Pope.
A Pope’s Bull and a Pope’s Brief dif∣fer very much; as with us the Great Seal and Privy Seal. The Bull be∣ing the highest Authority the King can give, the Brief is of less: The Bull has a Leaden Seal upon Silk, hanging upon the Instrument; the Brief has sub Annu∣lo Piscatoris upon the side.
He was a wise Pope, that when one that used to be merry with him, before he was advanc’d to the Popedom, re∣frain’d afterwards to come at him, (pre∣suming he was busie in governing the Christian World) the Pope sends for him, bids him come again, and (says he) we will be merry as as we were before; for thou little thinkest what a little Foolery go∣verns the whole World.
The Pope in sending Relicks to Prin∣ces, does as Wenches do by their Wassels at New-years-tide, they present you with a Cup, and you must drink of a slab∣by stuff; but the meaning is, you must give them Moneys, ten times more than it is worth.
the Pope is Infallible, where he hath Power to command; that is, where he must be obeyed, so is every Supream Power and Prince. They that stretch his Infallibility further, do they know not what.
When a Protestant and a Papish dis∣pute, they talk like two Mad-men, be∣cause they do not agree upon their Prin∣ciples; the one way is to destroy the Pope’s Power, for if he hath Power to command me, ’tis not my alledging Rea∣sons to the contrary can keep me from obeying: For Example, if a Constable command me to wear a green Suit to Morrow, and has Power to make me; ’tis not my alledging a hundred Reasons of the Folly of it, can excuse me from doing it.
There was a Time when the Pope had Power here in England, and there was excellent Use made of it, for ’twas only to serve Turns, (as might be mani∣fested out of the Records of the King∣dom, which Divines know little of.) If the King did not like what the Pope would have, he would forbid the Pope’s Legate to land upon his Ground. So that the Power was truly then in the King, though suffered in the Pope. But now the Temporal and the Spiritual Power (Spi∣ritual so call’d, because ordain’d to a Spi∣ritual End) spring both from one Foun∣tain, they are like to twist that.
The Protestants in France bear Of∣fice in the State, because though their Religion be different, yet they acknow∣ledge no other King but the King of France. The Papists in England they must have a King of their own, a Pope, that must do something in our Kingdom, therefore there is no reason they should enjoy the same Priviledges.
Amsterdam admits of all Religions but Papists, and ’tis upon the same Ac∣count. The Papists where e’er they live, have another King at Rome; all other Religions are subject to the present State, and have no Prince else-where.
The Papists call our Religion a Par∣liamentary Religion; but there was once, I am sure, a Parliamentary Pope; Pope Urban was made Pope in England by Act of Parliament, against Pope Clement: The Act is not in the Book of Statutes, ei∣ther because he that compiled the Book would not have the Name of the Pope there, or else he would not let it appear that they medled with any such thing, but ’tis upon the Rolls.
When our Clergy preach against the Pope, and the Church of Rome, they preach against themselves, and crying down their Pride, their Power and their Riches, have made themselves Poor and Contemptible enough; they dedicate first to please their Prince, not consider∣ing what would follow. Just as if a Man were to go a Journey, and seeing at his first setting out the Way clean and fair, ventures forth in his Slippers, not consi∣dering the Dirt and the Sloughs are a little further off, or how suddenly the Weather may change.