subditos praelatos omniuÌ„ igitur pastor est quia praeter agnos oues in ecclesia nihil est Eucherius Archbishop of LyoÌ„s Christ sayd vnto peter feed my sheep first he committed to him his lambes then his sheep because he did not onely constitute him a pastor but the pastor of pastors therefore Peter doth feed the lambes and the sheep he feedeth the yonglinges and their dammes he doth gouerne the subiectes and the Prelates wherefore he is pastor of all because besides lambes and sheep there is nothing in the church h Gregorius lib. 4. Epist 32. Cunctis ergo Euangelium scientibus liquet quod voce dominica sancto omnium Apostolorum principi Petro Apostolo totius Ecclesiae cura coÌ„missa est ipsi quippe dicitur Petro amas me pasce oues meas ipsi dicitur ecce Satanas expetiuit cribarevos sicut triticum ego pro te rogavi Petre vt non deficiat fides tua c. Gregory the great it is manifest to all that know the Gospell that the charge of the whole church was by our lords voice coÌ„mitted to holy S. Peter prince of all the Apostles for to him it was said Peter dost thou loue mee feede my sheepe to him it was said behold Satan hath desired to sift you as wheate And I haue praied for thee Peter that thy faith shall not faile and thou once converted confirme thy brethren In which passage you see that other place of S. Luke emploied to establish the supremacie which H Leo ser 3. ass Commune erat omnibus Apostolis periculum de teÌ„tatione formidinis diuinae protectionis auxilio pariter indigebant c. tamen specialis a domino Petri cura suscipitur pro fide Patri proprie supplicatur tanquam aliorum status certior sit futurus si mens principis victa non fuerit S. Leo also doth in the forealleaged place in these words Our lord tooke speciall care of Peter and for the faith of Peter did hee praie peculiarly for the state of others should become more certaine if the mind of the Prince were not ouercome And after a litle Christ made Peter prince of the whole church S. Chrisostome vnderstood the supremacy to bee given to S. Peter in the same words when hee thus reasoneth I Chrisostom in 3. act Apostolorum Quam est feruidus quam agnoscit creditum a Christo gregom quam in choro princeps est obique primus onnium incipit loqui Behold the fervour of S. Peter how well did hee know the charge of the flocke to bee committed to him by Christ how well doth hee shew himself the prince of that company and doth alwaies speake first marke the reason for to him had Christ said And thou once conuerted confirme thy brethren In like manner k Ambros in Psalm 43. Denique Petrus ecclesia praeponituâ— postquam tentatus a diabolo est adeoque ante significat dominus quid est illud quod postea cum pastorem elegit dominici gregis nam huic dixit tu autem conuersus coÌ„firma fratres tuos c. S. Ambrose Peter is made President of the church Christ did signifie before what hee meant by that that hee chose him pastor of our Lords stocke for to him hee said thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren So doth l Theophil in c. 22. Luâ—ae Tu conuersus planus huius loci intellectus est quia te habeo vt principem discipulorum postquam me abnegato fleueris ad panitâ—ntiam veneris confirma cetâ—râ—â— hoc enim tedecet qui post 〈…〉 petra es et firmamentum Theophilact the plaine sense of this place is bicause I esteeme of thee as of the prince of my disciples after that thou having denied mee shalt wepe and come to repentance do thou confirme the rest for that becometh thee who after mee art the rock and foundation of the church These texts of holie Scriptures and testimonies of ancient fathers to omitt manie others I deliuer by the way in confirmation of S. Peters primacy to giue M. Abbot a proof that I could haue said more for that cause then I said in my former booke where I did passe over that point speedely as scarse belonging to the question then in hand 7 Now I returne to that text recorded in S. Mathew Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church vpon which wee must staÌ„d the longer bicause M. Abbot doth saie what hee could devise against the true sense of it by it therfore I will prove according to my former deduction first that the primacy was giueÌ„ to S. Peter and afterward shew that it is deriued to the popes of Rome his successors M. Abbot confesseth that the fathers sometimes take Peter to bee that rocke vpon which Christ built his church but avoucheth that none ever said that the church of Rome was the rocke yea addes very groslie that I belie the fathers and father that on them which they never meant when I saie that they out of that text gathered the Pope of Romes supremacie how audaciously and vntruly this is spoken shall appeare assoone as I haue dispatched the former part about S. Peter himself Let it therfore bee first duly considered what a worthie company of the auncient renowmed fathers both Greek and Latin do interprete S. Peter to bee that rocke vpon which our blessed saviour built his church and therwith gaue him power authority to gouern the same that no man maie doubt that to be the true literall sence first intended though secundarily it may admitt other constructions I will begin with that famous Clarke Origen who is one of the auncienst amongst the Greekes that hath written comentaries vpon the Testament he stileth 1 Origin homil 5. in Exodum Vide magno illi ecclesiae fundamento Petrae solidissimae super quam Christus fundauit ecclesiam quid dicatur a domino modicae inquit fides quaro dubitasti S. Peter the great foundation of the church and most sound rocke vpon which Christ built his church Hipolitus 2 Hipolit de constructione mundi Princeps Petrus fidei petra quem beatum iadicauit Christus deus nostâ—r ille doctor ecclesiae ille primus discipulorum qui regus claues habuit c. Peter the prince the rocke of faith the Doctour of the church the chief of the Apostles whom our lord pronouÌ„ced to bee blessed Eusebius 3 Eusebius lib. 6. historiae 19. resert ex Origine Petrus super quem Christi ecclesia contra quam â—nferorum pâ—rtae non praeualebunt aedificata est c. reciteth these words Peter vpon whom was built the church of Christ against which hel gates shall not prevaile 4 Epiphan in Ancorato non longe a principio Ipse dominus constituit Petrum primum Apostolorum petram firmam super quam ecclesia dei aedificata est portae inferorum non praepraeualebunt
they saie that all their additions ioyned and sowdered to the rest bee inspired by the holie Ghost Or can that trulie bee called a psalme of Dauid that hath one sentence in it not dictated by the holy Ghost But in their meeters manie such sentences bee added which are not assured to bee of the holie Ghost wherfore they may well marre but cannot make vp any psalmes of Dauid Besids they haue some very hereticall sentences interlarded among the rest As for example this in the inuocation of the holy Ghost before the Sermon Keepe vs from all papistry Finally there bee some whole psalmes made by by Robin woodcocke I trow or some of his fellowes no lesse Dunsticall then hereticall Take for a tast therof the first staffe of the last song in their psalter composed by R. W. which I thought good to record here that the reader may see how elegant and pleasant they bee both for meeter and matter Preserve vs Lord by thy deere word From Turke and Pope defend vs Lord Which both would thrust out of his throne Our Lord Iesus Christ thy deare sonne These must needes bee verie noble verses that haue thrice Lord in them And as for word and Lord Throne and sonne though the words do end in the like syllables yet they agree not in sound If M. Abbot would haue the simple reader beleeve that S. Austin and S. Leo when they speake in the praise of singing of Psalmes did meane Davids psalmes in meeter let him produce but one good Author to testify that they were so turned within 900. yeares of those Doctors deathes and then hardely beleeue him If hee cannot then every man may see what credit is to bee given to his allegations That S. Austins words which I alleaged are to bee vnderstood of Psalmes which the Donatists sung in their churches rather then of songs in their drunken bankets may bee gathered out of the comparison that hee makes betweene them and the psalmes that were sung in the Catholike church And S. Austin might well by a Metaphore vsuall in the holy scripture call the Donatists new mad devises against the ancient custome of grave singing in the quire their drunkennes As for the worshipfull testimony of Cornelius Agrippa of our mingling holie things with prophane it being recorded in a booke of condemned memorie I hold it not worth the answering Sure I am that M. Abbot by producing of such Authors cracketh his owne credit for hee promised in his Epistle to the reader that hee would only vse the testimonie either of some learned Bishops of Rome or of some other famously approued author and commended in that church And this booke of Agrippa de vanitate scientiarum is by name condemned by the same church in the Cataloge of forbidden books wherfore M. Abbot is no man of his word Finally like to a tatling tennis plaier that comes well beaten out of the tennis court yet to comfort himself and to saue his poore credit with his friends brags that those mates with whom he plaid were no matches for him yea that no man that daie was able to stand in his hands Even so M. Abbot having behaued himself as simply as a man of either wit or learning could doe either for defending of his owne or for offendīg his aduerse party yet cōcludeth as though hee had gotten the field and cleane foiled his adversary saying that I did vnfortunatly enter into retorting of that comparison nothing serving my turne but that hee like a nimble tēnis player had returned my owne bals vpon mee that with very great advantage well bragge is a Iolly dog and leesers must sometimes bee suffred to haue their words Let the iudicious and indifferent reader but weigh well first what kind of resemblance M. Abbot endevored to make betweene the Donatists and the Papists to wit to chalenge to themselues to bee the Catholike church To bee or rather to desire to bee dilated all the world over that out of their church there was no salvation To spred ill rumors of their adversaries To discourage men from ioyning with them with a Ragmans roll of such rotten riff raffe common to all sects and to none more vsuall then to the protestantes themselues So triviall I say that any man of ordinarie discretiō would haue been ashamed to haue put them downe in print to the view of the world Afterward on the other side let him but call to mind what resemblances I haue proposed betweene the Protestants and the Donatists and weigh how substantiall they bee in themselues and how properly they fitt the protestants The first was that the spirit and soule of Donatisme cōsisted in affirming the church of Christ not to appeare in any other part of the world visibly but to haue cleā perished saving in some few places where men of their religion liued Of the same mind were the chief protestants for many yeares Secondly the Donatists were the first among Christians that appealed from the iudgment of Bishops vnto temporall Princes though they afterwards repented themselues thereof when they saw that the said princes would not helpe them Is not this one of the chiefe heads of the protestants Gospell yea doth not the whole frame of their new religion hang vpon the supreme ecclesiasticall authority of kings Thirdly they beate downe Altars abused the blessed Sacramēt of Christs body defiled holy oiles confiscated sacred chalices and sold them togither with the vestments and other holie ornaments of the church All which are so proper to the Protestants that they blush not daily to practise it and make open profession of the same 4. The protestāts like vnto the Donatists by putting innocēt priests to death make martirs whom we may worship Finally they pulled of the veiles of religious women which were signes of their professed virginity exposing them to the hazard of the wild world In which vngodlie and irreligious practise the protestāts haue gone farre beyond the Donatists But that they maie not take too great pride therin let them heare the vpright censure of the holy prelate Optatus passed 1200. yeares agone against them in the name of their deere brethren the Donatists In this kind you haue done as great damage to god Optat. l. 6. co Parm. In hoc genere tanta damna fecistis Deo quanta lucra diabolo procurastu Conflastis impie calices crudeliter fregistis inconsulte rasistis altaria Nudastis denuo capita iam velata de quibus professionis detraxistis indicia qua contra raptores aut petitores videntur inuenta Spiritale hoc nubendi genus est in nuptias Sponsi iam venerant voluntate professione sua vt secularibus nuptiijs se renuntiasse monstrarent spiritali sponso soluerant crinem iam caelestes celebrauerant nuptias as you haue procured gaine to the devill you haue impiously melted Chalices you haue barbarously broken downe Altars c. and a litle before you haue vncouered the
man our lord doth abhorre God send you gentle sir a litle more Charitie It followeth in your text which will verie currantlie serue against your selfe R. AB IN vhich seruice of Antichrist M. ABBOT our countryman hath verie industriously done his part M. Bishop and hath labored if not to excell yet to equall almost anie of his fellovves in the subverting of the wayvvard and in animating of men to obstinacie against the truth of God vvho hauing to the kings most excellent maiestie disgorged against vs the venomed poison of his vvicked and corrupt heart and being by mee duly chastised for his disloyall and traiterous attempt to delude by false suggestions his liege and souareigne lord seing his impostures and fraudes most plainlie discouered and laid open hath added dronkennes to his thirst and sought to fill vp the measure of his former iniquity by vvilfull railing at those things vvhich hee knoweth to bee true And hauing no other vvay to reuenge the impeaching of his credit greatly touched as he conceiued by the ansvvering of his booke hath in a latter booke run vpon me furiously and loaden mee as much as in him lieth vvith odious imputations of abusing falsifying misconstruing and misapplying both scriptures and fathers like the vngratious theefe at the barr vvho conuicted by most cleare and apparant euidence yet still impudently crieth out that all is false c. W. B. HItherto are M. Abbots wordes with the onlie change of my name into his which euerie man that hath seen what bookes passed between vs can witnes how fitly they may be returned vpon himselfe for in his answere to my Epistle to his Majesty he doth bitterlie inveigh against mee and goeth about by verie vntrue suggestions to abuse his highnes which I partlie discovering in my booke called the reproofe he seeking to vphold his credit much impeached as hee thought ther by hath since surcharged me with more odious imputations True it is that neither he nor I doe come neere vnto manie other writers of this age on both sides though I keeping the tenor of his owne words which do attribute vnto mee much more then I deserue do signifie that he laboreth to equall almost any of his fellowes alwaies excepting the vnciuill rudenes of his stile which is much more cancred then becomes the Candor of a Divine but if that be the naturall and incureable malady of the fervent hot spirit in the new turmoiling Gospell all mild and sweet peacible natures will assuredly in short time learne to abhorre it wheras M. Abbot chargeth mee to haue endeuored to delude my soveraigne by false suggestions all vpright cōsciēces will iudge that hee rather hath soe done then I if it shall please them to take to their considerations but this one inducement M. Abbot in his first booke did burthen mee with the same crime to which I returned him in print this Answere I vvish very hartely that you could and vvould obteyne of his maiestie that vvee both in person might appeare before his highnesse there to iustifie vvhether of vs had sought to abuse his Maiestie by lies and by pretending antiquitie for those things vvhich by antiquity vvere condemned I to shew the assurance I had in the truth of my allegations and in the vprightnes of the Catholike cause having publikely made this earnest request vnto M. Abbot it being my hap afterward to fall into his brothers hands and by him to be laied vp in prison where M. Abbot might haue spoken with mee at his pleasure and leasure should not he then at the least if he had had any confidence in the goodnes of his cause haue confronted mee and conuinced mee of some of the pretended falshoodes wherof hee had accused mee He cannot saie that he knew not of it or had not sufficient time to thinke of the matter for I was holden there in expectation eleven monethes during which space hee was once at London that I heard of and had leisure to goe to à Readers feast but small deuotion as it seemeth to visit a poore prisoner and lesse affection to come to à conference about those allegations and reasons which though hee had cuningly patched togither and gilded over goodly yet his owne conscience told him that they would not abide the hammering of an equall conference they might serue to deceiue the simple but would not hold weight in the ballāce of à learned Disputatiō wherfore he had reason to thinke it better policie to auoyd that triall which might perhaps haue turnd to his further shame yea his Maiestie of his owne grations disposition being willing as I credibly heard to haue spoken with mee was by M. Abbots frinds possessed with sundrie slaunderous informations against mee to diuert his Maiestie therfro Seing therfore that I both offered requested and expected a meeting with M. Abbot about the verification of our writings and hee hauing not onlie the oportunitie of time and place but the aduantage also of other Circumstances would not appeare and show himselfe what reasonable men can doubt but that he at the least did feare and mistrust his owne cause and thervpon assure themselues who cannot be so priuy to M. Abbots dealings as hee is himself that M. Abbots allegations and arguments are to be vehemently suspected and feared and consequently that very vnwise are they who in matter of saluation and damnation doe rely vpon him Hitherto I haue vsed M. Abbots words aganist himselfe now I come to the rest which speake more distinctly for him R. AB VVhich plainelie appearing to be soe litle reason had I to trouble my self to giue any further answere to it Neuertheles bicause the further answer of the chiefest part of it hath fallen within the compasse of my intention of describing the true ancient Roman Catholike no difference there is but that wheras I might haue walked at my owne libertie I now tie my selfe to follow him I haue yeelded so much to him that wheras by comparison I formerly shewed that the now church of Rome in faith religiō is far estranged from the old so it may now more fully appeare that it is soe and that M. Bishop contending for the contrary hath done it only for his belly and for his credits sake hauing made the deceiuing of soules his occupation to liue by and being ashamed at these yeeres to confesse that he himselfe hithero hath been deceiued W. B. M. Abbot as he here saies would not haue answered my litle book howsoeuer it was to purpose had it not fallen within the compas of a former pretended treatise of his owne how much lesse cause haue I to withdraw my hand from more serious and substantiall worke to giue answer vnto his long tedious trifling bookes that mans head that should not ake before M. Abbot had soundly proued the now Roman church to be in any one pointe of faith estranged from the old were like to liue many a faire day without need of a Phisitian