Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the iuriſdiction of the church, and the abuſe therof, ſuch as we ſee in poperie.
1 THE thirde part of Eccleſiaſticall power remaineth,The third part touchinge iuriſdiction. which we ſay cōſiſteth in iuriſdiction. And this iuriſdiction is an order prouided for preſeruation of ſpirituall pollicie: to this ende, from the beginning there were iudgement ſeates or cō ſiſtories in churches, to examine manners,Conſiſtories. Mat. 18.18. and puniſh vices: and beare rule in exerciſing the office of the keyes*. Paul calleth them gouernments*1 Cor. 12.22. Gouernments. Ioh. 20.23. Mat. 16.19. The preaching of the worde.. Furthermore, that power of the keyes hath two parts principallie. The one conſiſteth in preaching the Goſpel*, which is properlie not ſo much power as a miniſterie, if we reſpect men. For Chriſt hath giuen this power to his word, whereof men are miniſters. We ſpeake not of this now.
2 The other power of binding and looſing is deſcribed by Chriſt*, when hee ſaieth,What it is to binde and the ende. If anie brother heare not the church, let him be to thee as an Heathen or publicane. Verilie I ſay vntounto you, whatſoeuer yee ſhall binde, &c. But the church bindeth him whom it excommunicateth:What to looſe not that it may deſtroy him, but that he may repent: It looſeth him whom it receiueth to communion or fellowſhip: becauſe it doeth as it were make him partaker of the vnitie which it hath in Chriſt Ieſu. And leaſt anie man cō temne the iudgement of the church, the Lord doth teſtify, that it is nothing els but the publiſhing of his ſentence.
3 Obiect. All theſe thinges laſted but for a time, when as the magiſtrates were as yet aliens frō our religion.Diſcipline is neceſſarie.
An. This order is alwaies neceſſarie. Becauſe the church doth neither take anie thing to herſelfe which is proper to the Magiſtrate:The difference betwene the magiſtrat and the church. neither can the Magiſtrate doe this which the church doth: yea the Magiſtrate himſelfe muſt ſometimes be chaſtened, which thing befell Theodoſius Caeſar.
4 And ſurelie if anie man doe throughly weigh the wordes of Chriſt, hee ſhall plainelie ſee that the ſtate & perpetuall order of the church is deſcribed there, and not any temporall order.
5 Furthermore the true vſe of Eccleſiaſticall iuriſdiction is,Vſe of eccleſiaſticall Iuriſdiction. that offences may be preuented: and if anie offence be riſen, it may be done away. Ther be two things to be conſidered in the vſe: firſt, that this ſpiritual power may be quite ſeperated from the authoritie of the ſword. Secondly, that it be not adminiſtred as one man will,Diſcipline ſeperated from the power of the ſword. Excommunication is the ſharpeſt cenſure of the church. but by a lawefull aſſemblie: both things were obſerued in the purer church. For the holy Biſhops did neither vſe fines nor priſons, but their ſharpeſt puniſhment was excōmunication & that in great neceſſitie, according to the word of God.
6 Neither was ſuch power in mans hand onelyonly, that hee might doe whatſoeuer he would, but it did belong to the cōpany of Elders, which was in the church,The Senat of the church. that which the Senate is in the citie. Cypriā ioyned the whole Cleargie with the Biſhop. And it was an vſuall cuſtome that the iuriſdiction of the church ſhould be exerciſed by the Senate of elders: wherof there were two kinds:Epiſt. 14. lib. 3. Two ſortes of Elders. In. 5. cap. 1. ad Tim. Tirannie of Biſhops. for ſome were appointed to teach: otherſome were only Cenſors of manners: This ordinance grew out of kind by little & little. In Ambroſe his time the clarks alone were Cē ſors*. At length the Biſhop did challendge that to himſelf, which was graunted to the church.
7 Afterward the Biſhops committed this charge to their officials:Officials. which in deed differ nothing from profane iudges.
Obiect. Officials admoniſh and excommunicate.The iuriſdiction of officials is ridiculous.
An. Surelie they mock God by this. Some poore man oweth a little money? He is cited: If he appeare he is condemned. Being condemned, vnleſſe he pay he is admoniſhed. By the ſecond admonition there is a ſtep made to excommunication: if hee appeare not, he is admoniſhed to come to the court: if hee make delay, he is admoniſhed, and foorth with excōmunicate. I ſpeake nothing of the praies, ſpoiles, briberies, ſacrileges, whiche are gathered thereby.
8 Such is the popiſh ſpirituall iuriſdiction. Alſo they doe falſlie attribute to themſelues the power of the ſworde:Biſhops doe falſlie attribute to them ſelues. the power of the ſword. becauſe it is not exerciſed vppon mens conſciences, and Chriſte alſo forbade that*.
Obiect. Moſes had both together.
An. Firſt, that was done by a rare myracle. Secondlie it did but laſt for a time:Mat. 20.25. for when there is a certaine forme appointed by God, the ciuill gouernment is left to him: he is commanded to reſign the prieſthood to his brother.
9 Obiect. By this meanes the glorie of Chriſte doeth floriſh as it is worthie,The prieſthood is reſigned to Aaron. and in the meane ſeaſon the Biſhops are not too much called away from that which their calling requireth.
An. As touching the firſt Chriſt ſaith*, Kinges of the nations and Princes reigne ouer them, but you ſhall not bee ſo: and in an other place*,Mat. 20.23. Luk. 22.25. Luk. 12.14. Who made me a iudge or a deuider among you? As touching the other they are not more excellent then the Apoſtles, who did not thinke it meet for them to ſerue tables,Act. 6.2. hauing forſaken the word of God*.
Act. 6.2.10 Neither is it to be doubted, but that Biſhops went thus farre beginning with a verie little: but they hauehave lifted vp themſelues with ſubtiltie & croked craftie meanes, and that priuilie. In times paſt if anie controuerſie did happen,A laudable cuſtome. the godly committed the iudgement thereof to the Biſhop, becauſe they did not doubt of his vprightneſſe. This was praiſe worthie,Iuriſdiction was made of voluntarie iudgments but theſe men made an ordinary iuriſdiction of voluntarie iudgements. When cities & countries were ſhortlie after brought into diuers ſtraits, they fled vntounto the patronage of Biſhops: theſe men of patrones, became lords.
11 Although the Biſhop of Rome being not content with their kingdomes, laid hands vpō the Empire,Lib. de. conſid. 2. who as Bernard ſaith*, had neede of a weedhooke, not of a ſcepter.
Epiſt. 5 lib. 2. Gregorie.12 Gregorie called the Emperour moſt noble Lorde, and himſelfe his vnworthie ſeruant*.
13 Neither are fiue hundred yeares yet paſt, when as the Biſhops were in ſubiection to princes: neither was the Pope created without the authoritie of the Emperour.Henrie the Emperour ſold holie thinges. Hildebrand brought the Emperoures in ſubiection to him. Conſtantinus. Increaſe of the Papacie. The Emperour Henrie the 4. of that name, who ſolde holie things, gaue occaſion to Gregory the ſeuēth, to alter this order. At length Hildebrand who called him ſelfe Gregorie the ſeuenth, made alſo the Emperours ſubiect to him.
Obiect. The Weſt Empire was giuen to the Pope by Conſtantine.
An. That is a falſe ſtarting hole, vnderunder colour of donation.
In the meane ſeaſon the Popes ceaſed not ſometimes by fraude, ſomtimes by treacherie, ſometimes by weapons to inuade other mens dominions: alſo they brought the citie it ſelf which was at that time free vnderunder their power: vntill they came to that power, which they doe now enioy.
15 To iuriſdiction is annexed freedome.Freedome annexed to Iuriſdiction. For they thinke it an vnmeet thing, if in perſonall cauſes they anſwere before a ciuill iudge, and they ſuppoſe that both the libertie & alſo the dignitie of the church conſiſteth in that, if they be exempted from common iudgements and lawes.
Obiect. If any queſtion of faith were handled or anie ſuch queſtion as did properlie appertaine to the church, the hearing thereof was referred to the church.
16 An. By this exception holy men ſought nothing els, but that Princes which were not religious might not with tyrannicall violence and luſt hinder the church in doing her dutie. For they did not diſalow it, if ſometimes Princes did vſe their authority in Eccleſiaſticall matters, ſo this were done to preſerue the order of the church, and not to diſturbe it. Therefore they doe euill to chalendge to themſelues freedome.