第90章

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，refusedtokeepthemcompany(thatwasthencalledexcommunication)，notasbeinginfidels，butasbeingdisobedient：andthiswasthefirstknotupontheirliberty。Andthenumberofpresbytersincreasing，thepresbytersofthechiefcityorprovincegotthemselvesanauthorityovertheparochialpresbyters，andappropriatedtothemselvesthenamesofbishops：andthiswasasecondknotonChristianliberty。Lastly，thebishopofRome，inregardoftheImperialCity，tookuponhimanauthority(partlybythewillsoftheemperorsthemselves，andbythetitleofPontifexMaximus，andatlastwhenth