Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/443



defend the principality of the pope, and to maintain his obedience above all other potentates in the world; affirming and contending, that although Christ is the head alone of the whole multitude of them that are sleeping in purgatory, and who are labouring in the church militant, and who are resting in heaven, yet this letteth not, but the pope is head of the church here militant, that is, of all the faithful, who here in this world live under his office. Like as Christ is King of all kings, and yet Charles may be king of France; so say they, Christ may be the universal head, and yet the pope may be head under him of king of the whole church. And thus concluded they that the pope is the head, and that the college of cardinals is the body of the Romish church, which church of Rome is placed in the ecclesiastical office here over the earth, to know and define upon every ecclesiastical and catholic matter; to correct errors and to purge them, and to have care upon all such universal matters, and care upon all universal churches, and upon the universal flock of faithful Christians: forasnmch as in the regiment of the church through the universal world, there must needs remain in such office always some such manifest and true successors of Peter, prince of the apostles, and of the college of the other apostles of Christ; neither can there be found or given upon earth any other successors, but only the pope who is the head, and the college of cardinals, which is the body of the aforesaid church of Rome. And although the whole universal multitude of the faithful do make the body of Christ, yet the same body of Christ is not placed here in office to exercise such authority upon earth; because that universal multitude was never yet, nor ever can be, congregate together.

And therefore necessary it is, that some such true and manifest successors and judges be appointed, to whom recourse must be had in all such catholic and ecclesiastical matters determinable. For like as in earthly regiments every case of discord is brought before its judge, and hath its place assigned where to be decided; so, like reason would require, that in principal matters and controversies of faith, some such presidents and places be limited for the purpose to have such doubts resolved. And this being granted, then the doctors proceed: "And here must needs conclude," say they, "that there cannot be given in all the world any other place, but only the church of Rome; the head whereof is the pope, and the body is the college of cardinals. For, like as Christ, departing out of this world in his corporal presence, left his body here with us under the sacrament in another form, whereby he remaineth with us (according to his promise in the last chapter of Matthew) unto the consummation of the world, even so while Christ walked here on earth in his bodily presence, he was pope himself and chief bishop, and so head of the church here militant on earth, corporally conjoined with the same, as the head is to its body. But after he departed out of the world, because his body, which is the church militant upon the earth, should not be headless, therefore he left Peter and his successors to his church, for a head in his place, unto the consummation of the world, saying to him, 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,' &c. Matt. xvi.; and again, in the last chapter of John, he saith, 'Feed my sheep;' that is to say. Be thou, Peter, the head over thy brethren.

Tedious it were to recite all the bibble-babble of these doctors in this their long responsal. Whoso listeth to see the bottom of their profound writing and knowledge, may resort either to the history of Æneas Silvius, or else to Master Cochleus, in his first book, 'De Hist. Hussit.'

Thus then Master John Huss, being driven out of Prague (as is before touched) by the motion of these doctors, and, moreover, being so excommunicated, that no mass nor other must be said there where he was present, the people began mightily to grudge and to cry out against the prelates and other popish priests, who were the workers hereof, accusing them as being simoniacs, covetous, whoremasters,