Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of the beginning and increaſing of the Romiſh papacie, vntill it lifted vp it ſelfe ſo high, that both the libertie of the church was oppreſſed, and all moderation was ouerthrowne thereby.
1 THERE is nothing more ancient to eſtabliſh the authoritie of the Sea of Rome, then the decree of the Nicene Synode, wherby both the firſt place is graunted to the Biſhop of Rome, among the Patriarches,The beginning of the papacie and he is commanded to care for the churches adioyning to the citie. But in an other Synode which followed, the Biſhop of Rome was not chiefe, but others.
2 In the councell of Chalcedon the Legates of the Church of Rome had the chiefe ſeat by the Emperours graunt:Primacie. but Leo himſelfe confeſſeth that this was an extraordinarie priuiledge,Lib. Epiſt. 1. Epiſt. 2. et. lib. 4. 4. Epiſt. 6. neither was it obſerued in other councels.
3 As touching the very title of primacie, & other titles of pride, it is no hard matter to iudge when & after what ſort they croope in. Cyprian doth often call Cornelius brother, or fellow Biſhop, or fellowe in office. But writing to Stephen Cornelius his ſucceſſour, he ſometime obiecteth to him arrogancie, and ſometimes fooliſhneſſe. The councel of Carthage forbade, that anie ſhoulde be called prince of Prieſtes or chiefe Biſhop.
Contention about the vniuerſall Biſhop.4 The contention about the title of vniuerſall Biſhop, began onlie in Gregories time: the occaſion whereof was Iohns ambition. For hee woulde make himſelfe generall, which no man before him had aſſaied to doe. Gregorie calleth it a wicked, profane, vngodlie,Lib. 4. Epiſt. 76. ad Mauri. proude title, & ſuch a one as was inuented by the diuel, and publiſhed by Antichriſts crier*.
5 I come to the iuriſdiction which the Pope of Rome auoucheth hee hath ouer all churches,The Iuriſdictiō of the pope. without queſtion. And there aroſe the miſchiefe. When the Sea of the Church of Rome was counted to bee of great authoritie, not onelie the godlie in other parts which were greeued for want of aide: but alſo wicked men which were cōdemned by their own Biſhops: for vniuſt defenſes ſake fled thither: all which the Biſhop receiued greedilie. Through this ambition it came to paſſe that the Biſhop of Rome did take to himſelfe ſome authoritie ouer others.
6 But let vsus ſee what power this was.The power of the church is contained in 4. thinges. The power of the church is contained in theſe four points. In ordaining of Biſhops in calling of Councels: in Iuriſdiction: in Cenſures. All the old Synodes commaund Biſhops to be conſecrate by their Metropolitanes:1 Ordination. and that the Biſhop of Rome be neuer called vntounto it, but in his owne patriarchie.
7 The ſame Cenſures or admonitions which the Biſhoppes of Rome did vſe toward others,2 Cenſures. the ſame did they themſelues ſuffer*.Cypr. Epiſt 13. lib. 3. 3 Counſell Tripart. Hiſt. lib
8 To call a prouinciall Synode was the dutie of eueryevery Metropolitane: the Biſhop of Rome had none authoritie there: but the Emperour onlie could call a generall Councell*.
9 As concerning hearing of appeales or iuriſdiction, it is manifeſt that hee hath the chiefe power, vntounto whoſe iudgement ſeat the appeale is made. Manie did often appeale vntounto the Biſhop of Rome: and hee himſelfe alſo went about to draw vntounto him the hearing of cauſes:4 Iuriſdiction. but hee was alwaies derided when hee did paſſe his bounds. In the Councell of M…leuite, where Auguſtine was preſent,The Meleuetane Counſell. they were excommunicate which appealed beyond the Seas.
10 In the time of Conſtantine the Emperour, he had no authoritie ouer other Biſhoppes,Aug. Epiſt. 163 In breut. colla. cont. Donatum. as it doeth plainlie appeare by the hiſtory of Celianus, accuſed by Donatus *. For Conſtantine committed the iudgement of the appeale to the Biſhop of Orleance.
11 I know how many Epiſtles there be, Reſcripts, Edicts, wherein the Biſhops aſcribe what may bee to the Sea of Rome, and doe moſt conſtantlie chalendge what may be to the ſame. But all men which hauehave but a litle iudgement know this alſo, that they are ſo blockiſh for the moſt part, that at the firſt taſt it is an eaſie manner to perceiue out of what ſhop they came, namelie of ambition.
Gregorie. When the authoritie of the Pope was encreaſed12 The authoritie of the Sea of Rome was greatlie encreaſed in Gregories time, by reaſon of the wars which did poſſeſſe almoſt all the whole world. Therfore that in ſo great a ſhaking of ciuil affaires, the integritie of faith might at leaſt remaine, or not altogeather periſh, all Biſhops on eueryevery ſide ioyned thēſelues to the Biſhop of Rome. Then did the dignitie of the Sea increaſe, yet ſo that one man did not beare rule ouer the reſt, as him pleaſed: but it was graunted him, with his authoritie to bridle the wicked and ſtubborne.
Lib. 2. Epiſt. 37. Epiſt. 16. Gregories humilitie.13 Therfore Gregorie taketh no more to himſelf ouer others, then hee graunteth to others ouer himſelf, when he confeſſeth that he is readie to bee controuled by others.
The decree of the counſell of Taurinum14 The biſhop of Cōſtantinople did at that time cōtēd with the biſhop of Rome, about the primacie. It was decreed in the councel of Taurinum, that the cities which were chief in ciuil gouernmēt in euerie prouince, ſhould likewiſe be chief Seas of ye biſhops.
15 In the firſt Synode of Conſtantinople it was eſtabliſhed,The Synode of Conſtantinople that the Biſhop of that Citie ſhould hauehave the priuiledges of honour after the Biſhop of Rome, becauſe it was new Rome.
16 Shortlie after, Iohn of Conſtantinople being holpen with the fauour of Mauritius the Emperour vſurped the name of vniuerſall Patriarch. Gregorie did conſtantlie oppoſe him ſelfe againſt him: and doeth abhorre that voyce as wicked and vngodlie.
17 At length Boniface the third obtained of Phocas, that Rome ſhould be head of all churches.The ambition Boniface. But this was of no importaunce in a manner, vntill at length France came by wicked pollicies into his power.
18 After that time when thinges did dailie eueryevery where waxe worſe and worſe, the tyrannie of the Sea of Rome was alſo eſtabliſhed and encreaſed: & that partlie through the ignorance, and partlie thorow the ſluggiſhneſſe of the Biſhops.Bernarde Therfore doth Bernard in his time with manie complaints bewaile the ſcattering abroad of all the whole Eccleſiaſtical order*. Amongſt other he addeth theſe,Lib. 1. de conſid. Euang. circa finē lib The Papacie is the deuills paſture. Thou Paſtour commeſt foorth inuironed with much golde. If I durſt ſpeake it, theſe are rather the paſtures of diuels, then of ſheepe.
19 And now though we graunt to the Biſhop of Rome that excellencie which he had in time of Leo and Gregorie,Graunt. what doth this helpe the preſent Papacie? I do not yet ſpeake of the earthlie Lordſhip, but of the ſpirituall gouernment wherof they make boaſt. For theſe be the ſayinges of the Biſhops:A deueliſh decree. Nicol in decret 17.9 3. C. Nemini Innoc. 9.9.3. cap. Nem…. God would determine the cauſes of other mē by men: but hee hath reſerued the Prelate of this Sea without queſtion to his own iudgement*. Again, the facts of our ſubiects are iudged by vsus: but ours by god alone.
20 And to the ende theſe decrees might hauehave more weight they did falſly cog in the names of old Biſhops, as if things had been ſo appointed and ordained ſince the beginning: whereas it is moſt certaine that it is new and latelie forged, whatſoeuer is giuen to the Biſhop of Rome, ouer and beſides that which we hauehave ſaid was giuen him by the old councels.
21 If Gregories teſtimony ought to bee of force they declare there by that their Biſhop is Antichriſt,Epiſt: 92.4. ad Iohānem. conſtant. becauſe they make him vniuerſall*.
22 Are not the Patrones of the Sea of Rome aſhamed to defend the preſent eſtate of the papacie, which is certainlie an hundred fold worſe,The papacie is at this daye worſt. and more corrupt, then it was in the time of Gregorie & Bernard?
Graunt.23 Laſt of all, though all theſe things ſhould be graunted: yet there ariſeth a freſh & new ſtrife for them. For wee denie that Rome can be the mother of churches, ſeeing there is no church at Rome: & that the Pope is Prince of Biſhops ſeeing hee is no Biſhop,Why ther is no church at Rōe becauſe he teacheth not the word of God, he doth not miniſter the Sacraments, neither doth hee keepe the people in their duetie by anie diſcipline.
24 Yea the Popes do whatſoeuer they can to oppreſſe the pure doctrine of the Goſpel:The vertues of the popes. Leo was cruel, Clement blooddie, Paul a fierce murtherer. Shall hee be Chriſtes vicar, and Peters ſucceſſour who by perſecuting the Churche with furious indeuours,Leo. Clement. Paul. An abſurditie. doeth openlie profeſſe that hee is Antichriſt?
2. Theſ. 2.4.25 Wee ſpeake as did Paul when wee ſay that Antichriſt ſhall ſit in the temple of God*. That his kingdome ſhall bee placed in hautineſſe of ſpeech, and blaſpheming of God*.Dan. 7.23. Alſo whereas Paule ſetteth out Antichriſt by this marke, that he ſhall take away from God his honour, that he may take it to him ſelfe, this is a principall token in ſeeking Antichriſt, eſpecially when ſuch pride procedeth to the publike ſcattering and deſtruction of the Church.
26 God tranſlated the Church which was at Ieruſalē to Pella*. That which was once done,Euſeb. lib. 3. ca. 5. might be done oftener. Therfore ſo to tie the honor of the ſupremacie to a place, that an enemie of Chriſt,The pops armes. an aduerſary of the Goſpel, a deſtroyer of the Church, a butcher of the Sainctes, ſhould be Chriſtes Vicar, Peters ſucceſſour, the chiefe Biſhop of the Church is too ridiculous.
27 We hauehave ſpoken inough of the thing. If we come to the men, we ſhall find that Leo, Clement, Paule, and almoſt all the reſt were Atheiſtes, and that they knewe nothing elſe in a manner concerning Chriſt, but that which they learned in Lucian his ſcholes.
28 And yet for all this the Romaniſtes auouch, that the Pope cannot erre. Though Iohn the xxij. Pope did openly auouch that the ſoules of men are mortall*,Iohn Gerſon doth witnes this who lyued then. & that they die together with the bodies vntill the day of the reſurrection.
29 Therefore though Rome were in times paſt the head of Churches, yet ſhe is not worthie at this day, to be counted one of the ſmalleſt toes, ſeing ſhe is made common to all kind of wickedneſſe.
30 The Cardinals were in times paſt only prieſts of the church of Rome,What Cardinals were in times paſt. and farre inferiour to Biſhops: but ſuch as they be nowe at this day, they hauehave no true and lawfull office in the Church.