most strictly to him and neuerthelesse two of them at least doe but hold by a bare and verie small threed As the third also would stand in the like case but that beeing so neere and terryfying a neighbour of all sides vnto the Pope he holds him by the throat as they say being able to starue him to death with all the Consistorie whensoeuer he will but restraine the transportation of corne out of Sicily and other his dominions round about whereby he commandeth more then he is commaunded not perhaps more then hated if they durst shew it and neuer giues their holy Ghost leaue to sing any other song but that which hee sends him ready prickt from Madrid Now then if these men when they haue done al their vtmost power yea in the stretching of their loue filial duty enlarged kindnes beyoÌ„d that which they can wel warraÌ„t yet can they assigne vnto their father the Pope no more then a generall care of soules with a ministeriall direction onely for order and execution of Canons ouer particular Churches no power at all ouer the vniuersall Church in grosse much lesse ouer a generall Councell much lesse or in the same degree ouer the bodies of men by violence or any temporall punishment but by meere counsell persuasion onely And if not so much as ouer priuate bodies least of all ouer Kings and ciuill Princes which rather they allow and openly acknowledge to haue right and authoritie to commaund both Church and Church-men in some cases to which Princes all men aswell Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill must be most humble and faithfull subiects as being in so much as they be Lords of the territorie established by God Protectors and Defendors of the Church and of both Diuine and Naturall lawes with attribution of the materiall Sword to themselues only priuatiuely and exclusiuely from all others within their owne dominions What stop then any more deere brethren but that you shold gladly yeeld your naturall dutie and allegiance to your naturall king since ye are bouÌ„d to yeeld it euen to the froward 1. Pet. 2.18 That you should willingly giue him but that simple pawne of your loyaltie your oath the simplest that could euer be imagined vpon that great straight and necessitie whereunto the State was brought by that portentuous mischiefe which did once so nearely and daungerously threaten kingdome and vs all as you your selues haue bene most vndoubting eye-witnesses You shall not be Catholikes neuerthelesse and you know how little or nothing besides that is required at your hands your consciences are no waies pressed your thoughts are most free and your words thank God for it and your gracious King may freely expresse them In so much that euerie day some of you God forbid I should say all dispute as peremptorily speake as odiously decide as vnchristianly inueigh as publikely against vs and our Religion here in the midst of London to our selues and one to another to our owne faces as thogh they were in the verie middle of Rome or Seuil very farre from the pittilesse fiers of those hot Countries where they burn without remission not only such as speak the least word I doe not say against God for they let them alone but against the Pope for that is the greater sinne yea euen against those they can by any meanes discouer to haue had at any time any thought or bee able afterwards to haue it against him Onely all you may complaine of is that yee haue not as free and as publike exerâ—ise as we of the rites of your Religion And yet in some sort haue yee it by hooke and by crooke or by a soueraigne transcendency of grace so much haue euer all Magistrates of our Religion abhorred extreame execution of the lawes but being forced thereunto by violent attempts For shame therefore be contented Enioy peaceably that liberty which you may buy so cheape and rather loue the certaine quietnesse of your present estate then the incertitude of another which sure cannot be but troublesome Force not by an vnnatural rebelliouâ— wilfulnesse in so iust in so lawfull a matter your naturall and most gracious King to be most vnvnwillingly and with a great griefe to hâ—s heart more sharp against you then the sweet inclination and meeknes of his royall nature will beare I conclude with an addition to your further encouragement of some decrees d cided and set downe two hundred yeres agoe by the verie same Sorbonne against that false doctrine and such as seemed then to broach it a new whom they neuer failed to condemne and caused them publikely to aske pardon and make satisfaction as Frier Iohn Sarazin Iohn Tanquarell Florentin Iacob Thomas de Blanzy and sundrie others at sundry times did Which decrees yet now of late they haue caused againe to bee printed by their owne Printer Felix de Blanuile in S. Victors streete in Paris and bound together with this present booke with this title Of the power and supremacie of the Pope Against the Sectaries of this age Repeating once more the diffinition of the Church as it is set downe in the title page of this booke to point as it were with the finger that both sprung together out of one the same fountaine Whereby you may see how carefull they haue euer beene to dash the young ones of Babilon against the right rocke of the truth The decrees are these after a long rehearsall of the cause and ceremonies of Sarrazins recantation in presence of the Rector of the Vniuersity and whole scores of Doctors there named one by one as witnesses THat all powers of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction other then that of the Pope are from Christ himselfe in as much as concerneth primary institution and collation but from the Pope and from the Church for limitation and ministeriall dispensation onely That those powers are of diuine right and immediatly ordeined by God That we finde in the Scripture that Christ hath founded his church and expresly ordained other powers differing from that of the Pope That whensoeuer any matters bee ordained in a Councel the whole authoritie which giueth force to the decrees doth reside not in the Pope onely and alone but principally in the holy Ghost and the Catholike Church That by the text of the Scripture and doctrine of the Apostles wee see directly that authoritie of iurisdiction was conferred vpon the Apostles and Disciples when Christ did send them forth That the power of Iurisdiction of inferiour Prelates either Bishops or Curates is immediatly from God according to the doctrine of the Gospell and the Apostles That there is some power that is the power of the Church which of right and incertaine cases can decree against the Pope That any man liuing of whatsoeuer title authority dignity or preeminence hee may be euen though hee were a Pope if onely he haue the vse of reason may commit Simony Finally most heartily intreating you to take in the best part of this my louing
words As thou hast sent me into the world so haue I sent them into the world and for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe that they also may bee sanctified through the truth And a verse farther That they all may bee one as thou O father art in me and I in thee and may also be one in vs that the world may beleeue thou hast sent me And one verse after That they may be made perfect in one c By which words it appeares clerely That Christ hath not deliuered the infallible power of the Keyes somuch vnto Peter himselfe and alone as vnto the vnitie it selfe as S. Cyprian and S. Austen doe confirme 24. quaest 1. can Quodcunque can Loquitur can Alienus Moreouer Iohn 20.21 As my father sent mee so send I you Receiue the holy Ghost whosoeuer sinnes you remit c. Seeing then that true and reall mission is a conferring of iurisdiction by the authoritie of the Apostle Rom. 10.15 And how shall they preach except they be sent And Christ immediatly indiuidually and iointly hath sent all his Apostles and Disciples which did represent the Episcopall and Priestly order as he had beene sent of his father that is with a iust and spirituall authoritie necessary for the gouernment of the Church It followes That the whole hierarchical order consisting of Bishops Priests doth deriue immediatly yet in a proportion and subordination his power and iurisdiction that is his authoritie for the gouerning of the Church from Christ As in Fraunce inferiour Iudges and Magistrates although subiect to Parliaments deriue aswell and as directly their authority from the King as the Parliaments themselues For those that bee are ordained of God And had neuer beene so ordained if there were not some subordination betweene those magistrates and the Ecclesiastical persons And finally the testimony of Paul Acts 20.28 Take heede therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to gouerne the Church of God Which doctrine S. Bernard lib. 3. de Consider ad Eugen. cap. 10. dooth very cleerely make manifest Thou dost deceiue thy selfe saith hee if thou thinkest that as your Apostolicall power was ordained by God to be chiefest so also to be alone If thou be of that mind thou art not of his mind who said Rom. 13.1 That there is no power but from God Therfore that which followes Whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God though it make principally for thee neuerthelesse not singularly For the selfe same who said Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers did not say vnto the higher power as though they were but in one but speakes in the plurall as being in many VVherefore thy power is not alone from God There are some of the middle sort yea some inferiour And as they whome God hath ioyned must not be seuered no more those who are subiect to others must be compared to them Thou dost forme a monster if remouing a finger from the hand thou wilt haue it hang at the head superiour to the hand collaterall to the arme So is it if in the bodie of the Church thou placest the members otherwise then he hath disposed them * Ephes 4 11 who hath set some in the Church to bee Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Teachers for the perfit vnion of the Saints in the worke of the Ministery and edification of the body of Christ Let the Godly rather looke the whole chapter But if any happen to obiect that this power which Christ by an immediate missioÌ„ did transfer to his Disciples doth not so much concern the authority of the outward as of the inward Court The answere is that vniuersally al the ancient fathers of the Church haue absolutly expouÌ„ded it of whatsoeuer power necessary to rule the Church as wel in the inward as in the outward Court And that we are bouÌ„d a great deale more to giue credit to their souÌ„d decisions theÌ„ to the subtle distinctioÌ„s of some Noualists forged at pleasure more easily to maintaine enlarge their liberties extraordinary missions euen to the ouerthrow of common right Besides That the sum of the whole outward iurisdiction reaches no farther then to the power of excoÌ„municatioÌ„ which afterwards Sect. 6 shal be clearely proued to haue immediatly bin deliuered vp by Christ to the Church Yet perhaps they wil pretend that this power of iurisdiction was indeed ordained coÌ„ferred at first by Christ to the whole Church but with such coÌ„ditioÌ„ that it shold be afterwards coÌ„tinued coÌ„ferred to other Bishops by the Popes as successors to S. Peter And therfore now al authoritie coÌ„meth is deriued only from theÌ„ce But thus stop you their mouth That it is most apparaÌ„t by the practise of the primitiue Church by the holy canoÌ„s that al collatioÌ„s of benefices as they are now called haue bin 1400. yeares together made by a coÌ„moÌ„ right that is by holy elections The reason is because al principality so far as concernes coÌ„pulsiue power depeÌ„ds of the coÌ„seÌ„t of men â—s both diuine natural law do confirme against which neither length of time priuiledge of places nor dignity of persons can euer prescribe Which grouÌ„d being thus layed and setled of necessitie these eight next ensuing principles must directly follow The first shall vnfold the definition of the Church Which is a Monarchicall gouernment ordained to a supernaturall and spirituall end tempered with an Aristocraticall order which is the best of all and most conformable to nature by the greatest Pastor of soules Iesus Christ our Lord Who is the only King Monarch absolute Lord Founder foundation and essentiall head of the Church hauing an absolute and purely monarchical command ouer her And who although by his omnipotencie and infinite power hee might haue saued all mankind without the scandall of the Crosse neuerthelesse to confound and ouerthrow the power pride arrogancie and wisedome of the world And teach his Ministers to thinke most lowly of themselues Yet was pleased by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue that no flesh should glory in his presence Cor. 1.25.29 Whereof wee will treate Section 11. From whence we doe also inferre this Article of faith I beleeue one holy Catholike Church to bee of an euerlasting veritie seeing as long as the Euangelicall Law doth stand Christ cannot make any diuorce from the Church his Spouse Which cannot properly bee said of her Simbolicall and Ministeriall head the Pope Whome wee often see to bee absent and present for a time at least without destruction of the Church for who is ignorant that the Apostolike Sea hath sometimes three sometimes seuen yeares beene vacant So that the Commaundement of hauing a Pope is affirmatiue and not negatiue The second principle teacheth That Saint Peter is only the dispenser and Ministeriall head not the Lord Founder or foundation of the Church Titles which belong indeede vnto one Christ
A TREATISE of Ecclesiasticall and Politike povver SHEWING The Church is a Monarchicall gouernment ordained to a supernaturall and spirituall end tempered with an aristocraticall order which is the best of all and most conformable to nature by the great Pastor of soules Iesus Christ Faithfully translated out of the Latin originall of late publikely printed and allowed in Paris Now set foorth for a further warrant and encouragement to the Romish Catholikes of England for theyr taking of the Oath of Allegiance seeing so many others of their owne profession in other Countries doe deny the Popes infalibility in iudgement and temporall power ouer Princes directly against the doctrine of Iesuits To the PRINCE Printed by VV.S. and are to be sold by Iohn Budge at the great South doore of Paules and at Britaines Bursse 1612. To the Prince SIR THese are not now idle fancies of mine owne hot ebullitions of a French bloud youthfully sounding the charge long before the combate No nor of any one man alone neuer so wise neuer so temperat They are the graue disputations the sound decisions of a whole company one of the most famous as one of the most auncient in the world for diuine and humane learning Who now sets forth to the open view of all men what their opinion is about the Popes either lawfull or vnlawfull authoritie No more are they any particular imaginations or exact conclusions of Protestants the Popes open aduersaries or some other if there be any of his violent enemies who perhaps to forward in their owne way deny vtterly all the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome because he hath vsurped too much and would haue Rome totally ruyned because there are many abuses therein and not rather to be reformed by good lawes reducing order conueniency to their own auncient iust and lawfull vse Much like vnto that people that wholy forbids the vse of that good creature of God wine because hurtfull by accident rather then to temper his furie with water or moderate the quantity They are I say the too too gentle the too too indulgent determinations of the Popes best friends of his derest darlings nay of his owne strongest support in Fraunce by whome he raignes yet there and without whom he 〈◊〉 not haue an inch of credit in that whole kingdome Determinations which yet seeming to make good the reasons of the French Herald coÌ„clude ex obliquo at least to his Croisade makes mee the bolder to tender this vnto your Highnes to whome that other was also dedicated As a confirmation now by these wise men of those reasons which as his owne he did at that time esteeme more foolish then for the respect due vnto the assent of such persons hee dares euer hold them hereafter For indeed what shold we not boldly execute against him that with fier and sword open inuasion and secret treasons declares himselfe so violent and bloudy an enemie to vs though we not to him Wee I say right reformed Christians and Catholiks who rightly lightned with the shining truth of the spirit and the Scripture haue so lawfully shaken off that most vniust most vnsupportable iron-yoake of later yeares forged in the Church of Rome when wee see his owne men his owne maintainers so flatly condemne him But alas what order to bee taken I am not able to giue counsell much lesse to commaund Onely this my most harty prayer vnto the Almightie shal be as long as I breath I will neuer finish it till it bee finished or my selfe That now when it seemes that in these latter daies by frequent disputations the truth beginnes to cleere it selfe of those darke clouds of ignorance and thicke vayles wherein it had beene hitherto purposely wrapt and ouercast Now that it seemes that all Christians of all professions at least those of the better sort among them draw neerer then euer they did one to another and all to that happy medium wherein consists the true and onely hope of a general reconciliation it may please his heaueÌ„ly goodnesse to stirre vp and strongly moue all Christian Princes and Magistrates as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill to call together a good lawful and free Councel as generall as may bee wherein all absolute and necessarie points to saluation being considerately with brotherly loue and without animosity discussed wee may with common consent of all frame together a constant substantiall and vniuersall profession of our faith As without doubt it would be a thing most fit to preuent and auoid many scandals and easie enogh to be attained vnto if euerie one would leaue all peremptorinesse of his owne sence and cleaue to the right naked and vnpassionate truth It remaining for the rest lawfull to euerie nationall Church in things indifferent and not altogether absolute and necessarie to saluation differently to beleeue according to their best aduise and Christian libertie It is a thing which after God wee must solely and onely hope from the hands of that thrice-great King your royall father hee hauing a particular right to it by his title of Defender of the Faith as indeed hee makes himselfe euerie day more and more worthy of the same both abroad at home carefully suppressing heresies â—â—en in their birth there by his credit heere by his commaund there by his word of aduice here by his sword of Iustice Oh! what helpe our famous Henry the Great would also haue yeelded to this if those that did smell out some such purpose in him had not as vnluckely as traiterously shortned his daies But in that happie assembly let it not be forgotten for the first point and ground of all the following good to giue backe againe to the Catholike Church her ancient right and authoritie clipping the Popes wings of so much as he hath most tyrannously vsurped and reduced vniuersallity to his own particular For otherwise as long as that tyrannical vnbridled monstruous impious omnipotency which none can tell yet how far it runneth or can stretch it selfe be not limited within the bounds of reason I meane of the law of God there is no hope of reconciliation no hope euer of any good at all I doe not deny that the Bishop of Rome hath altogether no authoritie as from God Neither but that he may haue a great deale more by the free graunt of Councels or by the liberallitie of Princes That which hee hath as from God let him keepe it still in Gods name The gifts of God are without repentance Yea Rom. 11.29 let him keepe that which he hath lawfully receiued of auncient Councels as the first place among the fiue Patriarkes betweene whome the care of all the Churches of the world was friendly and almost equally diuided and to him by especiall assigned the care of these West-churches In which respect only the King makes no difficultie to call the church of Rome In his Maiesties first speech to the Parliament our Mother-church Let him also keepe that which auncient
will be a long time hereafter For vnlesse it be in a generall Councel it is not to be hoped that you may euer haue a constant resolution of so many so learned Doctors of your own aboue all so little interessed in your case but rather which being able to claim more then you as being Church-men theselues disclaim honestly willingly that which is not theirs the more therfore to be beleeued It is no more Luther that speakes in Bohemia Caluin in Geneua Henry 8. in England Iames the sixt in Scotland you cannot impute this to any particular quarrell or heresie They are not priuate men of another Countrie that speake in their owne sence and of which you might say they may ouershoot themselues thogh of your owne profession as the two aboue mentioned It is not one Blackwel your Archpriest one VVarmington one Sheldon your Priests of whome you might say the two former were prisoners the last a Runne-away VViddrington at least was free that so learnedly confutes Bellarmine by Bellarmine himselfe and is your own stil yea most passionate as the fashion is of all those that haue forsaken vs therefore the more worthy to be credited by you Though it be a great wonder how he hath beene able to reserue still so much reason and honesty to make a stop there since it is not the good hap of such as fall once from the steepe rocke of the truth to graspe any where but rather alwaies to tumble from an error to an heresie till they be legges and lims all broken ouerwhelmed in the bottome or rather in the bottomlesse pit yet it is not hee that speakes It is not the King himselfe of whome you might say he speakes in his owne cause though no otherwise then a good Father commending naturall duety to his belooued Children And I pray you who shal loose most or be punished at last either the godly father for admonishing his rebellious children or they for denying him his due It is not that so powerfully fulminoÌ„â— in vanos illos fulminatores et vacua fulmina Capitolij learned Andrewes or any other of our graue men of whome you might say they speake to please the King They are free and franke Frenchmen that speake in Fraunce it selfe the mother of all fraunchise and freedome free not onely in their bodies but without preiudice in their mindes For of those Frenchmen they are not that part which being neerer in faith to vs heere you might perhaps nick-name Puritans open and opposite enemies to the Pope No such matter They are your owne deere Brethren rather then our commoÌ„ friends the same sheep of one pretended fold with your selues the Popes most obedient and gentle children who rather by too gracious charitable a granting then by a restraining maner rather giue a new far stretched power to your common father then abridge him of any of his old It is I say whole France that speakes by her Sorbonne that whole society agreeing together as one man speaks also by one man their Sindick learned Speaker Richeâ— very wel known though not named The Sorbonne of Paris I say so famous through all Christendome which being an ancient coÌ„pany of the most graue learned French doctors in Diuinity both canonicall and ciuill law is as it were a continual standing councell in France allowed by the Pope at least represents it as long as there is none else and to their oracles in that respect all France in a time of neede yea verte often many forraine Countries haue had their refuge For eueÌ„ when at the first this very same book came forth without a name as a child exposd to fortun that it might be the more free to any to oppose alleadge what they would what they could against it Then indeede the Nuncio perceiuing his master so thoroughly let blood not onely in his Cefalica or Basilica that is in his headship ouer the church or royaltie ouer Princes but euen in his Arteria magna wherein consists the life and the spirit of all his being runs in a great heate to diuers Bishops and Cardinals and gathering as many as he could to accompany one the greatest indeed among them all willing nilling as one that truly hath euer bin very moderate but yet hath so neere an interest in the Pope both by oth by hope he may wel haue to be a Pope himselfe one day is sure he is more worthy of the place then the place as now it is of him sends him in al the hast to complaine to the Counsel and demand the suppression of this booke But that right worthy of that name Henry de Bourbon most worthily the first Prince of the bloud hauing thoroughly perused it before hand vndertakes brauely the defence thereof in the behalfe of our yong Lewes his Lord neere kinsman ouerthrows the reasons without reason of the Bishops Cardinall all giuing by authoritie of the whole Counsell more authoritie to the booke then it had before For eâ—en that other eye of France Charles de Bourbon Earle of Soissons taking then first notice of the booke therfore not able to speake much to it but vpon the assurance of his nephews sufficiencie caused it purposely to be translated to vnderstand it better and finding it also most iust equitable and well grounded it was publikely printed in French whereas it was before but in Latin Then was Sorbonne also consulted as they vse in such cases which gaue freely their opinion in fauor of the book as knowing ful wel from whence it came beginning the as it were to auow it as their own WherupoÌ„ the Nuncioes crew yet not yeelding but continuing to gather it selfe together three or foure daies to aduise of some means for their redresse as soon as that famous high Court of Parliament of Paris the right arme of our Kings in some sort Protectors of the kingdom in a nonage had notice of it they sent immediately the kings Atturny general to bid theÌ„ vpon pain of the Kings displeasure to separate theÌ„selues leaue off such coÌ„uenticles which were not only without but against the Kings authority of the Church about such things as were allowed by his Maiesties most honourable priuâ— Counsell by the Sorbonne and by themselues them three representing as it were the three Estates that is to say the whole kingdome And now that which that most Christian Fraunce saith is nothing new or of her own selfe but Serenissime Venice hath said as much vpon mature consultation of al her Diuines and saith so still Catholike Spain it selfe thinking no lesse which yet hath spoken sometimes as far as any of the rest if not further as their owne manifold Councils held at Toledo most learnedly cited in that Royall Apology for the Oath of Allegiance do manifestly iterate and testifie Fraunce Spaine and Venice the three Charites the three minions of the Pope that yet sticke
I in thâ— middest of 〈◊〉 By which speech wee learne that Christ hath grant the power of â—â—communication immediatly to the 〈◊〉 Order which is signiâ—â— hare by the 〈…〉 Church for as the 〈◊〉 of ten dotâ— eminently and causelty comâ—â—he â—â—â—umbâ—â—s â— likewise doth this former speech 〈◊〉 the Church eminently I say and causally compreâ—â—â—â— all 〈…〉 â—aâ— power 〈◊〉 euery supeâ—◠〈…〉 maâ—dued with any iurisdiction 〈…〉 â— Pope or a generall Counâ—â—â—â— wherein 〈◊〉 the supreame and infallible coâ—â—t-coâ—â—â—â—â—â—nesse of authoritie all 〈…〉 resolue And this is manifest because as soone as the Lord had vttered this speech in the singular Teâ—â— the Church hee doth immediatly adde in the plurall Verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer yee shall haâ—de â—n earth c. Wherby it manifestly appeares that the Church is takeÌ„ there formâ—lly properly for man â—â—en gathered together not for any one man alone Therefore with the same câ—â—rent of speech Christ giues also to the Church the power to asseÌ„ble it selfe in a Councel and there infalibly to decree Again I say vnto you If two of you shall agree together on earth c. for where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Neither is it to be past in silence that Christ in this text doth denote the Aristocratical Councell established by his owne diuine law not the oligarchicall afterwards instituted by men And that hee hath purposely expressed a certaine number and that the least of numbers for an vncertaine to take away from contentious men all occasion of shifting auoiding and to shew that for a lust gouerning of the Church the consent agreement of two or three at the least is required not of the Pope solely and alone Truely to what side soeuer the aduersaries will turne themselues they must needs confesse that these words for where two or three are gathered together in my name doe necessarily exclude that absolute and infallible authority of the Pope alone and do proue that the Church cannot bee bound against her will nor without her consent aduice required which euery way agreeth with the natural law is sufficiently coÌ„firmed by the practise of the Ancient Church For the Councell of IerusaleÌ„ with the consent voices of al the Apostles and Priests concludes with this stile Act. 15.28 It seemed good to the holy ghost and to vs. Moreouer the Fathers of the Africane Church amongst whome was Saint Austen writ vnto Pope Celestin 1. in these words That it is not credible that God doth inspire the Iâ—stice of examination into any one man and deny it to an â—â—numeâ—â—â— number of men lawfully gathered together is a Councelâ— The opinion also of Pope Zozimus make for the confirmation of this doctrine when writing to the Bishops of France hee confesseth himselfe pâ—ainely to bee infeâ—â—our to the Councell and the auâ—horitie of the Apostolicall Sea not able to derogatâ— from the holy decrees of Councells 25 Quaest 1. Câ—â—â— To decree or change any thing against the decrees of the fathers no not the very authoritie of this 〈◊〉 is able to doe it Holy antiquitie liues with vâ— vnshaken in hâ—â— foundation whereunto the decrees of the fathers haâ—e ordained all reuerence To this may well bee added the answere of Gregorie the great Who confesseth that he reuerenceth the foure generall Councells euen as the foure bookes of the holy Gospell for being constituted with vniuersall consent whosoeuer presumes to loose that which they bind or to bind that which they loose doth but destroy himselfe and not them Dist 15. Can. Sicut Sancti Euangelij And truely if one will neuer so little peruse the acts of generall Councells he shall easily perceiue that the Pope doth not solely and himselfe alone make decrees of the Catholike faith in those generall Synods but doth inferre and conclude them by the induction and consent vniuersally taken of all particular Churches Which indeede is the most certaine and most euident proofe of an Aristocraticall gouernment and is confirmed Can. Maiores 24. Quaest 1. But if some perhaps will yet argue that Christ did pray for Peter 22. Luc. 32. that his faith should not faile and commanded him to confirme his brethren Wee answere to the first part that this promise of Christ according to the litterall sence of the Scripture doth not extend farther then the time of the Lords passion Wherein the scandall of the Crosse was most furiously to rage against all the disciples and principally against Peter who thrice denied his Master Whereupon the Lord speakes after this manner to them all Mat. 26.31 All yee shall bee offended in me this night for it is written I will smite the Shepheard and the sheepe of the flocke shal be scattered But Peter answering sayd vnto him Though all men should be offended in thee yet will I neuer be offended Iesus said vnto him verily I say vnto thee that this night before the Cock crow thou shalt denie mee thrice Moreouer Luc. 22.31 Simon beholde Sathan hath desired you to winnow you as wheate but I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not wherefore when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren Wherein is principally to be noted that Christ did not say to Peter I haue prayed for thee that thou maist neuer erre or be subiect to be deceiued But only I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not And that Peter indeede did erre yet his faith neuer failed him in regard of the habite but only of the act for he did only denie the Lord with his mouth not with his heart To the second point who will aduisedly examine that which preceedes and followes this text euen at the first sight hee shall find that after Saint Peter was out of that dangerous staggering of his trebble deniall and come againe to his right sences as from a most deepe and dead sleepe hee was farre more able both to settle and stay his wauering fellowes and to call againe to the Church all his scattered brethren that there together they might expect the resurrection of the Lord. Therefore that argument of theirs is fallacious being inferred a dicto secundum quid ad dictum simplicitèr from that which is said in some respect to that which is affirmed simply For that priuiledge did reach no farther then Saint Peter himselfe and alone because of the imminent scandall of the Crosse And sure if the Pope alone and not the Church iointly taken be infalible It followes that Saint Paul sinned most greeuously Galat. 2.11 telling vs so plainly that therefore Saint Peter was reprehensible because hee went not the right way to the truth of the Gospell Which words are most worthy to be noted Besides that this reprehension as the Parisian Chauncelor well obserueth is equiualent to an appeale to a Councell For if Saint Peter had at that time resisted Saint Paul iustly reprouing him no doubt but the Church gathering herselfe together in a