Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/106



therefore, that the offence of a few might not turn to the destruction of many we ought earnestly to seek the punishment of the same. And it followeth, if we do command any person, we do send him forth, with the consent of your authority, who, together with other priests, shall diligently seek out, and according unto God's word, correct and amend the same. Neither are these things to be dissembled, which we have spoken of, for he that may correct any thing, and doth neglect the same, without all doubt he maketh himself partaker of the sin or offence. Therefore, foresee unto your own soul; provide for your nephews, and for such as you do desire to reign after you; provide for your country, and with diligence provide for the correction and punishment of that sin, before our Creator do stretch out his hand to strike."

And in his next chapter he writeth unto the French king: "Whatsoever you do understand to pertain either unto the honour and glory of our God, to the reverence of the church, or to the honour of the priests, that do you diligently cause to be decreed, and in all points to be observed. Wherefore, once again we do move you, that you command a synod to be congregated, and as we wrote lately unto you, do cause all the carnal vices, which reign amongst your priests, and all the wickedness and simony of your bishops, which is most hard, to be condemned and reproved, utterly to be banished out of your kingdom; and that you will not suffer them to possess any more substance under your dominion, than God's commandment doth allow."

Behold, how carefully blessed Gregory doth exhort the queen and the king to punish the vices of the clergy, lest, through their negligence, they should be partakers of the same, and how they ought to connect their subjects. For as it is convenient to be circumspect and careful against the outward enemies, even so, likewise, ought they to be against the inward enemies of the soul. And, as in just war against the outward enemies it is lawfiil to take away their goods, so long as they continue in their malice, so also it is lawful to take away the goods of the clergy, being the inward enemy. The consequent is proved thus: for so much as the domestical enemies are most hurtful.

Item, It is thus argued; if God be, the temporal lords may meritoriously and lawfully take away the temporal goods from the clergy, if they do offend. For this point let us suppose that we speak of power as the true authentic Scripture doth speak [Mat. iii. 9], "God is able even of these stones to raise up children to Abraham."

Whereupon it is thus argued: If God be, he is omnipotent; and if he so be, he may give like power unto the secular lords; and so consequently they may meritoriously and lawfully use the same power. But, lest any man object, that a proof made by a strange thing is not sufficient, it is therefore declared that the temporal lords have power to take away their alms bestowed upon the church, the church abusing the same, as it shall be proved hereafter. And first thus: it is lawful for kings, in cases limited by the law, to take away the moveables from the clergy when they do offend: it is thus proved; for the temporal lords are most bound unto the works of greatest mercy most easy for them: but, in case possible, it should be greater alms and easier temporal dominion, to take away their alms from such as build therewithal unto eternal damnation, through the abuse thereof, than to give the said alms for any bodily relief. Ergo, the assumption is true.

Whereupon first this sentence of the law of Christ in 2 Thess. iii., is noted, where the apostle writeth thus: "When we were amongst you, we declared this unto you, that he that would not work, should not eat." Wherefore the law of nature doth license all such as have the governance of kingdoms, to correct the abuse of the temporalties, which would be the chief cause of the destruction of their kingdoms; whether the temporal lords, or any other, had endowed the church with those temporalties or not. It is lawful for them in some cases to take away the temporalties, as it were by way of physic to withstand sin, notwithstanding any excommunication, or other ecclesiastical censure; forasmuch as they are not endowed, but only with condition thereunto annexed.

Hereby it appeareth, that the condition annexed to the endowing or enriching of any church, is, that God should be honoured: which condition if it once fail, the contrary taking place, the title of the gift is lost, and consequently the lord who gave the alms ought to correct the offence. Excommunication ought not to hinder the fulfilling of justice. Secondly, according to the canon law, six-