The Relics of Rome, Part 62
Of Councells.
POpe Marcellus the fyrst made a decree,No coūcell of force without ye consent of the Pope. yt no councel myght be lawfully assembled & gathered together, whether it be general or national, without the bishop of Romes consent and assente. In the yeare of our Lord. 304. Dift. 17. (ap. Synodum. Polydor. Bartholo. Carrantza. Libro. Concil.
Pope Iulius, Pope Damasus, & Pope Gregory, ratifyed the same decree afterward. Concil. Polyd.
Pope Felix the second ordayned, yt al byshops should come to ye general coū cel,Al bishops must be at a general councell. or els signifye to ye popes holinesse. Why thei can not come. In the yere, &c. 370. Dist. 18. Cap. Non oportet. Lib. Concil. Ioan. Laziard.
This decree was afterward renued in a councel holden at Chartage.
A good an… necessary deuice.In a Synode holdē at Constantia, it was decreed, yt frō henceforth general councells should be holden from ten yeare to ten yeare, to thys ende, yt the Lordes fielde might be purged from al bryers, thystles, thornes, heresyes, erroures, schismes, &c. Notwithstandyng reseruyng thys authoritie and power to ye pope, yt he may not only eueryevery .x. yere, but at all other tymes also appoynt a general counsel, when his pleasure is. Ioan. Laziard, Cest.
It was decreed at ye councell of Nice, Sene twice in the yere.yt every byshop shoulde twice yearelye hauehave a Synode or Sene general within hys diocesse, to correcte and reforme such thyngs as were out of order. But nowe ye matter is so handled,☜ yt Senes be only Courts to gather Senage and Proxye, no correction of manners or erroures, or of any other absurdityes had in those assemblyes. Libro, Concil. Polydor.
Pope Pelagius the fyrst, made a lawe, that the Councell,No coūcell lauful with out the consent of the Pope. which is celebrated without the mynde and consent of the Romyshe Byshop, should be called not Concilium, but Conuenticulum, or Conciliabulum: and that whatsoeuer is enacted or agreed vppon in suche a Councell, should be frustrate, voyde, and of none effecte. In the yeare of oure Lorde. 552. Dist. 17. Capit. Multis denuo. Libro. Concil.
The same Pope also enacted, that al such matters of doubt and question, as could not be quietly deuided & brought vntounto perfecte agreemente in the lesser Sinodes or councels,What is to be done, if matters cā not be quietly cōposed in ye lesser Sinodes shuld be referred vntounto a greater See: if they cā not there be determined iustly and truly, yt then they shall be brought vntounto the Apostolique See. Ibidem.
In the councell Agathense it was decreed,Appeare, or elsaccursed yt such as wer accited to come vntounto the councell, and refused so to doe, shoulde be accursed. Dist. 18. Capit. Siquis. Si Episcopus.
Pope Agatho made a decree, yt al the cōstitutions & ordinaunces of ye church of Rome,The authoritie of the popes decrees. shuld be receaued and taken, as thinges establyshed and confyrmed with the very diuine and Godly voyce of Peter himself. In the yeare, &c. 673. Dist. 19. Cap. Sic omnes.
Popes decrees equal wt the word of God.Pope Stephen the fyrste ordayned, yt whatsoeuer the churche of Rome doth decree and appoynt, it should for euer & without breach be obserued of al men. In the yeare of our Lorde. 261. Dist. 19. Cap. Enimuero.
All thinges ar subiect to the pope.Pope Antberius ordayned, yt whatsoeuer was decreed of other Byshops, mighte bee dissolued of the byshop of Rome, as one yt hath power to …udge of al churches. In the yere, &c. 239 Cau. 9. Qu. 3. Cap. Cuncta.
Pope Innocent made a lawe,Popeiudge of al▪ iudged of none yt no mā should presume to iudge ye Bishop of Rome. For he being iudge of all men, ought to be iudged neither of ye Emperour, nor of all ye clergyc, nor of Kings, nor of the cōmon people. Caus. 9. Qu. 3. Cap. Nemo indicabit. The same decree made also pope Nicolas, Pope Gelasius, Pope Anastasius, &c.
A certayn councel holden of diuerse, wise, learned and Godly men, at Constantia, obiected agaynst Pope Iohn the xxiii. of ye name (being there present) diuerse borrible faultes:☜ of the which he was openly conuict, to ye nūber of moe thā forty, yea & those most greuous sinnes. The pope secretly fleing, was apprehended, deposed, & caste into prison.
Afterward in ye councel it was decreed,A lawful general coū cel is abou… the pope. that a general councel lawfully gathered together, is aboue the pope, and hath authoritie immediatly of Christ, which alone is the head of the Church, Christ. Massoe. in Chron.
Thys acte of ye councell semeth to be contrarye vntounto that,The preeminence of the pope. whiche sayeth, yt the pope and hys See are not bounde to be subiect, to the councels and determinations of other. Cap. Significasti: de elect. And yt the pope hath in his hearte al manner of lawes: Agayn, yt he is not bounde to purge and clere of himselfe such crimes and faults, as are obiected against him. &c.