Pseudo-Martyr, Chapter 3 · Part 1

Pseudo-Martyr · Chapter 3 · Part 1

p. 14The first part of Principallity and Priest-hood.

1HAuing laide this foundation, that the greatest Dignitie, wherewith God hath enriched mans nature, (next to his owne assuming thereof) may suffer some infirmitie: yea, putrefaction, by admixture p. 15of humane and passionate respects, if when we are admitted to bee witnesses of Gods honour, we louelove our owne glory too much, or the Authoritie by which this benefit is deriu'd vponupon vsus, too little, which is the function of secular Magistracie: We are next to consider, by what inducements, and prouocations, the Doctrine and practise of the Romane Church doth put forward, and precipitate our slipperie disposition into this vicious and inordinate affection, and dangerous selfe-flatterie.

2 In three things especially they seeme to me, to aduance and …oment this corrupt inclination. First, by abasing, and auiling the Dignitie and persons of secular Magistrates, by extolling Ecclesiasticke immunities and priuiledges: Secondly, by dignifying and ouer-valewing our merits and satisfactions, and teaching that the treasure of the Church, is by this expence of our blood increased. And thirdly, by the Doctrine of Purgatorie, the torments whereof are by this suffering said to be escaped and auoided.

3 And in the first point, which is a dis-estimation of Magistracie, they offend two wayes. Comparatiuely, when they compare together that and Priest-hood, and Positiuely, when not bringing the Priestly function into the ballance, or disputation, they giuegive the Pope authority as Supreame spirituall Princesse, ouer all Princes.

p. 164 When the first is in question of Priesthood and Magistracy, then enters the Sea, yea Deluge of Canonists, and ouerflowes all, and carries vp their Arke (that is the Romane Church, that is the Pope) fifteene cubites aboue the highest hils, whether Kings or Emperours.Extra. de maior. & Obed. Solit…. Quinquagesies septies & Centies quadragesies septies & medium, & septies mesies & septingesies, quadragesies, quater & medium. And this makes the Glosser vponupon that Canon, where Priesthood is said to exceede the Layetie, as much as the Sunne, the Moone, so diligent to calculate those proportions, and to repent his first account as too low, and reforme i… by later calculations, and after much perplexity to say, That since he cannot attaine to it, he will leaue it to the Astronomers; so that they must tell vsus, how much the Pope exceedes a Prince: which were a fit work for their Iesuite Clauius, Comment. in Sacro. Bosc. fol. 219.who hath expressed in one summe, how many granes of Sand would fill all the place within the concaue of the firmament, if that number will seeme to them enough for …his comparison. But to all these Rhapsoders, and fragmentar… compilers of Canons, which hauehave onelyonly am…ss'd and shoueld together, whatsoeuer the Popes themselues or their creatures hauehave testified in their owne cause; Amandus Polanus applies a round,Simphons. 24. T…es. 9. and pregnant, and proportionall answere, by presenting against them the Edicts and Rescripts of Emperours to the contrary, as an equiualent proo…e at least.

5 And for the matter it selfe, wherein the Ecclesiastique and Ciuill estate are vnderunder and aboue p. 17one another, with vsus it is euident and liquid enough, since no Prince was euer more indulgent to the Clergie, by encouragements and reall adu…ncing, nor more frequent in accepting the foode of the worde and Sacrament at their hands, in which he acknowledges their superiority, nor the Clergy of any Church more inclinable to preserue their iust limits; which are, to attribute to the king so much, as the good kings of Israel, and the Emperours in the Primitiue Church had.

6 It is intire man that God hath care of, and not the soule alone; therefore his first worke was the body, and the last worke shall bee the glorification thereof. He hath not deliuered vsus ouer to a Prince onelyonly, as to a Physitian, and to a Lawyer, to looke to our bodies and estates; and to the Priest onelyonly, as to a Confessor, to looke to, and examine our …oules, but the Priest must aswel endeuour, that we liue ver…uously and innocently in this life for society here, as the Prince, by his lawes keepes vsus in the way to heauen: for thus they accomplish a Regale Sacerdotium; when both doe both; …or we are sheepe to them both, and they in diuers relations sheepe to one another.

7 Accordingly they say, that the subiect of the Canon law is Homo dirigibilis in Deum, & Bouū Commune;Reg Iu Possore, in 6. Glos. so that that Court which is, forum spirituale, considers the publique tranquility. And p. 18on the other side Charles the great, to establish a meane course between those two extreame Councels, of which aaConstantin. Ann 754.one had vtterly destroyed the vse of Images in bbNicenum 2. Anno 787.Churches… the other had induced their adoration, takes it to belong to his care and function, not onelyonly to call a ccFrancofur. Anno 794.Synode to determine herein, but to write the booke of that important and intricate point, to Adrian then Pope; which ddDonat. Constant l. 2. nu. 60.Steuchius saith, remaines yet to be seene in Bibliotheca Palatina, and vrges and presses that booke for the Popes aduantage. And in the preface of that booke, the Emperour hath these wordes: eeHaimius Feldius Decretu. Impp. de Imaginibus. fo. 91.In sinu Regni Ecclesiae gubernacula suscepimus; and to proceede, that not only he, to whom the Church is committed, ad regendum, in those stormy times, but they also which are Enutriti ab vberibus must ioine with him in that care: and therefore he addes, That he vndertooke this worke, Cum Conhibentia Sacerdotum in regno suo; neither would this Emperour (of so pious affections towards that Sea, expressed in pro fuse liberalities) hauehave vsurped any part of Iurisdiction, which had not orderly deuolued to him, and which he had not knowne to hauehave beene duely executed by his predecessors.

8 Whose authoritie, in disposing of Church matters, and direct…on in matters of Doctrine, together with the Bishops, appeares abundantly and euidently out of their owne Lawes, and out p. 19of their Rescripts to Popes, and the Epistles of the Popes to them. For we see, by the Imperial Law, the Authoritie of the Prince and the Priest made equall, when it is decreed, aaDig. li. 11. Tit. 7. l. 8. Osa.That no man may remoue a body out of a Monument in the Church, without a Decree of the Priest, or Commandement of the Prince. And yet there appeares much difference, in degrees of absolutenesse of power, betweene these limitations of a Decree and a Commandement. And Leo the first, writing to the Emperour Martianus, reioyses, that he found bbLeo 1. Martia.In Christianiss mo Principe Sacerdot alem affectum. And in his Epist. 70. Epist. 75.Epistle to Leo the Emperour, vsing this preface for feare least hee should seeme to diminish him in that comparison (Christiana vtor libertate) he saith, I exhort you to a fellowshippe with the Prophets and Apostles, because you are to be numbred inter Christi praedicatores: Hee addes, that kings are instituted, not onelyonly ad mundi regimen, but chiefly ad Ecclesiae presidium: and …herefore he praies God to keepe in him still, Animum eius Apostolicum & Sacerdotalem.

9 So for his diligence in the Church gouernement, Simplicius, Simplicius Papa An. 471. Epist. 14.the Pope salutes the Emperour Zeno. E…ultamus vo…i… in esse animum Sacerdotis & principis: For which respect his successor aaAnn 486. Epist 14.Felix the third, writing to thesame Emperour, salutes him wi…h his stile: Dilectissimo fratri Zenoni, which is a stile so peculiar to those, which are constituted in the highest Ecclesiastique dignities p. 20as Bishoppes and Patriarches, bbExtra. de Rescript. Ad audic…iam…g os. verb manifestum.that if the Pope should write to any of them by the name of Sons, which is his ordinary stile to secular princes, it vitiates the whole Diplome, and makes it false.

10 And a ccConc. Aurelian. 1. Clodu. regi. c. 2Synodicall letter from a whole Councell to a King of France, acknowledges this Priestly care in the king, thus, Quia Sacerdotalimentis affectu, you hauehave commaunded your Priests to gather together, &c. which right of general superintendencie ouer the whole Church, ddHabetur in Binio To. 2. f. 320. Anno. 516.Anastasius the Emperour dissembled not, when writing to the Senate of Rome to compose dissentions there, hee called Hormisda the pope, Papam Almae vrbis Romae, but in the Inscription of the Letter, amongst his owne Titles, he writes Pontifex inclitus.

11 eeLi. 4. Epist. 32.Gregory himselfe (though his times to some tastes, seeme a little brackish, and deflected from vpright obedience to princes) saith of the Emperours… That no man can rightly gouerne earthly matters, except he know also how to handle Diuine. And in the weakest estate, and most dangerous fitt that euer secular Magistrate suffered and endured,Greg. 7. Duci Sue uiae l. 1. Epist. 19. Gregory the seuenth denied not, that these two dignities were as the two eyes of the body, which gouernd the bodie of the Church in spirituall light; which is more, then the Comparisons of Soule and Body, and of Golde and Leade, as they are now vsurped and detorted, can affoord. And the euidence of this truth hath extorted from Binius Binius To. 1. fol. 831. A.(a seuere and heauie p. 21depresser of kings,) thus much (though but in a marginall note) Imperatores Sacra & secularia ex aequo curant. Ioan. 8. Pap… Ann. 873. Epist. 87.John 8And so much did pope Iohn the eight willingly acknowledge to Lodouic the sonne of Charles, That he was Cooperator sui certaminis. And as Balsamo saith upon the fourth generall Councell of Chalcedon, Balsamo. in Conc Chalced. can. 17that it belongs to the Emperour to designe the limits of Diocesses, and to erect a Bishopricke into a Metrapolitane seate, and to appoint who shall possesse them. Concil. Quinosen in Trullo. ca. 69. Anno 692.So to that Canon in the Councell of Trullo which forbidding all Lay persons to come within a certaine distance of the Altar, doth not extend to the Emperours, Si quidem voluerit Creatori dona offerre ex antiquissima consuetudine: And to Balsamoes Notes thereupon, that Orthodoxe Emperours, because they are Christi Domini, hauehave also Pontificall Graces from God, and by Inuocation of the holy Trinity, they create Patriarchs, they come vntounto the Altar, Et sufficiunt sicut & Antistites: Notes in hunc can. To. 3. par. 1. fo. 156. A.Binius opposes no more, but that the Canon was made in flatterie of the Emperour, which is not enough to defeate the Canon, nor eneruate the credite thereof, since that Canon was not introductory then, but Declaratorie of an auncient custome, as the words thereof doe fully euict and proue.

12 And not onelyonly Councels submitted their Decrees to the Emperours for Authoritie, and supplemen… of defects, but the Popes themselues con…ul…ed the Emperours be…ore hand, by their p. 22Letters, in matters of greatest difficultie and importance: So Leo the fi…st writes to Martianus the Emperour,Leo, Martiano Epist. 64. about the establishing of Easter, in which point the Church suffered more stormes & schismes, then almost in any other, that did not concerne the Trinitie, and at this time nothing was certainely determined and decreed therein. Thus then he writes to him, Cupio vestrae Clementiae studijs adiuuari, That so no error may be committed in the obseruation thereof. And Leo the eight,Leo 8. Epist. 87. exhorts the Sonnes of Charles, as partners in his Pastorall care to imploy Baculos redargutionis. And concerning some spiritual matters, then to be determined, he ends his Epistle thus, The penne must first be dipped in the fountaine of your heart, and then my Hand shall frame the Characters. And so when a Bishop of Constantinople stood out in some things against the Emperor,Leo 1. ad Martia…. Epist. 70. the Bishop of Rome, who at that time had iustly acquir'd a great reputation in the Catholicke Church, writes to the Emperour, That if that Bishop perseuer in such courses, as displease God, and the Emperour, Salua Mansuetudinis vestrae Reuerentia, vtar in e…m liberiori Constantia. So that hauing first asked the Emperour leaue, he offers him his assistance.

Grego. 1. li. 3. Epist. 20.13 And though Gregorie the first (whom wee may iustly call a border-pope, because though hee made no deepe roades into the iurisdiction of Princes, yet he extended his owne to the vtte…most p. 23inch, and sometimes transgressed a little beyond) though he, I say, suspended one, to whome Orders were giuen by the Emperours commandement, yet hee doeth not this absolutely, but because he knew (as he said) the Emperours minde therein, and that particular parties vnworthinesse; he suspended him, vntill he might vnderstand from his Responsall with the Emperor, whether that pretended Commandement from the Emperour were not subreptitious.

14 And when this correspondence was intermitted, as it appeares often to hauehave beene, to the preiudice of the whole Church, the Emperours were euer forwardest to labour a re-union and concurrence of their powers, to the benefit and peace thereof;Anastas. Imp. Hormisdae Papae. Binius. To. 2. fo. 315. A. as Anastatius testifies thoroughly in a Letter to Hormisda, in these words; Before this time, the hardnesse of them, to whom the care of this Bishopricke, which you now gouerne, was committed, made vsus abstaine from sending any Letters; but now, since their runnes a sweete opinion of you, it hath brought backe to our memorie, the goodnesse of a fatherly affection, that we should require those things, and so foorth. By which, all these circumstances appeare, That the Emperours did vse to write, and that the fault which induced a discontinuance thereof, proceeded From the Pope; and that the Emperour pretermitted no opportunitie of resuming that custome; and that where he writ, he did it p. 24out of a fatherly care, and by the way of …equiring. And how mu…h ioy Hormisda conceiued by this Letter,Hormisda Epist. 2. ap…ares by his phrase of expressing it, Sacros affatus congrua veneratione acc…pimus.

Bi…ius To. 2. so. 335. B.15 With like care Iustinus the Emperour exhorts the same Pope, to a Peace and Vnion with the Easterne Church, by his Letters which hee cals Diuinos Apices. And scarse by any one thing doth this care of Princes, and obsequiousnesse of Popes appeare more, then by the Letter of Pelagius the first (who was littl… aboue 550. yeares …rom Christ) to Childebert King of France, in these words.Pelagius 1. Epist. 16. & 25. q. 1, Satagendum. We must endeuour, for the taking away of all scandall of suspition, to present the obsequiousnesse of our Confession, vntounto Kings, to whom the holy Scriptures command euen vsus to bee subiect. For Ruffi…s, your Excellencies Ambassadour, asked from vsus confidently, as became him, that either we should signifie to you, that we did obserue in all points the Faith, which Leo had described, or send a Confession of our Faith in our owne words. And …o accordingly he perfor…es both, as well binding himselfe to the Faith of his predecessours, as exhibiting to the King another forme of the same Faith, compos'd and digested by himselfe; which, if the Bishops of that Se… would accept now, I doe not perceiue wherein there could be any Schisme.

16 And as the Emperours were carefull assistants of the Popes, that that mother Church at p. 25whose breast most o… the Westerne Churches sucked their spiri…u…ll no…rishment, should be infected with no poison, because it might easily be deriued from thence to the other members; so did they not attend the leisure of that Churches resolution, nor the incommodity of Generall Councels but vsed their owne power to gouerne their Churches, by constitutions of their owne; for so aaCod. l. 1. Tit. 3. l. vltim. in fine.Titus 3Iustinian the Emperour sayes of his owne lawe, by which he priu…ledges certain religious houses; We offer vp this Diuine law as a faire and conuenient sacrifice to Christ. So that eyther that attribute Diuinum was then affoorded to ciuill Constitutions, or the …mperour made Ecclesiastique lawes, if that word belong on…ly to such. bbCod. l. 1. Tit. 2. le. …3.Titus 2The Emperours tooke it into their care, to dispose of their estates which entred into Monasteries; ccCod. l. 1. Tit. 3. l. 20.Titus 3And of thei…s also which dyed in Monasteries; so that neither the pu…pose of entring, nor the acte, nor the habite, and pe…seuerance deuested the Emperour of his right, or hindred the working of the Law. aaCod. l. 1. Tit. 3. l. 4. & 27.Titus 3The Emperours also by their lawes appointed which of their subiects might not take Orders, bbIbid. le. 9.and at what age Orders might be confer'd; and that no woman after a second marriage might be Diaconissa;ccIbid. §. Diaconissa. which was, to make a law of Bigamy.

17 Yea they commanded and instructed in matter of Faith; for so ddCod, li. 1. Tit. 1 l. 6.Titus 1Iustinian saies of himselfe, p. 26we are forward to teach, what is the right …aith of Christians, and we Anathematize Apollinarius eeCod. lib. 1. Tit. …. l. 2.. So also Honorius and Theodosius inflict the punishment of death vponupon any Catholique Minister (for then neither that name was abhorred by Priests, nor they exempt from criminall lawes) which shold re-baptize any man; and yet this was a meere spirituall offence. And so ffCod. l. 1. Tit. 9. lib. 6.Valentinian, and his Co-emperours pronounce marriage betweene Iewes and Christians to be adultery. And ggCod. l. 1. Tit. 2. l. vlt.Titus 2Iustinian interprets how a Testator shall bee vnderstood, when he appoints Christ, or an Angell, or a Saint to be his heyre.

18 Nor deale they onelyonly with temporall punishments vponupon Ecclesiast…que persons, which is farder then is affoorded them now, but they inflict also spirituall censures: for Gratian and his Co-emperours pronounce against Heretiques, (that is,Cod. l. 1. Tit. 1. …. 2Titus 1 Impugners of the Nicene councell) That they shall be vtterly secluded from the threshold of the Church: And in the next law, which is against Nestorians, they say, If the offenders be Laymen, Anathematizentur, if Clergie men, Eijciantur ab Ecclesijs. aaCod. l. 1. Tit. 3. … 7. § Presbiter….Titus 3:7And another of their lawes doth not only inflict temporal & ignominious punishmēt vponupon Clergy men, but Ecclesiastique censures also in these words: If a Clergy man be guilty of fals witnes in a pecuniary cause… let him be suspended three yeares, and in a criminall, let him be depriued. bbIbid. …e. 17. §. Interdi…imus.And another susspends p. 27for three yeares, euen Sanctissimos & venerabiles Episcopos; if they doe but looke vponupon players at Tables: and that law authorizes him, vnderunder whose power that offender is, if he appeare penitent, to abbreuiate his punishment; ccIbid. l. 19.and of Bishoppes which will not forsake women, it pronounces thus; Abiiciantur Episcopatibus. And in the matter of establishing and ordering Sanctuaries, ddSimancha. de R…pub. l. 8. c. 40.one of the writers of the Romane parte hath presented ciuill constitutions enow, to teach vsus that, that was within the care and Iurisdiction of secular Princes.

19 eeSimplicius Zenoni. Ep. 14.And when an Emperour had created a Bishop of Antioch, contrary to the forme prescrib'd in the Nicene Councell, of an intire obseruation, whereof the christian Church was extremly zealous, the Pope proceedes not by anullings and vociferations, but writes thus to the Emperour: We may not dissallow that which you hauehave done holily and religiously out of a louelove to peace and quietnes: by which we see that Canons of Councels, though they were Directions, yet they were not Obligations vponupon Princes for their gouernement. By all which it appeares, that those Christian and Orthodoxe Emperors, iustifying their inherent right, by these frequent and vn-interrupted matters of fact, apprehended not this vast and incomprehensible distance betweene secular and ecclesiastique power, but that they were compatible enough, and p. 28conduced, and concurred to one perfection, and harmony of the whole state.

20 And it is related by aaEspen…aeus. Com…n Tim. l. 2. pag. 275.an Author of great estimation in the Romane profession, that Gregory the seuenth was author of a new scisme, diuiding and tearing priesthood and principality. bbIndex Expur. Belg. fo. 15.And it is euident that Bertram a priest vnderunder Carolus Caluus, almost eight hundred yeares since, writing of that Diuine and abstruse mysterie, De corpore Domini, submits his opinion to the iudgement of the King and his Counsaile, as competent Iudges of that question: and ccPref…tio in Histor. de act. & Script. Lutheri.Cochlaeus saith, that Luthers doctrine was condemned for hereticall by an edict of the Emperours, with the common assent of the Princes and the States. And the holy Ghost had well intimated the concurrence of their two powers in ddDeut. 17.11.Deut 17:11Deuter. if those wordes which are in the Text, Nolens obedire sacerdotis Imperio, & Decreto Iudici, moriatur; were not chaunged by the vulgate edition, into Ex Decreto; and thereby only the priest made Iudge of the controuersies, and the Magistrate onelyonly executioner of his Sentences.

21 For certainely these two functions are not in their nature so distinct, and Diametrically oppo…ed, but that they may meete in one matter, yea sometimes in one man, and one man may doe both: for amongst the Gentiles, it was so for the most part: and sometimes amongst the Israelites. p. 29And in late times aaEpist. Maximil…. ad B…ro. Leichtensteni Habetur. in Monit. polit. edit Franct. Ann. 1609. so. 33.Maximilian the first, a Catholique Emperour, thought it belonged to the Empire, to hauehave also the Papacy vnited to it: and therfore when Iulius the second lay desperately sicke, he endeuoured to bring to execution, that which he had often meditated, and consul…ed, and receiued as approued from some great persons of dignity in that Church, which was to bee elected Pope in the next Conclaue, and to restore the Papacy (as he thought or pretended) to the Emperiall Crowne.

22 bbCeremoniae Sacrae. Cap. de Ordinatione.And if a Lay-man be elected Pope, he need not presently be made Priest, but he may, if hee will, stay in Subdiaconatu. And to that degree they seeme to admit the Emperour, when he comes to be crowned at Rome; ccIdem. ca. de Coronat.for at the Communion he administers to the Pope in the place of Subdeacon. And this in the Primitiue Church was not (as ddAlfon. Aluares specul. vtriusque Dig. c. 10. nu. 3.themselues confesse) Ordo Sacer: though of late it be growne to be such a perplexed case, whether it were or no, that of those commissioners, which two Popes made to suruay the Decretals, one company expunged, the other re-assumed eeExtra de bigam. non Ordin. Super eis. glos. verbo Sacros.one place in that book, which denies this to hauehave beene amongst holy Orders.

23 The Emperour also puts on a Surplis, and is admitted as a Canonick not only of Saint Peters Church, but of Saint Iohn Laterane; to which particular Churches (of which the Pope is Parson, p. 30as he is Bishoppe of Rome, Metropolitane of Italy, patriarch of the West, and pope of the world, all those blessings and priuiledges which are ordinarily spoken of the Catholique Church are said by aaAluares specu. vtri. Digni. ca. 1. nu. 40.some to bee irremoueably annexed and appropriate: hereupon some of their owne lawyers say, bbCassanaeus… par. 5. consid. 24. art. 59. & 181.That all kings are clergie men; and that therefore it is sacriledge …o dispute of the authority of a King.

24 But howsoeuer these two functions, since the establing of Christianity, hauehave for the most part beene preserued distinct, and ought so to be; yet they are at most, but so distinct as our Body and Soule: and though our Soule can contemplate God of herself, yet she can produce no exterior act without the body. Nothing in the world is more spirituall and delicate, and tender then the conscience of a man; yet by good consent of Diuines, otherwise diuersly perswaded in Religion, the ciuill lawes of Princes doe binde our consciences: and shall the persons of any men, or their temporal goods, be thought to be of so sublimed, and spirituall a nature, that the ciuill constitutions of Princes cannot worke vponupon them? Nor doe we therfore decline the comparison, so much vrged by the Romanes,Be…lar. de P…t. Ro l. 5, c. 6. §. Est igit…r. E… Nazi…z. that the Clergie exceede the Laiety as much as the body the soule, when it is so conditioned and qualified, as the authors thereof intended it; That is, that the seales and p. 31instruments of Gods grace, the Sacraments, are in the dispensing of the Clergy, as temporall blessings are in the Prince and his lawes, strictly and properly, though concurrently both in both, (for the execution of the most spirituall function of the priest, as it is circumstanced with time and place; and such, is ordinarily from the Prince)… But we are a litle affraid, that by a literall and punctuall acceptation of this comparison, we may giuegive way to that Supremacy, which they affect ouer Princes; because their Sepulueda saith,Sepulueda de regn. & reg. Hu. l. 1. That the soule doth exercise ouer the body, Herile Imperium, vt Dominus in seruum… and so by this insinuation should the pope doe ouer the prince.

25 Howsoeuer in their first institution Popes were meere Soules, and purely spirituall, yet as the purest Soule becomes stain'd and corrupt with sinne, assoone as it touches the body: so hauehave they by entring into secular businesse, contracted all the corruptions and deformities thereof, and now transferre this originall disease into their successours.Concil. Nice. 2. Actio 5. And as in the second Nicene Councell… when the Bishop of Thessalonica a…err'd it to be the opinion of Basil, Athanasius, and Methodius, and the Vniuersall Church, that Angels, and Soules were not meerely incorporeall, but had bodies… The Councell in a prudent con…i…enc…e, fo…bore to oppose any thing against that asseueration, because it facilitated their purpose p. 32then, of making Pictures and representations of Spirits (though Binius now vponupon that place,To. 3. Par. 1. fol. 399. say, his Assertion was false and iniurious to the Church:) So though in true Diuinitie the Pope is meerely spiritual, yet to enable him to depose Princes, they will inuest and organize him with bodily and secular Iurisdiction, and auerre that all the Fathers, and all the Catholicke Church were euer of that opinion. For the Pope will not now be a meere Soule and Spirit, but Spiritualis homo, 1. Cor. 2.15.1 Cor 2:15qui iudicat omnia, & a nemine iudicatur. Maynardus de Priuileg. Eccles. Art. 9. n. 1.For so a late writer stiles him, and by that place of Scripture enables him to depose Princes. No… will this serue, but he must be also spirit…alis Princeps; of which we shall hereaf…er hauehave occasion to speake.

26 And as a cunning Artificer can produce greater effects, vponupon matter conueniently dispos'd thereunto, then nature could hauehave done, (as a Statuarie can make an Image, which the Timber and the Axe could neuer hauehave ef…ected without him: And as the Magicians in Egypt could make liuing Creatures, by applying and suggesting Passiue things to Actiue, which would neuer hauehave met, but by their mediation:) So, after this Soule is entred into this Body, this spirituall Iurisdiction into this temporall, it produces such effects, as neither pow…r alone could worke, nor they naturally would vnite and combine themselues p. 33to that end, if they were not thus compressed, and throng'd together like wind in a Caue. Such are the thunders of vniust Excommunications, and the great Earthquakes of trans…er…ing Kingdomes.

27 And these vsurpations of your Priests hauehave deseru'd, that that stygmaticall note should still l…e vponupon them, which your Canons retaine, aaDist. 50. Et Purgabit. glos. verb. Domo.That all euill proceedes from Priests. For though bbIndex. Expur. Belg. fol. 306.Manriqe whom Sixtus the fift employ'd, had remooued that glosse, yet Faber to whom Gregorie the thirteenth committed the suruey of the Canons, re…aines it still.24. q. 3. Transferunt. And (if the Text be of better credit then the glosse) the Text hath auerred Saint Hieromes words, That searching ancient Histories, he cannot find, that any did rent the Church… and seduce the people from the house of God, but those which were placed by God, as Priests, and Prophets, that is, Ouersee…s; for these are turnd into winding Snares, and lay scandals in eueryevery place.

28 Euen the Name of King, presents vsus an argument of pure, and absolute, and independant Authori…ie… for it e…presses immediatly, and radically his Office of gouerning, wher…s the name of Bishop hath a metaphorica…l, and similitudinarie deriuation, and being before Christianitie applied to Officers, which had the ouerseeing of others, but yet with relation to Superiours, to whom they were to giuegive an account, deuolu'd p. 34conueniently vponupon such Prelates, as had the ouerseeing of the inferiour Clergie, but yet gaue them no acquitance and discharge of their dueties to the Prince.

29 And God hath dignified many races of Kings, with many markes and impressions of his power. For by such an influence, and infusion, our kings cure a di…ease by touch, and so doe the French Kings worke vponupon the same infirmitie. And it is said that the kings of Spaine cure all Daemoniaque and possessed persons.Valdesius de Digni…te regum Hispa c. 16. And if it bee thought greater, that the Pope cures spirituall Leprosies, and lamenesses of sinne, his Office therein is but accessorie and subsequent; and after an Angel hath troubled our waters, and put vsus into the Poole, that is, after we are troubled and anguished for our sinnes, and after we hauehave washed our selues often in the riuer Iordan, in our tea…es, and in our Sauiours blood vponupon the Crosse, and in the Sacrament, then is his Office to distinguish betweene Leaper and Leaper, and pronounce who is clensed: which all his Priests could doe as well as he, if he did not Monopolize our sinnes by reseruations.

30 And this is as much as seemes to me needfull to bee said of their auiling Magistracy, in respect of Priesthood: for, for vsus priuate men it must content vsus,Ioan. de Lapide… Casus missa…. cap. 6. Ar. 5 §. Quo…un que . to be set one … higher then dogges; for so they say in their Missall cases, that p. 35if any of the consecrated wine fall downe, the Priest or his assistant ought to licke it vp; but if they be not prepar'd, any Lay-man may be admitted to licke it, least the dogge should. And of the comparison of these two great functions… Principality and Priesthood, I will say no more, least the malignity of any mis-interpreter might throw these aspersions, which I lay vppon persons, vponupon the Order. And therefore since we hauehave sufficiently obserued, how neare approaches to Priest hood the Christian Emperours hauehave iustly made, and thereby seene the iniustice of the Romane Church, in deiecting Princes so farre vnderunder it: we will now descend to the second way, by which they debase Princes, and derogate from their authority.

31 For it is not onelyonly in comparisons with Priesthood, that the Romane writers diminish secular dignity, but simply and absolutely, when they make the Title and Iurisdiction of a king so smoakie a thing, that it must euaporate and vanish away by any lightning of the popes Breues or censures, except they will all yeeld to build vp his Monarchy, and make him heyre to eueryevery kingdome, as he pretends to be to the Empire: for aaAzor. par. 2 l. 10. c. 9. §. Caeterum.of that (saith a Iesuite) now there is no more controuersie. bbAluares specutr. Dign. ca. 56. nu. 12.And if the electors dissagree in their election, then the election belongs to him. And whether they agree or no,ccIdem. ca. 16… nu 15. this forme of Election is to continue but so long, as the Church shall thinke it expedient. And if p. 36he had such title to all the rest, that Monarchie might in a vaster proportion extend it selfe, as farre as one limme thereof, the Iacobins, do in Paris: ddRen. Choppinus de Iure Monast. l. 1. Tit 1. nu. 15.Titus 1to whom Philip le longe, gaue a Charter for their dwelling in that Citie, in these wordes: A porta eorum, ad portam Inferni, inclusiue.

32 And how easily and slipperily Princes incurre these censures, may be collected by Nauarrus, who saies,Nauar. Manual. c. 27 nu. 13. It is the Catholique faith, without firm beleefe whereof, no man can be saued; that no Prince can erect or extinguish a benefice without the Pope; and to thinke the contrary (saith he) doth taste of the English Heresie.

33 Scarce any amongst themselues can escape that excommunication Dormant, which they call Bullam Caenoe; in which Nauarrus reckons vp so many hooks, with which it takes hold, that eueryevery honest man, and good subiect with vsus now, ought to be affraide, least he hauehave not incurred it, since all they are within the danger thereof, that adhere to any, who hath bu… offended a Cardinall: of whose safety the popes are growne so carefull, that in the later Decretals it is made treason, euen in a stranger and no sub…ect;In septimo. Tit 4. c. 3. If he hauehave any kind of knowledge, or coniectu…e of any harme, intended to any of them. Hiero. Gigas de laesa ma. l. 1.And the Emperour himselfe if he abett, or receiue, or fauour, or countenance any that doth, or intends personall harme to a Cardinall, Rubr. 4. q. 5. nu. 10.becomes a traytor. For they are the eldest sonnes of the Church, Ibid. nu. 2.and partake p. 37of the Maiesty of their father. Nor are they brethren to any of lesse ranke, but to such, their stile is but vester vti frater, Ante. librum Schultingij… To. 1as Baronius writes to Schultingius his abbreuiator. And though Bishops and the Emperour swear fidelity to the pope; yet,Vbi supra. n. 6. saies Gigas, the Cardinals doe not take that oa…h, because they are parts of his body, and his owne Bowels.

34 And n…t onelyonly all princes are bound to a reuerend respect of them, but aaParis crassus De ceremo. Episcop. li. 2. ca. 42in solemne processions, the Image of Christ must looke backward, if a Cardinall follow; and God himselfe in the Host, must giuegive them place: for at the Coronation of the pope, bbCerem. Sacrae. cap. de consecrat. fo 36.when they prouide twelue horses for the Pope, and one gentle one for the Host, the dignity of the place being measured by the nearenesse to the Popes person; the Cardinals place is, to ride betweene the Host and the Pope. And in their mysterious passages vponupon Ash-wednesday, ccPar. crass l. 2. c. 43.when the Pope laies the ashes vponupon a Cardinall, he saies not to him, as to all others, Memen…o homo, quia Cinis es, but quia puluis es: Intimating perchance, that they are neuer so burnt to ashes, but that the fires of lust or ambition are still aliue in them. To which, I thin…e there was some regard had, when it was so wisely prouided, ddIdem. l. 5. c. 27that when a Cardinall did celebrate masse, there might enter no woman, nor man without a beard.

35 Nor doth the Pope improuidently, in aduancing them with these dignities and priuiledges, p. 38nor in multiplying their number, so directly against the Councell of Basil, eeConc. Basil. Sess 23. cap. de num…. et qualit. Card.which limits them to twentie foure (except, vponupon vniting the Greek Church, it might be thought fit to add two more) and forbids expresly any Nephues of the Popes to be admitted. For no excesse in number, ffAluares sp…cutr Dig. c. 1.24. n. 15(though they were returned to two hundred and thirty at once, as they are said to hauehave beene in Pontianus his time; and though he should pile them vp, and throw them downe, as fast as those Popes which created sixe and twenty in one day,Theod. a Niem. de sc…sm. l. 1, cap 12. & 57. and executed sixe in another) could disaduantage that Sea of Rome, if they might be prouided out of the states of other Princes (as in a great measure they are) since the Church is their heyre, and they are all but stewards for her. Of which the Pope gaue a dangerous instance, when he put in his claime for the kingdome of Portugall, Conestaggio della vnione di port. Et custig. l. 3. in princip.because the last king was a Cardinall. These p…inces, no secular prince may dare to offend, nor subiect adhere to him, if he doe, vponupon danger of that Bull: and yet they are made Iudges of the actions of all Princes,R…sp. ad Card. Colum. nu. 31. as Baronius saies; and so oppressed with infinit suits against Princes, that it may be fitly sa…d of them, which Iob saies,Iob. 26, 5.Job 26:5 Ecce genuit gigantes sub aquis, & qui habitant cum eis: which wordes the Cardinals will not thanke Baronius for applying to them, if they consider that Lyra interprets this place of Gyants drowned in the flood, and p. 39now damn'd and lamenting in hell. But now, a Cardinall cannot chuse but bee a person of great holinesse and integritie,Inseptimo. Tit. 4. ca. 4. since there is a Decretall in a gen…rall Councell, and a Bull of Leo the tenth, which doe not only Hortari, and Mouere, but Statuere, and Ordinare, that eueryevery Cardinal shall be of good life.

36 And as these censures and Excommunications of the Pope, inuolue all causes, so doe they all persons, except the Pope himselfe, and such companie, as the Canons hauehave appointed him in this e…emption, which are,Nauar. Manu. ca. 27. n. 13. Locusts, …nfid…ls, and the Diuell. For these, and the Pope, sayes Nauarrus, cannot be Excommunicated: Yet as in their exorcismes of persons possessed, it is familiar to them, when the Diuell is stubborne, to call him aaMenghi. Flagel. Daemo. fo. 42.Heretique, and bbfo. 79.Excommunicate, so some Popes hauehave kept him companie in both those titles. And as they cal their Hermits Locusts (because as it is in Salomon, Prou. 30.27.Prov 30:27They hauehave no Kings, yet they goe forth by bands) and accordingly the Hermits are subiect to no Superiour, and in that sense Locusts, as their owne Glosser stiles them:16. q. 1. qui uere. gl…s. verbo. …ere. so may they prodigally extend the name and priuiledge of Ine…communicable Locusts, to many in the other Orders, since as the Hermits hauehave no kings, so many of the others wish, that none else had any King, and doe their best end…uour by au…ling them, to bring them into contempt, and to an nihilate their dignitie and them.

p. 40In Epist. cius ms37 He that should compare the stile of Thomas Becket to his King (Olim seruus, nunc in Christo Dominus) with that of Dauid, after he knew Saule to be reproued by God, and himselfe anoynted, (After whom is the King of Israel come out? After a dead Dogge, and after a Flea?) Would suspect that this difference of st…le, was not from one Author. Saint Chrisostome notes, that euen to Nabuchonozor, Chrisost. ad Pop. Antioch. Ho. 23.who persecuted them for their faith, they which were condemned, said: Notum sit tibi Rex; and would not offer to the Tyrant, that contumelious name. And to prophane and irreligious Princes, God himselfe in his Bookes, affoords one of his owne names, Christ.

38 What high stiles did many Christian and Orthodoxe Emperours assume to themselues? The Law stiles the Emperour, aaDlg. li. 31. Ti. 1. l 87. §. Imperator.Sanctissimum Imperatorem. And his priuiledges, bbDig. l. 1. Tit. 4. Le. 3.Diuinas Indulgentias. So Gratian and his Colleagues in the Empire, in the first Law of the Code, call their ccCod. l. 1. Tit. 1. L. 1.Titus 1Motus animi, Caeleste arbitrium. And Theodosius and Valentinian making a Law with a non obstante, preclude all dispensations, which the Emperours themselues might graunt, in these words, ddCod. l. 1. Tit. 2. Lc. 10.Titus 2Si Caeleste proferatur Oraculum, aut Diuina pragmatica Sanctio. So also Theodosius and Arcadius, when they make a Law for dispatch of Suites, begin thus,eeCod. l. 1. Tit. 4 L. 3. Nemo deinceps tardiores affatus nostrae Perennitatis expectet. And Iustinian in the inscription of one of his p. 41owne Lawes, ins…rts amongst his owne Ti…les, ffCod l. 1. Tit. 15 Le. 3.S…mper Adorandus Augustus. And in a Lawe of Monasteriall, and Matrimoniall causes, (which are now onelyonly of spirituall Iurisdiction) he threatens, that if any Bishop infringe that Law, ggCod. l. 1. Tit. 3. L. 55 §. His ita.Titus 3Quam nostra sanxit Aeternitas Capitis supplicio ferietur. In which stile also Theodosius and Arcadius ioyne, hhCod. l. 11. Tit. 9. l. 2.Adoraturus aeternitat…m vestr…m di…igatur. And an other proceedes somewhat further, iiCod l. 1. Tit. 2. Leg. 8.Titus 2Beneficio numinis nostri. And Theodosius, and Valentinian deliuer it more plainely, kkCod. l. 1. Tit. 1. L. 3.Titus 1Vt sciant omnes, quantum nostra Diuinitas auersatur Nestorium; and so in fauour of the puritie and integritie of Christian Religion, in contemplation whereof, it seemes they were Religiously exercised, euen at that time, when hee assum'd these high st…les, they proceede in the same Law, We anathematize all Nestorius followers, according to those things which are already constituted A Diuinitate nostra. And Constantius, and Irene write themselues Di…os; and the…r owne Acts, Diualia … And this, Pope Adrian, to whom they writ, r…prehended not;Carol Mag. l. 1. c 1. & 3. but the Emperour Charles did, and another phrase of as much exorbitance, which was, Deus qui nobis conregnat.

39 The highest that I hauehave obser…ed any of our Kings to hauehave vsed,Glouer de Nobilit. fol. 75. is in Edward the fourth, who in his creation of Marques Dor…e…, speakes thus of himselfe, Cum n…stra Maiestas, ad Regium Culmen subl…ata existat; and after, Tantum sp…endoris p. 42nostri nomen. Cassanaeus catal Glor. par. 5. consid. 30.But a little before his time Baldus gaue as much to the king of France, as euer any had;Alu…res specul. vtri Dign. Epist. ad Mariam for he said he was in his kingdome, Quidam Corporalis Deus. And in our present age, a Roman Author in a Dedication of his booke, thus salutes our Queene Mary: because your Highnesse is the strongest bul-warke of the Faith, Tua N…mina supplex posco;Oratio Coesarij a Branhed…ro in subscriptione. which is also at…ributed to the Emperour in a late Oration to him, and to other Princes. And in some Funerall Monuments of Queene Maries time, I hauehave read this inscription; Di…is Philippo & Maria Regibus, Bell. R…cogn. fo. 2.which word Di…us, Bellarmine values at so high a rate, that he repents to hauehave bestowed it vponupon any of the Saints; and therefo…e in his la…e Recognition blots it out: which tendernesse in him, another Ies…ite since disallowes, and iustifies the vse of the worde against Bellarmines squeamish abstinence;S…rarius litaneuticus. l. 2. q. 6 because the worde, saies Se…arius, may be vsed aswel as temple or as fortune, which are also Ethnique wordes. But by his leaue he is too hasty with the Cardinall, who do…h not refuse the word, because the Ethniques vsed it, but because they appointed it onelyonly to their Gods; Bellarmine insimulates al them, which allow that worde to Saints, of making Saints Gods.

40 And though in some of these Ti…les of great excesse, which these Emp…rous ass…'d to themselues; we may easily discerne some impressions p. 43of Gentilisme, which they retain'd sometimes, after Christian Religion had receiued roote amongst them; as they did also their Gladiatorie spectacles, and other wastefull prodigalities of mens liues; and Bondage and seruility, and some other such: yet neither in them, nor in other Princes, is the danger so great, if they should continue in them, as it is in the Bishoppes of Rome. For Princes, by assuming these Titles, do but draw men to a iust reuerence, and estimation of that power, which subiects naturally know to be in them: but the other, by these Titles seeke to build vp, and establish a power, which was euer litigious and controuerted, either by other Patriarchs, or by the Emperours: for Bellarmine hauing vndertaken to proue the Pope,De Pont. Ro. li. 2. c. 12. to be Peters successor in the Ecclesiastique Monarchy (which Monarchy it selfe is denyed, and not onelyonly the popes right to it) labors to proue this assumption, by the fifteene great names,Ibid. ca. 3…. which are attributed to the Popes.

41 And the farthest mischiefe, which by this excesse Princes could stray into, or subiects suffer, is a deuiation into Tyranny, and an ordinary vse of an extraordinary power and prerogatiue, and so making subiects slaues, and (as the Lawyers say) Personas Res. But by the magni…ying of the Bishoppe of Rome with these Titles, our religion degenerates into superstition; which is a worse p. 44danger: and besides our temporall fortunes suffer as much danger and detriment, as in the other; for P…inces by their lawes worke onelyonly vponupon the faculties and powers of the soule, and by reward and punishment, they encline or auert our dispositions to a louelove or feare. But those Bishopps pretend a power vponupon the substance of our soules, which must be in their disposition, for her condition and state in the next life. And therefore to such as claime such a power, it is more dangerous to allow and countenance any such Titles, as participate in any significa…ion of Diuinity.

42 For since they make their Tribunall and Consistory the same with Christ, since they say aaEpist. …ij 2. ad NorinbergensesIt is Heresie and Treason to decline the Popes iudgement, per ludibria friuolarum Appellationum, ad futurum Concilium, as one Pope saies; since they teach, bbMaynardus De priuileg. Eccles. art. 27. n 15that one may not appeale from the Pope to God himselfe; ccPar. Crassus de Ceremo. Episcop. & Card. l. 1 c. 5 & cap. 22.since they direct vsus to bow at the name of Iesus, and at the name of the Pope, but not at the name of Christ; for that being the name of Annointed, it might induce a reuerence to Princes (who partake that name) if they should bow to that name; since they esteeme their lawes Diuine, not as Princes doe, by reason of the power of God inherent in all iust lawes, and by reason of the common matter and subiect of all such lawes (which is publique vtility and generall good) but because their lawes are in particular dictated by the holy Ghost, p. 45and therefore it is Blaspemy and sinne against the holy Ghost to violate any of them;25. q. 1. violatores. since themselues make this difference betweene the name of God, as it is giuen to Princes, and as it is giuen to them: that Princes are called Dij laicorum, and they Dij principum; since to proue this,Maynard… de priuileg. Eccles. ar. 14. nu. 1 they assume a power aboue God, to put a new sense into his word, which they doe, when they proue this assertion out of these words in Exodus; Dijs non detra…es, & principi populi non maledices, Exo. 22Exod 22for by the first, they say, the popes are vnderstood, and by the second princes; when as Saint Paul himselfe applies the latter part to the high priest, and their expositor Lyra, Act. 23.5. Lyra in …unc locum & Eman. Sâ.Acts 23:5and the Iesuite Sâ, interpret the first part of this Scripture of Iudges: Since, I say, they entend worse ends then Princes doe, in accepting or assuming like Titles; and since they worke vponupon a more dangerous and corruptible subiect, which is the Conscience and Religion; since they require a stronger assurance in vsus by faith; since they threaten greater penalties in any which doubt thereof, which is damnation; the popes cannot be so excuseable in this excesse as princes may be. And yet princes neuer went so farre as the popes hauehave done, as we shall see, when we come to consider the title and power of spirituall princes.

All this I say, not to encourage princes to returne to those stiles, which Christian humilitie hath made them dis-accustome, and leaue off, p. 46and which could not be reassum'd without much scandall, but to shew the iniquitie and peruersnesse of those men, who thinke great Titles belong to Kings, not as Kings, but as Papisticall Kings.

43 For so at a Consultation of Iesuites in the Tower, in the late Queenes time, I saw it resolued, that in a Petition to bee exhibited to her, shee might not be stiled Sacred. Serarius Litaneutic. l. 2. q. 4. n. 4.Though one of their owne Order hauehave obserued that attribute to bee so cheape, that it was vsuall to say, Sancti Patres conscripti, and Sacratissimi Quirites, and Sanctissimi Milites. And our English Iesuites vse to aggrauate her defection much, by that circumstance, that shee had beene Consecrated, and pontifically Anoynted, and inuested at her Coronation, and therefore was Sacred.

44 How great a detestation they had of her Honour, and of all Princes which professe the same Religion that shee did, appeares in no one such thing more, then in Quirogaes expurgatorie Index, where admitting all the reprochfull calumnies of Eunapius against Martyrs,Index Expurg. Hispan. fo. 92. whose reliques he cals Salita Capita, with other opprobrious contumelies, they hauehave onelyonly expunged an Epistle of Iunius to her, in which there was no words concerning Religion, but onelyonly a gratulation of her Peace, and of her Learning; which also they hauehave done in Serranus his Edition of Plato. Ibid. fol. 150.And p. 47as God hath continued his fauours showen to her, vponupon her successour, so hauehave they their malice: For in the second Tome of that worke,Ibid. fol. 151. they hauehave taken away an Epistle Dedicatorie to his Maiestie, that now is.

45 And as in many of their Rules, for that Dissection and Anatomising of Authours, they hauehave prouided that all Religion, and all prophane knowledge shall depend vponupon their will: So hauehave they made a good offer, that all cariage of State businesse shall bee open to them,Instruct. circa. lib. corrig. §. 10. by expunging all such sentences, as instructor remember Princes, in that learning, which those Rules cals Rationem status, and which (because Italians hauehave beene most conuersant therein) is vulgarly called Ragion di stato. For this Ragion di stato, is, as the Lawyers call it, Ius Dominationis; And as others call it, Arcana Imperij. And it pretends no farther but to teach, by what meanes a Prince, or any Soueraigne state, may best exercise that power which is in them, and giuegive least offence to the Subiects, and yet preserue the right and dignitie of that power.

46 For it is impossible, that any Prince should proceede in all causes & occurrences, by a downright Execution of his Lawes: And he shall certainely be frustrated of many iust and lawfull ends, if he discouer the way by which he goes to them. And therefore these disguisings, and auerting p. 48of others from discerning them, are so necessarie, that though, In Genere rei, they seeme to be within the compasse of deceite and falshood, yet the end, which is, maintenance of lawfull Authoritie, for the publike good, iustifies them so well, that the Lawyers abhorre not …o giuegive them the same definition (with that Addition of publike good) which they doe to deceit it selfe. For they define Ragion di stato to be, Cumaliud agitur, aliud simulatur, bono publico.

Soto de teg. secret. memb. 3. q. 3 Ad tertium.47 And the Romane Authors doe not onelyonly teach, that deceit is not Intrinsecè malum, but vponupon that ground and foundation, they build Equiuocation, which is like a Tower of Babel, both because thereby they get aboue all earthly Magistracie, and because therein no men can vnderstand one another. Nor can there be a better example giuen of the vse of this Ragion di stato, then their forbidding it… Because nothing conduces more to the aduancing of their strength, then that Princes should not know, or not vse their owne, or proceede by any wayes remou'd from their discernings. Indeed those bookes of Expurgation, are nothing else but Ragion di stato: That is, a disguised and dissembled way, of preferring their double Monarchie. And they that fordid Princes the lawfull vse of these Arcana Imperij, practise for their owne ends, euen Flagitia Imperij, which are the same things, when they exceede p. 49their true endes (which are iust authority, and the publique good) or their lawfull waies to those ends, which should euer be within the compasse of vertue, and religion.

48 Of which sort are all those enormous dispensations from Rome, which no interpretation nor pretence can iustifie… as (to omit some sacrilegious and too immodest licenses) that of Gregory the third is one, who writ to Boniface his Legate in Germany, Carranza Sum. Concil. fo. 353.that they, whose wiues being ouertaken with any infirmity, would not reddere Debitum, might marry other wiues: which Binius hath wisely left out.

49 But they are in these expurgations iniurious also to the memorie of dead princes: for aaHispanic. Ind. fo. 148.they will not admit our k. Edward the sixt, to be said to be Admirandae indolis, nor the Duke of bbIbid…m.Wittenberg praeclarus. They will not allow ccIdem. fo. 93.Vlrichus Huttenus to be called A learned Knight: no, ddId. fo. 148.neither him, nor Oebanus Hessus to be so much as good poets. But with the same circumspection, that the eeInd. Belg. …o. 146Belgique Index could add to Borrhaeus writing vppon Aristotles politiques, in this sentence, Religionis cura semper pertinuit ad principes, this clause, & Sacerdotem; the ffInd. Hisp. fo. 158.Spanish Index dooth mutilate Velcurio vponupon Liuy, and from this sentence (the fift age was decrepite vnderunder the Popes and Emperours) takes out the Popes, and leaues the Emperours obnoxious to the whole imputation. And as with extreame p. 50curious malignity, they hauehave watched that none of our side be celebrated, so hauehave they spied some inuisible dangers, which the Popes honor might incurre: and therfore as the ggFol. 93.Spanish Copie, hath before Luthers name expunged the letter D, least it might intimate Doctor, or Diuus; so the hhFo. 154.Duch Copie, hauing found nothing to quarrel at in Schonerus the Mathematician, expunges in many places a great D. at beginning of Diuisions, because in it (as ordinarily those great initiall letters, hauehave some figure) there is imprinted the popes head, and by it the diuell, presenting him a Bull.

50 But this inhumanity of theirs hath not deterr'd Thuanus from his ingenuity, in giuing to all those learned men, whom he hath occasion to mention, the attributes an… epithetes due to their vertues, though they be of a diuers perswasion in Religion from himselfe: But those other men, who in a proude humility will say brother Thiefe, and brother Wolfe, Sedulius Apol. pro. lib. Conform l. 1. c. 12. & l. 3. c. 28and brother Asse, (as Saint Francis (perchance not vn-prophetically) is said to hauehave done) will admit no fraternity nor fellowshippe with Princes.

51 And though the Iesuites by the aduantage of their fourth Supernumerary vow, of sustaining the Papacy, by obeying the Popes will; seeme to hauehave gone further herein then the rest, yet the last Order erected by Philip Nerius, Congregatio Oratorij.which was saide p. 51to hauehave beene purposed to eneruate the Iesuites; and by a continual preaching the liues of Saints, and the Ecclesiastique story, to counterpoise with deuotion, the Iesuites secular and actiue learning, though they set out late, hauehave aemulously endeuoured to ouertake the Iesuites themselues in this doct…ine of auiling Princes:Bozius For Bozius hath made all Princes Tributary or Feudatary to the Pope, if not of worse condition.Gallonius de Cruciat. Martyrum. And Gallonius seemes to hauehave vndertaken the History of the persecutions in the Primitiue Church, onelyonly to hauehave occasion by comparison thereof, to defame and reproach the lawes, and Gouernement of our late Queene.

52 But Baronius more then any other exceeds in this point, for obeying his owne scope and first purpose to aduance the Sea of Rome, he spares not the most obedient childe of that mother, the Catholique King of Spaine: for, speaking of the Title which that King hath to the Kingdome of Sicily, Baron. Annal. To. 11. Ann. 1097. n. 18he imputes thus much to Charles the fift, that being possessed with employments of the fielde, hee gaue way to an Edict, by which, Grande piaculum perpetratur against the Apostolique authority and al Ecclesiastqiue lawes were vtterly dissipated: And that hee ioyned together temporall and spirituall iurisdiction… and pretended a power to excommunicate and to absolue euen Cardinals, Nu 28and the Pop…s Nuncioes, and so, saies he, hath raised another Head of the Church, pro monstro, & ostento. p. 52He addes with extreame intemperance, that this claime to that Kingdome was buried a while, Nu 87.but reuiued againe by Tyrannicall force, by violent grassation, and by the robbery of Princes, who commaunded that to be obeyed as reasonable, which they had extorted by Tyranny. And least hee should not seeme to extend his bitternes to the present time, he saies,Nu. 88. those Princes which hold Sicily by the same reasons, doe imitate those tyrants. And so he imputes vppon all the later kings of Spaine, as much vsupation of Ecclesiastique Iurisdiction, and as monstrous a Title of head of the Church, as euer their malice degorged vppon our king Henrie the eight.

53 And though in some passages of that history, he hath left some wayes to escape,Card. Colum. fo. 158. paris. by laying those imputations rather vponupon the kings officers then vponupon …he king, yet that Cardinall who hath censured that part of his worke, espies his workemanshippe and arte of deceiuing, and therefore tels him, that he hath inuayd against Monarchy it selfe, and all defenders thereof; and that as many, and as great things might be spoken against him … Nor doth Baronius repent that, which hee hath spoken of those kings, but in his answere to this Cardinall; he saies, that if the King were impeccable, if he were an Angell, if he were God himselfe, yet he is subiect to iust reproofe. Nu. 19.And in his Epistle to Phil. 3. in excuse of himselfe, though hee seeme to spare the present p. 53king, yet it is (as he professes) because he hopes that he will relinguish that Iurisdiction in Sicily; els he is subiect to all those reproofs & reproches, which Baro. hath laid vponupon his father and Grandfather.

54 And though this were a great excesse in Baronius, to lay such aspersions vponupon those Princes, yet his malice appeares to bee more generall; for the reason why he makes this pretence so intollerable,Nu. 28. is, because thereby (saies he) that King becomes a Monarch; and there can be no other Monarch in the world, Nu. 31.then the Pope; and therefore that name must be cutte off, least by this example it should propagate, and a whole wood of monarchs should grow vp, to the perpetuall infamy of the Primacy of the Church. And so this care of his, that no Monarches be admitted, implies his confession, that they which are Monarches hauehave right in their Dominions, to all that which those kings claime in Sicily, which is as much as our kings exercise in England, (if Baronius do not exceede in his imputation.)

55 But because there is nothing more tender then honour, which as God will giuegive to none from himselfe, being a iealous God, so neither ought his Vic…gerents to doe; it shall not be an vnseasonable and impertinent, at most, an excuseable and pardonable diuersion, to obserue onelyonly by such impressions, as remaine in the letters betweene the Emperours and Popes, at what times, and vponupon what occasions the Clergie of that Sea p. 54insulted vponupon secular Magistacy; and by what either dilatory circumuentions, or violent irruptions, they are arriued to this enormous contempt of Principality, as of a subordinate instrument of theirs.

56 Before they had much to doe with Emperours, (for they were a long time religiously, and victoriously exercised with suffering) we may obse…ue in Cyprians time,Circa. 240. that he durst speake brotherly and fellowly to that Sea, and intimate the resolu…ions of his Church to that, without asking approbation and strength from thence: for to Pope Stephen, he writes, Stephano fratri; and then Nos qui gubernandae Ecclesiae libram tenemus: Cypr. Epist. 1. ad Steph.and after, Hoc facere te oportet: with many like impressions of equality: But in Fir…ilianus his Epistle to Cyprian, Binius To. 1. fo 191.written in opposition to Stephanus his Epistle; who was growne into some bitternesse against Cyprian, there appeares more liberty: for thus he saies; Though by the inhumanity of Stephen, we hauehave the better tryall of Cyprians wisedome, we are no more beholden to him for that, then we are to Iudas for our saluation. He addes after, That that Church doth in vaine pretend the authority of the Apostles; since in many sacraments Diuinae rei, it differs from the beginning, and from the Church of Hierusalem, and defames Peter and Paul as Authors thereof. And therefore (…aies he) I doe iust…y disdaine the open and manifest …oolishnesse of Stephen, by whom the truth of the Christian p. 55Rocke is abolished. So roundly and constantly were their first attempts and intrusions resisted, and this not onelyonly by this Aduocate of Cyprian, but euen by himselfe also, in as sharpe words as these, in his Epistle to Pompeius.

57 And for their behauiour to the Empero…s, as long as Zeale and Pouertie restrain'd them, it cannot be doubted, but that they were respectiue enough. The preambulatorie Letters before the Councell of Chalcedon, Anno 451.testifie it well: Where the Letters of the Emperours,Binius To. … i… Princip. yea, of their Wiues, are accepted by the name of Diuales, and Sacrae literae, and Diuinae syllabae. And about the same time, Leo the Pope writing to Leo the Emperour, he sayes;Epist 73. Anno 457. Hanc Paginam necessariae supplicationis adieci; And in the next Epistle but one, Literas Clementiae tuae veneranter accepi, quibus cuperem obedire. So also Felix the third, to Zeno the Emperour, cals himselfe Famulum vestrum, Epist. 2. Circa 527.and such demissions as these; Liceat, venerabilis Imperator, exponere; And, Per mei Ordinis paruitatem audias, are frequent in him.Anno 530. And in Iustinians time, which was presently after, that Church sensible of the vse and neede, which it had of his fauour, so hee would be content to extend to their benefit, prescription, which before was limited in thir…ie yeares, to a hundred, neuer grudged at t…e phrase and language of his Law,Autent. Coll. 2. prefa…o …. by which he affoorded the Church that priuiledge, though it were very p. 56high; Being willing to illustrate Rome, Lege specialj nostri Numinis, That that Church may eternally by this, remember the prouidence of our Gouernement, we graunt, &c.

58 And Gregorie the first was, out of his wisedome at least,…. 2. Epist. 62. if not Deuotion, as temperate as the rest, when he w…it to the Emperour Maurice, to sweeten and modifie that Law, which forba… some persons to enter into Monasteries; For there he cals himselfe Famulum, and Seruum: And addes this, Whiles I speake thus with my Lords, What am I, but dust and wormes?To. 2. fo. 770.…. And though Binius is loth to pardon him this duetifulnesse, and respect to his Princes, and there…ore sayes, That he protested in the begining of that Letter, that hee spoke not as a Bishop, but Iure priuato, An. 593. n. 17.And so out of Baronius, he sayes, That he plaide another part, as vponupon a stage: Yet, if he wore this maske and disguise cleane through the Epistle, then he spoke personately, and dissemblingly, as well with Christ, as with the Emperour, when he sayes: I, the meanest of Christs s…ruants and yours. Nor do I thinke that Binius or Baronius would say, that he spoke personately of the Execution of the Emperours Law, but that hee had truely done as he said: I hauehave done all which I ought to doe… for I hauehave both performed my obedience to the Emperor, and I hauehave vttered that which I thought fit concerning God. And he was wisely careful that his Letter to the Emperour, concerning his opnion p. 57of the iniquitie of that Law, should not come to the Emperours inopportunely, nor as from a person of equall ranke to him; and therefore he forbids his own Responsall (for the dignitie of a Nuncio, was not yet in vse) to deliuer it, but sends it to the Emperours Phisitian, because saith he,…. 2. Epist. 65. Theodo. Medico. Vestra Gloria, may secretly, at some conueniet time, offer him this suggestion; And that this Phisitian might be confident in this employment, he assures him of his affection and Allegeance to his Prince, by this Confession, God hath appointed the Emperour to rule, not onelyonly Souldiours (which were the persons forbid in that Law) but also Priests (whose priuileges seem'd to be impayr'd thereby.)

59 With like respect doth one of his successors Vitalian, Epist. 2. An…o. 655.write to Vaanus, who was Cubi…ularius, et Chartularius Imperialis, to mediate & prouide, that a Bishoppe vniustly deposed, might be restored. And to him the Pope affoords this stile, Celsitudo vestra, and addresses the depos'd Bishop, Ad vestra ambulaturum vestigia, and promises that they both shall all the daies of their liues, pray to God for the prosperity, and long liuing Suae excellentissimae Charitatis.

60 And in all this course of time, the Popes, some out of a iust contemplation of their duety, some out of the neede, which they had of the Emperours, from whom they receiued daily some additions to their immunities and exemptions, p. 58were agreeable and appliable enough to them. And when Italy suffered a dereliction, by the absence of the Emperours in the East, and thereby was prostituted and exposed to barbarous Inuaders, the Bishoppes of this Citie, which was the fairest marke to inuite the Lumbards and the rest, solicited those Easterne Emperours to their succour, with all sweetnesse and humility; but at last, desperate of such reliefe, casting their eyes vppon the mightiest kingdome of the West, they inuited the French to their succour.

Epist. 2.61 And at this time came from them those lamentable supplications, which Stephen the third sent to Pipin and Carloman: In the first whereof, he vrges them with their promise of certaine lands, by them vowed to the Church: And hauing called them, Dominos excellentissimos, and spiritualem Compatrem, and prepared them with wordes of much sweetenesse, Mellifluam bonitatem, Mellifluos obtutus, and such, hee comes to the point: That which you hauehave offered to Peter by promise, you ought to deliuer him in profession, least when the Porter of heauen, the Prince of the Apostles, at the daie of iudgement shall shew your hand-writing you be put to make a more strict account with him. So therefore he felt and lamented their slackenes in endowing the Church; yet at that time he would not vndertake to be the Iudge, nor make the Camera Apostolica the Court; but he referres it to Saint Peter, and to the last p. 59day, and onelyonly remembers them, That Dominus per meam humilitatem, mediante B. Petro, vos vnxit in reges.

62 The next letter written in the person of the Pope, and all the Romane people, and Romane armie, et omnium in afflictione positorum, is an earnest and violent coniuration; per Deum viuum vos coniuro, Saue vsus, most Christian Princes before we perish; the soules of all the Romans hang vponupon you, and so forth. And when all this did not effectually stirre them to come, as the letter solicited, Cum nimia festinatione; then came a third letter in the name and person of Saint Peter himselfe,Epist. 4. in this stile: I Peter the Apostle, and by me all the Catholique Romane Church, Head of all the Churches of God, vobis viris excellentissimis. I Peter, exhort you, my adopted Sonnes, to defend that house, where I rest in my flesh: and with me Marie, with great Obligations, Aduises, and Protests, and so forth. And whatsoeuer you shall aske of me, I will giuegive you. If you doe not performe this, know ye, that by the authoritie of the Apostleshippe giuen me by Christ, you are alienated from the Kingdome of God, and from life euerlasting.

63 And when Stephen the fourth came to that Sea, and tha… the sonnes of these Princes beganne to incline to ally themselues by marriage with the Lombards; the Pope seeing then his whole temporal …ortune at the stake, neglects no way of withdrawing them, from that inclination: hee p. 60saies therefore, Saint Peter, by our vnhappines, beseecheth your Excellence: Epist. Steph. 4. ad C…rol. et Ca…lom. An. 831and then, vouchsafe to bend your eares, inspired by God, to our Petition, and to him whom we hauehave sent, ad Regale vestrum Culmen. And then, in an inconstant distemper, he threatens, and he promises in S^t. Peters name, as bitterly, and as liberally, as his predecessor had bid S. Peter himselfe to doe, in the former Epistle.

64 And when these Princes after much entreaty, had deliuered Italy from the infestation of the Lombards, and deuided the profite and spoile with the Church, and that that Sea had reco…ered some breath and heart, then their Bishopps began to reprehend with some bitternesse, the Easterne Emperours: And then came that notorious letter of Nicholas to Michael the Emperour;Nichol. Epist. circa. 874. In which though he stile him, Superatorem Gentium, pr…ssimum filium, Dulcissimum, Tranquillissimum (for as yet hee doubted that he might be necessary to him) yet he cals him also Golias, and himselfe Hymnidicum Dauidem. And part of the quarrell was, because the Emperour had written Insolentia quae…am, cert…ine vnusuall phrases: which were, …ussimus, vt quosdam ad nos mitteretis: for, saies Nicholas, Honorius said to Boniface, Petimus; and other Emp…rours, Inuitamus, and Rogamus, and Constantine and Irene, Rogamus, magis quidem Dominus Deus rogat: which phrase, though Charles the great, at that time,… 1. … 4. when it was written, rep…ehended, and allowed p. 61a whole Chapter in his booke for the reproofe thereof, yet not onelyonly that Pope dissembled it, but this drawes it into example and precedent.

65 And in this letter the Pope giues the Emperour some light, that hee is not long to enioy the stile of Romane Emperour; for he hauing despised the Romane tongue as Barbarous, (as eueryevery Prince loues to be saluted in his owne, or in an equall language) the Pope replies: That if hee call the Romane tongue barbarous, because …ee vnderstands it not, it is a ridiculous thing, to call himselfe Romane Emperour.

66 And thus hauing at once receiued and recompensed a benefite, by concurring in the aduancement of the French to the Empire, they kept good hold vponupon that Kingdome, by continuall correspondencies, and by interceding with those Kings, for p…rdons and fauours, when any delinquents fled ouer to them, and by aduising them in all emergent causes, and by doing them many seruices in Italy, and so establishing the Empire in that family, vponupon good conditions to them both. For so Iohn the eight writes to Charles, as well to refresh his benefit in his memorie, as the reasons that moued him to conferre it. Well knowes your Kingly Highnesse, Epist. 216.that I was desirous a long time, for the profit and exaltation of the Apostolicke Sea, to bring you Ad Culmen Imperij. And as p. 62we with all our endeuour, hauehave desired to giuegive perfection to your Honour and glorie, you also must performe those things, which are profitable to the vtiliti… and exalt…tion of that Seate. And there he addes, That for Conference about that, he came to meete him at Rauenna, leauing his owne Church in the cruell hands of enemies. And in the next Epistle, he sends to the same purpose his Nephew Faru…fus, Epist. 217.Deliciosum consiliarium nostrum; Becau…e, sa…es he in anoth…r place, We desire greedily to accomplish this. And yet at this very time,Epist. 230. for his better indemnitie, hee practis'd with the Esterne Emperour, and kept faire quarter with him also, as appeares by his Letter to him.

Epist. 251.67 Hauing thus establish'd a stronger reputation, and laide earnest Oblig…tions vponupon France, and by example and authoritie thereof, in other places also, they beganne to feele their st…ength, and to draw their swords as farre as they would goe, which was to excommunication, euen in France it selfe.

68 But because in the excommunications issuing in …hese times, and in the ti…es betweene this, and Gregory the seuenth, and perchance in some b…fore this time, there is found often mention of p…nishment after e…communication… whi…h hath occasioned some to erre in an opinion, that besides spi…ituall c…nsures, temporall penalties were al…o inflicted vponupon p…iuate persons, p. 63and consequently eradication vponupon Princes, we w…l arrest, and stay a little vppon the stile and phrase of some of those excommunications, by which it wil appeare, that they intended nothing but spirituall punishment.

69 The first which I hauehave obserued, is a letter of Innocent the first,Epist. 30. to Arcadius the Emperour, whom he thought guilty of the eiecting & of the death of Chrysostome: His words are; Ego minimus & peccator, segrego te a perceptione mysteriorum Christi. This then went no farther then to depriue him of spirituall foode, and the Pope (if tha… Epistle be genuine) was very hasty in it; for the Emp…rour discharged himselfe presently, by pleading ignorance of the fact; which that Bishoppe ought to hauehave tried, before hee had proc…eded to excommunic…tion. Chrysostome himselfe, whose quarrell it was,De verb. Esaiae. Hom. 4 To. 1. …o. 207. had taught s…fficiently the limits of that iurisdict…n; for he said, When the Pri…st had reprehended Ozias, De spreto Sacerdotio, he could doe no more; for it is his part onelyonly to reprooue, and to perswade, not to stirre warre: and he addes, that God himselfe (to whom onelyonly it belongs to punish so) inflicted a leprosie vponupon the King, in which (saies he) we see Humanitatem Diuinae ultionis, who sent not lightning, nor shaked the earth, nor moued the Heauens: So farre was Chrysostome from counsayling any such punishment, as should be accompanied with tumult.

p. 6470 And so a iust estimation, and true vnderstanding of their liberties, in Ecclesiastique causes, were the Fathers in the Councell at Ephesus arriued,Binius To. 1. …ol. 803. when in that Synodicall Letter to the Emperour, which they call, Libellum supplicem, they make this protestation, The scope of our profession prouides, that we be obedient to all Princes and Potentates, as long as that obedience brings no detriment to our Soul… health; but if it come to that, we must dare to vse our libertie, Aduersus Regium fastigium. And how farre, may this courage and libertie carie vsus, if the Prince command any thing in detriment of our soule? As farre, as tho…e Fathers durst aduenture vponupon that ground, which they expressed thus to the Emperour, If you approue the banishment of C…rill and Memnon, which were banished by persons Excommunicate, then know you, that we are ready, with that alacritie which becomes Christians, to vndergoe any danger with them, that is, to suffer as they goe.

71 But about this time of Iohn 8. it was very frequent, that Excommunications had a farther comminatorie clause.Ep…st. 123. For so, against a Bastard of Lotharius, who had broke an Oath made to a French King, he sayes, VVe depriue him of all Christian Comunion, Ep…st. 165. L…i…es…ido.and if he perseuer, let him know, that Anathematis vinculis innodabitur. So to an Earle and h…s Lady, which had seduced a Nunne from her profession, …e sayes, We seperate them from the p. 65body and blood, and all fellowship with Christians, and if they neglect to restore her, Anathemate innodamus. So in the next Epistle he threatens a Bishop, Epist. 166. V…iberto.that refus'd to come to him, Know that you are to be Excommunicate, and if you perseuer, A Communione alienandus. And against another Bishop, and his whole charge he pronounces Priuation from the Communion, seperation from the Church, and except they conuert, Maioris damnationis sententiam, and with such as these, his time abounds.

72 And his predecessour Adrian the second,Epist. 18. had gone thus farre towards the King of France, when hee attempted to inuade his Brothers Dominion, VVe admonish you, by our Apostolique Authoritie, and by all spirituall meanes, which we may vse, we perswade you, and in a Fatherly effection command you to forbeare; els…, we will performe t…at which belongs to out Ministerie. Epist. 24.But in another letter to his Nobles, he threatens them, That if they aide the Father to warre against the Sonne, who was then in his displeasure, They shall not onelyonly be enwrapp'd in the bands of Excōmunication, but cast into hell, Vinculis Anathema…is. And this Iohn the eight,Ep…st 28. at the same time when he alowes him all due attributes, & desires him to incline his sacredeares to him, Epist. 42.threatens Charles himself, that if he restore not certain things, taken from a Nunnerie, by a certaine day, He should bee Excommunicate till restitution, and if, being thus lightly touch…d, he repented not, Durioribus verberibus erudie…dus erat.

p. 6673 So that whether this farther punishment were no other, then that which is now called excommunicatio Maior, or that which is called in the Canons Anathema maranatha, the denouncing of which, and the absoluing from it, was acted with many …ormalities,21. q. 3. cum aliquis. and solemnities, and had many ingredients, of burning tapers, and diuers others, to which none could be subiected without the knowledge of the Arch-Bishoppe,11. q. 3. Nemo. it appeares that it now here extends to temporall punishment, or forfaitures and confiscations.

Anno 1063.74 Of which there appeares to me no euidence, no discernable impression, no iust suspition, till Gregory the seuenths time: And then, as it may well be said of Phalaris his letters, that they were al writ for execution, and of Brutus his letters, that they were all Priuy Seales for money: so may wee …ay of Gregories iudging, by the frequency thereo…, that they were all cholerique excommunications; and that with Postscripts worse then the body of the letter; which were Confiscations, neuer found in his predecessors, which should hauehave beene his precedents.

75 And for this large and new addition of Eradication, I. 2. Ep. 5.hee first threatned it to the Fench King, and then practised it effectually vponupon the Emperour. To the Bishoppes of France he writes, That their King Philip is not to be called King, but a Tyrant, which by perswasion of the Diuel is become the p. 67cause and the head of all mischiefe: Therefore (saies he) all you must endeauour to bow him. (And thus farre his Pastorall care might binde him) And to shew him, that he cannot escape the sword of Apostolique animadu…rsion (and thus farre his iealousie of his spiritual Primacy might excuse him.) But when he adds, Depart from communion with him, and obedience to him, forbid Diuine Seruice throughout all France, and if he repent not, we will attempt to take the Kingdome from his possession they are wordes of Babel, Li. 2. Ep. 18.which no man at that time vnderstood: yet he writes in the same tenour to the Earle of Poicton, That if the king perseuere, both he and all which giuegive any obedience to him, shall be sequestred from the communion of the Church, by a Councell to be held at Rome. So assuredly, and confidently could hee pronounce before hand of a future determination in a Councell there.

76 And of his owne seuerity, vsed towards the Emperour, whom vponupon seuere penances hee had resumed …nto the Church, he blushes not to m…ke an Historical Narration, to the Bishops and Princes of Germany, thus: He stood three daies before the gate, despoiled of all Kingly ornaments, miserable and barefoo…e; till all men wondred at the vnaccustomed hardnesse of our minds. And some cryed out that this was not the grauity of Apostolique seuerity, but almost the cruelty of Tyrannique sauagenesse.

77 And when Rodulphus whom he had setLi. 4. Ep. 12. p. 68vp against the Emperour,Lib. 9. …p. 3. was dead, seeing now, as himselfe confesses, almost all the Italians enclin'd to admit the Emperour Henry, euen they whom he trusted most (for so he saies, …ene omnes nostri fideles) he protesteth that Rodolphus was made without his consent,Li. 9. Ep. 28. Ab vltramont…nis, and that he went to depose him, and to call those Bishops to account which adhered to him… And then he writes to certaine Prelates,L. 9. Ep. 3. to slacken the Election of a new Emperour, and giues instruction what kind of person hee would hauehave to bee elected; One which should be obedient, humbly deuout, and profitable to the Church: and that would take an oath to doe any thing which the Pope would commaund him, in these wordes: Per veram obedientiam; and that hee would be made a Knight of Saint Peter, and of the Pope.

78 But although many watchfull and curious men of our Church, and many ingenious of the Romane, hauehave obse…ued many enormous vsurpations, and odious intemperances in this tempestuous Pope Gregory the seuenth, and amongst them, almost anatomiz'd eueryevery limme of his Story; yet it may bee lawfull for mee, to draw into obseruation, and short discourse, two points thereof, perchance not altogether for their vnworthines, pretermitted by others: Of which the first shall be the forme of the excommunication against Henry, because by that it will appeare what authority hee claimed ouer Princes: And p. 69the other …ha… be …is lette… …o a Bishop, w…o desired to draw from him, some rea…ons by which he might defend that which the Pope h…d done; because by that it will appeare, vponupon what foundations he grounded th…s prete…ce and author…ty.

79 The excōmunica…ion is thus deliuered; Con…tradico ei, Binius. To. 3. fo. 1282. A.I denie him the gouernment of al the kingdom of Germany, & of Italy: and I absolue all Christians, frō the band of the oth, which they hauehave made to him, or shall make: and I forbid any man to serue him as his king: for it is fit, that he which endeuors to diminish the honor of the Church… should loose his owne honour. And because he hath contemned to obey as a Christian, participating with excommunicated persons, and despising my admonitions, and seperating himselfe from the Church, I tie him, in vinculo Anathematis.

By which we see, that he beginnes with Confiscation: And because it had neuer beene heard, that the Popes authority extended beyond Excommunication, therefore hee makes Deposition a lesse punishment then that, and naturally to precede it: for he makes this to bee reason enough, why he should forfait his dignity, because he attempted to dim…nish the Dignity of the Church: But for his Disobedience to the Chu…ch and him, he inflicts Excommunication as the greater, and g…eatest punishment which he could lay vponupon him. And it is of dangerous c…nsequence, if Excommunication b… of so high a nature, and of so vast an ex…ent, p. 70that wheresoeuer it is iustly inflicted, that presupposes Confiscation and Deposition.

80 And another dangerous preiudice to the safet…e of all Princes, ariseth out of this p…ecedent, which is, that hee absolues the Subiects of all Oathes of Alleageance, which they shall make after that Denunciation: For if his successor that now gouernes, shall be pleased to doe the same in England at this time, and so giuegive his partie here such leaue to take the Oath of Alleageance; doth he not thereby vtte…ly frustrate and annihilate all that, which the indulgence of a mercifull Prince, and the watchfulnesse of a diligent Parliament, hauehave done for the Princes safety, and for distinction betweene trayterous and obedient subiects? Yet both this Deposition, and this Absolution of subiects and this Interdiction were all heaped, and amass'd vponupon a Catholique Prince, before the excommunication it selfe, or any other fault intimated the d…minishing of the honour of that Church, …. S. Sp. 21. Episco. Met…ntiand participating with excommunicated persons.

81 And now we may discend to the suruay of that letter, which he writes to a Bishoppe, who desired to hauehave something written by him, wherby he might be help'd and arm'd against such as de…yed that by the authority of that Sea, he could excommunicate that Prince, or absolue his subiects. First therefore he saies, That there are manie, and most certaine Documents in the Scriptures p. 71to that purpose, of which hee cites, … which are ordinarily offered, as Tu es Petrus, and Tibi dabo Claues, and Quodcunqe ligaue…is: and then he askes, Whether Kings be excepted? But, Kings are not excepted; but this proceeding against Kings is excepted: That is, it is not included in that Commission, as hath beene enough and enough proued by many.

82 Then followes that t…stimony of Gelasius a Pope, That Priest-hood is aboue Principality, and that the Bishoppe of Rome is the chiefe Priest, If wee allow both Testem, & Testimonium, yet the c…use is safe; he may be …boue all, in some functions, yet not in temporall.

83 His next authority, is Iulius, another Pope, who expounding the wordes, Tibi dabo Claues, to certaine Easterne Bisho…pes, saies, Shall not …e that opens heauen, iudge of the earth? But this dooth as much destroy all Iudicature and all Magistracy, as iustifie the deposing of …ings.

84 After this, he cites (though not as Gregories words are) a priuiledge graunted by Gregory the fi…st, to a Monasterie and depriuation from secular dignity, and excommunications to any that in …ringe that priuiledge. And this priuiledge Bellarmine also produces, to proue the Popes soueraignty in tempo…all mat…ers. It is the pr…uiledge of the Monastery of S. Medard, De Ponti… l. 1. c. 7. §. Quar…mwhich is in Gregories Epistle: and it is cyted by this other Gregory, L. 2. post. Ep 38.it makes p. 72deposition the lesser punishment, and to precede excommunication, for he sayes; That Gregory though a milde Doctor, did not onelyonly depose, but excommunicate the transgressors: But both this Pope that cytes it, deceiues vsus, by putting in the word Decreuit, as though this had the solemnities of a Popes Decree, which presumes an infallibility, and Bellarmine deceiues vsus, by mutilating the sentence, and ending at that word Honore priuetur: for he that reads the whole sentence, shall see, that all this Decree of Deposition and Excommunication, was no more then a comminatory imprecation, to testifie earnestly the Founders affection to hauehave those priuiledges obserued, and deterre men from violating thereof; as the vehemence and insolent phrase of the Instrument do intimate, by a bitternes vnvsuall in medicinall excommunications: For all the curses due to Heretiques; and all the torments which Iudas endures are imprecated vponupon him; & it is subscribed not only by Gregory, with 30. Bishops, but by a King and a Queene, no competent Iudges (in this Gregories opiniō) of faults punishable by excōmunication.

Li. 11. Ep. 10.85 And the same Pope in erecting of an Hospitall, and endowing it with some immunities, vses the same language, that the infringers thereof, should loose all their power, and honour, and dignity, and after be excōmunicate; and yet this is neuer produced, nor vnderstood to confirme his temporall soueraignty.

…. 96. Constantinus.86 The Donation of Constantine, which was not p. 73much lesse then 300. yeare be…ore this, end in like words: If any man violate this Donation, let him be eternally condemned, let him finde Peter and Paul in this life, and in the next his enemies, and le… him perish with the Diuell and al the reprobate, burning in Inferno inferiore. And wil they from this argue in Constantine a power, to open and shut hel gates? And will they endanger al those Catholique authors to this eternall damnation, which hauehave violated this Donation of Constantine by publique bookes?

87 And …uch a Commination as this of Greg…ry appeares in a Canon of the first Councell at Paris, An. 553. ca. 5 Sumna Carranze.not long before his, where it is threatned, that whoso…uer shall …eceiue a person suspended from the Communion, himself shal be seperated A concordia fratrum, and (as we hope, or trust) shall sustaine the wrath of the eternall iudge for …uer. And (not to insist long vponupon examples of such imprecations) about 160 yeare after Gregory, Paulus 1. erecting a Monastery in his owne house, ma…es this Constitution;Baron.… Annal. To. 9 fo. 319. Anno 761. If any of the Popes, our successors, or any mighty or Inferiour person, of what dignity soeuer, alien any of these things, let him know, that he is anathematiz'd by Christ and Peter, and estr…nged from the Kingdome of God: and that he shall giuegive an account thereof to the Saints, in the day of iudgement: For (sayeth hee) I desire the Iudge himselfe, that hee will cast vppon them the wrath of his power, that their life may bee laborious and mournefull, and they may die consuming, and may bee p. 74burnt eternally with Iudas, in hell fire, in voragine chao… And that they that obserue this Constitution, may enioy all blessednes at the right hand of God.

88 And when in the behalfe of the Kings of Spaine, the same argument is made for them, that because there are many Diplomes extant in Sicily, by which the Kings Anathematise in…ring…rs of their Constitutions, that therefore they exe…cised Spirituall Iurisdiction: Vbi supra.Baronius saies, that this argument is ridiculous, because i… is hard to finde any instrument of Donations from Princes, or from priuate men, or from women; in which these bitter formes of excommunication are not: Which (saies he) do not containe any sentence of excommunication, but Imprecations to deterre other, as eueryevery man was at libertie …o doe, when he made any such graunts. So that Baronius hath laughed out of countenance this argument vponupon Medardus priuiledge, which hath beene so o…en, and so solemnly offered and iterated. And it appeares hereby that the punishments mentioned in these Constitu…ions, were not such as the makers thereo… could inflict, but onelyonly such as …hey wished to fall vponupon them that offended: and such I doubt not, was Gregories Imprecation, in his successors interpretations, that is, that hee wished all Kings to be depriued.

L. 4. Ep. 2.89 His next reason why Princes may be deposed by Priests, is the diuersity of their Beginning and first Institution… for, as before he had said to another p. 75Bishop of the same place, Regall Dignity was found out and inuented by humane pride, but Priests were intituled by the Diuine pietie, So here he repeates it with more contumely; Who knowes not that Kings had their beginnings from those men… who being ignorant of God, and prouoked by the prince of the world the Diuell, through Pride, Rapine, Perfidiousnesse, Murder, and all wickednesse, affected a gouernment ouer their equalls, by a blind Ambition, and intolerable presumption.

90 Then he proceeds to the examples, of Innocent who excomunicated Arcadius, and of Zachary who deposed Childerique. The first of which is not to the purpose, Except Excommunication presume Deposing which Innocent intended not. And the second hath beene abundantly, and satisfactorily spoken to, by very many of ours, and of their owne authors, who determine it roundly,15.9. b. Alius. glo…er. Deposuit. Deposuit, id est, Deponentibus consensit.

91 And therefore insisting little vponupon these, hee makes hast to that wherein he excels, which is, to reproach and debase the State and Order of Kings. For he says, That euen Exorcists (which is no sacred order) are superiour to Princes. Nor is his intemperance therefore excessiue, because hee subiects men to such as are in the way going towards Priesthood, for that will bee still vponupon the old ground, that priesthood is in an incomprehensible distance and proportion aboue principalitie, p. 76but his reasons why Exorcists are aboue Princes, discouers more malignitie to Princes absolutely; which is, That since they are aboue the Diuell himselfe, much more are they Superiour to those which are subiect to the deuill, and members of the deuill. Nor could his argument hauehave any life or force here, except he presum'd Kings to be poysoned & corrupted by the very place, & by the order it selfe; for otherwise, if he meant it onelyonly of vicious Kings, why should he institute this comparison of Exorcists and Kings, since it ought to bee of Exorcists and vicious men? And therefore (as he sayes after in this Ep…stle,) That he finds in his owne experience, that the Papacie either finds good men, or makes them good, and that if they want goodnesse of their owne, they are supplied by their predecessours, and so, Aut Clari eriguntur, aut Erecti illustrantur: So he thinkes either, that onelyonly members of the deuill come to be Kings, or that kings grow to be such, when they are kings. For so much he intimates euen in this place, when hee sayes, In Regall dignitie very few are saued, and from the beginning of the world til now, we find not one King equal in sanctitie to innumerable Religious men. What King hath done any miracles? To what King hauehave Churches or Altars beene erected? How man… Kings are Saints? Whereas, onelyonly in our Sea there are almost a hundred.

92 And thus I thought it fit to runne ouer this Letter, becau…e here s…emes the first fire to p. 77hauehave beene giuen, and the first drop of poyson to hauehave beene instil'd of all those virulenc…es and combustions, with which the later Authours in that Church, are inflam'd and swollen vp, in this point of auiling Princes. Of which ranke, this Pope had respect to none, but those who were really profitable to him: Nor hauehave I obserued any words of sweetenesse in him towards any of them, but onelyonly to our King the Conquerour, and to one King of Spaine. To ours he sayes,L. 1. Epist 70. VVe account you the onelyonly man amongst Kings, that performes his duetie, and this he …ayes, because …e should graunt more to God, and Saint Peter, and Saint Stephen, and be vigilant vponupon Saint Peters estate in England, that he m…ght find him a propitious debter. …. 9. Epist. ….And to the king of Spaine he sayes, The present which you sent me, is so ample, and so magnificent, as became a King to giuegive, and Saint Peter to receiue; and you show by your present, how much you esteeme him.

93 And such Princes as these he was loath to loose: For he accounted that a losse, which now they call the onelyonly perfection, that is, to enter into a Religious and regular Order.L. 6. Epist. 17. Abbati Clunia…. For this Gregorie chides an Abbot bitterly, for admitting a Prince, who might hauehave beene profitable to his state, into the Cloyster. For he sayes: To doe so, is but to seeke their owne ease; and now, not onelyonly the Shepheards depart from the care of the Church, but the Dogges also; which he speakes of Princes. He tels p. 78him, That he hath done against the Canons, in admitting him: and that he is therein an occasion, that a hundred thousand persons doe lacke their guide. And therefore sayes he, Since there are scarce any good Princes to bee found, I am grieu'd that so good a Prince, is taken away from his mother; That is from the Churc…, as it must necessarily be intended in this Epistle. So pliant and seruiceable to his vses, would Gregorie make Regall dignitie, or else breake it in peeces.

Binius To. 3. pa. 2 fol. 1196.94 And where could our later men find better light in this mischeiuous and darke way, then in this Gregories Dictates, of which, these are some, That onelyonly the Pope may vse Imperiall Ornaments; That all Princes must kisse his feete: That onelyonly his Name must be rehearsed in the Church; That there is no other Name in the world, with many such transcendencies. And accordingly he is wel second…d by others,Cassanae. Catal. G…or. pa. 4. Consid. 7. which say, that he is Superillustris; and may not be cald so neither, because he is so much aboue all Dignitie, that our thought cannot extend to his Maiestie: And to preuent all opposition against it, Baldus in a choler sayes, That he that sayes the contrarie, Lyes.

95 And vponupon what place of Scripture may …hey not build this supremacy, and this obedience to it, after a Pope, who is heire to an Actiue and Passiue infallibility, and can neither deceiue nor be deceiued,L. 4. Epist. 2. hath extorted from Samuel, so long before the Apostolique Sea was established, a testimony, p. 79That not to obey the Apostolique Sea, 1. Reg. 15.1 Kgs 15was the sinne of Idolatrie, teste Samuele: which he iterates againe, and againe in diuers other Epistles.

96 From this example, and from this libertie proceedes that malignity, wherewith the later writers wrest eueryevery thing to …he disgrace of Principality. By this authority Symancha drawes into consequence,E…chird. Ind. Tit. 21. n. 9. and vrges as a precedent to be imitated, the example of the Scythians, who killed their king for admitting some new rytes in diuine worshippe; Which (sayes Simancha) was iustly done; for the Subiects of hereticall Princes are deliuered from their Iurisdiction. And in like maner, Schultingius an Epitomizer of Baronius, Schultingius. Thesaur. Antiq. Eccles. To. 1. c. 8. & 243.finding in him out of Strabo, that in Egypt the Priests had so much authority ouer the Kings, that sometimes by a bare message they would put one King to death, and erect another: and repeating the same gloriously and triumphantly a second time; at last in a Marginall note hee claimes the same authority for the Pope, when he notes, and sayes thereupon, The supreame authority of the Clergy, is proued against the Caluinists: So that we may easily discerne, by these examples which they propose for imitation, what authority they ayme at. But Schultingius might also hauehave obserued, as a prophecy of the ruine of their vsurpation,Diod. Sicul. Bibliot. l. 4. ca. 1. that as soone as a learned and vnderstanding king Ergamenes, came amongst them, he tooke away that custome.

p. 80Bell. de Pont. l. 2. c. 2. §. Nec ualet.97 From this libertie, Bellarmine also, to the danger of any Prince, differing in any point from the integrity of the Romane profession, hath pronounced, That Heretiques are depriued of all …urisdiction, euen before excommunication. Ide. d… Concil. …t Eccles. l. 1. …. 2. § Esse autem.Sir 50:1Sir 50:2And that therefore an Emperour cannot call a Councell, because that must be done in Nomine Christi: and that Princes hauehave not their precedencies, as they are members of the Church, for so Ecclesiastique Ministers are aboue them.Id…. de…aicis. l. 3 c. 17. § In quem

98 And this hath made a Contry-man of ours deliuer as mischeuous doctrine,Say… Thesaur. C…s. Consc. par. 1. l. 1. c. 6. nu. …0 that the power of excommunication, is got by prescription; And so saies another great Patron of that greatnesse, the Priests obeyed the Kings of Israel, but contrarily our Priests doe prescribe ouer the temporall power. Stephanꝰ De …. p…d. pont c…. 16. § quareAnd Sayr proceedes further, and saies, that though Panormitane be of opinion, That one can prescribe in no more then that which he hath put in practise, yet if hee hauehave so exercised any one act of Iurisdiction (as excōmunication is) as that he had a will to doe all, he prescribes in all. And there is no doubt, but that when Pius the fift excommunicated, he had a good will to Depose also.

99 From this also hauehave proceeded all those enormous deiections of Princes, which they cast and deriue vponupon al Kings when they speake them of the Emperour: for though the later writers, are broder with the Emperour, and chose rather to exemply in him, then in any other Soueraigne p. 81Prince; vponupon this aduantage, that they can more easily proue a Supremacy ouer him, by reason of the pretended translation of the Empire, yet it is a slippery way and conueyance of that power ouer all other Princes; since in common intendment and ordinary acceptation, no man can be exempt from that, to which the Emperour is subiect. And of the Emperour they say,aaHiero. Gigas de laesa mai. l 1. Rubr. 4. q 2. n. 5. That not onelyonly he may be guilty of …reason to the Pope, bbIbid. q. 4. n. 2.but if a subiect of the Pope offend the Emperour, the treason is done to the Pope. Yea, ccIb. q. 1. n. 8.if it be the Emperours subiect, and the iniury done to the Emperour, yet this is treason to the Pope: So that the Emperour doth but beare his person; for in his presence hee must descend: and in ddCeremo. Sacr. Ca. de Concil.a Councell his …eate must be no higher, then the Popes footstoole, nor any State he hunge ouer his head.

100 And from hence also hath growne that Distinction, Superstitious on one part, & Seditious on the other, of Mediate and Immediate institution of the two powers: for Eccl…siastique authority is not so immediate from God, that he hath appointed any such certaine Hierarchy, which may vponupon no occasion suffer any alteration or interuption: Nor is secular authority so mediate, or dependant vponupon men, as that it may at any time be extinguished, but must euer reside in some forme or other. And Bellarmine himselfe confesses, That as Aaron was made Priest ouer the Iewes, D… tr…nsl…t. In p. l. 1. …. 8. in p…cip.and Peter ouer the Christian Church, immediately from God, so also p. 82some Kings hauehave beene made so immediately without humane election, or any such concurrence: So that Regal Digni…y hath had as great a dignification in this point from God, as Sacerdotall; and to neither hath God giuen any necessary obligation of perpetuall enduring in that certaine forme. So that, that which Bellarmine in another place sayes to be a speciall obseruation, De Pont. l. 2. c. 17. §. Obseruandum.wee acknowledge to bee so: which is, That in the Pope are three things; His place, his person, and the vnion of them: the first is onelyonly from Christ, the second, from those that elect him, and the third from Christ, by mediation of a humane act.

And as wee confesse all this in the Pope, so hath he no reason to denie it to be also in kings: he addes further, That the Cardinals are truly said, To create the Pope, and to be the cause why such a man is Pope, and why he hath that power; but yet they doe not giuegive him that power: as in generation, a father is a cause of the vnion of the body and soule, which yet is infused onelyonly from God. And in all this we agree with Bellarmine; and we adde, that all this is common to all supreame, secular, or Ecclesiastique Magistrates.

101 And yet in Hereditary kings, there is lesse concurrence, or assistance of humane meanes, then either in elected kings, or in the Pope himselfe: for in such secular states, as are prouided by election, without all controuersie the supreame power, in eueryevery vacancy, resides in some subiect, p. 83and inheres in some body, which as a Bridge, vnites the defunct, and the succeeding Prince. And how can this be denied to be in the Colledge of Cardinals,aaTheod. a Ni…m de sc…sm. l. 3. c. 1. If (as one saies) the dominion temporall be then in them, and bbSayr Thes. Cas consci. par. 1. l. 2 c. 20. nu. 20.that they in such a vacancy, may absolue any, whom the Pope might absolue. If therefore in all the cases reserued to himselfe, as namely in deposing Princes, and absoluing subiects, he proceed not as he is Pope, but as he is spiritual Prince, as Bellarmine saies,De Pont. l. 5. ca. 6 and wee shall hauehave occasion hereafter to examine; If that Colledge may absolue subiects as he might, this supreamacy and spirituall Principality resides in them, and is transfer'd from them to the Successor.

102 Certainely all power is from God; And as if a companie of Sauages, should consent and concurre to a ciuill maner of liuing, Magistracie, & Superioritie, would necessarily, and naturally, and Diuinely grow out of this consent (for Magistracie and Superioritie is so naturall and so immediate from God, that Adam was created a Magistrate, and he deriu'd Magistracie by generation vponupon the eldest Children, and (as the Schoolemen say) if the world had continued in the first Innocency, yet there should hauehave beene Magistracie.) And into what maner and forme soeuer they had digested and concocted this Magistracie, yet the power it-selfe was Immediately from God: So also, if this Companie, thus growen to a Commonwealth, p. 84should receiue further light, and passe, through vnderstanding the Law written in all hearts, and in the Booke of creatures, and by relation of some instructers, arriue to a sauing knowledge, and Faith in our blessed Sauiours Passion, they should also bee a Church, and amongst themselues would arise vp, lawfull Ministers for Ecclesiastique function, though not deriued from any other mother Church, & though different from all the diuers Hierarchies established in other Churches: and in this State, both Authorities might bee truely said to bee from God.1.2 ae. q. 103. ad 3 To which purpose Aquinas sayes express…ly and truely, That Priesthood (that is all Church function) before the Law giuen by Moses, was, as it pleasd men, and that by such determination of men, it was euer deriued vponupon the eldest Sonne;De Pont. l. 1. c. 9. § Potest etiam. And we hauehave also in the same point Bellarmines voice and confession, That in that place of S. Paul to the Ephesians,Ephe. 4.11.Eph 4:11 which is thought by many to be so pregnant for the proofe of a certaine Hierarchie, The Apostle did not so delineate a certaine and constant Hierarchie, but onelyonly reckoned vp those gifts, which Christ gaue diuersly, for the building vp of the body of the Church.

103 To conclude therefore this point of the distinction of Mediate and Immediate Authoritie, a Councell of Paris vnderunder Gregorie the fourth,An. 829. Binnius To. 3. …ar 1. fo. 562. ca. 5. and Lodouicke and Lotharius Emperours, which were p. 85times and persons obnoxious enough to that Sea, hath one expresse Chapter, Quod Regnum non ab hominibus, sed a Deo detur. There it is said, Let no King thinke that the Kingdome was preseru'd for him, by his Progenitors, but he must beleeue that it was giuen him by God. For he which is King of men, had not this Kingdome from men, but from God: And so hee proceedes to apply many places of Scripture to this purpose, to the shame and confusion of them, who to ouerthrow, or subiect secular principalitie, detort Scriptures for the aduancement of Ecclesiastique immunit…es: As in the Septimes, that new limme of the body of the Canon Law, those priuiledges are proued to be Iure Diuino, In 7. l 2. Tit. 1. De for. comp. Ca. 1. glos. verbo, cu ipso.Titus 1out of the word of the Psalme, Nolite tangere Christos meos, which was spoken of all the Children of Israel, as they were protected in their passage to the land of Canaan, and cannot be appropriated to Priests onelyonly.

104 And from this libertie which men of this Religion, hauehave taken to speake slightly, and malignantly of the Person and dignitie of Kings, a long and inue…erate custome hath so wrought vponupon them, that it hath caried them farther, and made them as bold with the word of God himselfe. Out of which they can deduce principall and direct Prophecies for eueryevery passage in Saint Francis his storie. For aaSedulius. Apol. cont. Alcora. Francisca. l. 2. C. 1.the Dreame of Pharoes officer (A vine was before me, and in the Vine were p. 86three branches) signifies Saint Francis, Gen. 40.10.Gen 40:10and the …hree Orders deriued from him, sayes the Booke of Conformities, and Sedulius the fresh Apologer thereof. So he sayes, bbSedul. l. 2. c. 1. Luc. 12.32.Luke 12:32Christ prophecied of this Order; and it is fulfilled in this Order which hee said, Feare not little flocke, for it is your Fathers pleasure, to giuegive you the Kingdome. And ccSedul. l. 3. c. 13 Psal. 118.Ps 118of these it is spoken, sayes hee, The sound of them is gone into all Nations. Of these prophanations the examples are too frequent; for as they hauehave fitted all other things spoken of Christ, to Saint Francis in the Booke of Conformities, so doth ddl. 1. Ca. 18.Sedulius maintaine the giuing to him, the title of Iesus of Nazareth, King of the Iewes.

105 So also must the Scriptures affoord prophesies for eueryevery ragge and inch of the Sindon, which wrapped our Sauiour in the Sepulchre. For in eeMallonij Notae in Paleotum de Syndone. l. 1. C. 1. Nu. 18.that Liturgie or Office, (as they call it) which is appointed by the Pope to be said in the Chappell where this Sindon is preserued, all those places of Scripture, which speake of Christs body sprinkled with blood, are referred and saide to bee intended of this Sindon. And therefore saies the Author thereof, Since the Pope hath so applyed them, this exposition thereof cannot be reprehended.

106 By this license they giuegive all the names of Christ to the Pope; ffExtraua. Io. 2…. Cum inter. glos. in fine.John 2yea the name of God himselfe; And of aaLiter Leo. 10. p…r B…nchum. l. 8. Ep. l. 17.Goddesse to our Lady. And by this license did bbGretzer. Cont. Hassenmiller. …o. 141.Crusius the Iesuit, call Ignatius Constitutions the Decalogue: because saies Gretzer, his fellow p. 87Iesuite, Metaphorically and instruction of our life, is call'd the Decalogue.

107 Nor can these blasphemous detorsions, & bold mis-applications, besalued, by Sedulius his guiltie excuse, that they ccSedul. Apol. pref…t.are somewhat too freely written, according to the simplicitie of the age, And ddl. 1. C. 9.such as some men would rather wish vnwritten, and eel. 1. C. 18.Circumspect men wish'd vnsaid; And some things too ffIbid. & C. 20.rawly, somethings too couragiously vttered. And these which he so tenderly, and calmely passes ouer, with light animaduersion, are such sayings as these, That S. Franc…s was ggl. 1. C. 20.deified; That hhl. 1. C. 13.hee was made one spirit with God: That iiIb. C. 15.hee saw the secrets of hearts: And kkIb. c. 18.that he was more then Iohn Baptist, and better then the Apostles: And lll. 2. C. 6.that God did obay him at a beck in eueryevery thing.

108 Nor will Serarius his elegant euasion serue them in this, mmSerar. litaneuti. l. C. 13.That some men too indulgent and carefull of their verse, or the delicacie of the Latine language, may hauehave gone into these excesses. For the fi…st place, where the Pope is called the Lord our God, is in a place barbarous and loose inough, which is the glosse vponupon an Extrauagant. And though Bembus, in whose letters written for Leo the 10 our Lady is called Goddesse, doe often stray in…o prophane elegancies (as nnEpist. Leo. 10. l. 2. Ep. 21.in another place, when he would expr…sse an inspiration of the Holy ghost in one, he saies, he was afflatus Zephiri caelestis a…rà, And ool. 4. Ep. 15.calls Excommunication, Interdictionem aquae p. 88& ignis) yet this will neither excuse that Pope which sign'd those Letters, nor those to whose c…re the expurgation of bookes, hath beene committed. So that none of their piae fraudes, with wh…ch they emplaster this venemous & contagious wounding the scriptures of God, & the phrase of his spirit, will acquit or excuse them.

109 And if their mis…applying of Scriptures carried them no further, then to simple and childish actions (as Saint Francis commanded Massaeus to tumble round like a childe; because, saies Sedulius, Apolog. l. 3. c. 1. nu. 3.it is written, Nisi Conuersi fueritis, & efficiamini sicut paruuli, non intrabitis): Or if it carried them but to stupid actions (as the penitent which confessed to S. Anthony, Idem. l. 3. c. 13 nu. 3.that he had kicked his mother, receiuing this answere: If thy foote offend thee, cut it off, went, and cut off his foote, (but S. Anthony honestly set it on againe,) Or if it carried them but to bolde and confident actions (as Saint Anthony, when his Host set him a Toade vponupon the Table, and tolde him that it was written in the Gospell,Idem. l. 3. c. 28… nu. 31. De omni quod tibi apponitur, comedes, he with the signe of the Crosse, made it a Capon ready rosted) sillinesse or some such disease might lessen the fault.

110 But then is there extreame horrour and abominations therein, when God and his Lieuetenants are at once iniur'd, which is, when places of Scripture are malitiously or rid…culously p. 89detorted to the auiling of Princes: With what soule then could Pope Alexander say, treading vppon Fredericke, Psal. 90.13.Ps 90:13Super aspidem & Basiliscum ambulabis: of which Acte,Ios Stepha. de Osculat. ped. Po…t. cap. 11. §. Ex quo. a Bishoppe in that Church saies, that it ought to be commended, and that it was lawfully and worthily done.

And with what conscience could the same seruile Bishopp of Sixtus the fift, proue the kissing of the popes feete,Esa 49.23.Isa 49:23 out of those wordes of Esay, Kings and Queenes shall worshippe thee, with their faces towards the Earth, Ios. Steph. …. 5.and licke vp the dust of thy feete? how durst hee say, that this kissing of the popes feete, was established in saint Luke, Luc. 7.Luke 7when the sinner kissed Christs feete? Idem. ca. 7.Because (saies he) if it were affoorded Christ… belongs it not to his Church, which is bone of his bone? Deut. c. 1.3.Deut 1:3And out of Deuteronomy hee thinkes this reuerence is euidenly enough demonstrated, because it is saide of God, the saints of God, Idem. c. 10.are said to be humbled at his feete.

So that whatsoeuer is applyed to the Church, or to God, by this detorsion is giuen to the pope: But this Bishoppe is so transported with this rage of detorting scriptures, that rather then not mis-applie them, hee will apply them to his owne Condemnation: For thus hee concludes his Epistle with the wordes of the Apostle:Epist. lecto. Gaudeo siue per veritatem, siue per occasionem, Romanae Ecclesiae dignitatem extolli: so that it is all one to him, whether scriptures bee faithfully p. 90applyed or no, so it be to the profit and aduantage of that Church.

Append. ad lib. de P…t. respons. …d lib. Auiso Pia…uole ca. 2111 And though Bellarmine seeme to deplore and lament that vnworthy manner of handling serious Controuersies, of which hee accus'd that Authour, which called his booke Auiso Piaceuole, because he cytes some of the Italian Poets against the Church of Rome, yet is this fashion still in so much vse amongst them, that in their last busines with the state of Venice,Nicod. Ma…er de paren: Baro: ad lecto. one authour, though in a disguised name, that vndertooke the defence of Baronius his furious instigation of the Pope, doth not onelyonly wound and staine the memory of our late Queene, with impious calumniations, and wrest the Scriptures, to defame our present King; but he protests that hee chuses this way of doing it, to imitate Socrates, who was (saies he) Derisor hominum, maxime potentum, and exhibites his booke as a sacrifice, Risui, & Lubentiae.

112 Where then shall we hope, that these men will stoppe or limit their blasphemies? when in the licentious fury thereof, hauing made it habituall to them, and an Idio…isme of that Religion, they set (in their account) God against God; that is the word of God against the Pope, and defame him in their owne Pasquils by the phrase of Scripture. In which kind of prophane libelling, I had thought their malignity, and irreligion had beene at the highest, when they called Lucretiaes p. 91bastard, by Pope Alexander, and his sonne, the holy Ghost… till of late we see one of our owne nation hath drunke so deepe of that cuppe, that he hath swallowed the dregges also; and in a childish and trayterous itch of witte, at once wounded the Maiestie, both of his God, and of his King, by imputing false faults to the one, that hee might misuse the word of the other.

And by this meanes, as when they determined to kill the Emperor Henry the seuenth, that they might poison him, they forbore not to poison their owne God in the Sacrament first: so when they purposed to teare and deface the name and honour, and lawes of the King, they first offer the same violence to the word of God himselfe.

113 Thus the scriptures serue them for Panegyriques, to aduance the Pope; aaPsal. 8.6Ps 8:6Omnia Subiecisti sub pedibus eius: which being spoken of beasts subiection to men, bbMaynard…s de p…iuil. Ecc…. Art. 2 …. 21they make it of men to the Pope. Thus the scriptures serue them to deuest and disarme Princes; ccLuc 22.38Luke 22:38Ecceduo gladij, which being (if we ddEman. S…. Scholia in 4. Euang.beleeue the Iesuite Sd) no other then those knifes, with which they had cutte vp the paschal Lambe, eeExt…au. Com de Maior. & obed. Vnam sanctam,a pope applies to the spirituall and temporall Iurisdiction.

And thus the scripture serues them for prouocation, and incitements to warre, and deuastation: ffAct. 10.13.Acts 10:13Macta & Manduca: which being spoken of baptizing the Gentiles, ggIn Voto ad Paul. 5.Baronius detorts to the p. 92excommunication of Christians. OnelyOnly they are content to spare scriptures, when they come to defend their late-borne Heresies; for, for the necessity of beleeuing Purgatory, Inuocation, Transubstantiation, and some others of the same age, they offer no scripture; but they thinke it victory enough that Galatine can proue all these out of the Talmud, and Cusanus out of the Alcoran: For, for the olde and new Testaments, they finde other employment. They must serue them against the office and dignity of Princes, to exhibite them as a prey to their neighbours, and a scorne to their owne Subiects.

Io. 10.30.John 10:30114 As Christ asked of the Iewes, for which of his good workes they would stone him: Princes may aske of the Romane Church, for which of their benefites they are so iniurious to them? Is it for hauing established a Primacy vponupon that Bishoppe, aboue his fellow Patriarches, which was so long litigious? Or for withdrawing him from the iawes of the Barbarous deuourers of Italy? Or for enriching him with a Patrimony, and Priuiledges almost equall to their owne? Is it for any of these, that you say,Eman… Sâ Apho… Confes. verb. Clericus. A Clergy man cannot be a traytor, though he rebell… because he is no subiect? By which you cut off so great and so good a part, as in your opinion the st…te without it, is but a meere Carcasse, for the Clergie is the soule.

And you extend those immunities, not onelyonly p. 93to your boyes which light your Candles,Dist. 21. Cl…ros, and locke the Church doores, but to eueryevery sullen fellow, that will retire himselfe into a wood, without either assuming Orders,Ren. Choppinus de iu… Monast. l. …. Tit. 2. …u. 25Titus 2 or subiecting himself to any Religious Rule, or despoiling himselfe of his temporall possessions, as you say of your Ermits: D^r Aluin de potest. Episcoporum c. 3 n. 11.Yea to Nunnes, who though they be not of the Clergie, yet are Ecclesiastique persons, and yet they are so prophane, as they may not be admitted to touch any thing which belongs to the Altar. Dist. 23. Sa…ctimonialis.And not onelyonly the Nunnes within profession, hauehave these priuiledges, but also their Nouices, who are vnderunder no vow: yea they enioy them, whom you call Canonicas Saeculares, which may trauell, traffique, marry, and do any ciuill, or vnciuil function: (for of the continency of Regular Nunnes … am of a better perswasion, for this reason especi…lly; that the Iesuites by a Constitution, are forbid to hauehave the care of them:Regula. 47. and those secular women, which I mentioned, are Ecclesiastici fori (by a late Decision in the Rota) because though they be not Ecclesiasticae, D Aluinde pot. Ep…sco. ca. 3. n…. 13.yet they are Personae Miserabiles, and weare an vniforme habite: and to raise the number, you say, If an iniury be done to any kinsman of an Ecclesiastique person, it is done to him. Paris de …ut …o de Synd. ca. de exces. reg. n…. 29 Maynardus d… pri…ileg. Eccles. Art. 17. nu. 10.And that if any offence bee committed by diuers persons, amongst whome there is one Clergie man, none of the offenders can bee subiect to Temporall Iurisdiction.

p. 94115 And not onelyonly all these persons, but all which appertaines to them, becomes spirituall: and by a new Alchimy, they doe not onelyonly extract spirit out of eueryevery thing, but transmute it all into spirit, and by their possessing them, Houses, Horses, and Concubines are spirituall. But as eueryevery thing returnes to his first state and being; and so Rome which was at first built, and gouerned by Shepheards, i… returned to the same forme after the decay of the Empire:Tholosa. synt. l. 15. c. 2. nu. 4. and as the name of Bishopp, which was at first giuen to Clerkes of the Market, and Ouerseers of things to be bought and solde, agrees still with these Symoniaque Bishoppes of Rome: so many of these pretious Iewels, which are employed about the Images and Reliques, which were at first temporall, and then by this tincture growne to be spirituall, returne againe to their temporall nature, when any of the Popes …ake ocsion to serue their pleasure,Theod. a Niem. de schism. l. 1. ca. 22. or foment dissensions amongst other Princes, and schisme amongst themselues, by coyning the Images, as Vrbanus did, in such a case.

116 But the greatest iniury that is done to Princes in this matter of Exemption, is, that they will not be beholden to Princes for it: but plead their Ius Diuinum, not onelyonly the positiue Diuine Law, by which, they say, that the Popes if they had not found these men naturally exempted, and if Princes had not granted these exemptions, might p. 95by their Constitutions, hauehave exempted them, without asking leaue of Princes, but they pretend text of Scriture, though detorted and misvs'd, to proue this Exemption. And for the Persons they pretend many; but with no more directnes, then that by which they proue exemption of their goods,Laelio Medico. contra. Venet. fo. 196. Nella Raccolta. from secular charges and burdens, which is, Domini est terra, & plenitudo eius, and since it is the Lords, it is theirs.

117 But all Princes grow weary and iealous of that claime;Risposta di Ant. Bouio al. Paulo. Nella Raccolta fo. 50. and a Catholique Writer hath obserued, that many of the Writers of the Spanish Nation in these later times, hauehave resisted that opinion, of which he names Medina, Victoria, Soto, Ledesma, and Bannes.

And if that Nation grow into iealousies, and feele her right, as France hath done before, all the Italian Writers, will be but weake euidence, to proue this exemption to bee Iure Diuino. But as though all this were not enough, and that the states of Princes were not enough infirm'd by withdrawing of all these, they teach,Bell. de Clericis l. 1. c. vlt. That a Subiect by remouing into another Prouince hath deuested his allegeance and subiection: And that eueryevery man is free concerning his owne person: And that the band is stronger between a Creditor and a Debtor, then between a Prince and subiect. VponUpon all which, what mischieuous conclusions will follow, is euident and obuious enough.

p. 96118 To conclude therefore this point this Ecclesiastique immunity which they clayme, is the debasing of Princes; And the defence of this immunity, and consequently of this deb…sing of Princes, is so iust a cause of Martyredome, that Baronius saies;Martyrolog. Ro. 29. Decemb. The Students in the English Colledge; hauehave good title to two Crownes of Martyrdome, because they return into England, both to defend the Catholique faith, and the immunity of the Church. Where we will content our selues, till wee come to a …urther exagitation of that point, with this confession from Baronius, that they are by your doctrin receiued in that Colledge, incited to Martyredome, for the Immunities of the Churche, which himselfe in the same place distinguishes from the Catholique faith. And thus farre I was willing to extend this point, That the Romane Doctrine by extolling Church Priuiledges aboue Princes, and by an absolute and direct auiling them, doth mis-prouoke her disciples to a vicious affectation of imaginarie Martyrdome. In the two other points of Merite and Purgatory, which produce the same effect, I may hauehave leaue to contract my selfe, into a shorter roome, because of those, many others hauehave spoken more abundantly, then of this last point which I vndertooke.