The Brutish Thunderbolt, Declaration 1 · Part 6
The crime of vſing tyrannie in the Church.
IT followeth that we come to the ſecond crime of the papacie, which conſiſteth in vſing lordſhip ouer the church of Chriſt. For the holie Scripture teacheth vsus that Chriſt alone is the head of the Church: & 1. Pet. 2. & 5. Heb. 5. & 7. & 9. Eph, 4. 15. 16. Ibid. 5.in another place, that Chriſt is the head of the bodie of the Church *. The ſame ſcripture giueth this name to Chriſt alone, that he is the chiefe paſtour & high prieſt *1. Col. 18. 1. Pet. 2. & 5. Heb. 6. & 7.. But the pope of Rome ſaith, All the church, ſaith he, through out the world knoweth, that the holy church of Rome hath right to iudge all men: and no man may giuegive iudgement of his iudgement, &c. And as followeth All the whole church throughout the worlde knoweth, that the ſeat of S. Peter hath power to looſe thoſe things that are bounde by the iudgements of any biſhops whatſoeuer, which hath power to iudge the whole church. Alſo: The pastorall charge of carefulnes is inioined Clement. pasto. de ſent. & re iudicat. Cap. 1. extrauag. de emp. & vend.vsus by God ouer all nations of the Chriſtian people. Alſo, Bearing rule ouer the gouernment of the church vniuerſall, by the lords prouidence. Alſo, *Cap. ad Regimen, extrauag de praebend. c. 1. de treug. & pac.Being called by the diſpoſition from aboue to gouerne the vniuerſall church. Alſo: * Being called to the gouernement of the vniuerſall Church by the diſpoſition of Gods clemency. Alſo, * The biſhop of c. 1. de conſuet.Rome is appointed by the Lord, ouer nations and kingdoms. Alſo, * The holie church of c. 3. de elect.Rome, which by the Lords diſpoſition hath from God, the principalitie ouer all other churches, as being the mother and miſtreſſe of all the faithfull. Alſo, That therefore all churches 24. q. 1. c. rogamus, &c. ſacroſancta.are ſubiect to the ſea of Rome, bicauſe Peters ſea was tranſlated from Antioch to Rome. Alſo, That the ſea of Rome is the head and hinge d. ca. ſacro-ſancta.of all churches: and as the doore is gouerned by the hinge: ſo all churches are gouerned by that authoritie of that ſea. But to what end do we ſéeke out thoſe olde things? Séeing our Franciſcan Sixtus the fift began this his bull on this wiſe. That, The authoritie giuen him by Christ and S. Peter doth ſurmount the power of all kings and princes, and that the care for all churches, people, and nations lieth vponupon him. Thus therefore writeth the pope of Rome. Now we muſt alſo conſider by what right or authoritie he taketh vponupon him ſo great power and lordſhip. For we ſée he bringeth and alleageth a double cauſe of this lordſhip and principalitie: the former from the decrée of Chriſt: Feed my ſheepe: and, Thou art Peter, and vponupon this rock. For in that the Lord ſaid, ſaith the pope, Feede my ſheepe, and that generallie, Mine, not particularly, Thoſe or Theſe, by this it is vnderstood that he committed the whole flocke to him. The pope alledgeth c. vnam ſanctam. Extrauag. de maior. & obed.another cauſe out of the Donation of the emperor Conſtantine *dist. 66. c. Constant., wherin it is ſaid that Conſtantine gaue him the principalitie ouer all the churches of the whole world. But let vsus ſée whether the pope be not fallen into that error which is not woont to be tollerated in law and iudgements, neither can it by any meanes be ſuffered, that a pleader ſhould alledge contrarie cauſes of his intention. But theſe l. ſi quis. 7. D. de petit. hered. l. 1. c. de fur. l. Titius, 99. D. de cond. & demonst.things are contrarie one to another, that Chriſt gaue the pope principalitie ouer all Churches (which he doth moſt plainly affirm in the places aboue written) and that The ſame principalitie was giuen him by Conſtantine, bicauſe that which is euerie mans owne, cannot be his by more and eſpecially by contrarie cauſes. For their inuention l. & an eadem, 14. § penult. D de except. rei iud. l. non vt ex plurib. 159. de reg. iur.is intollerable, which diſpute, that that principalitie was firſt giuen to the pope of Rome by Chriſt: and that Conſtantine confirmed that donation: and that ſo ſoon as the firſt emperor became a Chriſtian, he gaue Sylueſter the pope the voide poſſeſſion therof. Firſt bicauſe a falſe Conſtantine writeth in plaine words, that he giueth the gifts of two moſt great things: of the eccleſiaſticall iuriſdiction ouer all prieſts that are in Chriſtendome: which the popes call the ſpirituall principalitie: and the lordſhip of the whole weſt empire, which the ſame call, the Temporall lordſhip. Of the former, the falſe Conſtantine writeth thus: Constantine gaue this priuilege to the biſhop of the church of Rome, that in all the Romane circuit, the priests hauehave him to be their head, as iudges hauehave the king for their head. And ſtreightway: We decree that he beare rule as well ouer the fower ſeas, of Alexandria, Antioch, Hieruſalem, and Constantinople, as alſo ouer all Churches of God thoroughout the whole world. What could he write more plainly, to ſhew that he did attribute to the pope a certaine new kind of authoritie? Who is he that knoweth not, that a priuilege is oppoſite to common authoritie? And that if Conſtantine gaue a priuiledge to the pope, the pope had before like and the ſame authoritie, which all biſhops did vſe? But if Conſtantine could giuegive an vniuerſall principalitie eccleſiaſticall, ſurely he muſt néeds hauehave béen lord of that principalitie by full right. Which euen all the Canoniſts do grant to be moſt abſurd, that a ſecular prince ſhould poſſeſſe a ſpiritual principalitie, that is, an vniuerſall biſhoprike ouer all churches, ſéeing he hath not the prieſthood or biſhoprike of ſo much as of one little church. But if Conſtantine had no biſhoprike at al, how could he giuegive the vniuerſall biſhoprike of all the whole world to Sylueſter, ſéeing no man can giuegive more right or authoritie to another than he himſelf hath. And we ſée that this argument was obiected two hundred yéeres ago to the pope by Marſilius of Patauium, who writeth thus: In the decrees Indefenſ. pacis, cap. 11.there is found a certaine priuilege of the emperor Constantine, approoued by the popes, wherin he gaue to S. Syluester biſhop of Rome, the coactiue iuriſdiction ouer all churches of the world, and ouer all the rest of the priests or biſhops. And ſeeing the pope of Rome, and with him the rest of the priests or biſhops doth grant that the ſaid grant was firme, they must conſequently grant, that the ſame Constantine had altogither the ſame iuriſdiction or power ouer them. But let vsus returne to the propoſed Dilemma. For whether the pope hold that he had that principalitie from God, as he profeſſeth in the places of late cited: or he hath it by Conſtantine his gift: we will prooue both to be falſe. Firſt by that repugnance or contrarietie, whereof we ſpake euen now. Secondly, bicauſe he cutteth his owne throte with his owne ſword. For in the decrée he citeth this place out of Chryſoſtome: Whoſoeuer he be that will deſire principalitie vponupon earth, ſhall find confuſion in heauen, neither ſhall he be reckoned among the ſeruants of Christ, which wil intreat of the primacie *l. 7. l. 8. de iureiur. in l. priuil. 27. c. de decur. l. 10.. Alſo: Let not the biſhop of the chiefe Diſt. 4. c. multi §. quicunque.ſea be called the prince of priests, or the higheſt priest, or any ſuch thing, but onelie the biſhop of the chiefe ſea. But let not euen the biſhop of Rome be called the vniuerſall biſhop. Which ſelfe ſame thing is repeated againe and againe c. primae ſedis. dist. 99.in a maner in as manie words, in the two chapters following. But if we muſt diſpute out of the ciuil law, it is moſt euident, that there be thrée ſorts of ſucceſſors. For ſome be ſucceſſors of right, and ſuch be heires, which are called vniuerſall ſucceſſors: others be ſucceſſors of the thing, as thoſe to whom legacies be giuen, buiers, thoſe to whom gifts be giuen: which are called particular ſucceſſors *l. qui ius, 177. D. de reg. iu. cum ſimil. lib.. Laſt of all l. vlt. D. de excep. rei. vend. l. 1. §. in locum. D. quod legat.ſome be ſucceſſors of a perſonall office, which are called Functionis ſuccedanei, Succeſſors in an office *. The ſucceſſors of the former ſort hauehave their right and cauſe from thoſe whom they ſuccéed, whether they be vniuerſall or particular *. But the third hauehave not their right and claime from their predeceſſors, but frō thoſe by whom they are choſen and are put in their place: ſuch as the ſucceſſors of magiſtrates, tutors, curates, be. For it is a perſonall office, l. 1. §. 1. l. 6. §. vlt. l. vlt. D. de muner. & hon. l. 1. §. Sciendum. l. 4. l. 6. D de magist. con. l. 6. §. vlt. D. de his qui not. in fam.that is vpholden by carefulnes and watchfulnes of mind. Therefore when a magiſtrate or tutor is dead, one ſuccéedeth him in inheritance, another in office. Theſe things being thus ſet downe, ſéeing the pope holdeth that he is Chriſts ſucceſſor, we may aſke him of what kind of ſucceſſor he profeſſeth himſelfe to be. For he cannot be called an heire and a ſucceſſor of all the right, ſéeing that the inheritance of one that is aliue cannot ſo much as be l. 1. D. de her. vend.imagined *. But Chriſt is not dead, but he liueth both a bleſſed and euerlaſting life. No more can he be called the ſucceſſor of a particular thing: ſéeing the kingdome of Chriſt hath neither communion nor diuiſion, Heb. 1. 5.no not among the Angels: bicauſe God hath placed him, as Paul ſaith, farre aboue all gouernement, and power and principalitie, and hath put al things vnderunder his féete, and hath made him head ouer all Eph. 1. 21. 22.things to the church. But how can he hauehave a ſucceſſor or vicar in his vniuerſall office, ſéeing he is neither dead, but liueth an euerlaſting and bleſſed life: and ſéeing he is perpetually preſent in his church, hée doth alwaies execute the office of the chiefeſt paſtor and prieſt? Moreouer, we may 1. Pet. 2. Mark. 16. 20. Pſal. 110. Heb. 2. & 4. & 7. & 9.adde that alſo without any doubting, that no biſhop can be called the ſucceſſor no not of Peter, or of any other Apoſtle, as the canoniſts vſe to call the pope Peters ſucceſſor, Apud Decium, in l. qui per ſucceſſionem, D. regul. iur.in Decius, where when the lawiers vſe to ſay, that The heire of an heire that is the Teſtator, is the heire of the teſtator though he be heire by the longeſt ſucceſſion: the Canoniſts reaſon that eueryevery pope is the ſucceſſor of Peter, though there came manie betwéene. For no biſhop hath his cauſe from Peter, or any other Apoſtle: but from the choice made by the authoritie of Chriſt: neither doth the place, ſea, or chaire make the ſucceſſion, but the continuance of the doctrine of Chriſt: when as the religion receiued of Chriſt, is continually deliuered by all the ſucceſſors as by hands to the Chriſtian people. Wherefore thoſe new ſhifts of certaine of the popes clawebacks make nothing againſt vsus, who being mooued by hope of ſome benefice diſpute thus: that the pope of Rome is not the ſpirituall head of the catholike church, but the miniſteriall: bicauſe like as Chriſt doth gouerne particular churches (that is particular dioces) by particular biſhops his vicars: in like ſort the ſame Chriſt doth gouerne his vniuerſall Church by ſome one vniuerſall vicar of his, namely, the pope of Rome: who kéepeth in doing their duty thoſe inferior and particular biſhops, that are ſubiect to his iuriſdiction. For we anſwere this obiection thrée manner of waies. Firſt, that this principalitie is not onelyonly not ordained of Chriſt, but alſo that it is brought in by the pope of Rome by ambition and deſire to lord it. For when Chriſt ſent his twelue Apoſtles about to preach his Goſpell, he gaue not to ſom one ſome ſingular and principall commandement, but the like & one to them all: thus, Go ye into all coasts of the earth, and preach the Goſpell among all people and nations. And therefore in the Reuelation the heauenlie Ieruſalem is not ſaid to be founded vponupon one and a particular piller, or eſpecially vponupon one of all the reſt, but ſimplie vponupon twelue: and when as vponupon the day of Pentecoſt the holie Ghoſt was powred out vppon the twelue Apoſtles, he was not powred out vponupon ſome one of them eſpecially and chiefly, but he was ſimply powred out vponupon all. Laſt of all, when Paul deſcribeth the functions and offices of the paſtors of the Church, he doth not giuegive to any one the principalitie or lordſhip ouer the reſt, but he expoundeth to them the ſame in plaine words: Christ is gone vp on high, he hath led captiuitie captiue, and hath giuen gifts to men. For he hath made ſome Apostles, ſome Prophets, ſome Euangelists, ſome pastors, and teachers, for the restoring of the Saints, for the worke of the ministerie to the edifieng of the bodie of Christ. The other anſwere is, that if Chriſt or Peter had ordained any principalitie, and one miniſteriall head in his Church, no doubt the primitiue Church would hauehave retained that ordinance being ſo freſh in memorie. But on the contrarie we ſée that the moſt ancient generall Synods of all, namely, the Nicene, that of Conſtantinople, of Epheſus, and Chalcedon, did ordaine that ouer eueryevery citie ſhould be appointed a biſhop: that done, that eueryevery prouince ſhould hauehave an Archbiſhop or patriarke, hauing all like dignitie, authoritie, iuriſdiction, power, degrée: beſides, that it was granted to the Archbiſhop of Rome, that for the antiquitie and honor of the city, he ſhould ſit in the firſt place, but yet not in an higher place: and next him ſhould ſit the Archbiſhop of Conſtantinople, for the ſelfe-ſame cauſe, bicauſe he was biſhop of new Rome, being the emperors citie: wheras if they had had regard of the more ancient Church, that firſt, or elſe the ſecond place ſhuld hauehave béen due to the biſhop of Antiochia: & then the biſhop of Alexandria, & of Hieruſalem, afterward the thrée archbiſhops of Iuſtinian, made by the emperor Iuſtinian for moſt light cauſes, ſhuld take place in like ſeats: which cauſes we will ſhew afterward vnderunder the crime of forgerie: where we will reckon vp the forgeries, coſſenages, and corruptions deuiſed by the pope of Rome to fill vp this his ambition. The third anſwer is, that ſéeing Chriſt did appoint his Apoſtles to be meſſengers and preachers of his commandements to go throughout diuers coaſts of the earth, we read not that any one of them was appointed to be an Archmeſſenger: eſpecially to be mute and to be at eaſe, that he might lie buſking and loitering at Rome, and harken after thoſe things that were done in other places of the world whereſoeuer, and might in the meane ſeaſon ſerue his ambition. For biſhops are nothing elſe but meſſengers of Chriſt, and proclaimers of his commandements, ordained in eueryevery citie: like as in times paſt, the emperors of Rome were woont to giuegive things in charge to the Proconſuls and Preſidents, as all thoſe that are ſtudents of the law and antiquities of the Romans do affirme. Therefore he that is dumbe either by nature or will, that is, he that kéepeth ſilence, and doth not execute the office of a meſſenger & herald, and doth not preach the Goſpell, he is not only not woorthy of the authoritie, but not ſo much as of the name of biſhop or archbiſhop. But bicauſe the popes in their decretals do in eueryevery third line inculcate that ſong: Bicauſe it was ſaid to Peter, Feede my ſheepe, and Ʋpon this rocke: it is woorth the paines to ſet downe the true and naturall interpretation of thoſe places. For Augustine in his 124. tract. vponupon Iohn: When (ſaith he) it was ſaid to Peter, I will giuegive thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen, and whatſoeuer thou ſhalt bind vponupon earth: he ment the vniuerſal church that is founded vponupon the rocke. From whence euen Peter tooke his name. For the rocke was not called Petra of Peter, but Peter of Petra or the rocke: as Christ tooke not his name of Christians, but Christians of Christ. For therefore the Lord ſaith, VponUpon this rocke will I build my Church, bicauſe Peter had ſaid, Thou art Christ the ſonne of the liuing God. Therefore vponupon this rocke, ſaith he, which thou hast confeſſed, will I build my Church. For Christ was the rocke, vponupon which foundation euen Peter himſelfe was builded. For no man can lay any other foundation than that which is alreadie laid, which is Ieſus. Therefore the Church that is founded in Christ, receiueth from him the keies of the kingdome of heauen in Peter: that is, power to bind and looſe ſinnes. For the ſame which Christ is in the Church by propertie, the ſame is Peter in the rocke by ſignification: by which ſignification is vnderstood Christ the rocke: Peter the Church. Thus ſaith Auguſtine, which thing he repeateth in his book againſt Iud. paga. And alſo in the tenth tract vponupon Iohn, and of the word of the Lord, ſer. 20. Concerning which opinion Cyrillus ſaith: He called the rocke nothing In dial de trinitate lib. 4.elſe but by agnomination the vnſhaken and most firme faith of the diſciple: wherein the Church of Christ is grounded. And this verie In epist. ad Eph. ca. 2.ſame thing doth Ambroſe *In hom. in Mat. 55., Chryſoſtom *in c. quodcunque. 24. q. 1, and alſo the Canoniſts * confirm. They alledge this ſame ſaieng of Auguſtine, Bicauſe in the perſon of Peter the Church hirſelfe receiued the keies. Which thing is inculcate out of Hierom *in c. omnibus ead. q.. But Bernard inueighing bitterly againſt that arrogancie of the popes, breaketh out at length into theſe words: And in times past truly In epist. 230.you did rule as Lords ouer the Clergie contrarie to the Apostle Peter: yea and ye ruled as lords ouer the faith of the whole world contrarie to his fellow Apostle Paule. But now you hauehave added ſome new thing, vſurping alſo ouer religion it ſelfe: what remaineth but that you proceed to rule as lords, euen ouer the holie Angels themſelues? And Gregorie ſurnamed the Great writeth thus to Mauritius Epiſt. 30. li. 16.the emperour. I ſay boldlie, that whoſoeuer he be that calleth himſelf the vniuerſal prieſt, or deſireth to be ſo called, doth in his pride go before Antichriſt, bicauſe in waxing proud he ſetteth himſelfe before the rest. The like wherof we may ſée in many places in the Lib. 6. epi. 188. & epi. 194. alſo lib. 7. epiſt. 3. & 74. & 79. & 80.ſame writer and vntounto the ſaid Mauritius. And thus much concerning the former part of the Dilemma. Now let vsus ſée touching the other, that is, the donation of Conſtantine. Though (ſéeing it may ſéem that we ſhall hauehave a fitter place to handle the ſame, when we come to intreat of the crime of forgerie) it be fitter for vsus at this duplicate page duplicate page time in this one word, to paſſe ouer al that diſputation, namely, that all that inſtrument of the donation which the pope bringeth forth, is falſe, feigned, and forged, and that it came out of the ſame ſhop, out of which we ſhewed before the volume of the Conformities of Francis came: wherof bicauſe we ſhall in their place bring to light 25. moſt ſure arguments, we will now make an ende to this ſecond crime. Onelie in ſtéede of a concluſion, we will propounde a queſtion of this Franciſcane frier of ours, which will not eaſily be anſwered, as I thinke. Our Sixtus is pope and alſo a Franciſcane: inaſmuch as he is pope, he hath (as we hauehave ſhewed before) not onelyonly chiefe dignitie vponupon earth, but alſo great in heauen, purgatorie, and hell: inaſmuch as he is a Franciſcane, no doubt according to his dutie towarde his patron he granteth that S. Francis deſerueth dignitie aboue the Cherubins. We ſay not amongſt the Cherubins (ſaith Antoninus of Florence) but aboue the Cherubins: and it is certaine according to the doctors, that the Seraphins are aboue the Cherubins. Thus writeth Antoninus. Therfore the queſtion is, when this pope departing Lib. hist. 3. tit. 23. ca. 1.this life ſhall be receiued by S. Francis, whether he ſhall be placed aboue the Cherubins, or the Seraphins? For we hauehave ſhewed that the Dominicane friers onlie are placed vnderunder the mantle of the bleſſed virgin. It cauſeth great doubtfulnes, bicauſe, (as Auguſtine Steuchus writeth) the pope is God: as the Canoniſts diſpute, halfe a God. But Francis (as we ſaide before out of the teſtimonie of the deuill) is nothing but a ſtout frier. On the other ſide, this our frier calleth Francis the Typical Ieſus: as if one ſhould ſaie, Another Ieſus, or one that is made like to the former Ieſus. If we ſhould place Francis aboue the pope, we ſhould place him aboue his God or demie God, which were moſt abſurd. If we ſhould giuegive him a place below the pope, neuertheleſſe we ſhould abſurdlie make another Ieſus ſubiect to the pope: and peraduenture the Ieſuites could not abide that for the high dignitie of their name. What ſhall we ſaie then? Bartolus was woont in hard queſtions to admoniſh his hearers, to bethinke themſelues. We in the meane ſeaſon without any preiudice of the truth, will leaue to this pope that ſame place which Gregorie the Great giueth him: which, what maner one it is we ſhall ſet downe ſhortly after, where we ſhall make mention of Lucifers comming to hell.