THE NECESSITY OF REFORMATION, WITH RESPECT TO THE ERRORS AND CORRUPTIONS OF THE CHURCH OF ROME. THE SECOND PART. WHEREIN IS SHEWED THE VANITY OF THE PRETENDED REFORMATION OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, AND OF R. H.'s VINDICATION OF IT, IN HIS FIFTH DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE GUIDE IN CONTROVERSIES. THIS will be manifest to all unprejudiced persons, by the proof of these Six Propositions. Prop. I.-That the Church of Rome is not only fallible, but had actually erred. Prop. II.-That her errors were not slight, and in matters of small moment; but so gross and enormous, when the Reformation was set on foot, that there was a necessity of reforming them. Prop. III.-That no hope was left that the Church of Rome would either reform these errors in herself, or give consent to the reformation of them in any other Church that communicated with her. Prop. IV.-That every particular National Church had a right to reform itself without her leave. Prop. V. That this right of the Church of England, in particular, was unquestionable; and therefore, as a necessary conclusion from these premises, - Prop. VI. That the Church of England was indispensably obliged to reform herself. The two first of which propositions having been already proved in a foregoing discourse, the third comes next in order to be treated of. CHAP. I. No hope of Reformation from the Church of Rome. Prop. III. That no hope was left that the Church of Rome would either reform these errors in herself, or give consent to the reformation of them in any other Church that communicated with her therein. Which, though it contains these two propositions ; 1. That there was no hope that she would reform those errors in herself. 2. That there was no hope that she would consent to the reformation of them in any other Church that communicated with her therein: yet because the latter of these will plainly follow from the proof of the former, I shall therefore insist upon that only. Though her corruptions were numerous, and many of them in their nature and consequence very dangerous; yet if she could have been persuaded to purge them out, and return to her primitive purity, the Protestants would have accepted the Reformation from her hands, and have heartily thanked her for it. But alas! there was no hope left that she would ever be cleansed; but the greatest reason to fear that "She that was filthy would be filthy still:" as will be manifest by the following considerations. For, 1. Could there be any just ground of hope that she would ever reform, after she had obstinately refused, and shewed herself incorrigible, notwithstanding those frequent complaints that for many ages had been made against her corruptions by many great men, both ecclesiastical and secular, of her own communion? Passing over those that are more remote, I shall take notice of the complaints of later ages only. In the twelfth century, the emperor Frederick I.,* Henry II. king of England,† and Lewis VII. king of France, St. Bernard, § Honorius of Austun, Johan. Sarisburiensis bishop of * Naucleri Chronograph. vol. 2. generat. 39. p. 849. [Colon. 1579.] Sigon. de Regno. Ital. 1. 14. [p. 318, &c. 1591.] Matth. Paris in Hen. II. An. 1164, 67, 68. [1641. p. 103, 107, 108.] Serm. 6. in Psal. 90. [1609. p. 522, &c.] Serm. 33. in Cantic. [p. 668, &c.] De Prædest. et lib. Arbit. Dialog. inter opera Cassand. et in Biblioth. Patr. tom. 15. [1591. p. 318, &c.] Chartres, Petrus Blesensis archdeacon of Bath,† Arnulphus, a famous preacher at Rome,‡ made grievous complaints against the tyrannies, usurpations, and abuses of the Pope and his clergy. In the 13th century the same complaints were continued and increased by the emperor Frederick II.,§ Mænardus count of Tirol, Probus bishop of Toul, Everhard archbishop of Saltzburg,** Rob. bishop of Lincoln,†† and Peter Cassiodore. In the 14th century, Ludovicus Bavarus, the emperor, with the consent of the States of the empire, proclaimed the Pope to be the arch-heretic, and the Antichrist which sat in the temple of God;§§ Edward III. and Richard II., kings of England, not only complained, but made severe laws against his encroachments. And many of prime note among the clergy, such as William Occam, their invincible doctor,¶¶¶ Leopold bishop of Bamberg,*** Durand bishop of Menda,+ Marsilius of Padua,‡‡‡ Francis Petrarch archdeacon of Parma.§§§ The divines of Paris and Bononia made doleful outcries against the rapines and oppressions, the pride and covetousness, the luxury and sensuality of the bishop and court of Rome. In the 15th century, the emperor Sigismund,|||||| Petrus de *Policrat. 1. 6. c. 24. 1. 8. c. 17. [p. 545. 1695.] et in aliis locis. + Epist. 5, 8. et in multis aliis. [1600. p. 7, 12.] Platin. in Vita Honorii II. [1574. p. 173.] § Aventin. Annal. Bojor. 1. 7. p. 531, 532, 542. Bas. 1580. || Avent. Annal. Bojor. 1. 7. p. 577. [1580.] ¶ 1. 7. p. 572, 573. [1580.] ** 1. 7. p. 546, 547. [1580.] + Matth. Paris in Hen. III. ad An. 1253, 1254. [1641. p. 865, &c. 880. &c.] Epist. de Tyrannide Pontif. Rom. apud. Goldast. vol. 1. [Monarch. 1611. p. 11.] §§ Aventin. Annal. Bojor. 1. 7. p. 610, 611, 612. [1580.] 27 Edw. III. c. 1. & 25. Edw. III. 16. 16 Rich. II. c. 5. & 13. R. II. c. 3. See Coke upon these Statutes, Institut. part 3. c. 54. ¶¶ Disputat. Sup. Potest. Prælat. Eccles. atque Princip. terrar. Commiss. Goldast. vol. 1. [Monarch. 1611. p. 13.] *** Aventin. 1. 7. p. 629. [1580.] + Tract. de modo General. Concil. Celebrand. partis 3. tit. 1. 27, 28, 29. et passim in aliis titulis. +++ Defens. Pacis, pars 2. c. 23, 24, 25, 27. et per totam. §§§ Epist. de jur. Imp. Rom. et Injur. Pap. Rom. Ejusque Asseclar. Goldast. Monarch. tom. 2. p. 1345. [1611.] Goldast. Constit. Imper. p. 1. p. 146. [1607.] Alliaco cardinal of Cambray,* John Gerson chancellor of Paris, Nic. de Clemangis archdeacon of Bayeux, Jacob. de Paradiso,§ and many more, made dismal complaints of corruptions and abuses, and vehemently called for the reformation of them. And what was the fruit of all these complaints and outcries? Was any grievance removed; any abuse reformed? No, not so much as one; but rather, on the contrary, the corruptions were daily increased and multiplied, like an impetuous and irresistible torrent, they swelled the higher by how much the more they were opposed. Obj. It will perhaps be said that these complaints were made against the corruptions of the Court, not of the Church of Rome. : Ans. It is true that many of them were more immediately levelled against the Pope and his Court; those especially made by Kings and Emperors, who chiefly concerned themselves in vindicating their rights against the usurpations of the Court of Rome but many more against those corruptions which generally obtained in the Church. And the truth is, the corruptions of the Court cannot be confined to themselves, but derive themselves into, and overspread the Church, so that it can hardly be avoided, but that in proportion to the corruption of the one will be that of the other (as will appear in the sequel of this discourse). 2. The reformation of the Church of Rome was yet more hopeless, because not only these, but many other attempts made toward it, had by the Pope and his Court been already defeated. How earnestly did the Emperor Sigismund endeavour that a reformation might be wrought by the Council of Constance? And many decrees were passed by the Council in order to it. And what was the event? Did any reformation follow thereupon? Not the least; the decrees were all eluded by the Popes. Which Gerson reflecting upon, makes this remark: "I see," says he, "that a reformation will never be made by a Council, without the presidency of such a guide as is well affected * De Emendat. Eccles. Patrib. olim oblat. in Concil. Constant. † Serm. de Tribulat. ex defect. Ecclesiast. Regim. et Serm. coram P. P. Benedict. et Alexand. Tract. de corrupt. Statu Eccles. [p. 4. 1613.] et de Reparat. et Ruina Eccles. Sess. 4, 5, 39, 40. § Collect. de Sept, Statib. Eccles. Richer. Hist. Concil. General. 1. 2. c. 3. p. 261. [1683.] toward it."* And that he was not in this a false prophet is too manifest by the like fruitless event of succeeding Councils. None ever more endeavoured the reforming of abuses, and the restoring the Church to its rights and liberties, than the Council of Basil; but to as little purpose as the Council of Constance had done before: for when the Pope saw what they were resolved upon, he brake the Synod in pieces, by translating it first to Ferrara, and then to Florence, (whither a great part of them refused to go, and declared those that went a conventicle of schismatics,) and then not a word more was heard of reformation:† and though some good constitutions and decrees were made by it, yet so far was the Pope from putting them in execution, that he rejected them all, and made it his endeavour to punish those who observed them; as Tho. de Orbellis, the Nuncio of the Council of Basil, told the Council of the Church of France assembled at Bourges.‡ The Fathers of the second Pisan Council decreed to reform the Church; but before they could put their decree in execution, that Council was dissolved by Julius II., who pronounced them a pack of schismatics, and threatened damnation to all those who adhered to them; and by a Council of his own choosing, summoned to Rome, reprobated and disannulled all their acts.§ When the Princes and States of Germany would no longer be put off with words, but in case the Pope would not effectually set himself to reform, threatened to take the work into their own hands,|| the utmost that could be obtained from Campegius, the Pope's Legate, was such a light reformation of the inferior clergy, as would have proved a remedy worse than the disease. As for the abuses of the Court of Rome, (the source from which all others derived themselves) he would yield nothing; but when they began to discourse of them, he either said that it was heresy to reprehend them, or that he referred Richer. Hist. Concil. General. 1. 2. c. 3. p. 261. [1683.] Richer. 1. 3. p. 481. [1683.] Verum magnus dolor in ecclesiam irruit, cum ille qui primus sacros canones exequi debebat, et cæteris viam salutis ostendere, omnia hæc constituta et decreta (quantum ipsum concernebant) rejiciebat ; ita ut nullum unquam decretum Concilii concernens reformationem, in efficacem executionem ponere compertus est: quinimo condemnationes censurarum et pœnarum in eos proferre conabatur, qui ea decreta observabant. Richer. 1. 3. p. 605, 606. [1683.] Sleidan. Comment. I. 2. [1610. p. 34.] Fascic. rerum expetend. ac fugiend. fol. 188. |