Chapter 22: The Pope

Pope. SECT. 29.

It is not because the Pope is forgotten all this while, that he is there placed in the rear, after Images, Saints, and Purgatory. It is plain, that he has been born in mind all along; yes, and so much mentioned, that a man would wonder, how he comes to have a special paragraph here alloted to him. The whole book seems to be all-Pope, from the very beginning, as to the main design of it; and now to meet, Pope, by himself again, in the end, is somewhat unexpected. But, I suppose, our Author thinks he can never say enough of him. Therefore lest any thing fit to be insisted on, should have escaped him in his former discourses, he has designed this Section, to gather up the Paralipomena, or ornaments he had forgotten before to set him forth withall. And indeed, if the Pope be the man he talks of in this Section, I must acknowledge he has had much wrong done him in the world. He is one, it seems, that we are beholding to for all we have that is worth any thing; particularly for the Gospel which was originally from him; for Kingly Authority, and his Crown land with all the honor and power in the Kingdom; one, that we had not had any thing left us, at this day, either of Truth or Unity, humanely speaking, had not he been set over us. One, in whom Christ has no less shown his divinity and power, than in himself; in whom he is more miraculous, than he was in his own person. One that by the only Authority of his place and person, defended Christ's being God against all the world; without which, humanely speaking, Christ had not been taken for any such person as he is believed this day. So as not only we, but Christ himself is beholding to him, that any body believes him to be God. Now truly, if things stand thus with him, I think it is high time for us to leave our Protestancy, and to betake our selves to the Irish man's Creed, That if Christ had not been Christ when he was Christ, Saint Patrick (the Pope) would have been Christ. No, as he is, having the hard fate to come into the World, so many ages after the Ascension of Christ into heaven, I know not what is left for Christ to be, or do. The Scripture tells us, that the Gospel is Christ's, originally from him; now we are told, it is the Pope's, originally from him; that informs us that by him, (the wisdom of God) Kings reign, and Princes execute judgement; now we are taught, that Kingly Authority, with his Crown-land, is from the Pope. That instructs us, to expect the preservation of faith and truth, in the world, from Christ alone; the establishment of his Throne and Kingdom for ever and ever — his building, guidance, and protection of his Church: but, we are now taught, that for all these things we are beholding to the Pope, who, by his only Authority, keeps up the faith of the Deity of Christ; who surely is much ingaged to him, that he takes it not to himself. Besides, what he is, for our better information, that we may judge aright concerning him, we may consider also what he does; and has been doing, it seems, a long time. He is one that has never been known to let fall the least word of passion against any, nor move any engine for revenge; one whose whole life, and study is, to defend innocence, &c. That by his general Councils, all held under, and by him; especially that of Nice, has done more good than can be expressed; careful, and more than humanely happy, in all ages, in reconciling Christian Princes, &c. One who let men talk what they will, if he be not an unerring guide in matters of religion and faith, all is lost. But how shall we come to know, and be assured of all this? Other men, as our Author knows and complains, speak other things of him; is it meet, that in so doubtful and questionable a business, and of so great importance to be known, we should believe a stranger upon his word, and that against the vehement affirmations at least, of so many to the contrary? The Scripture speaks never a word that we can find of him, nor once mentions him at all. The antient stories of the Church are utterly silent of him, as for any such person as he is here described, speaking of the Bishop of Rome, as of other Bishops in those days many of the stories of after-ages give us quite another character of him both as to his personal qualifications and employment. I mean, of the greatest part of the series of men going under that name. In stead of peace-making and reconciliation, they tell us of fierce and cruel wars, stirred up and managed by them; of the ruin of Kings, and Kingdoms, by their means: and instead of the meekness pretended, their breathing out threatenings against men that adore them not; persecuting them with fire and sword, to the utter depopulation of some countries, and the defiling of the most of Europe with bloody cruelties. What course shall we take in the contest of assertions, that we may be able to make a right judgment concerning him? I know no better than this, a little to examine apart the particulars of his excellency as they are given us by our Author, especially the most eminent of them; and weigh whether they are given in according to truth or no.

The first that we mentioned was, That the Gospel was originally from him, and to him we are beholding for it. This we cannot readily receive; it is certainly untrue, and fearfully blasphemous to boot. The Gospel was originally from Christ; and to him alone are we beholding for it, as has been before declared. Another is, That Kingly Authority among us, and his Crown-Land is from him. This is false and seditious. Kingly Authority in General is from God, and by his Providence was it established in this Land, before the Pope had any thing to do here; nor does it lean in the least on his warranty, but has been supported without the Papacy, and against all its Oppositions, which have not been a few. A third is, that, humanely speaking, had not he been set over us, we had not had this day either Truth or Unity. I know not well, what you mean by, humanely speaking; but I am sure, so to blaspheme the care and love of Christ to his Church, and the sufficiency of his Word and promised Spirit to preserve Truth in the World, without the Pope, whose aid in this work he never once thought of, requested appointed, is, if not inhumane and barbarous, yet bold and presumptuous. That Christ has no less shewed his Divinity in him then in his own person, is an expression of the same nature, or of a more dreadful, if possible it may be. I speak seriously, I do not think this is the way to make men in love with the Pope. No sooner is such a word spoken, but immediately the wicked beastial lives, the ignorance, Atheisms, and horrid ends of many of them, present themselves to the thoughts of men, and a tremor comes over their hearts, to hear men open their mouths with such blasphemies, as to affirm, that the Lord Christ did as much manifest his Divinity and Power in such Beasts, as in his own Person. Yea, that he is more miraculous in him, then he was in himself: What proof, Sir, is there of this? Where is the Scripture, where the Antiquity, where the Reason for it? We tell you truly, we cannot believe such monstrous figments upon their bare affirmation. Yes, but this is not all, Christ is beholding to him for all the faith of his Deity that is in the world; Why so? Why, by the only Authority of his place and person, he defended it. When? When it was opposed by the Arrians, and he called his Council of Nice, where he condemned them. Who would not be sick of such trifles? Is it possible that any man in his right wits should talk at such a rate? Consult the writings of those dayes, of Alexander of Alexandria, of Athanasius, Gregory, Basil, Chrysostom, Austine, who not? Go over the Volumes of the Councils of those dayes; if he can once find the Authority of the Pope of Rome, and his Person, pleaded as the Pillar of the Faith of Christs Diety, or as any argument for the proof of it, let him triumph in his Discovery. Vain man that dares to make these flourishes, when he knows how those antient Christian Hero's, of those dayes, mightily proved the Deity of Christ from the Scriptures, and confounded their Adversaries with their Testimonies, both in their Councils, Disputes, and Writings, which remain to this day. Was not the Scripture accounted, and pleaded by them all as the Bulwark of this Truth? And did not some of them, Athanasius for instance, do and suffer for the maintaining of it, more then all the Bishops of Rome in those dayes, or since? And, what a triffling is it to tell us of the Popes Council at Nice? As though we did not know who called that Council, who praesided in it, who bare the weight of the business of it, of whom none were Popes, nor any sent by Popes; nay, as if we did not know, that there was then no such Pope in the world, as he about whom we contend. Indeed it is not candid and ingenious for a man to talk of these things in this manner. The like must be said of the six first Councils mentioned by him; in some of which the power of the Bishop of Rome was expresly limitted, as in that of Nice, and that of Chalcedon, and in the others; though he was ready enough to pretend to more, yet he had no more power then the Bishops of other Cities, that had a mind to be called Patriarcks. We do not then, as yet, see any reason to change our former thoughts of the Pope, for any thing here offered by our Author; and we cannot but be farr enough from taking up his, if they be those which he has in this discourse expressed, they being all of them Erroneous, the most of them Blasphemous.

But yet, if we are not pleased with what he is, we may be pleased with what he does; being so excellent a well accomplished person as he is; for he is one that was never known to let fall a word of passion. That, for casting off his Authority should procure thousands to be slain, and burned, without stirring up any Engine of Revenge, these are somewhat strange stories. Our Author grievously complains of uncivil carriage toward the Pope in England in all sorts, Men, Women, and Children. For my part, I justify no reviling accusation in any, against any whatever; but yet, I must tell him, that if he thinks to reclaim men from their hard thoughts of him, (that is, not of the person of this or that Pope, but of the office as by them managed) it must not be by telling him, he is a fine accomplished Gentleman, that he is a Prince, a Stranger, a Great way off, whom it is uncivil and unmannerly to speak so hardly of: but labor to show, that it is not his principle to impose upon the consciences of men, his apprehensions in the things of God; that he is not the great proclaimer of many false opinions, heresies, and superstitions, and that with a pretence of an Authority, to make them receive them whether they will or no; that he has not caused many of their forefathers to be burned to death, for not submitting to his dictates, nor would do so to them, had he them once absolutely in his Power; that he has never given away this Kingdom to strangers, and cursed the lawful Princes of it; that he pleads not a sovereignty over them, and their Governors, inconsistent with the Laws of God and the Land: Haec, cedo, [illegible]dmoveant templis, & farre litabo. For while the greatest part of men among us, do look upon him as the Antichrist foretold in the Scripture, guilty of the blood of innumerable Martyrs, and Witnesses of the truth of Christ; others who think not so hardly of him, yet confess he is so like him, that by the marks given of Antichrist, he is the likeliest person on the earth, to be apprehended on suspicion; all of them think, that if he could get them into his Power, which he endeavours continually, he would burn them to ashes; and that, in the mean time, he is the corrupt fountain and spring of all the false worship, superstition, and idolatry, wherewith the faces of many Churches are defiled. To suppose he can persuade them to any better respect of him than they have, by telling them how fine a gallant Gentleman he is, and what a great way off from them, and the like stories, is to suppose, that he is to deal with fools and children. For my own part, I approve no man's cursing or reviling of him; let that work be left to himself alone for me: I desire, men would pray for him, that God would convert him, and all his other enemies to the truth of the Gospel; and in the mean time to deliver all his from their policy, rage, and fury.

We may easily gather what is to be thought of the other encomiums given to him by our Author, by what has been observed concerning those we have passed through; as that his whole life and study is to defend innocency, &c. It must needs be granted, that he has taken some little time to provide for himself in the world — he had surely never arrived else to that degree of excellency, as to tread on the necks of Emperors, to have Kings hold his stirrup, to kick off their Crowns, to exceed the Rulers of the earth in worldly pomp, state, and treasures, which came not to him by inheritance from Saint Peter; and whether he has been such a defender of innocency and innocents, the day wherein God shall make inquisition for blood, will manifest. The great work he has done by his General Councils, a summary of which is given us by our Author, is next pretended. All this was done by him, yes, all that good that was ever done by General Councils in the world was done by him; for they were all his Councils, and that which was not his, is none. I shall only mind our Author of what was said of old, to one talking at that rate that he is pleased here to do: Labore alieno magnam partam gloriam Verbis saepe in se transmovet, qui habet salem Qui in te est.

All the glory and renown of the old ancient Councils, all their labours for the extirpation of heresies, and errors, and the success that their honest endeavours were blessed withal, with the seasoning of one little word, [his] are turned over to the Pope. They were his Councils; a thing they never once dreamed of; nor any mortal man in the days wherein they were celebrated. Convened they were in the Name, and upon the Institution of Christ, and so were [H[•]s] Councils; were called together, as to their solemn external Convention, by the Emperors of those days, and so were, not their Councils, but Councils held by their Authority, as to all the external concernments of them. This the Councils themselves did acknowledge; and so did the Bishops of Rome in those days, when they joined their Petitions with others to the Emperors, for the convening of them; and seldom it was, that they could obtain their meetings in any place they desired; though they were many of them wise at an after game, and turned their remoteness from them into their advantage. As they were called by the Emperors, so they were composed of Bishops, and others, with equal suffrages. How they come to be the Pope's Councils, he himself only knows, and those to whom he is pleased to impart this secret, of other men not one. Indeed some of them may be called his Councils, if every thing is his, wherein he is any way concerned; such was the first Council of Nice, as to his pretended jurisdiction; such that of Chalcedon, as to his primacy; such were sundry famous Conventions in Africa, wherein his pretentions to authority, were excluded, and his unseemly frauds discovered. No, there is not any thing upon the Roll of Antiquity of greater and more prodigious scandal, than the contests of Popes in some African Councils, for authority and jurisdiction. Their claim was such, as that the good Fathers assembled wrote to them, that they would not introduce secular pride and ambition into the Church of Christ; and the manner of managing their pretentions, was no other but down-right forgery, and that of no less than Canons of the first memorable Council of Nic[•]; which to discover, the honest African Bishops were forced to send to Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch, for authentic Copies of those Canons; upon the receipt whereof, they mollified the forgery with much Christian sobriety and prudence to the Bishop of Rome himself, and enacted a Decree for the future, to prevent his pretentions and claims. Besides, as the good Bishops aver, God himself testified against the irregular interposition of the pretended power of the Bishop of Rome; for while they being synodically assembled, were detained and hindered in their procedure, by the Romanists' contests for superiority; Apiarius, the guilty person, being convinced in his conscience of his many notorious evils and crimes, from a just censure whereof, the Roman interposition was used to shelter him, of his own accord cast himself at the feet of the Assembly, confessing all his wickedness and folly. Of the six first Councils then there is no more reason to call them the Pope's, or to ascribe their achievements to him, than there is to call them any other Bishop's of any City then famous in the world. In that which he calls the seventh General Council, indeed a conventicle of ignorant, tumultuous, superstitious iconolaters, condemned afterwards by a Council held at Frankfurt, by the authority of Charles the Great, he stickled to some purpose for images, which then began to be his darlings; and though we can afford that Council to be his, for any concernment we have in it, yet the story of it will not allow us to do so; it being neither convened nor ruled by his authority; though the brutish Monks in it were willing to shelter themselves under the splendor and lustre of his See. About those that follow, we will not much contend: it matters not whose they were, unless they had been better; especially such as laid foundations for, and stirred up Princes to shed the innocent blood of the Martyrs of Christ, to some of their perpetual ignominy, reproach, and ruin. But yet our Author knows, or may know what long contests there have been, even in latter ages, whether the Council should be the Pope's Council, or the Pope should be the Council's Pope; and how the Pope carried it at last, by having more Arch-bishoprics and Bishoprics in his disposal than the Councils had. And so much for the Pope's Councils.

Our Author adds, that he has been more than humanely happy in reconciling Christian Princes; but yet I will venture a wager with him, that I will give more instances of his setting Princes together by the ears, than he shall of reconciling them; and I will manifest, that he has got more by the first work, than the latter. Let him begin the vye when he pleases; if I live, and God will, I will try this matter with him before any competent Judges; Tu dic mecum, quo pignore? How else to end this matter, I know not.

I see not then any ground my countrymen have to alter their thoughts concerning the Pope, for any thing here tendered to them by this author; yes, I know they have great reason to be confirmed in their former apprehensions concerning him. For all that truly honor the Lord Jesus Christ, have reason to be moved when they hear another, if not preferred before him, nor set up in competition with him, yet openly invested with many of his privileges and prerogatives; especially considering, that not only the person of Christ, but his word also is debased to make way to his exaltation and advancement. From there it is, that it is openly averred, that were it not for his infallibility, we should all this time have been at a loss for truth and unity. Of so small esteem with some men, is the wisdom of Christ, who left his Word with his Church for these ends, and his Word its self. All is nothing without the Pope. If I mistake not in the light and temper of my countrymen, this is not the way to gain their good opinion of him. Had our author kept himself to the general terms of a good prince, an universal pastor, a careful guide, and to general stories of his wisdom, care, and circumspection for public good, which discourse makes up what remains of this paragraph; he might perhaps have got some ground on their affection and esteem, who know nothing concerning him to the contrary; which in England are very few. But these notes above Ela, these transcendent encomiums have quite marred his market. And if there be no medium, but men must believe the Pope to be either Christ, or Antichrist, it is evident which way the general vogue in England will go, and that at least until fire and faggot come, which, blessed be God, we are secured from, while our present sovereign sways the scepter of this land; and hope, our posterity may be so, under his offspring, for many generations.