The English concord in ansvver to Becane's English iarre: together with a reply to Becan's Examen of the English Concord. By Richard Harris, Dr. in Diuinitie.

D^r. HARRIS Reply.

THe Iesuit here vndertaking to be my Schoole∣maister, proues himselfe to be a very blockish, and a ludibrious Teacher. To proue, not as he imagineth, The fulnesse of the Popes power to surpasse all Positiue lawes: but that The temporall lawes, with, or against the Church, extend not to the Church vvithout the Popes expresse allowance; I cited the place rightly, thus: De Constitut. cap. Eccles. Sanctae Mariae. nu. 9. But the Ie∣suit, after the depth of his shallow capacitie, cites it thus: De Constitut. Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae, leauing out these words, numero nono. Whe•• as those very words, if he had but any smattering skill, in the Commenta∣ries vpon the Canon law, might easily haue informed him, that these words and syllables, viz. Lex praeiudicia∣lis Ecclesijs, &c. were the words of Panormitan, vvri∣ting vpon that chapter, as indeed they are, thus;* 1.1 Lex Principis, praeiudicialis Ecclesiis, non extenditur ad Ecclesi∣as, nisi expresse approbetur per Papam. Si verò est Con∣stitutio laicorum inferiorum fauorabilis Ecclesiis, non ex∣tenditur aliquo modo ad clericos, nisi sit approbata per Pa∣pam. The lawes of Princes, prerudiciall to the Church, ex∣tend not to the Clergie, except the Pope expresly allow them.

Though these words, Lex praeiudicalis &c. bee not in the Canon, but in the Rubrick of the same (and euen

that is enough to make this Iesuit blush) yet the mat∣ter is fully set downe in that Canon, De constitut. ca. Ec∣cles. S. Mariae. And the case was between Iohn de Ar∣chea (who appealed) and the Church of S^t. Mary, tou∣ching certaine possessions then in contiouersie, before the iudge of appeale: who, by reason of a certaine sta∣tate of Rome, spoyled the Monastery of the said pos∣sersions, and transserred them to the Church of Saint Marie; giuing corporall possession thereof.

This cause being brought to the Pope, he sets down this decree: We, considering that layites hauing no power ouer the Church, or Church-men, if they make a law which may restect the good of the Church is of no validity, vn∣lesse it be established by the Popes authoritie; doe make void that vvhich is done in preiudice of the Monasterie and dif∣finitiuely doe sentence, the possession to be restored vnto it.

These things beeing thus made plaine to the Iesuit, it is meet now he should answere how those lawes, in∣deed anciently made, but lately reuiued, and reen for∣ced by the Venetians, so exceeding preiudiciall to the Church and Church-men (as the Pope in his late excom∣municating Bull expresly and his two Cardinalls, Bel∣larminus and Baronius particularly, haue set downe) stand still in force, euen to the expulsion, and extirpa∣tion thence of all Icsuits, without any hope of their returne. Whether, because this said Canon hath lost his force; or for that the roating Bull hath lost his hornes, and is now become no more feared, then a braying Asse?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Paner de Const••r ca. E. cl. Sá••••e marae. nu. 9.