against the invasion of the Rights of the Church of Arles by Anastasius do fully declare the Bishop of Rome had no Superiority by the Law of Christ over any Bishop c. A most weak discourse For admit Anastasius had less prudently dealt with the Church of Arles in changing the Ancient Custom admit a confusion ensued upon this change doth it therefore follow that the Bishop of Rome had no Superiority over any Bishop in the Catholick Church Both Prince and Prelate may out of less fore-sight make a Law damnable to their people Ergo they have no Superiority over them is but a wretched conclusion made by a Doctor of Divinity who if he had read Symmachus his Letter and long it is not he might have found the Popes Superiority asserted thus Relegentes ergo veterum antistitum c. dilectionem tuam enixissime commonemus ut in ordinandis per singulas urbes cana ac reverenda servetur antiquitas nec novella constitutio vetustae sanctionis robur imminuat Reading what was anciently done c. We warn you that in your Ordination through every City Venerable Antiquity be exactly observed and that no new Constitution impair the force of old Ordinances Here are words of Power and Authority Page 68. he cites St. Ignatius and before him St. Denis two Blessed Saints who in the very words the Doctor gives speaks not a syllable for him Next he cites Origen God knows where for he points to no place Then he furnisheth you with Pope Gelasius his Authority and St. Hierom The first saith he is distinct 97. cap duo sunt He mistakes the place it is distinctione 96. rightly cited thus Decreti prima pars distinct 96. cap. 10. Duo sunt the words are these Honor fratres sublimitas Episcopalis nullis poterit comparationibus adaequari si Regum fulgori compares Principum diademati longe erit inferius Episcopal Honour and high Dignity cannot be match'd though compared with Kings and Princes What makes this I pray you to prove that there are no intermedial Degrees between Christ and the poorest Bishop in Europe True it is that the meanest Bishop in the Church for his Character or Dignity of a Bishop precisely considered is equal to the highest so all Priests are in respect of their Characters in Priest-hood yet this shews not but that one Bishop may have a more ample power and jurisdiction then an other I think my Lord of Down and Connor will not equalize himself with the Primative of England every way though if he were a true Bishop as he is none Gelasius his words would be verified Sublimitas Episcopalis nullis poterit comparationibus adaequari The dignity of a Bishop is above comparison c. Now to St. Hierom cited in Ieremiam Homil. I answ Doctor Ieremy surely mistakes St. Hierom I have before me at this moment three Editions of St. Hierom whose Commentaries upon the Prophet Hieremias are divided into 6 books the Chapters handled are the Prophets but there is not one Word or Title of any Homily upon Ieremy I intreat him to direct me to that 7th Homily and because he cites also St. Hierom adversus Luciferianos which hath 8 or 9 Pages in Folio and 8 Chap. I desire he would point me out the page or Chapter I know what he aims at but because the objection is old it shall pass until he please to be more exact in his citations His fling at Bellarm. for speaking Truth deserves no answer nor that of St. Cyprian which he cites in Con. Carth. for who among those he speakes of could with probability make himself a Bishop of Bishops Or by Tyrannical power drive his Collegues to an necessity of Obedience No Pope pretends to this Tyranny CHAP. X. Of St. Gregory's refusing the Title of Universal Bishop Of Fathers asserting the Pope to be Supream Pastor Of the Doctors faulty Quotations NExt page 69. comes that so often answered objection out of St. Gregory who because Iohn Patriarck of Constantinople called himself Universal Bishop said it was a proud profane Sacrilegious Antichristian Title And it was so indeed in this Patriarck who had no right to the Title or thing either To clear the difficulty be pleased to know that this word Universalis may have a triple sence First it may signifie Unum Solum singulare one sole singular so we speak usually Universalis Ecclesia id est una tantum extra quam non est salus One Church only Universal out of which is no Salvation Whosoever therefore assumes to himself the Title of Universal Bishop in this sence importing that he is the sole only and singular Patriarck and that other Bishops are no more but suffragans or delegates is both Sacrilegious and Antichristian Sacrilegious because engrossing to himself the sole power he robs his Brethren of their true dignity Antichristian because he opposeth Christ who appointed Bishops with their respective power and jurisdiction to govern as spiritual Princes in the Church Now that the Patriarck of Constantinople arrogated to himself such an ample power may be proved out of St. Gregory in that often cited Epistle to Mauritius Nullus saith the Saint eorum unquam hoc singularitatis vocabulum assumpsit nec uti consensit No one ever assum'd or consented to use that word of Singularity and mark the reason Ne dum privatim uni aliquid daretur honore debito privarentur universi Least whilst something is given to one privately the General or Universal are depriv'd of their due honour And a little before Si igitur illud nomen in ea Ecclesia sibi quisquam arripit Universa Ecclesia quod absit a statu suo corruit quando qui appellabatur Universalis cadit If therefore any one takes to himself that name in the Church the Universal Church which God forbid must fall when he that was call'd Universal falls More to this purpose you may see Apud Gratianum distinctione 991. But no where speaks St. Gregory clearer then in his 4th Book of his Epistles writing to John Qui indignum te fatebaris ut Episcopus dici debuisses ad hoc quandoque perdactus es ut dispectis fraâ—ribus Episcopus appetas solus vocari Thou who didst confess thy self unworthy to be call'd a Bishop art now come to this that dispising the Brethren then covetest to be call'd the only Bishop Evident therefore it is out of St. Gregory that this ambitious Patriarck with contempt of his Brethren would be the sole and only Bishop which is Sacrilegious and Antichristian and neither due to Pope nor Patriarck 2. The Title of Universal may render you a sence that savors of Pride Hautiness and Prophaness and therefore as Remundus Rufus observes it was often used by the Roman Emperours and sounds high in the Greek Language Be pleased to hear Remumdus his own words pag. 26. circa medium Et ille Ioannes cum Graecus esset utebatur graeca voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Paul St. Peter could make Laws for the Universal Church and was St. Paul limited in this Power what then signifies this Priority and orderly Precedency in one above the other Apostles Let him declare this ingeniously bring it to a reality and prove it as it behoveth him by Scripture and that very Place he cites shall prove also that Primacy which Catholicks give to St. Peter In the interim be pleased to hear how pag. 64. he quotes St. Cyprian deunit Eccle. for equality of Power among the Apostles and deceives his Reader by concealing part and depraving the whole sence of St. Cyprians words They are long and thus Loquitur Dominus ad Petrum Ego dico tibi quia tu es Petrus super istam petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam portae c. tibi dabo claves c. iterum eidem post resurrectionem suam dicit pasce oves meas Super illum unum aedificat Aecclesiam suam illi pascendas mandat oves suas Et quamvis Apostolis omnibus post Resurrectionem suam parem potestatem tribuat dicat sicut misit me Pater ego mitto vos c. Tamen ut unitatem manifestaret unam Cathedram constituit unitatis ejusdam originem ab uno incipientem sua Authoritate disposuit Our Lord spake unto Peter I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church c. And again after his Resurrection he said unto him Feed my Sheep Upon him one alone or only he builds his Church to him he committed his Flock to be fed And although he gave after his Resurrection equal power to all the Apostles and said As my Father sent me I send you yet to manifest Unity he appointed or setled one Chair and the Origen of this Unity he ordered by his own Authority to proceed from one Now follows the Doctors words Hoc erant utique caeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pariconsortio praediti honoris potestatis sed exordium ab unitate proficiscitur Primatus Petro datur ut una Christi Ecclesia Cathedra una monstretur What Peter was the other Apostles were endowed with like fellowship of Honour and Power but the beginning comes from Unity The Primacy is given to Peter that one Church of Christ and one Apostolical Chair might be manifest These last words sed exordium c. Primatus Petro datur and super illum unum as also the precedent unam Cathedram constituit which clear all the Doctor conceals Is not here plain jugling This Primacy and true Head-ship of St. Peter all Antiquity so amply confirms that Volumes might be made of their Writings See that Learned and ancient Author Optatus milevitanus lib. 2. adversus Parmenianum page with me in his works printed at Paris 1631 48. Igitur negare non potes scire te in urbe Roma Petro primam Cathedram Episcopalem esse collocatam in qua sederit omnium Apostolorum caput Petrus unde Cephas appellatus est in qua una Cathedrâ unit as ab omnibus servaretur ne caeteri Apostoli singulas sibi quisque defenderet ut jam schismaticus peccator esset qui contra singularem Cathedram alteram collocaret Ergo Cathedra una est quae est prima de dotibus sedit prior Petrus cui successit Linus Lino successit Clemens Clementi Anacletus c. The sence is Deny you can not that you know that the first Bishops Seat was placed at Rome where Peter the head of all the Apostles did sit and therefore was called Cephas This was done to prevent least any should erect another Chair against it The Seat therefore is one the first of Gifts and Graces first sate Peter Linus succeeded c. And he gives you a List of the other ensuing Popes to Siricius who sate in this Chair when Optatus lived See also that known passage of St. Hierom lib. 1. adversus Iovinianum cap. 14. circa medium in his works printed at Colen anno 1616. where after those words which Protestants usually alledge Ex aequo super eos Ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur He adds Tamen propterea inter duodecim unus eligitur ut capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio Yet therefore among twelve one is chosen that a Head being appointed occasion of schism might be taken away See also Tertullian de pudicitia with me page 743. printed at Paris anno 1641. Qualis es evertens commutans manifestam Domini intentionem personaliter hoc Petro conferentem super te aedificabo Ecclesiam mean dabo tibi claves What a man are you overturning and changing the manifest intention of our Lord who gave to Peter personally this priviledge Upon thee will I build my Church to thee will I give the keys c. See lastly St. Cyprian to omit St. Austin de Baptismo lib. 3. cap. 17. Paris Print 1648. it is pag. 139. and 71. Epistle ad Quintum where spkeaking of St. Peters humility reprehended by St. Paul he saith Nam nec Petrus quem primum Dominus elegit super quem aedificavit Ecclesiam suam cum secum Paulus de circumcisione post modum disputaret vindicavit aliquid insolenter aut arroganter assumpsit ut diceret se primatum tenere For Peter whom our Saviour first made choice of and upon whom he built his Church did not insolently vindicate himself when Paul disputed with him concerning Circumcision or proudly said that he was superior or held the Primacy c. Endless should I be if I held on with such manifest Authorities for St. Peters Primacy and Superiority even over the Apostles If you would have more Ballarm largely furnisheth you but none me thinks goes beyond a book Printed at Paris anno 1553. the Author is a Lawyer Remundus Rufus a most Eloquent Solid and Learned man that writ against Molinaeus and so pithily defends the Popes Authority and solves all Arguments against it that I verily perswade my self had the Doctor read him he would never have troubled the World with his four forceless leaves against either Pope or Peter My task is now to solve those words of St. Cyprian which the Doctor hath pag. 64. The other Apostles were the same that St. Peter was c. add to them St. Hieroms Ex aequo c. One obvious and known distinction clears all distinguish then inter Apostolatum Primatum between Apostles-ship and Primacy and whatever the Doctor hath or can alledge falls to nothing The Apostles therefore were all equal in the Dignity and Office of their Apostles-ship or to speak with some Divines quoad clavem Doctrinae this is most true and granted But that they were all equal in Goverment in Superiority and Primacy shall never be proved so long as those words stand in the Gospel Tu es Petrus c. You will ask where I have this distinction of Apostles-ship and Primacy I Answ First out of
we say although the Pope cannot know by the certitude of the cause that a Saint whom he canonizeth had Charity yet he knows it by effects to wit by works famous and spoken of him quia probatio charitatis exhibitio est operis the proofs of Charity are good works and this is enough whereby he may judge c. Thus Anconitanus To what the Doctor adds of some reputed Saints for a time and afterwards burnt for Hereticks I Answer The Objection is frivolous for no one canonized or universally honoured as a Saint by the Catholick Church was ever thus dealt with Though no wonder it is that a meer cheat gain for a time an opinion of Sanctity with men over credulous and afterward have his vizard pulled off and Hypocrisy disclosed The Doctor ends his ninth Section pag. 134. with a pittifull complaint against the multitude of Holy-dayes in the Church of Rome and saith out of Gavantus that there are about two hundred Holy dayes in the whole year which is an intolerable burthen to the poor labourer that on the rest he can scarce earn his bread besides much superstition and licentiousness that fellows such disorderly festivities Answ The ignorance of our Doctor is more then intolerable who neither understands Gavantus nor the practice of our Church Strange it is that he also complained not of two hundred fasting dayes answerable to these holydayes much weakning the labouring man and consequently that the year hath more fasts and feasts in it then dayes This later is as true as what the Doctor tells us of two hundred holydayes Let him therefore know that all these holydayes which Gavantus calls feasts or are placed in the Calender in red letters are not dayes of precept obliging poor labourers to desist from servile work but are styled feasts upon this account that the Church keeps a memory of so many blessed Saints in order with Office and Mass More then the most of them hinder no manual work nor lay any obligation on the labouring man Hence his argument of ease and licentiousness accompanying these festivities is made null Only thus much it proves that one may innocently smile at the Doctors skill in what he writes against CHAP. XXII Adjuration of Devils approv'd by the ancient Church and authority of Fathers The Doctor cannot except against our Catholick Exorcisms NOw to the Doctors 10. Section pag. 135. where God bless us he is resolved to be Tragical and passionately to act against all Exorcisms and conjuring of Devils For answer I le give him these few Considerations which perhaps may conjure him to silence hereafter on this Subject And first it is an eternal shame for a Doctor of Divinity to rayl with open mouth against all Exorcism's seeing we are ascertain'd that not only Christ our Lord impowered his own Disciples to cast out Devils but the Ancient Church likewise possitively prescribed a Form of Exorcism This we have in the 4th Council of Carthage celebrated in the year 398. and approved by Leo the third cap. 7. Exorcista saith the Council cum ordinatur accipiat de manu Episcopi libellum in quo Scripti sunt Exorcismi dicente sibi Episcopo Accipe commenda memoriae habeto potestatem imponendi manus super energumenum sive baptizatum sive Catechumenum Let the Exorcist when he is ordained take a book from the hand of the Bishop wherein the Exorcisms are writ the Bishop saying take this Book and commit it to memory and receive power to lay thy hands upon the possessed person whether Baptized or Catechumen Thus said the Ancient Church even when our Protestants say it was without error yet now up starts a new fashioned Doctor in a corner of the world brim full of anger and must needs vent it against these sacred rites Exorcism's forsooth with him are horible impiety a Conjugation of evils Incantations Diabolical charms and what not Well for adjuring of Devils and casting them out of possessed persons we have both the Practice and Authority of the most Ancient Fathers that ever lived in the Church I 'le give you a few and for others remit you to Pamelius his notes upon Tertullian de Baptismo pag. with me 468. printed at Antwerp Anno 1584. daemones saith Tertullian in his Apologet adv Gent. cap. 31. pag. 74. id est genios adjurare consuevimus ut illos ab hominibus exigamus Devils or Genii we haue a custome to adjure that we may drive them from men Again cap. 37. pag. 78. Quis autem vos ab illis c. who is there that will free you from the incursions of Devils which we without reward drive away And in his Book de Praeseip cap. 41. p. 400. He blames certain women for using Exorcisms Add to Tertullian a Father yet more ancient Justinus Martyr in his works printed at Paris an 1615. Apologia prima pro Christianîs pag. 45. Complures saith the Saint daemonum intemperijs correptos per orbem omnem hanc vestram vrbem c. You have many seized on by Devils the whole world over yes and in this your City which your Conjurers and Witches could not help and not a few of our men Per nomen Jesu Christi su◠Pontio Pilato Crucifixi adiurantes sanarunt c. Have by adjuring them in the Name of Christ Jesus Crucified cured them have disarmed these Devils and cast them out of those possessed men The like we read in S. Justins Dialogue cum Tryphone Judaeo with me in the same edition pag. 147. hodie quoque illi per nomen Jesu Christi adjurati nobis parent c. and at this day those infernall Spirits adjured by the name of Jesus Christ with fear and trembling obey us Read also S. Cyprian printed at Paris ann 1648. ad Demetrianum pag. 236. O si audire eos velles saith the St. videre quando à nobis adjurantur torquentur spiritualibus flagris verborum tormentis de obsessis corporibus ejiciuntur quando ejulantes gementes voce humana potestate divina flagella verbera sentientes venturum judicium confitentur O Demetrian if thou wouldst hear and see when those evil Spirits are conjured by us and vexed by our spiritual scourges and the torment of those words we speak being cast out of possessed bodys if thou didst but hear and see when howling and sighing like men they feel our stripes and lashes and confess a day of judgement to come c. Veni cognosce come and know these wonders to be true which we here relate Thus S. Cyprian Here are adjurations here are spiritual scourges here are sacred words here are Devils cast out of possessed bodys howling and crying by the power of God at these adjurations and speaking of words Let the Doctor speak out and tell us plainly if he dares with any conscience say that all this is nothing but Diabolical charming and horrible impiety Would he please to credit me I might tell him a