speaking or writing in the behalfe of either of these vnreconcilable eities Men belike thinking no more to bee required at their hands then the razng of Babell the deuil as yet contenting himself with Bethel The last yeare as I am almost pesuaded the verye same day or by all likly-hood the very same week vpon a suddain the enterprises of the building of both in 2. seueral books issuing from two of the remotest corners in our lande South-wales and North-wales was taken in hand The one of the bookes pleading the cause of Sion cōming forch priuiledged by publike authority alowāce was directed vnto hir maiesty the Parliament requiring at their hands by vertue of the lords own mandatory letters the performance of this work shewing by euidence of gretest antiquity this to bee required of duety at their handes as a part of the homage due vnto his highnes whose feudaries and vassalles all the princes states vnder heauen must acknowledge themselues to be a portion of that inheritance beeing theirs by liniall discent from their predecessors the godly kings and rulers who time out of mind alwaies laied their shulders vnto this burthen The other written in Welch printed in an obscure caue in Northwales published by an author vnknown Y druch Christ anogaw more vn learned for I thinke hee had neuer read any thing but the common published resolution of R. P. a book containing many substantiall errors frier Rush and other shamefull fables stood to by none hauinge no reasons to shew why his Babilon should be reaedified it contained it selfe within the handes of a few simple priuate men and neuer durst vnto thys hour be made known vnto your Hh. Both the books in this thing had the same successe in that both togither they fel into the hands of the prelats who as they pretend are enemies vnto both places but vndoubtedly vnto Syon especially as it appeared by their harde dealing with the pation of that cause whereas the fautors of the other were either not at all dealt with or very curteously entertained of thē The reason of their enmitie vnto both but their hatred vnto Syon is that neuer I feare me meaning to go thither This is spoken in regard of the Church-gouermen and constrained by law to be enemies vnto the other they haue of the golde of Caldea the drosse of Ierusalem compacted thē a citie wherwith they meane to content themselues vntill they returne vnto Babel againe or the Lord be merciful vnto them vnto a worse place Haue they not therfore good cause to be the more beholding vnto the one for the golde then to the other for the drosse Well my Ll. bee you assured hereof that they who stirred vp both these instruments both at one time wil neuer suffer them to cease vntil in Wales either a church of Christ or a synagogue of satan be built Out of question the concurring of both causes sheweth that the Lorde hath some secreat worke in the matter Satans instruments for their parts were neuer busier since hir Maiesties raigne then they are at this hower and shall be stil they trecherously against the lawes of God and this land seek to bring the people again vnto AEgypt I acording vnto both dutifully endeuour neuer to let them rest vntill it please God by hir Maiestie and your Hh. to bring them within the lande of promise no though they were vppon mounte Nebo whence with their eies they might view the same They haue dealt deale secretly with poore soules in darke corners dare not make known their fabulous cause I haue dealt all this while in the face of the sun and now before your Hh. I want not a good cause and by the grace of God it shall not want a defender or hide the face as long as I liue Whether you countenaunce it or no I know it shal one day preuaile when this wil be the Lord knoweth best but the matter is whether you wil imbrace christ in the building of his church or sathan in continuing the breaches thereof Therfore my Ll. entertaine THIS CAVSE and you giue satan the foile reiect this and you streng then him And trie if you denye it the hearing whether the very papists in this land will not be thereby encouraged to supplicate vnto your Hh. that you woulde grant them the liberty of their seared consciences to commit publike idolatrie Al that hitherto I haue spoken I haue spoken either in the cause of christ which is a good cause or in the cause of sathā If I seek the building of his synagog wil you let me liue if of the church of christ wil you denie me your helpe which yet againe and againe in the name of the eternall God I require for the pretious death passions sake of Iesus christ I earnestly desire at your hands My Ll. as you wold haue the Lorde to entertaine your soules in the life to come as you would haue him shew you any mercie as you loue her Maiestie hir life as you would haue the continuance of her raigne ouer vs which the lord vndoubtedly thretneth to shorten because he would bring ruine vpon you vs all for the contempt of his trueth as you woulde not haue your names razed from vnder heauen as you would not haue the Lord to bring vpon vs the Spanish Italian Romish or Guisian forces as you woulde not haue those who shall liue to see the desolation and desperate sorrowe which the Lorde is to bring vpon this lande not abide to see you and your children ryde or go in the streets as you would not haue the most contemptible to stretche forth his hande vpon the dearest things you possesse offer violence before your eies vnto the fruit of your bodies so entertain this cause graunt this suite and haue a care of the Lords true seruice in Wales etherwise I feare me the vengeance of God will neuer leaue you your posterities as long as there is a man of your houses vnder heauen And notwithstanding the case of the Earle of Pembroke is neuer the better if he stil presume to beare rule within these gates where the Lords Sabboths are not sanctified Ezekiel in deede is not now liuing to put you in minde of the necessitie of redressing of thinges amisse by laying open the corruptions of all estates vnder your gouernement as he doeth cap. 22 of his prophesie His words I will set downe that your Hh. may waye our estate with the time wherin the prophet liued and see whether the Lord will spare you and vs if we still prouoke him to smite There is a conspiracie of her prophets in the middest thereof Ezek. 22.25.26.27.28.29 faith the prophet like a roaring lyon rauening the pray they haue deuoured foules they haue taken the riches and precious things they haue made hir manie widowes in the midst therof hir priests haue broken my law and haue defiled
Let what I haue written be examined yea by mine aduersaries them selues if I haue anye and it shall appeare that I haue made a conscience how I haue dealt with my superiours especially those concerning whome it is said you are gods least I should seeme to leaue behinde mee the least print of a minde in anye sorte tending to diffame them or their gouernment As I haue beene carefull herof so let the Lord yea and no otherwise which I speake as far as my corruptions do permit graunt this cause and my selfe also if it be his wil fauour in your eies Indeede in regarde of the cause I commandatory wise vnto your Hh. but in regard of my selfe I come in feare and trembling as vnto the lords vice-gerents entreating most humbly that the dignitie of so worthy a cause be thought off nothing the more dishonorably because it is brought in my hands And I protest in respect of my sinnes that the Lord may iustly denie it the fauor it deserueth in your eies bicause I am a dealer therein But this should be no cause why your Hh. should giue it a repulse For in the eies and ears of al the world I make it known that it is the cause of the liuing god wherein I deale and that if it had beene possible for me to haue written more humbly dutifully I had done it Or if I had seene any way that might haue bene likelier to preuail with my superiors then this course I take the Lord to record vnto my soul that I would not haue vsed this And I would to GOD I could tell how to make the cause plaucible So far I am from setting down any thing that might carrie with it any shew of occasion to hinder and disgrace the same Well I haue done my endeuour the successe I expect at the lords hands vnto whom I commend the cause and the saluation of that pore people The sworde of iustice reached vnto you by the Lord himselfe to take punishment of him only that is an a Rom 13.4 euil doer I fear not because I haue not offended If it should be drawn against me for this action the president wold be such as they who ment hereafter to prophesie vnto your Hh. might be aduisedly counselled b Micha 2.6 not to prophisie the Lord as a token of your iust destruction to ensue would say they shal not prophesie nor take shame If I haue spoken any vntruth beare witnesse thereof if a truth I dare by the lords assistance stand to it and demand what he is that wil presume to obiect and throw himselfe vnto the vengeance of God by punishing me an innocent The Lord may for my other sinnes bring mine head vnto the graue with bloud but in this cause what haue I offended and therfore vndoubted woe will betide him that shall molest me for this worke Howsoeuer it be thus I haue performed a dutye towardes the Lorde and his church my countrey and your Hh. which I would doe if it were to be done againe though I were sure to endanger my life for it And be it known that I am not afraid of earth in this cause And if I perish I perishe my comfort is that I know whether to go and in that day wherin the secreats of all hearts shabe manifested the sinceritie of my cause also shall appeare It is enough for mee that howsoeuer I be miserable in regard of my sins yet vnto Christ I both liue and die and purpose by his grace if my life should be prloonged to liue herafter not vnto my self but vnto him to his church otherwise then hithertoo I haue doone The Lorde is able to raise vp those that are of purer hands and lippes then I am to speake and write in the cause of his honor in Wales the Lord make them whosoeuer they shal be neuer to be wanting vnto so good a cause the which because it may be the Lordes pleasure I shall leaue them behinde me in the worlde I earnestly and vehemently commende vnto them as by this my will and testament And haue you pore Wales in remembraunce good my Lordes by establishing the word preached there that the blessing of many a saued soule therein may follow her maiestie and your Hh. ouertake you light vpon you and sticke vnto you for euer The eternall God giue hir Maiestye and your Hh. the honour of building hys church in Wales multiply the daies of hir peace ouer vs blesse hir and you so in this life that in the life to come the inheritance of the kingdom of heauen may be hir and your portion so be it good Lord. Were my dutifull heart towards your Hh. throughly knowen then I doubt not but I should bee better knowen vnto you then by my name IOHN PENRI TO THE READER Master D. SOMES booke was published this day I haue read it The man I reuerence from my heart as a godly and learned man The reasons he vseth against me in the questions of the reading ministrie and communicating with them I had aunswered as you may see in this booke before he had written They are faultie either because they desire that for graunted which is the question or make those things of like nature wherein there is a great dissimilitude as the arguments drawen from the magistracie and the Leuiticall Priesthood I haue answered thē The cause the reuerence I owe vnto the man though the reasons he vseth deserue not to be twise read ouer will enforce me to answere him at large There be certaine faults escaped in the print beare with them
miserable if being warned of your estate you be hardened still in this securitie But this is not all Secondly therefore the Lords wrath hangeth ouer your heads for tollerating in Wales the dumb ministery the vsurped and Antichristian seates of Lorde Byshops and other Romish offices there remaining and so tollerated as by your consente and authoritie they are in force If Moses by a positiue law should haue allowed the offring of strange fire by Nadab and Abihu tollerated the ministerie of c Leui 20.18 23 blemished and deformed Leuites enacted that one not being of the line of Aaron might presse before the Altar d Nom. 16.10 18.7 to offer the breade of his God if Dauid had made it lawfull for Huzza to lay his hand vpon the Arke if Iosiah or any of the godly rulers had giuen leaue vnto the cursed shepherds in their daies to place others in their steed e Ezek. 44.8 to take the ouersight of the Sanctuarie briefly had established any thing contrary to the commandement in the Churche-gouernment prescribed by Moses had they not bin in danger of Gods wrath questionles they had And shal your HH be dispenced with being guilty of tollerating and establishing greater thinges amongst your people in Wales in stead of the gouernement prescribed by Iesus Christ assure your selues no. I do therefore in this point for the discharge of my conscience and dutie towards the Lord his church my Countrey and your Hh. taking my life in my hand testifie vnto you before the eternall GOD and his church that our vnlearned ministerie is no ministerie in deede that the calling of our L. Bb. Archdeacons Commissaries somoners and al other the excrements of the Romishe vomit as non-residents c remaining in Wales are intolerable before the Lorde and that it is not likely that euer your Hh. tollerating these things any longer shall escape the reuenging hand of God The truth hereof I make knowne briefly bicause I would not be tedious vnto your Hh. by the reasons following and offer to prooue these things more at large vppon the perill of my life and by the grace of God will against our 4. L. Bb. all their Chapleins retainers fauourers and welwillers whether in either of the two vniuersities in this lande or in anye place els in earth or in hell for in heauen I knowe they haue no fautors These things I offer to prooue against D. Bridges who lately in a booke of 7. shillings price hath vnder-taken their defence wherein besides the wrong done vnto the Church of God he hath offered her Maiestie and your Hh. most vndutifull iniurye by going about for the defence of his bellye and the bellies of the rest of his coate to ouerthrowe her Maiesties title of soueraigne preheminence and to alienate the heartes of the loyallest subiectes in the land from their most louing and carefull Prince gouernours As though her Maiestie and your Hh. ment to turne the edge of the sword against them who indeed deserue not to be smitten with the scabard And I will prooue that he hath crammed into this gorge as plaine poperie for the defence of our prelates as euer Belarmin Turrian Harding Saunders or any other the fierbrands and ensign-bearers of Romishe treason against her Maiesties crowne haue brought for the title of the popes supremacy Although he hath bene and I doubt not shal be sufficiently answered by those whose bookes hee is not worthie to beare yet in asmuch as hee in this booke hath shewed him selfe to bee an Ammonitish Tobiah against the building of Ierusalem in Wales by desending alasse reliquias Danaum the very breaches and ruines of the Babylonish ouerthrow which by the iust iudgement of God vnder poperie we haue sustained to be the perfectest building that Syon can be brought vnto and so by this slaunder withstandeth the saluation which I doubt not her Maiestie and your Hh. wishe vnto my Countrey I haue so framed my reasons folowing as they ouerthrowe the verye foundation and whole frame of that wicked booke And on the condicion that his cause maye fals If I besides that which others wil do ouerthrow him his cause I offer before your Hh. to lie in irons eat the bread of affliction vntill in a twise 7. pennie booke I disprooue by the worde make an vtter spoyle ruine ouerthrow of whatsoeuer he hath brought for the defence of that whiche in the gouernement is oppugned according to the woorde by the learned in this Lande I speake not more confidentlye then I should do for I know the cause to be a most confident and sure cause and therefore not timorouslye to be dealt in but in the feare of God with all boldnes to be stood too and aduouched Nowe that our dumbe ministers non-residents L. Bb. Arch-deacons c are nothing els but an increase a Nom. 22.14 of sinfull men risen vppe in stead of their fathers the Idolatrous monks and fryers stil to augment the fierce wrath of God against this land and you our gouernours and that this booke of D. Bridges and whatsoeuer els hath bene written for their defence are nothing els but edicts traitors against God and slaunderers to your sacred gouernement to defend the sale and exchange of church goods and the verye distruction of soules to speake all in a word that both these cortuptions and their defences are condemded by the Lords reuealed will as things directly against his will and the lawes of his maiestie expressed in his written word and therfore not to be tollerated by your Hh. vnlesse you thinke you may tollerate sinne by law nor yet once to bee spoken for or countenannced vnlesse you woulde plead for b Iudg. 6.31 Baall I prooue by these reasons That forme of Church-gouernment which maketh Iesus Christ to bee inferiour vnto Moses is an vngodly gouernement flat contrary to the c Heb. 3.6 nom 12 7. worde and therefore in no case to bee tollerated and the booke or bookes defending the same are vngodlye wicked and lying bookes But our Church-gouernment in Wales by L. Bb. Arch-deacons dumbeministers and other ecclesiastical officers there as for non-residents let this one reason for all serue against them they in asmuch as in them lyeth bereaue the people ouer whome they thrust themselues of the onely ordinarye meanes to saluation which is the d Rom. 10.14 1. cor 1.21 1. pet 1.21 word preached is such a gouernment as maketh the Lord of life Iesus Christ inferior vnto Moses and this book of Doctor Bridges doth the same therfore this gouernement in a gouernement not to be tollerated by law in any state vnlesse men would feele gods heauie iudgements for the same and therefore also a gouernement most pernitious and daungerous vnto the ciuill magistrate where it is established and this booke or bookes defending the same are vngodly wicked and lying books traiterous against the Maiestie of Iesus Christ crying for the importable vengeaunce of
ministers The second vz. Hyperpheron neuer read in the worde that I can remēber If they say that the abuse of lordlines and gracelesse grace is forbidden by Christe they haue bene answered they are answered and let them replie if they can that the Lorde neuer allowed abuse or tyrannie in ciuill gouernours wheras he doth not forbid them to rule as Lordes and to be called grace and therefore speaketh of the sanctified vse of gouernement and titles which sanctified vse lawfull in the ciuill magistrates hee denieth to be lawfull in his ministers Because therefore first to make that which belongeth to the outward worship of God to haue no more ground out of the worde then that which appertaineth vnto the ciuill magistracie Secondly to allow of the Popes superioritie and to affirme that a minister may also be a king are wicked and absurd assertions directly against the word as we see Therfore it is wicked in like manner to make the Ecclesiasticall gouerment to be an humane constitution And not vnlikly also by litle litle as experience in poperie techeth vs to paue the way for the vndermining of the ciuill gouernment For why may not a forged donation of Constantin or Ludouicus Pius in time ioyn the crown of England to the sea of Dauid or Bangor especially which from Ioseph of Aremathea can be prooued to haue a little better continuaunce of personall succession then Rome can from Peter aswell as it ioyned the kingdome of Scicilia the Dukedome of Naples the islands Corsica Sardinia c. vnto the Popes miter The thirde reason is thus ftamed and I will be briefe That forme of Church-gouernment that booke or bookes which teacheth that there is somthing to be obserued besides that which was concluded in the cōmission giuen by our sauiour christ vnto his Apostles Matth. 28.19.20 wherein they were enioyned to teach vs to obserue whatsoeuer hee had commaunded them is a gouernement execrable and accurssed and so are the bookes by the spirite of God in plaine wordes Gal. 1.9 And beeing such farre be it that either the gouernement or the bookes shoulde be maintained by law such a cursse being pronounced against the retaining of execrable things as we find Deut. 7.15 But our fourme of Church-gouernment in Wales and this booke with manye others published by auctoritie teach the same For where is it included much lesse prescribed in the woorde that our sauiour Christ abollished an outwarde gouernement of the Church in the Leuiticall pollity being in no sort an humaine ordinance but altogither prescribed by the Lorde him selfe to the ende that vnder the Gospell there should be no gouernment but an humaine ordinaunce that might bee chaunged at the pleasure of man Or where is it reuealed that the apostles gaue the ciuil magistrat when any should be in the Church the commission to aboll she the presbyterie established by them as our aduersaries confesse as the b word saith by god himselfe a 1 Cor. 13.5.12 Ephes 4.4 rom 12.6 1 pet 4.10 Mat. 21.25 12.11 and therefore not to bee abrogated vntill his pleasure in that point be known because there was no christian magistrate Therefore this gouernment and this booke or bookes are execrable and accurssed Lastly that fourme of gouernement and that booke or bookes which affirme the kingdoome of Christ in the ourward gouernment to be a kingdom that cānot be shaken that is altered or remoued as the ceremoniall gouernement was affirme that which is contrarie to the expresse written worde of God Heb. 12.28 and therefore not to be tollerated in anye christian estate But our Church gouernement in Wales by L. bb Arch-deacons dumbe ministers commissaries c in their making of minysters censures excommunications c is such and such is this vnlearned heape and sophisticall booke or bookes Therefore both the gouernement and the booke or bookes affirme things contrary to the word so are not to be tolerated vnlesse we would haue the Lorde bring speedye shame and confusion vpon vs Pro. 26.2.7 for maintaining sinne by law The proposition is most apparant Because that by the words kingdome that cannot be shaken must needes be ment perticularlye whatsoeuer signification else they haue as more generall the outward gouernement receiued vnder the Gospell since the abolishing of the ceremoniall law which being compared in regard of continuance and remoouing or doing away which Moses his gouernement is said to be a kingdom that cannot be shaken that is such as the Lord neuer meaneth to alter again vnto the worlds end as to haue another placed in the stead of it by him selfe much lesse by man whereas that vnder Moses a Hag. 2.7 is affirmed by Haggay and here by the apostle to bee a kingdome or gouernment that can bee shaken or altered And this is the proper meaning of the place For by the worde kingdome that cannot bee shaken must needs be ment either the assurance of saluation which we haue vnder the gospel or our enioying and possessing of eternall life or els the outward gouernement not onely in the preaching of the worde and administration of the Sacraments but in the very church offices the manner of their choice and their subiects wherein they are occupied But as concerning the assurance of saluation in this life and the possession of eternall life in heuē which the fathers vnder the law had it was no more to be shaken then ours the meanes therevnto by the word preached they had aswell as wee and so in these respects they had a kingdome that could no more be shaken then ours It remaineth therefore that theirs was to be shaken in regard of theyr outward gouernement and therfore ours vnmoueable in this respect which were senselesse to be affirmed if Christ in his kingdome wherevnto wee are heere subiects had instituted no externall gouernement Can that bee vnmoouable which is not at al more senselesse it were to thinke this kingdome to be vnmutable in regard of the sacraments and not of the persons and offices who were to deale with those misteries To come againe to your Honors you are not to learne that to defend by lawe or countenaunce by aucthority the breach of Gods ordinance is the defence of sin the defence of the sin is hatred of God who rewardeth thē to their face that hate him deu 7.10 therfore also you are not to be taught what horrible sinnes you committee in countenauncing and maintayning such execrable impieties They ar no trifles as you see And I assure you that Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab men a Nom. 26 9. famous in the congregation had more colour of right to claime vnto them selues either the ciuill gouernement from Moses or the priesthoode from Aaron because they were the sonnes of Reuben the first born vnto whose lot b Genes 49.4 had he not defiled his fathers bed by all likelyhoode either the scepter or the priesthood shold haue fallen then these
vsurpers haue to claim the places they are in whereunto either by right of inheritaunce according to the flesh or ordinaunce from God they can lay no title You are wise inough I hope to consider what it is to tollerate the manifest breach of Gods law Well if you be not carefull herof yet at the lest look how you countenance the manifest ouerthrowe of her Maiesties sepreame authoritie and royall soueraigatie ouer her people both ministers and others which D. bridges as flatly ouerthroweah in this booke as euer did any that gaine-saied the same For the proofe hereof let his owne wordes bee brought foorth and arraigned be-before your Hh. page 448. line 3. these be his words Doth S. Peter then forbid that any one elder should haue and exercise any superiour gouernment ouer the cleargy vnderstanding the cleargie in this sense If hee doth not but alloweth it and his selfe practised it then howsoeuer both the name both of gouerning and of Cleargie may be abused the matter is clear that one priest or elder among the residew may hane a lawfull superiour aucthoritye ouer the cleargie that is ouer all the vniuersall bodye of the Church in euerie perticular or seuerall congregation Compare Belacap 10. lib 5. Con. 3. with this page and you shall finde the one to haue spoken for the arch bish the same â—â—at the other â—oth for the â—ope and so not onely ouer the people but also ouer the whole order of ministers Thus far are his words A shameles miserable doctor he is if he dare denie them but more miserable and shameles if affirming them he dare looke any christian subiect in the face much lesse your Hh. Belarmine the chiefe popish writerin our daies hath said no more for the pope in fiue whole books written vpon this controuersie Out of the D. words I thus reason Whosoeuer affirmeth that one priest amongst the residue may haue a lawfull superiour aucthoritie ouer the vniuersall bodie of the Church hee besides the inducing of a forrain power affirmeth that a priest may exercise a lawfull superiour authority ouer her Maiestie and all other magistrates much more ministers within the vniuersallbodie of the Church 1. Eliza. 1 13. Elizab. 1.1 Elizab. 5 and so directly is within the compasse of treason by the breach of the statuts prouided for the maintenance of her Maiesties supremacie within her owne dominions But D. Bridges doth this Doctorem ad capitale judicium voco poenae talionis me offe rens nisi laesa maiestatis rerum prob auero modo ipse sibi constiterit Ac deum testor me non patroni iugalum petere sed causa let his own words witnes against him Therfore he affirmeth that som one priest may exercise a lawfull superiour authoritie ouer her Maiestie and so is within compasse of the said statutes if he dare staÌ„d to that he hath written Nothing can be inferred out of his words but that which is set downe in the proposition for I am sure he wil not be so impudeÌ„tly traiterous as to deny hir Maiestie to be contained within the vniuersal bodie of the Church For by this meanes the wretched man would make her Maiesty to be an infidel and so should snare himselfe againe within the compasse of * treason And if he saye his meaning is not that this priest should be a forainer 13. Eliza. 1. and so thinketh to delude the statuts the plaster maketh the wound farre more grieuous and irkesome For first the iniurious indignitie is far greater vnto her right excellent Maiestie to make her owne vassall to bee a superiour gouernor ouer her vnto whom no prince els in all Europe will yeelde any homage then to acknowledge her selfe to be within the sheepefolde of a forraine Pope who it may bee is a Noble man borne and hath the Emperor the greatest states in christendome vnder his pastorall charge In the seconde place what notable contumelie is this for the noblekinges of Denmarke and Scots the state of Germanie Heluetia and all others that haue reiected the Popes authoritie as vnlawfull not onely in regard of his idolatrie and pride but euen of his lordly rule and supreme dignitie to holde it lawfull for them to haue an English priest to vsurpe authoritie ouer them and the Churches within ther dominions And I cannot expresse what indignitie it were to conceiue so vilely of her Maiestie the whol assemblie of parliament and your Hh. as to deeme that you banished poperie out of the land no otherwise then you thought it lawfull notwithstanding for an Englishe prieste I keepe the priestly D. owne wordes in stead of an Italian pope to haue superiour aucthoritie ouer the vniuersall bodie of the Church And howsoeuer some lawyers not vnderstanding how the state of the question concerning the popes prerogatiue is set downe by the best late popish writers might finde shifts for D Bridges to auoid the danger of the statute because there is not a particular instance brought in by him of a particular priest and a particular prince yet herof your Hh. may be assuredly perswaded that if the thinges set downe in this wretched and slaunderous booke be tollerable canonical the question concerning the popes supremacie whiche is the point I vrge and not the treason is granted on the papistes side For if it be yeelded that one priest or elder among the residue may haue a lawfull superiour authority ouer the vniuersall bodie of the Church that an Apostle might be a bish affirmed by a page 272. D. Bridges that Peter was prince of the Apostles being the title as it were the iuibushe of b page 445. 446. 2. pages in this dutifull booke that from Peter the originall of vnitie did spring that the Church might be grounded vpon vnitie alledged by the D. out of c page 445. Ciprian The like sentence beeing no lesse then thrise brought in by Bellarmine out of Ciprian also to the same purpose if these things I say be granted what can the papists desire more to inferr the popes supremacie for eyther they will prooue Peters successour to be this priest or some other must be brought that can shew better euidence then he can This is Bellarmines own reason De Rom. ponti lib. 2. cap. 12. 753. D. and these be the points in the proofe whereof hee hath sweat and laboured so sore in his first two books de Rom. pontif And if the auoiding of a particular instant would answere the statute no popish traitors hereafter will be gotten within the compasse thereof seeing in generall tearmes they may lawfully auouch the popes supremacie and stande vnto this high treason the particular opening wherof would cost them their liues and they will say no more but that one priest may haue a lawfull superiour authoritie as D Bridges saith Peter had ouer the vniuersall bodie of the Church Now whether this prieste be the pope or no or whether the pope may haue