfe dissolue the argument For a conclusion the author brings forth as it were for an Achilles a reason founded vpon the word of God saying But let vs see if the reason founded vpon the word of God Bellarmine doe testifie the selfe same verity The holy Church is not like to the Common-wealth of Venice or of Geneua or of other Citties which conferre vpon their Duke that power which themselues please in regarde whereof it may be sayde that the Common-wealth is aboue the Prince neither yet is it like to an earthly kingedome in which the people transfer their owne authority vnto the Monarck and in certaine cases may free themselues from Royall dominion and reduce themselues to the gouernment of inferiour Magistrats as did the Romanes when they passed from dominion Royal to Consulare gouernment For the Church of Christ is a most perfect kingedome and an absolute Monarchie which hath no dependance vpon the people neither from them had his originall but dependeth onely vpon the diuine will And I saith Christ in the second Psalme am constituted a King by him ouer Sion his holy mountaine And the holy Angell said to the virgin Luc. 1. Our Lord God shall giue him the seat of Dauid his Father and he shall raigne in the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome there shal be no end And in a thousand other places the same is read And that this kingdome doth not depend on men Christ sheweth when he saith you chose not me but I chose you Ioan. 15. And we shall ackhowledge it at what time we shall say thou hast made vs to our God a Kingdome Apoc. 5. And this is the cause why this kingdome is in the Scriptures resembled to a family Who is a faithfull and wise seruant whom his Lord hath appointed ouer his family Mat. 24. because the father of a family doth not depend on the family neither from thence hath his authority Now this being most true there followeth thereof by necessary consequence that the Vicar generall of Christ doth not depend of the Church but onely of Christ from whom he hath his whole authority as also wee see in earthly kingdoms that the Viceroy hath not his authority from the kingdom but from the King neither can be iudged or punished by the people but only by his Lord Master Behold therefore how Gerson is deceiued and he also that doth follow him and goeth contrarie to the doctrine of the holy scriptures of the sacred Councels and of manifest reason â—rier Paolo Thou shalt see here Reader a meruailous peece of Art wherewith the Author will leade thee from Christ the eternall high Bishop to an high Bishop Temporall and when he shall haue setled with thee the relation which the holy Church hath towards the diuine maiestie he will afterward conclude of the relation towards the Pope The Parisians do answere that thus the doctrine of the Catholiques doth hold that God hath called the Church to the faith and his worship and that he hath placed Christ ouer it for an head for euer who first himselfe mortall did gouerne it on earth with corporal presence but ascended into heauen doth rule it with inward influence assistance inuisible vnto the end of the world This is meant by I am constituted a King by him This meaneth that our Lord God shall
giue him the seat c. and hee shall raigne for euer This is that you chose not me but I chose you This is the kingdome in the Apocalips and thou hast made vs to our God a kingdom This Christ is the Father of the family who is owner of it and it his child and seruant Which for that it is composed of visible men the Father himselfe would that it should bee gouerned also by a man visible and hath appointed the authority which hee should haue and instituted one of them before the Church was founded but for the residue of time after it was founded hath left on earth the power to choose a successour Now with this doctrine which I am assured the author will admit yea rather will say that without it no man is Catholique the reason is answered that the Church is not a commonwealth as Venice or as Geneua which giue as much authority as themselues please to their Duke nor a kingdom which may chaunge the manner of gouerning it neither inuisibly nor visibly because that Christ hath prescribed the manner much lesse is it such a kingdom as France which hath a bloud royall where the Kings succeede by birth neither as some other by testament but as touching the inward gouernment and meerely spirituall it is not like vnto any because it hath a perpetuall and immortall King In the visible gouernment it hath a Minister as concerning his authority instituted by Christ and vndepending of the Church as concerning the application of the authority to the person electiue and depending of it Wherefore when he alledgeth and I am constituted a King by him Our Lord God shall giue him you chose not me Thou hast made vs to our God a kingdome All these places and such like others are meant of the inuisible kingdom the spirituall interior where the Pope hath no gouernment at all but onely the Sauiour which knoweth the hearts and can inflowe into them and bestow on them the graces and guifts whereby they are made Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Christ also is that Father of the family which depeÌ„ds not of it The high Bishop is a seruant â—et ouer the family by the Fathers therof in respect of the authority but which the family it selfe hath placed ouer it selfe in respect of the election of the person So as touching the authority it is from Christ as touching the application it is from the Church But the Author maketh the Church a family depending of the Father whom he acknowledgeth to be Christ and this beeing setled hee concludeth that the Father doth not depend of the family nor hath his authority from it Therefore the Pope cannot be subiect to the Church and passeth froÌ„ the father of the family which is Christ to the steward elected by the family it selfe which is the Pope Let him stand firme in the similitude for he shal neuer find in the Gospell that any other is called father of the family but God the father or else Christ his Son by nature The minister is a seruant it is not fit to attribute the proprietie of God to another For which cause the example serues meruailously for Gerson as also the example which the author brings of a Vice-roy is much for the same purpose If a King of France as S Lewis the 9. should go to the conquest of the holy land shold say to the kingdome I leaue you my cosin for Viceroy with authority to administer iustice but not to make lawes not to assemble the states c. and in case he happen to faile choose ye another in his place with the same authority the authority of the elected should be from the King and master the person which the kingdome should choose should be subiect to the kingdom This is that which Gerson teacheth throughout all his works where it is seene that verily the force of the reason concludeth for him Out of the things abouesaid I will not conclude that the opinion of Gerson in this point of the supreame power Ecclesiastical either is true or is false but onely that the authors conclusion that Gerson is deceiued and that he is deceiued that doth follow him and goeth contrary to the doctrine of the holy scriptures of the sacred Councels and of manifest reason hath need of other proofes then those abouesaide The Author proceedeth Bellarmine And if he should say that which Gerson himselfe wont to say that it is written in Saint Mathew in the 18. chapter tell the Church And if hee will not heare the Church let him bee to thee as the Heathen and the Publican I would answere that in that place by the Church is ment the Prelate who is the head of the Church and so doth Saint Iohn Chrysostom expound it Homilia 61. in Mathew and Pope Innocent 3. cap. Nouit de iudiciis and so doth the practize of the vniuersall Church of all the world and of all times declare that he who will denounce a sinner to the Church and obserue this precept doth not assemble a Councell but hath recourse to the Bishop or to his vicar It is not sufficient to the Author to haue disputed with Gerson but he also giues solution to his reasons But in this place of many which Gerson bringeth and deduceth Frier Paolo the author contenteth himselfe to produce one onely and to dissolue it And this is taken from the authority of Saint Mathew tell the Church vnto which hee answereth the Church that is the Prelate and of this exposition hee maketh Chrysostome the author although the Parisians say that Chrysostom doth not say so but it seemes when a thing is accustomed to bee alleadged euery man alleadgeth it without once viewing it Chrysostome expoundeth tell the Church namely the Bishoppes and Praefidents This is that which Gerson saith to the Church representatiuely because it being not possible to assemble the whole it be comes represented by the assembly of Bishops and Praesidents And therefore they adde that vnder the name of the Church their cannot bee ment one person For in vaine should that ensue If two of you shall consent vpon earth concerning euery thing whatsoeuer they shall aske it shall bee done to them of my Father which is in heauen For where there bee two or three gathered in my name there am I in the midst of them And for confirmation of this sense they bring that Saint Paul who receiued the information against the incestuous there is plainely heard fornication among you c. It followeth I indeede absent in body but present in spirit haue already iudged as present him that hath so doone in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ you beeing gathered together and my spirit with the vertue of our Lord Iesus to deliuer such an one to Satan Where they note that Saint Paul who was then in Philippi did not write by his Briefe I excomunicate such an one but wrote to the Church that beeing
to the true construction there is much more power both in heauen and in earth which the Pope hath not then that he hath and therefore that proposition which by one instance onely doth proue vntrue hauing more instances against it then examples for it is most false The Author saith he thinkes he may most truly say that the Popes authority is so great that few can comprehend it And I belieue it too because truth is one and the same thing and falshood infinite Many ascribe to him lesse then is requisite and many more so as the residue is but small which giue him iust that which is his due The Cardinall Bellarmine in his worke de Romano Pontifice makes a long discourse prescribing limits to the Popes authority and touching many thinges which the Pope him selfe cannot do now were this discourse very impertinent if his authority could not exceede And for that he saith the Pope can doe all thinges which are necessary to conduct a soule into paradise can take away all impediments which the world or the Diuell can lay in the way with all their strength and subtilty This proposition is faire in shew but false in deed To conduct the soule of an infant into paradise which is yet in the mothers belly and cannot be brought forth aliue necessary it is one way or other to make it partaker of grace can the Pope then do it no truly for neither can he institute a sacrament for this purpose nor graunt that the childe shoulde bee cut out of the mothers belly and therefore can not the Pope do any thing necessary to conduct this soule into Paradise A man beeing actually in some mortall sinne and in this case depriued of his wits cannot be saued vnlesse he recouer his sense againe and repent himselfe can the Pope restore him to his wits againe I beleeue he cannot and yet is this necessary for this mans saluation Nothing is more necessary to saluation then the internall motions of the minde ouer which S. Thomas denieth that the Pope hath any power Infinite are the things which are necessary for the cōducting a soule into paradise which I can shew not to be subiect to the Popes authority Yet if it were Gods will I wish he could as the Author saith remoue all impediments which the world and the Diuell can lay in the way with all their subtilty for then shold we haue neither Turks nor Hereticks The impedimēts are likewise infinite which are dayly cast in the way by the enemies of the kingdome of Christ for which the Pope must content himselfe without further remedy then onely to pray nonos inducas in tentationem c. God hath not onely not giuen authority to the Pope to remoue all impediments which are laide in the way by the world and the Diuell but hath thought it for the good of the Church to permit many of them The Reader may well perceiue with how good reason Gerson doth giue admonishment that the simple people be wel instructed because that here are foure propositions pronounced with one breath by a great man of great learning which are manifestly false all to inlarge that power which God hath giuen beyond the bounds within which his diuine maiesty hath restrained it We will soone rid our hands of the 12. consideration because the obiection is but short The 12. consideration is Gerson that those do nourish the contempt of the keyes who when they should resist the abuse of them are diuided within themselues and hinder each other The truth is that all fauourable and humble endeuours must bee vsed with the Pope when vpon ill information hee pronounceth an vniust sentence But if this humble diligence will not preuaile then is hold to bee laide of a stout and manlike liberty Bellarmine This consideration was to good purpose in Gersons time because there being then a schisme of three Popes which did thunder out excommunications each vpon others adherents it was fit at that time that the faithfull should vnite themselues to extinguish this schisme and make small accoūt of those excommunicatiōs since it stood in doubt which of them was the Vicar of Christ and notwithstanding the saide excommunications might still intend the businesse of the vnion of the Church But now that by Gods grace we haue but one onely Pope and hee vndoubted and certaine this consideration is nothing to the purpose nor serues for any thing but to make a new schisme of the members against their owne head If the Author conceiue that Gerson wrote this doctrine in a time of schisme let him but looke backe to the eight cōsideration and hee shall plainely perceiue this treatise was written after the councell of Constance Frier Paolo and at such time as there was but one onely vndoubted Pope But if the Author haue some more subtile meaning by himselfe it is hard to bee guest at though it may well be suspected because there is no likely-hoode that hee should not obserue the time when the treatise was written but this consideration being written by Gerson I see not in what manner it can be applied to a former time It doth likewise plainely appeare that it can haue no reference to a time of schisme which happily Gerson might misdoubt would follow because there is nothing saide of the vnion of the Church but onely of the meanes how to take away the abuses And further as long as the Pope is certaine and vndoubted that reuerend respect which Gerson doth aduise vnder the stile of fauourable and humble endeuours is not due vnto him but doth onely belong to the true vndoubted Bishope of Rome And to dispute no longer of this matter the Reader reading Gerson and that which the author obiecteth considering whether there may not be abuse of the keyes euen when there is no schisme and how those which should make resistance are diuided amongst themselfes and out of simplicity or basenesse hinder each other some giuing countenance to the abuses which others would willingly take away may see what it is that is here truely and precisely spoken of and whether the obiection may goe for currant But that which he saith in the conclusion that this consideration serues for nothing but to raise new schisme can not bee saide but by him that will likewise affirme that Saint Gregories doctrine in the chapter Admonendi which we haue before alledged is false and that it serues to raise schisme when he saith that subiects must bee admonished that they make not themselues more subiect then is conuenient lest they should bee enforced to flatter them in their vices to whome they haue made themselues more subiect then they should be But this 12. consideration doth fitly serue to take away abuses in the Church of God which the faithfull for many ages past haue earnestly desired It serues to keepe the holy Church in peace and tranquillity Nay rather it serues to preuent schisme