3 6z Church-Hiory of B ops and wonder that they that believe that the Pope is St. Peter's Vicar and Se- cretary, and that their fouls are in his power, will give him all their Lands or Kingdoms to fave their fouls. § 57. When the Pope fentenced the EmperorHenry to be excommu-: nìcate and depofed,and was charged tohave done this without authority, he wrote his zi Epift.1. 8. to the Bilbopof Metz to prove that he had power to do it and to abfolve his Subjects from their Oaths offidelity; laying, that theScriptures werefull ofcertaindocuments to prove ir. And his certain documents are Tibi daboCloves, &c. and Feed my Sheep; And Kings are not excepted. They are St. Peter's Sheep. Bin. p. Ií62. he faith, that the Head of Priefts is at the right hand of God ; but who knoweth not that Kings and Dukes had their beginning from them that knew not God, and afefledby blind loft and intolerable prefumption to domineer over o- thers, the Devil the Prince of the world aáing them, in Pride, Rapines, Perfidioufnefs, Murders and all wickednefs? who while they would have the Priefts of the LORD to ftoop to theirfootfieps, are rightlyèft compared to himwho is head of all the Sons ofpride,whofaid even to Chrift, All this will Igive thee, ifthose wilt fall down andworfhip me. Who doubteth but that the .Priefts of Chrift are the Fathers andMafters of Kings and Princes, and of all the faithful? And is it not notarioua miferable madnef for a Scholar to endeavour tofubjugate his Matter, and a Son his Father, and by wrongful obligations to fubjeft him to his power, by whom he believeth that he may be bound or looted both in Earth and Heaven?Did not Pope Innocent excommu- nicate Arcadius the Emperor? and Pope Zachary depofe from his Kingdom the King ofFrance,not fo much for his iniquities, as becaufe he was not meet for fogreat power; placed Pepin in hisfiend, and abfolved all the French from the Oath offidelity? Ambrofe fheweth that Gold is not fo much more . pretioss jhanLead, ` as thePrieftly Dignity is higher than the KinglyPower. Pag. 1263. Tea even the exorcifts have power over Devils: Howmuch more over chafe-that are Subjelt to the Devils, andare his members? And if the exorcift excelfo much, how much more the Friel!? And every King whenhe cometh to his end, doth humbly andpitifully beg the Priefts help, that he may fcape the prifon of Hell, and Darknefs, and at the judgment ofGod be found abfolved. But is there either Prieft or Lay-man that when he is dying begs help ofthe King for thefaviug ofhisfoul? What King or Emperor can by his Office, take afoul by baptifm from the power ofthe Devil, andnumber him with the Sons ofGod, andfortifie him with holy Chrifin? And (which is the greateft thing inthe Chriftian Religion) can withhis own, mouth make Chrzfts bodyand blood? Or which of them can bind and loofeinHeaven and earth?By all which it may beplainly gathered by howgreatpower thefacerdotal digni ty excelleth. Which of them canordain one Clerk in the holy Church? How much left can they depofe him for any fault? For in orders exclefiaftical, to depofe is an aft ofgreater power than toordain: For Bopsmayordain Bi- fhops, but in no wifedepofe them without the authority of the Apoftolickfeat: Who then that bath any knowledg can doubt but that Rriefns are preferred be- fore
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