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.

BECAN. Exam.* 1.1

OVt of another Glosse, Dist. 40. cap. Si Papa, you cite these vvords: It is a kind of sacriledge to dispute of the Popes fact. But, as vnfaith fully as before. For the Glosse hath no such word, or rather the contrary; for thus it speaketh expresly: If the Popes crime bee notori∣ous, and he beincorrigible, I belieue that he may be thereof accused. It easily appeareth, that you neuer saw the Canons, or Glosses. You are better seene in fables.

D^r. HARRIS Reply.

BY this it is manifest, that this Iesuit neuer saw, or ranne ouer cursorily the Canons & Glosses, but is better seene in scurrilities. Otherwise, ha∣uing the 40. Dist. ca. Si Papa before him, in the verie next page of the next leafe to the Canon Si Papa, and there in the Glosse, cap. Non nos. verb. quis enim; with the same view, hee might haue read these words: Sem∣per praesumitur pro Papa, vt 93. Dist. cap. 1. Vnde sacri∣legij instar esset, disputare de facto suo. Vel die quod facta Papae excusantur, vt homicidia Samsonis, furta Haebraeorum, et adulterium Iacob. Vt extra de diuortijs. Gaudemus.

The Pope is presumed alwaies to be good, Therefore it were a kinde of sacriledge to dispute of his fact; vvhose fact, viz. murder, is excused, as those of Samson; and his thefts, as the thefts of the Hebrewes: and his adulteries, as the adultery of Iacob.

This stuffe is plaine enough: but it is too too filthy. Therefore with what face, or shew of any little skillin the Canons or Glosses, could the Iesuite deny the Gloss to haue any such vvords, since the very words are there in the Glosse to be found? Againe, considering it was the Bishop Iewell, and not I, (as my printed booke of Concord, pag. 8. shewed) who cited Dist. 40 cap. Si Papa. hee sheweth himselfe to be of proiected impu∣dencie, who durst so basely thinke and write of that most learned Bishop, viz. That hee neuer saw the Canons, or Glosses.

If the Glosse write contrary, it writeth contrary to it selfe, and to the expresse words of the Canon it selfe, Si papa; which are these: Papae culp as redarguere, prae∣sumit mortalium nullus, quod cunetos ipse iudicaturus, a nemine est iudicandus; nisi deprehendatur a fide deuius. No mortall man presumeth to reprehend the Popes faults, because he is to iudge all, and to be iudged of none; vnlesse he be found Apostat from the faith.

The Gloss, in 22. q. 2. ca. Non liceat, saith plainely (and not, as here, Credo, I belieue or thinke) Nullus mortalium papam possit iudicare. Extra de Elect. ca. Inno∣tuit. Dist. 40. Si Papa. No man liuing may iudge the Pope. Heresie (as the Gloss, Dist. 40. Si Papa: saith well) makes the Pope no Head of the Church. But other Crimes cannot make him no head: and so long as hee is Head of the Church, by the Canon law, he is the Church, and

aboue generall Councels, Emperours, and all mortall men liuing.

Therefore saith Innocent the Pope, Dist. 96. ca. Sa∣tis euidenter: It is shewed euidently enough, that the Secu∣lar power can neither binde, nor loose the Pope, plainely cal∣led God, by the godly Emperour Constantine: now it is manifest, that God can not be iudged of men.

And in 9. q. 3. Aliorum, he concludeth thus: God vvould haue the causes of other men, to be determined by men: but he hath questionlesse reserued the Bishop of this Sea to his owne iudgement. He vvould haue the successors of blessed Peter to owe their innocencie to heauen only, and to keepe a conscience inuiolate to the triall of the most sub∣tile Discussor. It is manifest, that the faithfull euery where, are subiect to the Pope, vvhen as he is designed Head of the whole Body.

This being the maine, and cleare doctrine of the Romish Catholike faith; it is much to be feared, least that the Pope reading what Becane hath here written (viz. That the Pope may be iudged, and if he be incorrigi∣ble, deposed; not for Heresie alone, but also for other noto∣rious crimes) will not onely be much ashamed of him, as of an vnlearned Iesuite, and casheer him, as a mise∣rable defendour of him; but also, excommunicate him as an Heretike, and an Impugner of his Maiesticall Pri∣macy: whose honour will soone bee buried in the dung-hill, If hee may be iudged for his crimes no∣torious.

English Concord.

BEcane in his eightth Question, demaunded, Whether the King may conferre Ecclesiasticall Benefices?

And I, in my eightth Question, demaunded, Whether the Pope may conferre Ecclesiasticall Bene∣fices?

Here I did instance in the Collations of Ecclesiasti∣call Benefices in France, made by the King of France, and not by the Pope: for proofe whereof I produced the Epistle of King Philip the faire, to Pope Boniface the eightth, thus: Philip by the Grace of GOD the french King, to Boniface bearing himselfe for high∣est Bishoppe, &c. Let your greatest fooleshippe knowe that the collation or bestowing of the Church-liuings doe pertaine to vs by our right Regall; and that the fruites of them, during the vacancie, are ours. That the Collations made alreadie by vs, or heereafter to bee made; are of force and validitie: and vvee repute them fooles, and mad men, vvho thinke other∣vvise.

Vnto this, the Iesuite, in his Examen, answereth not one word.

English Concord.

BEcane in his Iarre, and ninth Question, deman∣ded, Whether the King can create and depose Bi∣shoppes?

And I in my Concord, and ninth Question, demaun∣ded, Whether the Pope may create and depose Bishoppes?

Heerein I shewed how blasphemously (against Christ, the sole head of the Church) these Popes para∣sites write of Papall Primacy, touching this point.

Durand:* 1.2 All Bishops descend from the Pope, as mem∣bers from the head, and of his fulnes, they all receiue.

Petrus de Palude: The Church hath not any power of Iurisdiction but from Peter. From Peter after Christ, all spirituall power is deriued.

Bellarmine: The Pope alone is, Iure diuino, by Gods word, or right diuine; but Bishops, by the Popes law, or by Papall ordinance.

Hereunto the Iesuite, in his Examen, maketh no an∣swere; as though such blasphemies were currant a∣mong them for good Popish-catholike doctrines.

English Concord.

BEcane, in his tenth Question, demanded, Whether the King may excommunicate stubborn, and disobedient persons?

And I, in my tenth Question, demanded, Whether the Pope may excommunicate, and depose, stub∣borne Emperours, who vvill not obey the Popes vvill, as it vvere* 1.3 reason it selfe?

And here I mentioned the Treatise of Bellarmine, against William Barclay, published Anno 16 11, with this inscription: Of the power of the Pope in matters Temporall. Which said Treatise, by publike edict in France, was first adiudged to be burnt; and so it had beene; but for the restlesse importunitie of the Iesuits: yet afterward by publike edict, was it, vnder a great penaltie, forbidden to be bought, solde, or read; as a Trentise erronious, seditious, schismaticall, and pe∣stilent.

This also the Iesuite, in his Examen, is content to passe by; for that belike, he would not stir vp againe that ill sauour of Bellarmines exceeding great disgrace therein.

English Concord.

BEcane in his Iarre, and eleuenth Question, de∣maunded, Whether the King may be Iudge of Controuer∣sies?

And I, in my Concord and 11. Question, demanded, Whether the Pope may be Iudge of Controuersies? For example, these Popes following;

Pope Zepherinus (or as some write, Eleutherius) Iudge of Montanisme, of whome Beatus Rhenanus out of Tertullian against Praxeas, noteth thus:

Episcopus Romanus Montanizat. The Bishop of Rome is a Montanist: or holdes vvith the Heretike Montanus.

Pope Liberius and Pope Leo, both Arian heretikes iudges of Arianisme: as appeareth by Alphonsus de Castro, in his book of Heresies, and by the Legend of Hillary.

Pope Anastasius iudge of Nestorianisme, who as the saide Alphonsus there writeth, fauouredthe Nestorian Heretikes.

Pope Honorius iudge of the doctrines of Sergius the Heretike, of whom the Bishops in the sixt Councell of Constantinople, action 13. write thus: Wee haue anathematized or cursed, or excommunicated Honorius, vvho vvas Bishop of olde Rome, because bee followed the opinion of Sergius in all things, and confirmed his im∣pious doctrines.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pag. 97.
• * 1.2

  De Minist. et ordin. li. 2
• * 1.3

  De Tran∣slat. Epist.ca. Quanto. in Glosla.