Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/109



riches. The minor is hereby proved, that no man ought to have riches, but to that end, that they be helps, preferring and helping unto the office which is appointed of God. Therefore, in case secular possession do hinder the clergy from their duty, the secular power ought to take it away, for so did the apostles, Acts vi., saying, "It is not lawful for us to leave the word of God untaught, and to minister unto tables."

And thus, hitherto, hath John Huss prosecuted Wickliffs articles with long arguments and reasons; and it were too long a travail, neither agreeable for this place, to allege all the whole order of the reasons and proofs which he used in that disputation, above the number of twenty more, besides the testimonies of all the writers before recited, which he allegeth out of the Scriptures, the decretals, St. Ambrose in his book of offices, St. Augustine in his fifth book and fifth question, and also unto Macedo, Isidore, the council of Nice, Gregory in his eleventh question, Bernard unto Eugene in his third book, and out of Lincolniensis, the sixty-first epistle, besides many other more: the sum of all which testimonies tends to this end, that he might utterly take away all earthly rule and dominion from the clergy, and bring them under the subjection and censure of kings and emperors, as it were within certain bonds, which is not only agreeable to equity and God's word, but also profitable for the clergy themselves. He teacheth it also to be necessary, that they should rather be subjected under the secular power, than be above it; because that else it were dangerous, lest they, being entangled with such kind of business, should be an easier prey to Satan, and sooner entrapped in his snares; and, thereby, it should come to pass, that the governance and principality of all things being at length brought into the hands of the clergy, the lawful authority of kings and princes should not only be given over unto them, but in a manner, as it were, grow out of use; especially forasmuch as already, in certain kingdoms and commonwealths, the ecclesiastical power is grown to such a height, that not only in Bohemia, but also almost throughout all the commonwealths, they do occupy the third, or at least the fourth part of the rents and revenues. And, last of all, he allegeth the examples of Gregory and of Mauritius, and afterwards the prophecy of Hildegard, writing in this manner.

As the ecclesiastical ministers do willingly receive reward and praise of kings and rulers for their good deeds, so also ought they, when they do offend, willingly to suffer and receive punishment at their hands for their evil doings. The consequent holdeth thus, forasmuch as the punishment meekly and humbly received for his offence doth more profit a man, than his praise received for any good work: whereupon St. Gregory writeth thus unto Mauritius, the emperor, when he did persecute him, saying, "I believe that you do please Almighty God so much the better, in so cruelly afflicting me, who have been so evil a servant unto him." If then this holy pope did so humbly and meekly, without any offence, suffer this affliction of the emperor, why should not any of the clergy, when they do offend, meekly sustain punishment at the king's or ruler's hands, under whom they are bound to be subject, when the true vicar of Christ saith [ 1 Pet. ii.], "Be ye subject unto every creature for God's cause, whether it be unto the king, as most excellent, or unto the rulers, as men sent of God for the punishing of the wicked, and to the praise of the good: for so is the good will of God?"

Whereupon pope Leo, leaning to this rule, submitted himself to Louis, the