The difference between the Church of England, and the Church of Rome in opposition to a late book, intituled, An agreement between the Church of England, and Church of Rome.

The 37. Article of the Church of England.

Of the Civil Magistrates.

The Queen's Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England, and other her Dominions, unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm, whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil, in all Causes doth appertain; and is not, nor ought to be subject to any forreign Jurisdiction.

The Bishop of Rome hath no Jurisdiction in this Realm of England.

The 3d part, Of the Sermon of Obedience.

The usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome, which he most wrongfully challengeth, as the Successor of St. Peter, is false, feigned and forged.

The Bishop of Rome teacheth, That they that are under him, are free from all Burdens, and Charges of the Common-wealth, and Obedience to∣ward their Prince, most clearly against Christ's Doctrine, and St. Peter's. He ought therefore ra∣ther to be called Antichrist, and the Successor of the Scribes and Pharisees, than Christ's Vicar, or St. Peter's Successor.

St. Peter doth not say, Submit your selves unto me as the Supream Head of the Church, neither saith he, submit your selves from time to time to

my Successors in Rome; but saith he, submit your selves to the King, the Supreme Head.

The 2d. part of the Sermon of Obedience.

Wicked Rulers have their Power and Authority from God, and therefore its not lawful for their Subjects to withstand them, although they abuse their Power.

The necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Chri∣sten Man; set forth by Hen. 8. and compiled by Cranmer, &c.

Subjects be bound not to withdrawn their Fealty, Truth, Love and Obedience towards their Prince for any cause whatsoever it be; ne for any cause they may conspire against his Person, ne do any thing towards the hinderance, or hurt thereof, nor of his Estate.

3d Part of the Sermon against wilful Rebellion.

The speedy overthrow of all Rebels of what Num∣ber, State, or Condition soever they were, or what Colour, or Cause soever they pretended, is and ever hath been such, that God thereby doth shew that he alloweth neither the Dignity of any Person, nor the Multitude of any People, nor the Weight of any Cause as sufficient for the which the Subjects may move Rebellion against their Princes.

See the Oaths of Allegeance and Supremacy.

The Church of Rome.

§. 1. Of the Authority claim'd by the Church of Rome.

1. The Roman Church is the Mother and Mistress of all Churches. So the 4th General Council of Lateran, Can. 2. The Council of Trent, Sess. 7. Can. 3. &c. This is made an Article of Faith in the Creed of Pope Pius the 4th.

2. The Roman Bishop is the Vicar of God and Christ, the Successor of St. Peter, and hath the Supreme Pastor∣ship over the Vniversal Church. So the Council of Trent, Sess. 6. de reform. cap. 1. Sess. 14. cap. 7. &c. This is also an Article of Faith in the aforesaid Creed.

§. 2. Of the Exercise of this Authority.

1. The Church of Rome doth take upon her to command Sovereign Princes. So it's the Phrase of their Councils; We do enjoyn Princes, we do peremp∣torily require Kings, &c. So the 4th General Council of Later. cap. 67, 68. The 5th General Council of Later. de pragmat. Sanct. The Council of Trent.

2. She doth overrule what Sovereign Princes have commanded. So the Council of Constance: Notwith∣standing the safe Conducts granted by Emperors and Kings, &c. Yet, Heretical Wickedness may be enqui∣red after, by a competent Judg; and the Persons guilty, be punished; altho they should come to the place of Judgment considing in the safe Conduct, and other∣wise would not have come.

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3. The Church of Rome hath excommunicated such Sovereign Princes as have not submitted to what she hath commanded; and hath deposed such as have been thus excommunicated and continued refractory; and absolved their Subjects from Allegi∣ance to them when deposed. So

The 3d. General Council of Lateran.

We do forbid under an Anathema, That any one pre∣sume to keep or maintain Hereticks in their Houses or Land, or to exercise commerce with them. And if they shall dye in this Sin, there shall no Oblation be made for them.

And let Subjects know, that they are released from all Debt of Fealty and Homage, and all Obedience.

The 4th General Council of Lateran.

Let secular Powers, whatsoever Offices they execute, be admonished, perswaded, and if it be necessary, compelled by Ecclesiastical Censure, That as they desire to be reputed and accounted Faithful, so they would pub∣lickly take an Oath for the defence of the Faith, that they would endeavour in good Faith, according to their power to destroy [exterminate] all Hereticks mark∣ed by the Church, out of the Lands of their Jurisdiction. But if the Temporal Lord being required and admo∣nished, shall neglect to purge his Land from this He∣retical Filthiness, he shall be Excommunicated by his Metropolitan, and the other Bishops of the Province. And if he shall refuse to give satisfaction within a Year, let it be signified to the Pope, that he may forth∣with denounce his Vassals absolved from their Allegi∣ance, and expose his Land to be possessed by Catholicks; who, having destroyed the Hereticks, may possess it

without contradiction, and preserve it in the purity of the Faith, saving the Right of the Principal Lord, whilst that he doth make no hindrance to it. Never∣theless the same Law is to be observed towards them who have No principal Lords.

The General Council of Lyons. Ann. 1245.

In this, Pope Innocent the 4th deprived the Em∣peror Frederick the 2d, after this manner: We, af∣ter diligent deliberation had with the Sacred Council, do declare and denounce, That he is deprived of all Ho∣nour and Dignity, and by our Sentence do deprive him; and do for ever absolve them from their Oath, who have sworn Allegiance to him; firmly forbidding by our Apostolical Authority, that any one from henceforward, obey him as Emperor or King, &c. And let those to whom the Election belongs, freely choose a Successor in that Empire.

The Council of Constance.

It is decreed, That all that should hinder the Em∣peror Sigismund from meeting the King of Arragon, of what Quality soever, though King, Duke, &c. they be Excommunicated, and deprived of all their Secular Honour and Dignity.

And in the Bull of Pope Martin the 5th, read and approved in that Council, All Professors of the Christian and Catholick Faith, the Emperor, Kings, Dukes, &c. are required to expel all Hereticks out of their Kingdoms, and Provinces, according to the Ca∣non, Sicut ait, &c. That is, the abovesaid Canon of the 3d Lateran Council.

The Council of Trent.

The Emperors, Kings, Dukes, &c. and all Temporal Lords of what Title soever, who shall grant a place for Duelling among Christians within their Lands, should for that Cause be deprived of the Dominion of the City, Castle, or Place in which they permitted the Duel to be.

4. The Church of Rome doth exempt the Clergy from Temporal Jurisdiction. So

The 3d General Lateran Council.

Because some Laicks do compel Ecclesiastical Persons, and also Bishops themselves, to appear before their Judgment-seat, We do therefore decree, that such be separated from the Communion of the Faithful, who shall presume from henceforward so to do.

The 4th General Council of Lateran.

Some Laicks do too much usurp upon Divine Right, when they do compel Ecclesiastical Persons, holding no∣thing Temporal from them, to take an Oath of Allegi∣ance to them. But because, according to the Apostle, the Servant doth stand or fall to his own Master, We do forbid by the Authority of the Sacred Council, That such Clerks be compelled to take this kind of Oath to Secular Persons.

See further the Bull of Pope Leo the 10th, read in the 5th General Council of Lateran. And the Council of Trent, which doth ratify all Canons, made in their favour.

The Opposition.

The Church of England.	The Church of Rome.
1. The King hath chief power.	1. The Pope hath Power over Kings, to Excommunicate, De∣pose, &c.
2. The King hath power over all persons.	2. Ecclesiastical persons are ex∣empted from Secular Jurisdiction.
3. The Bishop of Rome hath no power in the Kings Dominions: And the power he challengeth is usurpation.	3. The Bishop of Rome is the Universal Pastor.
4. The King is not to be resisted.	4. The Pope can give power to resist Sovereign Princes, and can absolve Subjects from their Allegi∣ance.

As the Opposition in this matter is evident betwixt Church and Church; so we look upon the one to be no less the Doctrine of the Church of Rome, than the other is the Doctrine of the Church of England.

For 1. It's notoriously manifest, That the Church of Rome hath both owned such Principles, and proceeded according to those Prin∣ciples in Excommunicating and Deposing Kings, in limiting their Jurisdiction, and Absolving Subjects from their Allegiance.

2. It is manifest, That the several branches of Authority fore∣recited, and claimed by that Church, are grounded upon the Ca∣nons of what they call General Councils. And that all in the Com∣munion of that Church are bound to own and receive these Princi∣ples, is evident, since they are decreed by the same Councils, and after the same manner as the Doctrine of Transubstantiation it self; and so are equally to be received with it, by all the Members of that Church.

Notes

• ART. 37.
• On 5th Com∣mandment.
• Sess. 19.
• Cap. 27.
• Can. 3. de Haereticis.
• Sess. 3.
• Sess. 17.
• Sess. ult.
• Decret. de Re∣form. Cap. 12.
• Cap. 14.
• Can. 43.
• Sess. 9. Sess. 25. De Reform. Cap. 20.