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It falleth out sometimes in the outward state of the visible Church, that wicked persons (which are not sound parts of Gods house, nor liuing members of Christs mysticall bodie, [ E] being more in number d 1.1 and greater in power) doe possesse the chiefe places of publicke Iudicature, and Ecclesiasticall go∣uernment: and being thus exalted, and withall abetted by
worldly power, and swarmes of time-feruers b 1.2, whom they [ A] aduance and honour, to accomplish their owne ends: it may heereby fall out, that the outward state of the visible Church, shall be ordered and swayed, according to the lust and will of wicked rulers c 1.3: And then good men may be disgraced, depres∣sed, and persecuted: the simple, and they which are negligent, d 1.4 vnlearned, and secure, may be deluded, and errour and super∣stition, craftily and couertly be brought in, and that is fulfilled which Gregory saith; Dum mali praepositi, suam contra veritatem honorem exigunt, ab omni rectitudine corda sequentium abducunt e 1.5: When wicked rulers seeke their owne glory more than truth, they mis∣leade [ B] their followers from all course of righteousnesse.
This happened in the Iewish Church, when the Scribes and Pharises and other hypocrites and errants were, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ma∣ster-builders, Math. 21.41. And the euill seruant beareth rule [ C] in the houshold, and oppresseth his fellow-seruants, Matth. 24. 49. Diotrophes excommunicates and vsurpes according to his owne will a 1.6: 3. Ep. Ioh. 9. 10. The Arrians in the dayes of Constantius and Valence did all the former, in the greater part of the Christian world b 1.7.
The same happened in the Church of Rome, especially af∣ter the thousand yeere, one man vsurped ouer the Christian world, making himselfe on earth, chiefe and sole commander ouer things diuine and humane a 1.8: his power was so exorbitant
and boundlesse, that he trode vpon the necke of kings b 1.9, thro∣ning [ A] and dethroning, crowning and decrowning them, as him∣selfe listed, his dominion was so absolute and vast, as that no man might reprooue or withstand him c 1.10. All men were repu∣ted heretickes or schismatickes, which would not say and sweare as he commanded d 1.11: in Synods and Councels, causes were transacted according to his will e 1.12: and remission of sinnes, and right to life eternall, were intailed to his chaire f 1.13.
Onus Eccles. cap. 43. §. 1. Nunc in Ecclesia copio∣fior Proh pudor, est numerus malo∣rum quam bonorum, & praeualet impius aduersus justum.
Occham. dial. p. 3. tr. 1. l. 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 13. Quando multitudo clericorum, per a∣uaritiam ambitio∣nem, symoniam & adias vias prauas, ad ordines dignitates & beneficia, Eccle∣siastica peruenisset, &c. Propter quod procliuiores essent clerici, ad assenti∣endum errori Papae & generalis Con∣cilij, quia humani moris est illum ve∣reri, cuius iudicio & voluntate, nunc erigitur nunc deprimitur. Onus Eccles. c. 42. Et habebant caudas scil. assentatores, vel sequa∣ces similes scorpionum & aculei erant in caudis earum.
Hildegard. part. 2. l. diu. oper. citatur. Onus Eccles. c. 4. §. 5.
Auentin. annal. Bojor. l. 6. proem. p. 479. Math. Paris: Chron. p. 7. Clerici & ordinati adeo literatura ca∣rebant, vt caeteris effet 〈◊〉〈◊〉, qui Grammaticam didicisset.
Aug. sup. Psalm. 8. Qui gloriam suam potius quam salutem hominum attenderunt, sine spiritu sancto locuti sunt.
Cassand. Consult. p. 929. Ecclesiae, gu. bernatoribus quos aliquando hostes Dei esse contingit, &c. Nam vt inquit August. sunt & intus hostes Dei quorum pectora obsedit, spiritus Antichristi & tamen gerunt spiritualia & diuina.
Hieron. c. Lucif. & sup. Gal. c. 5. Ingenuit totus orbis & se Arianum esse miratus est. I∣dem. sup. Psal. 133. Ante annos quindecem aut viginti, &c. Omnes Ecclesias has Haeretici possidebant. Idem. Chron. Anno 364. omnes pene toto orbe Ecclesiae, sub nomine pacis & Regis Arianorum consortio polluebantur. Basil. Epist. 17. Nobis jam dicere licet, quod in hoc tempore non sit, neque Princeps, neque Propheta, ne{que} praeses, ne{que} [ D] oblatio, neque incensum, ne{que} locus in quo coram Domino possit offerri sacrificium, &c. Athanas. l. ad. solitar. vir. agent. Quae nunc Ecclesia libere Christum adorat? nam si alicubi sunt pij, & Christi studiosi (sunt autem plurimi illi itidem, vt magnus ille Propheta Elias absconduntur, & in speluncas & cauernas terrae sese abstrudunt, aut in∣solitudine oberrantes, commorantur. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Lir. c. Haer. c. 6. Arianorum venenum non jam portiunculam quan∣dam sed pene totum orbem contaminauerat: adeo vt prope cunctis latini nominis Episcopis, partim vi partim fraude deceptis, caligo quaedam mentibus offunderetur.
Auentin. annal. Bojor lib. 5. pa. 447. Gregorius septimus [ E] qui & Hildebrandus, &c. Primus contra morem majorum, contempta Imperatoris authoritate pontificatum maximum occupauit: 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 sibi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 esse à Christo, se 〈◊〉〈◊〉; vt liberet ligare & soluere posse, &c. Ibid. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Imperium 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, quod successores per 450. continenter annos inuito mun∣do, inuitis Imperatoribus adeo duxere, vt inferos superos, in seruiturem redegerint, 〈◊〉〈◊〉; sub jugum miserint, at{que} cuncta fulmine perterritent: Quo bruta, tellus & vaga 〈◊〉〈◊〉: Quo Stix & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 horrida 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sedes Ath∣lanteusq, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉; 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉.
Nancler. Gene∣rat. 40. summus pentifex Imperato∣ris collū pede 〈◊〉〈◊〉, &c. Math. Paris. Chron. p. 223. Papa definiuit, vt rex Anglorum Io∣hannes, à solio reg∣ni deponeretur, & alius, Papa procu∣rante succederes qui dignior haberetur. Ad hujus quoque sententiae executionem sctipsit Dominus Papa potentissimo Regi Fran∣corum Phillipo, quatenus in remissionem omnium suorum peccatorum hunc laborem assumeret, &c. Papir. Masson. d. Episcop. vibis l. 5. in vit. Bonifacij 8. Sander. d. visib. Monarch. Tam sacerdotalis quam regia potestas communicata [ B] est pastoribus Ecclesia.
〈◊〉〈◊〉. 40. c. 6. Si Papa, &c. Iacob. Graph. Decis. Aur. part. 1. l. 2. Omnia regit disponit & judicat, pro vt sibi placet, &c. Apud. eum est pro ratione voluntas, & quod ei placet legis habeat vigorem. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Ancona. sum. d. Eccles. q. 63. ar. 1. Magis ligat praeceptum Papae quam ligamen legis naturae, &c. Baron. Anno 373. num. 21. vt plane apareat ex arbitrio dependisse Rom. Pontificis fidei decreta sancita, & sancita mutare.
Fazel. d. reb. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. l. 8. c. 2. Haereseos incusatur & damnatur Fredericus, quod inter alia Romanum pontificem, ipsum ana∣thematis vinculo astringere non potuisse dixerit. Abbas. Vsperg. Anno 1012. p. 241.
Bosius. d. sig. Eccles. l. 5. c. 9. Did. Nugnus. in 3. Thom. Addit. q. 20. ar. 3. Bellarm. d. Concil. l. 2. c. 11. Greg. Val. Tom. 3. d. 1. q. 1. p. 7. pa. 365. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Bannes 22. q. 1. ar. 10. fo. 70.
Math. Paris. Chron. pa. 223. Quatenus in remissionem omnium suorum peccato∣rum hunc laborem assumeret. Bell. d. Eccles. l. 3. c. 5.