against God and the Scriptures) Quibus omnibus rite collectis, evi∣denter satis ostenditur a seculari potestate nec ligari prorsus, nec solvi posse Pontificem. Quo manifestius approbatur, Alexandrinum Petrum per Imperialem solummodo sententiam nullo modo potuisse absolvi: being condemned, deprived by the Synod at Rome & Pope Felix: ubi si Pontificum quo{que} sociatur assensus, quaerimus utrum praecesserit, an fuerit subsecutus? Si subsecutus est, nihilominus ad id reditur; ut absolutio seculari potestate praecepta, et prin∣cipaliter inchoata, valere non possit: pontificumque secutus assen∣sus, adulationis potius fuerat, quam legitimae sanctionis. Si prae∣cessit, doceatur a quibus, & ubi ille sit gestus, secundum Ecclesiae regulam celebratus; si paterna traditione profectus, si majorum more prolatus, si competenti examinatione de∣promptus? Ubi proculdubio requirendum est, Si Synodali congregatione celebratus, quod in receptione damnati, & depulsione catholici, quia nova est causa, fieri debuisse certissimum est. In fine, he concludes, that Peter and Acacius being condemned a prima sede, (by which he means the See and Council of Rome) could not be absolved nor resto∣red by the Emperor himself, nor by a Synod of the Clergy held at Constantinople, or elswhere, but only by the See of Rome, nec ab inferiore quolibet (praecipue cum de secundae sedis ageretur Antistite, to wit, Acacius of Constantinople) sed a prima sede jure possit absolvi. Inferior quippe potiorem absolvere non potest: sola ergo potior inferiorem convenien∣ter absolvit. A doctrin inconsistent with the practise and proceedings of that age, as the premises, and the deprivations, restitutions of many Bishops by the Emperors, as well Orthodox as Heterodox, recorded by Eusebius, Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen, Tripartita Historia, Nicephorus, and others, abundantly evidence. This Pope Gelasius in hisSurius Con∣cil. Tom. 2. p. 301, 302.Commonitorium ad Faustum, his Legate sent to Constantinople, hath the like passages: Quod si dicunt, Imperator hoc fecit (that he restored Peter and Acacius) hoc ipsum quibus canonibus, quibus regulis est praeceptum? As if Emperors must do nothing but what Popes and Bishops prescribe, or permit them by their Canons. In his Epi∣stle toIbid. p. 303, 304.Anastasius the Emperor about the same businesse; after this complement Romanus natus, Romanum Principem amo, colo, suspicio, & sicut Christianus cum eo, qui zelum Dei habet, secundum scientiam veritatis habere desidero, & qualiscumque Apostoli∣cae sedis Vicarius (a phrase not usual in that age) quodcunque plenae fidei catholicae deesse comperero, pro meo modulo snggestionibus opportunis supplere contendo; He thus proceedPietatem tuam absit (quaeso à Romano Principe) ut intimatam suis sensibus veritatem, ar∣bitretur injuriam.Gratian Di∣stinctio 96.Duo quippe sunt, Imperator Auguste, quibus princi∣paliter Mundus hic regitur, authoritas sacra Pontificum, et Rega∣lis potestas. In quibus tanto gravius est pondus sacerdotum, quanto etiam pro ipsis regibus hominum in Divino reddituri sunt examine rationem, (And must not Kings too give an account for Bishops and Priests under them, if they permit unworthy ones, or enforce them not by their Lawes to discharge their pastoral duties? No doubt they must.) Nosti etenim fili Clementissime, quod licet praesideas humano generi dignitate, rerum ta∣men Praesulibus divinarum devotus colla submittis (this is untrue in point of Jurisdiction) at{que} ab eis causas tuae salutis expetis (as from his Ministers, not Superiors) inque sumendis Coelestibus Sacramentis eis∣que (ut competit) disponendis subdi te debere cognoscis (in point on∣ly of Administration, not of Power or Jurisdiction) religionis ordine po∣tius quam praeesse. Itaque inter haec ex illorum te Pendere Judicio (as his Advisers, not Superiors) non illos ad tuam velle redigi voluntatem, (unless in case of their Heresie, Error, Excesses which he may reform) Si enim, quantum ad ordinem pertinet Publicae disciplinae, cognoscentes imperium tibi superna dispositione collatum, legi∣bus tuis ipsi quoque parent religionis Antistites, (he should have added with Gratian Dist. 10, 12. unlesse they thwart their Canons and profit) Ne vel in rebus mundanis exclusae videantur obviare sententiae; quo (rogo) te decet affectu eis obedire qui praerogandis venerabilibus sunt attri∣buti Mysteris: (in dispensing those mysteries only according to Gods word, not in unjust Church-censures.) Proinde sicut non leve discrimen incumbii Pontificibus siluisse pro divinitatis cultu quod congruit; ita his (quod absit) non mediocre periculum est, qui cum pare∣re 0