Quotes about Ecclesiastical Supremacy

Martin Luther

The Romanists have, with great adroitness, drawn three walls round themselves, with which they have hitherto protected themselves, so that no one could reform them, whereby all Christendom has fallen terribly. Firstly, if pressed by the temporal power, they have affirmed and maintained that the temporal power has no jurisdiction over them, but, on the contrary, that the spiritual power is above the temporal. Secondly, if it were proposed to admonish them with the Scriptures, they objected that no one may interpret the Scriptures but the Pope. Thirdly, if they are threatened with a council, they pretend that no one may call a council but the Pope.

Saint Ambrose

The emperor is in the Church, not above the Church.

Sabine Baring-Gould

The great majority of the nobility and gentry of England clung to the doctrine and ceremonies of the ancient church, and yet were united in determination to oppose the papal claims.

Catholic Church

The church, by reason of her role and competence, is not identified with any political community nor is it tied to any political system

Gregory of Nazianzus

Let your inimitable perfection in virtue stand up at a crisis like the present, and teach our most pious Emperor, that no gain will come from his zeal for the Church on other points if he allows such an evil to gain strength from freedom of speech for the subversion of sound faith.

Note the opposition to freedom of speech for contrary theological views. This has been typical of most religions whenever they could exercise or influence state power.

Edmond About

But as the Pope has a long arm, which might reach me in France, I have gone a little out of the way to tell him the plain truths contained in these pages.

Charles Hodge

If all Church power vests in the clergy, then the people are practically bound to passive obedience in all matters of faith and practice; for all right of private judgment is then denied.

James Graham Montrose

[King Charles’ ecclesiastical reforms] tend to the re-establishing of the Popish religion and tyranny, and [are a danger] to the subversion and ruin of the true reformed religion, and of our liberties, laws and estates.

5th Earl of Montrose. The public reaction to a new prayer book issued by the King and created by the King’s religious appointees. Although Protestant in nature, it was created without the early Scottish Protestant tradition of consultation with many levels of clergy and society. It was seen as authoritarian and much like the Catholic mass which was proscribed by Rome. The National Covenant was a document of protest. It was first drafted by Alexander Henderson and Johnston of Wariston, and signed by others, but Montrose was the first signer and the acknowledged leader of the Covenanters.

Joachim Stephani

Whose realm, his religion Cuius regio, eius religio

Stephani had written a legal analysis of the 1555 “Peace of Augsburg” and used the phrase of the quotation to describe the most basic and important legal agreement. It was that the recognized religion of a nation would be determined by the religion of the king or other ruler. Prior, Protestant and Catholic nations were constantly warring with each other and supporting insurrections in another country of its co-religionists and often warring with the other country where some towns were mostly Protestant and others, mostly Catholic. The treaty which dealt with Europe initially allowed Catholic citizens of a nation ruled by a Protestant to emigrate to a Catholic nation and the reverse. Those who chose to remain, would therefore be a minority of the country where their king was of a different faith. This principle is one of the reasons that English law requires the King or Queen to be the Head of the Church of England. In effect the Protestants controlling England at the time guaranteed that the sovereign was a Protestant and could not have a Catholic spouse in line for the throne. This then guaranteed that England would remain Protestant since the ruler was Protestant. Other European nations, Protestant and Catholic, had similar schemes and many still have them to this day.

Stephen Douglas Mumford

The ecumenical movement was exceedingly important, if not absolutely essential, to the Vatican's march toward unrestrained power in America. It halted, then blocked, criticism of the Catholic Church by all leading Protestant denominations. This no doubt contributed to the Catholic Church's success in silencing all criticism of the hierarchy's actions in the lay press.

Martin Luther

The Romanists have affirmed and maintained that the temporal power has no jurisdiction over them, but, on the contrary, that the spiritual power is above the temporal.

Ecclesiastical Supremacy Quotes