Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 4 · Chapter 11
Cap. 11. Of the iuriſdiction of the Church, and the abuſe thereof, ſuch as is ſeene in Papaſie.
THE Church of God néedeth her certaine Spirituall policie, and it is neceſſary that wée giuegive it ſome iuriſdiction:Rom. 12.… This iuriſdiction procéedeth from the power of keies, but what that power of keies is, that firſt hee may ſhewe it,2. Tim. 5.17 he diuideth it into two partes, the one is perteinent to the miniſtery of the worde,Matth. 18.17 which he denieth ought to come into this account, and therefore what it is and what places they are which make for them in many wordes he ſheweth.
2 The other which belongeth to the diſcipline of excommunication,Matth. 18.17 is now the thing wherof he wil ſpeake, & therfore hee ſheweth vppon what places it ſhould be found, & what it ought to be.
3 The ſame is not for a time, but continuall, & is not onelyonly profitable when the Magiſtrate is eſtraunged from the profeſſion of our religion, but alſo when they are Chriſtians.
4 That ſame he confirmeth.
5 The ſcope of this is, that offences be preuented: but in the vſe,That is, by the preaching of the worde. 2. Cor. 10.4 two things are to be conſidered: firſt that his ſpiritual power be altogeather ſeparated from the power of the ſworde.
6 The laſt, that it bée miniſtred not by one mans iudgement, but by a lawfull councell, which is alſo ſhewed was doone in olde time, till at length a Biſhop had drawne to him onelyonly yt which was giuen to the whole Church.
7 At length alſo the Biſhops put ouer to other men, whom they call officials, that which they had giuen to thē ſelues only, and conuerted the ſpirituall iuriſdiction into nothing better then into prophane iudgement.
8 Yet it is certain,Matth. 20.25 Luke. 12.25 that Chriſt would debarre the miniſters of his word from …iuill dominion and earthly gouernement. For Chriſte not only ſignifieth …hat the office of a Paſtour is diſtinct …rom ye office of a Prince, but that they …e things ſo ſeuered, yt they cānot méet together in one man: for where as Moſes did beare both offices together: firſt that was doone by a rare miracle:…xo. 18.16 againe it was but for a time, till thinges were better ſet in order, but when a certaine forme was once preſcribed of God, the Ciuill gouernment was left to him, and was commanded to reſigne the Prieſthood to his brother.
9 In that they doubt not to bragge in their defence, that the glory of the kingdome of Chriſte, by this meanes doth floriſh according to her worthines, and that they themſelues in the meane time are not drawne away from the the dueties of their vocatiō,Matth. 20.25 how weak it is he ſheweth both: firſt they hauehave occaſion to quarrell with Chriſte, who hath pinched their honour:Luke. 22.25 yet he laide no harder lawe vponupon his ſeruants then he firſt receiued himſelfe.
2. Cor. 10.410 Not at the firſt ſtep, but by little and little, of ſmall beginninges, they hauehave made great encreaſes: where alſo is ſhewed by what degrees they clymed vp hitherto.
11 The Biſhop of Rome not contented with meane Lordſhips, firſt laid hand vponupon kingdomes, and afterward vponupon the whole Romane Empire: but this was reprehended of Bernard, and vtterly denied to the Apoſtolike right, againſt the degrée of Orleance. Bernard ſayth, That Peter could not giuegive that which he had not, but he gaue to his ſucceſſours that which he had the care of Churches. And againe, hee ſaith to Pope Eugenius, thou art a ſuperiour: but whervnto? not to beare lordſhip as I thinke. Therefore how much ſoeuer we thinke of our ſelues, let vsus remember that there is a miniſterie laide vponupon vsus, not a Lordſhip giuen vsus. Learne that thou haſt néede of a wéedhooke, not of a Scepter, that thou mayeſt doe the worke of a Prophet.
12 The gift of Conſtantine is both friuolous & ridiculous, therefore of no importance to eſtabliſh his Emperiall dignitie.
13 At what time, & by what meanes they came to it. In Henrie the Emperours time, the 4. of that name and by Hildebrandes meanes.
14 By what meanes they inuaded the Citie of Rome, and other Dominions:Eze. 34.4 and howe ſuche rauennouſneſſe doth diſhonour them: for they thought nothing ſafe, vnleſſe they might beare rule with rigour, and with power, as the Prophet ſaith.
15. 16 The immunitie which they alſo take to them ſelues, was vnknowen to ancient Biſhops, howſoeuer they woulde not ſuffer to their knowledge the matters of faith, or whatſoeuer belonged properly to the Biſhops to bée taken from irreligious Princes.