The True History of Councils, Part 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Reaſon and Deſign of my Hiſtory of Biſhops and Councils.
§ 1. THEY that know the men with whom I have to do, and the Cauſe which I have in Controverſie with them, will eaſily underſtand my purpoſe. The Perſons with whom I am to deal, are ſuch as hold,
1. That a General Council of Biſhops or the Colledge of Biſhops Governing per Literas formatas out of Council, are the Supreme Governing Power over the Univerſal Church on Earth, having the Power of Univerſal Legiſlation and Judgment.
2. That among theſe the Pope is juſtly the Patriarch of the Weſt, and the Principium unitatis to the whole, and the ordinary Preſident in ſuch Councils. And ſay ſome, It belongs only to the Preſident to call them, and they are but rebellious Routs that aſſemble without a juſt call.
3. That there is no concord to be had but in the Obedience to this Univerſal Governing Church. But all Perſons and all National Churches are Schiſmaticks who live not in ſuch Subjection and obedience.
4. That ſuch as the Dioceſan Epiſcopacy which is over one loweſt Church containing hundreds or multitudes of Pariſhes and Altars without any other Biſhop but the ſaid Dioceſan is that Epiſcopacy which all muſt be ſubject to, while it is ſubject to the Univerſal ſupreme.
5. That every Chriſtian muſt hold ſubjective Communion with the Biſhop of the place where he liveth: And ſay ſome muſt not practiſe contrary to his Commands, nor appeal for ſuch practice to Scripture or to God.
6. That if this ſupreme Power ſilence the Dioceſans, or theſe Dioceſans ſilence all the Miniſters in City or Country, they muſt Ceaſe their Miniſtry and forſake the Flocks.
7. And ſay divers of them, They are no true Churches, or Miniſters, that have not ordination from ſuch Dioceſans, yea by an uninterrupted ſucceſſion from the Apoſtles: And for want of this the Forein reformed Churches are no true Churches, but the Church of Rome is.
Much more of this Nature I have already tranſcribed (and confuted) out of A. Biſhop Bromhall, Dr. Heylins Life of A. Biſhop Laud, Mr Thorndike, Mr Dodwell and divers others.
§ 2. The firſt thing then in my intention is to ſhew that the Roman Grandeur which is thought to be the Glory of the Church on Earth, and the neceſſary means of its Unity, ſafety and true proſperity, hath proved clean contrary, even the means of Church corruption in Doctrine, Worſhip, Diſcipline & Converſation, the Soil of the moſt odious crimes, the means of tyranny, ſuppreſſion of true piety, and perſecution of Gods faithful Servants, and of rebellious, War and cruel bloodſhed.
§ 3. To this end I deſcribed the ſteps by which the Clergy aſcended to the Papal height: For as all Proteſtants juſtly maintain that their Corruption of Doctrine & Worſhip came not in at once but by ſlow degrees, ſo do they alſo of the Papal Government and diſcipline. And they commonly ſhew the vanity of the Papiſts demand, who ask us who was the man, and which was the year, as if the world had gone to bed in ſimple Chriſtianity, and awaked Papiſts the next morning. Whereas it is moſt evident in all Church hiſtory that the Clergy leaving the Chriſtian Purity, Simplicity and Love, did climb the ladder ſtep by ſtep till they aſcended to the Papal height. And it's a meer dream of them that think it was the Bp. of Rome alone that thus aſcended, and not the Army that made him their General: As the boat riſeth with the waters, ſo did the Pope with the aſcending Clergy: Others ſtrove for ſuperiority as he ſtrove for Supremacy: The ſtrife began among Chriſts Apoſtles who ſhould be greateſt, and who ſhould, ſit next him in his Kingdom; And though Chriſt then ſuppreſt it by his Word and Spirit, and the ſufferings of the Church took down thoſe aſpiring thoughts, as ſoon as Conſtantine had ſet them the Ladder, what ſcrambling was there who ſhould climb higheſt. Yea Conſtantinople ſtrove for the Supremacy it ſelf.
§ 3. And I the rather mentioned this becauſe I found ſome late learned Expoſitors of the Revelations, taking this inordinate aſcent, for the promiſed glory and felicity of the Church on Earth; and taking it for the fulfilling of many of thoſe prophecies and promiſes which ſome applyed to the Millennium, and ſome to the heavenly ſtate. And doubtleſs Hildebrand and his adherents had ſuch thoughts, and did believe that their rule over Emperours, Kings and Kingdoms, by the Power of the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven, was the true Glory of the Church, and the Reign of Chriſt, and that all the honour was indeed given to Chriſt as King of the Church, which was thus given to the Pope and the Church-Parliaments of Biſhops. Campanella de Regno Dei doth but ſpeak the thoughts of greater Clergy men when he applyeth the foreſaid Texts to prove that the Popes Univerſal Monarchy is the true Kingdom of Chriſt on Earth, to which all Monarchs and Men muſt ſtoop.
And Nature is ſo apt to entertain ſuch thoughts, eſpecially in the Clergy, who think of it as their own proſperity and glory, that it is no wonder, if as Venner, and his Fifth Monarchy men, did itch to be getting up under the name of the Reign of Chriſt, and ſo did John of Leyden and his Company at Munſter; ſo the Fifth Monarchy Clergy men, who can aſpire more plauſibly, do long to be climbing, and are very reconcilable to Papal Greatneſs; and where Popery is become a diſtaſted name, they nevertheleſs deſire their ſhare in the Power, Honour and Wealth, and under pretence of Peace and Concord among all Chriſtians, and reſtoring the Church to its Unity and Strength, they ſtrive for much of the ſame thing, and think it enough to avoid the name: And the Pope ſhall be but Principium Unitatis, and the Preſident of the Clergy or Councils. Get but the poor trick of calling nothing Popery but the Pope's Arbitrary abſolute Power, and do but tie him to Rule by the Conſent and Laws of Church-Parliaments, that is, ſet up the French Church-Government, and then they are no Papi…ts. Do not the French Proteſtants deſerve all their ſufferings then for calling the Church o… Biſhops there Papiſts, and ſeparating from ſo Excellent a Government?
§ 5. And it was not the leaſt of my Motives to try, were it poſſible to cure their Love-killing Errour, who think that all are Enemies to Unity and Peace, who are not for Obedience to this Univerſal or Superlative Prelacy, and to ſave us all from that confuſion and calamity, which this Opinion is carrying on, while the Patrons of it think that all are to be proſecuted, ſilenced, ruined as Rebellious Enemies to the Ruling Church, who do not ſubject themſelves to ſuch a Prelacy; and that we muſt or can have no Chriſtian Church-Concord, but by Obedience to the Univerſal Church, as Biſhop Gunning hath over and over told me, that is, to the Univerſal Colledge of their ſort of Biſhops: Yea not only the Papiſts, but theſe Biſhops among us, to this purpoſe repeat and apply Pſal. 72. 11. Yea all Kings ſhall fall down before him: All Nations ſhall ſerve him. Or Iſa. 60. 12. For the Nation and Kingdom that will not ſerve the… ſhall periſh: Yea thoſe Nations ſhall be utterly waſted,] which Biſhop Gunning applyeth to the Epiſcopal Univerſal-Governing Colledge.
Theſe are terrible threatnings, as they ſhew the principles and purpoſes of men, however they miſtake the mind of God. Few parts of Europe have had more long and cruel Wars, than Italy it ſelf, where theſe Principles have obtained: But the blood of thouſands of ſincere Chriſtians hath been a Sacrifice to theſe Principles in the Clergy. When we read in Jeſuites, Fryers and Prelates, ſound Chriſtians called Hereticks, and all ſuch Hereticks called, mortal, odious, wicked, pernicious, intollerable Enemies to the Church, whom all good men are bound to endeavour to root out and deſtroy; when we hear our neighbour Papiſts ſay, It is no more ſin to kill an Heretick than a Dog: And when we hear and read our Clergy calling out to Magiſtrates for yet more Execution upon us, for not obeying them againſt that which we undoubtedly take for the Law of God; and the nearer any man is to the Papiſts, uſually the more he is for our deſtruction, and for their way of cruelty, I thought it time to try if it were poſſible, if not to ſave the Land from this conſuming fire, yet at leaſt to ſave ſome Souls who elſe were like to be tempted to malignant Enmity to the beſt and trueſt Chriſtians, and to periſh for ever by this deceit.
How many honeſt paſſages are in Mr. Thorndike which ſhew that it was n… …y worldly intereſt of his own that moved him; but yet the Power of this Errour [Of a Church that was Univerſally One by One Ruling Colledge or Council of Prelates, of which the Pope was the rightful Preſident, &c.] which muſt be acknowledged by all Nations and Perſons, that will have Chriſtian Communion and not be condemned Schiſmaticks, prevailed with him to the excluſion of all Diſſenters, and confining his Communion to thoſe only who owned and obeyed This Univerſal Governing Church.
§ 6. And as long as this Opinion prevaileth, eſpecially in men of Power and Reverence who take other mens belief and obedience for their unqueſtionable right, where can we think hatred and Perſecution will ſtop. Will not they ſtill think that they that kill or ſilence or impriſon or baniſh us, do God ſervice, and that the Magiſtrate that doth not puniſh us deſerveth puniſhment from God, if not alſo from the Church. And they that are moſt for Seldom preaching, and can diſpenſe with our Miniſterial labour therein, will not be indifferent as to the ſilencing, impriſoning or deſtroying us.
§ 7. Whether we have any reaſon to refuſe ſwearing or ſubſcribing to them, and never to endeavour any alteration of their Government as it is in England, I have ſincerely endeavoured to ſhew in my Treatiſe of Epiſcopacy. And if Chriſtian Concord and Communion be ſo hard and narrow a thing, as that no men are Capable of it who are not of a higher form than I, as to underſtanding, impartiality and willingneſs to know the Truth, the Church and Chriſtianity are things beyond my capacity and reach: But I doubt not but it is humane errour that would dwindle it into ſo ſmall a Sect.
§ 8. Alas what Perſons for Knowledge and Life can they bear with in their Communion, who cannot bear with ſuch as they ſilence and ruine in this Land! And the Papiſts can receive even thoſe that know not Chriſt if they do but profeſs obedience to the Clergy-Church. Luthers words are harſh, but I will recite them de Concil…s P…t 3. Pag 291. Si monſtrav…rint mihi unum aliquem ex tota illa multitudine qui poſſit aequare unum alphabetarium in aliqua erudita Schola, aut in ſumma doctrinae Chriſtianae, vel in Scriptura Sacra tantum profecerint, quantum u…a aliqua puella ſeptem a…norum; tunc illis concedam palam—niſi quod plus callent traditionum humanarum, & Sycophantiarum: Quod valde credo, & firmius quam in Deum cred…, cum me convinc…nt facto ipſo ut credam. To this paſs did the Clergies aſpiring then bring the Church, when worthy men were ſilenced and perſecuted. And we are unwilling of any thing that looketh towards a differencing men ſo contrary to that which Chriſt will make at laſt.