Sainct Austines religion collected from his owne writinges & from the confessio[n]s of the learned Protestants, whereby is sufficiently proued and made knowen the like answearable doctrine of the other more auncient fathers of the primitiue church / written by Iohn Brereley.

S. Austin denyeth Ecclesiastical Pri∣macy to Emperours, and Kinges. SECTION. 6.

THe Milleuitan Councel (wherat S. Austin was presēt &(a) pre∣scribed) decreed in the case of cleargy mē that(b) whosoeuer should aske of the Emperour the knowledge (or hearing) of publicke iudgements, should be de∣priued of his honour: Of which Canon(c) Osiander saith, It is not worthy of commendation. And wheras M. Iewel(d) obiecteth the testimony of S. Austin concerning Constantine the great vndertaking the iudgements of Bishops and their causes vpon appeale made to him in that behalfe; S. Austin him selfe shal geue him his answeare in these wordes,(e) The Emperour graunted them another iudge∣ment at Arles, to wit, of other Bishops, not because it was needful, but yealding to their importunities &c. for neither durst the Christian Emperour so receiue

their tumultuous and deceiptful com∣plaints, that him selfe would iudge of the sentence of Bishops, which sate at Rome, but as I haue said, he graunted other Bishops, frō whom they also chose to appeale againe to the Emperour, wherein you haue heard how he detested them &c. And as he had yealded to thē to iudge of their cause after the Bishops, after∣wardes he asked pardon of the holy Prelates: Yea S. Austin saith further that,(f) because Constantine durst not iudge of the cause of a Bishop, he com∣mitted the same to be discussed and en∣ded by Bishops. Optatus also (who li∣ued with S. Austin alledging Con∣stantines answeare to the Bishops that appealed to him saith(g) Constan∣tine with great anger answeared &c. you aske of me iudgement in the world, when I except the iudgement of Christ. And a litle after, Donatus thinketh that he may appeale from Bishops to which appeale Constantine thus answea∣red, O outragious bouldnes of fury, as in the causes of Gentiles &c. Yea this is so cleare in S. Austin, that M

Carthwright answeareth to M. Whit∣guifts like obiecting hereof saying,(h) Austin saith that the Emperour was driuen by the Donatistes importu∣nity who made no end of appealing vn∣to him, to geue sentence in that matter, for the which also he was to craue pardon of the Bishops &c. Lastly S. Atha∣nasius reporteth that the Bishop Ho∣sius, said to Constantine,(i) I beseech thee to cease, and remember thou art mortal &c. do not entermedle in Eccle∣siastical matters, nor do thou commaund vs in this kind, God haith committed to thee the Empyre; to vs those thinges which concerne the Church &c. Take heede lest that drawing to thee those thinges which concerne the Church, thou be guilty of great crime &c. And a∣gaine, who seeing him in decreeing to make him selfe the prince of Bishops, & to be president in Ecclesiastical iudge∣ments, may not deseruedly say, that he is that abhomination of desolation which was foretold by Daniel?

Notes

• (a)

  In the last Ca∣non of rhe Mi∣leuitan Coun∣cel.
• (b)

  Can. 19.
• (c)

  Cent. 5. c. 33. p. 152.
• (d)

  Reply. art. 4. p. 272.
• (e)

  Tom. 2. ep. 162. multo post med.
• (f)

  Ep. 166. ante med.
• (g)

  Lib. 1. versus finem.
• (h)

  2. Reply part. 2. p. 163.
• (i)

  In ep. ad soli∣tariam vitam agentes.