Tothese,iftheysufficednot,mightbeaddedotheroftheirdarkdoctrines,theprofitwhereofredoundethmanifestlytothesettingupofanunlawfulpoweroverthelawfulsovereignsofChristianpeople;orforthesustainingofthesamewhenitissetup;ortotheworldlyriches,honour,andauthorityofthosethatsustainit。Andthereforebytheaforesaidruleofcuibono,wemayjustlypronouncefortheauthorsofallthisspiritualdarkness,thePope,andRomanclergy,andallthosebesidesthatendeavourtosettleinthemindsofmenthiserroneousdoctrine,thattheChurchnowonearthisthatkingdomofGodmentionedintheOldandNewTestament。
Buttheemperors,andotherChristiansovereigns,underwhosegovernmenttheseerrorsandthelikeencroachmentsofecclesiasticsupontheirofficeatfirstcreptin,tothedisturbanceoftheirpossessionsandofthetranquillityoftheirsubjects,thoughtheysufferedthesameforwantofforesightofthesequel,andofinsightintothedesignsoftheirteachers,mayneverthelessbeesteemedaccessariestotheirownandthepublicdamage。Forwithouttheirauthoritytherecouldatfirstnoseditiousdoctrinehavebeenpubliclypreached。Isaytheymighthavehinderedthesameinthebeginning:butwhenthepeoplewereoncepossessedbythosespiritualmen,therewasnohumanremedytobeappliedthatanymancouldinvent。AndfortheremediesthatGodshouldprovide,whoneverfailethinHisgoodtimetodestroyallthemachinationsofmenagainstthetruth,wearetoattendHisgoodpleasurethatsufferethmanytimestheprosperityofHisenemies,togetherwiththeirambition,togrowtosuchaheightastheviolencethereofopeneththeeyes,whichthewarinessoftheirpredecessorshadbeforesealedup,andmakesmenbytoomuchgraspingletgoall,asPeter’snetwasbrokenbythestrugglingoftoogreatamultitudeoffishes;whereastheimpatienceofthosethatstrivetoresistsuchencroachment,beforetheirsubjects’eyeswereopened,didbutincreasethepowertheyresisted。IdonotthereforeblametheEmperorFrederickforholdingthestirruptoourcountrymanPopeAdrian;forsuchwasthedispositionofhissubjectsthen,asifhehadnotdoneit,hewasnotlikelytohavesucceededintheempire。ButIblamethosethat,inthebeginning,whentheirpowerwasentire,bysufferingsuchdoctrinestobeforgedintheuniversitiesoftheirowndominions,haveheldthestirruptoallthesucceedingpopes,whilsttheymountedintothethronesofallChristiansovereigns,torideandtireboththemandtheirpeople,attheirpleasure。
Butastheinventionsofmenarewoven,soalsoaretheyravelledout;thewayisthesame,buttheorderisinverted。Thewebbeginsatthefirstelementsofpower,whicharewisdom,humility,sincerity,andothervirtuesoftheApostles,whomthepeople,converted,obeyedoutofreverence,notbyobligation。Theirconscienceswerefree,andtheirwordsandactionssubjecttononebutthecivilpower。
Afterwardsthepresbyters,astheflocksofChristincreased,assemblingtoconsiderwhattheyshouldteach,andtherebyobligingthemselvestoteachnothingagainstthedecreesoftheirassemblies,madeittobethoughtthepeopleweretherebyobligedtofollowtheirdoctrine,and,whentheyrefused,refusedtokeepthemcompanythatwasthencalledexcommunication,notasbeinginfidels,butasbeingdisobedient:andthiswasthefirstknotupontheirliberty。Andthenumberofpresbytersincreasing,thepresbytersofthechiefcityorprovincegotthemselvesanauthorityovertheparochialpresbyters,andappropriatedtothemselvesthenamesofbishops:andthiswasasecondknotonChristianliberty。Lastly,thebishopofRome,inregardoftheImperialCity,tookuponhimanauthoritypartlybythewillsoftheemperorsthemselves,andbythetitleofPontifexMaximus,andatlastwhentheemperorsweregrownweak,bytheprivilegesofSt。PeteroverallotherbishopsoftheEmpire:whichwasthethirdandlastknot,andthewholesynthesisandconstructionofthepontificalpower。
Andthereforetheanalysisorresolutionisbythesameway,butbeginnethwiththeknotthatwaslasttied;aswemayseeinthedissolutionofthepreterpoliticalChurchgovernmentinEngland。
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