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ERAS OF

PARTICULAR ERRORS IN
THE CHURCH OF ROME.

(Concluded from col. 253.)

1090. Priests, who let fall the host, were enjoined penance.-All the faithful obliged to communicate at Easter. -A decree in England against the marriage of priests.

1102. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, by the pope's command, refused to consecrate bishops nominated by the king. Anselm was banished; but, after the death of king Henry, the pope's nomination was introduced.Boniface the Eighth excommunicated Philip of France, and interdicted his kingdom; at length deprived him of his throne, and gave it to the emperor Albert, depriving all those clergy who held their benefices from the king.Tithes were extended to fisheries, wool, bees, hay.-Donations from public sinners were to be received by the Church, in extenuation of their crimes.-Rome was crowded with clergy who held no livings, in order to obtain them; and by those who had livings, that they might be removed to superior benefices, or other promotions in the Church. These latter were obliged, in the first place, to purchase the indulgence of absenting themselves from their cures.-Commendams were invented, whereby an elective benefice was given, on a vacancy, for a time, by patronage, postponing the effect of the election.-The crusades were devised, and poured much of the wealth of Europe into the coffers of the pope; and also raised his power, as commander-in-chief over all the kings and princes who led their armies to Jerusalem. The clergy, preaching against the infidels, raised a fund to extirpate them; and the pope reserved the sovereign command of the armies by his legates, who became lords and protectors of all the crusaders.-The inquisition was established.-Gratian's collection of canon laws was confirmed. The emperor Henry and his empress went to Rome, to be crowned by the pope. They took an oath to defend the Church, and the Patrimony of St. Peter; and the pope anointed them. Then the pope sat in the pontifical chair, with the imperial crown between his feet, the emperor went on his knees, and bowed down his head; and when the pope put on the crown, he threw it off again with

76.-VOL. VII.

his foot, to shew that he could take it as well as give it; then a cardinal lifted it up, and put it first on the emperor's head, and then on the empress, who were then led out to a grand entertainment, superior to any that had been seen in Europe.

1123. Remission of sins granted to pilgrims and crusaders to the Holy Land; and those who, being crossed by the pope as crusaders, relinquished their purpose, were excommunicated.

1139. The tenth general council declared the decrees of pope Peter of Leon to be null and void.

1150. Two military orders of monks were appointed: one, Saint John of Jerusalem, to take care of pilgrims in that city; the other Templars, to escort them on their road,-The Benedictine monks were highly privileged.

Certain sins were reserved exclusively for the pope's pardon.

1198. The inquisition was extended. 1209. The Albigenses were persecuted by the inquisitors.-Boniface VIII. instituted a jubilee to be held in Rome once every hundred years, and granted plenary indulgences to all who attended it, and visited the churches of St. Peter and St. Paul. The pope appeared richly dressed at the jubilee, sometimes in his pontificals, and at other times in the imperial robes.The pope possessed the collation of benefices to a great part of the western church.

1232. The rich benefices in England being possessed by the Italians, chiefly of the city of Rome, the English clergy and military men associated to expel them, and levied contributions on their properties. The pope commanded the king, under pain of excommunication, to chastise the association with temporal arms, and the bishops to excommunicate them; but neither was done. The pope's kinsman, Martin, was sent to England to enforce it, but he was driven out of the kingdom. It was computed that the pope drew as much revenue out of England as the king of England; viz. 60,000 marks yearly.

1253. The pope required the bishop of Lincoln to confer a benefice on a Genoese; which he refused to do. He was then excommunicated, but died before the sentence was executed. The pope ordered his corpse to be taken out of the grave; which the king refused.

X

1258. Pope Alexander VI. excommunicated the archbishop of York, who, in return, wrote a pious letter to the pope, exhorting him to refrain from these innovations.-Cardinals obtained the privilege of holding all sorts of benefices, either secular or ecclesiastic. The pope's dispensation was sufficient for holding any number of benefices, contrary to the rules of the Church.-The councils of Pisa, Constance, and Basil, decreed that the pope's spiritual supremacy is subject to the decrees of councils; and the French church inferred, that he had no right to interfere in national privileges. The preaching brothers were established, to oppose the Albigenses. They were called Jacobins, from the name of their monastery in Paris. The Augustine hermits, the Missions, Carmelites, Mary of Mercy, Servites, and Celestins, became so numerous, that pope Gregory X. forbade the establishment of new orders.

1212. Bowing at the name of Jesus was now introduced into the practice of the Church, by the decree of the second council of Lyons.

1214. Pope Honorius ordered the form of kneeling at the communion to be observed in the Church.

1215. Auricular confession was declared necessary to salvation, by the council of Lateran.-The doctrine of transubstantiation was made an article of the Catholic faith, in the Lateran council. Thus ended a controversy of 400 years, concerning the nature of the sacrament of the Lord's supper.

1373. King Edward of England, prevailed on pope Gregory II. to abolish the annates.

Two

1378. A schism at Rome. popes were elected, and maintained their dignities by every possible exaction. Simony became a public trade; both popes held an open market for the sale of benefices.-Pope Urban declared, that no presentation to a living should be good, where the value was not expressed, that the annates might be valued, and the price of the sale regulated.-Germany refused to submit to the reservations. Innocent the VI. sent his legate there, to compound for the first-fruit, and granted new bulls for certain sums, from such clergy as had obtained livings by episcopal collations; but the emperor Charles IV. forbade him.— Many valuable books were curtailed of those passages that asserted the independence of nations; and several were printed with alterations and additions, to serve the aggrandizement of the pope's power.

1367. The order of Jesuits was confirmed by pope Urban V. the order of St. Saviour, and St. Ambrose.

1408. The king of France withdrew from the supremacy to either of the two reigning popes.

1409. A third pope was elected, and France consented to his spiritual government with restrictions.

1417. At the council of Constance, one of the popes, John XXIII. fled, and renounced the tiara. The other two were deposed, and Martin V. was elected at the general council, April, 1418. This council condemned John Huss to be burnt. The French declared they would not obey this pope, unless the king of France had the power of refusing certain tributes to Rome. The pope agreed to these con

1245. The twentieth part of the revenues of all ecclesiastical benefices were decreed to the pope, by the council of Lyons, for opposing the Greeks, Tartars, and Saracens.-The pope excommunicated the emperor Frederic, and dispossessed him of his empire, for withholding this contribution.-ditions at first, but having made a The papal power was removed from Rome to Avignon, for seventy years. -Boniface IX. declared himself to be sovereign lord in temporals and spirituals, and exacted annates; that is, one year's revenue of every bishopric and abbey at each instalment; but king Philip, of France, burnt the pope's bull, and wrote a letter to inform him, that he had no right to the above claim or title.

1316. John XXII. levied one year's value off every living above twentyfour ducats.

party in his favour, in 1422, he enforced the payments. The pope's friends, in France, were imprisoned for this, and when the pope interdicted Lyons, the government ordered that no attention should be paid to the interdict, 1424.

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1431. The council of Basil abolished these taxes. Rome and the pope protested against their decrees. He dissolved the council. The council deprived the pope of his office, and chose another. France and Germany adhered to the council against the pope.

1438. France established the election of all the church dignitaries.-It was again determined that the pope was subject to a general council; but it was opposed by the pope.-Resignations were now permitted, contrary to the previous custom, and this increased the revenue from selling benefices at Rome.

endeavoured, in vain, to reform the corruptions in the Church of Rome; the pope gained a majority of votes against it.

1540. The Jesuits aided the pope, and received great privileges.-The German princes instigated to wage war against the Protestants, sold many churches, to raise funds for that purpose, and thus spoliated a part of the Church they proposed to maintain. At the council of Trent, the favourers of the Reformation were not allowed to state the reasons of their protesting against the errors of the Church of Rome; and the council became subservient to the pope, decreeing that he alone should reform abuses, and explain the meaning of the decrees; but France, Spain, and Hun gary refused compliance with these decrees, unless with restrictions.

1448. A compromise was made, dividing the collation to benefices between the pope and the electors.-Leo X. agreed to confer the benefices in France upon the person nominated by the king. This was to take it from the electors of bishops and abbots, in cathedrals and colleges.-For a hundred years past, the popes endeavoured to wrest the collation of bishops from kings, and to give it to chapters, but now, as the chapters obtained light from searching the scriptures, and a desire of reforming the abuses and corruptions of the Church; Pius II. and five of his successors, endeavoured 1549. The emperor was to preside to take the election from the chapters, at a renewal of the council of Trent, and give it to the kings. Thus the and the Protestants were to be allowed doctrines of Rome change according to state the reasons of their discontent, to the ecclesiastical policy of the day! but nothing was done, except the con1445. The council of Rouen decreed firmation of errors,-that communion against various errors, (see Dupin, in one kind was sufficient, with anavol. iii. p. 300,) forbidding the variety themas against all who denied the of attributes to the power of the Vir-real presence, transubstantiation, and gin, such as pity, consolation, grace, the adoration of the host. &c. and the lucrative trade of exhibiting relics.

1420. The council of Constance decreed that the sacrament, instituted by bread and wine, should be abolished, and the laity should henceforth only receive bread.

1439. The sacraments in the Church of Rome were declared to be seven in number, by the council of Florence. The Reformation caused the people to withdraw from the dominion of the pope in part of Germany, France, the Netherlands, Holland, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, all England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, and Prussia. -Those who adhered to Rome were also reformed in doctrine and discipline, particularly in the doctrine of the pope's infallibility. Charles V. of Germany, decided religious points judicially, instead of referring them to Rome.

1522. Adrian VI. wrote to the duke of Saxony, and other princes, to extirpate the heretics (Protestants) by fire and sword.

1546, Part of the council of Trent

1547. The diet of Augsburg approv ed the council of Trent.

1552. In the fourteenth session, the council refused to hear the Protestants, notwithstanding the promise made to the emperor; but an audience was given to the ambassadors of Saxony, and a safe-conduct granted to some few Protestants of Wirtemberg and Bohemia. The landgrave of Hesse was enlarged, some banished ministers recalled, and liberty of conscience granted under certain circumstances. The lucrative licenses for clandestine marriages were now forbidden, the bad consequences became so enor

mous.

1555. The diet of Augsburg decreed liberty of conscience, though the pope would have opposed it by the sword, but that he was engaged in quarrels with some secular princes.

1558. The pope informed queen Elizabeth that she had been very bold to take the crown without his leave. He afterwards excommunicated her, which did no harm, except to make the nation more decided for reformation.

1561. The pope invited protestant

princes to the council of Trent, and sent an abbot to queen Elizabeth, but she forbade him from entering her dominions. The council ordered the protestant books to be suppressed, and referred the most important disputes to Rome, carrying the question by a majority of pensionary bishops from Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

time, but were expelled as soon as the heathen governments perceived the claims of Rome.

1611. The pope decreed, that no writings should be published on grace or free-will; yet many treatises afterwards appeared. The pope interdicted the republic of Venice; but the dispute ended in favour of the rights of nations.

1653. Jansenism, in France, produ ced the division of the clergy in Paris.

1680. It was determined in France, that national governments are not subject to the pope in temporal affairs; and that the pope's judgment is not infallible, unless followed by the consent of the Church.-Austria, Poland, France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and half Switzerland, Hungary, and Bohemia, chiefly adhere to Rome.

1749. The king of Portugal received the title of Most Faithful from the pope.

1563. The French demanded of the pope to reform thirty-four abuses, pointed out by them, in the Church of Rome. The council of Trent concluded without making any effectual reform, but confirming the errors, and asserting the pope's supremacy even to dispense with the canon laws of the Church. There were, at this session, one hundred and fifty members from Italy, forty from Spain and France; at the close of it, a few from Germany, Hungary, and Poland;none from England, Sweden, Denmark, or the Netherlands. In December, the 1713. The pope issued a bull repope issued a bull, forbidding, under garding the controversy between the pain of excommunication, any com- Jansenists and Dominicans, to estabmentaries or observations on the coun- lish his own authority. It gave ge cil, referring all doubts to himself. neral dissatisfaction, and contained The French ambassador entered a opinions that were stigmatized as protest against every regulation of heterodox, in France, Germany, and civil affairs in that council. The Index Holland.-The Jesuits were expelled Expurgatorius was compiled, in two from France and Portugal. They folio volumes, containing objection- assert that the pope alone is infallible, able passages in religious books, for but this was disclaimed by pope the purpose of having these books Adrian, and denied by Bellarmine and curtailed accordingly, in the libraries the Jansenists.-The pope is styled of colleges and monasteries, through- His Holiness, God's Vicegerent, out the Church. The Index, con- Vicar of Jesus Christ, Prince of taining these passages, is still extant, apostles, and Father of all the kings but the books are lost in oblivion; and of the earth. All these titles are con it proves the condemned passages to trary to the tenor of the holy scrip be no heresy against the holy scrip- tures. He holds three keys, for absotures, but many of them are most ex-lution, excommunication, and infallicellent, and worthy of preservation.The pope ordered the tribunal of the inquisition to proceed against the French church. Missions were employed to suppress prohibited books; and the Jesuits were employed to intrigue against sovereigns who claimed a jurisdiction in spiritual affairs.-The pope attempted, again, an universal empire in the remains of his Church, for the purpose of opposing the Protestants, but he was defeated by the sovereigns of Europe. The Protestants were persecuted in Germany, France, and Hungary. Many missions were sent among the heathen nations, to fill up the void made in the Latin church by the reformation in Europe. These missions prospered for some

bility; and wears a triple crown, as Priest, Emperor, and King; contrary to the precepts and example of the apostle Peter.-The council of Trent declared oral tradition of the Church of Rome equal in authority to the holy scriptures.-Pope Gregory asserted, that the decretals of popes, and decrees of councils, are of equal authority with the scriptures.-The voluminous collections of decretals of popes, decrees of councils, bulls, and canon laws, in folio volumes, are so multifarious, as to become obsolete, except among lawyers; but they all resolve into this practical effect, tending to give unlimited power to the priest over his flock, and to the pope over the priest. This general spirit of

souls a prey to the enemy of mankind. The worship of saints and angels supersedes the worship of God, and supposes him a God afar off.

Prayers by reiteration on beads, ac

dominion, prevailing, as far as the nor since, have they been held univerlay people will permit, together with sally as necessary to salvation, the the celebration of mass, and various Nicene creed being the only test of means of getting money from the peo- | doctrine, on receiving a convert to ple, reduces the view of popery to a popery, in many parts of Europe.few simple facts, of which the first The obvious tendency of these twelve and most important, viz. the pope's articles is, to seduce them from the indefinite supremacy, makes popery instruction of God's word, and bring inimical to a protestant government. them under the yoke of a blind obediThe doctrines of the Romish Church ence to the word of man. They give which are added to those held by Pro- the priest power over the soul, body, testants, are twelve-1. Belief in and worldly property of man in time, traditions. 2. The scriptures are not to together with power over his soul in be understood but by the Church. 3. eternity; and this power is to be exThe seven sacraments, of which Pro- ercised for money, and therefore the testants hold only the two which were rich wicked man may look forward instituted by Christ, viz. baptism, and to commit crimes with less horror, the supper of the Lord; the other five than if he had the scriptures of truth are these: confirmation, penance, for his guide. Human absolution, extreme unction, orders, and ma- indulgences, purgations, and propitiatrimony. The 4th is, that the tory masses, for money, smooth the doctrine of original sin, and justifica-path of the wicked, and leave their tion, is to be held according to the council of Trent; that is, to except the Virgin from the consequences of the fall of Adam, and to obtain salvation by the merit of good works. 5. That the sacrifice of the mass is a propitia-cording to number, as a mechanical tion for the living and the dead, and exercise, such as may be performed by that in the eucharist there is a conver- wooden clock-work-moved automasion of bread into the body of Christ, tons, utterly destroys the possibility of and of wine into his blood, without praying with the understanding in altering the outward form of bread spirit and in truth; for it implies the and wine. 6. That the body and blood worst doctrine of natural religion, that are taken in bread alone, in these salvation is not of grace, but of the words of the council of Constance, merit of works. The choice of fish "Although Christ instituted and ad- food, or abstaining from flesh, is an ministered to his disciples this vener- observance which has an undue value able sacrament under both kinds, of placed on it; and many Romanists, bread and wine, yet this council ac- in obeying that precept of the priest counts it a law that cannot be reject- to the letter, think themselves good ed, that the laity shall take it only in Christians, while they are living in the kind of bread." 7. Of purgatory; disobedience to the most important the souls kept there receive help by precepts of the word of God. The the suffrage of the faithful. 8. The mass, and prayers in Latin, which are worshipping of saints, reigning with understood by very few of the people, Christ, and their relics to be had in leave without a meaning the worship veneration. 9. The images of Christ, of the greater number, who are altothe Virgin, and other saints, ought together illiterate. The mass is to them be had, and retained with due honour and veneration. 10. The use of indulgences is beneficial. 11. The supremacy of the Church of Rome, and obedience to the pope; in which is taught, that to be subject to the Roman pontiff is absolutely necessary to salvation. 12. To believe all canons and councils, and to condemn what they have condemned.-These articles were held by oath on the peril of damnation, as the Catholic faith, in the year 1500, although, neither before

the exhibition of a pantomime, and the truth of the gospel is obscured by the painting and sculpture.

But, notwithstanding these absurdities and daring innovations, not one error is acknowledged by the Romish church. In all the contentions of its advocates, its presumptious claim to infallibility is neither disallowed nor abated. Their demands are urged without any concession, and with nearly the same arrogance that marked its character in the former periods of its history.

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