A Looking Glass for Princes and Peoples Delivered, Book 2 · Part 4 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. Of their affected ignorance in the consideration of the two great powers Civill and Ecclesiasticke.
THeir foolish madnesse is plaine if wee consider their course and their fruites that follow. Their folie consideredTwo great powers. not aright these two powers civill and spirituall; and their ignorance was rather affected than simple; to make greater way to their violent pride.
God ruleth the world by two distinct powers, Civill and Ecclesiasticke: For Religion must bee in the Republicke. and the Republicke must bee in Religion (sayeth Optatus) aReli…ionem in repub▪ & Re…publ. in religione esse oportet. Optat. Mile vitā Spalat. Ostens. Error. Suarez c…ip. 3. n 61 I…em, lib 6. …p 3. toto.The Church and Common-wealth are as the two Estates, and everie one of them hath its owne full power and authoritie in thinges that concerne it. They are both of God, and none of them is that way more worthie than the other, as to subiect the other to it. Neutra potestas est altera eo sensu dignior ut alteram sibi subijciat utra que enim est in suo genere prima, & ab altera independens. Each of them in its owne kind is prime & independent from other. But yet they are distinguished from other in their endes, Taske and meanes for that end. They hauehave both God for their Authour, and generallie the good of mankind for their end, but their proper ends are different: For the spirituall power leadeth onelyonly to a spirituall and eternall good, whereas the civill absolutlie looketh first to an humane & temporall good: All mankind lyeth flatte on the Earth, notwithstanding of all other Callings: But the Pastorall calling pulleth him from the earth and lifteth him to Heaven.
The Taske of the Spirituall, is the preaching of the Word, ministration of Sacraments, and the vse of the Keyes Their task.of the Kingdome of Heaven, directing mens consciences in the will of God, and correcting them Ecclesiastickly. For which cause the Pulpit is called the Tribunall of the Super pulpitū ▪ id est tribunal Ecclesiae. Cypr. epist. 24Church, because therein Pastors doe publish more glorious I awes than the Praetor. The taske of the civile power is notoure in thinges Civile; and for Religion, it is appointed of God to defend the Church, and trueth in it: Indite and gather Councels, and ratifie their Canons, to abrogate superstition and idolatrie, to provide Pastors with hou…st maintenance, and maintaine their provisions against the Sacrilegious. In a word, the power of the Church is not temporall but spirituall; not a coactiue, but a directiue power: And the power civile is not spirituall but humane; not directiue but coactiue; to see all these spirituall dueties performed in their Kingdomes. God hath not set them vp as contraire and opposite; but as diverse, and that for agreement and mutuall helpe, to make vp an Harmonie of governement in mankinde.Incompatible in one person.
These two powers cannot compete to any one person aCausab. de libert Ecclesiast. Hin…mar. de potest. eccl c. 1It is neither lawful nor seemlie for Princes to preach, baptize, communicate people, excōmunicate, delinqu…ts, &c Neither is it tolerable in Pastours to denounce warre, lead Armies, shedde blood, and swey a coactiue power. Ambrose (b) riddeth the marches clearelie, Wee pay (sayeth hee) to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to GOD the …olvimus quae sunt Caesari Caesaris &c Ambros. de basil tradend.things that are Gods. The tribute is Caesars, and not denyed. The Church is Gods, and ought not to bee adiugded to Caesar, because Gods Church cannot bee Caesars right. Which none can denie is spoken with the honour of the Emperour. For what is more honourable▪ than that the Emperour be called the Sonne of the Church—For a good Emperour is within the Church, and not about the Church. And in another place, aQuae divina sunt imperatoriae potestati non sunt subiect… ▪ Idem l. 1. epist. 33Divine things are not subiect to the power of the Emperour—And thereafter places pertaine to the Emperours, but Churches to the Priests. The right of the publick walls is committed to thee, not of the sacred, so sayeth he to the Emperour, who craved the Church to bee delivered to the Arrians. Athanasius, and Ambrose speake distinct lie: That Princes are in the Church by profession and possession of grace, and so the Sonnes of God, and of the Church: They are not over the Church, for her direction but for her protection: her Parents, but her Nurce-Fathers.
Wise Kings ever granted the different power and interesseConstāt. Imp. Basit. Imp. apud Baron. 886 n 1. K Iames in Deus & Rex Casaub de libertat Eccles. in things civill and Ecclesiasticke. That in the first they were Lawmakers, but in the second were directed and admonished themselues: In the first, they had a power both to make and allow Lawes for the publicke good: in the second, they are preservers of Lawes, not to decerne therein with authoritie: But to order matters Canonically according to the Lawes of the Church. The Church first discerned Trueth from Heresie, and then decerned: And Princes ratified their decrets. Pastours decrets according to the trueth obliged mens Consciences to followA sort of mu tuall subordination. the truth, and Princes outwardlie inioyned the People to follow a knowne truth.
Though these two powers or callings simplie considered b… not subiect to other, yet there is a sort of mutuall subordination aSpalat lib. 6 cap. 3 …d. Ostens…er …or. Suarez c 3 …. 61.in the persons that are cloathed with them: Princes are aboue Pastours in respect of civill Eminence of outward governement, and compulsion, to do their duetie as Pastours; though not in the intrinsecall Interna vero Ecclesiastica, integrae relin quit judicio d… recti… Eccles cur suam quo que animam & conscientiam submitt…t Deus & Rex pag. 56. Rom 13. 1 Heb. 13. 17direction. And Princes are subiect to Pastours, in respect of the informing and directing of their consciences in Religion The one is subiect to the other civillie, the other spiritually. Pastours are subiect to Princes. Let everie soule bee subiect to superiour powers. And Princes are subiect to Pastours spirituallie. Obey them who hauehave the over-sight of you and submit your selues. And yet not withstanding of the comparision of the callings, GOD hath wiselie subiected Pastours to Princes. First, because the Kingdome of the Church is not in this World *Christ beeing the only spirituall Mo narch.But principallitie, hath the beginning, vse and end in this life, and therefore heere must they hauehave the preheminence or else never. Next, because of vniversalitie: For the Church of God is not in everie place: And yet these humane Societies without a Church hauehave both neede of, and are governed by principalitie. Thirdlie, because of Ancietie; for albeit God had a Church ever since hee called on Adam in Paradise, yet ere the Church came to any greatnesse in number or conspicuousnesse in the vse and worke of spirituall power, Principalitie had the own Governement and eminencie among men. For this cause some aHermas Let. de pace Eccles. l 7 c. 5hauehave pressed the name of secular power from the Ancietie, as though it beganne cum saeculo: Though more properlie it bee called a temporall power from the obiect and meanes.Their merches Ne principes quasi bruta at nimalia tractantur▪ Luther.
This great blessing reformation bringeth vntounto Kingdomes, to ridde merches betweene these powers: Amongst other things this inrage… Luther, (b) that hee saw Princes mocked and abused as beasts: Therefore hee vendicate their honour from the Popes tyrannie. Wee teach according to Gods word, that Princes and Preachers are mutually sheepe to other: Princes to Preachers in respect of their spirituall office, informing, and counselling them out of the word of God: And Preachers to Princes, in respect of a temporall coactiue power, to protect them, or correct them, if they offend. If wee consider in Mankind a spirituall Sphere, Preachers are aboue all: In which sense Nazianzen sayeth, that aLex Christi subjecit imperium sacer dot…. Nazi …nz ad C…v. No…eminenti oribus potesta …ibus subiecti sumus. Ibid. Bellar.the Law of Christ hath subiected the Impire to the Priest. But if wee consider it in the Sphere of Temporalitie, then Princes are aboue all: And so that same Nazianzen, Wee are subiect to super eminent powers; but they will hauehave Princes as Sheepe to Preachers simplie, and their Priests to bee sheepe to none but to the Pope, of whom they will bee ruled, not onelyonly in spirituall things, but also in temporall.
When these two Powers keeped them within their boundes, they were helpfull to others: Pastors by religion Their concurrence.wrought the consciences of people to the obedience of Princes, and Princes by their coactiue power held people in the obedience of the Gospell. And Leo bReshumanae aliter tutae esse non possunt, &c Leo epist. ad Pulc…er.. 6.commendeth this concurrance: For humane things (saith hee) can not bee safe, vnlesse both the Kingly and Priestly authoritie defend these things that pertaine to religion. And our more royall Leo said, that cDeus & Rex. pag. 3these two powers are so straitly conioyned, that either of them dependeth vponupon the safetie and incolumitie of the other: And Isiodore dGratian. caus 23. quaest 5. Can. PrincipesCivile powers were not necessarie in the Church except to fulfill that by terrour, which the Priest can not doe by his doctrine: Oft-tymes the Kingdome of Heaven is furthered by the earthly Kingdome that such as doe contrare to the faith, and discipline of the Church, may bee broken by the rigour of Princes, &c. And Bernard eBernard. Epist. 243.sheweth both the possibilitie and expediencie of their agreement, in his peaceable resolution. Non veniat anima (sayeth hee) in concilium eorum; non enim viris us que institutor Deus, in destructionem ea connexuit, sed in aedificationem: Let not my Soule come in their counsell, who say that the peace and libertie of the Churches will hurt the impyre, or that the prosperitie and glorie of the impire will hurt the Churches: for God the Author of both hath not conioyned them for destruction, but for edification. It had beene good for them, if they had followed his advice, that these two powers would ioyne their myndes together, who were ioyned by Gods institution▪ let them mutually cherish other, and mutually defend other a…ungant se animis qui iuncti sunt. In stituto. Ibid.. But where Princes and Pastors passe their boundes, and incroached vponupon other, the exercise of their power was the Apple of strife The matter it selfe was two great powers in their kinde, and the respects of mutuall subordination, and subiection, was a faire colour for ambition to vsurpe, and for the rebellious to resist.
It cannot bee denyed, but there were faults on both sides: Extremities are noysome Iliacos intra muro…Some Princes hauehave given too much to Cleargie men, as they who gaue homage to Popes. This came of Superstition, which first playeth the Iugler to blind, and then the tyrant to force them to doe as that blindnes leadeth them: When they were possessed with Superstition, the Popes ambition could exact nothing of them, which they thought not reasonable.
Some Princes againe hauehave fallen in the defect, andNeglect of Pastours. given too little respect to Pastours: They saw their persons base in worldly things, and considered neither their calling nor their worke; and so counted them baser than any of their Estats. This misreguard was helped by some flatterers of authoritie, who either of ignorance, or Invy hauehave spoken and written disdainfullie of Pastours Calling, and equalled it to the basest handie craft in Cities. To let that passe (in respect of personall subiection to outward Governement, and of civill censure in case of breaking the common peace) yet the comparison of these Callings is odious; Deus & Rex. 3. 56for both iudicious Princes aK. Iames in De…u & Rex Nazianzen ad cives terror. Chrysost, de cacer… l. 3. Ambros. de dign. sacerdot. c. 2.and auncient Divines without passion or contest, hauehave giuen it greater respect, and casting these two powers in the Ballance, Nazianzen compared the one to the Soule, the other to the Bodie: Chrisostome vse the comparison of the Heaven to the Earth: And Ambrose the comparison of Gold and Lead.
We allow not the bad Consequences and Practise, which Papists draw out of these popular comparisons, yet there is a considerable Trueth in the things; for the Pastours calling is only about things spirituall and eternall. The Angels would thinke it no disparagement, to dispense the mysteries of the bodie and blood of Christ, to cleanse men in the Lawer of Regeneration, and to stand betweene God and man, in delyvering his will to them, and presenting their prayers to him. Beside that comparison of Callings, the person of Pastors hauehave a great excellencie in respect of Gods chusing them to the worke, his furnishing Pastours Cha racter. 1 Cor 3. 9 1. Thess. 5. 12. 13.and assisting of them in it. Mens greatest excellencie indeede is by the Grace of Christ▪ as they are Christians renewed and sanctified: But particular callings giuegive also some qualification to the persons that are cled with them; and the Pastorall calling qualifyeth their persons with a spirituall respect, because they are Gods instruments in a spirituall worke. Their aptitude to a spirituall worke, giveth them a spirituall habitude and Gods imployment therein giveth a sort of transcendent specification. Second causes though of one kynde, take a diverse respect, both from the object, and from the imployment of the first cause: And it is greatest excellencie to bee Gods instrument, in converting, renewing, and saving men: For they that turne Soules, shall shine as the starres in the firmament, whereas others shall shine but as the firmament it selfe. IfDaniel▪ 12 sanctification bee ioyned in Pastours with the excellencie of their aptitude and imployment, then they are Gods first borne with a double portion of holinesse: And that without preiudice of the externall supereminencie of honour, and authoritie, which God hath seated in Kings: The one breadeth a sacred, inward, and spirituall reverence, as to Gods Ambassadours. The other an out ward, and civile reverence, as to the toppe of humane Maiestie: This is1 Cor. 4. 1 Iob. 33. 23. proper to the supreme Magistrate alone, whom God hath invested with Nomotheticke prudencie, and Architectonick power in matters sacred and civile.Papists abuse these comparisons.
But Papists abuse these comparisons of the Auntients, while they turne them in arguments for the exemption, and deny obedience in temporall thinges to Princes, and clame a temporall precedence and preheminence. God is the God of order, and alloweth on Princes supreme honour as their due in civill Societie: As for spirituall excellē cie of Pastours, it doth neither cōtaine intrinsecallie, neither clameth by way of consequence, any preheminence in temporall things, but in spirituall allane…lie. All their iuris…iction is merelie spirituall, as Halensis sayeth, that Bellar▪ respons ad Apol. c. 4. Halensis part 3. quaest.. 40. num. 5.the spirituall power iudgeth according to the spirituall punishment, and not according to the civill: And it may bee instanced by the Apostle who (doubtlesse) if hee had civill power would hauehave vsed it against the incestuous man, and punished him civilie: But hee knew the reach of the Apostolicke power to be spirituall, and therefore censured him spirituallie with excommunication. But most clearelie, S Augustine disclames it in Christs Name. Hearken, O Audite gentes August▪ Tract Ioh. 115.Iewes and Gentiles—hearken, O kingdomes of the earth: I stay not your domination in this world, &c.Dumbe Pops hauehave least ex cellencie.
Heerein Popes vsurpe most who hauehave least right, the excellencie of Pastours flowed from their pastorall calling, and their discharge of it; but hee is an idole pastour, who hath thrust himselfe in the most eminent place of the Church, and yet is least in worth. The least Pracher is worthie of more honor thā he though he were in his pontificals: Bellar. de offic▪ Princip lib. 1. cap. 22Hee preacheth not and so can neither bee the Vicare of Christ, nor successour of his Apostles. For Christus Rex & Dominus noster (as Bellarmine acknowledgeth) non erat occupatus in rebus temporalibus, sed praedicatione verbi, & conversione animarum: Christ was not busie in temporall things, but in preaching of the word, and conversion of Soules. But he inver…eth Christs Dyet, neglecting preaching & imploying himselfe altogether in temporall thinges: Neither can hee be Peters successour, if wee trust Bernard aPast. remte populo hu…c, aut nega, aut exhibe, &c. Bernard consid. lib. 4Proue thy selfe a Pastour to this people—least thou deny thy selfe to be his heire, whose seate thou holdest. This is Peter who never went out decked with Iewels—…nd yet without these hee believed that command might bee fulfilled: If thou louelove mee, feede my Sheepe. For in these things thou succeedeth not to Peter, but to Constantine—Thou art a Pastours heire, bee not ashamed of the Gospel, to Evangelize is to feed the flocke, doe the worke of an Evangelist, and thou hast fulfilled the worke of a Pastour.Anciēt Pops preached.
Their Analist bBaron. …55. …. 21▪ 26.commendeth preaching Popes, Serigius secundus for that hee was praedicatione liberior, a free Preacher, and Leo the fourth, that hee was a preacher of the word, and left an Homilie in register, to direct Church-men in their office, which Baronius closeth with this marke. Pervigilis curae pastoralis, nobile documentum, a notable document of a wakerife pastorall care. It is a notable document indeede to proue Leos pastorall care, and to convince the later Popes, who are all together voyde of that care. Becanus cNec facit ea visibiliter quae fecit, &c Becan. refut. Apol. Reg. Ang. paradox. …1.also overthroweth the Popes Vicarshippe in that same place, where hee pleadeth most for it. Hee scoffeth at that saying of Tertulian, that Christ reliquit vicariam vim Sp. Sancti, the vicariat power of the holy Spirit to rule his Church: And proueth the holie Spirit cannot bee such an Vicar, because hee doeth not these things visiblie, which Christ did in his mortall flesh, for hee neither administreth Sacraments, neither preacheth in publick▪ This concludeth as strongelie against the pope, for as the holie Spirit cannot visiblie & bodilie exerce these offices, so the pope (though hee may visiblie exerce them) yet doeth it not at all, but in place of a Vicare, hee is that abuse and blot in the Church, whereof S. Cyprian speaketh (if that be his worke) The tenth abuse aDecimus gradus Abusi onis &c. Cyp. de Abus socul▪ c. 10.is a negligent Bishop, who requireth his degree of honour among men, but keepeth not the dignitie of his Ministerie before God, whose Ambassage hee bearetth. The pope is wholie taken vp in consistoriall businesse.
But since hee must bee called a Preacher, let himLatter popes are bloodie, pastours. hauehave it in that sense that Gregorie speaketh of: Nova atque inaudita est ista praedicatio, quae verberibus exigit fidem: This is a new, and vnheard sorte of preaching, which exacteth Lib 2. Epist. …1.faith by strokes. And if hee will hauehave honour for doing his office, let him hauehave it, as bExtra ipso Rege superior. Philo de profugis. Item de vit Mosis. 2. 3. Sixt. Senens. 5. Annot. 176Philo telleth, the high Priest amongst the Iewes, albeit hee was inferiour to the King, yet so long as hee was in his Ministerie entering in the Temple, cloathed with Aarons garments, &c.—In that respect hee was aboue the King. Let the Pope then exerce hierarchicall functions, as Christ, his Apostles, and the first godlie Popes did, and then let him pretend his spirituall eminencie, and clame the honour due to it. But so long as his preaching is the roaring of Bulls, Curs…s, Excommunications, &c. from the Capitoll, hee is Aba…don, and not the Vicar of Christ.
But what would the Pope and his Cleargie say, if theEmperours may as justly bee Popes, as popes Emperours. Emperour vponupon the ground of his supereminent power, would raise contrare positions and practises, and so pay the Pope home in his owne coyne? As first to exempt himselfe and Kings and Princes, from all sort of Ecclesiasticke subiection, as to heare the word, partake Sacraments &c. Next to vse proscription against them, cutting them off from the commoun liberties of subiects. Thirdly, to depose them from Ecclesiasticke offices, and discharge them from all exercise of their calling. Fourthlie, to cause their people contemne them and set vp some other ambitious Church-men in their vaking rowme. &c, That clame of Princes over them in spirituall things, were as iust as their vsurpation over Princes, except wee trust the conceate of Bozius who affirmeth that the Ecclesiasticks take vponupon them the secular Boz. Mon. 1. 12power and iurisdiction, but the seculars may not take vponupon them the Ecclesiasticke power. But their owne Pope Nicolaus aNec imperator …ura Pontificatus arrip…it. &c. Nicol. 1▪ Epist. ad Michael. Imp. dist, 96 Cum ad veru….crosseth this conceate, and maketh the opposition equall, that the Ecclesiasticks may no more hauehave a temporall power, than the Emperour may hauehave a spirituall.
Heerein was a Masse of their folies, they confounded things that God had distinguished, spirituall and temporall, heavenlie and earthlie; and so verifyed Philoes first and better exposition of Babylon, to agree to them, to wit,Babels confusion in Rome. that Babylon signifieth Confusion. aPhilo de confus. & de Gigant.Next with that Confusion they inverted all, and made temporall thinges their end, and neglected spirituall: They pretended that they vsed temporalia in ordine ad spiritualia, but in effect they vsed spiritualia in ordine ad temporalia: And so verified ofThey succeede Pagan Priests. themselues Philoes other exposition (b) of Babylon, that it signified inverting. No right, no reason could content them to keepe their owne place, and suffer Princes to(a) Sed Regē Christo & Po…tisic…, &c Bellar. contr. Barc. cap. 17 keepe theirs, as God had designed to both, but they will hauehave the King subiect to Christ, (c) and to the Pope, and the Pope, subiect to Christ onelie. Therefore with this their Babylonish confusion and inversion, they proue themselues by Nicolaus dPagani imperatores …d…m &c. Nicol prim. ubi supra.testimonie to bee the successoures of Pagan Emperours, who would bee both Priests and Kings: But we need not draw this by way of cōsequence. Doctour ePontifices & Religioni but Deorum, & summae re… publicae praef…. isse.Marta granteth it in a plaine Assertion, that in these auntient times all businesse were dispatched by the Priests, and confirmes it by Ciceroes testimonie, that the chiefe Priests among the Romans did swey both the Religions of the Immortall gods, and the chiefe matters of the Commonwealth. For which cause it may b…e con…ectured that their controversar eIuris. 1. 25 50.speaking of their Pope, calls him rather Pontifex Romanus, then Episcopus Romanus, that(a) Bellar lib. de Rom. Pont. Popes profaine…esse, made holinesse. vnderunder that olde Pagane name, h…e may insinuate the Notion of his two-fold Pagan power.
As for his Consistoriall businesse, whereof I spake before, Palaeottus aDicatur Papa his ipsis &c Pal…ot de consult, Cō sist. Conclus. Pag. 364.hath plastered that sore, and telleth that the Popes businesse in the Consistorie about temporall things are hierarchicall acts, because they are ordered to a spirituall end. So great is his power, that treasons, deposing of Kings, overthrow of Empyres, &c. are all turned in hierarchicall acts by his medling. But I would know to what sort of hierarchicall act these may bee referred, for Dionysi…s bDionys de Ecclesiast. hie rach. Matth 10. Luk. 9 Act. 6recounting the acts of Ecclesiastick hierarchie, hath no such matter: Therefore they are his Monarchick exercises, which hee hath taken vp, since hee disdained the Ecclesiastick hierarchie.
This is farre from Chrysostomes minde, who thinketh that Christ forbade his Apostles to take provision for their iourney, that they might onelie waite on preaching, as the Apostles also did. How then doeth the Pope, who is altogether taken vp with temporall businesse? Gregorie cAmissis bonis c…lestibus terrenum est omne quod sitiunt Greg. moral. 25 c. 10.calleth it an earthlie disposition, when men forget heavenlie thinges, and thirst onelie for earthly things. If their Visions tell that the Bishop of Anconaes dInter Epist. Aug 20…. Aug. contr. Parm. l. 3. c. 3Soule acknowledged it selfe iustlie in hell because neglecting preaching, hee waited onelie vponupon Worldlie showes, banquets, and such other toyes. What shall become of the Popes who are worse imployed in oppressing the Church, and disturbing Europe? And if S. Augustine say truely, That the heart of the Wheate is in heaven, but the heart of the Chaffe is on earth: Then surelie the popes must bee Chaffe, and not Wheate, since his heart is all on the earthlie Monarchie.
This then is their wilfull ignorance, whereby they deny to Kings not onelyonly their Architectonik power, which maketh them custodes v…riusque Tabulae: And Pastores populi: Isa. 49. 23. Ibid …0. 1….Keepers of both Tables: Pastors of people, and Nurce-fathers of the Church: but also their Eminencie in temporalibus. For the Pope hath supreme temporall iurisdiction temporalie and directlie (saith Marta) And againe, hee hath vniversall Dominion, vniversallie and over all. Papa habet Marta jur is. 1. 19. toto. bidem part. 4 Cas. 79. 41supremam temporalem iurisdictionem, temporaliter & directè. Item habet vniversalem iurisdictionem & Dominium in vniversali in omnibus.
Petrus Damianus was the first who aff…irmed the Popes tempo alitie, and thogh ever since it hath beene in vigour yetAbout. Ann 1070. as an exposed foundling of an vncertaine father: For the defenders of it cannot agree on the originall: Some father it on Christs institution: Some on the tradition of the Apostles: Others on Councels, exponding Scripture so: Some on the Donation of Princes: And some on Prescription. It is a staggering faith whose prime article knoweth not the father. But letCap. per Ven. them stand at Innocents the third decretal. Reges in tem… poralibus superiorem non recognoscunt.