5. p. 203. That which my Aduersarie Widdrington saith that the mysticall bodie Church or Christian common-wealth is compounded of spirituall authority alone is true in this sense that to compound the Christian common-wealth there is not necessary a power which is formally ciuill but yet there is necessarie a power which is so formally spirituall that it is also vertually ciuill c. For how can the Church of Christ be compounded of ciuill and spirituall power which are formally two distinct powers and yet the Church not haue power which is formally ciuill but onely spirituall Neuerthelesse I doe not intend to denie that the spirituall or Ecclesiasticall power among Christians may in this sense be called vertually ciuill or temporall because it may for the spirituall good command and compell spiritually temporall Princes to vse their temporall power for this were onely to contend about words but that the Church of Christ whereof the Pope is head is truely properly and formally compounded of ciuil and spiritualll power this I say is both vntrue and also flat contrarie to Card. Bellarmines own grounds but whether the spiritual power of the church may be called vertually ciuill or temporal for that it may also constraine and punish temporall Princes temporally or vse temporall and ciuill authoritie in case the temporall Prince for the spirituall good will not vse it this is the maine question betwixt mee and Card. Bellarmine 7. To conclude therefore this answere I doe freely grant that Kings and Bishops Clearks and Laicks as by baptisme they are regenerate in Christ doe truely properly and formally make one entire and totall body which is the spirituall kingdome and Church of Christ whereof the Pope is the supreme visible head but I vtterly deny that this spirituall kingdome or Church of Christ is compounded of spirituall and temporall but onely of spirituall or Ecclesiasticall power or that Clearks and Laicks as they are citizens or by their naturall birth are subiect in temporall affaires to temporall Princes doe compound this Church of Christ but onely the earthly kingdomes of the Christian world which are onely compounded of ciuill and temporall authority In which Christian world or Christian common-wealth taking them for an aggregatum per accidens including both the spirituall kingdome of Christ whereof the Pope is head and also earthly kingdomes whereof Christian Princes are the onely visible heads for the Church of Christ is seldome times taken in this sense there is but one totall or intire Catholike Church yet there be many intire temporall kingdomes or common-wealths as of English French Spanish which haue their seuerall Princes Lawes and gouernments and haue no other communion then in friendship and amitie Yea the Catholike Church is one totall body or common-wealth in Christian and Infidell kingdomes And also in one particular Christian kingdome there be two distinct totall bodies or common-wealths to wit the temporall consisting of ciuill power and the Ecclesiasticall consisting of spirituall wherein as there bee two distinct communions the one spirituall in things belonging to grace and the other temporall in things belonging to nature So also their be two excommunications the one in spirituals wherein those that be excommunicated by the Church doe not participate and the other in temporalls whereof those who be excommunicated or made out-lawes by temporall Princes are not partakers in so much that they who are depriued of one of these communions are not thereby depriued of the other for an out-law may be a member of the Church and be partaker of spirituall communion and he who by Excommunication is depriued of Ecclesiasticall communion may bee a member of the ciuill common-wealth as Heathens and Publicans were and not therefore to be excluded from ciuill societie and conuersation 8. Wherefore although the temporall and spirituall power among Christians as they are referred to the visible heads thereof doe truely properly and formally make diuerse totall bodies or common-wealths which neuerthelesse ought both to conspire in league friendship to bring both Princes and subiects to life euerlasting yet they are not like to two confederate Cities or Kingdomes which are onely vnited in league and amity and haue no ciuill communion one with the other neither is the same man a citizen of both Cities or a subiect of both Kingdomes but the temporall and spirituall power are so vnited among Christians that the same man who by ciuill conuersation or naturall birth is a citizen part and member of the temporall City Kingdome or Common-wealth and consequently subiect to her Lawes is also by baptisme or spirituall regeneration made a citizen part or member of the spirituall Citie Kingdome or Cōmon-wealth which is the Church of Christ and consequently is also subiect to her Lawes So that although the vnion and communion of earthly Kingdomes and the spirituall kingdome of Christ bee greater among Christians then of two confederate Cities or temporall kingdomes yet this vnion and communion being onely material accidentall and in subiect as Musicke and Physicke are vnited in one man by reason whereof the same man is both a Musician and a Physician and consequently subiect to the precepts and directions of either art is not sufficient to cause them to make truely properly and formally one totall body kingdome or common-wealth whereof the Pope is head as neither the vnion of two accidents in one subiect is sufficient to cause them to make truely properly and formally one entire totall accidentall cōpound Neuerthelesse I do not deny as I obserued before but that the temporal spiritual power earthly kingdomes and the spiritual kingdome of Christ as they are referred to Christ who at leastwise as God is the head of them both doe make one totall body whereof Christ onely is the head which may be called the Christian world consisting of ciuill and spirituall power but in this manner neither the Pope nor temporall Princes are the head but onely parts and members of this totall body as beneath l Cap. 1. nu 4. I will declare more at large Chap. 3. Wherein the authoritie of S. Gregorie Nazianzen comparing the temporall and spirituall power to the body and soule in man is declared 1. THe second argument which Card. Bellarmine bringeth to proue that the ciuill and spirituall power among Christians doe make one totall body or common-wealth is taken from the authority of S. Gregory Nazianzene who compareth the spirituall and temporall power among Christians to the soule and body of man From which similitude Card. Bellarmine argueth in this manner a Lib. 5. de Rom. Pont. c. 6. These two powers in the Church saith hee are like to the spirit and body in a man For the body the spirit are as it were two common-wealths which may be found diuided and vnited The body is found without the spirit in beasts the spirit is found without the body in Angels the body and spirit are both vnited in man and doe make
wickednesse of humane intention sometimes a spirituall end is ordained to a temporall 13. The reason why the body is per se and of it owne nature for the soule or spirit and yet the temporall power or the end thereof is not per se and of it owne nature referred to the spirituall power or the end thereof I did declare in my Apologie l Num 140. which D. Schulckenius also did relate a little before m Pag. 275. because the bodie and soule doe compound one substantiall thing consisting of two essentiall parts whereof the bodie is the matter as the Philosophers doe call it and the soule the forme and this is the reason why the body is per se and of it owne nature for the soule and subiect are subordained to it for that all Philosophers doe grant that euery matter is per se and of it owne nature for the substantiall forme wherewith it maketh one essentiall compound but the temporall and spirituall powers doe not make one totall bodie or common-wealth whereof the temporall power is insteed of the matter and the spirituall insteede of the forme And therefore D. Schulckenius had small reason to make that interrogation seeing that hee himselfe did a little before set downe this my reason which doth fully satisfie the aforesaid demand 14 Neither did I say as D. Schulckenius here affirmeth me to say although a little before as you haue seene n Num. 4. he related my words otherwise that euery temporall end is per accidens or accidentally referred to a spirituall end but I only affirmed that not euery temporall end and in particular temporall peace among Christians which is the last end of the ciuill power it selfe is not per se and of it owne nature ordained to eternall saluation which is the last end of the spirituall power but onely per accidens or accidentally as by the will and intention of a Christian man it is ordained to eternall saluation which is a supernaturall end and therefore not proportionate to the nature of any ciuill or naturall power And although I had said that euery temporall end is per accidens referred to a spirituall end yet D Schulckenius could not but perceiue by the whole scope of my words that my meaning was to say that euery temporall end which is referred to a spirituall end is not per se and of it owne nature referred to that spirituall end but per accidens and extrinsecally by the will and intention of man who referreth it to that spirituall end for no man can bee so ignorant as to imagine that Christians doe alwaies referre and ordaine all temporall ends to the eternall saluation of their soules 15 True it is that all naturall things belonging to man are of such a nature as that by the intention of man they may be ordained to good or bad ends and temporall peace which is a naturall end may by the will of man being aided with supernaturall grace be referred and eleuated to eternall felicitie which is a supernaturall end and this is agreeable to reason and to the nature of man as he is a reasonable creature or led by reason to ordaine referre and eleuate all naturall things which are in his power when by the helpe of grace he is able so to doe to true supernaturall ends and to eternall felicitie for which hee was created and to doe otherwise were against reason and against the nature of man as hee is endued with reason But that naturall powers or ends should be per se and of their owne nature actually referred and eleuated to supernaturall powers or ends much lesse supernaturall powers or ends should be referred and depressed to naturall powers or vicious ends but only by the good or wicked intention of a man in whose power it is to ordaine a good thing to a bad end a naturall power to a supernaturall and contrariwise this truly I thinke no man of any learning can conceiue and before I haue clearely proued that it is altogether false 16 Lastly to those words which I alledged out of S. Austin and to the rest which follow in my Answer D. Shulckenius replyeth in this manner I answer first saith he o Pag. 332. It is true that the last end of one particular will power or science is their act but it is not true that the last end of one particular will power or science is not referred per se and of their owne nature to that end which is simply the last end but onely by accident by the intention of him who hath that will power or science And this not only S. Thomas in the place cited doth teach but also S. Austin in the place alledged by Widdrington to wit lib. 11. de Trinit cap. 6. All these saith S. Austin and such like wills haue first their ends which are referred to the end of that will whereby we are willing to liue happily Thus S. Austin who when he subioyneth the will therefore to see a skar doth desire hir end to wit the seeing of a skar and farther doth not appertaine to hir he signifieth indeed that the seeing of a skar is the last end of the will to see a skar but hee doth not deny that the seeing of a skar is per se and of it owne nature referred to a higher end of a higher will and that to an other vntill we come to that end which is simply the last end For all good ends are of their owne nature referred to that end which is simply the last end and as ends are of their owne nature subordained one to an other so also it is necessarie that wills powers or sciences be subordained As for example to persist in S. Austins example a man hath many wills one to see a skar an other by seeing the skar to finde the wound the third by finding the wound to convince and correct him who did inflict the wound the fourth by correcting him to heale the wound of his soule the fift by this act of charitie to merit life euerlasting it is certaine that euery one of these wills haue their proper end neither any thing farther doth appertaine to them but it is also certaine that the end of the first will is referred to the end of the second will and the first will it selfe subordained to the second and so in order Thus D. Schulckenius 17 But truly in my opinion D. Schulckenius doth in this Reply both plainly contradict himselfe and also clearely confirme my Answer And first no man can make any doubt but that all wills powers sciences ends and things whatsoeuer are per se and of their owne nature referred to that which is simply the last end but that which is simply the last end of all things is not the eternall felicitie of any creature but God almightie who alone is simply the efficient and finall cause of all things and made all things both heauen and hell for
temporall power it selfe speaking properly and formally is not subiect to the spirituall nor dooth compound the spirituall kingdome or Church of Christ And therefore I haue not onely weakened but also quite ouerthrowne and that out of his owne grounds this conclusion of Card. Bellarmine and all those three arguments which he brought to confirme the same as any iudicious Reader who will duly examine both our writings will easily perceiue Chap. 8. Wherein is examined the fourth argument taken from the authoritie of S. Gregorie Nazianzene comparing the temporall and spirituall power among Christians to the body and soule in man 1. THE fourth argument which Card. Bellarmine bringeth to prooue this subiection of of the temporall power among Christians to the spirituall power of the Church is taken from the authoritie of S. Gregorie Nazianzene who compareth the temporall and spirituall power among Christians to the body and soule in man yea and also affirmeth that temporall Magistrates are subiect to spirituall Pastors And this similitude doth so greatly please Card. Bellarmines conceit that when hee hath any fit occasion he spareth not to inculcate it as a very strong argument and fit similitude to proue that the temporall power among Christians is per se and of it owne nature subiect to the spirituall as the body in man is per se subiect to the soule For as the spirit and flesh saith he a Lib. 5. de RoÌ„ pont cap. 6. are in man so are the spirituall and temporall power in the Church For the spirit and flesh are as it were two common-wealths which may be found separated and also vnited The flesh hath sense and appetite to which are answerable their acts and proper obiects and of all which the immediate end is the health good constitution of the body The spirit hath vnderstanding and wil and acts and proportionate obiects and for her end the health and perfection of the soule The flesh is found without the spirit in beasts the spirit is found without the flesh in Angels 2 Whereby it is manifest that neither of them is precisely for the other The flâ—sh also is found vnited to the spirit in man where because they make one person they haue necessarily subordination and connexion For the flesh is subiect the spirit is superiour and although the spirit doth not intermeddle hir selfe with the actions of the flesh but doth suffer the flesh to exercise all hir actions as shee doth exercise in beasts yet when they doe hurt the end of the spirit the spirit doth command the flesh and doth punish hir and if it be needfull doth appoint fastings and also other afflictions euen with some detriment and weakning of the bodie and doth compell the tongue not to speake the eyes not to see c. In like manner if any action of the flesh yea and death it selfe be necessarie to obtaine the end of the spirit the spirit hath power to command the flesh to expose hir selfe and all hirs as wee see in Martyrs 3 Euen so the ciuill power hath hir Princes lawes iudgements c. and likewise the Ecclesiasticall hath hir Bishops Canons iudgements The ciuill hath for hir end temporall peace the spirituall euerlasting saluation They are sometimes found separated as long since in the time of the Apostles sometimes vnited as now And when they are vnited they make one bodie and therefore they ought to be connected and the inferiour subiect and subordained to the superiour Therefore the spirituall power doth not intermeddle hir selfe with temporall affaires but doth suffer all things to proceed as before they were vnited so that they be not hurtfull to the spirituall end or not necessarie to the attayning therevnto But if any such thing doe happen the spirituall power may and ought to compell the temporall by all manner and waies which shall seeme necessarie therevnto 4 Thus you see that Card Bellarmine hath made here a plausible discourse but truly more beseeming as I will most clearely convince a cunning oratour who with fine and wittie conceipts seeketh rather to please curious eares then a sound Diuine who with substantial arguments and forcible proofes should endeauour to convince the vnderstanding of iudicious men especially in such points as are pretended to belong to Catholike faith and eternall saluation For neither is the temporall and spirituall power among Christians well compared to the body and soule of man either in vnion or in subiection and besides although it were in all things a fit similitude yet it doth not any way proue that which Card. Bellarmine pretendeth to proue thereby but it doth clearely and directly as you shall see convince the flat contrarie 5 For first as I shewed before b Cap. 2. 3. out of Card Bellarmines owne grounds the temporall and spirituall power as they are referred to their visible heads here on earth doe not make properly and formally one totall bodie or common-wealth which is the spirituall kingdome or Church of Christ but they doe make properly and formally two totall bodies or common wealths to wit earthly kingdomes or a temporall and ciuill bodie whereof the King is head as D. Schulckenius expressely affirmeth c Pag. 339. and the spirituall kingdome mysticall bodie or Church of CHRIST whereof the Pope is head and which as D. Schulckenius also affirmeth d Pag. 203. is onely compounded of spirituall power Seeing therefore that the reason why Card. Bellarmine affirmeth that temporall power among Christians is subiect to the spirituall is for that they do make one totall bodie or common-wealth as the bodie and soule doe make one man and consequently the temporall power must be subiect to the spirituall as the bodie is subiect to the soule of man and as I haue clearely proued there is no such vnion of the temporall and spirituall power to make one totall bodie consisting of both powers which is the spirituall kingdome or Church of CHRIST it is manifest that Card Bellarmines argument drawne from this similitude of the soule and bodie being grounded vpon this vnion of the temporall and spirituall power compounding one totall bodie hath no sure ground or foundation at all 6 Secondly although I doe willingly grant as you haue seene before e Cap. 1. that not onely the temporall and spirituall power among Christians as they are referred not to their visible heads here on earth but to CHRIST the invisible head of them both doe make one totall bodie or common-wealth consisting actually of both powers which may bee called the Christian world in which sense the Christian common wealth is vsually taken but the Church of CHRIST and especially the spirituall kingdome of CHRIST is seldome taken in that sense but also the whole world consisting of Christians and Infidells may in that manner be called one totall bodie whereof CHRIST at least wise as he is GOD is the invisible and celestiall head neuerthelesse this similitude of the soule and bodie vnited in one man
punishments not onely by the way of command but also of coercion and constraint that is to punish them actually whether they will or no with spirituall punishments when they shall refuse to obey his iust command for that this manner of punishing by way of coercion doth not exceede the limits of the spirituall coerciue power 10. Now if my Aduersaries demand or mee why the spirituall power may of her selfe command temporall actions and yet neither directly nor indirectly that is neither for temporall nor spirituall good exercise temporall actions may command ciuill punishments when they are necessarie to the end of the spirituall power and yet neither directly nor indirectly punish actually with ciuill punishments without the concurrance of the spirituall power I answer them by their owne similitude which pleaseth them so much for the same reason that the soule hath power of her selfe to command bodily actions and yet neither directly nor indirectly that is neither for the good of the body nor of the soule to doe of her selfe alone any bodily action hath power to command bodily punishments and yet of her selfe hath not power to inflict any bodily punishment without the concurrance of the bodie it selfe And thus you see that this similitude of which Card. Bellarmine and his followers doe make so great account is no fit similitude to prooue their doctrine but rather to confirme ours and that from this similitude no probable argument can be drawen to prooue that the spirituall Pastour hath power either directly or indirectly to dispose of temporals to depose temporall Princes or to punish temporally by way of coercion or constraint 11. But fourthly although the temporall and spirituall power were aptly compared by Card. Bellarmine to the bodie and soule yet it would prooue two things more then he as I suppose would willingly admit The first is that the temporall power can exercise no temporall action without the concurrance and assistance of the spirituall power as the body can doe no corporall action vnlesse the soule also as an efficient cause thereof doe concurre thereunto For this is a cleere and approoued principle in philosophie that the soule is cause of all motions in the body according to that common definition or description of the soule assigned by Aristotle g 2. De Anima tex 24. Animaid est quo vinimus sentimus mouemur intelligimus primò The soule is that whereby we first or principally liue and haue sense and are mooued and doe vnderstand 12. The second is that the spirituall power may command or forbid the ciuill power to exercise ciuill actions not onely when they are necessarie or hurtfull to the end of the spirituall power which is the health of the soule but also when they are necessarie or hurtfull to the end of the temporall power which is temporall peace as the soule hath power to command or forbid the bodie to exercise bodily actions as to see heare speake c. not onely when they are necessary or hurtfull to the end and good of the soule which is spirituall life and health but also when they are necessarie or hurtfull to the good of the body which is bodily health and life And therefore Card. Bellarmine declaring this similitude of the spirit and flesh doth only affirme that the spirit doth command the flesh when her actions are hurtfull to the end of the spirit but cunningly omitteth that the spirit also dorh command the flesh when her actions are necessarie or hurtfull to the end of the flesh least the Reader should presently perceiue therby the disparity of this similitude or else from thence inferre that in the same manner the spirituall power may command the temporall power not onely in order to spirituall good but also in order to temporall good which is the Canonist doctrine and which Card. Bellarmine doth at large impugne 13. Lastly in what manner S. Gregory Nazianzene did compare the temporall and spirituall power or rather temporall and spirituall Princes to the bodie and soule I haue sufficiently declared before h Cap. 3. to wit not in the manner of their vnion or subiection but onely in nobility and in that temporall Princes are in as excellent and worthy manner subiect to temporall Princes as spirituall things are more excellent and worthy then temporall So that neither from the authority of S. Gregorie Nazianzene nor from the similitude it selfe of the bodie and soule as it is declared and vrged by Card Bellarmine can it with any probabilitie be gathered that the spirituall power can of her selfe exercise any temporall action belonging to the ciuill power without the concurrance of the ciuill power although it be necessarie to the end of the spirituall power as the soule cannot of her selfe without the concurrance of the bodie exercise any bodily action although it be necessarie to the end not onely of the body but also of the soule And therefore I maruell that Card. Bellarmine could bee so much ouerseene as to vrge and repeat so often this similitude of the soule and body to prooue the Popes power to depose and to dispose of all temporals which is so flat against him and which if it were a fit similitude doth rather confirme the doctrine of the Canonists whom Card. Bellarmine taketh vpon him to confute then his owne opinon But the truth is that it confirmeth neither for that as I declared before i Cap. 2.3 the temporall and spirituall power or the temporall and spirituall Common-wealth are not parts compounding one totall Body or Common-wealth as the bodie and soule doe compound a perfect man Chap 9. Wherein the fift argument to proue the subiection of the temporall power to the spirituall taken from the authoritie of S. Bernard and Pope Boniface the eight is examined 1. THe fift argument which Car. Bellarmine bringeth a Lib. 5. de Râ—m Pont. c. 7. to proue the subiection of the temporall power among Christians to the spirituall is taken from the authoritie of S. Bernard Lib. 4. de considerat and Pope Boniface the eight in the Extrauagant Vnam Sanctam who doth imitate saith Card. Bellarmine S. Bernards words The words of S. Bernard to Pope Eugenius are these Why dost thou againe attempt to vsurpe or vse b Vsurpare the sword which once thou wast commanded to put vp into the scabbard which neuerthelesse hee that denieth to be thine doth seeme to me not sufficiently to haue considered the speech of our Lord saying Returne thy sword into the scabbard Therefore it is also thine to be drawne forth perchance at thy becke c Nutu tuo or direction although not with thy hand Otherwise if also it doth in no maner appertaine to thee when the Apostles said Behold to swords heere our Lord had not answered It is enough but it is too much Therefore both the spirituall and the materiall sword doe belong to the Church but the materiall is indeed to bee exercised or drawne
people to make and sweare an expresse promise of that the true faith loyalty and spirituall allegeance which as they are Christians and members of the mysticall body of Christ they doe owe by the Law of God to the supreme spirituall Pastour and visible head of this mysticall bodie and Church of Christ and the Emperour at his coronation taketh such an oath neuerthelesse I doe not affirme that the Pope hath power to constraine and punish disobedient Princes and people by vertue onely of the promise which they haue made to the Pope of their spirituall obedience but by vertue of his supreme spirituall power which he hath by the Law of God and his Pastorall authority giuen to him by our Sauiour Christ Iesus 32. True it is that the Reader might the better vnderstand that to command one to vse a temporall thing and to vse it himselfe to command one to dispose of temporals and to dispose of them himselfe are very different things and that the one doth not necessarily follow from the other I brought a familiar example of one who either by promise or by some other obligation and yet D. Schulckenius taketh hold onely of the promise and cleane omitteth the other obligation is bound to dispose and giue his goods or life at anthers command who notwithstanding this promise or other obligation doth still keepe the property dominion and right ouer his goods and life in such sort that the other cannot be vertue of his commanding power which he hath ouer him and them take them away and dispose of them without his consent but if hee will not dispose of his goods at the others command according as by vertue either of his promise or of some other obligation he is bound to doe the other may complaine to the Magistrate that hee will punish him for his offence or cause him to performe his promise so far forth as the coerciue power of the Magistrate doth extend From which I concluded that considering to haue the power to command the vse of the temporall sword and to haue a power to vse it or to depriue of the vse thereof are two different things neither doth one necessarily follow from the other although the Pope as Pope hath according to S. Bernard power to command the Emperour to vse the temporall sword yet it doth not therefore follow that if the Emperour will not vse the temporall sword at the Popes command the Pope as Pope can vse it himselfe or depriue the Emperour of the vse thereof which implieth a power to vse the same but onely that the Pope being a spirituall Prince or Pstour may punish the Emperor for his contempt with spirituall punishments which only doe belong to the coercive power of the supreme spirituall Prince Pastor of the spirituall kingdome Church of Christ 33. Thus therefore you haue seen that S. Bernard doth nothing fauour but it is rather flat contrarie to the Popes power to vse the temporall sword neither could he scarse speake more cleerely against the same then he hath done For although it be cleere that the temporall sword is according to S. Bernard the Popes in some sort and doth belong to the Church in some sort which words in some sort D. Schulckenius heere cunningly omitteth and that in some cases it must be vsed at the becke direction or declaratiue command of the Pope yet the aforesayd limitations of S. Bernard that it is the Popes and belongeth to the Pope in some sort that it is to be vsed for the Church but not by the Church with the hand of the Souldier and not of the Priest at the becke indeede of the Pope but at the command of the Emperour and that our Sauiour commanded and not only counselled S. Peter to put vp his sword into the scabard do plainly shew that according to S. Bernard the Pope as Pope cannot vse the temporal sword nor constrain a temporall Prince by vsing temporall punishments which doth imply a power to vse the temporal sword 34. And for D. Barclay and Iohn of Paris to omit our learned Country-man Alexander of Hales whose words I related before p Num. 18. who doe giue the very same answere which I haue giuen to the aforesaid words of S. Bernard of whose authoritie although Card. Bellarmine heere doth make very small reckoning yet I do plainly confesse that in this controuersie concerning the Popes authoritie to vse the temporall sword and to dispose of all temporals in order to spirituall good I doe more regard their authoritie then I doe Card. Bellarmines speaking with all dutifull respect for that in my opinion they haue handled this question more soundly more cleerely and more sincerely then he hath done Neither is their doctrine repugnant to the Councell of Laterane but onely to the particular exposition which som few especially of late yeeres who haue scraped together all the authorities of Fathers Councells Scriptures facts and decrees of Popes which may seeme any way to fauour the Popes temporall authoritie haue wrested out the words of the said Councel contrarie to the plaine sense of the words and the common vnderstanding of all ancient Diuines who neuer vrged this authoritie of the Councell of Laterane although it hath beene so long publikely extant in the body of the Canon Law But it is now adaies a common fault euen among Catholike Diuines and those also who not perceiuing their owne errour doe accuse others of the same to alleadge in confirmation of their opinions the holy Scriptures and sacred Councels vnderstood according to their owne priuate spirit and meaning and then to cry out against their brethren who mislike their opinions that they haue the holy Sriptures and sacred Councels on their side and that therefore their doctrine is of faith and the contrary hereticall and that their Aduersaries doe oppose themselues against the holy Scriptures and decrees of the Catholike Church whereas wee doe regard with all dutifull respect the holy Scriptures sacred Councels and decrees of the Catholik Church the authority of which consisteth in the true and authenticall sense not in the letter or in the expositiō of any priuate Catholike Doctour which exposition others doe contradict and do oppose our selues only against their vncertaine opinions and expositions of holy Scriptures or sacred Councells grounded vpon their priuate spirit and vnderstanding contrary to the true proper and plaine meaning of the words 35. And although this Ioannes Parisiensis or rather another Iohn of Paris liuing at the same time and surnamed de Poliaco as I said before q Part. 1. ca. 3. nu 7. seq was cōpelled to recall in open Consistory at Auinion before Pope Iohn the 22. certain errors which he maintained cōcerning confession and absolution of whose authoritie neuerthelesse Card. Bellarmine in the latter Editions of his controuersies notwithstanding those his errours maketh some rekoning seeing he citeth him as a Classicall Doctour in fauour of his opinion
him by violence of that howse or land before the Iudge hath decided the controuersie 78 Thirdly consider the reason why this my Aduersarie T. F. is so greatly offended that I for this present doe onely take in hand by answering probably all the arguments which are obiected on the contrarie side to shew that it is probable that the Pope hath no authoritie to depose Princes and consequently that any man may with a safe and probable conscience take the Oath for that the doctrine concerning the Popes power to depose Princes is by this my Aduersaries owne confession the maine question betwixt him me and the chiefe ground wherefore the Oath is iudged to be vnlawfull His reason therfore is for that he saw right well what great aduantage I had against him and what little aduantage hee had against me in arguing or rather answering in this manner and therefore he calleth it in heate of his zeale as you haue heard The most deuilish deuice that any man could invent And truly if I should at this first beginning haue treated of this controuersie in any other manner then by handling it probably in that sense as I haue declared I might worthily haue been taxed of great imprudencie in giuing my Aduersarie more aduantage against me then was needfull For this is the state of the question whether it can bee clearely convinced by the authoritie of holy Scriptures ancient Fathers Generall Councells or by necessarie inferences from any of them as my Aduersaries pretend to convince that it is an vndoubted doctrine of faith and the contrarie not to be maintained by any Catholike that the Pope hath power to depose Princes and consequently that the Oath can not lawfully be taken This is the question 79 Marke now the aduantage I haue For first I am not to proue but only to answer to defend not to oppose Secondly it is sufficient for me that my Answers be onely probable but their Replyes must not be onely probable but also convincing and which can not with any probabilitie be answered So that if I should goe about at the first to proue my opinion to be most true which my Aduersaries contend not to be questionable I should as it is euident greatly disaduantage my selfe For in such controuersies as are so violently maintained by the Aduersarie that hee will not grant the contrarie part to be questionable it is necessarie to proceed by degrees first to make the thing questionable and disputable which the aduerse part will not haue to be called in question and after this is once agreed vpon then to examine whether opinion be the truest For perchance it may fall out that as the opinion for the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin before Scotus did oppose himselfe herein against S. Thomas and his followers was scarse accounted probable yet afterwards it was daily more and more embraced so that it is now esteemed to be by farre the more true opinion and as Alphonsus Salmeron b in Rom 5. Disp 51. § deinde and Franciscus c Tom. 2. Disp 3. sec 5. Suarez doe affirme agreed vpon by the consent almost of the vninuersall Church and of all Ecclesiasticall writers Bishops Religious Orders and Vniuersities And as that opinion which holdeth that the Pope can not dispence in the solemne vow of Religious chastitie neither in any lawfull marriage before it bee consummate is accounted by very many learned men to be the truer opinion notwithstanding the practise of many Popes to the contrarie So it may fall out that in processe of time this opinion which denyeth the Popes power to depose Princes may be accounted by the greatest number of learned men to be by farre the more true opinion and may be agreed vpon by the consent almost of the Vniuersall Church and of all Ecclesiasticall writers Bishops Religious Orders and Vniuersities notwithstanding the practise of many Popes and the vehement opposition of the Iesuits at this present time to the contrarie 80 Fourthly consider how little beholding are English Catholikes to this my Aduersarie T. F. who will needs inforce them euen with the temporall ouerthrow of themselues and of their whole posteritie to defend that doctrine to be of faith which the State of France accounteth scandalous seditious damnable and pernicious and also endeauoureth to perswade his Maiestie that no Catholike can according to the grounds of Catholike Religion be a true and loyall Subiect to his Maiestie but at the Popes pleasure or which is all one so long onely as the Pope shall not depose him which he may doe at his pleasure But we haue great affiance in his Maiesties singular wisdome and element disposition whereof we haue had both by his Maiesties gracious Proclamation publike bookes and effectuall deeds sufficient tryall that he will not be drawne by the false suggestion of this my Aduersarie who would haue all his Catholike Subiects to be of the same violent spirit as he is to haue all his Catholike Subiects in the same degree of iealousie but that he will euer make a distinction betwixt them who are his true hearted Subiects and most loyall in all temporall affaires and will aduenture all that they haue and are in defence of his Maiesties Royall Person and dignitie against any sentence of depriuation whatsoeuer which shall be denounced against him by the Pope assuring themselues that it is conformable to the grounds of Catholike Religion which they professe and not repugnant to that spirituall obedience wherein they stand bound to the supreme Pastour of the Catholike Church and those other Catholikes who thinking it to be a point of faith that the Pope hath authoritie to dethrone Soueraigne Princes and to make temporall Kings priuate men will only defend his Maiestie and yeeld him temporall obedience vntill the Pope after his sentence of depriuation shall command them the contrarie 81 But what small reliefe are English Catholikes to expect from Mr. Fitzherberts hands if it were in his power to relieue them you may Catholike Countrymen coniecture by this that towards the end of Queene Elizabeth hir raigne when those foure Reuerend Priests were at Rome to seeke redresse of Pope Clement the eight to whom they and other of their brethren had appealed for the manifold wrongs and slaunders wherewith they were charged both at home and abroad at which time this my Aduersarie running from Cardinall to Cardinall to informe against them made no scruple of conscience to disgrace and slaunder them as Schismatikes Spies Rebells and disobedient persons to the See Apostolike c. as now in his publike writings he handleth me hee and some others vpon whom he depended fearing lest that hir Maiestie should shew some fauour and giue some sort of toleration to such hir Catholike Subiects whom for their constant loyaltie she might securely trust for out of hir Princely and mercifull disposition Shee had already shewed ouer great fauour to those oppressed Priests considering the present lawes
not Popes haue their flatterers and who doe attribute vnto them more ample authoritie then is fitting as of the Canonists Pope Pius the fift affirmed to that learned Nauarre d in cap. Non liceat 12. q. 2. § nu 6. as well as Kings and Emperours See aboue cap 3. nu 6. what Parisiensis saith of this flattering 20 Wherefore to make an end of these Authorities I will onely request the iudicious Reader that he will be pleased to consider these two things first the reasons which I brought both in my Apologie e Num. 449. and also in my f Cap. 3. sec 3. nu 15. seq Theologicall Disputation which D. Schulckenius passeth ouer with silence why there are to be found so few Authours at this present whose writings are now extant who deny the Popes authoritie to depose Princes in comparison of those who doe maintaine the same which being duely considered the Reader will easily perceiue that it is a great maruaile to finde in any Catholike booke any one sentence or clause which seemeth any way to call in question this temporall authoritie of the Pope and neuerthelesse there are at this present and euer haue been as I haue clearely shewed before many vertuous and learned Catholikes who notwithstanding all the clamours and threatnings of our ouer-violent Aduersaries are of this opinion that the Pope hath no such authoritie to depriue Kings and Princes of their temporall dominions 21 The second is that if the doctrine of that learned Nauarre an excellent Diuine and most skilfull in the Law sayth Posseuine of Bartholomaeus Fumus in his Aurea armilla of Gabriel Vasquez g See the Preface nu 40. 43. and of other Diuines be true that in the Court of conscience it be sufficient to this effect that we shall commit no sinne to choose his opinion for true whom for good cause we thinke to be a man sufficiently learned end of a good conscience and that no man is bound to follow alwayes the better opinion but it sufficeth to follow that opinion which some skilfull Doctors thinke to be true how much the more may our Catholike Countrimen prudently perswade themselues that the Pope hath no authority to depose Princes which doctrine not onely one learned and vertuous man but very many with the State of France do approue and who also haue diligently read examined and abundantly answered all the reasons arguments and authorities which their learned Aduersaries haue obiected to the contrarie And this I hope may suffice for the first part and for clearing all those authorities which I brought in my Theologicall Disputation from all the exceptions which D. Schulckenius hath taken against them Now wee will examine the reasons and intrinsecall grounds of this doctrine for the Popes power to depose Princes THE SECOND PART Wherein ALL THE PRINCIPALL ARGVments which Card. Bellarmine bringeth to proue the vnion and subordination of the temporall and spirituall power together with the Replyes which are brought by D. Schulckenius to confirme the same are exactly examined Chap. 1. The true state of the question concerning the vnion of the temporall and spirituall power is declared 1. BEcause my Aduersarie Mr. Fitzherbert and all the rest who doe so vehemently maintaine the Popes power to depose Princes doe much rely vpon the vnion and subordination of the temporall power to the spirituall as vpon a principall proofe grounded vpon the light of reason before I come to examine the particular points of his Reply I thinke it not amisse for the better vnderstanding of what shall be said hereafter by either of vs concerning this subordination or vnion to declare in what sort these two powers are among Christians united and subordained and what a weake ground this subordination is to proue that the Pope hath power to depose Princes to dispose of temporalls and to punish temporally by way of coercion or constraint And to proceede orderly herein and that the Reader may clearely perceiue what is the true state of the question betwixt me and Card. Bellarmine and not be caried away with a confuse concept of I know not what kinde of vnion and subordination I will first set downe that which is certain and out of question and then what is in controuersie betweene vs concerning this vnion and subordination 2. First therefore I agree with Card. Bellarmine in this that the ciuill or temporall power of it owne nature and being considered precisely by it selfe is a distinct power from the spirituall and no way subiect or subordained to it as in my Apologie a Num. 132. seq nu 150. 153. 154. I affirmed out of Card. Bellarmine but they are two seuerall distinct and disunited powers and not depending one of the other and haue distinct ends distinct functions distinct lawes distinct punishments distinct Magistrates and Princes And this is very apparant partly in infidell Countries where there is true ciuill or temporall power saith Card. Bellarmine b Lib. 5. de Rom. Pont. c. 6. without any order or reference to any true Ecclesiasticall or spirit all power and partly in the time of the Apostles who had true and perfect spirituall power without 〈◊〉 true supreme temporall or ciuill authoritie And from hence it followeth that as the supreme spirituall Prince or Pastour is subiect to none in spirituall â—o also the supreme temporall Prince is subiect to none in temporalls 3. Secondly we do also agree in this that although among Christians the temporall and spirituall power do still remaine two distinct supreme powers for that the Mediatour betwixt God and men Christ Iesus hath also by proper actions and distinct dignities distinguished either power as Pope Nicholas the first doth well affirme c In epst ad Michaâ—lem Imp. Cum ad verum dist 96. yet they are so vnited and conioyned together among Christians that temporall authoritie and spirituall authoritie temporall authoritie and spirituall subiection temporall subiection and spirituall subiection to omit spirituall authoritie and temporall subiection may be vnited and conioined at one or diuerse times in one and the selfe same Christian man by reason of which vnion and coniunction the same Christian man may be both a temporall and also a spirituall Prince as we see in the Pope who by the institution of Christ is the supreme spirituall Pastour of the Church and by the consent of Christian Princes and people is become also a temporall Prince the same Christian man may be both a temporall Prince and also a spirituall subiect as are all Christian Princes who as Princes are supreme in temporalls and as Christians are subiect in spirituals to the spirituall Pastour of Christs Church the same Christian man may bee both a temporall and also a spirituall subiect as are other Christians whatsoeuer and whether the same man may be a spirituall Prince and yet a temporall subiect dependeth on that question whether and in what manner our Sauiour Christ hath exempted