Synopsis papismi, that is, A generall viewe of papistry wherein the whole mysterie of iniquitie, and summe of antichristian doctrine is set downe, which is maintained this day by the Synagogue of Rome, against the Church of Christ, together with an antithesis of the true Christian faith, and an antidotum or counterpoyson out of the Scriptures, against the whore of Babylons filthy cuppe of abominations: deuided into three bookes or centuries, that is, so many hundreds of popish heresies and errors. Collected by Andrew Willet Bachelor of Diuinity.

THE FIRST QVESTION CONCERNING THE AV∣thoritie of the Prince in Ecclesiasticall matters.

THis question hath three parts. First, whether he haue power ouer the persons Ecclesiasticall. Secondly, whether ouer their goods. Thirdly, whether the Prince be chiefe in causes Ecclesiasticall.

THE FIRST PART CONCERNING THE AVTHO∣ritie of the ciuill Magistrate ouer Ecclesiasticall persons.

The Papists.

THe Clergie is not bound to keepe and obserue the ciuill and positiue lawes [error 98] of Princes, if they be contrarie to the Canons of the Church: neither ought they for any cause to bee cited before the ciuill Magistrate, or to be iudged by him, Bellarm. de Clericis, cap. 28.

It is absurd (saith the Iesuite) that the sheepe should iudge the shepheard, Bel∣larm. And the Apostle willeth all men to obey their Bishops and ouerseers, Heb. 13.17. and to submit themselues vnto them, from which rule neither Kings nor Emperours are exēpted: Prelates must be obeyed, Ergo, not obey Rhemist. ibid.

Ans. First, the obedience here required we acknowledge, that it ought to be yeelded by Kings & Emperours to those that haue the ouersight of their soules: for the Prince is bound to receiue and beleeue all true doctrine which is taught by the Pastors and Bishops of the Church, agreeable to the word of God, vnder paine of damnation: and the Pastors are bound vnder the like paine to obey the Princes lawes, made according to the word of God. Secondly, wherefore the spirituall obedience of the ciuill Magistrate to the word of God, taught by the Pastors of the Church, is no exemption of them from their ciuill obedience: for euery soule is subiect to the higher powers, Rom. 13.1. Fulk. annot. 13. Heb. sect. 9

The Protestants.

THat Ecclesiasticall persons are subiect to temporall gouernours, and are to be iudged by their lawes, the scriptures speake plainly.

1 Rom. 13.1. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers: Ergo, Bishops, yea the Pope himselfe, if he haue a soule. The like sayth S. Peter, 1.2.13. Submit your selues to all manner ordinance. Salomon remoued Abiathar from the Priesthood, and put in Sadock. Paul appealed, and submitted himselfe to Caesar. Againe, if Priests offend and commit any grieuous sinne, as of murther, theft, who shall punish them? The ciuill Magistrate onely beareth the sword: They

must either grant, that priests are no euill doers, which were to too grosse: or if they be, that they are vnder the ciuill Magistrates power: for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance vpon euery euill doer, Rom. 13.4.

In Augustines time, the controuersies betweene the Catholike and Donatist Bishops, were committed to the iudgement of the Emperour. Ait quidam,* 1.1 saith he, Non debuit Episcopus proconsulari iudicio purgari: Quasi verò ipse sibi hoc com∣parauerit, ac non Imperator ita quaeri iusserat, ad cuius curam, de qua rationem deo red liturus est res illa maximè pertinebat. But, saith one, a Bishop ought not to haue been purged before the Proconsul, or ciuill Magistrate: As though (sayth Augustine) the Proconsul did of himselfe intermeddle in this matter, and was not commanded rather of the Emperour so to doe: vnto whose charge that matter principally appertained, and whereof he shall make account vnto God: Ergo, by his sentence, the cause of the Bishop principally was to be iudged by the Emperour.

THE SECOND PART, WHETHER THE PRINCE haue power ouer Ecclesiasticall goods.

The Papists.

THe goods of the Clergie both secular and Ecclesiasticall, are and ought to [error 99] be exempted from paying tribute to Princes; yet they haue not this libertie, say they, by the Lawe of God, but by the grant of Princes themselues, Rhemist. annot. Rom. 13. sect. 5. Bellarm. de Clericis. cap. 28.

Genes. 47.22. & 27. The lands of the Priests were exempted from paying tribute: Ergo, it seemeth that this custome is grounded vpon the law of nature, Bellarm.

Ans. First, the Hebrew word signifieth rather Presidents, such as were the Kings officers, not Priests, as Tremellius sheweth: who were maintained by the Kings prouision, being officers of his houshold: for Genes. 41.45. Ioseph is sayd to marrie the daughter of Potyphar prince, not priest of On. The same word Co∣hen is there vsed: for it is not like that Ioseph would match himselfe with an ido∣latrous priests daughter. Secondly, but be it granted, this was but a politike con∣stitution for that coūtrey: other Princes are not bound to Pharao his law. Third∣ly, they gaine nothing by this, but that it is an humane constitution.

The Protestants.

THat Princes haue authoritie to punish Ecclesiasticall persons offending in their goods; either by displacing them, or by conuerting the Church posses∣sions by them abused, to better vses, we haue shewed before, Contr. 5. quest. 6. part. 1. And that their goods ought to pay tribute, subsidie, taxe, vnto the prince, thus now it is proued.

1 Our Sauiour Christ paied poll money, Math. 17.25. Rom. 13. Euery soule

ought to be subiect to the higher powers, and there vers. 5. paying of tribute is made a part of subiection: the argument therefore thus followeth: Clergie men are subiect to Princes, therefore they ought to pay tribute.

2 Ex concessis, we reason thus from their owne confession: That which Prin∣ces gaue to the Church, vpon good cause they may take away: but this immuni∣tie, not to pay tribute, was first granted, as they confesse, to the Church, by Kings and Princes: Ergo, they haue the same right, hauing iust occasion, to take it from them againe. What Augustines iudgement is, we haue seene in the place be∣fore alleadged.

THE THIRD PART, CONCERNING THE PRINCES authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall.

The Papists.

[error 100] THe Prince, they say, hath no authoritie to giue voyce deliberatiue or defini∣tiue in Councels concerning matters of religion, nor to make lawes Eccle∣siasticall concerning the same: Onely they giue them authoritie to execute the Ecclesiasticall lawes made by the Church, Rhemist. 1. Corinth. 14.16. Bellarm. de pontif. lib. 1. cap. 7.

* 1.21 Kings and Princes may in their owne persons execute if they will, what∣soeuer their inferiour officers do, as to heare and determine causes, as the Iudges and other Magistrates doe: but the Prince cannot execute any Ecclesiasticall function, as to preach, baptize: Ergo, he hath no authoritie in causes Ecclesiasti∣call: for how can the Prince impart that to others, whereof he is himselfe inca∣pable, as to giue Bishops and Pastors power to ordaine, to preach, and such like, Bellarm. Rhemist. ibid.

Ans. First, the authoritie of ciuill Magistrates doth not giue any thing to Ec∣clesiasticall Ministers, which appertaineth to their office, as to ordaine, preach, baptize, neither is the Prince to deale in these offices: yet may the ciuill Magi∣strates command them to execute their charge and dueties according to the word of God. Wherefore it followeth not, Princes cannot execute the pastoral dueties themselues: Ergo, they ought not to see them executed. Dauid, Salo∣mon, Iehosophat, Ezechia, commanded the Priests to execute their office accor∣ding to the law of God, though it was not lawfull for them, neither did they exe∣cute any thing proper to the Priests office in their owne persons; neither doth any Christian Prince challenge any such right in Ecclesiasticall functions: wherefore it is an impudent slander of Bellarmine, which he giueth forth of our Queene, Iam re ipsa Caluinistis in Anglia mulier quaedam summus pontifex. And now (sayth he) in England the Caluinists haue a certaine woman for their chiefe Bishop. De notis eccles. lib. 4. cap. 9.

2 It doth not followe, that the Prince might as well execute Ecclesiasticall offices, as he may ciuill in his owne person, if he haue authoritie ouer both: No

more then it followeth, that because Ecclesiasticall persons doe teach both ci∣uill Magistrates and Church officers their dueties, and may in their owne per∣sons execute the one, that is, spirituall duties, that they may as well intermeddle in the other: But these two offices of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernment are distinguished, and must not be confounded. The Prince, though he haue autho∣ritie to command Ecclesiasticall persons, yet being a ciuill Magistrate, is not to deale with the execution of spirituall dueties. Bishops & pastors likewise haue a spiritual charge ouer kings & princes, to shew thē their duties out of Gods word, yet because they are persons Ecclesiastical, they ought not to meddle with meer Ciuill dueties. The Prince hath the soueraigntie of externall gouernement in all causes & ouer all persons, yet not alike, for Ciuill offices he may both command and execute; Ecclesiasticall duties he commandeth onely: Bishops and pastors haue also a spirituall charge ouer all, prescribing out of Gods word as well the duetie of Magistrates, as of Ministers, but not alike, for the one they may fully execute, so may they not the other. The head in the naturall bodie, resembleth the Prince in the commonwealth, in some sense: the head giueth mouing to the whole bodie and all the parts thereof: but to the principall parts in the head the eyes, tongue, eares, it giueth beside the facultie of mouing, the sense also of see∣ing, tasting, hearing: So in the common-wealth, by the Princes authoritie all persons are kept in order, and vrged to looke to their charge, both ciuill officers and spirituall, as al the parts of the bodie receiue mouing from the head: But the ciuill officers receiue power and authoritie beside, and their very offices of the King, as the parts in the head, receiue sense from their fountaine: but Ecclesiasti∣call Ministers receiue not their offices from the Prince, or any mortall man, but they haue their calling according to the order of the Church of God.

Argum. 2. For the space of 300. yeeres the Church after Christ had no Chri∣stian gouernours, but all Heathen and Idoll worshippers, yet then the Church was established, and preuailed: Ergo, Ciuill Magistrates ought not to deale in Ecclesiasticall affayres, Bellarmine.

Ans. 1. Euen then also, the Heathen Emperours had authoritie in Church matters, and if they had commanded any thing agreeable to true religion, they should haue been obeyed: as Cyrus in the law which he made for building the temple, Ezra. 1. Darius the Median, for worshipping the true God, Dan. 6. Fulk. Rom. 13. sect. 3. The heathen Emperours then had the same power, but they knewe not how to vse it: Christian Princes doe succeede them in the same of∣fice, but are better taught by the word of God how to exercise the sword. Se∣condly, we denie not but that in the time of persecution all things necessarie for the spirituall building thereof may be had, without the Magistrate, as a Vine∣yard may bring forth fruite without an hedge, but it cannot enioy peace, nor be in a perfect estate, in respect of the externall gouernement, but vnder good Ma∣gistrates, as the Vineyard may soone be spoyled, the wild bore and the beasts of the field may breake in vpon it hauing no hedge. The child being in the womb, though it haue as yet small vse of the head, but is fed by the nauell, which is in

steed of the mouth, hath in it selfe the lineaments and proportion of a humane bodie, yet it wanteth the perfect beautie, till it be borne and come forth, and the head receiue his office: So may the Church haue a being in persecution, and the want of the ciuill head may be otherwise supplied, but it is not beautifull till the head be set vp, and the sword put into the Christian Magistrates hand.

Argum. 3. Princes haue no cure nor charge of soules: Ergo, they are not to meddle with Ecclesiasticall lawes, Rhemist. annot. 1. Corinth. 14. sect. 16.

Ans. Parents haue charge ouer the soules of their childrē, for they are charged to bring them vp in the instruction and information of the Lord, Ephes. 6.4. Therefore Princes also haue directly charge of the soules of their subiects accor∣ding to their place and calling, by prouiding and making good Ecclesiasticall lawes, and compelling them to the true seruice of God: As the Ecclesiasticall Ministers in another kind, and more properly are said to haue the cure of soules, in feeding and instructing the people, Fulk. ibid.

The Protestants.

THe ciuill Magistrate, by the word of God, hath power to make and consti∣tute Ecclesiasticall lawes, and to establish true religion, and see that all per∣sons vnder their gouernment doe faithfully execute their charge: To say there∣fore that the Church officers are to deuise lawes concerning religion, and the Prince onely to execute them, is to make the Prince their seruant, and doth de∣rogate too much from the princely authoritie: Neither doe we giue vnto the Prince absolute power to make Ecclesiasticall lawes: for first, the Prince is not to prescribe what lawes he listeth to the Church,* 1.3 but such as onely may require the true worship of God. Secondly, that it is expedient and meete, according to the commendable custome of this land, that the godly learned of the Clergie should be consulted withall, in establishing of Ecclesiastical ordinances, vnlesse it be in such a corrupt time, when the Church gouernours are enemies to reli∣gion, for then the Prince, not staying vpon their iudgement, ought to reforme religion according to the word of God, as we see it was lawfully and godly pra∣ctised by King Henrie the 8. Thirdly, we doe make exception of all such Eccle∣siasticall canons and ordinances, the making whereof doth properly belong to the office of Bishops and gouernours of the Church: for our meaning is not, that it is not lawful for Ecclesiastical Ministers, to make Ecclesiastical decrees, which do properly concerne their office, as concerning the censures of the Church, ex∣communication, suspension, absoluing, binding, loosing, and such like, which things are incident to their pastorall office: and yet we grant, that the Prince hath euen in these cases an ouerruling hand, to see that none abuse their pastoral office. But that any lawes ought to be made without the authoritie of the prince, which the prince is bound, to execute, we vtterly denie: And so we conclude, that the ciuill Magistrate hath power ouer all persons and in all causes, both temporall and ecclesiasticall, in such manner as we haue sayd.

1 S. Paul willeth, that praiers should be made for Kings and Princes, that vn∣der them we may leade a peaceable life, in all godlines and honestie, 1. Tim. 2.2.

Ergo, it is their duetie as well to procure religion by their authoritie, as ciuill ho∣nestie. Againe, He beareth not the sword for nought, Rom. 13.4. He hath power to punish al euill doers: therfore also to correct euill ministers, & to make Eccle∣siastical lawes: for otherwise he should haue no ful power to correct the trans∣gressors thereof.

2 We reade that Iosua, Dauid, Salomon, Iosia, did deale in ecclesiasticall mat∣ters, which concerned religion and the worship of God. Bellarm. They did it by an extraordinarie authoritie, not as Kings, but as Prophets. Nay, it was an ordinarie power: for all the good kings of Iuda beside, as Iehosaphat, Heze∣kiah, and others, did take care of religion: & this was so properly annexed to the kingly office, that idolatrous kings also tooke vpon them to command false reli∣gion, as Ieroboam set vp two golden calues, and Ahaz king of Iudah cōmanded Vriah the high Priest to make an Altar according to the patterne which he sent from Damascus, 2. King. 16.11. This power also was afterward exercised by Christian Kings and Emperours: as Constantinus, Theodosius, Martianus, made lawes for the Church, Fulk. annot. 1. Cor. 14. sect. 16. Iustinianus the Emperour de∣creed many things concerning Church affayres: as how excommunication should be vsed, how Bishops and Priests should be ordained, concerning the or∣der and manner of funerals: that the holy mysteries should not be done in pri∣uate houses. Carolus magnus decreed, that onely the Canonical bookes of scrip∣ture should be read in the Church: he chargeth all Bishops and priests to preach the word. Lodouicus Pius his sonne, and Emperour after him, ordained that no entrie should bee made into the Church by Simonie:* 1.4 that Bishops should bee chosen by the free election of the Clergie and the people. All these Emperours did lawfully exercise their princely authoritie in Ecclesiastical matters: Ergo, o∣ther princes may doe the same still.

3 Augustine saith, Epistol. 50. Quis mente sobrius &c? Who in his right wits would say to the King, It pertaineth not to you, who in your kingdome is re∣ligious or sacrilegious, to whom it cannot be said, let it not pertaine vnto you, who in your kingdome will be chast or vnchast? And in another place, Ad fra∣tres in erem. serm. 14. Tunc iustitia dicitur gladius ex vtra{que} parte acutus, quia ho∣minis defendit corpus ab exterioribus iniurijs, & animam à spiritualibus molestijs. Then iustice is rightly called a sword with a double edge, because it doth both defend the bodie from externall and corporall wrongs, and the soule from spiri∣tuall vexation: That is, the sword of the Magistrate serueth as well to prune the Church, and to cut off all errors and heresies in religion, as to destroy the vices and corruptions in manners.

AN APPENDIX OR FOVRTH PART OF THE QVE∣stion, whether the Prince in any good sense may be called the head of his kingdome, and consequently of the Church in his kingdome.

The Papists.

THey do appropriate this title, to be called heads of the vniuersall Church, to [error 101]

the Pope of Rome, most blasphemouslie: for there can be no head of the vniuersal bodie but Christ: But for Princes to be called the head, that is, chiefe gouernours of the Churches in their kingdomes, they do abhorre it. Whereupon Bellarmine is so saucie as to checke and controule King Henrie the 8. because he was called the head of the English Church.

1 The heathen Emperours were not heads of the Church, being not so much as members thereof: therefore neither Christian Magistrates, which doe suc∣ceede them in that authoritie, Rhemist. annot. 1. Pet. 2. sect. 6.

Ans. 1. The argument followeth not: they were no true mēbers of the Church, therefore could not be heads, that is, haue the soueraigntie of the externall go∣uernment: for wicked kings and princes doe keepe their magistracie & gouern∣ment still: who though they be not true members of the Catholike Church, yet ought to be obeied as princes. 2. Though the metaphorical name of head agreed not vnto them, yet were they by Gods ordinance appointed to be heads & go∣uernours of his people & protectors of his Church, & should haue been, if they had not abused their authoritie. 3. Christian princes, though they haue the same authoritie, which they had, yet now exercising the sword according to Gods law, and being Nurses of the Church, may vse and retaine those princely titles in deed, to be called Patrones and defenders of the faith, & head, that is, chiefe go∣uernours and protectors of the Church: which by right had been due vnto the other, if they had vsed their authoritie as they should.

2 Christian princes are members of the Church, Ergo, not heads: for if they were heads, how could the Church stand without them, as it did in the time of persecution?

Ans. First, as though the head is not a member and part of the bodie, though a principall one: so the Prince is a member of the Church, but a principall and chiefe member, not of the inuisible Church, for so Christ is onely head, but of a particular visible Church. Secondly, we denie not but that the inuisible and spi∣ritual Church may consist without the Magistrate, but a visible, flourishing, and wel-gouerned Church cannot want a head or chiefe gouernour, that is as a wall or hedge vnto it.

The Protestants.

TO bee head of the vniuersall Church is proper onely to Christ, and in that sense is not communicable to any creature: for he is to his Church, as the head to the naturall bodie, giuing vnto it influence of grace, spirit and life: he is therefore the onely mysticall head of the vniuersal Church: But in another sense the Prince may be said to be the head and chiefe gouernour of his kingdome, & of that particular visible Church, where he is king: We make him neither the mysticall head, which is only Christ, (farre be that blasphemie from vs) nor a mi∣nisterial head, as they make the Pope to be as Christs Vicegerent in the Church; but a politicall head, to keepe and preserue the peace of the Church, and to see

that euery member doe his office and duetie. But this name we confesse is vn∣properly giuen to the Prince, neither were we the first inuentors of it: for the pa∣pists first gaue it to Henry the 8. And there are other titles which doe sufficient∣ly expresse the office of the Prince, and may bee more safely vsed. If any man thinke it too high a name for any mortall man, and so not to be giuen to any, we will not greatly contend about it: But if any denye it to the Prince, as thereby to abridge her of her power in Ecclesiastical matters, we doe stand stiffely for it; and are bold to affirme, that with much better right is this title attributed to the ciuill Magistrate then it was to the Pope: yea, and that it hath been of old giuen in a modest and sober sense to Kings and Princes, and may with a fauourable exposition be still: and Princes also may receiue this honour and title at their subiects hands, with protestation of their Christian meaning herein.

1 This phrase, for the King to be called the head, is not vnusuall in scrip∣ture, 1. Sam. 15.17. Saul is sayd to be the head of the tribes. Psal. 18.43. Dauid the head of the nations: Isay. 9.15. The Prince or honourable man the head of the people: yea Princes are called Gods, Psal. 82.2. which is a name of greater Soueraigntie, then to be called heads. Bellarmine answereth: Princes doe rule ouer their subiects as men, not as Christians, and Kings are set ouer the people not as they are Christians, but politike persons: so the Prince is head of the kingdome, not of the Church, De pontif. Rom. lib. 1. cap. 7.

Ans. Stephen Gardiner taketh away this cauill very sufficiently, we will set one Papist against another. It is all one (sayth he) to call the Prince head of the Church of England, and head of the Realme of England: for if all English∣men be his subiects, why are they not his subiects, as they are Christians? If the wife or seruant bee subiect to the master or husband being infidels, doth their conuersion, or name of Christians make them lesse subiect,* 1.5 then they were be∣fore? Haec ille. Againe, how farre is this, I pray you, from Anabaptistrie, to say, that subiects, onely as men, not as Christians, are in subiection to Princes? for doth it not followe hereupon, that as Christians they ought to haue no superiour or Magistrate?

2 It is sufficient for vs, that this title more fitly and properly belongeth to e∣uery Prince in his owne kingdome, thē to the Pope, for the Pope can in no wise be head of the Church: he is not the mysticall head, neither dare they say so: for Christ onely is the head in that manner: neither can he be the Ministeriall head of the vniuersall Church: for the Catholike Church is a bodie mysticall, & must needes haue a mysticall head: neither is he the politicall head of any particular Church: for no Bishop can be a politicall head: because he that is the head and chiefe must haue a coactiue power, to binde his subiects to obedience: so hath not any Bishop: The Prince onely beareth the sword, and enforceth obedience. Againe, in a farre diuers sense is the Prince called the head, then the Pope was: for first the Pope challenged to be head of the vniuersal Church: but the prince is chiefe only in his owne kingdome. Secondly, the Pope would be an absolute head, to doe all vpon earth that Christ did, yea and more to, to bind and loose at

his pleasure, to depose Kings, to dispense with the word of God, to constitute and make lawes at his pleasure: in so much that one of his clawback flatterers is not ashamed to say of him, Christus & Papa vnum faciunt consistorium, & ex∣cepto peccato potest Papa, quasi omnia facere, quae potest Deus: Christ and the Pope make but one Consistorie,* 1.6 & keepe but one court; & sinne onely excepted, the Pope in a manner can doe all things that God can doe. But we doe limit the po∣wer of the Prince: who is not to impose any lawes vpon the Church, but such as are agreeable to the word of God: neither doe we make him a spirituall of∣ficer, as the Pope would be, but a ciuill gouernour, who by positiue lawes is to prouide for the peace and welfare of the Church.

Lastly, S. Peter sayth, Submit your selues to the King as the chiefe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or most excelling:* 1.7 what is this els, but as to the head? what is it to be chiefe but to be head? But we will not much contend for the name, so they will grant vs the thing: namely, that the Prince is a commander euen in Ecclesiasticall mat∣ters, as Augustine saith: In hoc reges Deo seruiunt, si mala prohibeant, nō solum quae pertinent ad humanam societatem, verumetiam, quae ad diuinam religionem. Cont. Crescon. lib. 3. cap. 5. In this Kings doe good seruice to God, if they forbid euill to be done, not onely in matters pertaining to humane societie, but in things con∣cerning religion. As for the title, to bee called head, let them cease to call their chiefe Bishop so who hath no right vnto it, and we will promise also to lay it downe, though in good sense we might vse it, though the Pope had neuer layd claime thereunto.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Epistol. 162
• * 1.2

  Argum.
• * 1.3

  Fulk. Hebr. 13.9.
• * 1.4

  Fox. pag. 7.
• * 1.5

  Fox. p. 1059
• * 1.6

  Panormi∣tan.
• * 1.7

  1. Pet. 2.13.