INTRODUCTION. 5 France, in the Convention of Orders, anno 1595, declared against that decree, as infringing their king's authority.' It was therefore advisedly done, not to meddle with so ticklish a point. But, in the meantime, their policy seems greater than their charity, whichmight have inclined them not to leave the world in darkness and doubt, and unresolved in a point of so main import- ance; as, indeed, they did in others of no small consequence, dis- puted among their divines with obstinate heat,viz., the divine right of bishops, the necessity of residence, the immaculate concep- tion, &c. The opinions, therefore, among them concerning thepope's autho- rity, as they have been, so they are, and in likelihood may continue, very different. § II. There are among them those who ascribe to the pope an universal, absolute, and boundless empire over all persons indiffer- ently, and in all matters, conferred and settled on him by divine immutable sanction; so, that all men, of whatever degree, are obliged in conscience to believe whatever he authoritatively dictates, and to obey whatever he prescribes; so that if princes themselves refuse obedience- to his will, he may excommunicate them, cashier them, depose them, extirpate them. If he charge us to hold no commu- nion with our prince, to renounce our allegiance to him, to abandon, oppose, and persecute him even to death, we may without scruple, we must in duty obey. If he interdict whole nations from the exercise of God's worship and service, they must comply therein. So that, according to their conceits, he is in effect sovereign lord of all the world, and superior, even in temporal or civil matters, unto all kings and princes. It is notorious that many canonists, if not most, and many divines of that party maintain this doctrine, affirming that all the power of Christ (the " Lord of lords, and King of kings," to whom all power in heaven and earth appertains) is imparted to the pope, as to his vicegerent' This is the doctrine which, almost fourhundred years ago, Augus- tinus Triumphus, in his " egregious work" concerning ecclesiastical power, taught, attributing to the pope " an incomprehensible and Hic articulus est contra authoritatem regis, qui non potest privari suo domino temporali, respectu cujus nullum superiorem recognoscit.--Bochel., lib. v. tit. 20, cap. 45. " This article is against the authority of the king, who cannot be deprived of his temporaldominion, wherein he acknowledges no superior." 2 Prima sententia est, summum pontificem jure divino habere plenissimampotesta- tern in universum orbem terrarum, tam in rebus ecclesiasticis quam civilibus. Ita docent Aug. Triumphus, Alvarus Pelagius, Panormitanus, Hostiensis, Sylvester, et alii non pauci.Belt, vol. i. ' The first opinion is, that the pope hath a most full power over the whole world, both in ecclesiastical and civil affairs. This is the doctrine of Aug. Triumphus," &c., "and of many others."
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