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authority_n	bishop_n	rome_n	successor_n	2,241	5	9.1979	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03884	A treatise concerning the church Wherin it is shewed, by the signes, offices, and properties therof, that the Church of Rome (and consequently such particuler churches as liue in her communion) is the only true church of Christ. VVritten in Latin, by the Reuerend Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland, Doctour of Diuinity, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by I.L. of the same Society. The third part of the second controuersy.; Controversiarum epitomes. English. Selections	Gordon, James, 1541-1620.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1614 (1614)	STC 13997B; ESTC S114238	53,360	142

hims●lfe as appeareth by S. Epiphanius and S. Chrysostome 23. We know also very well that S. Augustine in some places vnderstood by this word rocke Christ himselfe but he doth not reiect the common exposition of other holy Fathers y●a he confirmeth the same by the authority of S. Ambrose and he testifieth himselfe that he held that opinion in other places For they are not to be reprehended but rather to be greatly commended who attribute many litterall senses to the same wordes of the holy Scripture so that they do not reiect and condemn the common and approued ●ense of the whole Church as we haue already declared out of S. Augustine 24. Truely euen our Aduersaries themselues confesse that the forsayd exposition of S. Augustine is both forced harsh in it selfe For seeing that neyther in the words of Christ which goe before nor in the confessiō it selfe of S. Peter there is any mention made of a rock the particle this cannot demonstrate that which is not in the whole sentence but violently Wherfore our Aduersaries leauing this exposition of S. Augustine they vnderstand by the rock eyther the fayth of S. Peter as Caluin doth or with Beza his confession And they both confesse that the word Cepha in the Siriacke tongue is the same in both places when Christ sayth thou art Peter and vpon this rocke and the Greeke word also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do only differ in their terminations and not in substance 25. But albeit Caluin commendeth that deriuatiō of the word Peter which S. Augustine setteth down to wit that Petrus is named of Petra as Christanus of Christo yet Beza writeth more truely that Christ speaking in the Siriacke toung vsed no deriuation of names but sayd Cepha in both places Our Aduersaries therefore do not well to obiect S. Augustines exposition against vs the which they themselues acknowledge not to be the litterall sense of the wordes CHAP. VII That the Church of Rome is the chiefes● and head of all other is proued out of the auncient Fathers and euen by the confession of our Aduersaries thēselues THE auncient holy Fathers do no● only wi●h v●iforme consent affirme the Roman to be the true Church of Christ but also that it is the chiefest most principall Church of all in so much that they affirme it to be the head of the whole visible Church of Christ and many other things they do write in the prayse and commendation of the Roman Church and of th● Pope the supreme Pastor thereof as may euident●y be ●eene in Catholike writer● which are related by Bellarmine and Coccius We for breuity sake wi●l only all●dge two of the holy Fathers by whom it may e●si●y be gathered what was the iudg●ent and ●pinion of the ●e●● concerning this matter 2. The first is that most ancient holy S. Ir●naeus who liued euen in the Apos●les tym● because sayth 〈◊〉 it would be to long to re●ount in 〈◊〉 vol●me the succession of al Churches w● pro●osing t●e tradition and ●ay●hos the greatest most anci●●t and left knowne Church founded by the two glorious Apos●les Peter and Paul which by preaching and succession of Bishops hath descended e●en f●●m the Apostles to vs do con●ound all those who by any meanes gat●er any thing contrary to that they should eyt●er by their owne ●oolish fancies or by vayne glory or by the great blindnesse of their vnders●anding or ●ol●owing any badde opinion For all other Churches that is to say all faythful● true belieuers th●oughout the whole world must needes come vnto this Church by reason of the most potent principality thereof Hitherto are the wordes of S. I●enaeus And afterward he recounteth the succession of all the Popes of Rome till his tyme. 3. The other is S. Augustine whom our Aduersaries also esteeme very much who knoweth not sayth he that blessed S. Peter was the chiefest and head of all the Apostles thus S. Augustine of S. Peter But speaking of the Church of Rome ●e sayth In the Romane Church hath alwayes florished the chiefe powe● an●●●●●●●ity of t●e Ap●st●licall chayre If we belieue S. Augustine nothing is more clea●e an● mani●●● 4. But it is not necessary to cite any ●ore places of the holy Fathers For euen our Adu●rsari●s conf●ss● that this was the common opinion of a●l the auncient Father concerning this matter Thus w●iteth Martin Bu●●r ●●m●ty●es ●aluins mais●er and chiefe Pa●●●n not only in his owne name but also of all 〈◊〉 Lutheranes we confess● plai●ly with all our harts sayth he that among the auncient Fathers of the Church the C●u●ch of ●ome hath alwayes obteined the chiefest aut●o●ity and s●pr●macy aboue all others because it hath the c●ayre of S. Peter and whose Bishops haue alwayes byn acc●ū●ed the successors of S. Peter thus Bucer 5. And Caluin albeit he inueigheth bitterly against the Church of Rome yet constreined to speake truth writeth in this manner I will first say this aforehand that I deny not but that the old writers doe euery where giue great honour to the Church of Rome and do speake reuerently of it And a little after he sayth thus For that same opinion which I wo●e not how was growen in force that it was founded and ordeined by the ministery of Peter much auail●d to procure sauour and estimation vnto it Th●refore in the west partes it was for honours sake called the Sea Apost●l●ke And in another place I graunt sayth he that there remayn● al●o t●ue Epis●les of the old Bishops wherein they set ●orth the honour of their sea with glorious titles of which sort are some Epistles of Leo. 6. But t●e Lutherans in their Synodicall actes doe acknowledg that euē in the tyme o● the fi●st Councell of Nice in the dayes of Cyprian S. Hierome and S. Augustine the Pope o● Rome had the chiefe supremacy the which say they we willingly admit and imbrace to increase the good agreement in fayth piety and Ecclesias●icall policy for they very well perceiued that this supremacy of the Pope of Rome did auaile much to keepe vnity and concord in doctrine and Ecclesiasticall policy 7. And hence it is that the sayd Lutheranes in their articles agreed vpon at Smalcalde the which they made in the yeare 1537. to be exhibited to the generall Councell which was reported to be holden at Mantua among other articles they appr●ued t●is of the Popes authority and vnto these Philip Melancthon also subscribed Who also afterward in the yeare 1548. far more euidētly approued the Popes authority writing thus in his Epistle to the Lord Embassador Theopulus Besides these sayth he we reuerently honour and worship the authority of the Roman Bishop and all Ecclesiasticall policy so that the Bishop of Rome do not reiect vs. Thus Philip in that place 8. But what was the most true opinion of Melancthon concerning this matter appeareth more euidently by a certaine

epistle he wrote in the yeare 1535. of the Ecclesiasticall iarres and the agreement which was made concerning the articles in controuersy wherein he alledgeth some reasons for the Popes Supremacy These are Philippes wordes speaking of some of his who did hinder resist the agreement which was to be made with Catholikes Some of them saith he do thinke that nothing els is demaunded but that hauing shaken of the Popes Monarchy and reiecting all the old Ecclesiasticall ordinances a certaine Barbarous liberty should be established And a little after Ours do grant that the Ecclesiasticall policy is a thing very lawfull in it selfe that is to say euen as there are some Byshops who haue charge or rule diuers Churches so also the Pope of Rome exceedeth all other Byshopes in authority This Canonicall policy as I think no wise man eyther can or should reiect if he desire to keepe himselfe within his owne limits And againe As concerning the riches and reuenewes they are the liberall and magnificēt gyftes of Kinges and Princes VVherfore as concerning this article of the Popes supremacy and the authority of other Byshopes there is no Controuersy among vs. For both the Pope of Rome may easily retaine his authority and the other Byshops may also keepe theirs And there must needes be some gouernours in the Church of God who may ordayne those which are called to Ecclesiasticall offices and may exercise the authority of the sayd ●hurch in all ●udiciall and difficulte matters as also may examine the doctrine of the Priestes therof And that if there were no such Bishops yet there should be such ordayned for that purpose And a little after That Monarchy of the Pope is very good in my iudgment necessary to the end that the vni●orme good agreement in doctrine may be kept in many Nations VVherfore a perfect good agreement in this one article concerning the Popes supremacy may easily be established if they could once agree about other articles Hitherto Philip. 9. Much like vnto these wrote Martin Bucer by the consent of Capito Hedio and Niger his confederates of the Church of Argentine who were as Beza saith great fauorits of Caluin For in the same Century of Epistles there is one extant with this title Martin Bucer doth testify his agreemēt in all thinges with Philip Melācthon both in his owne name and of the whole Church of Argentine And this Epistle of Bucer is next vnto the fore sayd Epistle of Philip Melancthon 10. Moreouer in this very Epistle when Bucer treateth of this Ecclesiasticall Monarchy the which he calleth Policy he writeth thus But we desire nothing lesse then that the Kingdome of Christ should want her policy or authority to commaund No where should thinges be done in better and more certaine order no where should the obedience be greater the subi●ction more perfect the reuerent respect of authority more religiously obserued But now the outward power whatsoeuer it be is of God and he resisteth Gods ordination who is not obedient vnto this Fin●lly towards the end of the same Epistle thus he concludeth VVe wi●l therfore in no sorte hinder the small and per●ect agreement of Churches The Pope of Rome and all the other Byshops may lawfully keepe their authority yea and their dominions also let them vse their aut●ority only to the edification and not to the destruction of the Church seing that there is no authority at all the which we do not account holy and we teach the same vnto them VVe seeke for nothing so diligently as for the discipline of the Church Hitherto Bucer with his companions who did euidently foresee that neyther any good agreement in doctrine nor Ecclesiasticall discipline can continue any long tyme without one supreme head Monarch of the visible Church 11. Finally now also as many of our Aduersaries as haue any experience in matters of Policy and are well affected towards the monarchy of Kinges and Princes doe willingly acknowledge that there must needes be one supreme Byshop in the Church of God and that this is to be iustly graunted to the Pope of Rome if we could once agree among our selues about other matters in Controuersy For they see very well that all those arguments wherby the monarchy of secular Kinges and Princes is established do proue in the same manner also the Ecclesiasticall Monarchy And of the other syde all those arguments which do impugne the Ecclesiastical Monarcy do no lesse ouerthrow the temporall Monarchy of ●ll Christian Kinges and Princes CHAP. VIII Wherein the arguments of our Aduersaries against the Church of Rome are confuted THese are the chiefest arguments which our Aduersaries do obiect against vs out of holy Scripture The first Christ is the head of the Church the rocke foundation besides which no man can lay any other I answere that of one and the same thing there may be many heades so that one be subiect to another For the head of the woman is the man the head of euery man is Christ and the head of Christ is God as the Apostle testifieth And so the woman hath three heades her Husband Christ and God but each one of them is subiect vnto another So S. Peter or the Pope of Rome is the head of the Church but vnder Christ and subiect vnto him Because Christ is the heade of S. Peter and of the Byshop of Rome Moreouer Christ is the head of the whole Church aswell present as to come aswell of the old Testament as of the new But S. Peter or his successor is only head of the Church in this world and of the new Testament only Hereupon sayd Christ vpon this rocke I will build my Church that is to say the Church of the new Testament which was then to be built 2. Yea euen by the nature of a head we may gather very well that besides Christ who is the head of al Churches aswell visible as inuisible as the Apostle saith there is also another visible head of the visible Church for otherwise it were a monster because it should be a visible body without a visible head Yt is necessary therfore that besides an inuisible heade which is Christ there be also a visible heade in the visible Church to wit S. Peters successor 3. Furthermore the actions which Christ exerciseth in his Church are of two kindes some are inuisible as our vocation iustification sanctification c. and these Christ exerciseth and doth by himselfe Some other actions are visible as to preach administer Sacraments and to gouerne visibly the Church c. These Christ doth not exercise by himself alone but also by visible men whi●h represent his person Wherfore euen as Christ should not be sayd truly to baptize any vnlesse there were some visible man who in the person of Christ should visibly baptize neyther can he be sayd truly to gouerne visibly euery particuler Church vnlesse in each of them some particuler persō

adoration as a thing very remarkable which greatly setteth forth the honour and excellency of the Church of Christ. 8. The fourth testimony is to be seene in the Apocalyps where S. Iohn testifieth in expresse tearmes that God made such a promise to the Angel that is to the Bishop of the Church of Philadelphia Behold I will make them come and adore before thy feete and they shall know that I haue loued thee which is all one as if he had said I will make them come and adore th●y feete for in the Scripture according to the Hebrew phrase to adore before any thing is to adore the thing so Elcana and Anna his wife are said to haue adored before our Lord when they adored our Lord himselfe so S. Iohn in his Apocalyps writeth that all Nations shall come and adore before God that is they shall adore God himselfe lastly that which by S. Luke is expressed in these wordes if thou shalt adore before me S. Matthew expresseth thus if falling downe thou shalt adore me It is all one therfore in the Scripture to adore before a thing and to adore the thing Moreouer if God was willing and pleased that men should adore the feet of the Bishop of Philadelphia much more gratefull and acceptable will it be to him that Christians with a godly affection should prostrate themselues at his feete who is the supreme Bishop of the whole Church and by kissing of thē exhibite vnto him not only a Ciuill but also a Religious adoration adoring him in God and for God which is well expressed by God himselfe whē he saith they shall know that I haue loued thee so as this adoration must be admitted or expresse Scriptures denied 9. Neyther is this any whit differing from the custome of the auncient Church as our Aduersaries obiect but rather very conformable and agreable therunto for it is manifest that kissing of feete was exhibited of old not only to the Bishop of Rome but also to other holy personages For thus writeth S. Hierome of blessed Epiphanius Men and women of all ages did flock vnto him in great troupes offering their little ones kissing his ●eete c. And S. Chrysostome vehemently exhorteth the people to prostrate themselues at the feete of all Monkes in signe of honour and reuerence Come saith he and touch the holy feet for it is much more honorable to touch their feet then to touch the head of others 10. And that it was an auncient custome in the Roman Church that such as came to salute the supreme Byshop should prostrate themselues and kisse his feere is sufficiently proued by the hystory of S. Susanna recited by Baronius and Tertullian who liued a hundred yeares before Susanna maketh also not ob●cure mention hereof for describing the manner after which in his tyme penitents were wont to be receaued in the Roman Church amongst other thinges he saith that penitents were wont to fall downe to the Priests and to kneele to the dearely beloued of God which is nothing els but kneeling downe to adore and the same Tertullian els where saith that they were wont to licke vp the footesteps of euery one that past where he seemeth to allude to those wordes of the Prophet Isay cited a little aboue they shall licke vp the dust of thy feete and adore the steppes of thy feete Now if it be so that they licked the footestepes of all Christians much more doubtlesse the footestepes of the supreme Byshop who receaued them into the Church and who at that tyme was called the blessed Pope as the same Tertullian witnesseth 11. Neyther doth this adoration derogate any thing frō the honour of God or Christ but rather much more illustrate and set it forth for this honour is exhibited to the Byshop of Rome not for his owne holines or any other quality with which he is adorned as a priuate person but only for that authority and spirituall power which he receaued from Christ and which indeed properly appertayneth to God and to Christ and therefore in him and by him Christ whose person he representeth is honored and adored according to those words of Tertullian VVhen therefore saith he thou stretchest thy selfe forth to the knees of thy brethrē thou layest hold on Christ and makest thy supplication to Christ. And this Caluin himselfe by the force of truth confesseth when he speaketh of the Adoratiō of the Church for expounding those wordes of the Prophet Isay they shall ador● the stepes of thy seete or as he translateth they shall bow themselues downe to the plantes of thy feete thus he writeth Heere some man will aske whether this honour of which the Prophet speaketh be not too much and greater then is to be exhibited to the Church ●or to bow our selues down and prostrate our selues are signes of that honour which no man ought to admit I answere this honour is not exhibited to the mēbers but to the head to wit Christ who is adored in the Church so Caluin which also those words of God in the Apocalyps manifestly ●eclare to be true I will make them adore thee before thy feete and they shall know that I haue loued thee for therefore is this honour exhibited to the supreme Bishop because God hath so exalted the Roman Sea and beene so liberall towards it which is a signe of exceeding great loue And heere hence it is that the same veneration is exhibited to all Bishops of Rome as well to the bad as to the good for they are not honored for their owne goodnes but for the office which Christ bestowed vpon them As also they are called holy and most holy not for their owne personall holynes but for the holynes of Christ whose person and place they susteine vpon earth and for the holynes of the office which they receaued frō God euen as S. Paul called Feftus President of Iury very good not for any goodnes of his owne for h● was an Infidel and a wicked man but in regard of his office for so the Presidents of Prouinces were wont to be stiled as well noteth Baronius 12. Moreouer wheras in the Scripture feet signify diuine mission and vocation which is most ample in the Bishop of Rome no meruaile if greater veneration be exhibited to his ●eet it is to be obserued that the● is a Crosse vpon his shoe which all kisse to giue vs to vnderstand that the honor is not ex●ibited to him but to Christ crucified whom he representeth 13. To conclude heere hence is easily solued that which our Aduersaries obiect of S. Peters refusing to be adored by Cornelius the Centurion for Cornelius adored not S. Peter in respect of Christ whose Vicar he was but in respect of himselfe whom he took to be some God as did the Licaonians thinke of Paul Barnabas so S. Hierome or surely they thought Peter to be more

Scriptures whereof see Bellarmine and Sanders we according to our accustomed breuity will only bring two principall places for this purpose wherby it is manifestly declared that the Roman Church is not only the true Church but that also that which is now in Rome is more eminent and famous then all other Churches of Christ as the successor of S. Peter the Prince of the Apostles is there resident and gouerneth the same as the supreme head thereof 2. The first place is taken out of S. Mathew For he relateth the words which Christ spake to S. Peter which are these And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it and I will giue to thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpō earth it shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth it shal be loose in heauen 3. First that Christ spake to S. Peter and not to the other Apostles appeareth euidently by the very words of the text For first of all Christ setteth downe S. Peters old name Simon ●ayth he thou art blessed and then afterward he setteth downe the name of his father Bariona that is to say the sonne of Ionas or of Iohn as also the Euāgelist S. Iohn testifyeth He sheweth afterward that the reuelation was only made to S. Peter My father sayth he hath reuealed vnto thee he doth not say vnto you as he is wēt to say when he speaketh vnto them all He addeth moreouer because thou art Peter which certainly agreeth only to S. Peter for vpon him only was this Name imposed Ioan. 1. v. 42. 4. Moreouer Christ addeth And vpon this rocke I will build my Church in which words that particle And is a coniunction causall and not a copulatiue and it signifieth because an● in this sense it is vsed oftentymes in holy Scripture as our Adueriaries cannot deny as for example in that place of Genesis Lo thou shalt dye for the woman that thou hast taken and hath a husband that is because she hath a husband So also Dauid in his Psalmes Giue vs thy helpe from our tribulation and vayne is the saluation of men that is to say because the saluation of men is but vayne In like manner the Prophet I say saith Behould thou art angry and we haue sinned that is to say because we haue sinned In the same sense it is vsed in the new Testament Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe that is to say because it is blessed as Caluin and Beza doe acknowledge all which places Caluin con●esseth to be so vnderstood after Theophilact Also and none gaue him any thing that is to say because none gaue him See more examples of this in the latin edition 5. This therfore is the true sense of that place As thou hast sayd vnto me thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God so I say vnto thee that I haue worthily called t●ee Peter because vpon this rocke which thou art I will build my Church For to what end should Christ haue said vnto him thou art Peter seeing that all knew well inough before that Peter was ●eter but that he would therby declare that he was not called Peter without great cause that is to say because vpon him as vpon a sure and stronge foundation and rocke Christ intended to build his Church God therfore would haue S. Peter to remember the name which of late was giuen him and afterward he assigneth the reason and cause why he called him so to wit because vpon him as vpon a most strong rocke he would build his Church According to the metaphore of a rocke saith S. Hierome it was rightly said vnto him I will build my Church vpon thee 6. For the holy Scripture is accustomed when it speaketh of a name giuen vnto any by the interpretation of the word to adioyne also t●e rea●●n and cause of the name so said our ●ord vnto Abram Neyther shall thy name be ca●●ed any more Abram but thou shalt be called Abraham and then he presently giueth a reason takē from the etimology of the word because a Father of many Nations I haue made thee So also he did when Iacob was called Israel Se more of this in the Latin edition pag. 280. 7. Lastly not without great reason Christ gaue vnto S. Peter this new name but no other cause is assigned in the holy Scripture but this Because vpon this rocke I will build my Church This therefore and no other was the cause of giuing him this new name Hereupon saith S. Hilary very well O happy foundation of Christes Church saith he in the imposition of a new name and o worthy rocke of that building the which should dissolue and breake the infernall Lawes the gates of hell and all the stronge barres of death So S. Hilary 8. Moreouer Christ said to S. Peter I will giue the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen vnto thee he doth not say vnto you in like manner he said in the singular number whatsoeuer thou hast bound vpon earth c that thou shalt loose c. He spake therfore to S. Peter only and not to many 9. And albeit he promised this last authority of bynding or loosing men from their sinnes to the other Apostles also yet first of all in this place he promised this to S. Peter alone and then afterwardes to the rest to the end we might therby know that he made S. Peter the head of all the rest and that all their power and authority was subordinate to that of his For at this day all Catholike Bishops haue authority to bynd loose but subordinate to the Popes authority 10. All which thinges that holy martyr S. Cyprian declareth very well in these wordes wherby it may easily be vnderstood what was the opinion and iudgment of the primitiue Church concerning this matter God speaketh vnto S. Peter saith S. Cyprian I say vnto thee because thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church c. And againe after his resurrection he sayd feede my shepe vpon him alone be buyldeth his Church and he committeth vnto him to feede his sheepe and albeit he gaue the like authority to all the other Apostles saying As my Father sent me so c. whose sinnes yee forgiue c. yet to the end he might shew and declare an vnity he ordayned but one chayre he confirmed by his authority the beginning of that vnity proceeding from one The same indeed or equall in all other thinges were the other Apostles with S. Peter indued with the same power and authority to wit before those wordes of Christ to S. Peter feede my sheepe but the beginning proceeded from vnity The primacy was giuen to S. Peter to the end that one Church of

Christ and one chayre might be made manifest and knowne Hitherto S. Cyprian 11. But now that these promises of Christ did not only belong to the person of S. Peter but also to all those who were to succeed him in the same office till the end of the world we do thus clearly proue and demonstrate First because S. Peter is heere made the foundation of the Church and the rocke wherupon it is buylded but the Church of Christ alwayes remayneth therfore the foundation therof must alwayes remayne seing that nothing can continue and be without it foundation 12. Moreouer those keyes which were giuen to S. Peter do remayne alwaies in the Church as all our Aduersaries confesse Ergo he also remayneth to whom these keyes were giuen For that authoritye or those keyes were not giuen for S. Peter alone but for the Church which is alwayes extant It therfore alwaies retayneth those keyes and that authority of bynding or loosing men from their sinnes in S. Peter and his successors till the end of the world 13. And this is that which S. Leo saith when he writeth that S. Peter euen to this day gouerneth the Church of God that is to say by his successors insomuch that his dignity neuer fayleth euen in an vnworthy successor But hitherto there was neuer any successor of S. Peter acknowledged in the Church of Christ besides the Byshop of Rome He therefore is the only successor of S Peter and the supreme Byshop of the Church And the Roman is not only the true Church of Christ but also preferred before all others euen by Christ himselfe 14. The second place is Feede my lābes feede my sheepe In which wordes God cōmended to S. Peter not only his lambes which signifieth the common sorte of people but also his sheepe to wit the Pastors and Fathers of his Church First saith Eusebius Emissenus he committed to S. Peter his lambes and then his sheepe because he made him not only a Pastor but the Pastor of Pastors Peter therefore feedeth the lambes and also the sheepe He fe●deth children and their mothers he ruleth the peo●le and their Prelates He is ther●ore the Pastor o● all becaus● besides lambes and sheepe there is nothing in the Church Hitherto Eusebius And S. Bernard My sheepe saith Christ Vnto whome is it not plaine and manifest that he did not assi●n● some but all nothing is excepted where there is no distinction made Thus S. Bernard And S. Leo Peter doth properly gouerne all whome principally Christ also gouerneth 15. Furthermore it is manifest that these wordes were spoken to S. Peter and not to the other Apostles seing that Christ asked him thrice Doest thou loue me And moreouer he added more then these that he might make a manifest distinction betwixt S. Peter and the other Apostles 16. Finally it is most certaine that this promise of Christ doth not only appertayne to the person of S. Peter but also to his successors which are to remayne in the Church till the end of the world For both the Apostle doth plainly testify and our Aduersaries do also confesse that the office of a Pastor is ordinary and shall alwaies continue and be in the Church of God 17. And the chiefest re●son hereof is because we stand in no lesse need now of a supreme Pastor then they which were in the primitiue Church whiles yet the Apostles were aliue yea we haue much more need therof besides that there are still and alwaies shal be some sheepe of Christ therfore there shall also still continue their chiefe Pastour The Roman Church therfore is not only the true Church of Christ but also that wherein S. Peters successor and the supreme Pastour of the whole Church of Christ remayneth 18. But these two places are so manifest that they cannot be confuted or wrested to any other sense vnlesse we will reduce all wordes to a metaphoricall signification or other figuratiue speaches the which is a common tricke of our Aduersaries whē they are vrged with plaine wordes of the holy scripture But against all these falsifications of our Aduersaries we must alwaies obserue that rule of the Catholike Church taken out of S. Augustine to wit that we must neuer depart from the proper signification of the words of holy Scripture vnlesse we be forced by the authority of some more euident poynt of faith wherunto the proper significatiō of the wordes do manifestly repugne For otherwise if we might as often as we would refuse and leaue the proper signification of the wordes there will be nothing lesse certayne in all the holy Scripture 19. Moreouer it will be an easy matter for euery one to fly to metaphors and improper significatiōs when he is pressed with the playne wordes of holy Scripture but there is nothing heere that should force vs to departe from the true and proper sense of the wordes None therefore but desperate and carelesse of their owne saluation will giue credit and belieue these foolish toyes and dreames of our Aduersaries inuented only by them in hatred and con●empt of the Byshop of Rome 20. Yea he will rather imbrace and follow the vniforme consent and vnderstanding of the aunci●nt Fathers and of all the whole Church For the holy Fathers in many places do affirme that ●h●se two laces of the holy Scripture are to be vnderstood litterally of S. Peter the which Bellarmine and Coccius haue diligently gathered togeather as many other Catholike Authors haue done before them But because this matter is so cleare and manifest that euen our Aduersarsaries cānot deny it as we will plainly shew in the next Chapter we wil not now spend any more tyme in alleadging of Authors 21. But our Aduersaries doe heere cry out and obiect against vs that the holy Fathers doe sometymes affirme that the Church was built vpon the fayth of S. Peter and sometymes vpon his confession As though forsooth there were any among vs so foolish as to thinke that the Church was built vpon S. Peters back or shoulders or vpon S. Peter as he was an Infidell or dumme and not rather vpon S. Peter as indued and replenished with the gift of faith confessing and professing openly the mysteries thereof Wherfore it is all one whether we say that the Church is built vpon S. Peter or vpon his faith and confession for we do not separate S. Peter from his fayth or from the publike pro●ession therof but we only affirme that the Church of Christ was b●ilt vpon the faith and confession of S. Peter alone and of no other 22. And hence it is that the same holy Fathers who in some places affirme that the Church was built vpon the faith and confession of S. Peter do els where plainly testify that it was built vpon S. Peter himselfe Yea euen in the same place they sometymes say that it was built vpon the faith or confession of S. Peter and sometymes vpon S. Peter