The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Part 2 · Preface · Chapter 11 – Chapter 12
The xi. Chapter. VVherein is set foorth, howe that no Prieste… nor spirituall persons are subiect or vnderunder the iurisdiction, or power of the temporall Magistrates or Officers.
NOwe, let vsus come to speake of the other Priestes and spirituall persons, who are throughlie furnished in all points with their Officials, Deanes, Archdeacons, Vicars, Inquisitours, Sumners,The spiritualtie not …n anie subiection to anie temporall Magistrate nor Officer. Prisons, Places and Instrumentes for punishment: so as they are not in anie point subiect to anie temporall Officer or Magistrate. Neither may anie of them hauehave anie their causes or questions debated or determined, before anie temporall Iudge or Officer, so farre as they hauehave shauen crownes,For the marke or priestly character, reade Thomas de Aquino▪ Scotus, and other scholemen and then ioyne therew…th all that which Iohn writes in his R…uelation, touching the same character. which is the right marke & character of the citie with seuen mountaines, whereof Saint Iohn makes mention in the Apocalypse. And the same is likewise to bee proued by plaine textes of the holy scripture.
And for the first, it is written, That when as Lot went about to dissuade the wilfull Sodomites from their abhominable actes, they saide vntounto him: Thou art come hither among vsus, and art but a straunger here: What hast thou to doe, for to take vponupon thee to correct and iudge vsus? Out of this Text, hath our mother the holie Church of Rome finally concluded,C…p. nullus clericus. 11. quaest. 1. that the Priests may not bee iudged nor punished by temporall Magistrates and Rulers: vnderstanding the matter thus, That the Priests are vndoubtedly right Sodomites,Priestes right Sodomites. Burgesses borne, and maisters of this worlde by inheritance: considering that they are made by the Pope, to whom the worlde doeth absol…tely apperteine: and that the temporall Magistrates and Officers, are but as straungers: who hauehave but (as it were) the gouernement of the world by lease, at the handes of the Pope, and his Priestes. And therefore it doth not become them for to rule or punish the natiue Burgesses of Sodom, and Gomorra, that is to say, the Priestes and Spiritualtie.Anacletus in his Epistle of the sorowfulnesse of the Bishops' and their innocencie or complaint, in the book… of the decrees, …ap▪ lege… ecclesiarum, causa. 3. quaest. 6. For so hath the Pope Anacletus determined and set forth in his Deccetals, which interpretation of his, is (by our deare mother the holy Church) allowed for good, and registred in the booke of their decrees for an article of our faith.
Secondarily, the same is proued by a speciall text out of the Gospell, where it is written, That Christ did driue or chace the buiers and sellers out of the Temple with a whippe, or scourge. For thereby it is apparant,This you shall finde in the 2. epistle of Anacletus, of the admission of Bishops and Archbishops. It is likewise in the Decades cap. accusatio quoque causa. 2. quaest. 7. & in the decrees Iuonis in the 4. book… that the Priestes or Spiritualtie, may not by anie meanes be punished by anie temporall Officer, as is concluded by the forename… Anacletus, and the holie Church of Rome: vnderstanding the matter thus, That the Priests are to be esteemed as the very changers & sellers in the Church, who do vtter their merchandize so deare, that the sight of them (manie times) will stand a man dearer, than the best ware that the Habardashers of Paris and Lions hauehave in their shoppes. And although other chaungers of monie, and vsurers, did inioy the benefites of the like priuiledge, as well as the Priests, to witte, that they were with the same whipping driuen out of the temple: yea, and although dogs be sometime vsed after the same manner: yet, considering that the Priestes are my white sonnes, and must hauehave somewhat the more preeminence and aduauntage, specially for that their merchaundize are of more estimation than the rest, and their incense of better smell than the incense that the dogges smother abroade in the Church. Insomuch that the holie Church of Rome doeth vnderstande this by the priests onelie, to wit, that temporall Magistrates or Officers, shall hauehave no iurisdiction ouer them, considering well, that Christ had them in such estimation as he himselfe onelie woulde whippe them out of the Church. And yet hath shee more strongly established the same, by the plaine Texte of the Prophete Dauid, where it is written,Psal. 81.1.6. This procedeth forth after, in the said epistle of Anacletus. God stoode in the middest of the Gods, that is to say, of Priests and Prelats. Againe, I hauehave said, All you are Gods. Now truth it is, that the whole Psalme doeth (after the letter) speake of Kings and Gouernours of this world: yet notwithstanding, our deare mother the holie Church, hath vnderstood the same wholy of the Priestes and Spiritualtie, according to the spirit, and that specially by reason of sixe weightie causes: to witte:
First, because the whole text doth conclude, as well, or rather much better, vponupon the Priestes, than vponupon anie other: for it is written, That will not vnderstād, but will walk in darknesse, and set the whole world in a rore. In the 5. verse of the saide Psalme.Which wordes seeme to conclude so well vponupon Priestes and Bishops, as though they had bene spoken only to them.
Now secondly, the Priests are of much more estimation, & better, than any Kings,This is set out with plaine wordes in the cap. Duo sunt. dist. 69. and in the cap. Sacerdo… dist. 95. & cap. Quis dubitat. dist. 96. or Princes: yea, they do excell them as far as Leade doth Gold: and therefore must Emperours bow downe their heads vnderunder the knees of the Popes: as is plainely set forth by the holie father Pope Gelasius, writing vntounto the Emperour Anastasius, and registred in the decrees. Yea, they are the light of the world, Fathers & Maisters to all men: so that they deserue much better to be called Gods, than either Kings or other Rulers do or can deserue.
Thirdly, the Priestes are of more worthinesse and estimation than Angels.Guido de monte Rocher in his Ench…i…idion Sacerdotum. Rubr. de sacramento eucha. cap. 2. For (as our deare mother the holie Churche of Rome hath verie well concluded) an Angel may not sing nor say Masse: for that hee hath not the priestly character, which is to bee vnderstoode, because hee hath not the marke and token. And it is plainelie written: That no man may buie or sell, Apoc. 13.17.vnlesse hee hauehave the character or the marke, or else the name of the beast.
Now, as touching the fourth cause, you must vnderstand, that all Priestes are fellow partners (in some case) with our holie Father the Pope, who is not onelyonly a man, but a God on earth. Which considered, they must needes by kinred bee partakers of his Godhead: as it is written, That commonly a man growes like him, with whom he is conuersant. And againe, Hee that medleth with pitch, some part of it wil cleaue to him. And therefore such as bee conu…rsant with God on earth, must needs be godlie.
Fifthly, it is great reason they shoulde bee called Gods, seeing that they themselues can make God: and are (as wee hauehave taught before) creatours of the Creator. And nowe there is a perpetuall and infallible rule amongest the Doctours of Louen, which can not faile, for that it is fetched out of their maister Aristotle, Stella clerico… read the 10. cap. of the 2. part.& it is this: Propter quod vnumquodque tal… est, illud ipsum magis est tale ▪ that is to say, Whensoeuer anie thing doeth get anie vertue or estimation out of the power, or by the gift of an other: the same by whome hee doeth receiue that worthinesse or vertue, must needes hauehave verie much more like vertue in himselfe.
Seeing then, that by the power and knowledge of the Priest, a piece of breade may be made God, how much rather then are the Priests themselues Gods? For it is written in the holie scripture,Iere. 16.20▪ That no man in this world can make anie Gods: Ergo, then must the Priests of necessitie be more than men, seeing they do daily make God himselfe.
Now sixtly, the common Latine text, which is receiued in the holie Church of Rome, and by the Councell of Trent allowed for good & credible, doeth say thus, That God did stand in the Synagogue of the Gods. Which may verie well bee applied to the Priestes, considering that they also hauehave their Synagogues, like as the Iewes hauehave had heretofore. And furthermore, it is most certeine, that Christ stoode in the middest of the Priestes and Prelates, at such time as Annas and Caiphas di… accuse him, and sought witnesses against him, to put him to death. Which manner of doing, our Priestes of the holie Church of Rome, doe verie liuely counterfeite. Whereby it is plaine to bee vnderstoode, that they are the Gods in the Synagogue, amongest whome the Lorde stoode, and doeth yet (by his elect) daily stand to bee condemned to death. So that our deare mother the holie Church of Rome, hath verie aptly applied this Text vntounto them, and so concluded, That they being Gods, can in no wise bee subiect vntounto the iudgement or correction of any earthly man.
Besides this, she doth bring forth manie witnesses, euen by heapes, all which are fetched out of holy Scripture: as specially, where Saint Luke saieth, That God shall aduenge his elect. Luke. 18▪It is likewise written in the Psalmes: Lorde God, to whom vengeance belongeth, Psal. 194.2.God to whom vengeance belongeth, shewe thy selfe, &c. Also, the Apostle Paule saieth, What art thou that iudgest an other mannes seruant? And in the same place,Rom. 14.14. Rom. 14.13. Let vsus not therefore iudge one an other anie more, but iudge this rather, that no man put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers way. And the Lord saith by his Prophet Zacharie: For, Zachar. 2.8.who so toucheth you, shall touche the apple of his owne eye.
Are not these honest, goodlie, and verie strong witnesses, such as can not bee disproued? And doe they not plainlie set forth that the Priestes can not be vnderunder subiection to anie temporall iurisdiction? At least, so farre as men will allow and sticke vntounto the exposition of the holy Church of Rome: without hauing anie respect to that which these Heretikes bring in: for they would alledge all these witnesses, directlie against the Priestes and Spiritualtie, and to their reproch and detriment. But nowe is there one speciall text to bee brought in and alledged, against the which ariseth no obiection, to wit, where Christ saith,Math. 8.20. Luke. 9.5.8. Foxes hauehave their dennes, and the Foules of the aire hauehave their nestes, but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to laie his head. These Heretikes may well inough sloppe their eares at th…s: for out of this doeth our deare mother conclude verie strongly, That those which will blame or finde anie faulte with the Priestes, are they whom Christ here calleth Foxes. And to the corroboration and strengthening of the same, shee bringeth forth the text of Solomon, where he saith: Hee that hath digged the pitte, shall fall into it him selfe. Againe, The stone is heauie, and the sande is weightie, but the wrath of a foole doeth passe both. Consider, doe not these agree in one maruellous well? It seemeth they are both painted with one pencill. In summe, all her decrees and ordinances are full of such apte textes and sentences of scripture, which shee can wrest and wring maruellous finelie for her purpose: so that there is not one stitche amisse. For, when as the Scripture speaketh of Bruggesse, shee applieth that to Ghent: and if the Scripture speake of a Catte, shee will bring in a Ducke.
For a finall end and conclusion, shee can make of a Cowe a Windmill: and of a Windmill a Cowe. And therefore she can not lacke, but doeth alway finde witnesses enow out of holie Scripture, to proue all her matters substantiall and good.
The xii. Chapter. VVhichWhich proueth by Scripture, that Priestes, and all Spirituall men, ought to be rich.
NOwe, that the Priestes and all Spiritualtie,Spirituall persons ought to be rich. together with our holie father the Pope, ought to be rich and wealthie, that is to be found set foorth by the Scripture likewise. For the noble and excellent Cardinal Poole, of late the Popes Liefetenant in the Councell of Trent, In the booke that he made of the councel of Trent.did cause the text of Luke (before alleadged) to serue for that purpose, where Christ saith: You doe nowe catche fishe, but you shall from hence foorth catch men. Luke. 15.10.For that (said hee) was a prophesie which was not yet accomplished in the time of the Apostles, when as Paule said: That there were but a fewe rich men in the Congregation of Christ: but the same (said he) was first fulfilled & accomplished about three hundred yeeres after, to wit, at such time (men say) as the Emperour Constantine did courteouslie giuegive vntounto Pope Syluester, Ca. Constantin.a great portion of the Empire of Rome, or rather (as hee tearmeth it) did giuegive againe and restore: as is apparant by the copie of the writing, which standeth entred in the booke of Decrees verbatim.
True it is, that Laurentius Valla, and manie other learned men, did mocke and ieast at this writing, & likewise do plainlie proue, as well by diuerse histories, as by the same writing it selfe, that it is but a counterfeited writing, and that so grosselie done, that a Calfe with one eye may perceiue it. But I will leaue that to the Doctours of Louen, to dispute vponupon, when they are set vnderunder the roofe, with a Gallon of good Rennish wine, for they can not away with Pittaw: as for vsus, whether it be a lie or a true tale, it is all one: but thus much there is of the matter, that our holie father the Pope is in possession, and doth enioy the landes which S. Peter left vntounto him by testament: by the same token it is called, Patrimonium S. Petri, that is, Saint Peters patrimonie ▪ He is likewise in possession of the rich iewels and bagges of the holie Sea of Rome, and of the precious triple crowne, and other rich and costlie peeces: for all the Bishops must sweare,In the othe which they take before they be admitted B…shops. that they shall (to the vttermost of their power) helpe to keepe and augment the said iewelles, and that Patrimonie. But what needeth all this? Paule him selfe saith, That Bishops must keepe hospitalitie, and bee harborous. And then is it great reason▪ that their purses should bee well filled, for to enterteine Kings and Princes, and to make them great cheere.This is the argument of Eckius in his Enchei…id. For how should they els bake good cakes, if they hauehave neither fire nor fatte? I assure you, if they had not that preeminence and aduantage, they would not buy Bishoprikes so deare, neither would they pay thirtie thousand Ducates for a Pallium, if they must afterwardes say with Peter, Aurum & argentum non est mihi: I hauehave neither siluer nor golde. But that is nowe all cleane turned, and the chaunce is chaunged: therefore must the Priestes and Prelates nowe a dayes bee riche, and possesse the goods of the worlde, considering that their father and master the Pope, is Lord of the whole worlde: as we hauehave sufficientlie proued in the 11. and 12. Chapters before.